Ai Pono Café

Hawaiian restaurant · Rhodes Ranch

Ai Pono Café

Hawaiian restaurant · Rhodes Ranch

6915 S Durango Dr, Las Vegas, NV 89148

Highlights

6915 S Durango Dr, Las Vegas, NV 89148 Get directions

@aiponocafelasvegas

@eater

"Ai Pono Cafe’s owner, chef Gene Villiatora, is nearly as recognizable for his vibrantly dyed buzz cut as he is for his Hawaiian street food. Here, he branches out from Ai Pono’s roots in Orange County to the Durango Casino, with dishes that have earned something of a cult following. There’s crackhead chicken — fried boneless thighs tossed in sauce and topped with coconut garlic miso glaze, da “roots” plate of Korean short ribs with ahi katsu shoyu ahi poke, and garlic butter mahi mahi." - Janna Karel

19 Best Lunch Spots in Las Vegas

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@eater

19 Essential Lunch Spots in Las Vegas

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@eater

"Chef Gene Villiatora is expanding his Orange County, California restaurant, Ai Pono Cafe, to Las Vegas, where he will serve his Hawaiian street food-style plates of ahi tuna katsu, crackhead chicken — battered and fried boneless dark meat tossed in sauce and coconut garlic glaze, and garlic butter mahi." - Janna Karel

Another Food Hall Opens in Las Vegas - Eater Vegas

View Postcard for Ai Pono Café

Laura

Google

My son told me while I was on vacay not to come back to Hawai'i until I try Ai Pono. I like the challenge and finally went. I had the Dirty Lickin Korean Chicken. Impressed by its name but the flavor was not there. I was so disappointed. But the Mac salad wasn't too bad. The meat jhun pretty good and the short ribs were yum! At least I got to try a new experience! The scenery was nice in a very nice hotel... Check it out for yourself - you may find something you think is awesome!

Becky A.

Google

This spot was the most unique out of the other options in eat your heart out so I decided to give it a try. Ordered the guava chili chicken because it sounded interesting and I was told it’s the most popular item on their menu. I paired it with a can of passionfruit Hawaiian Sun. Overall I thought the meal was okay. For the chicken, I unfortunately didn’t get any of the guava flavor and it was not spicy. It tasted more like a salty teriyaki sauce. The chicken was nice and crispy although there were some bits of chicken that were a bit dry and chewy. The meal came with rice, Mac salad, and slaw. I thought the meal had too much rice and could’ve done well with some type of sauce to make the plain white rice easier to enjoy. The Mac salad was bland and all you got was the mayo flavor. The slaw was also bland and was essentially plain coleslaw without any dressing. On a positive note, I liked the decor of the space which paid homage to Hawaiian and notable people of Hawaiian descent. The space was clean and the staff was friendly and helpful. My order also came out quickly which I appreciated.

Christopher Villegas

Google

Would I drive all the way to Ai Pono just for this food? Probably not. But if you’re here and looking for a place to eat, I’d recommend giving it a try. Like most reviews, make sure you have time. There is always a line even during the week. When I was there, even hotel staff were in line. The atmosphere is my favorite part of this restaurant. Local music, the wood, the pictures, it makes you feel like you’re back home. The food is delicious. Typical plate lunch portion sizes but with Vegas prices so be warned it’s not a cheap place to eat. Employee attitude, I typically don’t base my reviews off of service because that can change dramatically depending on the day and hour you go but for some reason, no one seemed happy there. When you think about the Aloha spirit, you immediately think of a smile. It’s easy to bring local Hawaiian food off the island but the Aloha Spirit can’t be manufactured.

Nette Rab

Google

I've been here a handful of times. This time around, we dined here, and I wanted to eat the non fried noodles for weeks now. Some dishes are very sweet for me, so I offset it with the Asian slaw. I love the guava chicken. ____________________ UPDATE

Josh Gabert

Google

The outside of the restaurant is what brought me in, and who can go wrong with some classic Hawaiian comfort food? Well, the looks were a bit deceiving on this one. While the themes, style, and music were spot on, there was much to be desired in the taste of the food. The rice was cold, the macaroni had almost not flavor, and the meat though covered in gravy was dry. The gravy was the saving grace, adding in the needed savory element to the dish before dousing everything in soy sauce. It may have been what I ordered, but out of your options in the food court, there may be something more appetizing.

Judith Trejo

Google

Came twice. The first time I was blown away on how soft and flavorful the ahi katsu was. Cooked perfectly with the right amount of crisp. The macaroni salad and rice was also very good. I think I paid about $20 plus tax. The second time, the ahi katsu was too chewy, almost hard to eat because the outside was too hard. The rice was also a bit hard. Both times I came on a Friday. This place gets packed with limited seating. Some are family style tables making it hard to sit with others. You can though, sit in the food court which has way more seating. The staff have always been super friendly. Only down I would say it that the music is blasting. I couldn’t hear my friend right next to me.

Eri Yoshida

Google

We ordered takeout because we didn't feel like to eat it inside. but the presentation was great!! The food portion was also good n enough. We got plenty of short ribs n ahi katu. In my opinion, the taste of the food was good. There was a spicy n shoshu poke that I enjoyed very much. It's definitely something I want to try at some point in the future As soon as I get a chance, I will try their chicken Katu and other dishes there.

Elaine Lee

Google

Friendly staff, quick service. I enjoyed the window into the kitchen to watch the food being prepared. Decent rice with a light dash of furikake. Slaw and mac salad were okay. Poke was good. Crack chicken and mahi mahi were a bit dry. They also had li hing candies for purchase- we got gushers.