Let me tell you something about this Chinese chicken salad. When they brought this salad out to me, I felt a single tear slide down my delicately-suncreened face. The chicken? Juicy. Flavorful as all hell. The salad? Crunch. Yum. The MANDARIN ORANGE SLICES??? Sweet and sexy reminds me of childhood before lexapro. The sesame dressing? Light and wonderful. God-tier salad. I am complete.

Don’t even bother, recommend Hula Island grill instead, they have excellent Hawaiian cuisine and great service. Food - 1/5 I am adding photos of the “Chinese chicken salad” which came with no cabbage, very little unseasoned meat and when we asked for it they gave us some raw cabbage on the side. Even their own menu mentions “fried cabbage” in the description. Dressing - miserable Fries - dry and lukewarm Rude service - when we brought up the issue of missing cabbage from Chinese salad, the bartender(male) who came to check got rude saying “that’s the way we do it, you got fried wontons with the salad let me check if that’s on the menu” , then proceeds to say “don’t shout at me” and I was so surprised because I wasn’t even shouting. Unacceptable. Wait for food - place is half empty on a Saturday night(good reason for it) and the wait for food was 30 minutes + Some people who arrived after us randomly got the same dishes before us. The four people seated infront of us got their dishes 15 minutes apart and all of them ate at different times lol For the same price point, there are loads of other places you could visit and be a satisfied customer. Additions to the review: The restaurant’s reply is exactly why you the avoid visiting the place. They kinda prove the point 😉

Food was so good and we were so hungry that we forgot to take pictures. Pono seafood combo was great.

Best Hawaii food i’ve ever had period!!! Great price, tastes great, and good vibes at the restaurant. Must go place in Santa Cruz

Just stopped by to check out the place and now this will be a normal place I will be eating when I'm in town. Everything was delicious! The sauce, that's all I need to say. Definitely check it out if you have time!!!

What a hidden gem. Delicious food and plenty of open seating in the back next to the parking lot. It took a bit to get our food but it was definitely worth the wait. The poke salad is amazing as it has all my favorites - seaweed salad, edamame, ahi poke, avocado, mixed greens and miso dressing.

Great atmosphere and amazing food. Full serviced bar with a variety of selections and live music on Fridays! Large outdoor patio seating for the families and complimentary self-serve water station. The dish in the photo is Mamma Kathy's Teri Chicken.

First found this place years ago when I was working on a project. Very first time I had Poke here and my life was forever changed. I brought a few friends last weekend and their minds were changed on Poke too! Definitely worth a stop if you’re passing by or making a trip and bookmarking.

I spent 10+ years living on Maui and I'd say this place is pretty authentic. They are absolutely killing it here! 🤙 Poke was my favorite

Food was really good. My date and I couldn’t stop eating, even after we were full, how are their jalapeños??. The only negative thing for me was not having a waiter. We ended up having to order at the bar. Then when we were finished we had to pay at the bar. By then, there was a line for drinks. So we ended up having to wait in line to pay for our meals. Other than that it was enjoyable. Nice atmosphere , really liked the vibe there and the employees were nice. They also do live music which is great.

Chicken teriyaki came out cold

Patio is a great place to sit with friends and have a beer.

Come out to Santa Cruz and catch some ALOHA VIBES! Great food and good people. 👍

Pono is a staple in our household for any special events we are celebrating or just a perfect place to go after a long week. I always get the Braddah Timmy bowl and it is always incredible. We were big Pono fans before they left the downtown location and we started going to the one on Capitola Rd, but we are so glad they are back in downtown Santa Cruz (with a full bar!). They did such a great job revamping the place and the courtyard is an awesome hangout spot too. The live music they have is also always great. It is my number one favorite restaurant in Santa Cruz and I always recommend it to everyone I know.

Some of the best Hawaiian food I've had outside of Hawaii. Arrived around 4:45 (parking in the back), got a beer and sat down outside whilst I figured out what I wanted to eat. Finished the "Socks and Sandals" beer and went back to order food. In that short time, a line had amassed out the door and around the back towards the parking lot. Took about 12 to 15 minutes to get to the ordering station (10 feet directly from the main entrance). In hindsight, I would happily wait twice that long in line just to order. Everything was so fantastic I forgot to take pictures of most the items. I ordered a Chicken Katsu, Braddah Timmy's Ahi Bowl with extra Ahi, wings, and Kal-Bi Short ribs. The environment and service were both as equally phenomenal as the food. I ended up going back a few days afterwards to pickup another order of the Kal-Bi short ribs and the "Mama Kathy's Teri chicken". Not one thing I saw, smelled, or tasted fell short. Can't recommend this place enough. Must visit 🙌🤤

The poke is tasty and filling but it’s salty. I got dumping syndrome within an hour from the salt level. It’s decently fresh fish and I would come back but plan not to stray too far from the bathroom. The live band was nice and broke up what is otherwise a lot of TV screens. Service is fast and friendly, though I was disappointed that they use disposable plastic water cups instead of reusable ones.

I thought this place was very meh… not horrible but I wouldn’t hurry back either. They seemed understaffed all around. Only one bar tender for a really big place that was very busy. The staff on hand does a remarkable job really but there is still a lot of waiting in line while they hustled their butts off. The food was ok and pretty typical for a Hawaiian grill. We enjoyed our Katsui but our rice was over cooked and gummy. Our fries came nice and hot too so made up for the rice. Decor and vibe were nice with some live music and nice island feel.

Food was decent and the interior was good. Portion is big for me because plate lunch came with Mac salad and kimchi. The burger patties of loco moco were a bit to dry for me but it’s ok. Also, love the flavor of the kimchi.

No. Frills order at the bar food brought to the table. Kind of place. TVs with sports and surf videos playing. Surfboards and Hawaiian neon signage. Hawaiian reggae music playing. Big open warehouse type structure.

Can I start with Onolicious 😋! Almost everything we had was delicious and just took it to the next level. Literally felt like I had to just savor each bite. 1. Pono pupu platter: Kalua pork sliders, coconut shrimp, and spam musubi. The flavors of the kalua pork with the island slaw and pineapple bbq sauce was scrumptious. I'm not a fan of coconut shrimp but this was delicious. They do not skimp on the spam in the spam musubi. It's a nice thick slice. 2. Pork Lau Lau plate - So juicy and mouth watering. We were so full but couldn't stop eating it. 3. Pono BBQ combo- I substituted chicken teriyaki for kalua pork. Couldn't finish it but had it for lunch again the next day and it tasted just as good. 4. Keiki- chicken strips (katsu) with fries. I couldn't go without trying the katsu but it was just ok and not a fan of the katsu sauce. They have so many home made goods like macadamia brownies and ginger snap cookies, or chocolate peanut butter cookies. All so delicious. Couldn't leave without buying mango jam and hot sauces

Prepare to be swept off your feet by this unexpected taco experience! From the moment I took a bite, I knew my taste buds were in for an adventure they'd never forget. The fact that I hadn't planned to review this taco only adds to the magic of the moment. Now, let's address the price - $5 for a taco might sound a tad extravagant, but trust me when I say that every cent is worth it. The succulent fish nestled within the tender embrace of this taco shell is nothing short of a culinary masterpiece. The generous portion of fish alone justifies the cost, making it a clear winner in the world of tacos. I'm left in awe, giving this extraordinary creation a well-deserved 10 out of 10. This taco doesn't just satisfy hunger; it touches the soul and leaves an indelible mark on the heart. If you're seeking a gastronomic experience that transcends expectations, this taco is your golden ticket.

Great menu for both food and beers. Lots old IPAs if you like those. Price was reasonable. They have $11 for a flight of any 4 beers. Amazing time here with my son.

Great Hawaiian restaurant. You must try the Poke, teriyaki chicken, Kahlua chicken, & the katsu. There is seating inside and outside. When we were there they had live music (Colombian). The other customers were all very nice. We were looking for a table and a nice couple shared their 6-top with us, family style.

Have been here several times. Never a disappointment. Really fast service. Was very busy, ordered at the front, and less then 10 minutes for the food. I had the Kalbi short ribs which was really good. May have been premade but nice and hot Subbed the rice and macaroni for a salad. Only $17! Large portions. Only problem is the extensive menu. Will have to return to work thru the menu. A happy problem!!!

Food is decent but a little pricy for what you get. Fries were pretty bland and the jalapeños were canned and did not have much flavor. Decent place overall. Restrooms are nice and clean and so is the restaurant

Kid at front doesn't know how much poke they use in the bowl. They use astronomical amounts of onions to obviously give you less meat. They cut my poke with tomatoes so I couldn't tell until it was in my mouth that I was eating mouthfuls of tomatoes and onions and not fish. The rice was soggy and they smothered the top with hot sauce like a layer. My wife's poke had more jalapenos and onions and chives than fish flavor was terrible. I watched her pick it apart making the best of it but she also hated it. Locals need to hold some of their star chains to higher standards this is definitely another one that's holding on by reputation not actually producing good food. Fish was quality cuts I will give them that. And the staff was really nice

We stood in line, ordered at the counter, received a number, got our own glass of water, napkin and silverware, found a table and sat down. We sat outside at a wood picnic bench table. The floor is pea gravel. There are a few plants. A server brought our food which were in paper bowls. So far the experience is not that different from a McDonald's. The food is much tastier though and well presented. My husband got a vegetable stir fry with brown rice. I had a veggie bowl.

Delicious food and lively atmosphere in the back patio. Food arrived to the table quickly and everything we ordered was delicious. Poke bowl was full of fresh fish. The live music from inside was a great addition. Will definitely return here to try other options from the menu.

It's awesome to walk into somewhere locally that gives me the vibe of being back in Hawaii. It's not some place that just throws a name on or ideal on a business. Live music is something everyone should experience.

So-so, definitely not worth the $100 bill for 5 people. It’s not so much a restaurant, more of an upscale fast food. No wait service and you have to clean off your own table. Asked the cashier if the burgers come with anything and she told me “lettuce, tomato and onion”, so I ordered sides of fries, only to realize when the food came that the burgers come with fries. Ordered a glass of wine and never got it. Asked the person who brought our food out about it and was told “It’s probably at the bar.”. Had to go in and ask for my wine. Bartender looked at me suspiciously and asked the cashier if she charged me for the wine, which she did. Teriyaki chicken bowl was 80% chicken and hardly any vegetables or sauce, lacked flavor.

Super friendly staff, went there for the first time and all their food SMELLED awesome. Ended up getting some Loco Moco and it was very tasty. Will definitely be going back here in the near future!