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    Ai Pono Cafe

    4.2 (1.2k reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 9:30 AM, 11:00 AM - 4:00 pm
    Updated 1 week ago

    Order Ai Pono Cafe Takeout or Delivery

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    AI PONO CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Ai Pono Cafe

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    Macaroni Salad, da zombies plate, ahi poke nachos
    Tracy N.

    Solid Hawaiian spots that I def recommend trying at least once. I've def seen the line here get pretty long before so I would keep that in mind. The parking lot for this spot is usually pretty packed too but it's decently big so it's not too much of a hassle. I shared some stuff with two other friends and we were all super full and had leftovers Ahi poke nachos (spicy and shoyu sauce aka chef's way): 4/5 I think this might have been a special for the day or something so I'm not sure if they have it every day. I liked the wonton chips and they definitely give a good amount of fish. We didn't realize at first because a lot of it was at the very bottom but I think it was very much worth the price. Didn't realize there was something with wasabi in this though so that caught us off guard Da zombies plate: 4/5 the galbi was super soft and good. After that, I think my next favorite meat was the pork belly then the chicken. This came with very very tiny portions of sides and normal sized sauce. Overall liked it but would prob try something else next time Macaroni salad: 3/5 it was ok but I didn't personally like how much black pepper was in it Spam musubi: 4/5 pretty standard I liked it Note: if you're looking for poke, they only have ahi here and no salmon

    8 Pieces Guava Chili Pepper Fried Chicken and Korean plate original
    Kirsten S.

    Ordered online because the wait was 45 min at around 1pm on a Friday afternoon Parking lot is shared with Target and other businesses. Was a little busy but found spots in the back rows Not a ton of seating inside and it was stuffy with no AC. But they offer 4 tables outside which was nicer with a breeze Was able to share 2 plates with 2 people total and had some leftovers Rice was a bit mooshy The guava chicken came with Mac salad and Cole slaw. Cole slaw was more like a pickled slaw. The flavoring for the guava chicken didn't have much guava flavor to it at all. And the chicken was dry The original plate came with teeny tiny banchans-kimchi, cucumber salad and Mac salad. Generous portions of meat on this plate! I was wanting to like this place more but the flavoring of the meats were a little off I give it a 3.5 stars I would want to come back to try their poke

    Da Spicy Plate with "Muay" Thai Garlic Shrimp
    Fion L.

    Ai Pono Cafe has some of the best hawaiian food I've tried and it's definitely worth the hype! We stopped by on a Saturday evening and the place was packed, but we only waited about 5-10 minutes for our food to be ready. The girl working the register was super kind and patient, taking the time to explain certain items on the menu. We ended up ordering two combo plates and two dishes to share. Right off the bat, we noticed that the portion sizes were huge and amazing for the price. Da Spicy Plate: 5/5 We had ordered two Da Spicy Plates and added thai chili garlic shrimp to one of them. It came with the guava chili pepper chicken and crispy korean chicken as well as sides of mac salad, spicy ahi poke, and rice. The star of the show was the guava chili pepper chicken, which was so tender, and each bite was sweet and tangy with a hint of spice. As for the korean chicken, it was crispy, flavorful, juicy, and a delight in every bite. The sides also elevate the plate to the next level! The mac salad was so creamy yet still packed with lots of flavor, and the spicy poke was marinated to perfection with a great umami and buttery taste. Muay Thai Chili Garlic Shrimp: 5/5 The muay thai chili shrimp was super crispy in every bite and was tossed in a delicious tangy chili sauce that gave the shrimp a burst of flavor. Garlicky, bright, and spicy, this is the perfect unique take on hawaiian garlic shrimp. Spam Musubi: 3/5 The spam musubi wasn't anything special. While the rice to spam ratio was decent, the spam didn't have enough sauce/glaze and therefore made it a little dry. Poke Nachos: 4/5 With the recent poke nachos hype, we had to try Ai Pono's version. The dish consisted of beef tallow fried wonton crisps with fresh shoyu and spicy ahi poke on top, as well as generous drizzles of sweet soy and wasabi garlic aioli. While it was delicious overall and the sauces elevated the flavor, I had hoped for the wonton chips to be fried to a more golden brown. The chips were a little thin, so it broke more easily and wasn't as crispy as I had expected. It also felt as if the dish were missing something, as there weren't other toppings other than the poke and scatter of masago and green onions. Ai Pono Cafe is a definite must-try if you're looking for some mouthwatering hawaiian street food in the OC area. The staff are very friendly and the space has a welcoming yet lively atmosphere. I would highly recommend ordering their combo plates, as you really get to try a little bit of everything from the flavorful proteins to the fresh poke. Each dish truly brings a delicious and modern yet authentic take to hawaiian food.

    Da Costa Mesa crackhead combo
    Harrison S.

    Stopped by for lunch the other day, it was towards the end of lunch hour and dang were they still packed. Good to see. Great interior with good traditional Hawaiian photos and decor. Open kitchen to watch them make the food. Boy are they hustling getting that oh so delicious food out. Tried the Da Costa Mesa Crackhead Combo. What a name ha! Crackhead chicken, Korean beef short rib, musubi and mac salad. Everything about it was delicious, good crispy saucy chicken, well cooked beef with a slight perfect char. Delicious musubi . I got so full eating that plate but I couldn't stop it was so good. I'd for sure get this combo again.

    Melanie L.

    My favorite Hawaiian spot in the OC I love Hawaiian barbecue, but this place just hits different their sauce the tenderness of the meat the portions as well as my favorite. Their Mac salad is super super incredible. It was crowded today when we went around Saturday at 1 PM, but we got our food within 1015 minutes and it was really nice to still be able to sit there and enjoy it and not feel overwhelmed or rushed out highly recommend this place. Everything smells so good when you walk in and every dish you get here cannot go wrong special shout out to their guava cheesecake

    Lizette C.

    The food was good and flavorful and portions were big. Price matched the quality. The service wasn't good unfortunately and blonde girl seemed bothered to be there. Place was cute and clean.

    Fresh Ahi Poke Bowl (Shoyu) and Portuguese Sausage Masubi
    Sarah H.

    After coming back from Hawaii a few weeks ago, we were craving some good Hawaiian food. This place is very authentic tasting and it was very delicious. Service is quick and easy. We are looking forward to coming back! Very good!

    Ai Pono Moko, "Muay" Thai Garlic Shrimp, Fresh Ahi Poke Bowl, Guava Lemonade
    Amarah M.

    Came here on a busy Saturday afternoon. All the food was pretty subpar. The loco moco gravy was CRAZY SALTY I couldn't even finish it, plus I got a mouthful of egg shells with it. The "garlic shrimp" sauce was drowning in what I assume is just Asian sweet n sour sauce straight from the bottle - no garlic flavor to be found. The poke was definitely sitting for a bit because the fish was starting to get slimy. I also paid $6 for "guava lemonade" which I'm sure was just Hawaiian Sun - way too sweet and no lemon flavor. Service was good though - all very nice staff.

    Vanessa R.

    The "crackhead" chicken is a must order! The crunchy, sweet and coconuty chicken, it's worth the hype. Was not in love with the garlic mahi, being a bit dry and not a fan of the mahi dipped in egg. And the restaurant- what great vibes! I was seriously transported back to the islands with the music and decor, love it. Can't wait to go back!

    Small 1oz containers of kim chee, cucumber and mac salad.
    Kiwa C.

    As a transplant this is hard to write cause i love supporting other transplants... i only wanna warn other transplants or visitors from home cause this is one of the only places you can find meat jun. Atmoshere... hella busy Service... small kine attitude but matches the "fuckin order" vibe but if youre gonna be tantaran make sure the food is consistent Food... mixed *Noodles are bomb!! Def would get again mo doubts about it. Comes with teri beef, would love a spam option since you have spam inventory. *Hamburger steak all rice, my sons order. I think someone forgot this was hamburger steak cause had essence of gravy. AND mushrooms was M.I.A. Patties are tasty but next time imma make sure theres gravy gravy. *Korean zombie... you know why its korean zombie because the meat jun was as dead as a zombie. Im sorry but if you go pearls, yoonyson, any of the kim chees all of their meat jun beef get flavor and is not missing half the egg. Its a good thing comes with suace cause it needed it badly. The kal bi was good, the korean chicken was ono but i mainly got it for the meat jun so thats that. *Side 2pc guava chicken... nice big thighs but one was a little pink/red for my daughter and I so we put it on the side. Flavor was sooo good and id be promoting this but yahh. *Plates come with an itty bitty manini size kimchee, cucumber and salad. Brahhh can you get more chang. Like i said mixed reviews but we didnt think it was worth the 105$. Would i go there again? doubt it, but im open to try the vegas location and see if they are better.

    Jordan X.

    I always see this place when I go to the lagree studio next door and it has been on my list to try for months; somehow it's always closed when I want to try it (they open at 11, and are closed on Mondays) but I was finally able to swing by for lunch. I ordered the Chef's Plate which had blackened mahi mahi, ahi poke and teri beef. The beef was pretty salty but came with rice which balanced it out. The mahi mahi had a really good flavor, and the ahi poke was my favorite. Only thing I was not a fan of was the mac salad - it was a little bland to me. The decor inside this place is also very cute, it looks like a place you would find in Hawaii. It was pretty crowded when we came, on a weekend afternoon but they have some limited eating outside as well. Will definitely be coming back!

    Entrance
    Matt H.

    I've been wanting to try this place for awhile. They are closed on Mondays and between 4-6 pm Friday and Saturday. Hawaiin street food and it delivers on that note. I went for lunch and there was a steady stream of customers. I had the Da "Korean Zombie" plate. 3 types of meat, the best was the Korean short rib. They were tasty but a bit tough. The crispy chicken was missing the crisp, but breaded well. Small sides of macaroni salad, kimchi and pickles were very tasty. It comes with a sweet sauce that was nice as well. It is a small restaurant in a strip mall setting. There are a few tables inside and a small area outside along the sidewalk to sit. It has island music and decor. Staff pleasant. Food came out hot and quickly. Also had the Spam Musubi. This was a bit bland. The spam was salty and tasty as expected, rolled tightly in seaweed with white rice. Adding the available hot sauce made this better. This place has affordable and good food, I recommend it for an introduction to Hawaiin street food.

    Da "Roots" Plate
    Jae C.

    Ordered take out, even when it's cold, it's amazing! Love this place. Highly recommend this place for the best Hawaiian style food. Very very casual spot but this is the best place for your local Hawaiian food.

    Da "roots" plate

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    20 days ago

    I had the ai pono moko it was so delicious I will definitely comeback to try different items on the menu

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    22 days ago

    Yum! Authentic! Absolutely delish!!! Have been back several times. Limes goes quickly and it's worth it.

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    Ai Pono Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Ai Pono Cafe

    What's the tentative timeframe for your Las Vegas location?

    Aloha! This fall in the new durango casino.

    Is their poke pre-marinated (marinated overnight)?

    yea, absolutely amazing flavor

    When is their shaved ice available on the weekends?

    Thurs-Sat 12-6:30p & Sunday 12-4:30p

    How can we find out about and order the daily specials?

    Social media has daily posts of specials check out their website too!!

    Any Vegetarian "Entrees" or are we stuck ordering sides?

    Negative

    Are you open yet?

    Aloha! There was a delay in our final city inspection & unfortunately we have no control over this. We are expected to open within the next 7 days (or sooner). Latest by next week Tuesday. We will keep our customers posted on Instagram @aiponocafe… Read more

    Are you open for dinner?

    Yes. They are a food place. Open for dinner.

    Are you guys opening up in east side Costa Mesa near stretchlab?

    Aloha! Yes, we will be opening next Month. We hope to see you!

    Is this place really only open 3 say a week for a few hours like Yelp says?

    We are only open Wed- Fri from 11am-2pm for now. We are opening our own restaurant on 17th street next to Burger Lounge next month. We will open for lunch and dinner, 6 days per week (closed Sundays).… Read more

    Do you take phone orders?

    Yes! Please call 949-402-6877 We are open from 11a-2pm.

    So wat den, "Get kama'aina rate?" - Big Aloha & congratulations on the shop!

    Aloha!

    View All 20 Questions

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    Da Hawaiian Kitchen

    4.2(1.4k reviews)
    3.5 mi
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    EXCELLENT hawaiian food. Their chili peppa chicken (CPC) is to die for. The plate comes with mac…read moresalad and rice. The chicken bone in thighs are HUGEEE, a 2 pc plate is definitely a sufficient portion. The fried chicken is some of the best, juicy inside and super flaky and crispy outside. The spicy garlic sauce is perfectly sticky and has great flavor. The mac salad is creamy and includes potato. I'd rate the CPC plate 6/5 - DA BOMB! We also got a spam musubi, which was delicious, good spam to rice ratio and yummy sweet sauce. 5/5 musubi. I also tried their DHK bowl which is a huge bowl including poke, kalua pig (or lau lau), seaweed salad, and lomi salmon. I liked that it was an option to try a little bit of everything. The ahi poke was super fresh, with minimal sauce. The seaweed salad was sweet and not very fishy. The kalua pig was tender. The lomi salmon was probably my least favorite because it was pretty salty. I'd rate the DHK bowl a 3/5. Their new menu seems to be focused on CPC chicken with only a few other options. Also note there's no indoor seating, and they only have a couple of picnic tables outside.

    ALOHA! This took me back, I would visit frequently to see family in Oahu, walking in it felt like…read moreI was walking into Fred's bakery in DA North Shore, if you know, you know. I wanted the whole menu, I settled on the chicken sandwich, it was absolutely amazing. Customer service was great, I was walked through the menu and was given multiple options of everyone's favorites. As I was walking out I heard someone say "can I have 2 Masubi's, I instantly had to fight the urge to not add to my order. I will def be returning!

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    Hook & Anchor - Lobster roll

    Hook & Anchor

    4.5(2.4k reviews)
    0.5 mi
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    I've been coming here since before their move, and the food has always been excellent--but the new…read morelocation really takes things up a notch. The expanded space creates such a warm, inviting atmosphere that makes the whole dining experience even more enjoyable. This time around, I had the salmon and my partner ordered the cioppino--both were absolutely exquisite. You can really tell the care and quality that goes into every dish. Service was just as impressive. Mia, our server, was cordial, attentive, and made us feel well taken care of throughout the meal. The hostess was also welcoming and set the tone right from the start. It's great to see a place I've loved continue to grow and improve without losing what made it special in the first place. Highly recommend!

    The manager is very, very rude. I asked him very nicely if he could turn on baseball on one of many…read morethe TVs they have, and he gave me some attitude and didn't do it. Also, he was extremely rude to my father when he was trying to pay via InKind. He claimed that they were not using InKind anymore and couldn't take our InKind payment, even though they were still on the app. The reason why we went here was to use our InKind benefits, which were available here according to InKind. He then claimed that it was my father's responsibility to contact InKind about this issue and that it was our problem??? No accountability at all from the manager. Grow up. The food is pretty good. Our waitress was also great. But there are major issues besides that.

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    Uroko Poke

    Uroko Poke

    4.3(2k reviews)
    3.8 mi
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    Delicious food, probably the best in OC or at least the area!…read more Great build-your-own-bowl with consistent tasting food. The prices have gone up over the years unfortunately, but I found that a 2-scoop bowl was still plenty. I was so full by the end of my bowl, it was totally worth it. The service was good - the workers were nice but you can tell they were overwhelmed. This place doesn't ever seem not busy. There's plenty of seats inside and also expect a somewhat loud ambiance. Also to note, the single lane driveway entrance to the parking lot is a bit of a mess. It's also a steep driveway (low car friends be warned). There's also an entrance if you go through the gas station. Overall, good food, filling, just a bit pricey.

    I was craving poke but didn't feel like going to the spot in Huntington I usually go to. Uroko had…read morea lot of really good reviews and it was close to where I was, so I gave it a try. A lot of people complained about parking, but it honestly wasn't bad at all. The restaurant itself is clean, bigger than it looks, and has lots of seating available. I haven't had a poke bowl in a minute but I was eager to try it out. The prices were pretty expensive. 2 small scoops of poke for $16. The bowl is packed because they put so much of the base, which in my case was rice. For my protein, I got ahi and yellowtail. Both were fresh. They also have a good selection of add-ons and sides, but the poke itself was nothing special. I will say, it's awesome that the crab salad, seaweed salad, and avocado are not charged extra.

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    AHI Hawaiian BBQ

    AHI Hawaiian BBQ

    2.6(16 reviews)
    0.5 mi

    I am laying here watching South Park 10mg in after spending the day moving. In a ditch effort,…read morebeing the dirty little Hawaiian boy that I am, suggested to my lady we get Hawaiian food. Upon arrival in my vulnerable state I am met with freshly fried mahi mahi accompanied by acreamy tangy sauce causing a collision of flavors enjoy to cause a hiccup from a grown man. Whilst it will not receive a Michelin star it will suffice as gods nectar to CA hayn food. This beats l and l and aloha/maui hayn bbq. Get it eat it sleeeeeep

    Ordered takeout the other day and forgot to share the comments- originally impressed by the variety…read moreof menu selections and everything sounded and looked delicious to try, but I opted for the Katsu Curry Chicken (very tough, but fried and crispy texture) Plate and an order of fried spam musubi. Neither would be a reorder for me personally. Both items had very soggy and mush my steamed rice. I'm not sure if it was the end of the day rice or it's the end of the rice cooker rice, or if their rice is just prepared this way, but it was the wrong consistency for me for steamed white rice. The fried items were crispy and had a nice crunch, but not a fan of the flavors it was lacking. If there was any musubi glaze on my fried spam musubi, I didn't taste any sauce. The curry was just what I'd expect though. Mac salad hit the spot for what I was craving. If I revisit to try some other menu items, definitely opt for extra mac salad and not the extra rice.

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    Ai Pono Cafe - asianfusion - Updated May 2026

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