Love this place! I come in every month to get the chicken teriyaki bowl! I wish they had a vegetarian menu because then I'd make this a family outing day. Pulled bbq jack fruit (tastes like pulled pork) - tofu teriyaki bowl -or beyond burgers. read more

The food delicious, the service was questionable but you know everyone has bad days. Came here because we're big fans of Pulp Fiction and we wanted to experience the Big Kahuna! The burger was so good & juicy! They are huge! Will definitely come back :) read more

One of my fav Hawaiian food places in IB. When you want something other than tacos def go here! The service was great! Our waiter was pretty funny and so friendly! We loved the Hawaiian vibes and decor on the inside. If you like spam masubi it was def delicious. I recommend trying out the spicy chicken it was the perfect amount of spice and had great flavor! Great place to go! read more

Big Kahuna's - Spicy Aki Chicken - Hawaiian Near Me - Imperial Beach, California

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Is this place gonna stay open? I came here on a Saturday night, and I was the only customer from the moment I entered to the moment I left. Well....if I said I thought closing this place would be a loss to the community, that would be a lie. I got the loco moco. I gotta say, you guys have some cajones calling yourself a Hawaiian joint and using bland ground meat for your loco moco, truly a courageous decision from the owner. Is it that difficult to afford or make a patty? For some reason, if I look up loco moco on Google images, I just can't seem to find one that looks like this. LMAO The macoroni salad is alright. I must've been living under a rock though because I didn't realize this macoroni salad was famous. Finally, the rice seems like a slightly shorter grain than you would normally use for loco moco maybe? Is this....rice for sushi? It's a tad too sticky for my preference. It both looks and tastes like cafeteria food. Although, to be fair, it'd be good cafeteria food. As someone in the military, I can report that I've had worse food than this in the galley. Lol Okay, the fried eggs are good. But I can make that. Actually, I could make this entire meal, but better. Well okay, I'd have to buy the macaroni salad.....but that's what you guys did too, right? You know, maybe it's my fault. The cashier did say that their teriyaki chicken was the most popular item, but I didn't order that. Although, my standards for any Asian-coded chicken is higher than most other food, so I somehow doubt I would've been satisfied. The OMG IPA is good I guess. In recent years, I dislike most IPAs. Like, I'm not categorically opposed to bitter beer, but I feel like most IPAs are just bitter without much other flavor. This one balances that with some strong fruitiness. I find the balance enticing. This could be a passable space to get a beer and socialize with other people......if there were any. read more

Big Kahuna's - Hawaiian Near Me - Imperial Beach, California

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Went to this place in the middle of the day on Saturday and it was empty! Sat down by the window and there were house flies along the window. Then they brought our appetizers out and a swarm of fruit flies came with the food. It was nasty. We had to ask the waitress to turn on the fan so that the fruit flies would disperse and we could eat without swallowing some. The burgers looked good. The moco loco looked like slimy dog doodoo, not like you'd find on da islands. Gross. Would not go back. read more

KalbiBeef is one of my favorite plates, but chef sometimes gives us a string of fat without meat. Let's see how they do today. WOW my plate looks amazing I'm so happy read more

Big Kahuna's - Kalbi plate with extra rib (worth the extra fee) - Hawaiian Near Me - Imperial Beach, California

I recently ordered the coconut shrimp and tater tot's. I ordered them for years from BK and they were always amazing! Not last week... the shrimp were not the butterfly shrimp as always but some tempura like shrimp that tasted like a frozen type. The tater tots were way undercooked. I was disappointed in the food quality on this visit. read more

I would give them another shot. I am not thrilled with this type of French fries (they have a battered texture) but they were piping hot. The pulled pork was somewhat dry in spite of the sauce. The staff was friendly and there was a chill vibe with some Pulp Fiction and tiki bar themed decorations. read more

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sat down, eating by myself at the bar service was great not too much just enough. Food was good. Price was reasonable would definitely come back. read more

Big Kahuna's - Shrimp, pasta, white wine, garlic sauce, really yummy - Hawaiian Near Me - Imperial Beach, California

Was hungry leaving Imprrial Beach and stumbled upon Big Kahunas. The waitresses were both very nice and the serving sized are huge for a very reasonable price! I ordered the sweet and spicy chicken bowl. The chicken was very tasty and the sauce on top was good, but too much was poured on top and it had my rice drowning in it at the bottom. It was enough for me to take home for later. The main things I did not like when eating in the establishment were the amount of flies inside constantly landing on me or my food. Also, the men's toilet in the bathroom was out of order. I'm not sure how they would address that since there was also a women's bathroom. read more

Big Kahuna's - Hawaiian Near Me - Imperial Beach, California

This might be one of my favorite spots in IB, but I don't go there often enough. The Mac salad is always good. It's not super wet and sugary (like supermarket kind) but it has the cold and refreshing crunch to it. I usually get the Spicy Aki Rice Bowl. You get a good amount of chicken, not too little, good amount of rice (not overwhelming amount). The sauce is really good with the chili flakes, it's really good. Plus, this is where you can get cans of Hawaiian Sun... read more

Big Kahuna's - Spicy Aki Chicken Rice Bowl - Hawaiian Near Me - Imperial Beach, California

Best service ever. Good ass water, chicken teriyaki was nice. Pleasant and welcoming scenery, made me feel like hawaii. Thank you.

Ordered to go. Service was good. We waited about 10/15 minutes for our order to be ready. It was delicious and filling. My husband did wish there was more steak on his plate but overall everything we ordered had a good flavor. We will order from here again. read more

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I've been to big kahuna several times over the years and my go to is the local moco. I love their take on how they make it very flavorful and back then the portion size was unbelievable, but I believe as a years have passed they have definitely gotten smaller on their portion size, but the prices more.. but it's definitely still good. I just wish they would've kept a portion size the same. read more

The interior has a casual, island vibe. The staff is friendly but service was slow. We were the only table at the time but had to wait a very long time to have our order taken. Thankfully, the food was good and fresh. We may or may not be back... read more

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Hello today I call several times but no one was able to answer It was between 6:30 & 7:00 pm I wanted to make a reservation read more

My Hawaiian go-to place to satiate my islander cravings. The flavors remind me of family parties from back in the day. The server/hostess was very kind and helpful in every way. Unfortunately did not get her name, but the receipt said "Server #8". Major kudos to you for handling all the customers and orders--impressive multi-tasking skills! You deserve a raise! read more

Big Kahuna's - Kalbi Plate, Spam Musubi - Hawaiian Near Me - Imperial Beach, California

Feels and tastes just like home! It's got a family-friendly, laid-back and welcoming environment. They're short-staffed but it has no effect on their customer service. Went for a late breakfast and you can never go wrong with a typical Hawaiian breakfast - spam, eggs and rice. It was perfect to me. read more

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The ambiance was cool. It's a fun family spot that's well lit and ventilated. Their was one waitress who was laid back and friendly. The food was "okay". Cheesy stic appetizer was essentially a bunch of melted mozzarella on not so great do and w/o marinara sauce. The Mahi plate fish was very bland. My husband had the Kalbi plate which he voiced was pretty good. The macaroni salad was AMAZING read more

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I stopped by for a quick order to go after a long drive, arriving at about 530pm. The restaurant looked empty, with just about 2 tables occupied. I ordered at the bar and the service was friendly. Because I was really hungry, I thought the food would've tasted better. I ordered the musubi and kalbi. I feel like there was seasoning missing from the musubi, and there were several very fatty pieces of kalbi. The options in this area are pretty limited but I would check out other places before coming back. read more

Came in for a late lunch, place was not busy and we were seated right away. Ambiance was chill. Ordered the spicy Aki Chicken and Teriyaki Chicken plate. The Aki, the chicken was cooked well, it had a sweet and spicy sauce. It was okay, not bad at all. It tasted like sriracha with bbq sauce. The teriyaki was actually better than the Aki, flavor wise. It's just unfortunate it was topped with canned pineapple chunks. The Mac salad was good. Portion sizes was fine. Prices were decent and service was decent. Overall not, a bad lunch. read more

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The only good thing about this place is the person who took our order and served us. We got Mahi Mahi sandwiches. There was absolutely no taste. The bun was actually nice if it had not been saturated in some greasy substance. read more

The Bacon, Mushroom and Swiss burger is probably the best burger in town! Love the fries too.

I had shrimp for an appetizer and onion rings it was delicious Moco breakfast it was good The Pepsi was awful don't drink it, it's not mixed well read more

Stopped by on a whim and was not disappointed! The Spicy Aki Chicken was on point. For anyone looking to enjoy authentic Hawaiian flavors, this restaurant is a must-visit. The combination of excellent food, welcoming atmosphere, and attentive service makes it a slice of paradise right in your neighborhood. read more

The food here is sooo good! We tried the brisket sandwich which was enormous, smoky, juicy and tender. The onion rings were thick and crunchy, and the spicy aki chicken rice bowl was equally good. Medium spice, sweet and savory chicken over sticky rice, awesome!!! We shared all three dishes and enjoyed everything. Draft beer, too. read more

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I really love the beers on tap here. Sometimes I'll come in while waiting on somebody in the area and I'll grab a spam musubi and a beer. The prices are great. I really love the loco moco. It's nice to have a Hawaiian place in the area! The interior is decorated really cute and has a nice tiki vibe. read more

Big Kahuna's - Outside from street - Hawaiian Near Me - Imperial Beach, California

We really enjoyed this taste of Hawaii restaurant. The chicken teriyaki was flavorful came with rice and macaroni salad. Want to go back for the pork and cabbage. Atmosphere is fun you feel like you are in a local Hawaii restaurant. read more

Specifically, on 9/8/2025 around 7:30 PM I called my usual order in - and didn't get Irina on the phone, got another person. Ordered 2 TERIYAKI Pineapple Burgers with grilled onions (vs. raw onions) with a large order of fries to go. I immediately called back to ask for 2 servings of ranch sauce and was told that would be added to my order. When I arrived, I asked about Irina (since she is the person that has always taken my orders with superb service), I was received by Lynne which mentioned a lot of the employees were out on vacation. When I got home, I had ONE ranch sauce and ONE ketchup sauce (why? Who ordered ketchup? I ordered 2 ranch sauces). Then, I opened the Teriyaki burgers to find they were EXTREMELY dry because they DIDN'T have a DROP OF TERIYAKI Sauce (something that has never happened because they usually have a nice amount of teriyaki sauce that is a wonderful mix with the grilled onions). Teriyaki Burgers should have Teriyaki sauce on it. I had raved about these hamburgers to my mom and wanted her to share my normal experiences I had encountered for months and unfortunately it WAS NOT a good experience this time. I called and got Lynne on the phone and tried to tell her my experience and she wouldn't stop talking over me, I told her twice to let me speak and to listen to her client and she kept on. Lynne said that the hamburger was asked to be well-done??? (HUH? I have never been asked about how I want my burger cooked). And what does that have to do about the dryness of my 2 hamburgers that didn't have a drop of teriyaki sauce (which is what I told her). She also mentioned that they usually add extra teriyaki sauce on the side, yet I have never received that and never needed it before. I did need it tonight, but they didn't include that either. When I got off the phone, I noticed a long hair coming out of my mom's hamburger, really? WOW - that was the icing on the cake. Big Kahuna's hamburgers are NOT CHEAP - and apparently, I have had your A-TEAM on for all my previous experiences. Unfortunately, tonight leaves a bad taste in my mouth. If I decide to call back, I will have to make sure that Irina takes my order and I am going to be asking her if the A-Team is working - if not, I won't order. So disappointed. read more

I've been here 2 times and ordered the same food. Spam and loco moco. I am not giving the food flavor 3 stars, it was actually really good and tasty in the moment. Also the ambient, customer service and the wait time it's awesome 5 stars. However, on two different occasions right after eating the food. I got a stomachache followed by a disgusting diarrhea. Mind you I washed my hands before and sanitized my hands before eating and used clean plastic cutlery that they provide. I don't know what it is about it, is the meat old or the spam just sat out for too long or old rice but I just don't plan on coming back here again because of those 2 awful experiences. read more

AMAZING Burgers!!!! If you want a melt in your mouth flavor extravaganza, then come to Big Kahunas. The tasty longboard brew ale warned me up before the main course. Teriyaki Burger was the perfect combination of toasted Hawaiian roll, sweet teriyaki sauce, pineapple slice, tomato, chilled lettuce, and perfectly cooked charbroiled beef hamburger patty. Beyond Satisfying!!! read more

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Pulled in being spontaneous and my wife and I were not disappointed! We had the chicken teriyaki bowl with rice and left sooo full. It had amazing flavors and such value for the price. The staff was amazing and so happy to serve as well as took time to make conversation. As an added bonus the decor is fun and dont forget to take a selfie with the hanging shark! read more

Shared a Killer Kalua pork sandwich with onion rings. The coconut shrimp were Hugh well worth it. And of course nothing tops Hawaii without a Kona Beer. This place is a must stop if you're in the area. Food was fabulous read more

Ordered to go, but next time I will dine in because I love the ambiance of this place. It has a sit down restaurant style, and the servers that take your order will take your food to you as well. They offer hawaiian beers on draft and the macaroni is really good, different but in a good way. They serve what I would describe as comfort hawaiian food. And the prices aren't bad at all. I ordered the spicy aki chicken, and I was impressed on the taste. Having just moved here 3 weeks ago, I'm glad I finally tried this place and I will be coming back to try more, but this time I will bring my husband and friends. read more

Big Kahuna's - Spicy aki chicken - Hawaiian Near Me - Imperial Beach, California

It's the first time reddit has failed me. Searched for best Hawaiian in San Diego and this restaurant came up multiple times. Excited, drove 45 minutes, ordered big kahuna burger and half and half spicy chicken and teriyaki chicken plate, waited for 15 minutes and they brought it out to my car. No Sriracha, only tobasco. Big kahuna burger about the size of a Carl's Jr six dollar burger. It's a la carte. Tastes heavily like mustard. Unless you are eating immediately, expect a soggy burger caused by slaw. I did like the slight pieces that tasted charred. Half and half spicy and teryaki chicken plate. The portion size is small. Mac salad is mid. They charge 50 cents if you want to substitute rice for mac salad. Highly recommend asking for a sample before going mac salad crazy. Taste wise, it's on par with hot cheetos spice level. read more

Got the teriyaki plate, good flavor decent portion size, the macaroni salad was okay but not the worst they also have Hawaiian sun drinks iykyk. My friend had the mushroom Swiss it's a big burger cooked to high standards read more

My husband and I knew we were going to be passing through IB today and I told him I wanted to try Big Kahuna's. He's been there before with friends and liked it so I wanted to give it a try. It was great. The food was delicious and the two young women running the place were terrific. My husband ordered the Chicken Teriyaki Plate with Rice, and fries (no salt) instead of macaroni salad. I ordered the Mushroom Swiss burger with bacon (medium well) and onion rings...we like to get a variety and share our food. The food was cooked exactly as requested and I really, really enjoyed the burger and the soft and flavorful bun it was on. I'm sorry I didn't get the names of the two women who took care of us so I could call them out by name for the great service. Thank you, Big Kahuna's, we'll be back! read more

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Burger is very good and juicy and the server was attentive and so friendly with the kids.

Really really delicious Hawaiian food that brought me instantly back to the islands. The teriyaki chicken had just the right balance of flavor and you can tell they marinated it really well before cooking. It also came with pineapple and complemented by a thick layer of rice. Customer service was spot on. Super friendly waitress that made us feel right at home. There's even a little outdoor dining area. read more

The worker was really sweet and welcoming. The food was absolutely tasty. I ordered the chicken teriyaki Hawaiian plate. It's the best I've had!! The chicken was full of flavor and really went well with the rice and Mac. My husband had a burger, it was really juicy and delicious. The location was clean and welcoming, has cool decorations and has an open window seating. I would definitely recommend this place. read more