Michcella T.
Yelp
So nice, we visited twice! I was lucky enough to spend 10 glorious days at the Jersey Shore, and this restaurant was recommended to me by both family and acquaintances. I'm so happy that there is a Hawaiian restaurant at the Jersey Shore! What a great find. I enjoyed it so much that I went there twice during my 10 day trip.
The restaurant is definitely a bistro, as it is on the smaller side, even with outdoor seating. In fact, the kitchen is open, so you can peek in and seek the chefs making the magic happen. We called ahead for reservations both times, which I highly recommend, as this place gets packed pretty quickly. Also, there is a TINY parking lot, and it is unreliable. I definitely suggest either ubering or giving enough time for parking, as it took us nearly a half hour to find parking for this place! It is, however, worth it.
For a bistro, the menu is pretty sizeable, offering an array of appetizers, salads, soups, and meat and fish entrees. (There is also a kids menu, which they don't advertise on the regular menu.) Each night, Ohana also provides specials, including a daily rotating spring roll selection.
For our first visit, we opted for the short rib spring rolls (on the special) and the pork tacos. Bother were tasty, albeit the spring rolls were a bit heavy between the richness of the short rib and the fry grease. Heavy, but tasty! We also opted for fish - I ordered the pecan maple salmon, and the came out so hot and fresh that I couldn't eat it! The salmon was cooked perfectly and the pecan and maple topping was *chef's kiss.* My mother ordered the ceab cakes and I have to say, after trying a bite, they were the BEST crab cakes I have eaten in a long time. In fact, I enjoyed them so much that I ordered them my second time around, along with the Hawaiian salad, which was a fresh and tasty starter salad.
It's worth mentioning that the portions at Ohana are 'just right.' I think many restaurants offer larger-than-life portions just because they can - not so with Ohana. The portions would be considered average, but you know you're getting made-to-order, quality food. (For example, the crab cakes come with just bean salsa and chipotle aioli - seems like it wouldn't be enough, but it is, especially with an app.) Also, they offer a daily selection of fresh veggies as a side. They just steam the veggies, which is fine, but it seems a bit underwhelming compared to the rest of the menu selection.
For our second time around, we arrived a bit early for our reservation. While they couldn't take us, they did offer to open our bottle of wine as we sat outside for our reservation, which was perfect. The hostess even brought out a bucket for our wine, too.
Finally, the staff at Ohana are friendly, knowledgeable, and really seem to care about the place.
We will be adding this into our rotation of restaurants down the shore! It is worth the trip from Seaside.