Hukilau

The happy hour prices were ridiculous. If you saw the portions for some of the things you’d have agreed. Oh how I miss my Kahlua Pork fries and lau lau. RIP

I’m sad that this location is no longer here, as it is pretty iconic, but I definitely won’t be sad for long.
The food can be ono, but the service is horrible and they have a hard time accommodating parties larger than four. My last experience here was pretty bad as they had some «ticketing process malfunction» and it took over an hour to get food for a party of five.
If you come back to SF, be better Hukilau!

As far as I’m concerned…
GOOD RIDDANCE~!
CHEE~!

Why 3 stars? Because we had a decent time.
— — —
I am no Hawaiian food connoisseur, but I enjoyed my meal overall. I went with the Loco Moco because I didn’t know what to choose and figured I couldn’t go wrong with beef and egg.
All of the portions were very large, which is bad for those with no will power like myself, who don’t believe in doggy bags. There’s nothing wrong with a doggy bag, but once the food is in front of me, I struggle to say no to it.
There is a small selection Hawaiian beer as well, which was cool. It seemed to be off the beaten path a bit from where we were staying, so I don’t know that I would recommend it to a tourist, but if I lived there I would probably return.

«Oh we’re goin’ to a hukilau, huki, huki, huki, huki, huki, hukilau… Everybody loves a hukilau, huki, huki, huki, huki, huki, hukilau…»
(you know you watched that as a kid!)
I’ve heard many good things about Hukilau so when my boyfriend moved into the ‘hood I knew we had to go there. He had been a couple times before but this was my first time. It’s a cute, divey little spot bringing some island flavor to the big city.
We came in on a busy Friday night but only had to wait about 15 minutes for a table. After looking at the menu over and over and over again, I finally decided on the Chicken Katsu and my boyfriend decided on the Kalua Pork (which was my second choice!). We also ordered the Fried Spam Musubi.
Everything was absolutely delicious but the showstopper was most definitely the Deep Fried Spam Musubi. It’s basically spam wrapped in seaweed and rice and you have the option of having it fried or not but take my advice and order it fried, you’ll thank me later ;) The Chicken Katsu was tasty and I loved the panko crust but it was way too much food for me. After just a few bites I was done! It also came with a side of rice and macaroni salad. I also liked the Kalua Pork, which also came with a side of rice and macraoni salad, but felt it needed a little bit of spice so I added in sriracha.
Service was okay, in their defense it was pretty busy. Our server was really sweet and helpful though!
Overall, I really enjoyed Hukilau and will definitely be back but next time I won’t eat all day so I can fully enjoy their food.

This is my least favored Hukilau location and its sadly the original! Its the smallest, which also means the most packed and busy. There aren’t enough seats to feed the masses! Well, that was my dramatic feeling the Thursday Night my girls and I decided to dine. It may have also been super busy as a result of the recent groupon!
I still love Hukilau despite the long wait and sketchy service. The staff do their best to accommodate everyone.
Bottom line, the food rocks and I left happy and full :)
Best poke ever!

I was so excited to eat at Hukilau… until I actually began eating at Hukilau. It seemed as though the restaurant would offer everything I’d love: a neighborhood coziness, authentic Hawaiian cuisine, tropical drinks.
And while Hukilau does capture some of the above elements, the overall experience was a bit lackluster despite great service.
In a nutshell, I found most of the food ordered a bit on the bland side. Please keep in mind that my knowledge and experience of Hawaiian cuisine is limited, however I know what makes my taste buds sing and the Da Hawaiian Plate did not know that tune.
I at least hoped the drinks would have a redeeming quality, especially since the happy hour specials were so solid! Unfortunately, whatever tropical concoction I ordered with a fun named tasted more like jungle juice in a cocktail glass.
I know that sounds harsh, but I promise I don’t mean to be. The staff seems super nice and the looks of the restaurant are festive and cozy. Unfortunately, the «meat and taro» of the experience was a bit of a let down.

When I first heard we were going to a Hawaiian restaurant I was psyched. I love Hawaii so I assumed I’d love Hawaiian food. When I mentioned I was going out for Hawaiian food to my colleague from Maui she made a face and said «Really? In San Francisco?» Well it’s gotta be better in San Francisco than it would be in Chicago???
The menu at Hukilau had none of that delicious food I ate on my Hawaiian honeymoon. Instead there was lots of spam and other types of meat. And since I’m basically a pescatarian the menu wasn’t really doing it for me.
We ordered a few apps for the table and I did enjoy the ahi poke. I probably should have ordered that for my entrée as well, but instead decided to order their fried rice sans the spam and pork that came with it. Basically it was rice with egg… and a few spices that didn’t really agree with me.
I was psyched to see my beloved hawaiian beverage, lava flow, on the menu. Unfortunately, they were out of it even for a 6:30pm dinner. Instead I ordered the forbidden fruit drink, which probably should be forbidden just based on the taste.
Perhaps my review of Hukilau isn’t quite fair because this probably isn’t the place for someone who doesn’t eat spam or pork. If you’re a spam lover I encourage you to check it out, but if not stick with the tuna poke app.

My visit here started as a 5 star review but as the night went on Hukilau started losing steam. I was absolutely stoked to see that they had chicken adobo on the menu. This is a relatively easy dish for me to make so I wanted to see how this place stood up against my mediocre cooking even on my best day.
Someone ordered a sushi roll with Spam in the middle of it. Yes, Spam. As a lover of this heart attack processed «meat» I thought the idea was genius and enjoyed what others didn’t want to touch. We then ordered the ahi poke which was absolutely delicious. Perfectly soaked in Aloha shoya and sesame oil every bite brought a smile to my face. My group also ordered nachos and the melted cheese on the pork made me hungrier for more. In the interest of not looking like a pig I only had a few bites so everyone else can enjoy the food.
So far so good…
And then dinner went downhill. First, when my food came out the waitress informed two people in my group that they were out of what they ordered. Failure. It’s always awkward being that person watching others eat. I feel just as bad having someone watch me eat.
Here’s what I have to say about my chicken adobo. I can make it better than what they did. That says a lot because I’m not a good cook. The meal didn’t taste terrible. I just have high expectations of the dish since I eat it so much and it is relatively easy to make.
I would give this place another try though. It was a decent experience for me… others in my group not so much. I’d eat the adobo my grandfather makes at his house and go for something else here.

I usually prefer greasy breakfast food or a big bowl of salty ramen after drinking, but my Hawaiian friends were craving for food from the islands.
I love the casual, no frills atmosphere with the full bar. Servers are friendly and our food came out fast. I agree with the bf that the chicken katsu loco moco was an okay choice: crispy breading on the chicken topped with two over easy eggs and drowned in gravy sauce. My bowl of saimin noodles were topped with healthy veggies and had chicken in it. I like my food well seasoned and the food here was bland. * shakes salt and pepper. * Even the taro fries seem plain to me (drown it in the wasabi mayo) and I love anything fried. On the plus side, servings are very generous.
Standouts are their poke and the spam musubi.

ALOHAAAAA HAPPY HOUR!
Just when I thought I found the best HH deal at King of Thai on Grant Avenue in North Beach (everything on the menu is $ 5), comes Hukilau, a cute and divey Hawaiian Restaurant & Bar off the beaten path between Japantown and Inner Richmond.
Funky red walls adorned with Hawaiian tsotchkes and the outdoor luau-​like patio brings a little island to the foggy streets of San Francisco.
Though there are a plethora of Hawaiian items on the menu from salads, burgers, lunch plates, noodles to even a Hawaiian-​Mexican fusion burrito with fried rice and kalua pork, Hukilau’s Happy Hour Menu alone is worth the trip.
From Monday — Friday, 5PM-​8PM, ALL APPETIZERS (except ahi poke) AND SPECIALTY COCKTAILS ARE 50% OFF!
Everything is $ 3-​$ 9, so you can get Hawaiian wasted on the cheap.
My friend and I ordered Taro Fries (reg. $ 6), Fried Spam Masubi (reg. $ 4), Kalua Pork Nachos (reg. $ 9) and Ahi Tuna Poke ($ 11 not part of HH special). We also ordered two cocktails each.
The winners of the night were the Fried Spam Masubi and Kalua Pork Nachos. You can never go wrong with spam and rice.
But, when you go take it a step further by deep frying it like Hukilau has, you have one deliciously salty, porky and crunchy treat. A dollop of sriracha adds a nice fiery kick.
Equally satisfying were the Kalua Pork Nachos.
The thick tortilla chips were generously topped with a melt-​in-​your-​mouth shredded pork which was perfectly seasoned and subtly smoky, then smothered with a duo of ooeeey goooey cheddar and monterey jack cheeses. The combination put most super nachos with caritas I’ve had to shame.
Everyone raves about the Ahi Tuna Poke at Hukilau. The tuna was firm with a buttery texture but it was assertively salty and overwhelmed the fish.
No «happy» hour is complete without one, two, ummm… rounds of drinks (a lady never tells). Even though the cocktails were half-​priced, they did NOT skimp on the alcohol. Having a very high tolerance, I started getting giddy with my first lychee cocktail ($ 7). By my second drink, a mango cocktail ($ 7) laced with the ever so addicting Hawaiian crack of li hing powder (adds a sweet/​sour pucker), I started feeling warm and fuzzy. By then, the lone grandpa by the bar started to look a bit cute. My friends and I live by the motto «Drink till he’s cute». Normally, it takes me 6 – 8 shots to get to THAT stage but just two Hukilau cocktails is all it took. DANGEROUS. VERY DANGEROUS.
TIP: Bring a date. A CUTE date. Thank me later.
OTHER NOTES:
*49 people seating inside
*Outdoor patio seating is good for large groups
*Easy street parking along this part of Geary Boulevard

I had a very good reason to go back to Hukilau since I had to use my $ 40 Living Social coupon before it expired. I went here with my mom for lunch one weekend and managed to come out with a ton of goodies!
Starting with the appetizers:
Fried Spam Musubi (
)
Seriously, how can you make Spam Musubi any better? DEEP FRIED of course!!!
Kahlua Pork Sliders (
)
These were really good! The Kahlua pork was on point!
And then came the BIG plates:
Hawaiian Plate (
) — Pork Lau Lau, Kalua Pork, Chicken Long Rice and Lomi Salmon
This was what my mom ordered. I think she liked it. It was kind of hard to tell though since we were both already full from our appetizer spread. She packed most of it to-​go.
Korean Plate (
) — Korean Chicken, Kal-​bi ribs & Meat Jun $ 13
Oh man, I loved this! First off, this was my first time eating Meat Jun which is a tradition Korean dish made with various ingredients such as sliced beef and mixed with egg batter and then pan-​fried with oil. It’s crazy good! And the Kal-​bi and Chicken were both cooked very well. Sadly, it was too much food so I took mine to-​go as well.
Overall, it was a good spread for $ 40 which I got for $ 20 on Living Social. I definitely want to come back again for their Meat Jun!

I saw you before, baby
It’s a déjà vu, honey
Don’t you know that you remind me?
I saw you before, baby
It’s a déjà vu, honey
Don’t you know that you remind me?
I thought of Mary J’s words when I took a bite of my Hawaiian food today. It brought back wonderful memories of good times from the past. Fun times, where I didn’t have a care in the world but to have a good time. That’s what Hawaii was about to me.
My mind took me back to where I was cruising in my moped down Kalakaua Ave. Laying out on Waikiki beach. Eating the same food at similar eateries and Luaus.
It’s amazing how food can be deja vu. Hukilau’s food, and for reasons I’d rather not get into, Al Green’s «let’s stay together» remind me of the 50^th state.
That all being said I came here with a friend. We ordered Lau Lau, the Big Kahuna, and some spam masubi. When it arrived to the table, I thought to myself: «How cute, three little mounds of rice and Mac salad». Is there a reason why all hawaiian restaurants serve it in the mound shapes?
Now that I’ve eaten Lau Lau again, and that I analyze my food like the foodie I am, it reminds me of Carnitas. The Big Kahuna was teriyaki beef and chicken, which were both great. Along with mine I got Katsu which was a little dry. The Spam masubi was scrumptious.
Service was friendly. Restaurant décor was simple and comfortable. Not so different from the eateries in Oahu.
I got a lot of places in the world I’d like to go before going back to the home of luaus and tiny bubbles. But being reminded through the good food at Hukilau, I might have to go back sooner then I thought.

Came here with the boy because we had one of those deals [$ 20 for $ 40 worth of food coupon from Living Social Deals]. Realized when we called in that it was supposed to be a «dine-​in only» coupon, but we asked the manager, and she said we could use it for our to-​go order. Yay! We ordered 4 spam musubis, an order of chicken katsu, and order of terriyaki chicken, and an order of kalua pork. Total = $ 43.00. So we ended up paying a $ 3 difference. Not bad at all.
Lucked into a parking spot right on the side [along the side door], and were pleasantly surprised to find that a quarter bought us 8 minutes! Small but pleasant discovery — I guess if we decide to eat in, it won’t take too much to buy us enough time to eat: P We were pleased that the inside felt very authentic — the fact that you can see the kitchen makes it feel like you’re really in Hawaii. The staff was very nice — smiles all around :)
The food itself was pretty good. Huge portions [expected], but the chicken katsu was even bigger than I thought it would be. It was ridiculous! The boy thought that the kalua pork could have been smokier, but it was still pretty good. The spam musubi was alright — not worth $ 2.50 per [although it was cute that they cut the pieces in ½ for us!]. We still have SO much food, so. you definitely get your money’s worth.

My boyfriend and I tried to go to SF Underground Market on a date, but the line looked like it spanned 3 blocks. We needed a backup option fast, and Hukilau was at the top of the list, since we had a Livingsocial coupon for it. It’s on the corner of Masonic & Geary where not much is happening, and parking was pretty easy on Anza Street.
I spent 2 months in Hawaii recently and absolutely fell in love with Oahu. I’ve been experiencing major Hawaii withdrawal ever since coming back nearly 6 months ago. Going to Hukilau transported me back to Hawaii instantly. As soon as we walked in to the cozy little restaurant (it’s really tiny), we were greeted by friendly waiters and live Hawaiian music. We were able to get a seat right in front of the band (well, there were only like 5 – 10 tables), and started looking at the menu. I wanted to order everything on the menu, seriously. But this is what we got (I think I picked all of them, haha):
1. Deep fried spam musubi — this is something I never had in Hawaii… I LOVE spam musubi and other musubis, but fried? I had to try it, even though I don’t usually eat deep-​fried things. I actually really liked it, and it was perfectly seasoned, although for I might not get that again since it was deep fried. The boyfriend doesn’t really like spam nor deep-​fried things, which was fine… I pretty much inhaled the whole thing! $ 3.50.
2. Ahi poke — this was probably the best dish we had, hands down. Perfectly seasoned poke with red onions and green onions, super delicious. About $ 11 or $ 14?
3. Da Hawaiian Plate (saimin noodles, laulau, kalua pork, lomi salmon, rice, and mac salad or greens) — I actually didn’t eat Hawaiian food that often when I was in Hawaii, maybe only like once every 2 weeks. But when I saw this on the menu, I had to order it, because I’ve been craving laulau for a while. The laulau was delicious, the kalua pork and lomi salmon were pretty good, and the saimin noodles was very refreshing and yummy. I don’t care for mac salad so I won’t comment on that, it was probably pretty typical. Forgot the price, probably around $ 15.
4. Korean Plate (meat jun with teriyaki sauce, 2 strips of kalbi, fried chicken, rice, and mac salad or greens) — I LOVE Korean food, and I had a lot of good Korean food in Hawaii. I also had meat jun for the first time in Hawaii, and this was the first time I’ve seen it in the mainland (though I hear there’s a lot in LA/​K-​Town). The meat jun was delicious (boyfriend’s first time having it, and he loved it), the kalbi was a little tough but tasted awesome, and the fried chicken was decent, but nothing to write home about. Probably around $ 15.
5. Guava juice — love love love. $ 2?
This was a TON of food. See photos. Our bill ran up about $ 10 more than the coupon, which I think was $ 20 for $ 40 worth of food. So as you can see, prices are reasonable, and you get a lot for your buck. We had 2 big lunchboxes of leftovers, which fed us for the next 2 breakfasts (both of us!).
We also talked to the staff about the Poke Festival which they put on in the fall every year (Sept). I’m there fo sho!!!
Definitely would come back again when craving a taste of Hawaii.

I’ve been coming to DA HUKS for the past 8 years since I moved to SF from Hawaii. This is my go-​to place to eat Hawaiian food, have fru fru drinks, & to just hang out when I don’t know where else to go.
I have made a huge network of friends through this place. Everyone is always so nice & when you walk in, you instantly feel the «aloha» like back at home.
There have been numerous managers over the past years, but as of right now, it’s pretty poppin’. Although prices have increased, there are daily specials & late-​night happy hour every night from 10pm to closing (includes half off beers, $ 1 spam musubi, & $ 5 loco mocos) that is a really good deal!
My favs are kalbi short ribs, yobo (korean) tacos, ahi poke, & taro fries. To drink, the Hukilau Tea (kind of like a fruity long island — very dangerous)!
AAAAAALOOOOHA!

What can I say, small two room restaurant with an outdoor seating area. The food? yummy! heavy. I walked out of the placed stuffed after eating two types of spam masubi. The regular spam masubi was a delight. the nori skin was not soggy and the flavor of spam was just right. Not too salty of overpowering with the ‘right’ texture of rice. The poke was yummy and served over a bed of coleslaw-​looking veggie relish. The nori-​salt mixture on the poke can be lighten up to cut down the saltiness factor.
The loco-​moco was sizable. I mean. huge and a must get!
Great place to have a beer and experience the food with small group of friends for sure!

I miss Hawaii so much and thank goodness for the Hukilau for reminding me of good times long ago. And maybe a couple of happier waistlines ago too… but no matter.
This is a pretty close representation of what Hawaiian food is and they definitely more of an Asian spin on it than what I’m traditionally used to so seeing something like kimchee makes the Korean in me smile. I don’t know how someone could ever not love gravy, meat, fried rice and fried eggs. The first time I tried a moco loco, I think I just about squealed like a «woo girl.» Hawaiians are definitely doing something right and I’m loving it.
We came in for my girlfriend’s boyfriend’s birthday with a group of his co-​workers and even 10 people showed up closer to closing time, the staff at the restaurant were very accommodating and gracious. While we waited for his friends, our group of four ordered dinner and perhaps went above and beyond what we should have ordered.
We ordered:
1. ahi poke
2. nachos with kalua pork
3. spam musubi
4. chicken katsu curry
5. pele katsu
6. loco moco
7. something else fried with gravy over it-​I forgot the name
Overall, everything was good. Just scrumdiliumpious and good. Who could say no to fried rice smothered with gravy and eggs? This would be the comfort food mecca for anyone who misses Hawaii.

Friends[1] and I dined at Hukilau, a modest corner spot serving Hawaiian cuisine.
Asking for recommendations, I was directed to the Spam musabi ($ 2.50). I heard Spam was popular in Hawaii, so I went for the plunge. When it came out, I poked at it. It was my first time having Spam, but it won’t be my last. It was cooked until it was like a liverwurst, and had an agreeable taste.
For my entrée, I got a Loco Moco (11.50), a deep-​fried hamburger patty over rice, topped with eggs and gravy — talk about a heart workout, eh? It wasn’t bad, just plainer than I’d like. Alcohol helped me wash down my dinner — good thing Hukilau has daily drink specials!
Not a bad dinner.
[1] My friends are the cat’s meow: I arrived absurdly late — and I’m the one who scheduled dinner — yet they still drank with me.

PORK!