We had a free night in the Chicago area and found this ridiculously AWESOME tiki bar, Kahala Koa…read moreTiki Bar. The selection of drinks is downright encyclopedic, and the drinks were outstanding. In addition, we ordered a plate of bacon-covered water chestnuts, and they were so effing delicious!! I mean, they were a serious revelation!! So we ordered another plate. The atmosphere is amazing. The family that owns this wonderful tiki bars has put some serious work into adorning the place with amazing tiki decor. And this has to have taken YEARS to do. The outside of the building does not say, "Hey!! I'm an awesome tiki bars!!" But step inside and you are transported to tiki land extraordinaire. And then there is the staff there. They are so friendly, attentive, and helpful, and just very authentic and genuine. I CANNOT WAIT to return to Kahala Koa Tiki Bar the next time I'm in the Chicago area. The place totally rocks!!

If you really know tiki drinks this is the bar for you. Authentic drinks, great bartenders and…read moreperfect atmosphere. Enjoy.

What a fun place! Conveniently located in Wood Dale, this lounge gives visitors a casual place to…read moreenjoy an interesting array of fun and colorful drinks at reasonable prices. Though I didn't get to try it on this visit, the food menu fits the tiki bar theme of the lounge and is cooked to order. Service was quick and friendly and it only took a few minutes to make each drink. With each drink I also got a good amount of background on the alcohol used to make the drink and some knowledge on how each flavor combination was developed. The space inside is nice with a mix of everything from tables to a bar to couches. This would be a perfect place to enjoy some board games or a casual evening of conversation with plenty of space to spread out. Parking is plentiful in the shopping center as well.

I walked in to the Pau Hana Lounge and expected a tiki bar but did not expect to get an education…read moreon rum. We were looking for a unique bar, and boy, did we get that. The bartender, Ron, seemed to have a good deal of knowledge about rum. All of the specialty cocktails contain rum. Ron was very engaging and enthusiastic about the cocktail menu. He was very friendly and spent a lot of time talking with us. We ordered the Zombie (a trio of light, gold, and dark rum with lemon, lime, passion fruit, and bitters - limit two per customer), the Navy Grog (lime, grapefruit, honey liquor, light rum, dark rum, and Demerara rum), the Painkiller (Pusser's rum, fresh nutmeg, pineapple, orange, and cream of coconut), and the Pineapple Coconut Delight (white rum, coconut, orgeat, pineapple, and lemon). The drinks were very good and I liked the sweetness in the drinks we chose. The drinks that we were served were very strong. I can see why some of them have a two drink limit. Ron kept telling us about the his brother who cooks in the kitchen. He is a classically trained chef, but we were unable to try any of the food because the kitchen is closed on Monday. Overall, the Pau Hana Lounge is a nice bar with a neighborhood feel to it. I recommend Pau Hana Lounge, just be prepared to get a lot of alcohol from these drinks.

Hala Kahiki is a tiki bar staple in the Chicago Suburbs! The inside is much larger than I expected…read morewith a huge bar area, covered outdoor patio, and at least two other indoor seating areas. I love that as soon as you enter, you are transported to a tropical oasis that is dark and moody. I visited with a larger group so we made a reservation before. One pays $5 per person in your group and the amount is later applied to your bill. The food menu is minimal and most items weren't available sadly. We got two orders of their pineapple salsa with taro chips. It was yummy but wasn't enough substance to match the drink levels. For drinks, our group got a wide variety. They have all sorts of flavor pairings to accommodate every guest. I got the Captain's Revenge after hearing the Pearl Diver was unavailable. It was good but not amazing. For my second drink, I got the Chocolate Banana Old Fashioned which I thoroughly enjoyed. I didn't hear anyone in our group be disappointed with what they ordered. Our server, Jazmine, was very knowledgable about the menu and asking the right questions to make sure what we each ordered would be something we liked. Overall, this was a fun experience and I am happy I finally got to visit! My experience was slightly tainted with how much was not available the night we visited.

The best way I can some up this place: "Aloha, mf'ers!"…read more Drinks are strong strong and always garnished with something fun. Heed the warnings on the menu and ask for help if you get stuck. Decor is classic tiki and the wait staff is top notch.

Teddy was very kind and helpful! Had a great experience because of him! Thank you teddy!read more

Would never come back. The avocado egg roles were good but the lettuce wraps were not. Do not…read morerecommend. Pad Thai was flavor less and the shrimp were over cooked and rubbery. Since the doors/windows are open in the front by the bar- it lets in so much humidity and was hot in there. Not to mention we were being attacked by gnats and flies. It was so annoying. There was barely anyone in there and now I see why.

My partner and I are not strangers to Hawaiian food, which means we walked into Aloha Eats in…read moreChicago with actual expectations and not just curiosity. Those expectations were met, exceeded, and then handed back to us with a side of macaroni salad. We split the Pork Katsu Loco combination plate, which arrived looking like something the Jedi Council would have commissioned for a victory feast. The egg on top was scrambled but folded with enough care that it looked intentional and beautiful, draped over the pork katsu like it had always belonged there. The accompanying gravy was the kind that makes everything around it better, the rising tide theory of plate lunch confirmed. Every spoonful we built with rice, pork katsu, and macaroni salad together was its own complete moment. Ono does not even begin to cover it. The portions were enormous, the kind of plate that makes you recalibrate your lunch ambitions halfway through. Our son ordered the loco moco, which at this point is his standard field test at every Hawaiian spot we visit. A reliable benchmark, consistently deployed. Aloha Eats passed without hesitation. We also picked up chicken katsu musubi for each of us, took them home for later, and they held up just as well, which is a logistical victory worth noting. The vibe inside felt authentically Hawaiian without overdoing it, the kind of atmosphere that sets the right tone without requiring tiki torches and a ukulele soundtrack. Julie was our cashier and also brought out our food, handling both roles with the kind of warmth that makes a place feel like more than a transaction. Her smile genuinely lit up the room, which is not a phrase I use lightly or often. Five stars. Aloha Eats is the real deal and worth every parsec of the trip to Chicago.

I am Filipino-Hawaiian so I was so excited to finally try Aloha Eats and it did not disappoint! The…read morestaff was so incredibly kind and helpful, to start. There are only a few tables but late night on a Friday we were able to snag one. This is definitely a casual spot -- I enjoyed the charm and the nostalgic island decor. It was acceptably clean, I think the staff was a little overwhelmed which is totally understandable but the water needed a refill, trash needed to be emptied, and tables could've used a quick sweep and wipe down. The food was so good! It was nostalgic, just like the island food I grew up on. I was especially ecstatic to see they had POG drink, something that's not as easy to find on the mainland. My chicken katsu was cooked perfectly and the sauce was really good -- I don't always like katsu sauce on the mainland but this one was perfect. Overall I loved the food and was so happy to try it!

Just like many of the other reviews, this place was surprisingly good! At first glance, you might…read morethink it's just another fast-food Japanese restaurant. The ambiance isn't fancy, and the service is exactly what you'd expect from a casual counter-service spot where you order first and then find a seat. We ordered the family meal, which is advertised to serve four people. While everything was a bit on the pricey side, the portions were generous. There were eight of us, and we still had plenty of leftovers to take home. Every dish we tried was packed with flavor. One thing I really appreciated was that each item had its own distinct taste. Sometimes when multiple dishes are served at once, they all start to taste similar--but that definitely wasn't the case here. Even the simple side salad was delicious, especially with their house dressing. I was so caught up enjoying the conversation that I completely forgot to take photos! We ordered the family meal, which included chicken teriyaki, beef teriyaki, spicy pork, and katsu (we tried both the chicken and pork). It also came with white rice and salad, with the option to upgrade to fried rice for an additional $12. We left with happy, full stomachs and plenty of leftovers. The only downside? Our wallets were a little less happy. It was a great meal, but lunch for a large group added up quickly. Still, if you're looking for flavorful Japanese comfort food with generous portions, this place is definitely worth trying.

Wow -- this place completely shocked me with how good it was. I honestly wasn't expecting much from…read morethe outside, but the food proved me wrong. We ordered a Chicken Teriyaki with white rice and a Chicken Breast Teriyaki with fried rice. It took about 15-20 minutes, and you can see in the back that they're making everything fresh. The plates are huge, so I ended up having enough for dinner or the next day. Everything was really flavorful, and I especially appreciated the char on the teriyaki -- seriously so good. It is on the expensive side, but with portions that big, it does make sense.

Flyin Hawaiian had their food truck outside of Mikerphone Brewing in Elk Grove Village and I am…read moreextremely happy they did! Their food is full of flavor and delicious. The menu is on the food truck which offers appetizers, main courses as well as desserts. My fiance and I shared the Hawaiian plate which gave us the opportunity to try a little bit of everything. Service was very quick as it only took about 5 minutes for our order to be ready. The Hawaiian plate came with a mac salad, side of white rice, BBQ short ribs, shredded pork and chicken with pineapple. It's hard for me to pick a favorite since I really enjoyed everything, it was well balanced and cooked perfectly. My fiance did mention his favorite was the chicken. I hope Flyin Hawaiian ends up being a regular at Mikerphone bc we would definitely order from them again!

I love food trucks! It's great to have more food trucks in the burbs since you see them more in the…read morecity. I, for one, have never tried Hawaiian food and this food truck brought that taste to us! The food is fresh and made to order! Their grand opening was this weekend and the owners are great!

We go out of our way to eat here when we're in the area. Great friendly service, huge portions for…read moregood prices and most importantly AMAZING food that tastes just like the islands. Lives up to all the hype. It's casual inside and you'll often see active duty military eating here - consider buying them lunch to thank them. We will be back over and over again!

I had really high hopes for Da Local Boy. I've been excited to try this place for a long time given…read moreall the high reviews but unfortunately, it was pretty disappointing. We ordered the Aloha Plate and chicken lumpia. The lumpia was soggy, super tiny and just wasn't good. The Aloha Plate was also much too sweet for my taste, and the meat felt pretty standard--similar to what I'd expect from a typical Korean BBQ meal. I usually love mac salad, so i was especially looking forward to that, but unfortunately, it was pretty underwhelming as well. The most disappointing was the service. Service was incredibly slow and not attentive at all.

You can get a beautiful customized box like mine has a Fire Roll, Red Dragon Roll, Tuna Nigiri, and…read morea salad with a green tea. Their service is top notch and they always give you a warm welcome and a signature "Goodbye! and "Thank you!" Love this place and the people Fast enough for a lunch, and classy enough for a dinner date.

Went back last weekend hoping our first visit was a fluke, but management pulled the exact same…read moretrick and it was even worse this time. A young staff member or manager came to our table to explain that they don't have separate pricing for children. My 7 and 10 year olds were charged full adult prices simply because management decided our table ordered "too much" for an AYCE setup. When you run an All-You-Can-Eat restaurant, you accept the model: some guests eat less, some eat more, but everyone pays a fixed, predictable rate. Instead of honoring that, the staff actually argued with me, literally saying, "You already ordered $200 worth of sushi for $100, what more do you want?" It is completely unprofessional and rude to speak to paying customers that way. It doesn't matter how much a table orders, you can't advertise AYCE and then complain that people are eating. To make matters worse, he claimed they never advertised kids' prices. They actually don't list any prices period! Their AYCE menu doesn't have prices for adults or children. Money isn't the issue here, I will gladly pay for our meal. The issue is a predatory business practice that lacks transparent pricing and instead invents rates on the fly based on how much you eat. If you have kids, beware of their antics and avoid this place.

A little piece of Polynesia in DesPlaines Hawaiian decor…read moreand music. Food portions are ample but my Kailua pork was dry and a little bland I enjoyed the hibiscus mocktail and service was friendly.

It was a Friday Night, so it was busy but we were able to walk right in for the bar…read more We tried a couple of the drinks on the menu and they were all amazing! Glad I was finally able to knock this off my bucket list of places to try!