Came here with a big group but was no problem finding seats. We thoroughly enjoyed our food and…read moreeverything was great, and staff was friendly. Parking can be a real pain is my only complaint

We were in the mood for some poke and decided to give this spot a try! They have a parking lot in…read morethe back and also an outdoor patio, which was perfect for us since we had our dog with us. I ordered Da Kine Poke Bowl and it was a tasty poke bowl, just what I was craving! The portions were great and I liked that it included some of my favorite toppings like edamame, avocado, and seaweed salad. The spicy aioli drizzle also added a good spicy kick to the bowl. Overall, Pono was a good find and we were satisfied with our poke bowls!

**Overall: 4.2 stars**…read more Think local, surfer beach aloha vibe. You order at the counter or on the one kiosk. When I went, no one was in line, so the friendly staffer greeted us and told us she could take our order. When I was debating between 2 dishes, she described the salmon and that sealed my decision - haha. Order, ready! The portions were HUUUGE! The dishes were delicious! I can't get over how tender and flavorful my salmon was, yet the skin was crispy! (I don't usually eat the skin, but I did! That tells you how well they cooked it!) The chicken katsu had TWO layers of chicken! And each lunch plate had two scoops of rice and one scoop of Mac salad. They tasted like traditional Hawaiian cuisine. We sat outside on the main patio so we could be in the sun and watch the cars and passerby's from the beach. It was so nice to be a couple blocks from the ocean. The only negatives -- though small ones -- were parking is street parking because they only have two onsite spots, and they are super casual dining (like it's common to see customers in bathing suits and flip flops here), so it may not be a place to go if you're on a date or wanting to take out of towners or clients. It's a place to get great local Hawaiian food! Aloha Island Grille may just be my new favorite Hawaiian spot.

Service was Great. Young lady gave Great recommendations. Food came out Hot & Fast…read more Highly recommend n will Definitely go again. Luv the size of the Portions.

Everything nearby was closed so we opted for Hawaiian BBQ. We weren't sure how this place would be,…read morebut it was pretty good! I got the grilled teriyaki chicken plate and my friend ordered the short ribs. I got veggies in replace of my rice and the portions are HUGE! I could only eat 1/3 of my plate before saving the rest for another time. The chicken is tender and juicy. Veggies cooked just right. The cashier was sweet and gave recommendations. Food was hot and fresh. Delicious! Interior clean as well! :)

Decent spot and they give alot of food. My daughter loves going here and she loves the hawaiian…read moredrinks, service is standard and we live a couple minutes away

I ordered wrong I think...I got the chicken katsu and the sauce tasted more like A1 sauce. It was…read morevery acidic and not sweet like katsu sauces I have had before. I even tried their teriyaki sauce to try and make up for the katsu sauce but it was way too salty. I ordered a side of seasonal veggies and they had no seasoning what so ever. 3 stars because my partner had the poke combo plate and really enjoyed their meal.

I had to try the viral Poke Burger, so I hopped in my car and drove all the way to Santa Cruz and…read moreit was absolutely worth the trip! As soon as I walked in, I immediately felt the Hawaiian vibes. The atmosphere was welcoming, and the cashier was incredibly sweet and helpful. I was a little disappointed that I couldn't pre-order the burger for pickup, but I was told it's made fresh to order and available in limited quantities, which made sense. Along with the Poke Burger, I picked up a bottle of their Garlic Gurl hot sauce. Being from Gilroy, I had to give it a try! It had the perfect amount of garlic flavor with just the right level of heat--not overpowering at all. I also grabbed a Hawaiian drink from the refrigerator by the entrance. Having just returned from Hawaii, it instantly brought me back to the islands. The restaurant itself is spacious, clean, and inviting, with plenty of indoor seating as well as outdoor seating. Parking was easy to find, which is always a plus. When my food arrived, I was surprised by the portion size. The Poke Burger is huge and could easily be shared between two people. While I'm personally not the biggest fan of crispy rice, the poke filling inside was incredibly fresh, flavorful, and delicious. Every bite was packed with flavor. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience and will definitely be back to try more items on their menu. If you've been seeing the viral Poke Burger all over social media and have been wondering if it's worth the hype, I'd say it's definitely worth checking out!

Great times, good vibes! I forgot to take a pic of my Mr.Makai drink but it was delicious, strong…read morebut flavorful. The servers were very nice, just a bit busy with all the tables so it did take a little while for service but nothing unreasonable. Loved the loco moco I would say it was a little hot for medium well perhaps the toppings made it cook a little more after plating but it was proper juicy and seasoned. The bbq plate was great, the flavors were pretty much the same but different textures depending on what meat you were trying. The kalbi was really thick! Would definitely stop by again to see what's going on with the food or drink menu.

Makai is located almost at the end of the Santa Cruz pier. It's a cute tiki themed restaurant with…read morea revolving bar and a small outdoor patio. The drinks here are very eye catching and palate pleasing too! I got the mahamellow (non alcoholic) and my fiancé got the Mr Makai. For lunch, I ordered the Hawaiian fried chicken and he got the loco moco. Both meats were severely under-seasoned, like zero seasoning. That was sad. The Mac salad hit though. Super creamy, just the way I like it! Our server was Liam and he was excellent. He checked on us just enough and was nice too. It was a bit off putting there were bunches of flies congregating in parts of the restaurant. $3 per 20 minutes of parking but I think it maxes out at $24/day. I'd come back for the drinks and would dabble apps in the future.

My friend was raving about this place for happy hour because all the drinks and pupils are only $8…read moreeach! It's everyday from 4-6 PM so we had just made it at the tail end and sat at the bar. The Kona style wings were my favorite, but the spicy edamame and sweet potato fries really hit the spot. I also got a double martini cocktail ($16) and it tasted so fun and tropical. I would definitely recommend for happy hour if you're in the Santa Cruz area!

Dinner here on June 29th was great. We made it in time for Happy Hour and ordered some apps and…read moredrinks. Both flavors of wings were excellent and their Mai Tai was one of the best I've had in a while. I've been here a handful of times over the years and I almost always order the Spicy Thai Chicken Bowl. This time, it was a bit bland and seemed like it was missing an ingredient in the sauce. The plantains that came with it were amazing though. I'll have to try a different menu item next time. Service was good and everyone was friendly and helpful. Ambience was nice and islandy. We had no problem finding parking on a weekday. There is street parking and a couple of parking garages nearby.

The jawaiian jerk chicken and the crusted salmon were phenomenal!…read moreThe feel of the restaurant was great! The drink as well as the drink ware were fantastic. Alice has been a great presence! She made my entire trip, always on point with the suggestions.

A must have, the food is so good. So many options! The…read moreservice from the hostess to our waitress Marrissa is spectacular. The table next to us just happened to be the owner here and his brother thebowner of Hulas in Santa Cruz. We sat out in the patio which was so romantic! If you never have eaten here give it a try.

Wonderful service! All servers are excellent! Nice Music,…read moregood food, and an amazing service team.

Food was amazing and staff were really friendly. Loved the vibes in there it was relaxing and…read morelighting was perfect for a date night .