Lunch in Kaimuki, Honolulu, Hawai'i... I had walked past Maguro-Ya many times, on my way to other restaurants on Waialae Avenue. Somehow, I was there at the wrong time, or I didn't have a plan to go to Maguro-Ya. This time, we made a decision to meet for lunch. We didn't have a reservation. I parked in the residential area for free and walked a couple of blocks to the restaurant. Service was very polite and efficient. The interior was cozy and seemed authentic. I didn't feel any air-conditioning, so drinking hot tea was a bit challenging. I let my miso soup cool off before I drank it. I got the Maguro Zukushi Teishoku ($1.50 less during lunch vs. dinner) because it had a variety of Maguro: grilled, deep fried, and raw. I could taste the miso flavor on the grilled fish. I appreciated the crunchy breading on the ahi katsu. The sashimi was fresh! The assortment of sides and beautiful presentation was worth the visit to this established eatery! Thank you for the wonderful experience! read more

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Maguro-Ya has been a restaurant I've passed by a million times but never thought of going in to give them a try until LB suggested to have lunch there one day. They are located in Kaimuki with parking options of street meter parking, parking in the private lot of the building then paying when you leave and free parking by the school or park then walking over. When you walk in, you'll notice the partial boat, dining room and sushi counter. Simple decor but clean and friendly customer service. We came for lunch and lunch is slightly less than dinner. I read a few reviews talking about their teishoku so that's what I wanted to order. Their menu is simple and I was having the hardest time deciding between their Hamachi Kama Shioyaki Teishoku and Maguro Zukushi Teishoku. I decided on the latter because LB convinced me Maguro is in the name of the restaurant. The kitchen didn't take long to get our order out and it was a good portion of food. The order offered a lot of variety that was tasty and I left full. I'm just surprised how long it took me to dine here. Good value at lunch and great option for teishoku in Kaimuki! read more

Maguro-Ya - Maguro Zukushi Teishoku - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This Japanese restaurant has been popular in Hawaii for many years. I think the secret to their popularity is that they import a variety of ingredients from Japan. The chef is very personable and the restaurant staff provide excellent service. It's a very comfortable and wonderful restaurant. Maguro-ya restaurant is always uses fish imported from Japan and prepares it with reliable techniques to entertain local Japanese people, tourists, and locals alike. It is a Japanese restaurant that I highly recommend. read more

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Awesome hole in the wall in Kaimuki! Came for dinner one night because craving sushi but their menu is so large my boyfriend and I both ended up getting teishoku sets instead and sharing the nigiri set. We both ordered the triple combo which came with sashimi, tempura and main dish choice (unagi, butterfish and steak). Everything was super good and the tempura is great eaten fresh! Service was okay, it took a bit to get our hot tea or water refills but otherwise we had a nice dinner. Lots of parking in the paid lot that is shared with the other businesses. read more

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For the first time in 20 years, my family and I went out for dinner to celebrate Mother's Day, but I was disappointed with the taste of the sushi. We ordered the premium nigiri sushi, but the color of the sushi toppings didn't look appetizing at all. When we tasted it, each piece lacked flavor and had a watery texture, like it had been thawed from frozen. Except for the sea urchin, nothing was tasty, and I was very disappointed. I think it would have been better to order the Mother's Day special with grilled dishes and tempura. The nigiri sushi I had before was much fresher and tastier. read more

Like it's name would suggest, Maguro-ya specializes in maguro, or tuna, in a variety of dishes. Located in Kaimuki (10min drive from Waikiki), Maguro-ya has been in business for 25 years and their food shows why they have been open so long. Parking is easy with a gated parking lot behind (0.75 per hour) and a rear entrance. The atmosphere inside is family and neighborhood friendly and fairly quiet. More traditional Japanese than Hawaiian influenced, the menu features many tuna dishes, available braised, grilled, fried, raw, in soup, etc. add in appetizers, noodles, and the ability to get ala carte, rice bowl, or teishoku (set meal or combo). We tried the maguro zukushi teishoku with the tuna cooked 3 ways - sashimi, grilled, and fried) and everything was fresh and well cooked. The sashimi was fresh, the grilled was firm and tasty, and the fried was not dry inside. There was also a lot of food. For couples or families, this place can be good as well as there is something for everyone. read more

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One of Hawaiis best sushi restaurants. Be sure to make reservations. We sat at the bar and ordered omakase. Everything was delicious. It was an amazing dining experience. Staff are super friendly and helpful. read more

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The menu has a big selection of food you can choose from. The food is always delicious here. Staffs are friendly and very attentive. There are plenty of tables to dine in. read more

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The food selection and presentation is great experience. The menu gives you many choices and there are also specials posted on the walls. The staff is friendly and very efficient. I would recommend you make reservations as it is one of kaimuki's best kept secrets. Highly recommend this to friends and family read more

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Maguro-ya ***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ***** Food: ***** Value: *** Menu: ***** (large menu) Ambiance: **** Service: **** Parking: **** (municipal lot behind) Decades ago I asked my intern, Rumi, who was born and raised in Japan, "Where is your favorite authentic Japanese restaurant?" She responded, "Maguro-ya." So I decided to give it a try and I've been going there regularly since. When I took my dad, it became his favorite Japanese restaurant and he always ordered the Karei Karaage. My favorite dish is their Seafood Tempura, my wife's favorite dish is their Miso Butterfish, and my daughter's favorite is their Vegetable Tempura & Zaru. They have one of the largest assortment of traditional Japanese dishes on the island. You can order Teshoku (complete meals) style or Izakaya (individual dish) style. A secret I leaned in Japan at a Tempura Bar was to only use the dipping sauce for the vegetables. The owner/chef said to dip all the tempura seafood lightly in squeezed lemon then in a little sea salt. Wow! It brings out the flavor of each type of seafood. Everyone that I've shared this with now uses salt and lemon for their seafood tempura. RATINGS & RECOMMENDED ORDER: Seafood Tempura = A+ my favorite Miso Butterfish Teishoku = A Sashimi & Tempura Teishoku = A Karei Karaage = B Tonkatsu Teishoku = C (Sorry for the limited dishes, I only order their Seafood Tempura. So delicious!) Yelp: https://yelp.to/mYIsRTx1ZD Website: https://www.maguroyakaimuki.com/ YELP: Milton K Sorry! They allow only one 12 second video & the remaining to 3 seconds. The full video and pictures of the entire menu can be found on other platforms/apps: MiltonIn808 RATINGS KEY: A = Really Good - one of the best B = Good - would order again C = ok - similar, nothing special D = Not very good - wouldn't order F = Terrible - avoid read more

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Food was really good. Service was excellent and ambience felt nice. We got there at 8pm and they closed at 8:30pm. Not once did we feel rushed. We had butterfish, tofu salad, sea eel tempura, and more. Everyone liked what we ordered. Sorry, I usually take more pictures but I was so hungry and ate too quickly. read more

Maguro-Ya - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The food is delicious, prices are reasonable, staff was very welcoming . Parking can be busy if going during peak lunch/dinner times

We've enjoyed eating at Maguro-ya in the past but have not been there for several years so were happy to see the quality and service remain. My husband and son and I went in for an early dinner last weekend and even though they called to push back our reservation by 15 minutes because they said it was busy, when we arrived there were several open tables. (From past experience, we always make a reservation!) Parking is easy behind the restaurant in a large paid parking lot. For appetizers, we ordered edamame and some homemade fish cake. They were sadly out of chawanmushi (my favorite!) and agedashi tofu. We had nasu misoyaki, which came during our meal, which was very delicious - half a Japanese eggplant, slathered with miso and baked. It was so soft you scooped it out with a spoon. My husband and I both had the Maguro Teishoku, their signature dish with maguro served three ways: sashimi, deep fried Katsu, and broiled. It came with rice, miso soup, some small little sides, and a salad. My son had the three item teishoku with misoyaki butterfish, sashimi, and tempura. Everything was delicious and despite being crowded, the food came out quickly. I was hoping to save room for some dessert but was too full and took home quite a bit. There are always specials up on the wall that look delicious. I know they will be fresh so maybe I'll try one on our next visit! read more

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My friends and I were looking for a place to grab dinner, and one of them suggested this restaurant, indicating that it was one of his favorite restaurants. It's located in between Happy Days Chinese Seafood Restaurant and Kim Chee Restaurant No 2 on Waialae Ave. There's a paid parking lot behind the building for $0.75 an hour. If not there, there are paid and free street parking spots around the entire neighborhood. Street parking becomes free after 6pm. I ordered their Maguro Rib Karaage and Sashimi Teishoku. It came with a set of sides and rice. For some reason, I read it as "Maguro Rib, Karaage, and Sashimi" - a three protein meal but it was actually "maguro rib karaage" as in deep fried maguro rib LOL. Whoops, my mistake. However, the maguro rib karaage was really good! Lots of flavor and didn't have a fishiness to it. It was just a lot of work to eat as it was the rib. The sashimi wasn't a favorite. I didn't think it was as fresh as it could have been. I got a variety of different sashimi including sea beam, tuna, seared tuna, and sauced tuna. None of the tuna was fresh in my opinion but they were better than the sea beam. The sea beam was very chewy and had a weird fishiness that I could not stomach. A huge perk about the teishoku was the amount of food it had. I was getting so full 2/3 of the way. My group also shared a Spicy Tuna Roll and a Mentai Yamaimo Roll. They weren't that special in my opinion. The spicy tuna roll was definitely much better than the mentai yamaimo roll. The mentaiko, unfortunately, wasn't as fresh as I hoped, and it lacked the delicious fishy kick that makes it mentaiko. They were a good starter as these sushi rolls could either be a handroll or cut roll to share among everyone. The night we went was a Thursday night, and the entire restaurant was completely full. However, there weren't any parties waiting outside to be seated. We waited about 30-45 mins for our food. It might have been because we had a table of 6 people, and they wanted all the food to come out at the same time. Our shared order of sushi rolls came out a little before our entrees did. Thankfully, we weren't too pressed for time and talked the entire time as we waited. Overall, this was an okay restaurant. I haven't tried it before but happy to have tried it now. My expectations in Japanese food may have increased over the years due to my frequent travels to Japan, so it may seem like a semi-miss for me here. However, the service was impeccable as everyone was nice, and our waiter continuously checked up on us. read more

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Really lovely sushi restaurant with high quality fish. There's paid parking in a parking lot next to the restaurant and also a mix of free and paid street parking nearby. The interior space has counter seating for 6-8 people and a few tables for larger parties. Reservations aren't required, but are recommended if you want to get a seat at the sushi bar. They serve mainly teishoku sets and sushi - I pretty much just come here for the sushi. Service can be slow at times if you're ordering raw fish since there's usually just the owner doing the prep at the sushi counter. The fish are all fresh and this place has some of the best akami zuke that I've ever had. Other highlights are, depending on the season, tachuo (belt fish, a white fish with a very clean taste and bouncy texture), shima-aji (striped jack, lovely texture and slightly sweet), and amaebi (sweet shrimp, sweet and nice mochi-like texture). The sushi is comparable to high-end omakase spots without breaking the bank. read more

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We dined for lunch on a weekday and it got really busy with many reservations - some work and many families. Service is top notch. It is a small, traditional Japanese restaurant with a varied selection of choices. read more

What a hidden gem in the heart of Kaimukī! This is a very old-school kine Japanese restaurant, which I love. No blaring music. Unassuming store front. Signs for seasonal specials on the walls. Traditional decor. Teishoku with lots of unique side dishes. Complimentary hot sencha served in addition to water. Flavorful, homemade (rather than instant) miso soup. White rice from Japan (with free refills). And of course, delicious food! The menu can be overwhelming because there are so many items to choose from. You can ask the waitress what they'd recommend. I usually get the miso butterfish teishoku or tempura teishoku. One time my husband got the teishoku with various preparations of maguro and he really enjoyed it. The restaurant is on the smaller side and can get busy during peak hours. It's also in a paid parking lot shared with lots of other businesses so parking can be tricky sometimes. (Also, make sure you pay for parking at the kiosk before heading back to your car--you don't pay at the exit gate). I wish there were more restaurants like Maguro-ya still! read more

Be prepared, because this place has a wide variety of dishes you can pick from! Personally, I was super overwhelmed by just looking at the menu. ***What I ordered ~ **Sashimi & Tempura Teishioku (8/10) ~ Hearty, good, and filling! The tempura was crispy and cooked to perfection. As for the sashimi it was okay, they gave a few chunky pieces and some seared one as well. The only reason why this wasn't a 10 was because there wasn't anything crazy that stood out to me. Simple and it's like a you get what you get. **Unagi Pressed Sushi (10/10) ~ Cooked and crispy! I love the flavor of the unagi sauce and I love that it was cooked so perfectly too. I would highly recommend getting this!! Overall, Not bad! I wouldn't mind coming back. HOWEVER, it is SUPER hot in there for some reason. Not sure if they keep the AC off, but luckily we were sitting by the front door so when customers would come in and out you would get a small breeze. Lastly, service was okay. You would kind of have to wave staff down to get something. read more

Maguro-Ya - Sashimi & Tempura Teishioku - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Wow did not know about this gem until now. It's a small hole in the wall place that serves authentic Japanese food. The quality is top notched for what you paid. Def worth every penny! read more

My husband and I were in the mood for Japanese and we recently decided to try Maguro-Ya as we live nearby. Inside has the feel of an authentic "old-school" Japanese restaurant and it was nice that our waitress was a native Japanese speaker. The food was excellent and fresh. We started with a maguro appetizer which we ate up quickly. I love agadashi tofu and the tofu here was served piping hot and the dashi very flavorful. I also enjoyed their tempura and kappa maki. My husband ordered a tempura, sushi, and udon combo and he enjoyed it very much. I thought the udon broth was really good. We look forward to coming here again. read more

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My wife and I came here Friday night as it's been one of our neighborhood favorites for a while. However this experience was just awful. My wife and I ordered 6 pieces of nigiri (2pcs each of unagi, sake and ama ebi), my wife had the udon/tempura/sushi combo, and I ordered the spicy maguro don (half size). It started going downhill from there. Starting with the nigiri, it wasn't the greatest and definitely not the worst, I'd say just average. The only disappointing aspect was the amount of rice wasn't proportional at all to the size of the sushi. My wife's food had no issues, still decent but the price for what she received we felt was unjustifiable. My spicy maguro don was nothing what I had expected. I should have asked about the preparation as the menu description was not detailed at all but what came out didn't even come in a bowl, came out was basically a tiny bed of rice covered with choke arugula, nuts? Slivered onions and butchered chunks of ahi in a siracha like sauce. If there wasn't a thick layer of arugula and nuts, it'd just look like an appetizer. Lastly, the server forgot to bring their accompanying side dishes, like the miso soup etc. Finally came the bill, where they charged us for a full-size spicy maguro don and also when we found out that 6 pieces of nigiri came out to $54?!??!! Unreal, when we asked multiple servers if that was correct no one could give us an answer except one who just told us "market price" Brah there's no way 6 pieces even at market price should cost $54. Never coming back here again. Service was terrible to, filled our water up once, no where on any menu indicated market price for the à la carte nigiri, nor did our server feel the need to disclose it. The bathrooms are also disgusting, clean em!!!! read more

We were in the area and decided to go here for dinner. It was pretty busy and luckily was seated right away. The food was delicious. I was very happy with my authentic Japanese oyako don. One of the best I ever had. It came with miso soup, salad & tsukemono. My boyfriend had a poke salad. Definitely coming back. read more

Maguro-Ya - Okako Don - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Maguro-Ya. More like Maguro-Ya gotta wait for 45 minutes for everything you order! But at least the person who we first ordered with tells us in advance, so we're not twiddling our thumbs waiting for our order. This place is located in Kaimuki near 11th Ave, next to Happy Day. There's metered parking out front, and a paid parking lot in the back. The inside is your typical Japanese restaurant with the sushi bar, wall lined with pictures and writings, short back chairs, and etc. We sat at the bar, which was the only seats available. It was fine until a large party showed up next to us that was inconsiderate and oblivious of others around them--usual talking loudly and obnoxious, add in incessant coughing, and chose not to move over when there's clearly space on the opposite side. Gladly, we were able to move to an open table. Even still slightly tight, it was way better than the bar. Starting our order at the bar. . . Chawanmushi. 45 minute wait. Yakitori. Also, 45 minutes. Dashimaki Tamago. 45 minutes. At this point, I was beginning to give up and thought about just leaving since everything is a 45 minute wait, but since we're already here... The Misoyaki Butterfish (came out first) was very good. Tender and flavorful meat with a nice crispy skin. The Maguro Poke was surprisingly very good. Soft tender ahi that was very prepared and dressed. Tasty and flavorful, and the accompanying pickled onions, sea asparagus, and pine nuts went very well together. Edamame! Forty-five min.... Not 45 minutes, but still took unusually long (after our butterfish and poke came out) Nothing to say about this. Just boiled soybean with a little salt. We added on a Negitoro Shiso Age after we moved to the table. This qualified for the 45-minute wait, but was never informed... Meanwhile, our Unagi Hako Sushi arrived. Upon first look, I don't see this was prepared correctly as it was quite messy. The rice was not compressed, there was no shape, and all the pieces fell apart when picked up with chopsticks. It's like as if the sushi was mistakenly rolled, and then tried to reshape it to flat sides. The rice was under seasoned as well. This was OK. Probably better off just ordering the Unagi Don for $10 more. The Shiso Age was excellent. Battered and fried very well. The minced fatty tuna filling was tasty, and went well with the herbaceous shiso. The curry powder put it over the top! Overall, I enjoyed the food at Maguro-Ya. Except the Unagi Hako Sushi, everything else was well prepared and well seasoned. Service was excellent. Since I now have an idea about the wait time for certain items, I'll be more prepared next time when I try more items! read more

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Happened upon this place when the Negitoro spot around the block turned us away 1.5 hours to closing and IT WAS THE BEST FIND!! We tried the tuna three ways and the combo with the butterfish, steak and unagi. Get the combo w the butterfish or the steak. Sooooo good!! Closest thing to the freshest tuna (outside of Japan)!!! read more

A friend told me recently he doesn't go to a "new" restaurant unless someone takes them there. I can understand that, wanting to be led somewhere good rather than be disappointed. If you've passed MaguroYa and haven't quite taking the deep sea plunge, take this as a guide from your trusted neighborhood foodie! Omakase has gotten very popular but if you're looking for a classic sushi spot, look no further. MaguroYa translates to Tuna Shop and I've never been disappointed by the quality or freshness. If you're a fan of tuna I recommend ordering maguro iroiro. You'll get different cuts and experience different aspects of the staple fish! But you really can't go wrong with anything you order on their extensive Japanese menu. Make sure to peep the specials lining the walls! We started with these tiny sardines that you can usually find dried but they had it fresh topped with grated ginger and scallions. It was an almost sweet palette opener! Followed by blue fin tuna which was a refreshing way to start the meal. Another nice surprise was enjoying shrimp caught in Makapu'u. They were so sweet raw and we enjoyed them fried too. We ended with ahi belly nabe. Scrumptious! I was expecting udon so I politely asked if we could get a side. Goro-san was happy to fill our ceramic bowl with udon and we were able to enjoy the delicious broth along slivers of long noods. And finally a salmon skin roll, with crispy skin as well as a nice amount of salmon meat. I especially love the crunch of the gobo and the veg that left the meal feeling bountiful but light. This may be a new spot but it's an old spot for all who have been able to enjoy Maguro Ya over the years. Maybe this special establishment can be a nice addition to your staples, too. Thank you time and time again, Gorosan and kind staff! read more

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It's a bit of a drive from Waikiki but worth it for some authentic Japanese food. Maguro-ya literally means tuna shop. As the name implies, fish is their specialty but they have a variety of Japanese classics such tonkatsu or teriyaki. I have been eating here for several years and always come here at least once while in town. I recommend teishoku--main dish plus several sides (miso soup, salad, pickles). You can't go wrong with a tonkatsu or sashimi plus tempura teishoku. I always enjoy maguro zukushi teishoku (tuna prepared 3 ways: sashimi, grilled, and deep fried). Service is great with polite staff. The atmosphere is bustling and very casual. Perfect for dinner without having to get dressed up. Bring your appetite. Parking is convenient in a muni parking lot behind restaurant (usually a few dollars). read more

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Glad to know this 25 year business is still going. Congratulations! Paid Parking lot. No lunch specials. Can be pricey. Great Service. First time here and came by accident. We were actually heading to another establishment for lunch. But since they were closed, I noticed Maguro Ya. we walked in through the back door and to our surprise friends were there eating lunch. They mentioned they come here often and it was really delicious. So we took a table and ordered Chicken Oyako Donbori and Misoyaki Butterfish Teishoku. Both were very good. Spent more than usual for lunch. Food and service were good. Don't expect current social media post. Their Instagram is not maintained. Not sure if they have TikToc. read more

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Great small Sushi Bar and Japanese restaurant right nestled in Kaimuki. Dining here you can tell it's a mix of families who've been visiting for years as well as foodies who appreciate delicious food expertly prepared! The Great: Large menu that can satisfy all of your Japanese food cravings. The teishoku meal sets are fantastic, the sushi/sashimi is very fresh, and lot of appetizers to get you started. I often order the Tokujo Nigiri which is a nice combination of premium nigiri. The grilled and fried dishes are also excellent. The Good: Solid list of beer, shochu, sake, and wines. Good pricing on all drinks as well. The Okay: Gets crowded during dinner, I've had some luck walking in but best to make a reservation in advance. Overall: We love Maguro-Ya and have never been disappointed. Our only issue is we want to try so many things on the menu but have a difficult time not ordering our favorites! read more

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Continuing on my search for the best nabeyaki udon, I came across Maguro-Ya on Yelp. I was so excited to see that they were close to my residence. Usually I have to drive to town to get it! They're located on Waialae Ave next to Big City Diner. Parking is in the back where they have a municipal self-paid parking lot. To note, I only paid 75 cents for the hour that I was there. The parking machine takes credit card only, and the restaurant does not validate. There's also metered street parking in the area if you're lucky enough to find it. I was one of the first to arrive at 5pm and the other 3 customers who were there seemed to be regulars, as they knew the servers names or already knew what they wanted to order. The interior was clean and it seemed like an authentic Japanese resto with signs hanging all over the wall showcasing their specials. They have a good sized sushi bar with two sushi chefs standing behind it on the ready! Obviously they are known for their fresh fish, but I came there for one thing only... nabeyaki! It arrived in a hot pot and it had all the usual suspects - udon, vegetables, mushroom, egg, chicken and 1 piece shrimp tempura. The broth was lighter than others I've had, but that's okay because it allows the rest of the goodies to shine. Everything was fresh and delicious. Why 4 stars instead of 5? The price. Perhaps nabeyaki udon is going up in price across the island, but $20 for a bowl is quite a statement. I'd expect it to have mochi or something in addition to warrant the higher price. Don't get me wrong, it was good... but not worth $20. I also ordered a small Kirin bottle for $4.50. I don't believe they have happy hour there. Service was decent depending on who came around. Only one of the servers didn't seem happy to be there. He unlocked the door at 5pm but didn't even open it or say "welcome". Where's the aloha spirit? The other servers were friendly and seemed happy to be there, along with the sushi chefs. Speaking of sushi, that seems to be their sweet spot, as many hand rolls and nigiri's were going out to the tables. I think my next visit will definitely involve sushi! read more

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I came here for pau hana Friday with my homie Gary T., and Maguro-Ya was da place of choice for pau hana Friday. Located up in Kaimuki town, you can find Maguro-Ya just next door from da FAMOUS - Kim Chee II restaurant. Parking here is easy, as there is a large paid municipal parking lot behind the eatery for all the restaurants up in Kaimuki town. Reservations are highly recommended, as Maguro-Ya isn't a large restaurant. Luckily my friend Gary made reservations, as on a Friday night it was packed! The Maguro-Ya menu is pretty extensive, and I'm pretty sure you find something to your liking. On the night we came here, both my friend and I ended up ordering the Butter Fish Misoyaki Teishoku. I must say the Butter Fish was broke da mout tasty & very tender! The dish came with rice, miso soup, salad, pickled vegetables, and a small soba (cold Buckwheat noodles). We also ordered the Chef Recommended Nigiri platter to share, which consisted with an array of different types of sushi (see pic). The food here was EXCELLENT, but the service here was a wee bit spotty at times, but it's understandable as Friday night was supah busy!!!! I'd definitely would come back here again should I be Jonesing for Japanese food, and since Maguro-Ya has an extensive menu, I'm pretty sure you won't have an trouble finding something good to eat here! read more

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OK. I hesitate to write this review because I know this place is beloved by locals, especially elderly Japanese expats, and I don't want the regulars to lose their favorite spot to tourists. My family first stumbled upon this place 10 years ago, and we were immediately charmed by the rustic interior, authentic feel, and the tasty, hearty food. Ever since, we've visited this place whenever we're in town and bring friends and relatives I personally adore the handwritten signs with the specials taped all over the wall. Until recently, they hand wrote receipts, which is fun when you need to submit meal receipts for reimbursement. Their Maguro Teishoku is their signature, and the butterfish is spectacular. Everything else we ordered has been on point. Even bite is perfectly seasoned and cooked, and it is so satisfying and comforting...you feel taken care of. This is one of those restaurants that you enjoy with your feels along with your taste buds. I will note though, every time, the wait is quite a bit, but totally worth it. read more

Is my go to Japanese restaurant to take friends and family to. It's so surprising that so many haven't heard of this fantastic restaurant. They have sushi bar and they have dining tables. You can have family style meals or order teishoku sets for yourself. You can go boldly and do the omakase sushi at the bar. You'll love it. Chef will not disappoint. read more

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Dining in on a Sunday night and was super disappointed. We ordered Premium Nigiri($48.50), Local Favorite Sashimi($42) and Nabe Teshoku($35.50). The fish was not fresh at all and didn't look appealing either. The quality is just not acceptable for the price that we were paying. We will not return again unfortunately. read more

Maguro-Ya - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Came here for the first time. Was supposed to go to another spot for lunch , but we saw their restaurant sign outside so decided to change our plans. Am I glad we did , food here is the best. Everything was super fresh. Clean restaurant, and very very friendly staff. Will come for dinner and check out the dinner menu. read more

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Was looking forward to trying this place and came on a whim. Was fortunate enough to get seating to try a couple of items. We ordered a la carte as we'd been grazing all afternoon. The best thing was the chawanmushi followed by horse mackerel with sea salt. The butterfish was okay, but the hamachi collar was over cooked and dry. They had a lot of options that aren't available at most other restaurants, and the service was good. The quality was however lacking for the prices. I'd equate it to average home cooked food. The restaurant itself was cute, but ordinary. As for parking, its either metered street or paid lot. read more

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It's been awhile since I've eaten Japanese food, so I decided to to try Maguro-ya in Kaimuki (Honolulu). The restaurant is nicely decorated and looks like an authentic Japanese restaurant complete with Nihon-jins working there. The waitress brought us ice waters and hot green tea. We ordered the raw Oysters with ponzu sauce $18.50 for 3 oysters and a Chawanmushi $8. The oysters were the large type Blue Point oysters and were presented beautifully. However, it didn't taste like it looked. It tasted fishy and the ponzu was very watery. I ordered the Triple Combination Teishoku $41.50 which came with sashimi, tempura, butterfish, rice, salad, tsukemono, shoyu pork and miso soup. The sashimi looked a little rough and was slightly fishy. The tempura was on point, but the dipping sauce was bowl was too small. It came with 1 shrimp and 3 vegetable tempuras. The butterfish was a let down. It was super salty and tasted fishy. The shoyu pork was dry and salty as well. The salad dressing had no taste and there were a few dots of tsukemono. The miso soup was on point. My friend ordered the Sashimi and Tempura Teishoku $33. It had 2 shrimp. It's a lot of food and the price is right in line with inflation, but the fishiness taste and saltiness was enough to reduce my review by 1 star. Parking was in the municipal lot behind the restaurant and cost $1.50. read more

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Heard about this restaurant from a few people, decided to give it a try. Small place the tables seems a bit closer to each others. Felt little congested. Food quality is about average, depends on what you order. Two people the tap was $177. Oh, one more thing, the AC is little warm. I would visit again. read more

This place is excellent. High quality and excellent service. You can tell the food is prepared with care and pride.

Maguro-Ya is a hole in the wall staple in the midst of iconic restaurants on Waialae. It is a place that feels instantly homey when you step in. The interior is not flashy, but comfortable, instantly transporting you to Japan. I'm not sure if the pandemic changed the quality of meals here, but I personally felt like there was much to be desired. I came here twice in two consecutive weeks, and these are the dishes I tried: MAGURO ZUKUSHI TEISHOKU (3.5/5): This is their most popular dish, and the one I recommend the most. It contains the most variety of food for the value of its price. The maguro comes in 3 ways: katsu, sashimi, and grilled. It doesn't feel authentically Japanese per se, but maybe Japanese Hawaiian. My friends in Japan have never heard of maguro made in katsu style, nor serving miso sauce with sashimi, which is why I feel like this is probably just a Hawaiian thing. Nevertheless, the food is good, and the portions are generous. MAGURO BELLY STEAK TEISHOKU (2/5): Don't confuse this for the Maguro Belly teishoku. This dish left so much to be desired. Although the maguro portion was gigantic, the taste was so mediocre. I didn't care for the sauce it was cooked with, and the meat itself was on the tougher side. Overcooked for sure. Also strangely, the maguro was on top of a bed of bean sprouts, which made the fish feel more Chinese than anything. Definitely opt for something else with your $30. SALMON BELLY SHIOYAKI TEISHOKU (2/5): Yo what happened! All the delicious juicy looking salmon belly photos I saw on Yelp was...not what I got! Please refer to my photos attached, but the salmon belly I got was just...strips? They pieces were luke warm, overcooked, and had hardly a taste. In fact, I used the sauce from a previous appetizer to enhance the blandness of the salmon. Seriously such a disappointing dish. The best things to order here are the appetizers. I've tried the Chanwanmushi, which is pretty decent, albeit small, and the Negitoro Shiso Age. THAT was the best thing I've eaten at Maguro-Ya, hands down. It was toro wrapped in a shiso leaves, then fried as tempura. It came with a sweet sauce, which is what I used to dip my salmon belly in. The Warabi Mochi + Matcha Ice cream wasn't bad either. Ankimo sashimi was tasty but small. I really REALLY wanted to like this place, but the salmon belly shioyaki teishoku was pretty disheartening. Plus, the prices are on the more expensive end, and don't feel matched with the quality of what you get. There is pretty cheap paid parking in the back lot. read more

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TL:DR - The menu is overwhelming, but the maguro zukushi teishoku is delicious! Located in Kaimuki, Maguro-ya is a Japanese sushi restaurant known for their maguro. They have a huge menu of items, which can be kind of a lot to take-in when you're looking at it, but realize that most of it's sashimi and sushi. If you're not there for that, then you can skip over 50% of the menu. I've had their sushi/sashimi before and can say it's great. Maybe not the best I have ever tasted, but you're going to have a good time. I would suggest getting the maguro zukushi teishoku. The dish consists of maguro prepared in 3 different ways; raw, grilled, and deep fried. The dish also comes with salad, rice, tsukemono (pickles), egg, miso soup, etc. It's a lot of food, with a wide range of flavors and textures. My personal favorite was the grilled maguro, it had a nice crispy texture, while also retaining a lot of the maguro flavor, and man did it slap. The deep fried and sashimi versions had their own flavors that complimented each other. The deep fried was savory, while the sashimi one came with a bit of a mustard type sauce that was sweet with a hint of spice. Amazing! Honestly it was all really good, and by the end I was completely stuffed. My girlfriend got the Maguro Belly Steak Teishoku, and we were left disappointed. The flavor is kind of one note, a shoyu based type sauce that's slightly sweet, slightly salty, that covers up the maguro belly flavor. It also came out luke-warm which is kind of a real bummer since it was probably sauteed and should have been piping hot. I wouldn't recommend this dish unless you're really into teriyaki/shoyu type sauces. read more

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