Pono Hawaiian Grill Downtown Santa Cruz

A causal Hawaiian restaurant in downtown Santa Cruz. You order the food at the front, pick a table to sit at, and they serve the food to your table. Price is average. Food was quite good. The salmon in the poke was fresh but lacks flavor or side dishes that we have seen in other places. The kuala pork was good but a bit too salty. Staff were friendly. Overall a decent place to eat at.

This place was awesome. The ambiance is very relaxed, with an indoor area that is spacious and has TVs and a bar. The outdoor area has turf, picnic tables, umbrellas, small lawn games, and is very dog friendly. You order yourself and the front and bring the number to your seat. The food came out extremely fast and hot, and was SO good. The Korean Kalbi was 10/10, and the poke was phenomenal as well. We also got the wings which we highly recommend. They also have hawaiian canned juice beverages that you can buy as well!

Fantastic restaurant in downtown Santa Cruz! Highly highly highly recommended. They have a fantastic happy hour menu that works out perfectly. But regular prices are very reasonable as well. You literally can't go wrong here. Inside is very comfortable with a lovely bar, and outside as a great casual feel that's great for individual, families, or couples. Awesome they have live music performances which is just the best!!

Went to lunch here today and it was delicious! We got the teriyaki beef, chicken wings and poke. The menu seems very authentic with all the different spam dishes, and macaroni salad. Everything was very tasty! Service was quick and friendly! The place was much larger than I expected coming in I thought it would be small it was pretty large with an outside patio.

Some of the best Hawaiian food I've had outside of Hawaii. Arrived around 4:45 (parking in the back), got a beer and sat down outside whilst I figured out what I wanted to eat. Finished the "Socks and Sandals" beer and went back to order food. In that short time, a line had amassed out the door and around the back towards the parking lot. Took about 12 to 15 minutes to get to the ordering station (10 feet directly from the main entrance). In hindsight, I would happily wait twice that long in line just to order. Everything was so fantastic I forgot to take pictures of most the items. I ordered a Chicken Katsu, Braddah Timmy's Ahi Bowl with extra Ahi, wings, and Kal-Bi Short ribs. The environment and service were both as equally phenomenal as the food. I ended up going back a few days afterwards to pickup another order of the Kal-Bi short ribs and the "Mama Kathy's Teri chicken". Not one thing I saw, smelled, or tasted fell short. Can't recommend this place enough. Must visit 🙌🤤 Update: 3/20/25 Been here and it's other location, multiple times since writing the above review. Still FIVE stars!!!!!!!

Good food, fast service, unique and not common take on dishes. The combo plate was really good, and if you are looking for fried options, any of their katsu is fantastic. I want to commend the bar tender. He was serving plates, beer, walking around making sure everyone was okay then back to the bar!

Ordered some takeout for pickup, the place had a great atmosphere and I’d definitely had liked having the opportunity to dine in. Food was good. I got the Chicken Katsu Plate, my only complaint was that the chicken was too thin. I’d 100% recommend you get it with the siracha aioli, i liked it more than the sauce it came with. Good portions for the price.

Nicest staff ever, so helpful and kind! Our food came coral quickly, and was so incredibly delicious. The building and decorations are so cute and festive, plus fun music. They have indoor and outdoor seating!

Five years later and this place is still amazing! We went to Natural Bridges to celebrate new years eve and then came here for lunch. It was buzzing with people and we got a picnic table outside. They had lots of toys for the kids. I quickly ordered for the 3 of us to share: 1) Wings (thai spice) 2) Basket of fries 3) 1 hazy ipa and an Ube sparkler cocktail 4) the Pono plate (short rib, steak, chicken, rice, macaroni salad) Everything was so tasty and fresh. Even the leftovers were delicious the next day. My fave was the short ribs which were so tender and flavorful. And to wrap up the year, I loaded up on their perfect fries. Cheers!

Chicken katsu as thin as my fork. Not worth $15. No meat, no flavor, had to force myself to finish it. The musubi was $5, and came with some gelatinous almost goo-like sauce, and just did not taste good at all. This is my second time here. The first time had poke that I couldn't even finish. Really wanted to like this spot but it's my last time here unfortunately.

Such a cute spot for Hawaiian food. I love how the decorations are little reminders of Hawaii, the signs on the wall, the surfboard menu, to the music playing. We ordered the teriyaki bowl and ginger chilli shoyu bowl. Both plates were great! The poke was fresh and tasty. The ginger taste was a bit overpowering in some bites. The chicken in the teriyaki bowl was a bit dry, but the sauce and the veggies helped combat that. The star of the show was the Ube Colada. It made me wish I was back in Hawaii laying out in the sun with this drink in my hand. Super refreshing, and the taste of ube was perfect to the taste of colada! I will dream of this drink everyday and wish I lived closer.

It's definitely a place to vibe and chill! The food is delicious, it's not as good as Hawai'i but does it do its justice! The people are great too. The place itself is gorgeous. Would definitely come again. It was cold in Santa Cruz when we came but I know the backyard would be the place to be.

I like the spam musubi. Their brownie is huge and delicious. I usually get the teriyaki bowl.

What a cool little spot! Very friendly service, very laid back. Friendly people too. I was by myself and a family asked to share the table. Food was pretty good too. I had a combo platter to try everything. Some of the food was out of my depth. (Hadn't had it much or ever)....parking to get in was a little rough but I managed.

That is so awesome there is a hawaiian food place like this in Santa Cruz! Came back from Hawaii and missing the hawaiian food. Found this place on yelp after paddleboarding at Seabright beach. Outside is a bright fun mural and inside feels like a bar but the place is really enjoyed eating at was the backyard patio they have! It has turf grass and seats in the sun and also in the shade! I got the poke combo with avocado tomato and my bf got the BBQ combo with kalbi and coconut shrimp. It was yummy!! It comes with macaroni and "kimchi". The poke wasnt my fav flavor maybe but it was fresh. I liked the kalbi and the coconut curry and macaroni alot. The sauces they give are the sweet and sour sauce and a brown sweet teriyaki sauce? I enjoyed the food, just a note that the girl taking our order had alot of attitude and gave me a hard time ordering which was uncalled for and left me with a bad taste.

My companion went to school in Santa Cruz and said he'd occasionally dine at Pono. While in Santa Cruz for work, he suggested we grab lunch here before I went to work. Living in Hawaiʻi for the last several years, I know what authentic Hawaiian food tastes like; so I'm skeptical of mainland Hawaiian restaurants. Let's just say Pono was a pleasant reminder of what I've missed. When you enter the restaurant, the laid-back and open atmosphere immediately hits you. It's airy, loud, and decorated with island-inspired decorations. There's a bar and a stage where they occasionally have performers. Ordering is easy and done at the register where you receive your number and your food is brought to you. Our meals came out quickly. Not many places serve Hawaiian cuisine, so I was overjoyed. I ordered the Hawaiian Kalua Pork while he had the Mahi Mahi Katsu. Both our plates came with rice, mac salad, and kimchi. The kalua pork was juicy and a hefty portion. I felt like the cabbage needed more flavor because it was ultra soft and a weird texture. The mahi mahi was flaky and resembled a fish and chip taste. I felt like overall it was good for the mainland but definitely not like the islands. Pono Hawaiian Grill is a fun spot to try in Santa Cruz. With the lively atmosphere, affordability, and good food I can see why it's a cool place. Find them off Union Street with street parking.

This spot is a vibe! It's an order first, grab your seat and the food will come to you! You order your adult beverages separately, they have a wide variety of beers. But I love their mocktail options.

Sort of ranted a bit then felt bad. Really tho 2 out of 3 for good quality food and quick service. I love how they have a lot of options on their menu and allow chicken as protein option. For those that can't eat pork, like myself. Just wish they could make the quality consistent.

WOW! Great vibes, live music, outdoor seating, and great decorations. We have decided to come here during lunch during our visit in Santa Cruz area. They have a great selection of Hawaii cuisine from seafood, poke, loco moco, etc. Service was friendly and food came out surprisingly fast despite the crowdedness. Highly recommend. Pono Seafood Combo - coconut shrimp, mahi-mahi katsu, Kalbi ribs. This dish comes with 2 scoops of rice, kimchi, and mac salad. Coconut shrimp was FLAVORFUL - packed with potent coconut and the crispiness batter as soon as you take a bite of it. When dipped with sweet and sour sauce, everything balanced each other out - impressive! Fish Katsu was good but not my favorite. Kalbi ribs was juicy, tender, topped with BBQ sauce. The portion could be for 2 people to share. Kalua Pork Fries - Signature pulled park over fries with cheese, jalapenos, spicy aioli. This combo was fire - fries were well done, pork was soft, sauce was tasty, and mostly importantly - richness in the cheeessseee. I packed it home and air-fried the leftovers. It came out exactly the same as when I got it at the restaurant.

This restaurant is maybe 10 mins walk from downtown Santa Cruz. The vibe is a combo of sports bar and seafood restaurant with a great selection of Hawaiian food. We ordered: - Pono combo plate: comes with a great presentation of kalua pork, seasoned rice, seaweed and kimchi. $25. Maybe a bit overpriced considering it's primarily non seafood. Tastes great though. - Ahi poke with ginger chili shoyu flavor: 10/10 with a slight kick. - Musubi with spam: 10/10 and must try. $5 for two pieces. Service was great and top notch. The only thing that surprised us a bit was the total bill of $70+. We later learned through city charges a fee for credit card transactions ($4??). While we acknowledged the quality and variety of the food, given the food we ordered it should not exceed $50 in my opinion.

Great decision to come here. No regrets! They have a wonderful indoor and outdoor space. The patio has umbrellas, picnic tables and heat lamps. Perfect!

The staff were super friendly and helpful. I ordered the tropical ahi poke bowl and found it pretty filling and tasty. My boyfriend got the fish burger and said it met his standard. The place has a bar area if you want to sit close to the 4 TVs, they also had plenty of tables as well. We went at night during dinner time and noticed it was quiet and the service was quick. They have a large parking lot so it was easy to find parking.

I came here on a Sunday evening, and it wasn't too busy for the time we arrived. We had a table of 8, so we decided to sit outside on one of the tables. The server offered to turn on the heater for us since it was super windy outside, and it was much appreciated! I ordered the Hawaiian Kalua Pork and asked to replace one of the scoops of rice with a side of coleslaw. The dish came with the Kalua pork, one scoop of rice, one scoop of mac salad, one small side of kimchi, and one small side of coleslaw, and the portions were perfect! I kinda wished I had more mac salad, but I think everyone always wishes they were given more mac salad at Hawaiian places. Please note that the kimchi is not Korean kimchi... it was very sour and also a little sweet? If you're looking for authentic kimchi, bring your own. One thing that was really disappointing was the pork itself. It was well cooked and pulled apart very well, but it was very bland overall. I thought it could have used more seasoning and more... life? It had a few pieces of steamed cabbage, but the pork itself was sitting in a big pool of liquid- water or oil, I don't know. The pork made the dish very subpar, even if the side dishes were shining. If I returned, I would order something else entirely. But from the looks of it, none of my friends really enjoyed their food either, so I would probably avoid this place altogether.

We went on a Tuesday for lunch and it wasn't very busy. We tried several of the combo plates and appetizers so we could try a little bit of everything. Food came out quickly and service was friendly. Pulled pork, shrimp and mac salad were all good. Bbq chicken and beef were a little dry. Food was similar to fast Hawaiian bbq, but nicer presentation and more $$$.

Recently stopped by this location after visiting their location in Capitola several times. We sat on their outside patio which I loved. It's so cute and spacious. I tried their chicken katsu place which was delicious. Their burger was also very good. They have tv's inside and it is nice and relaxing outdoors. I love the location since it's in downtown and can walk around the area before/ after. You order at the counter and someone will take your food to the table when ready. Definitely recommend!

Love there mammas chicken plate, only complaint is that sometimes not enough.........................

We had the poke combo plate and it was so so so good!!!!! The Kalua pork melted in my mouth and it was once of the best kalua pork I had in area!! I have tried plenty of kalua pork in the Bay, but it never tasted the same as the one I had in Hawaii. I like that they also offer wasabi aioli as an option for the poke! That's something you do not see often at poke places for their sauces. We tried this and I think it was pretty good, but it wasn't as spicy as I hoped it would be! However, I would probably come back and try the other poke flavors they offer. Additionally, they have an outdoor patio, which was great because the weather was so nice that day! Our friends also got engaged this weekend!! Overall it was a good experience! :-)

Good food.Goid service.My friend and I came here to hear his nephew play in a band yere.We got an appetizer of coconut shrimp with sweet chili sauce to dip it into to share.Very yummy .I recommend this place

We came to grab something small on a Sunday night and was surprised it was a full house. We ended up getting outdoor seating and asked for them to turn on the heaters. We initially came here to try the Mac salad but when trying to order they said they were out & didn't know when they'd have more. We had also asked another waitress who said they only make one batch a day so there was no more. Granted it was only 6:30, and we saw other tables after us receiving Mac salad so it was pretty disappointing. We ended up asking about it before we left and they had more so decided to try it. The noodles were undercooked and it was firm & chewy. The flavor was more on the peppery side so wasn't my cup of tea. The pork kalua quesadilla was good. Portion was large & the pork was soft. I think the whole thing could've been toasted a bit longer. Parking: street metered parking & a nearby lot w/ 3 hrs free parking. Had really high expectations but probably won't be coming back.

Great food, good vibes, and excellent service! I could hang out here all day! Started with the Pono wings spicy pele, delicious! And of course had to try the $5 mai tai for happy hour. My boyfriend and I shared the Hawaiian fish n chips, tasty and more than enough for the both of us. I was quite impressed with the quality here, both food and drinks. I also couldn't help but notice the playlist was on point too, reggae music makes everybody feel good! This place is a rare gem and I see myself coming back next time I'm in town.

Above and beyond my expectation. I came on a Saturday afternoon for lunch. Poke with salad was amazing. Spam moco and fish & chips were decent too. The best part was they got plenty of sitting and got to watch some Olympic Games. Very chill environment. Servers were very friendly. A nice place for hang out. Will definitely come back if I am around the area again.

We stopped in for happy hour drinks after work because of the sign out front and the prices ! Ordered 2 Passion Fruit Margaritas because the sign said they were $5 bucks Bartender makes the drinks and then says that will be $16 bucks. We mentioned the sign outside says $5 so our total should be $10 He explains the price on the sign is wrong and it should say $8 He isn't gonna honor the signs pricing Why Not just honor the price for us and then go adjust the price on the sign . That would be good customer service and keep people coming back again for happy hour ! The food is always amazing here and we love ambiance

I was in Santa Cruz for the day and decided to grab dinner at Pono. I'm so glad I did! We were there on a Wednesday, and they have karaoke 7-10 every Wed which added to the vibe. The outdoor seating looked really nice, but since we came as the sun was setting, it made more sense to sit indoors. It wasn't crowded at all when we came right before 6 pm, so we could take our pick of the seating. You order first at the window or bar and then find a seat. We ordered at the bar since we were getting drinks and food. They offer happy hour Tue to Fri 3-6 pm which includes deals on both food and drink. From the happy hour menu, we ordered onion rings ($6) to share as well as two cocktails: the house margarita ($8) and the Aloha Vibes ($10). For our main, I went with the kalbi short rib plate ($17) with steamed veggies subbed for the mac salad, and my friend went with the chicken katsu sando special ($13). I loved my Aloha Vibes cocktail. It was quite fruity and sweet and exactly what I was looking for. The kalbi plate was just okay. The kalbi was a bit tougher than what I'm used to and was hard to chew apart, but the flavor was good and it went well with the rice and steamed veggies. If I'm ever in the area again, I'll probably try a different entree. My friend enjoyed his chicken katsu sando and onion rings. Karaoke started promptly at 7 pm and it was fun to hear what everyone was singing. I wish I could've stayed longer but alas, we still had a long drive home waiting for us. I would highly recommend Pono for fun Hawaiian vibes in Santa Cruz! We paid close to $70 for two drinks, an app, plus two entrees. Not bad!

Pono is a deliciously fresh Hawaiian joint with the ability to customize different pokes and get pretty darn healthy (if you want to). You can also get very plate lunchy, katsu-panko-fatty-crunchy here too which makes for a dope beach town juxtaposition of dietary choices. A very family friendly gem; Pono is another establishment indicative of the culinary renaissance happening in Santa Cruz now. Service is window order with prompt numbered table delivery...portions were huge and I was happy. When I was a slug, food in SC was super limited which always made me sad as the bounty of ingredients in the area is amazing! Now, chefs are doin' way more cool things in the Cruz and unpretentious and delicious places like Pono are at the forefront of accessible delicious grub in one of my favorite and most beautiful places on Earth

A place full of good vibe, friendliness and tasty healthy choices. The reception lady is extremely helpful. Poke bowl you basically can design your own bowl by switching a few items, and when the dish is brought up, it's even bigger than I thought - with a good portion of healthy ingredients such as giant salad and seaweeds. Hubby ordered a chicken katsu that he enjoys but cant finish. what i especially liked is the band performers are testing and practice live! The accapella is so good that you don't even need instruments. But the rest of the band is so supportive each others and being considerate of the audience/customers. They frequently checked the best quality of sound and harmony with the shop. There are some outside seating as well at the back of the shop, but I like the band so I sit on the high tables. I'm really impressed.

Went to lunch here today and it was delicious! We got the teriyaki beef, chicken wings and poke. The menu seems very authentic with all the different spam dishes, and macaroni salad. Everything was very tasty! Service was quick and friendly! The place was much larger than I expected coming in I thought it would be small it was pretty large with an outside patio.

Def recommend trying happy hour it's a great place to go with friends. Love all the decor!!

We were here on vacation and this was our favorite place to eat. The restaurant has high ceilings and an open space, creating a comfortable fresh ambience. The food was fresh and delicious.

I ordered a chicken katsu plate and paid $17.61. The chicken was crispy and I was also a fan of the kimchi. However, the portion size of the Mac was a bit disappointing.

We ordered a couple of their teriyaki bowls. I had the chicken katsu and my spouses sandwich had the pork. Both proteins were cooked and related great. The seasonal vegetables didn't taste like they were cooked as both the carrots and broccoli were very crunchy at room temperature. The seaweed rice was also good.

This was our first time at Pono Hawaiian Grill and we had a great time! The food and service were amazing! Our bartender was awesome - super friendly with great recommendations for beers and drinks! I love the decor in the restaurant and it gave me such great beach vibes. Love this gem of a restaurant! We will definitely be back!

Really yummy food! I got the chicken katsu plate and my boyfriend got the vegan poke bowl. The chicken was a bit dry but overall, I really enjoyed it. They have beautiful live music and the pricing is super reasonable. I will definitely be back and am excited to try some other things!

I had the seafood combo plate with KimChee and poi. Everything was fresh and tasty. My kids loved it! The also have a little keiki corner for kids to play with toys. Highly recommend.

My second time here I really enjoy the atmosphere this Sunshine the friendly service and I even met the owner very cool place to hang out! I would definitely recommend it. Karaoke on Wednesdays and live music on the weekends Aloha Vibes only!!

It's Summertime and we've had a couple of opportunities to eat with Pono. One was awesome and the other, just ok. The awesome meal was onsite, and we ordered teriyaki beef plate, the katsu fish and grilled chicken salad, with some coconut shrimp on the side. Everything from that meal was perfect from the incredibly fresh a colorful greens and caramelized BBQ chicken on the salad, the fun plating with the teriyaki beef and tasty strips of BBQ beef, and the crunchy fish plate and side shrimp. A but too much Mayo on the Mac salad for my taste, but it still got eaten. The second meal was a take out order with a salmon poke bowl, seafood and BBQ chicken combo plate, BBQ chicken plate, pork spicy fries, and fried chicken sandwich. The poke bowl was perfect, colorful and fresh and the fries were done well. My younger son had no complaints about the fried chicken sandwich, either. The issue was the BBQ chicken. Both the combo and the plate had nicely marinated, but incredibly dry pieces of chicken. It almost seemed like they got them out of the fridge and put them in the microwave vs having access to fresh cooked. The disappointment in the chicken lost them a star, but the rest was good enough to keep coming back. Probably will stick to eating in next round, though, if chicken is in the order.

My boyfriend and I were hesitant to try this place out since we both were raised in Hawaii. But chicken laulau pulled me in. So let me just say, if you're looking for food that is truly reminiscent of Hawaii, this does not hit the spot. If you're okay with settling, than come through. First off, I asked the girl at the counter if their chicken laulau is good; she nodded. She and the bartender further to proceeded convincing us to come in by telling us that the owner brings all the recipes from Maui and this place is not your L&L (local hawaii takeout place). We overlooked the menu, took a seat outside with our dog and then decided what to order. So come to find out that chicken laulau that was highly recommended - was not even available!!! Don't tell me it's good and then not have it! I have several food allergies which were noted. I am allergic to oranges, grapefruit, chilis of any sort, tomatoes and other nightshades or food with capsaicin. My boyfriend was told that they could make the ginger poke with my allergies in mind. When it arrived to me, however, it had a bunch of jalapeños. We sent it back and then they said they brought the shoyu poke because they actually could not do the ginger poke without chilis. It is interesting to note - the ocean salad also had chili flakes in it but it stayed on the plate anyway. The "shoyu" poke did not look like there was any shoyu on it. Please refer to my pictures. Shoyu is brown, this did not even have a tinge of brown and tasted like sesame oil and citrus. The kalua pork lacked a strong smoky flavor of kalua pork from Hawaii and dry. As far as in the musubi, the seaweed fell apart immediately upon picking it up. Side of mac salad was actually really good. It was giving fresh, homemade, delicious. The side of kimchee was more of pickled vegetables with spicy thrown in versus a kimchee I grew up eating. The entrance had a big painting/ sign that says "aloha vibes". There is no aloha vibes here. It's just vibing serve yourself, no smiles, no "aloha" spirit of the island, and just giving stale vibes. Outside is dog friendly. Has umbrellas for shade, picnic tables and barrels for tables and seating. It is a pretty small area, 8-10 tables max. I didn't quite hear any music from outside. Despite being a full sized restaurant with a full bar, you order at the counter, and the staff will bring your food to your table but they will tell you to "grab your drinks from the bar." Parking is street parking. I believe right in front of the restaurant is $2.25/hr in metered parking. You must pay with coins or use the app.

Something has changed recently. I called to ask if there's a new chef and was told no. Mac salad was so watery I'd call it Mac soup with the flavoring liquid smoke . The pork ... which is usually amazing.. was hella dry and obviously had liquid smoke . It was inedible. The only thing I ate was the rice . Please please go back to the old recipes!! I tried to call and was told nothing changed ... obvi not true. We've been loyal customers since way before Covid.

Decent pricing for the amount of food you get, at least for the teriyaki chicken plates ($15/plate). Neither of us were a fan of the kimchi, it tasted like imitation kimchi coleslaw. The macaroni salad wasn't great either, it didn't have much of a flavor besides mayonnaise. The chicken was good and not dry, but lacked teriyaki sauce. It looked like they drizzled the sauce on top of stacked pieces of thick pieces chicken, so there wasn't enough sauce on a solid amount of chicken. When we asked for more sauce, they said it would cost 25 cents. As a sauce lover, I thought this was uncool. We sat outside under one of the shaded picnic tables, which was nice on a sunny + breezy day. There was plenty of seating available both indoors and outdoors. They had live music going on as well when we were there at 2PM on a Saturday. They bring the food out to you, but you clean up after yourself when finished eating. Overall, food wasn't bad, but I'll opt for somewhere else when in the area again.

First time dining and our overall experience was great! the level of service , the ambiance, and our overall impression of the restaurant is like being at a local restaurant in Hawaii with that aloha vibe. . Great music selection, plenty of TV's to watch football and lots of seating . As for the food they had a real good selection it was hard to choose. The Chicken Katsu was on point it wasn't overcooked and island Mac salad was very tasty we just added a little salt but for the most part our food came hot with no issues. We also ordered a variety appetizer platter this was a huge enough to share with others. My son in law ordered the Kaluha pork sandwich and he said it had a nice flavor and it was moist. Overall we enjoyed our meal and experience and will be back again real soon..

Loved the live music and ambiance overall. Staff was very nice and welcoming. The bbq plate was really enjoyable. I liked the sauciness. The rice was really wet, I liked it for some people in our group they thought it was a bit too mushy. My friends weren't a fan of the kimchi and thought the portion for the Kalua pork was small. But this definitely beats some Hawaiian franchise restaurants.

The food was okay the seaweed salad was the star of the show for me. The ambiance of the restaurant was amazing and its a great spot. The service was great and the cashier was more than helpful.

Love the food and service at both locations! I don't make it in as often as I would like, so some times it's Door Dash. But whether it's in person, or to go... the food has always been consistent! Love the kalua pork plate with rice and Mac salad! And a Mai Tai or Blue Hawaiian to wash it down! Everything there is great, but when I want a taste of the islands this is my go too! New! More ways to react

Santa Cruz is so relaxing and chill, and Pono grill is the perfect lunch spot with island vibes. I was browsing places to eat on Yelp, and one place had a $23 poke bowl o.o and from the pictures it looked small o.O Pono looked more promising, with an extensive menu and reasonable prices. Located on the edge of Downtown Santa Cruz, you can either do metered street parking or park for free a short walk away. We were here at prime lunch time on a Saturday, and it was a good level of busy with a short wait to order. It is quite spacious, with lots of indoor seating and a nice patio area that feels like a cozy back yard. The menu features a variety of poke, Hawaiian BBQ plates if you're hungry, a handful of burgers/sando/salads for good measure, and many enticing appetizers (reminds me of Pacific Catch with the Hawaiian bar food like coconut shrimp, except it feels more small-business. There were so many options! I went with the staff rec of the BRADDAH TIMMY AHI POKE BOWL (delicious seasoning with a kick of chili and house-made kimchi) and hubs went with the SALMON SEVEN ELEMENTS BOWL (pretty classic; the poke was seasoned palatably with ginger and onion) I was pleasantly surprised by how fresh the fish was and how the flavors blended seamlessly. We also tried a BRADDAH TIMMY MAI TAI, featuring house-made lilikoi foam. It was a yummy fruity drink that was very refreshing, and came in a tiki bar cup and garnished with a pineapple slice and orchid flower. I did have a weird experience with the bartender--hubs was seated at a table on the patio, and we were waiting for our food to arrive. I went to the bar indoors and asked to order 2 drinks, and the bartender insisted on seeing 2 ID's. I told him that hubs left his ID in the car that was parked a few blocks away, and joked why the 2 drinks couldn't be for myself. He didn't seem amused, and asked me to take off my sunglasses when checking my ID :\ I get that he's just doing his job and it's a college town, but hubs and I are well over 21 and we usually don't even get carded anymore :') so I was taken aback by how strict the bartender was. I never got to try the other drink I was interested in, but I guess it's their loss too. No stars deducted, because I respect the service industry. Besides the skirmish over the ID checking, my only other feedback point is that the poke arrived in cardboard take-out containers. I did notice the apps seemed to have much more presentable plating. The days of COVID socially distanced take-out eats are long past, so I would suggest using real plates for better aesthetics with dine-in. Total damage for 2 poke bowls + 1 drink was ~$65. The verdict: Pono is a fun place with delicious food and drinks, a nice oasis of Hawaii nestled in Santa Cruz.

I recently visited Pono in Santa Cruz and had the pleasure of trying their poke bowl. I must say, it was one of the best I've ever had! Although the service was a bit slow, the dish more than made up for it. The ambiance was also lovely, with a live singer adding to the pleasant atmosphere. Let's start with the poke bowl itself. The quality of the ingredients was evident from the first bite. The fish was incredibly fresh and flavorful, and the mix of veggies and sauces perfectly complemented the fish. The portion size was generous, leaving me feeling satisfied but not overly full. It was a healthy and tasty meal that left me wanting more. The only downside was the service, which was a bit slow. However, the staff was friendly and attentive, making sure to apologize for the delay and checking on me throughout my visit. Although the wait was longer than expected, the quality of the dish more than made up for it. The ambiance of Pono was also a highlight of my visit. The live singer created a relaxing and enjoyable atmosphere, making it the perfect place to enjoy a meal. The decor was tasteful, with an island-inspired theme that added to the overall appeal. The seating was comfortable, and the space was clean and well-maintained. In conclusion, if you're in the Santa Cruz area and looking for a delicious poke bowl, I highly recommend checking out Pono. Although the service may be a bit slow, the quality of the dish and the pleasant ambiance make it well worth the visit. The live singer adds a special touch that makes the experience even more enjoyable. I'll definitely be returning to Pono for another tasty meal.

Food was great and had a lively ambiance. On top of that we did get a nice show! Would recommend if you wanna eat some really good Hawaiian food in Santa Cruz.

Loco moco meat patty was super small and sauce wasn't that great. Over easy eggs was overcooked with no runny yolk :(

Ambience- surf vibes with a little sports bar feel. Playoffs were in on as well as the WSL event. Service was excellent! Lau Lau was sold out, that was a bummer but that just means it must be ono. Food- Kalbi was sweet and tender and so good. The poke was really good. Fish was fresh. It was really spicy, a lot of chili flakes. Overall, stop in and get some of your local kine grindz.