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Say Aloha

4.9 (30 reviews)
Updated 2 months ago

Say Aloha Reservations

Order Say Aloha Takeout or Delivery

Say Aloha Photos

SAY ALOHA ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Outdoor seating
Dogs allowed

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Recommended Reviews - Say Aloha

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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.

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.

Bella L.

This is a hidden gem! The actual restaurant is a bit difficult to find, but it's inside a building all the way in the back. Probably one of the best Hawaii food places I've had. The outdoor seating is really nice, with lots of greenery, and the inside seating is very cute. The employees are extremely kind and welcoming. However, I do think they need to hire maybe one or two more employees so customer service flows better when there's more customers in the restaurant. But other than that everything is great! I would definitely come back. I got the chicken katsu and a spamasubi. Everything was delish!!! (:

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

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7 months ago

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8 months ago

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2 months ago

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10 months ago

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7 months ago

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10 months ago

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Avian G.

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1 month ago

Must try! It's open during certain times. But when you get the chance it's great. I had the bbq ribs and the Mac salad was so good!

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6 months ago

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Avian G.

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4 months ago

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4 months ago

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6 months ago

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3 months ago

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

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7 months ago

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2 months 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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4 months ago

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10 months ago

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

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8 months ago

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Avian G.

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4 months ago

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10 months ago

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11 months ago

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11 months ago

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

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7 months ago

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

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11 months ago

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Ask the Community - Say Aloha

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Extraordinary Desserts

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This place is properly named extraordinary dessert for a reason. They are known for their desserts…read moreboth in taste and in aesthetics. Desserts: 5/5 We got a blood orange scone and a strawberry danish. The scone was warm and delicious. The orange essence was well infused. The danish was crispy and creamy. Everything was so picturesque. Food: 3/5 Unfortunately, the food was not the best. We got the smoked salmon sandwich which was not very flavorful. The salmon was also slimy. The pesto spread was good though. It was creamy and the artisan bread it was served had great variety. Ambiance: 5/5 This place is such super cute. When you walk in, the desserts all look super appetizing. The seating areas are super cute and the floral decor are stunning. Service: 5/5 It is an order then sit down establishment. There is great attention to their dessert. I saw them heat up a knife just to cleanly cut the cake. The food service however did take some time to come out.

Unfortunately, what was supposed to be a simple and enjoyable sweet treat turned into a really…read moreunpleasant experience because of the extremely poor service we received. This was not our first time visiting Extraordinary Desserts, which makes this experience even more disappointing. Sadly, every time we come back, the service seems to get worse. The waiter's attitude and level of attention were unacceptable, and the overall customer service was simply not there. For a place that is supposed to be about enjoying beautiful desserts and having a nice experience, the quality of the service completely ruined our visit. Service, attention, and hospitality were all a zero.

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Pappalecco

Pappalecco

4.3(3.1k reviews)
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Absolutely amazing! That was the first thought that came to mind after my first bite of the…read morecroissant and my first spoonful of gelato. Alex helped me choose my gelato flavors, and she was so patient, friendly, and kind. There were so many different gelato and sorbet flavors to choose from that it was honestly hard to pick! The moment I tasted them, I felt like I was back in Italy. The flavors were rich, layered, and complex--you could actually taste the different ingredients, rather than just tasting sugar like you sometimes do at other places. Everything was so delicious and thoughtfully made. Definitely a place I'd love to come back to!

A cute authentic Italian neighborhood cafe in Little Italy serving coffee, treats, gelato, and…read morepaninis. My friends and I were just looking to get a coffee in Little Italy, but when we walked in and saw all the delicious treats we had to try something else as well. I ordered a latte and neglected to tell them it was for here so I was given a paper cup, but they give real cups if you ask. The latte was good, and my friend bought a kitchen sink type cookie with chocolate, coconut, and macadamia nuts. It was warm and gooey good! Another friend tried the gelato and said it was very good. There are a few tables inside and tables out in front outside. We sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful San Diego weather. The decor and tables definitely gives you an old school Italian neighborhood vibe with Italian markets right next door. If I am in the neighborhood again, I would definitely come back here to try the gelato and/or a piece of an excellent looking lemon pie bar I spotted.

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Solunto Ristorante & Bakery

Solunto Ristorante & Bakery

4.0(1.2k reviews)
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This review is for their Bakery part. After dining nearby my wife and I decided to make a quick…read morevisit here in Solunto Bakery. My wife chose a Carrot cake and I had the Canoli. The Canoli was pretty good but my wife didn't like the Carrot cake , i tasted it and all I could taste was the icing and the Carrot part I could barely taste it. They have Plenty of selection for pastries and dessert, but a very small seating area for their Bakery, so this is mostly like good for a grab-and-go. The other half of this place is their actual Italian restaurant, with half indoor seating and outdoor seating . This spot is always a good spot to get Pastries, Ice cream and more desserts.

Positive: food was great. For me, portions of the protein are small so that sucks but can't argue…read morewith the quality. We both liked our dishes a lot. The outdoor seating was nice. It was a warm day but we got there at 5:15pm and the sun was starting to go behind the downtown buildings. Negative: service. It seems if you are a regular, like the two tables near us, they chat it up and talk about how things are. If you aren't a regular, they just quickly come by and say "anything else?" the two times they came by. Im a huge water drinker so the carafe they brought only refilled our cups once. Never got another one until we were done and they came by asking about dessert. They weren't busy by any stretch on a Tuesday evening but apparently the frequent customers either tip really well or they prefer familiar faces. I assume the latter. So, I mean the food itself was great but service was not good. I mean we went when it was slow too and the host was talking it up with a frequent customer also asking about the changes recently to parking in their area nearby.... So, it puts this review as a 3/5.

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4.1(581 reviews)
2.0 mi•Little Italy
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Our family dinner at Nonna's was great! Was trying to decide which place to go in Little Italy on a…read moreSaturday night with kids and no reservations without feeling under dressed. So we decided on Nonna's for their variety of pastas and pizza. The evening was packed with people up and down the streets. However, when we arrived at Nonna's we only had to wait no more than a couple of minutes before being seated. We thought most italian places would provide some sort of complimentary bread, but this place did not. We ended up ordering the Carbonara, Fusilli Alla Vodka, Pappardelle, and Salsiccia pizza. Each were fantastic, but the family really enjoyed the Fusilli and the Pappardelle the most! The short rib meat was extremely tender and flavorful. Portions were a little smaller than expected, but it was enough to feed each of us with a couple slices of pizza to spare. Ambiance was nice and the staff was great. A drink we ordered was forgotten, but it's understandable since it was quite busy. Overall, great experience and glad we ended up at Nonna's even though it wasn't part of the batch of recommendations provided online. (Sorry forgot to take photos as we were so hungry and didn't realize it until after we ate!)

Food: - fungi pasta: 7.5/10, strong mushroom flavor…read more - carbonara: 5.7/10, too much sauce and noodles were overcooked - lemon meringue cheesecake + Sicilian cannoli: super authentic cannoli, cheesecake was good but nothing special Service: - hostess was not friendly - they ran out of white peach Italian soda but instead of asking what other flavor we would prefer, they just brought out a vanilla Italian soda - ordering took forever but once our food was in, it came out in less than 10 min Ambiance: - outdoor seating Skip Barbusa (sister restaurant) and come here instead, at least there is better dessert

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Say Aloha - hawaiian - Updated October 2026

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