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Pono Pacific Kitchen

4.6 (297 reviews)
Closed 4:00 pm - 8:30 PM
Updated 2 months ago

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PONO PACIFIC KITCHEN ATMOSPHERE

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Dylan Mixologist!
Tony S.

LOVED IT! Our first visit. Ambiance is refined and yet casual. We liked the brightness of the room, and the fact it wasn't too noisy even after it filled up. We sat at the bar and so glad we did. Dylan, the bartender knew his stuff! (They make their own Pono Gin) and Dylan's two gin cocktails were well-balanced and tasty. Service was great! Food was OUTSTANDING! The Japanese Hamachi was a tender fish and delicate with a complex sauce. In fact, all the sauces were like that. The Scallops + Risotto was delish with lots of sophisticated, nuanced flavors. The star of the show was the local Butterfish with Miso glaze. OMG! It was delicious. This miso had a nicely caramelized top and yet the fish was perfectly cooked, and just melted in our mouths! We ate every bite, but saved room for the dessert: Chocolate Mousse w/ coffee ice cream. Great depth of chocolate with added texture of crisp cookie on the bottom. Overall YUM! We will definitely come again. No wonder why they were just awarded best restaurant in GB! Highly recommended

Alex H.

We have visited Pono Pacific Kitchen a few times and the food is always delicious! This last visit, we decided to sit on their outdoor patio, which has heaters and is perfect to catch the sunset. They are also very dog friendly which is always a plus. They have a wide variety of delicious appetizers, and we ended up ordering the calamari and crab cakes. For entrees, my husband ordered the sea bass and I ordered the filet mignon which were both absolutely delicious. Keep in mind that this place is quite pricey but the food is fresh and high quality. The service is always super friendly and helpful, and we cannot wait to come back again soon.

Butter Fish
Susan S.

Really cute restaurant low key and casual excellent service! Known for their sweet succulent Butter Fish-we recommend highly. Excellent wine/beer menu. Bright happy experience,

White Sea Bass
Angela C.

Crabcakes appetizer was delicious! Exactly what I was expecting with a light creamy mustard sauce. All of the fish were cooked perfectly. You can't go wrong. That being said, I preferred my Misoyaki Butterfish over my mother-in-law's White Seabass even though both were absolutely excellent!! My husband's Mahi Mahi was NOT dry nor too firm. The mahi-mahi was also paired with an exquisite peanut vinaigrette. My least favorite dish of the evening was the Seafood Salad with Louie dressing. Bear in mind, there was actually nothing wrong with this dish. It's just that the seafood salad was very common place compared to the rest of the exquisite tasting fish entrees and crab cake appetizer. We also had a friendly, knowledgeable waiter.

Seared Ahi
Nancy T.

My husband and I go to Pono every now and then. They have a new menu, plus full bar offering their own Gin and Vodka. I was so glad to see most of the tables full. The owner always says hi to us, she is very friendly. Our server was Sarah and she was training someone. They both were great and our water glasses were kept full. We always get the bread, toasted, and butter. So good and if you are drinking, helps suck up the liqueur (Ha). I had two Gin and Tonics, quite good and reasonable $11 each. I tried the halibut, my favorite fish, with macadamia nuts, black rice and snow peas. Just wish I could get just a little more of the snow peas. My husband had the Ahi Tuna, baby carrots and very thing fries. Great meal and wasn't too loud. Talked to the couple next to us who were celebrating their 33rd year anniversary.

Butterfish
Sheryl S.

Ambiance is nice. Nice spacing between tables. Chef and team does an excellent presentation. Flavors are delicious. Treat yourself!

Crab soup
Elena J.

A fun little spot for dinner. We initially came for the butterfish but they ran out by the time we got there so definitely book an earlier dinner if that's what you're wanting to eat! We opted for some appetizers instead. Out of everything we ordered, the crab soup was SUPERB. The flavor of the soup had so much depth, lots of crab meat and it was definitely the highlight of the dinner. Service was so attentive and helpful. I'm definitely coming back for the butterfish!

Their Misoyaki Butterfish is better than Roy Yamaguchi's and Nobu's. We indulged with the Japanese Hamachi, Chips and Caviar Dip, Massachusetts Scallops with a delectable creamy lemon and fresh pea risotto, the Misoyaki Butterfish, and the Lilokoi Tart with passion fruit curd and coconut gelato with toasted coconut. Everything was 10/10. Great selection of wines by the glass including a local Stephen Ross Albariño. My husband had both mocktails and couldn't decide which one he liked more. We're locals and can't believe we finally have an offering like Pono on the coast. This place deserves a Michelin Star!

Swordfish
Yuri V.

The food was amazing, so many flavors nicely plated. The staff was wonderful and the place is so nice. I recommend this place, we loved it and will definitely be back. We went for Valentine's Dinner and had a great experience greeted with champagne and a lovely rose. Thank you guys

Short Rib
Till W.

Come on a good day, example: Father's Day, like today and celebrate a special occasion here is so worth it! They were accommodating towards a family member who has allergies and food intolerances and it made the experience much more memorable. I got the usual butterfish. My spouse and older son got the scallops and my little one got the chicken tenders and fries (off menu for kids). We shared the crab cakes and fried calamari and 2 desserts. All were delicious! I like how there was a clear sign to not park on the West side of the parking area for the shopping plaza for Pono. Parking is always easy here, anyway. We'll come back again.

Mushroom gnocchi
Sarah U.

Returned a year later and still incredible. The mahi mahi is out of this world!!! Perfect crispy edges mixed with the peanut sauce, be still my heart. Service is prompt and very friendly and the interior is chic and comfortable.

Mac nut crusted mahi
Joyce Z.

It has been years since we dined at Grover Beach, but when we discovered Chef and owner had island ties, had to stop by before leaving. Through word of mouth, they have been consistently busy even during off peak days and it's no wonder after having their mac crusted mahi mahi and fried chicken and trout caviar roe for a bit of mauka meets makai. Just be aware that this is not sturgeon caviar but caviar roe which is fine for the price point. Did check out their HH menu for next time as a few of the items is reminiscent of what I've had in Maui. Couple that with the excellent service thanks to our server and I hope to return soon to check it out.

She Crab Soup with Chard Bread
LaTonya F.

My favorite she crab soup. And the butter fish you have to get there early cause they sell out quickly. Pricing is perfect. Love the ambiance with their modern decor and the chef comes by to make sure everything is good. Close to the beach too. Heck, you can get off the train, pick up your order and get back on and enjoy it.

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9 months ago

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2 years ago

I could not love this place more. The ambiance and styling is on point, the service is great and the food is delicious!

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Page 3 of 8

Ask the Community - Pono Pacific Kitchen

Where does one park? On Grand?

There is street parking available on Grand Ave, as well as, any available Beach Place parking spot and the public parking lot behind the Grand Junction building parking lot. Please do not park in the Grand Junction/Grover Station Grill parking lot… Read more

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I'm so glad I found this place! We were looking for a place to get oysters and were so happy to…read morehave found this hidden gem!! It's a really tiny, to-go type restaurant. You order in the front and you take whatever seat you can find. There's also outdoor seating as well, but it does get a little chilly! This is our second visit, and we never had issues with the service. They're very friendly and they help clear the table if it's not that busy. The oysters are really tasty. We usually order 36(?) between the two of us and we finish it every time! The shrimp ceviche is also really tasty, and probably the best in this general area. We ended up ordering the carne tacos this time and it was surprisingly really flavorful!! I took one look at it and I thought it would be really bland, but it was nicely seasoned and the meat was moist and soft. Can't wait to come back!

We stopped here for a late lunch and it was very good! Friendly staff in this quaint small seafood…read morerestaurant. Outdoor seating for pets! I had the clam chowder it was decent. Not the best but a solid chowder. My husband had the halibut tacos which he rated a 10. We also had garlic fries very good! Not a big place for alcohol drinks. They did have some beer and not great wine options. I would suggest they get more options for the wine for sure or offer seltzers or cider. Only reason Im giving a 4 I was so hoping they would have better wine after our drive. The servers are awesome and very friendly .

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Ada’s Fish House - Fish Tacos

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If you're looking for great seafood in the Pismo area, Ada's does a great job with a variety of…read morepreparations. Even during the off-season, they can get busy for dinners so make a reservation, especially if you have a larger group. The patio is dog friendly and they have a private parking lot. We started the meal with a half dozen fresh oysters which were cleaned well and served with some Tabasco, an herby vinegar, and lemons. Fresh warm bread and butter were also provided to start the meal. We got the steamed clams which were absolutely delicious. Done with a classic garlicky white sauce, the clams were fresh with no unpleasant fishy smells or tastes. The seafood pasta is the reason we return to Ada's year after year. There's a huge assortment of seafood included and all of the individual ingredients are well cooked unlike most seafood pastas. The mussels were small and very mild in flavor, almost tasting like clams. A flaky white fish as well as a more meaty fish were also included and weren't overcooked. The creamy rose sauce is flavorful and rich without overwhelming the various ingredients Service is friendly and they have a wide selection of drinks available.

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Let me tell you that if you are looking for a place that will help you get the best bang for your…read morebuck, then look no further and come here. My wife and I were walking on the beach and we saw this place. The minute we walked up to the Restaurant there were lots of things on the board but we couldnt find a menu. It wasnt until I walked into the Restaurant that I was able to find a menu. After walking out to the Lanai I gave the menu to my wife and we began looking over it to see if there was anything on it that looked interesting. After about 5 minutes we found food that looked appetizing. We went with the Shrimp Po-Boy and the (O.M.G) Clam Chowder Waffle Fries Skillet. I went up to the front and placed my order and let me tell you that the Staff were very friendly and when I said that I was going to order the Clam Chowder Waffle Fries the cashier said "That IS a great choice" I said I know and I can't wait to eat it. So I got my drinks and walked back out to the Lanai and just waited until the Buzzer vibrated and then it let me know My food is ready. Okay now when I tell you about the OMG Clam Chowder Waffle Fries I really mean it. Well 1, when I got the Skillet the my eyes got really big and my mouth dropped because I couldnt believe how big it was. I brought it out to my wife and she was like, wow, that looks delicious. We ate the Shrimp Po-Boy first and then afterwards we started on the Skillet and just like we thought, it was delicious. Thank you Woolys for a great experience, wonderful staff and Delicious food. If ever we are in Pismo Beach again, we will come back and visit.

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Pono Pacific Kitchen - seafood - Updated May 2026

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