Makai Island Photos
Business Info
Makai Island Popular Dishes
MAKAI ISLAND ATMOSPHERE
What's the vibe?
You might also consider
More like Makai Island
Recommended Reviews - Makai Island
Start your review...
Reviews With Photos
I went to Makai for a Cusine meetup. You order at the Cashier first. So it's an informal joint to eat at. They have a few Hawaiian desserts too. I had a delivious meal there.
Makai Island tasted really good! I'm not surprised because they are from the same owners as Enseamada Restaurant in Everett which I think is really good, too. I got their Garlic Noodles with Pork Ribs BBQ as the protein, a side of Spam Musubi, and a Mango Refresher. I easily split this with my friend because the portion is a decent size. She ordered the Lychee Refresher. We both thought everything tasted delicious, the meat fell off the bone, and the drinks we ordered were both refreshing. Makai is a solid and awesome addition to the Renton area.
Awesome Hawaiian flavors. The 808 beef ribs were tender and fall off the bone. The daughter ate a saucy beef rib by herself with half the Hurricane Chicken and half of the pork rib. The Hurricane Chicken are flavorful crunchy pieces deep fried. Both meals came with Hawaiian Mac salad, regular salad, and rice. She also had a coco mango cream smoothie. Sweet and very mango tasty. The daughter is already figuring out when we're going back.
I was looking forward to trying the plate lunches here since I've been seeing it on socials. One day, after work, I decided to make a pit stop. As I walked in, the island vibes were undeniable, esp with local Jawaiian music playing in the background. I decided to treat myself with the 808 plate with chicken. The plate arrived, and I couldn't wait to dig in. It included one piece of spam, two lumpias, two pieces of panko-fried shrimp, and three small chicken thighs. Accompanying the main dish were salad greens, mac salad, and two scoops of rice, all priced at $19 incl tax. However, I was disappointed to find that the chicken was coated in barbecue sauce! Definitely Not the local way! iykyk. The mac salad had square chunks of carrots with a taste that wasn't mac salad that i know to be...iykyk. That being said, I would not recommend this place to friends and definitely not family. I would suggest trying the desserts tho, as they all looked incredibly delicious!
We were surprised they weren't busy on Saturday afternoon & was wondering what happened. After I had tasted all the food we ordered, I understood why they weren't busy anymore. All the food tasted mediocre except for the Ube pancakes. I also liked the lumpia bc it had less fillings but my hubby didn't. The garlic fried noodles were just salty & did not taste any garlic. I asked for no parm but they forgot & added it. We ordered 2 loco moco & both eggs were cooked well done. Sadly, it was not worth $100 for lunch.
I drove across here all the time but never had the chance to stop by, my son was craving some spam musubi and we happen to be in the area. I bought the 808 mixed plate and the portion was huge for the both of us. It was really flavorful and good. The sauce was okay, probably didn't need that. Service was nice and friendly. There were some seats that you can sit inside to dine in at. My son seems to enjoy their drinks as well. A great addition to the area.
Where do I even begin.. the restaurant itself is so cute, it reminded me of some of the restaurants we went to in Maui. The staff is sooo friendly and the service is quick. We have gone twice and ordered to go both times but I want to try eating in the restaurant as well. My favorite is the bbq chicken with garlic noodles. The combo with the cilantro and the green sauce (the green sauce omg, it's SO GOOD), is delicious. The ribs were good too. Not pictured but we did get the lechon garlic noodles once and I wasn't a fan of the lechon it was just too crispy for me.
This small restaurant offers delicious Hawaiian food and beverages. The staff is super friendly. There are mostly small tables, so we combined 3 of them to fit 4 adults and 3 kids. We ordered the 808 Mixed Plate, Garlic Noodle, Lechon Crunch, Mango Cream Shake and Ube Flan Cake. Food is solid - my favorite is the pork ribs - tender and slightly spicy; lechon is cut into small pieces and the skin is crispy. The drinks are particularly popular - I see lots of people order the cream shakes with tapioca; also lots of flavors for the refresher. I was disappointed by the Ube Flan Cake - too dense and overly sweet.
We came in after walking around IKEA for three hours and we were so hungry and Makai was the perfect place for us to get food! The food was so yummy and they gave us so much. I ordered the hurricane chicken and my sister ordered the mix plate with chicken. The chicken was perfectly moist, the rice and Mac salad were very good. Highly recommend both those plates. We also got a mango refresher and the ube pancake. The mango refresher was just what we needed after a long day at IKEA and there were real mango chunks in it! The ube pancake is huge but not too sweet. We had to take that one home because we were too full from the food. The staff were all amazing and very kind to us. We were sat outside and they had no problem getting our food to us. The ambiance was also great they were playing chill music the whole time. We were sat outside so many the experience is different inside but we were so focused on the food no one was really talking lol Anyway I would take the drive down here again just for the food it was so good. If you live in the area you are very lucky. Highly recommend!
I came here for two reasons: one, because this place closes early at 7:30pm on Fridays and it was already 6pm when this review is taking place; and two, because I haven't gotten to try here before yet and my foodie friend - who came with me and another friend for our group of three - already has and highly recommended their foods and we were all close to the area! Okay, that's three reasons but still. This location shares deceptively limited parking in a plaza it shares with places like Candor Coffee and Flavor Lao & Thai Bowl in the Renton area not far from Great Wall Shopping Mall and IKEA. At around 6pm when we got here, only a couple of seats were filled; it wasn't until much closer to closing time that this Hawaiian-Filipino restaurant nearly became a full house, so I was pretty happy with the time we actually came. Pictures of their plates and island faves are displayed near the front counter, with more details on each dish shown on the TV monitors behind that counter. There's also a display case full of ingredients that seem to be for some of the beverages they provide and my foodie friend was unable to get due to the ice machine not working when he went. Seating inside consists of many tables that line the perimeter and reaching the restrooms in the back. I got myself the 808 Mix Plate, which has a lot of stuff in one sitting. One of my friends got their inihaw plate, and we all split a side of lumpia. Now for the breakdown of these dishes: - The 808 Mix Plate has chicken as my choice of protein, crispy shrimp, lumpia, spam, macaroni salad, green salad, rice and two dipping sauces. This comes in a plastic box, which already means the portions are gonna be hugeeeeee here! Chicken is piping hot, tender and braised with a sauce I could only describe as tangy and sweet at the same time. Crispy shrimp was another fave of mine in that there was a lot of shrimp and not a ton of excess tempura covering. Spam and green salad were average. The macaroni salad was sadly not my favorite; texture of the macaroni was a little off, and the dressing tasted slightly sour. - My friend chose pulehu short ribs as the protein for his inihaw plate. The beef was cut into smaller, edible pieces and didn't take up too much of the smaller portion of this dish. Flavoring is all right on the short ribs; taste was just slightly off like the sauce used was too thick for its tangy taste. - The lumpias - both in my 808 Mix Plate and the appetizer we got - are crispy and delicious. The portions are huge and the food is so delicious with some exceptions, but I loved my experience here and would come back for something else along with their drinks!
The food is worth the wait, but heads up it gets crowded fast and theres not alot of tables. We ordered the loco moco and 808 mix plate. Our favorite was definitely the loco moco, with the savory gravy and eggs cooked perfeclty it just made everything *chefs kiss. And btw the portions are huge!
Located in Renton with plenty of parking in the complex. The past few times I've came, the line has been out the door so expect a good wait time for your food. There are a few spots for indoor seating and a few spots for outdoor as well but have only gotten lucky once with available sitting with how busy they usually are. Staff is super friendly and they have a Tres Leches display for dessert. Highly suggest doing the Ube, it is sooooo good! The portions are great; it was really filling and you could taste the marinade used on the meat. Beef short ribs were tender but a bit fatty, the pork ribs were cooked nicely, and the chicken was flavorful but a bit on the dryer side. The sauce helps complement the dish and brings another layer of flavor to the dish. Lumpia was nice and crispy while still maintaining a flavorful filling. The drinks were good, but definitely suggest ordering it and asking them to cut it with water because it's definitely on the sweeter side. Overall a really good experience and someplace I've visited more than once and will continue to come eat at.
Overall thought this place was ok but not standout to me. Cream in ube pancakes was good, but it almost looks like a bowl of soup lol. Pancakes themselves were okay, but I think the ones from West Hill Deli are better. Comes with 2 pancakes. IMO not worth it to add the macadamia nuts for $1.50. Loco moco was ok. Mango refresher was also not particularly special as it sort of just tasted like mango juice mixed with a bit of coconut milk. Service was nice. I liked that their water dispenser was a brita filter. Ambiance was very casual, played Hawaiian music
1 month ago
A must try, lechon kawali and beef ribs. Ube pancakes!!! Very nice people. Came here with my co workers, Plan to be back with my family. read more
2 months ago
One of my new favorite places! Came here on a Saturday in the afternoon with my 2 kiddos and parents. A little crowded, but a table cleared up for us. There were 2 high chairs available, which was convenient for my 1 year old. Note: No changing area in the restroom. You order at the counter and they deliver the food to you. We ordered the 808 Mix Plate with Beef Ribs, Garlic Noodles with Lechon, Ube Pancakes and Halo Halo for dessert. And split among 3 adults. Food Review 808 Mix Plate: Beef ribs were hearty and flavorful and saucy. Coconut fried shrimp, chicken, lumpia and spam, rice and Mac Salad, a nice combo and a little bit of everything! Garlic Noodles with Lechon: Garlic Noodles, so garlicky and so delightful. The lechon was crispy and large pieces. Ube Pancakes: Sweet and delicious! A nice treat. Halo Halo: HUGEEEE! We could barely finish between us and the kids. I enjoyed it as a special treat. I will say I don't think this is a true Halo Halo, I'd compare it to a Halo Halo Bubble Tea with ice cream, it has tapioca balls like bubble tea and corn flakes (I liked the crunchy texture) and a few other mixings. It was tasty and I liked. I would recommend. Good prices, Big portions, flavorful food quick service and good vibes. read more
Makai Island tasted really good! I'm not surprised because they are from the same owners as Enseamada Restaurant in Everett which I think is really good, too. I got their Garlic Noodles with Pork Ribs BBQ as the protein, a side of Spam Musubi, and a Mango Refresher. I easily split this with my friend because the portion is a decent size. She ordered the Lychee Refresher. We both thought everything tasted delicious, the meat fell off the bone, and the drinks we ordered were both refreshing. Makai is a solid and awesome addition to the Renton area. read more
Awesome Hawaiian flavors. The 808 beef ribs were tender and fall off the bone. The daughter ate a saucy beef rib by herself with half the Hurricane Chicken and half of the pork rib. The Hurricane Chicken are flavorful crunchy pieces deep fried. Both meals came with Hawaiian Mac salad, regular salad, and rice. She also had a coco mango cream smoothie. Sweet and very mango tasty. The daughter is already figuring out when we're going back. read more
I was looking forward to trying the plate lunches here since I've been seeing it on socials. One day, after work, I decided to make a pit stop. As I walked in, the island vibes were undeniable, esp with local Jawaiian music playing in the background. I decided to treat myself with the 808 plate with chicken. The plate arrived, and I couldn't wait to dig in. It included one piece of spam, two lumpias, two pieces of panko-fried shrimp, and three small chicken thighs. Accompanying the main dish were salad greens, mac salad, and two scoops of rice, all priced at $19 incl tax. However, I was disappointed to find that the chicken was coated in barbecue sauce! Definitely Not the local way! iykyk. The mac salad had square chunks of carrots with a taste that wasn't mac salad that i know to be...iykyk. That being said, I would not recommend this place to friends and definitely not family. I would suggest trying the desserts tho, as they all looked incredibly delicious! read more
We were surprised they weren't busy on Saturday afternoon & was wondering what happened. After I had tasted all the food we ordered, I understood why they weren't busy anymore. All the food tasted mediocre except for the Ube pancakes. I also liked the lumpia bc it had less fillings but my hubby didn't. The garlic fried noodles were just salty & did not taste any garlic. I asked for no parm but they forgot & added it. We ordered 2 loco moco & both eggs were cooked well done. Sadly, it was not worth $100 for lunch. read more
I drove across here all the time but never had the chance to stop by, my son was craving some spam musubi and we happen to be in the area. I bought the 808 mixed plate and the portion was huge for the both of us. It was really flavorful and good. The sauce was okay, probably didn't need that. Service was nice and friendly. There were some seats that you can sit inside to dine in at. My son seems to enjoy their drinks as well. A great addition to the area. read more
Where do I even begin.. the restaurant itself is so cute, it reminded me of some of the restaurants we went to in Maui. The staff is sooo friendly and the service is quick. We have gone twice and ordered to go both times but I want to try eating in the restaurant as well. My favorite is the bbq chicken with garlic noodles. The combo with the cilantro and the green sauce (the green sauce omg, it's SO GOOD), is delicious. The ribs were good too. Not pictured but we did get the lechon garlic noodles once and I wasn't a fan of the lechon it was just too crispy for me. read more
This small restaurant offers delicious Hawaiian food and beverages. The staff is super friendly. There are mostly small tables, so we combined 3 of them to fit 4 adults and 3 kids. We ordered the 808 Mixed Plate, Garlic Noodle, Lechon Crunch, Mango Cream Shake and Ube Flan Cake. Food is solid - my favorite is the pork ribs - tender and slightly spicy; lechon is cut into small pieces and the skin is crispy. The drinks are particularly popular - I see lots of people order the cream shakes with tapioca; also lots of flavors for the refresher. I was disappointed by the Ube Flan Cake - too dense and overly sweet. read more
We came in after walking around IKEA for three hours and we were so hungry and Makai was the perfect place for us to get food! The food was so yummy and they gave us so much. I ordered the hurricane chicken and my sister ordered the mix plate with chicken. The chicken was perfectly moist, the rice and Mac salad were very good. Highly recommend both those plates. We also got a mango refresher and the ube pancake. The mango refresher was just what we needed after a long day at IKEA and there were real mango chunks in it! The ube pancake is huge but not too sweet. We had to take that one home because we were too full from the food. The staff were all amazing and very kind to us. We were sat outside and they had no problem getting our food to us. The ambiance was also great they were playing chill music the whole time. We were sat outside so many the experience is different inside but we were so focused on the food no one was really talking lol Anyway I would take the drive down here again just for the food it was so good. If you live in the area you are very lucky. Highly recommend! read more
I came here for two reasons: one, because this place closes early at 7:30pm on Fridays and it was already 6pm when this review is taking place; and two, because I haven't gotten to try here before yet and my foodie friend - who came with me and another friend for our group of three - already has and highly recommended their foods and we were all close to the area! Okay, that's three reasons but still. This location shares deceptively limited parking in a plaza it shares with places like Candor Coffee and Flavor Lao & Thai Bowl in the Renton area not far from Great Wall Shopping Mall and IKEA. At around 6pm when we got here, only a couple of seats were filled; it wasn't until much closer to closing time that this Hawaiian-Filipino restaurant nearly became a full house, so I was pretty happy with the time we actually came. Pictures of their plates and island faves are displayed near the front counter, with more details on each dish shown on the TV monitors behind that counter. There's also a display case full of ingredients that seem to be for some of the beverages they provide and my foodie friend was unable to get due to the ice machine not working when he went. Seating inside consists of many tables that line the perimeter and reaching the restrooms in the back. I got myself the 808 Mix Plate, which has a lot of stuff in one sitting. One of my friends got their inihaw plate, and we all split a side of lumpia. Now for the breakdown of these dishes: - The 808 Mix Plate has chicken as my choice of protein, crispy shrimp, lumpia, spam, macaroni salad, green salad, rice and two dipping sauces. This comes in a plastic box, which already means the portions are gonna be hugeeeeee here! Chicken is piping hot, tender and braised with a sauce I could only describe as tangy and sweet at the same time. Crispy shrimp was another fave of mine in that there was a lot of shrimp and not a ton of excess tempura covering. Spam and green salad were average. The macaroni salad was sadly not my favorite; texture of the macaroni was a little off, and the dressing tasted slightly sour. - My friend chose pulehu short ribs as the protein for his inihaw plate. The beef was cut into smaller, edible pieces and didn't take up too much of the smaller portion of this dish. Flavoring is all right on the short ribs; taste was just slightly off like the sauce used was too thick for its tangy taste. - The lumpias - both in my 808 Mix Plate and the appetizer we got - are crispy and delicious. The portions are huge and the food is so delicious with some exceptions, but I loved my experience here and would come back for something else along with their drinks! read more
The food is worth the wait, but heads up it gets crowded fast and theres not alot of tables. We ordered the loco moco and 808 mix plate. Our favorite was definitely the loco moco, with the savory gravy and eggs cooked perfeclty it just made everything *chefs kiss. And btw the portions are huge! read more
5 months ago
Located in Renton with plenty of parking in the complex. The past few times I've came, the line has been out the door so expect a good wait time for your food. There are a few spots for indoor seating and a few spots for outdoor as well but have only gotten lucky once with available sitting with how busy they usually are. Staff is super friendly and they have a Tres Leches display for dessert. Highly suggest doing the Ube, it is sooooo good! The portions are great; it was really filling and you could taste the marinade used on the meat. Beef short ribs were tender but a bit fatty, the pork ribs were cooked nicely, and the chicken was flavorful but a bit on the dryer side. The sauce helps complement the dish and brings another layer of flavor to the dish. Lumpia was nice and crispy while still maintaining a flavorful filling. The drinks were good, but definitely suggest ordering it and asking them to cut it with water because it's definitely on the sweeter side. Overall a really good experience and someplace I've visited more than once and will continue to come eat at. read more
Overall thought this place was ok but not standout to me. Cream in ube pancakes was good, but it almost looks like a bowl of soup lol. Pancakes themselves were okay, but I think the ones from West Hill Deli are better. Comes with 2 pancakes. IMO not worth it to add the macadamia nuts for $1.50. Loco moco was ok. Mango refresher was also not particularly special as it sort of just tasted like mango juice mixed with a bit of coconut milk. Service was nice. I liked that their water dispenser was a brita filter. Ambiance was very casual, played Hawaiian music read more
It's more like a 2.5 rating for me. The lechon crunch bowl was good enough and the spam musubis were ok as well, the seaweed would just keep sticking to our lips/ teeth. Lol. The loco moco was pretty bad, I wouldn't suggest anyone get it. It was very tough and difficult to cut through! The calamansi juice didn't taste like calamansi at all, not even a little bit. It tasted more like a jelly syrup, like from a gulaman, if that makes sense. Service was ok. The overall interior vibe felt fresh and lively. The restrooms were kinda dirty. I didn't expect that from a place the just opened. I haven't tried their ube pancakes though so might come back for that! read more
I have finally got to try this place after several attempts getting in. We came on a weekend for lunch and there was already a line out the door. No surprise, this restaurant just opened last month. Menu wasn't too extensive and there were pictures, which is a huge plus. The inside of the restaurant was small, with a few tables on one side of the restaurant. We were able to snag a table after waiting for a party to finish. Here are some dishes we've ordered: For drinks we got the ube sweet cream coffee and mango refresher. Coffee wasn't strong but you can taste the ube cream in the coffee. It's more of a dessert rather than a coffee. The main highlight was the mango refresher, which they make in house. One of the best drinks we've had. Definitely a must order! 808 Hawaiian plate: This dish had fried shrimp, spam, lumpia, rice, mac salad and side salad. We got the beef ribs for additional cost. This plate served in a big portion that is easily shareable. Love that the meats were smoked and juicy like you're in a Hawaiian bbq restaurant. They give you this green chimichurri sauce to dip it in. Will order this again. Garlic noodles with shrimp: We thought this dish was delicious! The garlic flavor was strong and goes so well with the noodles. Shrimp was plump and marinated well. I like how this dish wasn't drenched in sauce, which I like. Hurricane chicken: This was one of my favorite dishes especially with the creamy sauce drizzled over the fried chicken. Each plate came with rice, mac salad and side salad. I actually enjoyed the mac salad despite having peas in it. Overall, the food was spot-on! Very similar to Hawaiian bbq food that you get from Hawaii. I do wish there were more seatings inside but takeouts seem to be an option for now to avoid fighting for tables. I will for sure come back to try their other dishes. read more
23 days ago
Good food and good service. Also ordered the ube latte (not in photo) but it was also good. Just the right sweetness. Just wish the owners will consider using reusables instead of disposables even for dine-in. Help save mother earth :) read more
2 months ago
Y'ALL--thisss is what kind of food I'm looking for when I say I'm craving island food. I loved the 808 super plate to try a little bit of everything they offer, and it was spectacular. Tasty BBQ chicken and ribs, fried shrimp, crispy lumpia, spam, furikake rice, and a nice house salad (the green sauce was spicy and tasty with the salad). THE MAC SALAD IS SO GOOOOD. It's different from others I've tried but I loved it. Sweeter and served cold, it's a wonderful dish. I also tried the garlic buttered shrimp which were divineee--the rice soaks up all the flavors and is amazing with it. Icing on the cake was the macadamia and ube pancakes, pretty to look at and sweeter to enjoy!! They come in a stack covered in the sauce. Maybe it's my own greed but more macadamia toppings would be better. If you're craving amazing Pacific island eats, this is your spot! Definitely recommend the refreshers, the guava and coconut ones are bomb dot com. Comes with pieces of the fruit in them to munch on, too. Very refreshing and would grab again! Service is speedy and all the workers are very kind and pleasant. Not a ton of seating inside but a pleasant atmosphere to sit in. Some high rise tables and a long bench seating-tables situation. 10/10 recommend!!! read more
4 months ago
Our daughters took us here for my hubby's 62nd birthday. When we arrived the line wasn't long but hardly any tables available. We were able to squeeze 4 of us plus my grandfur in a stroller at a small table near the restrooms. It was cozy but it worked. After we ordered the line was getting longer. Since they are newish they did t have everything on the menu yet. I guess I'll have to come back just for the halo halo. The food we ordered was good. It's not like our fave places to eat on the islands, but it's sufficient. Our favorite was the ube pancakes. Not sure I'll go on a weekend, but I'll sure come on a weekday, probably bring some of my friends with me. My friends and I just came back from a foodie road trip from Washington, Oregon, California and Nevada. Mainly ethnic food. Mostly Chinese. So most of us are picky when it comes to good food and service. My foodie friends came to Makai a few days before we did. We all felt that we would come back, and the price point is not bad. Have we had better? Sure. But we like to support small businesses especially when it comes to our people. I'm sure they'll get better as they work out the kinks since they're still the new kids on the block. read more
7 months ago
Tldr: the best islander food in the area! And the desserts are also so good! Ambiance: just enough seating. There's parking here but sometimes it could be busy. Service: really friendly and helpful. I asked for extra sauce coz it was so good, and the I got the whole lore about how the had to adjust the spice lol. Food: I had hurricane chicken and inihaw chicken so far. I think hurricane is slightly my favorite, just depends on my mood. Looks like most things come with Mac salad, and a green salad and some dressing. My only qualm Is that the scoops of rice are tiny. But I usually never finish my protein, and take the rest home wheretheres more rice. I'd rathe have more chicken anyway. The ube trees leches is bomb too, it was like 8.99? And it's pretty sizable so I shared it. I also got the coco mango another day, for the same price as the ube tres leches tho (8.99), Ill probably pass next time. Evrrything else seems reasonably priced. Really excited they ar win the neighborhood! read more
7 months ago
Same owners of Enseamada Cafe in Everett which I previously reviewed, became one of my favorite restaurants and I'm so glad they owned a location down south. Previously aloha grill in Renton, Makai has moved in. When we went, it was a weekday and the line was all the way to the back. Very busy but line moved fast, we were able to get our food in about 25 minutes. Their card reader was broken which contributed to the wait, but they were busting out food quick- less than 5 minutes after we ordered. Seating is very limited! The garlic shrimp was very flavorful and came with big pieces of shrimp, - their green sauce is amazing. The mango refresher was a hit for us, and the portion they give is big. They have various Filipino desserts which we loved and can't wait to come back and try the halo halo when they start offering it. Love everything about this place, a perfect twist on Filipino-Hawaiian food! read more
Came a little before this past Friday. They close 3-4 to prepare for the dinner rush. There was a line already forming. People were patient, the staff was kind and guided us to line up in a way that didn't block the entrance. Their card reader was down so they had to manually input card numbers but they were quick and friendly. We ordered the garlic noodles and garlic shrimp and the Hawaiian fried rice and beef ribs to go. I had heard from a friend about the noodles and reading peoples reviews decided to go with the beef ribs. The food came out fast for how busy they were. The ribs were tender with a sweet sauce. The garlic shrimp come shell on which I liked. Portions I thought were generous. I can see why people have been waiting to go Enseamada is way north so I never had a chance to go but all my north-end friends aren't fans so it's nice to have this in the Renton. Also can we talk about their green sauce that came with the ribs? Love it!! Definitely will be back hopefully to dine in one day. Space is bright, welcoming and full of island vibes from the music to decor. read more
Best first impression ever--especially for a brand-new spot! Our food came out so fast, and we were seriously impressed with the portions and the value. But let's talk about those beef ribs... WOW. Fall-off-the-bone, flavorful, and absolutely something I'll be coming back for. We ordered the ube pancakes, garlic shrimp, loco moco, and a mango cream shake--and not a single thing disappointed. Everything was packed with flavor. That said, the garlic noodles with beef ribs? Hands down my favorite. Chef's kiss. There were a few small service kinks (totally expected since they just opened), but nothing that took away from the experience. You can tell they're going to smooth it all out in no time. They've got that island music playing, the vibes are on point, and every employee we met was super nice and welcoming. Already counting down the days until we can go back and try everything else on the menu! read more
4.8/5 I've been wanting to try this place since they opened. So when it was time for a cheat day I knew exactly what I wanted. Being from Hawaii I've got some high standards lol. Ambiance - nice little restaurant that's channeling the Hawaii vibes. They had great island music playing the whole time which was great. Service - service was awesome, the people were so sweet. There were a couple issues with some items not coming out that we had to ask for but we didn't hold it against them because they were SLAMMED. They also made good by giving us a cookie! Food - Trust me, you will not leave hungry. Hawaii is known for big portions and they follow through. I had the fried rice loco moco and it was a literal mountain of fried rice. I coulda saved half of it for another meal lol. You'll definitely want to add on another egg with it, one won't do the job. But very good, I cleaned the bowl. The musubi was ok, you can tell they make it fresh which is cool BUT when the rice is hot like that the musubi doesn't hold its structure that well so it ended up falling apart after the first bite but either way it was good. I tried my fiancés chicken which was so juicy and so flavorful. Lumpia's were solid, but the ube pancakes.... Let me tell you. I was full and was only going to have a bite so I could try it fresh and get the rest to go, but after the first bite I couldn't stop. The pancakes were so nice and fluffy and massive. But the ube topping, definitely the best I've had. I was worried when it came drowned in the ube cream but it wasnt too sweet! It was perfectly balanced and the Ube flavor came through. These are a must if you come. Ended up finishing them off and felt lethargic the rest of the day lol. This has definitely risen to my go to and favorite spot for Hawaiian food in Washington. I understand why they were so busy and this is definitely worth making a trip out for. If you're from the islands and needing a taste of home, this will scratch that itch! read more
17 days ago
We got the guava tres leche cake, guava lychee refresher and shrimp garlic noodles. The portion was nice and the shrimp was big. The cake was sweet and they used fresh cream. read more
2 months ago
So far this place serves pretty good food. It was much better than the food at the luau in Waikiki a few weeks ago. The portions were huge. Price range, I would say, about average, though the portions are huge-I think I just said that lol. A single order can feed 2people, and maybe a kid. The sauce over the meat, well, it's like your typical bbq sauce. No, not "my typical". I don't smother it with sauce for flavor, I marinate my meat. However, with that said, the meat was tender and the chicken was done just right so it had some flavor and it wasn't dry, like what I had at the luau. Dessert drinks are more than enough to share. If you like mango, ube, coconut flavors with tapioca pearls, it might be a drink or two you might enjoy. They also have an assortment of desserts that I may want to try one day. The place gets busy. As busy as it was with customers coming in, there wasn't a line out the door. Prob just 2-3 people in line at a time yet customers kept coming in. The seating area isn't very big but a decent amount of tables. Families come here so it's if you come at dinner time, you may need to think of optB, of where to enjoy your meal instead. Hopefully the next visit, the food will be just as good or better and maybe I'll try ordering something different . Mahalo to the friendly staff and especially the guy taking the orders. Serves with aloha. read more
2 months ago
Wow!! this is the best HALO HALO in Washington so far! My wife and I ordered the Ube and Mango Mahalo Halo, and it was absolutely delightful. We also ordered the 808 Mix Plate with beef ribs also very tasty, portions were super huge compared to other restaurants around the Seattle area. It's just wow. 100% recommend!!! read more
Overall, great place to get Hawaiian food in the Renton area. They have a large selection of yummy items that range from drinks to food. We got the 808, but Ube pancakes, the mango sago smoothie. Overall, I would give it a straight, four out of five, presentation was nice, the chicken was a tad dry and not as juicy as I would like, wish there was more sauce. The big pancake texture was good! The mango flavor could be more fresh. Overall, great time, I'll come back. read more
We wanted to come and try Makai Island after seeing all the reviews of the restaurant. We ordered take out knowing how busy the place was. I'm glad we did, because there was definitely no where to sit as they were all taken. The inside is not too big. Makai is super busy, where there always a line forming at the register. Even though they're busy, the food was done by the time we arrived and the staff here provided good service. As for our food, I ordered the 808 beef mix plate definitely had lots of food! You can feed at least 2 people if you wanted to. The beef ribs were tender, saucy and tasty. My husband got the Inihaw Chicken Plate. I tried the chicken and that was good too. Saucy just like the ribs and the meat was tender, as well. Oh, we had to get something sweet!!! So glad that we ordered the Ube pancake with macadamia nuts. Pancakes are fluffy and yummy! As for the coco mango cream-shake!!!! My husband and I shared this and we both really enjoyed it! We will be back to try out a something new, but will be ordering the coco mango again! read more
Shared the mixed plate and good thing we did. Very big portion and the beef ribs were huge! The menu was a little confusing for the mixed plate as we thought it came with chicken, pork, & beef vs one of the protein. Would love to try the locomoco next time. read more
PEAS. There are peas in the mac salad. After the plate got dropped off at the table and I saw the peas in the watery mac salad, I knew the bar was about to be very low. If you're looking for hawaiian kine local food, you're better off going to L&L. The mac salad had no onion flavor whatsoever, they're using some weird mayo and not best foods mayo, it's watery and HAS PEAS IN IT. Maybe they bought it in the haole section at safeway but it's not local kine mac. Got the 808 plate and the only thing decent was the ribs and the lumpia. Everything else was bland and odd. The lychee refresher has nothing refreshing about it. Tastes like they put 4 cups of sugar in one drink. I had high hopes but I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone, especially with L&L right down the street. read more
Perfect blend of 2 amazing cultures! We had to make a stop after reels of this place blowing up our phones. It did not disappoint!!! My favorite was the lechon garlic noodles! The line was sooo long but the food came out incredibly fast! The kitchen staff was full and the workers were so efficient! The restaurant had plenty of seating and we did not have a hard time finding a place to sit. Will definitely be back!! read more
I've been wanting to try this place out since it was all over socials. Had I checked out the reviews, I probably would have had a change of heart. First off,, you order from the counter, they bring out your food, but even though there are no signs, it's obvious you bus your own table. So why are we prompted to tip when we pay? The menu appears to have a decent selection of "island" dishes, but when the food came out, I thought otherwise. I noticed right away the peas in the Mac salad, red flag! Now if you're going to serve a Mac salad, it BEST be prepared with BEST foods mayo, that's just a given. I decided to go for it and give it a try, took one bite, and that was all - the rest is going in the garbage. I ordered the 808 mixed plate and opted for the ribs and shrimp. The shrimp was just ok, and the beef ribs I ordered I didn't realize were going to be back ribs, the absolute cheapest cut of meat but I paid the up charge assuming they were going to be short ribs. The spam was very thinly sliced, and the Shanghai lumpia had very little meat. Overall, the only thing great about my lunch was the music they had playing. The staff seemed very friendly but I'm sorry to say, I cannot recommend this place. Not with so many other options in the area. read more
11 days ago
Page 1 of 2
More info about Makai Island
210 SW 43rd St
Renton, WA 98057
Directions
(425) 970-4599
Call Now
Hours
Food & Alcohol
Indoor Amenities
Outdoor Amenities
Other Amenities
From the Business
More Info
Health Score
Ask the Community - Makai Island
You might also consider
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
1 review that is not currently recommended
The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.
7 months ago
