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    Say Aloha

    4.9 (28 reviews)
    Closed Closed

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    SAY ALOHA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Say Aloha

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    Mikey H.

    This is a hidden gem, and I mean hidden. You first have to look for the sign on University St., right near AWOL. Once you venture inside, if you look lost, someone might tell you where to go, but if not, veer to the left side and enter. There are some tables in a cozy dining room, and a counter. If you wait, someone will come out and greet you. When we went, there were a couple of groups playing D&D. There was another group doing a taste test of a new dish. The energy is upbeat! We sat in the back patio which was perfect for Cako. Our server was so friendly! I didn't get her name, but she looked like the only one serving tables. The menu is not extensive. Though we thought a loco moco would be on it, I settled for The Jim Special which came with chicken katsu and chicken teriyaki, steamed rice and mac salad. This was really good! Lightly breaded with panko, and tonkatsu sauce for dipping. The sauce on the teriyaki was perfect and not overly sweet like some places. I also ordered a Spam musubi, which was perfectly made, but I didn't care for the hoisin sauce drizzled plate that it sat on. It just changed the flavor. I think there's a full bar, but I ordered an iced tea, which was a mango iced tea that was sweetened. Not my favorite way for iced tea, but it was refreshing. I do look forward to coming back and have added them to my rotation. Parking is only street and can be a challenge. Again, the relaxing vibe on the patio makes all the difference. Plus it's dog friendly! Cako Approves!

    Teriyaki Chicken & Rice
    Danielle E.

    My husband and I were looking for some solid chicken and rice bowls and found Say Aloha. This place is awesome. The owners are very welcoming and friendly. Ordered the teriyaki chicken bowl and it was delicious. They put a good amount of sauce on top and the mac salad was probably one of the best I've had. The patio seating area is well decorated and they had fans overhead going. We will definitely be back!

    I don't usually write reviews, but this place absolutely deserves one! My husband came across Say Aloha, tucked inside a shared space a beautiful outdoor patio. We order the teriyaki chicken and two rib combo w/chicken katsu. Every single bite was so flavorful, meat was perfectly marinated and tender. Couldn't stop talking about how delicious everything was throughout our meal. What made the experience even more special was the service, found out the people taking care of us were the owners and chef, the kindest, most welcoming people we've met. You can truly tell they put so much love and passion into their food. If you're looking for authentic Hawaiian food, this is a place you have to try, they also offer catering. It's one of those hidden gems that deserves to be discovered, and hope more people get the chance to enjoy the amazing food!

    Jim's special  Fried rice, katsu, chicken teriyaki, and Mac salad
    Robert R.

    Food is amazing and so are the people that work here. I cannot stress enough how good everything is here. Especially the macaroni salad, probably the best I've ever had. Get the Jim's special come with chicken katsu and teriyaki chicken.

    Sidewalk display
    Emmett T.

    Say Aloha is a vendor that is sharing a space with Rosemary and Thyme Cafe in the Hillcrest neighborhood. They operate only from Thursday to Sunday during limited late afternoon and evening hours. A surfboard with the business name and a sidewalk stand displaying the menu were placed outside the entrance. After walking through the doors, you continued down the corridor to a back left suite where the cafe was located. Beyond that, there was a small set of steps which led down to an internal courtyard with more seating. A one-page menu listed the categories of Starters, Salads, Mains, Combos, Sides, and Desserts. They also provided catering, however I did not see a pricing sheet for party trays. The choices for my takeout order were the Shanghai Lumpia and a Mix Plate. The former was three pieces of crispy spring rolls with a filling of ground pork, glass noodles, and vegetables. A cup of sweet chili sauce was provided for dipping. The rolls were long with a thick diameter and resembled the shape of a cigar. They were crunchy and worth the price of $2 each. The plate consisted of grilled short rib, teriyaki chicken, and kalua pork for proteins. Steamed white rice (or fried rice) and creamy Hawaiian mac salad were included. Of the places I have tried in SD that serve Hawaiian food, this place had the most tender and juicy meats. The pork really stood out as it had both good flavor and moisture. The mac salad was different too because it wasn't just mayonnaise and macaroni. There was seasoning added to the cream which enhanced the taste. The portion sizes were generous as my takeout container was heavy. The execution of the proteins was what elevated my rating of Say Aloha to the highest level.

    The Jim Special
    Maylynne R.

    Fantastic place! Great service and food was DELICIOUS. The chef came out to greet us and introduced himself, and he was very friendly. Music was great and just an all around good vibe. Definitely coming back. *I love that they have the options of a bowl or plate for each meal. You can get a smaller portion or a larger portion.

    Came back and tried the kailua pork. Awesome!!
    Ebynasia L.

    Came back and tried the Kailua pork. Awesome!! I love the mac salad and the meat was delicious.

    Teriyaki Chicken & Rice

    Amazing spot with great service. It's a bit hard to find once you're inside you travel to a beautiful Hawaiian oasis. The teriyaki chicken had a smoked flavor and was perfectly tender. 10/10 recommend.

    Two person meal

    Possibly the best Hawaiian food in San Diego. My husband and I split the 2 person meal and it's more than enough food and comes with dessert. The folks that run the place are so nice and the food genuinely tastes home cooked.

    Chicken Katsu

    Say Aloha is relatively new in the area but, boy it did not disappoint. Located in the back of the building, once you walk in, you feel like you've been transported to a nice dinner in Hawaii perfect for families or a date night spot. My girlfriend and I ordered the garlic edamame, combo plate, and spam musubi to share. Each plate was Chef Avian's unique blend of traditional Hawaiian cuisine along with the years of mastery of his craft he picked up along the way. Avian greeted us during our meal and gave us some history on his journey which was very welcoming. Will definitely be coming back whenever we crave Hawaiian food. PS - order the Katsu, it will NOT disappoint!

    Lumpia with bananas and Nutella filling. Along side vanilla ice cream!!!!!!! Delicious

    Say Aloha genuinely is spectacular. The food was amazing, fresh, warm and deliciously flavored. The warm, welcoming atmosphere and amazing people made the visit truly special. Definitely coming back!!

    Lumpia is warm and fresh,when u bite into it, it feels like a warm hug

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    13 days ago

    I love the katsu and teriyaki dinner. It's run by a very sweet couple. Nice ambiance if you eat there.

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    18 days ago

    The best spot in town! This place is so delicious and the chef & waitress are wonderful

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    9 months ago

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    Avian G.

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    8 months ago

    Great service and wonderful good located in a central area. Delicious food w wonderful presentation. Highly recommend!

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    6 months ago

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    9 months ago

    Amazing food, service, and ambiance! The owners are awesome! Have never had better Hawaiian BBQ in my life

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    5 months ago

    food was phenomenal and the portions were generous! also excellent service and ambience

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    Homestyle Hawaiian

    Homestyle Hawaiian

    3.9
    (2.3k reviews)
    3.7 mi
    $$

    This is a solid, fast-casual spot for Hawaiian food! I ordered the Korean Fried Chicken plate, and…read morereplaced the rice with their salad (mac salad+rice is kind of heavy for me personally!) The chicken is crispy, and the sauce is so yummy- both sweet and savory! The mac salad is flavorful, but the texture is slightly softer than I like. The workers are also super friendly here, and service is fast! The price is a little steep, but the portion size is generous enough where I mind it too much. One thing to note is that they do not have water on tap, only for sale- I recommend bringing a water bottle if you do not plan on getting a real drink from them!

    Soooo I came to this place when it first opened . Amazing family from Maui opened it. You walked in…read moreto island music, island vibes and the food took me right back to my Hawaiian vacation. It became a spot we went to often . Over the years I had not been , realized I needed that island vibes today..... It's been a couple years since I have been here... there were two types of music playing when I arrived : today's hits and mariachi playing over eachother at the exact same time. Service : the three ladies working the front were amazing very kind and helpful. I ordered Garlic shrimp with rice and mac salad The shrimp was slightly over cooked but the sauce was pretty good and the garlic sauce was on the rice and the Mac salad was great . Shrimp Gets a 4/5 rice 4/5 and mac salad 4/5 Sausage Masubi No Masubi sauce on it ....rice was fine... sausage was so over cooked it was actually shriveled up little piece not even a big slice of sausage . Basically the texture of pepperoni. No sauce again... dry and tasteless so I tossed it 0/5 Kalbi ribs (picture ) One of my favorite dishes . The picture is how my ribs came (I had not eaten one ounce of meat off them) because there was no meat. The marinade was not what it used to be but it was sweet and savory so that's fine. They were def marinated . The one rib I could get meat off was so hard and chewy and dry... Now In Hawaii they have ribs hanging above the stove that are not always the grill type. they are almost air dried, and heat cooked but they are tender and have meat on the bones . This was not that. I usually never return food it has to be bad but I was not paying for meat that didn't exist and beef jerky . The ladies up front worked their handsets to get me a refund (they had to call their boss to try and figure it out ). I appreciate their great attitude and time . Not sure I actually got a refund In The end of all of it, but that's ok they tried. 0/5 on the ribs I don't know if anyone knows if this place is under different management or ownership since when they opened... but it has taken a huge dive. I'm sad. The average stars for everything is 2.5

    Photos
    Homestyle Hawaiian
    Garlic Shrimp Scampi
    Garlic Shrimp Scampi
    Poke Nachos - fried wantons with 2 styles of ahi poké, avocado, seaweed, and imitation crab.

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    Poke Nachos - fried wantons with 2 styles of ahi poké, avocado, seaweed, and imitation crab.
    Katsu Cafe

    Katsu Cafe

    3.9
    (913 reviews)
    5.8 mi
    $$

    Casual order-at-the-counter Japanese place that serves dishes like teriyaki chicken, sushi, ramen,…read moreyakisoba, etc. Their menu is massive, and the selection is quite friendly towards those who are new to Japanese food. The specials are a great deal as the portion is massive and enough to share between two people comfortably. If you dine in, most entrees also come with miso soup. The curry chicken katsu was nothing special; the curry was a little lacking in flavor, and I would've appreciated a salad of some sort to add variety and freshness. The macaroni salad is good though. The D2 special is great value and variety. It comes with miso soup, tempura, salad, macaroni salad, and teriyaki chicken on a bed of fried rice. The fried rice has a shockingly good wok flavor, and the teriyaki is quite good. Not a dish that will blow your mind, but definitely hits the spot without breaking the bank. They have some tables outside if you have a dog or prefer to sit there right by the parking lot; your food will still be brought out to you, just let them know when you order.

    One star, and it pains me to write it because we've been a loyal regular customer here for years…read morebut the service has just gone down the hill and the staff was so rude to us. We came in at 7:30 pm and the person at the counter rushed us through our order like we were a nuisance for being there. When the food came out, they brought my 8-year-old son a bowl of raw salmon. We had ordered baked. When I asked them to exchange for baked salmon she refused saying "once it leaves the kitchen, no refunds". I was really startled because the tone and brashness of the refusal was something I have never experienced at any restaurant. I told them I didn't want a refund. I just wanted the baked salmon which I thought we had actually ordered. She still refused but offered to get us a baked salmon plate if we paid for it. To the owner: please take a look at your night staff. Loyal customers shouldn't be treated like a nuisance, and a simple fix shouldn't turn into a standoff over policy.

    Photos
    Part of inside (it's about double the size of this)
    Part of inside (it's about double the size of this)
    Crunchy roll
    Crunchy roll
    Pork katsu and tempura shrimp roll

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    Pork katsu and tempura shrimp roll

    Say Aloha - hawaiian - Updated August 2026

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