Chris' Ono Grinds Island Grill: Experience Authentic Hawaiian Flavors in San Diego

Our team loved working with Onos Catering at Flora the Venue! Communication beforehand was excellent, and Andrea was able to answer every question we had, which made planning so much smoother!! They came in prepared, calm, and easy to collaborate with. They treated our space and staff with real care and respect!!!(: Their team stayed kind and steady throughout the event, kept everything flowing, and made service feel seamless for everyone. Our staff, vendors, and guests all noticed the difference! We would work with them again without hesitation. They are a solid partner and a team you can trust!!!(:

Amazing Hawaiian food! It is even tastier than the one I got in Hawaii. Loved BBQ guava pork - super tender pulled pork with pineapple and rice. Poke bowl was amazing as well - fresh tuna and avocado, simple but delicious. The dessert, coconut custard, was a unique and out of this world experience. Definitely recommend !!!

The huli huli chicken was really yummy. It was perfectly cooked and not dry, and the sauce on it tastes similar to what you’d expect while still being unique. The Kalua pork was fine. It had good flavor and some pieces were pretty moist, but some others were dry. The slaw was good, though I generally prefer less creamy slaws, but that’s just my preference. Staff was nice and the food came out fairly quickly. We ate outside and everything was clean and tidy.

Great food, very generous portions and fair prices. Kept it simple with huli huli chicken, white rice, and macaroni salad. All were very good, chicken especially tender and tasty. Free refills on the iced tea and lemonade which is a nice touch. My wife had the spicy poke bowl and mother in law had the volcano with chicken.

I am very impressed by this totally hole in the wall unassuming restaurant! Their huli-huli chicken is so damn good, the spam musubi is also fire. Also tried the kahlua pork, which was just ok in comparison with the other dishes. Pineapple pico and salsas were great also. We’re definitely glad we stumbled upon it. I’ll try the poke next time! There’s no indoor seating, but there’s plenty of outdoor seating. Service is register only. There’s almost no people eating here so it’s a nice quiet place to lunch. A lot of people order their food to go.

My husband and I love coming to this Hawaiian spot! Super fresh ingredients and portion sizes are huge. We either share or we will take food home for left overs! The Huli Huli chicken plate is super flavorful and has the perfect crisp. It also comes with 2 scoops of rice and a side (we got the Mac salad). We have gotten the pork before which is also amazing but after coming so many times the chicken is our staple! We got the spam musubi which is omggggg to die for! I could have had 4 more of those yesterday. The staff is always super helpful! There is outdoor seating, which we have never had a problem grabbing. It can definitely get crowded so even if there aren’t any spots by the time the food comes out something usually opens up. Free water is available too! Still dreaming of the Mac salad and spam musubi which is also super fresh!!!

I tried Chris' Ono Grinds Island Grill in North Park and really enjoyed the Hawaiian flavors. The Huli Huli chicken was juicy and well seasoned, and the portions were generous. The place has a casual, laid-back vibe that makes it great for a quick and satisfying meal. Definitely a good spot in San Diego if you’re craving island-style comfort food.

We came upon this place because of a recommendation from someone who had their shower catered bey Chris' Ono Grind Hawaiian Grill. They said they were great and the food was yummy. So, based on word-of-mouth recommendation, we proceeded to have our event catered (150-ish attendees). There were some issues. I was miles away in the SF Bay Area and my cousin was doing much of the legwork in San Diego. Chris Ono's catering staff was the best! First of all, they are a very smart bunch! They fed my cousin and she proceeded to order what I consider an obnoxious amount of food. In my estimation, enough to feed a small country. Feeling a bit over budget, we made the order and proceeded to pepper the catering rep with questions and refinements right up until our event. As time got near, when I got down to San Diego for our event, we went to their storefront in North Park on 30th St. I call it a storefront because inside there may have been seats, but there is basically a counter where you order and food is generally eaten outside (al fresco) in wonderful San Diego! The food is outstanding! Super fresh, tastes great and in my opinion, has the best macaroni salad (Hawaiian style) outside Hawaii! You get all kinds of food, from the portable (spam musubi), to the full-on meal (rice, salad, and protein). My personal favorite was the steak teriyaki and mac salad. All the dishes have that wonderful umami taste that is original yet oh so Hawaiian! It is a very neighborhood place! On a Friday afternoon, most of the diners were known by name, there is a brisk take-out business, and no one seemed unhappy. When we were talking to our catering rep, one of the diners actually came over to our table and said our event sounded wonderful and wished they could come too! We worried about, well, everything, but having a great meal and having all our concerns taken care of (need more chopsticks or plates? No problemo!) It was a great afternoon, and we left happy and not hungry! (A note here, there are no restrooms on site, but they have an agreement with neighboring places where you can use (clean) facilities). I have to say, the catering rep was outstanding! "On It", prompt, intuitive and eager to do a great job! And a great job they did! All our last-minute concerns were addressed with care and understanding (small driveway, we will come in the smaller van and park as far away from the door as possible!), the driver/delivery person was helpful, efficient and fast with our delivery. She checked in with me before she left to make sure everything was in order! The catering rep deserves to have a medal pinned to her chest and a substantial raise! That's how good she was! The food was out of this world! Many of our guests asked where the food came from and were surprised to find that Chris' Ono Grind catered as well! Stand-outs were the Huli-Huli chicken, Kalbi ribs and Sweet Potato Medallions. (Pro Tip - order extra huli-huli and guava BBQ sauce!) Even though I thought we ordered too much food, there were minimal leftovers! THAT'S the proof of a great meal! All n' all from top to bottom, beginning to end, Chris' Ono Grind Hawaiian was a great experience! Wonderful food, best mac salad outside of Hawaii, and a first-rate catering service! We would hire them again in a minute!