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    Kealoha's Kitchen

    4.8 (149 reviews)

    Order Kealoha's Kitchen Takeout or Delivery

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    KEALOHA'S KITCHEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Kealoha's Kitchen

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    Inside
    Aleeza A.

    So I first heard about Kealoha's Kitchen through social media and it looked great. I saw the post where they needed help from the community to stay in business and wanted to check them out. We got there around 5ish and ordered both beef options (short ribs and brisket) and were notified that they were out of both. We were really excited to try either of those so was pretty bummed that we had to end up choosing the chicken options. The chicken options were okay to say the least. Nothing mind blowing. The Mac salad wasn't bad but again nothing too crazy. The inside of the restaurant was actually really nice and very clean. There was a good amount of seating and quite spacious. The service was good and the servers were really nice I just wish we could have tried what we actually wanted from here:/

    Aloha Special - Mochiko Chicken, Lumpia, Rice
    Shantell P.

    A slide of Hawaii right in Covington! Not only did they nail the food, they also nailed the welcoming Hawaiian attitude. The staff we encountered were all so kind and helpful in deciding what to get. I went with two friends and everyone enjoyed their meals. I recommend the aloha special so you get to try an assortment of things from the menu. I got the mochiko chicken and I highly recommend it. It was fried perfectly, very light and not greasy at all with great flavor. The rice and lumpia it came with were perfect as well. I opted for the Mac salad for my salad choice and that was great as well. Will be back!

    Spam Musubi
    Ari L.

    Food: 5 | Service: 3 | Ambiance: 5 The food never misses and even the rice slaps. Drinks are also well made! The service was super friendly but slow. Both our table and another waited quite awhile for our checks and I really hope they can get this right. There was a hula dancer on stage for several songs and it felt magical! This place holds a special place in my heart due to just how friendly and sincere the owners are. Absolutely will be back!

    Potato salad
    Charles T.

    This is the best Hawaiian restaurant in Cincinnati and the reviews on yelp/Google agree. The meat was super flavorful. The chicken teriyaki has a smokey semi-sweet soy marinade. The beef ribs were tender and marinated in their signature pineapple teriyaki. The turkey lumpia was crisp and smelled fresh. Even the rice grains they used were high quality. The service and food prep can be pretty slow. The decor and ambiance could be updated. But overall we'll be back for Hawaiian dishes.

    Aloha Combo
    Anna Y.

    Kealoha's is truly a Cincy/NKY gem. I was AMAZED by the community support for this family restaurant- and it couldn't be more deserving! The staff and family is so friendly, they truly make you feel like you're one of their own, Kali was the best! The food..is insane. The flavor is ALL there, with so many options too to try, I cannot wait to get another plate and try a different protein! Had spam musubi for the first time too and am now in love, I truly hope Kealoha's is here to stay for a long time!

    Brandie H.

    My husband and I recently decided to check this place out for lunch after seeing so many positive reviews. From the moment we walked in we were greeted and treated amazing. You can tell they put a lot of love into their business and food. I asked our waitress to surprise me with her favorite protein which happened to be the short ribs, and the flavor did not disappoint. I will most definitely be back!

    a menu on a table
    Eileen B.

    I have reviewed this place before 5 stars then and 5 stars now It's delicious Hawaiian cooking

    Such a cute place
    Amanda H.

    I wish this place got more business. The food was great. Ahi tuna was a great app and those ribs were absolutely amazing

    Dining area
    Kimberly C.

    If you're looking for authentic Hawaiian choices, this is the place. Relaxed atmosphere and kind employees are a big plus. Everyone we spoke to was either a family friend or relative, which gave it a cozy feel. It is perfect for any sized gathering, which is perfect for dates, friends, etc. And there is a parking garage nearby, should you find parking to be difficult. Great find!

    Mai Tai and a Blue Hawaiian.  Gee I wonder which is which?
    Eric B.

    What a treat. We were greeted and seated right away and one look at the menu told us we were in the right place. Our daughter and 4 grandchildren live on the island of Kaua'i, with her Hawaiian husband, and the food here was a reminder of our time on the island. Everyone was friendly, the food was delicious, and while we splurged a bit, our meal was a great value. I had the teriyaki short rib Aloha plate, with cucumber and tomato salad, musubi (spam sushi roll - don't knock it until you've tried it) with sticky rice and a lamia (sort of Filipino spring roll). Absolutely delicious. My wife went with the Mochico chicken Aloha plate with macaroni and potato salad (one combined dish). Also sticky rice and lamia, and musubi too. The chicken was incredible. Dessert brought custard pie and butter mochi. This was worth every calorie. We also each had a specialty cocktail, well made, deceiving in too light plastic, non disposable cups. However, if my only quibble was almost spilling my drink because the glass was lighter than expected, I'll take it as a win. Bottom line, decent value, delicious food, you can't go wrong at Kealoha's Hawaiian Kitchen. We will be back. You should go too.

    Brenda H.

    Located in the Mainstrasse area, it was easy to find and there is a parking garage just a couple blocks away. The menu is not big but if you are a first timer I would suggest the meal for two. This was more than enough for my husband and I plus it provided a variety of meats. My favorite was the pulled pork and the kabobs. Very tender. They started out a food truck but have been at the current location for a year. I highly recommend trying. People were friendly and attentive. I hope they do well.

    Spam Musubi
    Sonam P.

    Came here on a Saturday around 6pm to grab dinner before Blink. I wanted to grab some Korean bbq and was looking up places near Covington and came across Kealoha's which was Hawaiian. The reviews looked great so I had to try it out. The inside is spacious and the staff was very attentive and friendly. I got a guava cocktail to start with which was guava juice and gin. The drink was not that special but it was refreshing. A bit pricy for what it is since you get customized flavorful cocktails for $12 at most places vs just some gin and juice. I got the bento box teriyaki chicken meal and the spicy spam musubi for my dinner. Decided to get the teriyaki chicken as the waitress said that's most people's favorite. I wish I had gotten the brisket or ribs because my friend got the pineapple teriyaki brisket and it was way more flavorful than the teriyaki chicken. The teriyaki chicken was good but I would have liked a bit more sauce and thick sticky teriyaki that's like a glaze. It just didn't have that much flavor but the brisket was so tender and juicy and the flavors were fantastic. So I know that I need to get that next time. I wish they had pictures on the menu because just from looking at the dish I knew it would be great. I do wish the bento box came with a side. For the amount of food (majority being rice) I think a scoop of 1 side should be included in the price.like some sort of slaw/macaroni salad. That would have been perfect for the meal. The waitress was attentive and sweet. She wrapped up my musubi since I was full and I didn't want to carry a take out container while going to Blink. She wrapped it in Sean wrap for me to put in my fanny pack and eat later. It was too delicious to waste. I will definitely be back to get the ribs and brisket meat with my next meal. This is an easy in and out place if you don't want to spend a long time at dinner.

    Short rib plate with macaroni salad, steamed rice, and lumpia. I feel like I'm in the islands. Aloha!
    Scott C.

    Ono! So happy I came along Kealoha's on Main Street in Covington. Wonderful aloha in this place. Outstanding island food. The short rib plate was perfect.

    Rice

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

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    9 months ago

    I had the salmon and my wife had moca loca. Both were excellent. Prices were reasonable and quality high. Staff was friendly and helpful.

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    1 year ago

    Been a couple of times now and enjoyed each visit! They are such a nice family!! great dishes to explore! Go!!

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    2 years ago

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    10 months ago

    This place was a spur of the moment pick and I'm so glad I picked it! The food is absolutely amazing!

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    1 year ago

    Great family business with unique, delicious food. The four of us tried almost everything on the menu sharing among each other.

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    1 year ago

    This is a cool family operated business. Super friendly service and the great food came out pretty fast.

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    The best chicken i've ever had - whatever sauce they cooked it in was amazing and made it perfectly moist. The cutest little place too.

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    1 year ago

    The food was exceptional and the staff was super helpful and friendly. I highly recommend!

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    4 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Food tastes like home! they even have custard pie! service great, received food real quick. Hawaiian music brings me back home.

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    2 years ago

    Unique place with delish food and nice staff. I wish the meat had less bones and more meat but regardless I Would recommend!

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    Page 2 of 4

    Ask the Community - Kealoha's Kitchen

    Amy and Val it's cousin Cyndy !! Want to bring some friends in tomorrow night for dinner around 6-6:30 but not sure if you have a bar ? Can we bring our own beer and wine in?

    They have a full bar

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    I ordered food from here using their website and I will say that even after some hiccups due to…read moreDoorDash which meant the food arrived cold, it was still good and that really speaks volumes for this place. I'm from the west coast and I've had my fair share of Hawaiian food and I can only imagine how good it would've been it the driver and delivery service would have done their jobs correctly. When I'm back in town I can't wait to come in and give this place another shot.

    I had never had spam and have never been to Hawaii, so Big Kahuna was a fun option to try for…read moretakeout. I got the spam and eggs. Spam was a little salty (duh, that's to be expected) but well fried. The fried sunny side up egg was amazeballs too, so rich and runny. Fries were hot and crispy as well, but honestly the spam and eggs (which also came with sticky rice and macaroni salad) was so filling that I barely touched the fries. This delicious smorgasbord was only 9 dollars! My colleague had the juicer, which is mahi mahi with cabbage slaw and spicy mayo. He also got the Hawaiian style fries. Topped with spicy mayo, sweet soy, house chili sauce, green onion, and sesame seed, this is an extravagant dish! He enjoyed it. My other colleague got spam musubi is spam and sweet soy on sticky rice, wrapped in seaweed. He says it's his favorite dish from there. Other dishes include kalua pork (Hawaiian bbq sauce), teriyaki chicken, grilled tofu, coconut shrimp, and katsu, which is panko fried pork with their house sauces. For a meal out of the ordinary, give Big Kahuna a try. They say they have the "second best fish sandwich in town!" (Charlie's claims the first spot).

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    While stopping over in Louisville for the afternoon/evening, I Googled what my family could do for…read morethe night. This place was came to the top and I am so glad I found this little gem of a place. I'm into tiki vibes and tiki drinks and my family can't say no to anything tropical, so this fun mini golf/restaurant/tiki bar was a great place to spend the evening. The mini golf course is creatively tucked into the building on two different floors. The holes are small but actually offer a decent challenge. Each one is uniquely themed after a famous tiki drink such as the Zombie, Saturn, and Jungle Bird. Such amazing creativity throughout! Now are the tiki drinks as good as the tiki golf? They are! And the best thing, you bring your drink with you while you golf. I tried the tried and true Mai Tai and my wife tried the Saturn. Both drinks were great. We liked the Saturn so much, I know make it on the regular at home. Staff and the vibe is laid back and very chill. Kids are welcomed to golf with adults so it is fun night out for the whole family. Prices are very reasonable for golf. We found a Groupon that made it even cheaper. Awesome and unique stop!

    Went here for brunch on Mother's Day. Quirky place with an indoor putt-putt course spanning two…read morelevels of an older building intertwined with tables/booths and a huge upstairs bar with festive lighting. We enjoyed the vibe - although it seemed like a tiki/Hawaiian-themed bar would be playing Hawaiian/luau-type music instead of random tunes. Anyway, no biggie. It's a cool place. Service was attentive though a bit slow at first, We ordered drinks - a Miami Vice and a Grilled Pineapple Margarita. They were decent, but didn't knock our socks off. Wife had the French Toast with a side of bacon, which they forgot, then upon bringing it to the table it was undercooked. I had the Cali Burger (double smashburger) with tater tots and it was a 10/10. Beware that some of the cocktail prices on the website are outdated - ours were $1 more than what was posted. Overall, the food gets 5 stars despite the bacon snafu - the flavors were that good. Everything else gets 3.5 stars. We look forward to going back for dinner at the upstairs bar sometime.

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    Bourbon & Beyond 2025 was a good time overall. It was really nice having Kentucky Kingdom open…read moreduring the festival, which gave people something extra to do. There were plenty of water stations, which was great, but it did feel like there were more alcohol vendors than anything else. There wasn't much to do between band sets, so a lot of time was spent just waiting around. On the plus side, security was solid and everything felt well organized. The heat was probably the biggest issue -- there weren't many shaded or cooling areas to sit and take a break. Still a fun festival, but it could definitely use more things to do and better ways to beat the heat

    Bourbon & Beyond has really come into its own at its new location at the fairgrounds!…read more This year's B&B was massive, with food stands and other fun extending around every bend. And gone was the dusty, shadeless space of the past few years. Now closer to Kentucky Kingdom, a lot of the festival featured grounds covered in astroturf (actually makes a big difference!) and covered by smaller trees. The two sets of two side-by-side stages were far enough apart that the sound didn't bleed between the areas. In fact, it was a bit of a lengthy walk between the sections that if you wanted to catch bands on both you definitely got your steps in. B&B had plentiful local options, with so many great local restaurants featured. I saw Pizza Lupo, Bae's Bakery, All Thai'd Up, Alchemy and Eden & Kissi, among others. It also had local shops with booths. Yes, you're going to pay more for the food and drinks ($20 for a beer!), but with all the offerings, I tried to chalk it up as something special to save up for. And VIP is the way to go if you can swing it! Along with prime viewing in front of the stage, it also boasted special shaded stands, lots of special food vendors, nicer bathroom facilities and a shaded tent where you could eat and watch who's on the stage. And the music! What a great selection! I love that this festival helps me rediscover old favorites and fall more in love with musicians that already top my list. This year's B&B made me proud to live in the city where it's hosted. I can't wait to go back next year!

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    Kealoha's Kitchen - hawaiian - Updated May 2026

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