This location is in a mall so think mall food. There is an adorable couple who can be found behind the grill and fryer. While I'd love to hear their story I was starving and in a hurry. Ordered the chicken combo which was ok. Grilled and fried chicken side by side on a bed of cabbage accompanied by macaroni. And got a side order of gyozi which were deep fried. Suggest they consider getting plastic silver wear that works with the food (it's too bendy). The food was ok and filling. Service was fast. Perfect for this mall. Sadly many of their neighbors have close or moved. I hope they can continue to survive. read more

Maui Express - Chicken combo - Hawaiian Near Me - La Mesa, California

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The food court in Grossmont Center is pretty quiet on weekdays.  I love Hawaiian food so I gave Maui Express a try.  I ordered the bbq mix plate and a chicken egg roll.  Egg roll was crunchy and had a delicious mix of chicken and cabbage.  Rice was moist and I liked the mild flavor.  Beef short rib was tender and marinated to give it a nice flavor but not too much so as to make it too salty.  Bbq chicken tasted like chicken thigh which I really like and was tender and moist.  I liked the flavor from grilling and the marinade.  Beef was sliced thin and was tender and well marinated.  Light char gave it a nice smoky flavor. Lady in charge was nice and got my order out quick.  I prefer Maui Express to L & L as the meat is more tender and there is a larger menu. read more

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I really want this spot to make it! It's owned by a sweet older couple in the food court. For $8.52 I got a solid plate of chicken katsu with cabbage, Mac salad, and rice. Good, no-frills Hawaiian food and a great price too. The lady was super sweet and the food came out fast. read more

Maui Express - Mini chicken katsu plate - Hawaiian Near Me - La Mesa, California

You can get Lau Lau here. Yes it's in a mall, but the food here is good, authentic and reasonably priced. It's a mom and pop operation and the old couple have been here for a long time serving good Hawaiian style plate lunch. Solid. read more

Maui Express - Menu 8/2025 - Hawaiian Near Me - La Mesa, California

Just got off work and decided to pick up dinner close by and felt like Hawaiian food. Maui Express is located in the Grossmont Center in the food court. Honestly, this mall is pretty dead and this was on a Saturday when I went. Lots of stores closed (even a Starbucks closed down) and the food court is like a ghost town. Maui Express showed up as a recommended place for Islander food so decided to try it. There was two older couple that worked there. I went with the bbq combo plate which comes with bbq beef brisket, chicken, and short ribs. Also came with rice and macaroni. Also ordered a chicken katsu plate. Overall, it was ok. Wasn't as flavorful as expected and the beef was a little dry. I've had better Hawaiian food elsewhere but it was convenient and wanted to give it a try. read more

Love this hidden gem in Grossmont Center! I started coming here over 20 years ago when I had my first full time job in the mall as a teen. I was so happy to find a place that offered fresh unique food other than the regular pizza, burger, hot dog places at the time. The food is great, prices so reasonable and the couple who run it are so nice. Definitely stop by next time you're shopping. read more

Maui Express is one of the vendors at the Grossmont Center food court that happens to be operated by an elderly Asian couple. For a small kitchen, the menu offerings were rather extensive. There were traditional small bites like musubi and lumpia. Loco moco and combination lunch plates were also featured. There were no customers in line when I stopped by so I took my time before deciding on a musubi, spam saimin, and lau lau mix plate. The musubi came with Portuguese sausage which was my preference. The size was average for this seaweed-wrapped block of rice. The saimin was served in a plastic takeout container. Two pieces of spam, thin noodles, and green onions were the contents of the soup. The plate contained white rice and macaroni salad as sides and came separately because it took longer to prepare. A serving of kalua pork along with a bundle of steamed taro leaves containing more fatty pork made up the protein. The flavor of the meat wasn't as well-seasoned as I had hoped. For the prices, the food from auntie and uncle was decent. It was convenient to eat here since I was shopping at one of the nearby stores in the mall. I rated my dining experience at Maui Express between three and four stars. read more

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This is my favorite place for Katsu Chicken, but sometimes I get the combo with BBQ chicken too. The Katsu chicken is not greasy and it is crunchy which is good with their sauce to dip in. My favorite thing is their macaroni salad though. It's the best. Theirs has a good flavor where most other places are flavorless. My husband has started going to the gym across the street and he frequents this place after a workout. I also like the fact that it is a Mom and Pop run shop because I like to support small businesses. I am glad that they are there. I want to try the Spam Musubi. read more

It was good enough. Fried shrimp, tartar sauce and rice. Mac salad was meh and small. Just didn't hit like most Hawaiian joints. No frills, add your own flavor. read more

Got the chicken Katsu plate and I wasn't disappointed! Was worried at first because the owners didn't look Hawaiian lol

3.5 Pretty good food for a business run by two people. The spam musubi was perfectly cooked, and the teriyaki chicken bowl had good teriyaki chicken, but too much rice. The employees were very helpful and answered my questions (They also had free refills). read more

Maui Express - Spam musubi - Hawaiian Near Me - La Mesa, California

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i love this place! GET THE SOUP WITH SPAM AND THE SPAM MUSUBI!!!! its been a decade since i started going consistently and the owners are so nice and sweet they do their best. if anyone has issues here please dont leave a bad review, just dont go back, theyre getting elderly and its only and elderly couple running it. theyve messed up my order once before but i didnt care i love everything on the menu! i hope they stay open and send them my well wishes. ill be back soon! read more

Food still hits!! It's gonna be the same taste everytime! Order the bbq mix or short ribs, they're delicious and the couple that run this shop are consistent and nice read more

I am appalled by any negative reviews, especially ones complaining about parking and pricing. Firstly, it's in the mall food court, so you have to park in one of the many places to park at Grossmont Center and walk there. It's located by the Wetzel's Pretzels. This is probably the reason I've missed this spot, I usually enter by Macy's. Anyway, I was so happy to have walked by on my way out. My heart has a special place for chicken katsu and at $9.99 a plate, I couldn't resist. I also ordered their gyoza, which I was happy to find, consisted of chicken, rather than shrimp or pork! The food was delicious! I'm so glad to have tried this place, with yummy food and super reasonable pricing. All the places at the food court now are vegan or will run you 15+ per plate. Minutes before ordering here, I ordered my son a side of rice that was $5 dollars and smaller than the palm of my hand at another establishment! Yikes! read more

Wow what a great place ! The sweetest hard working couple are here day and night to run this place. They've been here for years running this place, and it's definitely worth checking out. The prices are amazing and so is the service. It makes me sad when I come and see how dead the food court can be. So if you're ever in the area, come check it out!! Idk anywhere else where you can get a chicken teriyaki bowl for only $5.99. I truly wish this couple the best in these hard times. 10/10 recommend. The ambiance is great as well. I love the food court it's located in, it has a very old 80s feel and I hope it always stays that way! read more

Maui Express - Front of the establishment - Hawaiian Near Me - La Mesa, California

I don't normally come out to the Grossmont Center, but this is where I had to get my Covid vaccination. It was actually an easy process and everyone was really friendly. Lots of people! While waiting, because we had to stay for 15 minutes before leaving, I saw a big ALOHA sign, so before I left I thought, why not? I ordered the Spam siamin, a chicken eggroll, a manapua, and a Spam musubi. As I was walking to my door, the bag slipped and my soup container busted open. After getting something to carry everything in, I looked to see what the damage was. Everything survived, but my eggroll was drowning. Brought everything out, and put my saimin in a big bowl. I didn't particularly care for the noodles, and I would've liked the Spam sliced. The broth was great though. My eggroll held up pretty well! There was still a crispiness to it! Loved the manapua, bbq pork bun, and my musubi was good! I felt like I had takeout from Chinatown in Honolulu! I would have to come back to try some of the entrees but for what I got, it was great! Mahalo! read more

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Weird that I've never reviewed Maui Express. My son likes coming here for spam and rice. I've tried quite a few of the offerings here and they are consistent, tasty and hot. The service is great, it's run by a nice older couple and everything comes out pretty fast. Not gonna lie, I've tried all the places in the food court, but I tend to order mostly from the couple spots because they never disappoint and this is one of them. They're in the food court just past the pretzel place. It's a humble little spot, but the service shines. read more

Ordered laulau from this place. It was almost inedible. The pork was so tough, it felt like I was chewing rope. The fatty portion was nonexistent, and the taro leaf was not evenly wrapped, so there was huge chunks of just plain taro leaf. What a waste of gas, time and money. read more

It's a little mom and pop restaurant. The food is not the best Hawaiian bbq but it is decent and their prices are very affordable

Super delicious , Very friendly . first time coming Will come back, to try other dishes. (BBQ Chicken) read more

Maui Express - BBQ teriyaki chicken - Hawaiian Near Me - La Mesa, California

This is the first time in about 6 to 8 years that I have actually eaten at the spot. I generally have gone here for some spam musubi or another snack like an eggroll. The food was decent! Especially for the price. I enjoyed the seafood combo with short ribs. The short rib was actually cooked perfectly and was flavorful. It had a very small amount of fat. In addition to the short ribs, it was served with a couple of pieces of fried fish and three fried shrimp. The fried fish tasted like tilapia... Definitely not my favorite out of all of the items. The fried shrimp was good. everything was fairly small and proportionate to each other. My combo came with two sides of rice, and a side of macaroni salad for $11. It's hard to find all of this for $11, but I will say that the portions were petite and the quality of the fish items were just OK. So it seems appropriately priced. I have course had to order a Thai tea with Boba and I ordered a side of french fries for my son. The Thai tea was average (I think it may have been canned), and the boba was not great. It's like it had been sitting for a while in some liquid and it was extra soft. It became so soft that it clogged up my straw (LOL). The fries were awesome... You really can't go wrong with those. They were just crispy enough and not soft at all. The service was definitely "mom and pop" style. One older gentleman at the counter, and from what I could see one person cooking up everything fresh. It did take a little bit of time to get the food, but most of the other people in the food court seem to have ordered from here as well. All in all, I would eat here again since it was pretty tasty and filling. I'd probably try one of their other combos or do the spam musubi next time. read more

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Better than lnl pretty much all I can say spend ur money here instead great service and great food

Best food court food choice ! The service is great the couple that works here are very kind. Have been coming here for years and the prices are great ! The food is great !! Favorite from here is orange chicken bowl , katsu chicken and rice. Try it ! read more

Maui Express - Katsu chicken and rice - Hawaiian Near Me - La Mesa, California

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My friend says the loco moco is absolutely amazing and he will get it again! I think the spam masubi is . The staff is very friendly! Definitely will be coming back! read more

Maui Express - Loco Moco - Hawaiian Near Me - La Mesa, California

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I've always really liked this place! The cute couple that owns it are always nice and ready to serve some good food. The food always comes out fast too. read more

I LOVE this little place! Auntie and Uncle are SO cute, and the food is SO good!!! I haven't had one bad meal. I 've loved everything I've ordered from them. Shown support for their business and yummmmmmmy Hawaiian food! read more

Mom and pop shop right in the middle of Grossmont center. Definitely worth the wait and you can't beat the prices. Always friendly! read more

Maui Express - Teriyaki chicken bowl - Hawaiian Near Me - La Mesa, California

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No frills service. Strawberry boba $3.50 + tax. Drink was a water & ice based drink with powder (no fresh ingredients). My husband and I didn't care for it but my 2 year old daughter enjoyed. I think this would be a good option for the adults to get a drink elsewhere in the food court or mall (Mystic Blends, Starbucks, Jamba Juice, etc) and the kids can get this (they had multiple flavor options). Boba was cooked well.... read more

Didn't expect much from a mall food court but I was pleasantly surprised! Best Hawaiian food outside of Hawaii that I've had. We ordered the chicken katsu plate and kalua pig. The chicken katsu was perfectly tender and breaded. Usually I feel heavy and overstuffed when I eat katsu at other Hawaiian chains. This was perfect The kalua pig was also tender and juicy, not dry at all. Located in the Grossmont Shopping Center, food court entrance is across from Claire's. Will definitely be coming back to support this mom and pop shop! read more

After living in Hawaii for years I've learned that it's really hard to find good Hawaiian food in mainland USA, this place does an amazing job of making you feel like you're back in the islands with their good food and friendly service. We will be back read more

Your typical run of the mill food court food, you'll not feel aloha, Hawaiian spirit food here. I ordered Seafood mix with chicken added, it was good but could be better. I also ordered Lychee with Boba. Lychee was ok and the Boba was frozen and several days old, it was hard like a hail balls. read more

Tasty Teriyaki Chicken Bowl. Really enjoyed the tenderness of the chicken. The combination of the white rice and veggies is great with it. Wish more broccoli and carrots. To be fair, the bowl itself is small so there's only so much food you can put in it. Still delicious. read more

Maui Express - Teriyaki Chicken BBQ bowl - Hawaiian Near Me - La Mesa, California

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This is a typical mall food court takeout place. On the day I was there, they were slated to open at 11a.m. but didn't till 11:30. It took them a while to get going at first. The food itself was dry but otherwise as expected for a mall food court. I would come again but preferably not at, or shortly after opening. read more

I stumbled upon Maui Express while I was at Grossmont Shopping Center, it's located inside the food court. They have a good variety of Hawaiian lunch plates and snacks. They also carry lumpia here and even boba! I ordered two spam musubis to sneak into the movie theater LOL it wasn't bad. It comes out piping hot though! I think they pan fry the spam musubi after it's already wrapped! Not a bad place to get your Hawaiian food fix while you're out shopping. read more

Maui Express - Hawaiian Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Freaking delicious. Service was fast and easy. Nice big space since it's in the mall for seating. Definitely cheaper than L&L and just as good if not slightly better, plus they have a couple more menu options aswell. If ur in Grossmont area stop by and chow down!!! read more

Super delicious ! First time coming here and ooof the musubis and the bowls with rice are super good ! I really recommend this place when you are out here in the mall ! read more

Maui Express - Hawaiian Near Me - La Mesa, California

Food was great. Service was fantastic - they made the food to order. Very friendly owners. Ordered the katsu plate and beef plate and both were delicious. read more

Stopped by to get something to drink while at the mall, and the boba here was a very good price! (And it was a slushy) very pleased with my experience. The lady that also works there seemed very nice. I hope to come back and try more of their foods next time. read more

Maui Express - Lychee boba and honeydew - Hawaiian Near Me - La Mesa, California

Wholesome, delicious Hawaiian fast food in the Grossmont Center food court! Hands down one of my favorite places to eat whenever I visit Grossmont Center. I haven't had much Hawaiian food, so most of my comparisons were against L&L. I would describe Maui Express' food as similar to L&L with a more "homemade" quality to the food, as if it were straight out of a parent's kitchen. Not only does it lend an endearing quality to the food, but it also translates into the meat being less oily/greasy/saucy than at L&L. Perfect place if you think L&L is great, but maybe too fatty; the food here definitely doesn't sit as heavy in my stomach as a meal at L&L would. Sometimes this results in meat that is underseasoned, but the chicken and rice are always cooked perfectly. My favorite item on the menu is the chicken combo, which comes with chicken katsu and BBQ chicken. Main critique: the slices of spam on their musubi is on the thinner side, resulting in it being dominated by rice. Also, while I love how much protein they give with their meals, I would love bigger portions of rice and mac salad -- I often run out of rice before I run out of meat. Absolutely wonderful customer service for such a small staff. It may take a little longer to place an order if they're running back and forth between the kitchen, but the owners always seem to put a lot of love and sincerity in their food and service. They are always super polite and provide consistently tasty food! I've been here many times now, and I intend to come back again and again. read more

Maui Express - Spam musubi - Hawaiian Near Me - La Mesa, California

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I went there on 11/22 and the food was awful! The first thing I noticed was my chicken was very thin and it had zero flavor. The beef was also flavorless, the only thing that was maybe decent was the rib. Oh and the soda/lemonade was also flat! I love supporting small business but I'll never go to that shit hole again. Rather have Burger King! read more