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- Hours:
Mon-Tue 11 am - 5 pm
Wed-Thu 11 am - 6 pm
Fri-Sat 10 am - 6 pm
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48 reviews for Kona Kakes
Review Highlights
"Five stars for the caramel macadamia nut cake."
(in 6 reviews)
"Janice and her staff always go above and beyond."
(in 12 reviews)
"With cakes like pineapple-macadamia and Guava cream."
(in 4 reviews)
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48 reviews in English
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Review from Collette O.
Chula Vista, CA
1/20/2012
Ordered a 10" round pineapple macadamia nut cake for my in law's bdays. Their party was going to be on a sunday which meant I had to pick up the cake on saturday (Kona Kakes isn't open on Sundays). I was a little worried that the cake wouldn't taste fresh for the party, but to my relief, it was! The cake was so moist and delicious as if it were made that very morning, not the day before. The cake was a HUGE hit. Everyone loved it. It is now my go-to bakery for cakes! My only gripe is the flowers add-ons are a tad expensive, but they do make the cake look even more gorgeous. ;)
Overall:
PROS:
Delicious, fresh, moist cakes with quality ingredients
Easy online ordering with quick reply and confirmation.
Excellent, friendly customer service.
CONS:
A lil pricey--but worth it.
Flower add-ons are pricey.
Wish they were open on Sundays.
Other than that, they're great! -
Review from Arlene P.
Updated - 1/15/2012 2 photos
I recommended that we get our friends 40th birthday cake from you guys and it was great! The first time I ever saw a photocake. The only problem was that I didn't want to CUT it, felt weird cutting my friend, so I made the birthday boy do it himself! :)
Listed in: I want a treat!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/16/2010
If you want to impress your guests, this is the place to get your cake. Everytime I got a cake from… Read more »
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Review from Jennifer B.
San Diego, CA
10/14/2011
Before my husband REALLY understood how our wedding cake would be displayed he wanted a Pineapple Upside Down cake. I searched in San Diego and one of the people that everyone recommended was Janice at Kona Kakes. I contacted her shortly after our engagement and made an appointment for a tasting.
We were able to taste three cakes, Pinapple Upside Down, Vanilla Macadamia Nut Crunch and Carmel Macadamia Nut Crunch (i think). The last one was not one I had chosen personally. We tasted the Pinapple first and it was good, but my husband was not convinced. Then we tasted the Vanilla and he was BLOWN away. He kept going back. While I thought it was good I felt the cake was a bit dry, but I chalked it up to the fact that the cake had been refridgerated overnight and then had been defrostsed and was just a bit stale. It was still a go on the cake because my husband loved that it was whip cream frosting and none of that buttercream, heavy stuff.
Either way, I really liked Janice, her prices were SUPER reasonable and since we also had dessert coming with our vendor package we decided on two small square cakes. The cake arrived and not only was it gorgeous but her display of flowers on the cake was AMAZING! We chose cream and pink garden roses and she also inscribed an "I" for our last name on the cake.
We were able to taste the cake when we cut it and well it tasted amazing. I feel like I have had bad experiences over the years with wedding cake and I have to say ours was FABULOUS! We got so many rave reviews from everyone that we were a little upset we hadnt been able to savor it the next day (they did box some up but it was too much for just the two of us to eat so we sent it with the band).
Either way, amazing cake at really reasonable prices. We decided not to do the freeze/save eat in a year thing on our anniversary but we are planning to purchase a small personal sized cake in a year to commemorate our 1-year!
Thanks again Janice and Kona team! -
Review from Genevieve S.
San Diego, CA
6/16/2011
Your mom couldn't make a cake like this. Your grandma couldn't make a cake like this. And you, no matter how much you watch the Food Network in all of its cakey glory, couldn't make a cake like this. Kona Kakes makes a cake that tastes absolutely, positively, completely wonderful. We just bought the dobash cake, and its chocolatey goodness will render you speechless.
If you really want a good cake, order one from Kona Kakes. We can't wait to call them again. -
Review from Janine C.
San Diego, CA
1/26/2011 1 photo
(This is a belated review. Just pretend it's May 2010 right now.)
The first time I ever tasted these cakes was at a bonfire party around 2 years ago. And I fell in loveeeee, best cake I have ever eaten. I needed a reason to throw a party so I could order one, and finally... my college graduation party (in May 2010) would be the perfect occasion!
I ordered the Vanilla Macadamia Nut Crunch, which was DELICIOUS. I was hoping people would stop eating the cake so I could eat more of it as leftovers. But nope, everyone loved it just as much as I did and there was barely any left after the party.
So why did I give this place 3 out of 5 stars? Well, here's the story. I went to go pick up the cake a few hours before my party started. When I got there, I was advised to look at my cake before leaving to make sure everything was spelled correctly and that it was what I ordered. Everything was fine... my name, spelling, pretty decorations.... EXCEPT!!
One huge problem: The cake said "Class of 2012." 2012?!?! It's May 2010!! Maybe someone was just having an off day, maybe someone just saw that movie where the world ends, but c'mon... getting the year wrong by 2 whole years?!
I'm never the type of person to make a big deal and complain about things... but if I'm spending $90 on a cake, I would want it to be done correctly. I laughed it off, but still asked if they could fix it to say 2010. To my surprise, they had NO frosting on site. Really? You would think a cake shop would be prepared with this kind of stuff. The woman working there tried her best to fix the mistake using a plastic knife and it turned out worst than if she just left the 2012. Not once did she offer me a discount or any type of customer service. All she said was "Sorry." Yeah, okay, thanks...
Oh well, everyone make mistakes, we're all human. They should just be prepared enough to fix those mistakes. -
Review from Jen L.
Los Angeles, CA
3/26/2011 2 photos
My mom ordered a birthday cake for my brother from here. We got the Vanilla Macadamia Nut Crunch (Yellow pound cake filled with fresh caramel, macadamia nuts, toffee bits, vanilla cream and frosted with white cream) ... WOW it was one of the most amazing, tasty cakes I've ever had. Seriously. I LOVE dessert and don't say that very often. It sounds like it'd be reeeally overwhelming and sweet - and my family is sensitive to things overly sweet - but it was SO delicious. My brother's girlfriend, who super dislikes sweets, even said it was good!! The cake is pretty massive, especially with just five of us... but I didn't mind all the leftovers mmmmm. I wish you could buy smaller ones, or by the slice!
It was a bit confusing when I went to go pick it up though. When I walked into 57 Deg, the one guy that was there had no idea what I was talking about (found out later he was new) and was useless to direct me where to go. I ended up just walking straight to the back entrance and found it on the right side of the building. -
Review from Ari H.
Los Angeles, CA
9/13/2010
I am sure that this bakery makes lovely, delicious cakes. Or else, they would not have received all of this praise.
Unfortunately, they were unable to produce an edible, presentable cake for my father's 80th birthday in July.
My sister-in-law ordered the Haupia cake, which is allegedly filled with coconut pudding between layers. She had an ongoing email conversation with the company to ensure that it was what we needed. We were impressed that we originally requested a 1/2 sheet cake for 30 people, and they suggested that a 1/4 sheet would be more than sufficient. Obviously, they deal honestly with their clients.
The wheels came off when my sister-in-law went to pick up the cake. She found herself in a small room in a warehouse-like facility, greeted by an assistant. She noticed that the cakes were not refrigerated, as in a regular bakery, but produced elsewhere and stored there.
They opened the box, and the cake was an absolute mess. On top of a coconut cake, they had slapped on some plain white frosting wishing my dad a happy 80th birthday. It was cracked, and looked like an amateur had done it. We expected much more care for such an expensive cake. The cake itself was lopsided, as though it had shifted some in transit, lopping some frosting off the side and nothing could be done to fix it in that hole of a cake distribution office.
My father's party a mere three hours away, my sister in law took the cake, distressed, frantically contacting me on the way to her home, asking if I had a green frosting pen. She sent me a very disappointing photo of the mess when she got home. Unfortunately, I was coming down south on the 5, sandwiched in between three and a half hours of summer travelers, of absolutely help beyond pithy sympathy. Thank goodness, she had a friend next door who is a cake decorator and salvaged it as best she could.
We had worked so hard on my dad's party, with favors, PowerPoint presentations, gifts. We'd reserved a beautiful room at the Bali Hai. Relatives and friends from all over sat down for an enjoyable evening of memories. And at the end, we were looking forward to serving them a delicious cake, as we had been promised that despite how it looked, we would love it. After reading the Yelp reviews, I was sure of it, too.
But no. This was the worst cake I have ever seen or tasted in my entire life. I don't say that mildly. Even the servers, who had a horrible time cutting it, were dumbfounded and frustrated. Every time they tried to cut through it to serve a nice piece, it simply fell apart because the coconut pudding layers had congealed, cracked, and hardened, like a cake that had been made several days prior. The cake itself was dry and fell off to the side with every slice. It was embarrassing, to give our father and his guests his favorite, coconut cake, and have it appear that he wasn't worth enough for us to splurge on a nice bakery. In fact, the servers asked us if it was homemade, trying to hold back a smirk.
Now, you know THAT's bad.
We were so horrified, my sister in law immediately sent an email to the owner the next day. She apologized. Kind of. She tried to blame my sister in law, saying that she was OK taking it from the bakery, and then must have changed her mind later. She had no choice! She had been polite but had clearly expressed her disdain, and they had no solutions, and she couldn't show up without a cake.
In her email after the event, my sister in law asked for a refund, and the owner tried to negotiate some kind of convoluted deal where she'd give some of it back, minus her (apparently telepathic) estimation of what had probably been consumed (!) and then said she would personally go to my dad's house with a new cake. I don't know what happened with all of that because frankly, I'd had enough to make my final review, and here it is. You can't unring the bell of ruining my dad's 80th birthday, and I simply don't want anyone else to walk into the same situation, blind.
I am a small business owner myself, so it's not easy to write this review. But here is a wake-up call to Kona Kakes...fix the issue. If you need to let customers pick up cakes from your home, do it. If you need to rent a refrigerator for your warehouse space, get it. Just don't give people cakes that ruin their special occasions, for all intents and purposes.
My father, thank goodness, has many memories of that night beyond the cake. But his guests remember it as the worst they've ever eaten. All the plates of cake that I had to throw away when cleaning up were full testaments to that. -
Review from Darren S.
2/23/2010 3 photos
My discovery of Kona Kakes happened while I was sitting in Homestyle Hawaiian for a plate lunch. In the restaurant was a copy of the Musubi Map which lists the names and location of Hawaiian businesses in the San Diego area. Kona Kake's bright cake ad caught my eye and when I finally needed to get one, they were the first number that I thought to call.
Kona Kake's website lists all of their flavors with a description and breakdown of prices and sizes. This was great because I pretty much knew what I wanted and the chart helped to streamline my communication with them. Many other SD bakeries don't do this and with my time crunch, I wasn't willing to spend the time to do more legwork with bakeries over the phone and with in-person visits.
Since they're in a storefront transition phase, I wasn't able to visit their baking facility to try samples. In this instance I put my faith in fellow Yelpers and other reviews that I found online. Until I met my delivery person, all of our communication was over the phone. Your call will be directed to a message machine and my calls happened to be returned within the hour.
The biggest issue I thought I was my narrow time window. I needed a single day turnaround. Nope not a problem. Another consequence of not currently having a shop open to public with no ability to pick-up is having free delivery. Super.
The chocolate raspberry cake was beautiful and adorned with blue-purplish orchids (extra fee). The cake was layered with light cream, vanilla custard and raspberries. On the exterior, the frosting was light and tasted like it had hints of chocolate and hazelnuts and topped with fresh raspberries. The cake was well received and sized larger than I'd imagined. My cake was supposed to serve eight but can actually serve at least eight more people. It was definitely delicious, but having seconds will put you down
Thankfully my expectations gleaned from Yelp reviews matched my experience. My next order will probably be a caramel macadamia chocolate cake. All of their flavors look great. I can't wait to visit their new cafe.Listed in: Sweets & Dessert
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Review from Kimmy G.
San Diego, CA
9/23/2009
My experience with Kona Kakes began well but ended very poorly. My parents and fiance made an appointment with KK to discuss our wedding cake. Their cake was DELICIOUS! We raved about it! Even now I'd love to stop in for a slice.... but I never will after how poorly we were treated on our actual wedding day. I was very weary about the price of the cake but we decided to go for it.
I was very specific and simple with what I wanted. 3 tier off center square cake with plain white icing. No spaces. SOOO SIMPLE!!! I figured it would be marvelous considering their outlandish prices for such a tiny wedding cake. Seriously, almost $600 for an itty bitty little cake. But I digress....
On the day of Janice (the owner, I believe) showed up with a horrendous rendition of what I ordered. She put thick wooden dowels in my cake to seperate the tiers. This was exactly what I had told them I did NOT want. My Mom said Janice had claimed I had called 2 days before and asked for the change. I certainly had NOT! They obviously confused my order with someone else.
To make a long story short, it took a lot to get the cake in a "presentable" order. There were holes in the cake and it was tilted and just very unfinished looking. Had it not been for my AMAZING florist (Tessilk), we would have probably discarded the cake altogether. The flavor was still there but the experience still left a bad taste in my mouth. I am still astounded that I had to pay so much for such an awful experience. I would never use Kona Kakes again and will never ever recommend their services to anyone. -
Review from Susie G.
4/23/2008
I ordered a custom cake here for my mom's 60th birthday party. The good news is that it was delicious; the bad news is that it was destroyed during the drive home from Kona Kakes.
Kona Kakes didn't have a box that would fit the cake properly, even though it was one of their standard 10" size cakes, so it was shoved into a smaller box with the lid cracked open and about a half an inch of space around the cake. It seemed like it would work for the 4 mile drive home.
It didn't.
As I curved around the ramp on the 163 south from Mission Valley, I glanced over from my driving in horror to see (through the box lid that couldn't close) that this cake was sliding around on its first layer. The base of the cake was in place, but where a layer of cream divided the cake, the cake then divided.
This would have been great if I were using it as a prop for a science class to explain how tectonic plates move, but I was not. This was a $45 cake purchased for an important celebration.
The entire cake slid right into the side of the box creating a ruined, flat edge. The presentation ended up SUCKING. I don't know whether it was the cream in the cake, the temperature of the cake or the unfit box, or my driving, or what, but this unexpected development was a disappointment and a stress.
The cake tasted delicious, fluffy and what my mom described as "homemade" - a high compliment from my mom. It was well made, three layers, subtle flavors, not too sugary. But I was embarassed by the presentation after that horrific drive home. It looked like somebody (a toddler?) shaped this cake with their hands.
Hopefully everyone was too drunk to notice. -
Review from Bill P.
San Diego, CA
2/28/2011
If your taste is like mines and love mocha almond fudge ice cream, you have to try their caramel macadamia nut cake. It taste like a mocha almond fudge except for macadamia nuts. It's located next to a hooters so expect to not find parking so easy. The chocolate raspberry cake is fantastic and can be bought with orchids which is so beautiful.
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Review from Anabel C.
San Diego, CA
3/20/2011
I was honestly a little hesitant to go w/ Kona Kakes because of some of the consistent complaints that I saw here on Yelp, but I'm glad I took a chance and went with them so I could give it a try for myself!
Flavor - I ordered the vanilla macadamia crunch and I personally LOVED it! As a matter of fact, the biggest thing that drew me in about Kona is the flavor selection! Tons to choose from if you're looking for something exotic and special for your celebration! I loved the layer of caramel in this flavor. There were little toffee crunchies and macadamia bits in it..mmmm!!! Also slightly salty which tasted really great w/ the rest of the cake. I'm still deciding how i feel about the frosting. There was just a lot of it, and had not sure what exactly it's made of...but it was a little too much for me because it kind of reminded me of grocery store cake frosting cuz it kinda sorta left a film in the roof of my mouth (I wonder if it's made w/ shortening?..or maybe egg whites??)...BUT after I took some off (ok a lot of it off) it tasted good w/ the rest of the cake! The cake part itself is really good too! Nice sponginess and texture and really buttery! =) I personally loved this cake, but a few of my family members thought it was a little too sweet for their taste.
Price - Definitely a pricier cake. Spent $48 for a 10 inch cake...but lemme tell you. that cake was HUUUUUGE!!! SUPER tall so that when you slice it, a sliver of it is more than enough for a serving! The Kona Kake says a cake that size will serve 16-20 people, but from experience (and trust... i'm a huge dessert fan!), that cake will feed at LEAST 20 people!
Customer Service - Janice is a super sweet lady, and I do plan on using Kona Kakes again in the future, so hopefully she doesn't get upset that I provided some constructive criticism on this site.. but overall i love communicating via email when i place orders so everything is documented, and she is GREAT w/ emailing! She answered all my questions, and was very friendly... also in person when I went to go pick up my order. I also LOVE how her website has lots of info as far as flavors, varieties, and pricing are concerned.
One minor complaint I have (and i only bring it up cuz some other yelpers mentioned a similar problem) is that the inscription wasn't quite right. I was sort of in a hurry when I picked up the cake, so I opened the box and checked it real quick and it looked right so I paid her and left... but after checking again in the car I realized that the last part of the inscription I had emailed her to write on the cake was not there! oy! i can't say what would've happened if i pointed this out, since this was a saturday and some yelpers mentioned there were no tools at the pick-up site to correct the cake in case this happened... so i thought i should mention it just in case. For our purposes, the inscription that was written on there was still fine, but I would've liked it better if it was exactly the same one I provided.
but overall great experience... BEAUTIFUL looking cake...tasted GREAT.. easy ordering process and good customer service so Kona Kakes is definitely worth a try, esp. if you've never had it before and are craving a dessert that's a little bit different from the norm! =) -
Review from Pauline L.
San Diego, CA
5/26/2010
Five stars for the caramel macadamia nut cake... my friends and I take turns throwing bday parties for each other, and when time came for someone's bday, we just kind of expected this cake :) I've had samples of their guava (pretty good, just not as good as the CMN cake), and the tropical cake (not a fan--the pineapple makes it too tart for my taste).
Now, i usually avoid frosting, but they use this awesome, amazing, melt-in-your-mouth, heavenly whipped cream. Airy, creamy, with just the BEST consistency ever! They probably whip it up fresh or something. AND the caramel macadamia nut paste, personally, i prefer it a little chunkier, because the flavors of the nut come through more, to better contrast the caramel. We've ordered this cake so many times, that whenever the cake tastes better than it usually does, that's why. Depends on who makes your cake i guess.
I love the cakes here though, because they arent overly rich, sweet, or artificially flavored. No buttercream. No sharp, needle-pinching pain for sweettooth overload.
I havent had this in about 3 years--since they left their old location, but I'm SO hunting you down, KK! I think I'm going to make you a part of my diet plan... chicken breast, salad, brown rice. Then, KK! ;) -
Review from Sara Y.
5/5/2009
Mmmmmmmm...the cake was like a luau in my mouth. *ahem*
Seriously, I was happy to find a way to appeal to my friend's love for chocolate, cake and Hawaii all in one nice package. However, I ordered a 10" round cake and left with a sheet cake! The bakers did not put in my order in time, but gave me the bigger cake at no additional charge. MAHALO to that! The chocolate caramel macadamia nut cake with hazelnut cream is what I ordered and it was DAMN tasty. The cake was chocolate with a middle layer of caramel and macadamia nuts. The middle layer tasted as if it had been torched brulee style, sort of, so it had a nice crunch to it.
Plus, they added orchids on top of the cake. I love cake flair! Best part was that they sell candles there too, thus saving me a trip to the grocery store. I will definitely be back for more tropical, cakey goodness.Listed in: Sweetness
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Review from Lyn P.
7/4/2007
A Hawaiian bakery. If you've been to Hawaii and had cake there, this place will totally transport you back to the islands.What are you waiting for? Get down there and get a slice of Caramel Macadamia cake. The Guava cake is actually my favorite. They also have little Hawaiian snacks and what not. Friendly service.
I'm docking a star because parking here sucks. You either have to park next to Hooters or park in the little lot on the east side of the store, which is small and fills up quickly.Listed in: For Your Sweet Tooth, Ono-licious
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Review from Giggly c.
Portland, OR
2/4/2008
Excellent cakes. The cake part is flavorful and rich like extraordinary desserts. The frosting is light like asian bakery's whipped cream icing. The cake is full of flavor, and the orchid decorations brings you back to vacation in hawaii.
The service is very friendly, and they even let you have a sample of the cake before you try it. The chocolate cake is excellent and the caramel macadamia, and the tropical one... actually, I liked all the ones I tried. The guava cake was a huge hit at yesterdays' superbowl party.
Definately going to return here. Not sure about the hours, maybe hard to come after dinner for dessert. -
Review from Yolanda B.
Chula Vista, CA
6/12/2009
My sister took a bite of the chocolate caramel macadamia nut cake and had a tiny "O" in the store.
Enough said! -
Review from John L.
Los Angeles, CA
4/20/2009
Went onto one of those Long Beach weekend trips. Searching through yelp for some suggestions and came across Kona Kakes. Location is somewhat hidden but great parking space, you just have to pass the owl before you get to the cake :)
Anyway, went in there, only three types left, Guava, Tropical Splash, and something else. I have to say that at first I was dissapointed because I would like to try Macnut Caramel. So we got a slice of Guava and a slice of Tropical Splash. Yummm cakes were delicious and moist. Top it off with a great warm service and good price. Next time we'll come back have to try different flavors. -
Review from Chris E.
San Diego, CA
5/10/2011
Amazing! My husband got me one for my 40th Birthday and it is all anyone could talk about. Worth every penny and more! I will never have anything other than Kona Kake :) Thanks for making my 40th so special!!
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Review from Oh So Fresh B.
San Diego, CA
2/11/2008
By far the best Hawaiian Bakery away from the Island. Excellent cakes!! great to the last bite!! The whip cream isn't that way too sweet type of cream that makes you cringe, it's perfect!! The cakes are ALWAYS moist - DELISH!!!!
I highly recommend the Guava Cake ( which is a classic) as well as the Caramel Macadamia w/ Hazelnut Cream cake. You can go there and just buy slices if you don't want to but a whole cake itself. They also have varieties of Hawaiian snacks that you can buy. Friendly service. Mediocre parking. This place is located right next to Hooters, so the parking lot fills up fast. -
Review from Maple L.
San Francisco, CA
12/18/2008
Kona Kakes makes the type of cakes that I would wake up in the middle of the night just to eat-- they're that good. Anyone who knows me knows that I love cakes and all sweets, but I also love sleep. Here, I would pick cake over sleep, so that's saying something.
They make Hawaiian/Asian style cakes where the cake is soft and spongey like angel food cake and the frosting is a whipped topping that is light and fluffy, but not overly sweet. (Those who want the super sweet buttercream cake that sticks to your teeth and then to your thighs should look elsewhere.) The cake flavors are much better than your average grocery store: delicious chocolate coconut macademia, caramel macademia, and exotic tropical flavors like guava and passionfruit.
The only downside is that they don't have much decorations other than fresh flowers, chopped nuts or icing/caramel squigglies. I say you buy a cake and some fresh orchids, and place the orchids on top for a simple and pretty Island look.
Useful: Kona Kakes also takes e-mail orders and Janice was quick to respond to my e-mail. They're sometimes slow in getting the phone and it rings a while.
I can't wait to get me some more Kona kake! -
Review from Jan K.
Carlsbad, CA
4/18/2008
Kona Kakes is awesome! Their cakes are sweet and moist...My favorite hands down would have to be
Chocolate Coconut Macadamia Nut... You should give this place a try! -
Review from Jenny F.
Key West, FL
7/9/2010
Exquisite!
My husband found Kona Kakes online and new immediately that this was the cake we wanted for our daughters 2nd birthday! We do not like traditional cakes with the frosting thats too sweet to eat and a cake thats not even fresh, so we thought we would give Kona a try!
We had the Vanilla Macadamia nut crunch cake and it was to die for. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. The cake was beautifully decorated, so fresh and so moist!
The staff were friendly and helpful. She was patient and ready to meet my needs with any request that I had. She responded to all of my inquiries in a timely manner.
They will deliver to you as well! I will recommend Kona Kakes to anyone who has a taste for an exquisite cake with an unbelievable unique taste! -
Review from Joy M.
San Diego, CA
7/3/2009
My best friend's wedding cake was so delicious that I had to get the same for my wedding! 8 years later, I purchase all my cakes from Kona Kakes.
Once, I received the wrong order and I promptly called Janice to let her know. She apologized for the mistake. The next time I ordered a cake, she only charged me for the cost of the cake.
These cakes are not your typical chocolate and vanilla cakes that you get at a grocery store. These cakes are flavorful and moist. My favorites are the Pineapple Macademia or the Chocolate Raspberry cakes.
If you want delicious, beautiful and yummy cakes with Hawaiian hospitality, visit Kona Kakes, I highly recommend them! -
Review from holly r.
San Diego, CA
3/18/2011
We have ordered from Kona twice and have been impressed both times, although I will say that I personally liked the guava cream best. Will be using them for birthdays in the future. Janice the owner is really sweet and even made a home delivery. 4 stars because it is a little pricey
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Review from Cat B.
San Diego, CA
5/12/2008
Kona Kakes is the BEST!!! They have wonderful, exotic, very delicious cakes AND they are affordable. The staff is so nice and helpful too. What more can you ask for?!?!
I actually ordered three of the regular round cakes and used them as my wedding cakes. I wasn't into the traditional wedding cake, so it didn't matter to me that they were different color frosting and simply decorated. I just ordered some of their fresh orchids to add a splash of color and it was lovely.
They do also have traditional looking wedding cakes too, but the regular rounds worked out great, were delicious, and saved me a pretty penny.
Now my husband and I make it a yearly tradition to go have a piece of Kona Kakes on our anniversary. I recommend the Kiwi Banana. YUM!!! -
Review from Erica C.
San Diego, CA
11/24/2010
I wanted to order a special cake for my husband's birthday. I knew I wanted to get him a good rum cake since we weren't able to enjoy one on our wedding day. I remembered reading about Kona Kakes online and saw that they could make the perfect cake. I ended up ordering an 8-inch pina colada cake with a light rum soak. The cake was delicious and my husband loved it!
I give them 3 stars for 2 reasons. First off, I contacted the shop via email about a month before I needed the cake to inquire whether they would be able to make the cake with some requests I had. After our conversation via email, I placed a reservation on their books with the added suggestion to contact them the week I wanted the cake to be sure they had everything in order. Thank God I called them! When I called the Monday of that week, I was informed that they did not write down the cake order because they weren't sure that I was serious about buying the cake. What? I was a little peeved since we were both excited about the cake but they informed me it could still be made. I went through with the order and made arrangements for when the cake would be delivered.
Here's where the second problem came about. When I first discussed picking up the cake, I wanted to pick it up around 4:30. I was told over the phone that they would prefer to deliver the cake (they're in the process of moving their location of business) and to deliver it at an earlier time. I was okay with that since I'm on vacation right now and it saved me the drive. We arranged for 1:00 since that would be the peak traffic hour. 1:00 PM came and went. No cake. I thought maybe they mixed up the date and would be delivering it the next day. That would be no big deal since we weren't expecting it for a party or anything. I was going to wait until 4:30 to call them about it. At 4:20, the cake arrived. The cute delivery guy almost made up for the cake tardiness...almost. I was annoyed since we had arranged 1PM as the delivery time and they decided, without informing me, that they would go with the time I had originally requested. I think a 3 1/2 hour wait would have warranted a phone call.
All in all, the ordering/delivery experience wasn't stellar. The cake, however, was absolutely amazing. It was definitely worth the $42 and is, by far, one of the best rum cakes I have tasted. -
Review from Michael L.
Brentwood, TN
10/13/2008
Tasty cake, yes. $60 tasty? No. If you need a cake for a special occasion, this place is alright. If you need a cake for your 6 year old's birthday party, go to your local Ralphs.
Sorry guys, but flour and sugar dont cost this much. The cake sure didn't look like $60 worth of effort was put into decorating it either. I'll give ya 3 stars though since it tasted good. Hopefully your wedding cakes look better than the block of frosting you gave my wife for her mom's birthday.Listed in: My name is Michael and I'm a…
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Review from Richie C.
Dublin, CA
8/29/2010
YES!! Definitely a fan!!! Wait.. did Kona Kakes move from Mission Valley??? So the Caramel Mac Nut and Haupia were excellent, but the Guava Cream Cake was the best!! Creamy, moist, and just straight up DELISH!!! Great little family owned bakery. Java Kai in Poway used to sell their cakes a few years back too.
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Review from Lisa T.
10/13/2010
After having cake from literally every bakery in San Diego, I gotta tell you, JANICE is the reason these cakes are the ones I keep coming back to! She is an absolute sweetheart and truly puts her love in all her creations!! Had her do a wedding cake for my SUPER PICKY bridezilla of a friend and I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that EVERYONE at the reception ate the cake and raved it was delicious, not to mention beautifully decorated with gorgeous orchids. Kona Kakes are number one in my book for ANY OCCASSION. Parents are having their 50th wedding anniversary next year and we're already excited about the cake!! Thank you to Janice and her family for making our special occassions even more special!!
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Review from ben j.
San Diego, CA
1/1/2009
If you want a cake for your next special event but want something different you gotta check out Kona Kakes! With cakes like pineapple-macadamia and Guava cream....are you kidding me? Their selections are unique and original. I've tried many of their selections and they are all amazingly good!
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Review from Valerie D.
San Diego, CA
10/4/2010
Delicious! Delicious! Delicious! I got the Caramel Macadamia Nut cake with hazelnut cream and the cake was a huge hit! The cakes are a little more expensive that some places, but I think the price was worth it because everyone had great things to say about the cake. Even friends and family who weren't big cake lovers ate more than one piece! I definitely recommend Kona Kakes to everyone!!!!!
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Review from kramer h.
Alhambra, CA
7/10/2010
I tried two other highly rated bakeries in the San Diego area in my quest for a delicious and unique wedding cake. I am very picky and the others, despite rave reviews, tasted like typical cake, nothing special.
The third tasting was at Kona Kakes and it blew the others away. My fiance and I looked at each other with our first bite and we knew! The Hawaiian flavor choices are very unique and the cake is not overly sweet.
We settled on Guava and Caramel Macademia Nut. Absolutely delicious. I was willing to lower my expectations on design for a great tasting cake, but Janice exceeded my expectations and it looked just as good as the picture I sent her of my dream cake. We paid a little extra to have her do the flowers and she decorated the table around the cake as well. I highly recommend Janice and Kona Kakes! -
Review from Albert S.
San Diego, CA
6/15/2011 1 photo
I am not one to really publicly review businesses but I must say Janice and Kona Kakes is a spectacular local business. I recently ordered a cake from Kona Kakes for my brother's graduation. The cake we ordered was Lilikoi, something that was not on the menu but a fruit we grew up with on the Big Island of Hawaii. Any way after speaking with Janice she said that she could do it even though it was a flavor that was not requested often. So the day to pick up the cake comes, it's the Friday before the Saturday party. Now me being a guy I went and picked up the cake put it in my car drove home and put it in the fridge. I didn't open the box to check it which in hind sight probably isn't the best way to operate :). Anyway Saturday comes and we pull the cake out of the box and find that it is GORGEOUS. It was up and beyond what I had expected, even though I had ordered a basic cake, Janice decorated the cake with Macadamia Nuts and Plumerias, and was actually much larger than I expected we ordered a Half sheet so it wasn't a small cake at all but it was much taller than expected. The cake was two layers of cake with a Lilikoi cream center and whip cream frosting. Not sure if it was my imagination or not but I think the whip cream was also infused with the lilikoi. Needless to say the cake was a hit, and quickly became the talk of the party. Since the party I have referred many friends and family to Kona Kakes and will continue to do so. Janice's sense of Aloha and the Hawaiian spirit are just bonuses on top of her amazing skills as a cake maker. If you need a cake especially with a unique tropical flare I highly suggest Kona Kakes even though she only charged me $89 I would have expected to pay much more for a cake of that quality.
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Review from Steve G.
San Diego, CA
4/3/2008
My first experience there was having them make me a Black Forest cake. They don't make Black Forest cakes, but they did it anyway. They specialize in the more tropical of cakes. Whenever I get some Pho next door I stop by for a slice of cake. The guava cream may blow your mind. I hate frosting but they make it so damn good here! If cakes are your thing, you need to try them out!
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Review from Jonathan C.
San Diego, CA
9/25/2008
Caramel macadamia cake that I ordered was awesome. Ordering a cake a day before the occasion no problem. Just pay a lil late fee and they will get it done. Upon arriving to their store I was impressed by how clean the facility was and the fridge full of slices. After seeing the cake on the table my mouth watered as I notices the waves of perfectly parallel streaks across the icing. One bite and that was it, I was in dessert heaven!!! This cake would be perfect with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream!
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Review from kimmy c.
6/23/2010
the one star is **NOT** to reflect on the quality of the cakes. it's just to get your attention and will surely be updated (or deleted) once i actually get to taste the cakes from here.
i have been eyeing this place for years via yelp.
imagine my utter disappointment to find that the address listed here is void as of june 2010.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE LOCATION NEAR CONVOY IS NOT OPEN.
i had to call and listen to a really long message explaining that they apparently have picked up from the mission/ fashion valley location and have plans on relocating to convoy.
the website does not reflect this info.
yelp lists the address of the possible future location.
i wish that the website would be updated with clear notification that they are only taking phone and special orders only! imagine my utter disappointment when i drag my friend here in hopes of tasting delicious cake to find myself in the ghetto-est culdesac ever.. with automotive and fish distributor near by.
so just as a point of awareness to others who may befall the same disheartening disappointment:
THE LOCATION LISTED HERE IS NOT OPEN YET.
CALL THE NUMBER. hopefully you'll get to talk to the nice sounding lady on the recording
THE WEBSITE DOESN'T LIST ANY INFO REGARDING THE MOVE (minus the deletion of their address)
i believe they're opening in the late summer/ fall of 2010.
:( sadness. hopefully my interest will remain until i finally get to come here....... -
Review from Jocelyn C.
Chula Vista, CA
5/13/2009
My relationship with Kona Kakes began in 2000. We hired Janice Kraft to bake our wedding cake. She came highly recommended and we were ecstatic! Since then they have been our 'family' bakery whenever we have any gatherings, where we always get compliments on the cake. We've ordered almost every flavor, but the best is the caramel banana kiwi. Mmmmm...with the macadamia nuts sprinkled, it's so delicious...Whenever any one asks me for a baker, I send them her way. She's genuine and kind, and it shows in her cakes. Janice and her staff always go above and beyond. They're a hidden gem there in Mission Valley (for you fellas it's right next to Hooters). Their cakes are worth every penny. We Love Kona Kakes!!
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Review from Arlene R.
Two Harbors, MN
5/30/2011
I booked an appointment 5 days in advance for wedding cake testing. The owner Janice was very nice over the phone and had really good customer service, she even called me back to make sure I had the flavors chosen for the cake testing. Now come the day of the testing and she had already warned me her store was located at the back of a wine store. What I didn't expect was to find an empty room with dirty chairs and tables and no apparent signage that stated this is "Kona Kakes". It was already 15 minutes past our appointment time and more customers were showing up with no staff in sight. An employee from the wine store saw the customers lining up and decided to call the owner. He finally reaches Janice and he informs us that she is running late and her assistant will soon be in. The assistant arrives 20 minutes later and opens her car trunk and disperses out the cakes that others had ordered. I tell her I am waiting for Janice for cake testing and she says that she had an emergency and will be late. I think Janice could have called me to tell me she is having an emergency, I know things happen that are out of your control. So the assistant escorts us to a dirty table and goes over the pricing in a hesitant way. I can tell she is flustered and put on the spot and I commend her for trying. Finally Janice arrives with the cake samples and I was very unimpressed. The cake itself tastes like she used yellow Duncan Hines mix and slopped on toppings. We tried the caramel macadamia nut, hawaiian haupia, and mango. None were good. We were later told that Janice is in the process of moving and things have been chaotic, still no excuse for poor customer service and showing up 25 minutes late to an appointment.
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Review from Caitlin R.
La Mesa, CA
7/29/2010
I was considering going through Kona Kakes for my wedding cake. We schedule an appointment for 10am, however when we got there we saw several people waiting around the door we were told to meet. Someone had caught wind that they were running at least 30 minutes late, however the rest of us (now about 15 people) had not received any kind of a notification of their tardiness. People were pacing around, concerned about making their parties, events, etc on time. Long story short, after trying 3 very seemingly low quality cakes (it could have been because they were sitting in someone's car for 45 minutes before our appointment), we left. I wrote an email to the owner explaining what had happened, made sure to remind her that she had been nothing but helpful and welcoming, yet presented some constructive criticism. I went out of my way to make sure there were no ad hominem attacks, or anything else that would cloud the validity of my complaint.
3 weeks later, I received a reply. While I won't post the entirety of it, I would like to display a few "sound bytes" from it, so that future customers know the response they will get if they express any kind of a complaint with their moderately expensive company...
"We "apologize" for our short comings and your dissatisfaction with our customer service.
You are a unique individual that deserves better than what we can offer, we just can't fit into your world.
We appreciate your evaluation so that we can learn from this experience. In the 15 yrs. that we have been in business, you are top notch for "unique". "
While I understand they were in transition, it was obvious that no measures were taken to ensure at least a moderate level of customer service and quality were available during that transition, and it was made clear that I was expected to excuse every kind of failure on their part without so much as a comment.
If being dissatisfied with overpriced mediocrity is "unique" in the manner she is implying, then I suppose I must be.
I will not be going through Kona Kakes for my wedding cake.
