Pono Pacific Kitchen — Restaurant in Grover Beach

Unfortunately I was SO hungry that I didn’t take pictures here, but our experience was amazing. Let me start by saying that the service was amazing, our server was so attentive with refills and describing the dishes she was placing in front of us and seemed quite happy to do it, I appreciate that attention to detail. Went to their 4-6pm Happy Hour. From that menu we ordered the She Crab Soup, Spicy Tuna Nachos and the Mahi Tacos. The Spicy tuna nachos came first and were a bit of a let down(the absolute only let down of the night!) , whatever the tuna was marinated in muddled the taste of the fish itself a lot. I don’t believe the cucumbers were very fresh bc they gave off a bit of a bitter taste, and there was a bit too much of sauce drizzle on some of the pieces. But a good portion! Next came the soup, initially we thought the broth was a little sweet due to the amount of sherry, but that was quickly void when we got a bite of crab w it. Incredible combo, went wonderfully together along w the tiny chives. I loved the mango salsa on the tacos and the radish gave the perfect crunch. From the main menu we also got the Japanese Hamachi, let me tell you, this was a unique dish. Aguachile style dish with the fish, Galia melon and cucumber with an olive oil drizzle. I was not expecting how wonderful the melon tasted with the fish, unexpected pairing. We savored this down to the last bite, so flavorful and well balanced. The bitterness of the olive oil went especially nice with the melon. We topped it all off with some bread and whipped Brie butter that also had some rosemary, salt and pepper on it. The perfect dessert for us. Unfortunate that we are on our way back down to San Diego and can’t come to this...

Excellent Asian / Hawaiian / Californian fusion place. All we've had was seafood (but they also have short ribs, filet mignon, etc.), so this review focuses on the fish.

And what fish! This is the second time we've eaten there, and we came away impressed both times. Between both visits my wife and I have had the special scallops with pork belly, macadamia nut ahi ahi, and the shichimi crusted ahi - all wonderful. Every entrée has a beautiful sauce and is plated like a Michelin-starred restaurant. The fish is fresh, cooked to perfection, and utterly delicious. Plus, the portions are just right, no "two bites and you're done" here.

Last night we started with an excellent ceviche, very different than what you're used to (no chips). On our earlier visit we had the duck confit spring rolls, which were rich with duck, yet overall pretty light due to the impressively light crunchy exterior.

We finished with chocolate cake with a scoop of banana ice cream. Just right.

I'm sort of hesitant to write such a glowing review because it would be a shame if the place became so popular we couldn't get a reservation. But Preston Tripp (Chef) and partner Ashlee Alewine (front of the house) deserve all the praise we can give them. They've created a light airy space that serves outstanding seafood dishes right here in San Luis Obispo County. And that's...

Pono Pacific Kitchen is one of the best restaurants we have here on the Central Coast. The dishes are expertly prepared, with well thought out flavors & the freshest of ingredients. We came for our daughter's birthday, the staff made us feel so welcome. I ordered the garlic shrimp which was clearly marked as a gluten free option & it was amazing! My husband, daughter's partner & youngest son ordered the lamb chops & the owner took the time to greet us & inform us the lamb was not going to be on the menu any longer. I found this to be thoughtful info as they really enjoyed the dish & would have wanted to order it again. Our daughter had the short ribs...omg this was melt in your mouth perfect & the truffled au gratin potato side dish paired perfectly. Our middle son had the butterfish & said it was incredible...must have been since he didn't share a bite! I have been thinking about this meal for days...we will be back for our next date night. We're just so pleased there is a place in our tiny town that will transport your senses to the Hawaiian islands all complete with Aloha from...