Ono Hawaiian BBQ — Restaurant in Alameda

Wasn’t expecting much but wow. I ate like an animal while driving and I came out a gentleman. Got the island fish and bbq chicken combo. The bbq chicken was tender, juicy, grilled to perfection with a crisp and sweet bite. You know when something isn’t bursting with different flavors but it just focuses on one and it does it well? They somehow managed to focus on the one satisfying flavor you want in a piece of bbq chicken. Then the island fish, crispy fried but not heavy, tender and succulent, it was as if it was marinated in a flavorful broth before frying it. With other Hawaiian places, it’s too much of this or too much of that or not enough but here it’s different. The flavors are on point and the island fish flavor stays with me. I’m still thinking about it like how is it that good? The Mac salad was extremely fresh, there’s even an Al dente bite to the mac. The rice had a very subtle hint of seaweed flavor. Made me feel like I was on the beach eating this meal.

Now I really want to go back and order the same things again. I have to since it’s all gone and I don’t have any pics.

This was right when they opened around 11 am on Thursday, service was great as well. And environment is really warm and friendly. I’m coming back cuz it hit a lot of spots that I can’t even explain:)

Edit: the island fish wasn’t good. It was incredible. The flavor is still in my mind I still don’t know how they did it. I’m thinking of all the fried fish I’ve had this was the best. It’s crazy I know but I would go back there again and again for the fish because it had such a unique and hearty brothy...

This is the kind of cooking you can catch a whiff of while strolling through small towns of the Hawaiian Islands.

Ono provides these dishes in a fashion that reminds me of Maui. And you can always make your life easier by saying “take-out” every single time. This make shipping the leftovers to your home refrigerator a breeze. Yes; there will probably be too much to finish at once unless you have an Hawaiian warrior appetite.

I always appreciate the integrity of a food establishment that permits watching what goes on in the kitchen. This particular location has at times inquired about some details for my order while it’s being cooked.

Parking is easy as this is a big mall parking lot.

This place makes excellent rice! Don’t over look the rice. I’m pretty sure the rice is Japanese style.

While the food is cooking to fill my order, I can get a few small condiment cups filled with the sauces I want to have with the meal.

Are you from Hawaii? You can ask for chopsticks! Are you from anyplace else? Get the chopsticks! Everyone gets better with practice.

Can beverages may be authentic too.

Very clean restaurant.

Plenty of indoor seating for this neighborhood on Alameda Island. From one island to another.

The employees have always been courteous to me. They help me navigate the menu so I can get the exact combo I’m craving....

This place was good when it first opened. I do not write reciews often, but the customer service was horrible. The two young women behind the counter were too busy discussing the trouble they had gotten into with their boss rather then taking my order correctly. No wonder they had gotten in trouble! They left the food sitting on the counter for about 5 minutes before I brought it to their attention that they hadn't called out the number. Got the food home and the chicken katsu was chopped to death rather than in slices. Then I spent half the night with an upset stomach. Some people aren't cut out for customer service. I worked and managed customer service for many of my younger years and I would have fired the two ladies behind the counter by now if this is consistent behavior. There are plenty of people that would kill for a job at the moment and love to...