Chris' Ono Grinds Island Grill

Yo, first things first, I gotta give mad respect to Chris Ono Grinds. I got the Huli Huli chicken and that sh!t was fire. Two spam masubis to fulfill my desires, hands on my belly got me sittin on the couch tired. Flavor to the max sauced up in the white rice, macaroni salad mixed into each damn bite. Eyes getting heavy man it's time to say night night.

So ono! Loved the food, generous servings! Friendly staff too!; felt like I was on smallLittleHaleiwa place!

Very cute little restaurant with island decor. The staff was extremely friendly and I appreciated their prompt service as well. The seating is outdoors and hence dog friendly.The kalua pork plate was pretty good. I think the portions are bigger than Home style Hawaiian because they give you 2 scoops of rice in addition to Mac salad. I think the kalua pork was pretty comparable.The chasiu tasted a little weird and VERY sweet, probably won't order that again. The spam musubi was not good (maybe because we ordered ~1 hour before closing?) The rice was super dry and stiff, like if cooked rice was sitting in the fridge without being in a Tupperware.

I haven't had a lot of Hawaiian barbecue before so was excited to try Chris Ono. The storefront is pretty small with no seating inside. They have a few tables outside. My only issue was the outdoor seating was covered in flies. I'm not sure if it's the building or if it's because the outdoor trash cans were uncovered. Next time I'd enjoy my food better to go. I got the huli huli chicken. The portion was huge! It came with a ton of chicken, rice, and I got the sweet potato slices. I wasn't able to finish my food so I took it home. Although I technically dined in, they packaged up my order in to go container. I also got a mint pineapple ice tea. It was just okay. I was expecting it to be minty but it mostly tasted like pineapple juice. If i were to go back, I'd order the same thing again food again, but probably skip the tea.

Daughter wanted Hawaiian food and I didn't want to check out the big chains, and so happy we found this place!Generous portions and we had eaten 1/2 before I realized we didn't take pictures. 2 orders was more than enough for the 4 people in our group.Just wished that there was more seating

For $16.99, I specifically ordered Huli Huli Chicken with the sides of macaroni salad and potato salad....I was sourly disappointed to open my to-go box when I got home to find the small portion of meat. I feel like my box is just full of sides at this point. My order did not come with potato salad I had requested, so that added to the disappointment. The food tastes good, it's just not what I asked for. Parking is horrendous in the area, otherwise I would have driven back and requested the correct order.**Correction: it was the potato side that I ordered, as there is no potato salad as an option. In response to the business owner, thank you for the well wishes. As I am fully certain that my life will have amounted to more than a Yelp review when it comes to its end, I feel well within my rights to express my genuine experience at an establishment, as that was what this platform was intended for. Everyone has their own standards--I personally consider a 1 star review to reflect a bad experience. Calling this a 5 star experience would be an insult to all other establishments which I've given 5 star reviews to where I had exceptional experiences. While others on this platform could easily leave a 1 star review simply because they didn't like the paint color choices of an interior, I provided what I personally found to be pros and cons. Well wishes right back to you, genuinely.

You're not going to find a lot of Hawaiian food outside of Hawaii so it's awesome to see a place like Chris' Ono serving up some classic grinds. This location is very small with only a few tables outside to eat, so expect to grab your food and take it to-go.I got the combo plate and got half Huli Huli Chicken and Teri Steak + Mac Salad as my side. The mac salad was very creamy and had good flavor. Both the steak and chicken were very tender and moist, not dry at all! It probably helps also that they are smothered in their respective sauces which were very delicious. However I am someone who likes more sauce then less, so for some people it might be a bit much/salty. We also got the Kalua Pork w/additional sides of Sweet Potato Medallions and a side of guava bbq sauce. The pork tasted good however it was a bit too dry. But this is where we recommend getting the additional bbq sauce on the side since this helps to "hydrate" the meat and give it a better moist bite. The sweet potato medallions were also really good! Very tender and the flavor was slightly more potato than sweet potato. There was a small hint of sweetness so I think both sweet potato/potato lovers will enjoy this. Lastly I do wish the portion sizes were a bit bigger. I think of Hawaiian plate lunches as these massive piles of food but here it's definitely more modest in size. I think they could add a couple more pieces of meat on each order but overall I think it's still worth checking out.

The menu provides a great selection of Hawaiian offerings from huli huli chicken to poke, in bowl, plate or salad form. I was able to get the poke tuna on the salad which was delicious. They have a dog friendly patio with four tables with four chairs outside, there is no indoor seating. The team is super friendly, flexible and knowledgeable.

If you're trying to figure out what plate to get- look no further it's the huli huli chicken. We got a combo plate with huli huli chicken and kalua pork. The kalua pork was tender but not very flavorful ESPECIALLY when next to the huli huli chicken. The chicken has a sweetness and smokiness that is unmatched. Perfectly cooked and sauced.Mac salad was good too The other plate was the volcano bowl with teriyaki chicken. This was really good too! Chicken was flavorful and tender- perfectly cooked to me and I can be picky. Great flavors mixed in and I liked the thick shredded cheese on top. The only reason I wouldn't get it again is bc of how good the huli huli chicken plate is They had a lot of drink options I plan on trying next time! Service was friendly and fast. There's a seating area outside, but I think this is a good place to call in and pick up from. Parking can be a pain in this area so grab and go is a good option!

Overall: 'Twas a rainy day in San Diego so the ambience wasn't as nice, but the food was pretty good!!Food: Huli Huli Chicken: Moist and flavorfulKailua Pork: Bit saltier than I like but it goes great with the riceMac Salad: Creamy but flavors aren't overwhelming, goes great with the meat. Hisbicus drink: Floral-y and a little sour (it was good)Pineapple Mint drink: Tastes like pineappleHisbusicus + Pineapple: The pineapple is pretty overwhelming Ambience/Location: Its on the outskirts of Adam;s Avenue so a little easier to find parking. There are also 4 tables outside to sit as well. Price: $21 for Kailua pork plate and a drink. It's ok, considering the location.