Pono Hawaiian Grill Downtown Santa Cruz

Absolutely great, looking forward to trying out more menu items...

Taci Tuesday is slammin'.

stood at the counter while being ignored by the people that worked there I ended up walking out without ordering because nobody helped me

Honestly, this place is not half bad!
The prices are fairly reasonable, portions pretty generous and service was quick! Expected to wait way longer for food, but it came out fast! Only downside is parking is all metered - but we snagged a good spot and just threw a few quarters in the meter. Also, ordering is a bit awkward as they stack their menus directly at the register, so if you're standing in line you don't have a menu to look at or you gotta run up to the cash register and try and grab one. Would be helpful to have menus more readily accessible or posted. Otherwise, not a bad choice if you're in town looking for a decent and reasonably price bite to eat!

We spent the day exploring Santa Cruz and stumbled upon Pono Hawaiian Grill—what a great find! Located in a lively part of town, the atmosphere is casual and welcoming, perfect for a laid-back meal after a day at the beach.
Parking was a bit quirky with mostly street options, but we lucked out and found a spot just steps away from the entrance. Upon walking in, we noticed that ordering is done at the counter, with payment and tipping upfront before seating yourself. While we were initially expecting a more traditional sit-down restaurant with table service, the system worked smoothly, and the staff was friendly and efficient.
Now for the food—wow! Everything we ordered was packed with bold island flavors and generous portions, true to Hawaiian style. The Da Loco Moco was hearty and comforting, with a perfectly cooked egg on top and rich gravy. The Pork Lau Lau was tender and flavorful, wrapped in taro leaves that gave it an earthy, authentic taste. The Traditional Shoyu Poke Bowl was incredibly fresh with just the right amount of seasoning, and the Mahi Mahi Katsu was crispy on the outside and flaky inside—perfectly cooked.
The portions were definitely on the larger side, so next time we’d probably order one less dish and share everything family-style. It’s a great spot to experience classic Hawaiian comfort food, and the relaxed vibe made it easy to enjoy our meal without feeling rushed.
Overall, Pono Hawaiian Grill gave us a flavorful, satisfying experience that added something special to our Santa Cruz visit. We’ll definitely be back the next time we’re in town!

The place has nice vibes, and friendly people working there. I was excited for the food because it was packed and there was a line. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing (spicy bowl with added salmon modification), but it had 2/10 flavor. One dimensional in flavor. I was disappointed to spend $21 on a small bowl that didn’t taste like much. Maybe next time will be better

“Summer Hours” started yesterday meaning they were open until 10pm instead of 9pm, which was nice but after 9pm they have a limited menu that’s super condensed. Drinks are still avilable though. I got the teriyaki chicken plate but the chicken was dry and the rice was definitely bottom of the barrel. Drinks also came out way overtopped and came to the table already spilling. Food also came out in to go boxes despite dining in which ruined the ambiance of going out to eat. Wasn’t expecting a fine dining experience but it’s usually such a pleasure to eat here that I would’ve expected that experience to extend into their evening hours as well instead of it feeling like they were already closed but could make do serving another customer or two. Servers also need hospitality training between not offering silverware and not wiping down a drink that’s clearly overfilled before serving. Tables were also very dirty even though it was largely cleared out while we were there and server was just at the counter talking to line cooks.

We were there for a music event late Jan 2025. HH drink specials were tasty but was disappointed on how cold it was inside the restaurant. Both doors, front & back, were wide open during the entire evening show (48 degrees outside). Even the band mentioned how cold it was before beginning their set. All the customers wore jackets. Also, the harsh lighting was way too bright throughout the restaurant. I wanted my sunglasses on. Please read the room & tone down the lighting & warm the place up, then we’ll be back. Mahalo

Great place to catch the Sunday afternoon game! The service at the bar is outstanding, with a hugh selection of beers and cocktails. The food is traditional, Hawaiian, and delicious, too!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Such amazing food! The price was good too. Especially considering the area. Definitely recommend. Food came very quick, only like 5 minutes and it was very hot and fresh. Need to stop here for sure.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Very casual neighborhood dive-ish bar / restaurant. Great food, friendly staff, and a nice lanai for those warm days!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Pork Lau Lau, Spam Musubi

I ordered the Avocado Tomato Ahi which is also available as a full plate or rice option but I went for the lighter some greens topped with a delicious vinaigrette that was all very well portioned, okay no who am I kidding.. it was more than I expected and more than enough. I paired it with Hawaiian Sun iced tea. I parked directly in front of the entrance doors and when my wife and sun noticed I had that iced tea they immediately hopped out to pick out a hawaiian sun to go as well. Service wasn't too shabby I was greeted with contiguous smiles from all around and the gal that took my order walked my order out to my truck which she didn't have to but went out of her way anyways. If your in the area I highly recommend you pop in just be warned your not leaving without without hungry.

Parking: Meter parking in front and across the street. Paid parking garage across the street with plenty of spots.

Kid-friendliness: Totally family friendly environment

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Poke Salad

I read Little Red Book and went to eat it, it was amazing. Raw fish should be frozen, don't order it, burgers are just average. No service requires tipping. After finishing the dishes, you have to get them yourself.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 1

Service: 1

The workers aren’t familiar with the lunch specials that that have listed on their signs and were very rude during what should have been a simple transaction. Additionally, there were hidden fees??? For example, the lunch special read “ANY teriyaki bowl with fountain drink 10.99.” After the very rocky transaction I noticed the total was 17.49, mind you the tax was 2 dollars and some change. When I asked where the additional charge came from, I was only then told the beef was an additional 2 dollars despite what the lunch special sign entailed. Other reviews on Yelp had similar experiences. This is false advertising and a major disappointment, what a shame

Service: 1

Good vibe

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 4