Cancel

Open app

Search

Kalei's Kitchenette

4.3 (265 reviews)
Closed 11:00 am - 7:00 pm
Updated 2 weeks ago

Kalei's Kitchenette Photos

Business Info

KALEI'S KITCHENETTE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Outdoor seating

More like Kalei's Kitchenette

Recommended Reviews - Kalei's Kitchenette

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Hulihuli chicken mini plate - yummy
Vivian H.

Met a colleague friend here for lunch and enjoyed my lunch here. I wasnt sure what to order here as poke is only available on Saturday so I tried the hulihuli chicken mini meal. I knew I wouldn't be able to eat a plate in one sitting so I am glad I got a mini meal. I also couldnt resist the butter mochi with coconut and got an oder of that. Also, there is a lower price for cash vs card, so you can save some money by having cash ready. Limited seating here so not the best place to dine in but we got lucky and gor a table inside. Overall, food was good and loved the butter mochi. I'd definitely come back!

Kalei's plate: Garlic chicken, kalua pork, 2 Mac salad
Catherine G.

My friend recommended this place to me and it is so good! For my Kalei's plate, my two proteins were garlic chicken and Kalua pork and I got two sides of Mac salad. There is very limited indoor seating so I ended up taking it to go. Service was pretty fast and friendly. Overall: 5/5 flavors were very good together, garlic chicken was nice and crunchy, and I love their mac salad

Hurricane chicken plate, poke, side of Mac salad
Jetrina M.

We went here for a late lunch and it was not busy at all. We ordered the hurricane chicken plate, side of Mac salad and poke to share. We loved the flavor of the fried chicken, though I think next time I would just get the fried chicken as I felt like the sauce was a little too much. The cucumber salad was ver refreshing and would definitely get again as well. We enjoyed the poke and it was a pretty large portion. Minimal searing inside and out, probably about 4-6 seats total. Free parking in the shared lot.

Garlic chicken plate with white rice and mac salad
Izabelle Hannah Q.

Service: [5/5] Friendly and efficient! The kind of spot where you can tell the people running it genuinely care about what they're serving. Price: [4/5] It's on the pricier side, but the portions are large enough that I personally think it's worth every penny. You're getting a lot of food for what you pay. Food/Drinks: [5/5] My favorite Hawaiian food in the area, and it's not close. Garlic Chicken Plate -- My go-to and an easy 5/5. Flavorful, satisfying, and exactly what you want from a Hawaiian plate. I could genuinely eat a whole tub of their mac salad in one sitting. It's that good. Don't sleep on it as a side. And a small detail, but they douse their rice in furikake, which is such a great touch and takes it from a basic side to something you actually look forward to. Hurricane Chicken Plate -- My boyfriend's usual and another standout. If you like a little heat and bold flavor, this is the one for you. Hawaiian Suns -- They sell these too, which is a classic pairing and a nice bonus. Ambience: [4/5] Seating is very limited, so plan accordingly. We ended up taking our food to go and having a picnic at the beach, which honestly turned out to be the move. Even after sitting in the car for 25 minutes, the food was still delicious--a good sign of quality all around. Overall Experience: [5/5] Kalei's Kitchenette is my favorite Hawaiian spot in the area. If you haven't been, put it on your list. Limited seating is really the only downside, but as we found out, a beach picnic makes for a pretty great plan B.

Dana R.

The last two years we have ordered take out for our day after Christmas lunch with family. We love this place. We usually order the tofu katsu, spam mysabi, teriyaki beef, garlic chicken, and crab salmon dynamite. The best thing by far is the crab salmon dynamite. I'm not a fan of the macaroni salad. They don't take orders over the phone so we went in and ordered then went back and picked it up. Less than ideal. There is no where to eat inside. Everyone working was super friendly. My design daughter really likes their graphics. Parking is in front.

Eating da grindz!
Noni C.

Mahalo, Kalei's Kitchenette, for catering some onolicious food for a party we had on Saturday! My Brutha Steve Y did a review below but it was under "Clarita" not my local name, Noni! :) Picked up by my other Brutha Derrick! The food was so ono and everyone mopped up! Mahalo again for the ease in ordering and solid packaging! Recommend highly!

Crispy chicken combo plate ($15): comes with your choice of two sides (rice, mac salad, or pickled cucumber salad).
Grace L.

Right when I entered, I was warmly greeted by the workers. I decided to pick a combo plate, which comes with a protein, and your choice of two sides (rice, mac salad, or pickled cucumber salad). For my protein, I decided on garlic chicken ($15) because it's deep fried and comes with mirin sauce. This was my favorite protein out of all the ones that I tried. I also got the Kalei's Plate which allows you to pick two proteins (excluding loco loco and tofu katsu) so I went with teriyaki beef and kalua pork. In order of my personal favorites for the proteins: 1. Garlic chicken 2. Kalua pork 3. Teriyaki beef For the sides: 1. Mac salad 2. Rice 3. Cucumber salad One of the times that I ordered at Kalei's, I got to meet the owner. She was so warm and welcoming, and really left such a great lasting impression on me. I highly recommend Kalei's the next time that you're craving Hawaiian food! They really embody the aloha spirit in addition to their delicious Hawaiian food.

Outside
Rachel G.

Definitely a favorite for Hawaiian food for me! It's a cute and intimate little place to enjoy some delicious food. The service is usually cheerful & friendly! Never a complaint and I've always been served with a smile. As far as the food goes, I've eaten here a few times, trying the loco moco and kalua pork. The rice is always cooked just right - not too dry but not too wet to the point of being mushy. The egg still has runny yolk and the patty has good flavor for the loco moco. The kalua pork was most & had a smoky flavor! Mac salad is great, but still contending to be my favorite. My parents really enjoyed their garlic chicken as well! Can't wait to visit again

Combo plate: Teriyaki beef and Kalua pork
Justin C.

I was craving Hawaiin food and in the North County area, so I swung by this wonderful Hawaiin establishment. This is a newer eatery and the ownership really strives to bring the Hawaiin hospitality and culture to San Diego. I would say they succeeded! I got a combo "Kalei's Plate" $17 which meant I got to pick my two proteins and a garlic chicken plate: - Garlic chicken + cucumber salad + mac salad - Kalua Pork and Teriyaki beef + mac salad + rice - Two spam Masubis ($4 each) The kalua pork was my favorite, moist and bursting with flavor. The garlic chicken was deliciously crispy on the outside and juicy and on the inside. They do a fantastic job with the Mac salad. The food was very filling and was good for a filling dinner for my wife and I and an extra midnight snack. Service is very friendly and there are some limited seating options. I really enjoyed reading the history of Chef Andy and his team. I really appreciated the owner's wife who came to greet my wife and I warmly and explain the history of some of the dishes. This is a regular rotation in our dinners whenever we are craving Hawaiin!

garlic chicken
Jason Y.

...garlic chicken was crispy, golden, and drunk from that garlicky, sweet-savory sauce. crunchy garlic bits on top add that extra texture. no mac salad for me; doubled up on the rice. island comfort food with bold flavor

Mike E.

If you can make it here on a Saturday for the poke special I can't recommend it enough. The fish was incredibly fresh, some pieces were a bit chewier than others but didn't find it a problem. Mac salad was also delicious

Combo
Audra H.

Ordered the kids garlic chicken bowl for my son and the combo one that had the garlic chicken and the teriyaki beef. The chicken was super crispy (almost too hard for my teeth) and the beef was a tad dry. The rice was cooked perfectly. Overall, I felt the food was average. It was ready fast for to go which was a bonus.

Nice and warm spam musubi
Deanne L.

Delicious lunch here at Kalei's! For my first time, I tried their Garlic Chicken and chose white rice and Mac salad as the two sides. Also got a spam musubi, which was served instantly at check out, nice and hot. Speaking of nice and hot, my plate was definitely fresh. Waited about 5 min or so and the chicken was piping hot! In a good way. The Garlic Chicken was nicely breaded and fried. Crispy crunchy. Had a good amount of sauce which was super flavorful. Although flavorful, could get salty after a few bites. Rice was seasoned well and the Mac salad was cold just how I like it. Added freshness to the dish. No complaints about the spam musubi; was good. Service was friendly from the employee at the register. Small shop, couple seats inside (bar stool) and couple tables outside.

$25 including taxes: Teriyaki Chicken, Garlic Chicken, Mac Salad, and rice.

See all

1 month ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

13 days ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0
Photo of Josh M.
4
64
15

14 days ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Ari R.
210
352
3529

28 days ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 11
Thanks 5
Love this 8
Oh no 0

1 month ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

1 month ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

25 days ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

5 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

25 days ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

8 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 2
Thanks 2
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Mike E.
0
17
23

1 month ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Marisa G.
53
96
43

19 days ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0
Photo of Judy C.
9
47
92

2 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

10 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 3
Photo of Pay W.
0
57
21

1 month ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 4
Oh no 0

6 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Tina T.
1
17
18

6 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

1 year ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Ray S.
641
145
1063

1 year ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0

7 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 1
Love this 2
Oh no 0
Photo of Monique D.
128
71
92

5 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Jeff F.
118
408
3236

1 year ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

11 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Really good food! But i wish the spicy ahi poke that i ordered last time isn't that saucy overall 9/10

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Andy M.

Andy M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Page 1 of 7

Kalei's Kitchenette Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Kalei's Kitchenette

Hi Andy, on your website. I'm looking using my phone for itemized or combo dishes, not the party trays. You show a crab Friday combo special. I looked for more info on that plate. Where can I view the info on the plate?

Aloha Tyler! The best way is to go to our online portal: https://order.spoton.com/so-kaleis-kitchenette-12848/san-diego-ca/63f6a311d8bba0b9b2ee71a2 and change the date to Friday -- pretend that you are about to put an online order.… Read more

Another vote for malasadas, please?

Is the Huli Huli chicken sauce made with Sweet baby rays?

Aloha Albert! we make our own marinade and sauce for all our dishes.

Will you ever serve lau lau's?

Do you have malasadas?

No we don’t. Sorry. Maybe in the future.

View All 6 Questions

Leilani's Cafe - Leilani's Cafe

Leilani's Cafe

4.3(1.3k reviews)
13.4 miPacific Beach
$$
Family-owned & operated
Locally owned & operated

So delicious!! I got the Jr Boy breakfast and the coconut French toast is great, eggs were fluffy,…read morePortuguese sausage had a nice caramelization. I didn't end up eating the scoop of rice, for me it felt like an afterthought on the plate. The nut latte was delicious as well. Order inside at the counter then take your food to go (saw lots of to go orders places) or snag a seat. They have outdoor bar seating and a few smaller tables, wouldn't rec coming with a big group. Staff was all incredibly friendly. Food came out hot and clearly freshly made.

After walking our mini-moose pooch a couple miles along the beach with my fiancée on a typical SD…read morebeautiful Saturday morning, the focus shifted to the most important meal of the day. With the Aloha Spirit on my mind lately, Leilani's Cafe had caught my attention. I have no idea which spirit may have been looking out, but we pulled right up to an open street parking spot nearly in front of the place. The blessings didn't end there. There was no line to order when I walked in & we found an open table immediately. But that changed shortly after my order was in. It got super busy with a line out the door to order. I had ordered the Hilo Loco Moco & Spam Musubi Leilani's Style. My fiancée got the French Toast. The food didn't take too long, as I was just ahead of the kitchen rush. It was all quite yummy & decent portion sizes. Trying some of my fiancée's French Toast, that ended up being the most interesting dish to me. I've never had that made with sweet Hawaiian bread before. & now I'm convinced that's the best way to make French Toast. So, on a day when Hawaii happened to be on my mind, Leilani's Cafe was a nice taste of the islands. Undoubtedly cheaper & more convenient than the 2,610 miles flight out to Honolulu. Though that is certainly a trip worth taking...

Photos
Leilani's Cafe
Leilani's Cafe
Leilani's Cafe - Chocolate haupia espresso w/ whip.

See all

Chocolate haupia espresso w/ whip.

Hawaiian Fresh Seafood - Poke plate with three scoops (furikake salmon, garlic salmon, and shoyu ahi)

Hawaiian Fresh Seafood

4.5(1.4k reviews)
5.4 miMira Mesa
$$

When I want my poke fix, I come here. Once I had the poke here, I cannot have poke anywhere else!…read moreReminds me of Hawaii. I got the medium bowl with rice and two kinda of poke. I got the garlic salmon and the shoyu ahi. Sooo good! Just be warned, there is always a line! There is a poke line and a non-poke line. If you haven't been, you must come here!

This place is legit! I would recommend anyone who loves poke to stop by here while in SD. The…read morelocation of this restaurant was interesting. It was surrounded by office buildings. Honestly, great strategy cause I would come here all the time if I worked around here! The poke is so fresh and the price is very well reasonable for the amount of fish that you get. I got a medium bowl of poke on top of rice. I got spicy ahi and shoyu ahi. My fiancé got the firecracker salmon and wasabi ahi. Not so much of a salmon gal, but my fiancé loved it. The wasabi definitely had quite of a kick to it, but if you love wasabi, get this! My favorite was the shoyu ahi. Just classic and the onions that were in the mix was sweet and not super spicy. The fish that you get here is very much like what you would get in Hawaii. The texture was just amazing and flavors were on point. I would definitely recommend coming here early to avoid the lines. Though, the service is quick and efficient! One of the best poke places that you can hit up in SD hands down. Check it out!

Photos
Hawaiian Fresh Seafood - 12/22/22. Indoor dining hall. It's empty because we arrived right when they opened.

12/22/22. Indoor dining hall. It's empty because we arrived right when they opened.

Hawaiian Fresh Seafood - Two scoop poke bowl

Two scoop poke bowl

Hawaiian Fresh Seafood - Fish taco

See all

Fish taco

Homestyle Hawaiian - Katsu Chicken

Homestyle Hawaiian

3.9(791 reviews)
9.6 mi
$$

WuzupWuzup! Super…read morefast service, friendly host/server, and plenty of seating for big parties. I will say it can be slightly warm inside when I dined in yesterday it was fairly warm. I got the Kalbi and Lava Chicken. It came with 1 scoop of rice and mac salad. I would say after placing the order within 5 mins it was already on our table. I am like whoa....that's crazy fast. Nobody was dining in at the time of eating, so another plus. Food was piping hot, fresh, and super delicious. Literally cleaned my entire plate. I would definitely come back here anytime I'm in the mood for some Hawaiian food.

My wife and I came here for Hawaiian food and left genuinely questioning how this place is even…read moreallowed to operate. Let's start with the basics: our server, Kennedy, was completely checked out. Zero urgency, zero professionalism, and an obvious "I don't care" attitude the entire time. But bad service ended up being the least of our concerns. The food was flat out unsafe. My garlic shrimp came out with the digestive tract still in it and yes, not cleaned at all. When I brought it up, Kennedy grabbed a manager who didn't even bother to introduce herself. Her response? This has "happened multiple times before" and ownership is aware and chooses to keep it that way. She actually said the cooks "don't have to clean the shrimp." Let that sink in. So this isn't a mistake, it's a standard. Then it got worse. My wife's chicken katsu was RAW in the center. Not undercooked but raw. Pink, unsafe, completely inedible. At that point, we were done. Serving raw chicken is not a small oversight, it's a serious health risk. Meanwhile, both the manager and Kennedy were more focused on watching Coachella than doing their jobs. Kennedy was openly yelling things like "Oh shit!" about performers while ignoring tables and with children around. Completely unprofessional and honestly embarrassing to watch. So to recap: * Uncleaned shrimp being knowingly served * Raw chicken making it to the table * Burnt beef * Staff that couldn't care less * Management admitting they're aware and doing nothing This isn't just bad service, this is negligence. Ownership should be ashamed, and this place seriously needs to be inspected by the health department before someone gets sick. Do not risk your money or your health eating here!

Photos
Homestyle Hawaiian - Bar area

Bar area

Homestyle Hawaiian - Ahi Poke

Ahi Poke

Homestyle Hawaiian

See all

Katsu Cafe - Crunchy roll

Katsu Cafe

3.9(907 reviews)
9.3 miKearny Mesa
$$

Casual order-at-the-counter Japanese place that serves dishes like teriyaki chicken, sushi, ramen,…read moreyakisoba, etc. Their menu is massive, and the selection is quite friendly towards those who are new to Japanese food. The specials are a great deal as the portion is massive and enough to share between two people comfortably. If you dine in, most entrees also come with miso soup. The curry chicken katsu was nothing special; the curry was a little lacking in flavor, and I would've appreciated a salad of some sort to add variety and freshness. The macaroni salad is good though. The D2 special is great value and variety. It comes with miso soup, tempura, salad, macaroni salad, and teriyaki chicken on a bed of fried rice. The fried rice has a shockingly good wok flavor, and the teriyaki is quite good. Not a dish that will blow your mind, but definitely hits the spot without breaking the bank. They have some tables outside if you have a dog or prefer to sit there right by the parking lot; your food will still be brought out to you, just let them know when you order.

Very pleasant service and no line greeted me today at Katsu Cafe. I was happy to see that I could…read moreorder a dual beef + chicken teriyaki plate so I could try both, and subbed the rice for extra salad. The food arrived quickly and was a large portion for the price. Unfortunately, the salad was bland - while expected to an extent with Japanese salads, the dressing is supposed to deliver but instead it was meek and watery. I also didn't enjoy the pasta-infused potato salad flavor. As for the meats, the beef was tastier to me than the chicken. Both were cut in very large strips which was a bit hard to manage since no knife was provided. Chicken was fairly stringy, and the teriyaki sauce was mid.

Photos
Katsu Cafe - Part of inside (it's about double the size of this)

Part of inside (it's about double the size of this)

Katsu Cafe - Pork katsu and tempura shrimp roll

Pork katsu and tempura shrimp roll

Katsu Cafe - Thursday Lunch Special - Mini Teriyaki Chicken with California Rolls

See all

Thursday Lunch Special - Mini Teriyaki Chicken with California Rolls

Kalei's Kitchenette - hawaiian - Updated May 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...