Maguro Spot — Restaurant in Honolulu

Maguro Spot in Honolulu was hands down one of the most garbage dining experiences I’ve ever had. I walked in expecting a decent poke bowl—after all, this is Hawaii where fresh fish is literally everywhere. What I got instead was an overpriced, underwhelming joke of a meal that left me wondering how this place is even still in business.

Let’s start with the scam they call pricing. Over 20 bucks for a bowl that’s basically a tiny pile of rice with a few sad scraps of fish thrown on top. And when I say scraps, I mean I got maybe five or six microscopic pieces of tuna. I paid for a poke bowl, not a scavenger hunt, but here I was sifting through a mountain of rice, trying to find the fish. It’s absolutely criminal to charge that much for such a pathetic amount of protein, especially when fresh fish is basically dirt cheap in Hawaii.

And if you’re expecting them to at least have some health-conscious options like, I don’t know, low-sodium soy sauce—think again. You’d think in a state that’s all about healthy living and sustainability, they’d at least offer something basic like that, but nope. Not here. They couldn’t be bothered to stock something as simple and common as low-sodium soy sauce, which tells me they really don’t give a damn about their customers’ health or preferences. For a place charging ridiculous prices, you’d expect some thoughtfulness in their menu, but that’s clearly not on their radar.

Now, let’s talk about the bizarre COVID policies. It’s 2024 and these guys are still acting like it’s March 2020. Some of their employees were still wearing masks, which felt completely ridiculous at this point. Most places have moved on, but not Maguro Spot. Nope, they’re stuck in some pandemic time warp, enforcing outdated rules that just make the whole experience feel awkward and uncomfortable. I don’t mind being cautious, but come on—this level of paranoia is just over the top.

Oh, and the false advertising? Don’t even get me started. I ordered fish roe as one of my toppings, and what I got looked absolutely nothing like the photos they plaster all over the place. The pictures show this vibrant, generous portion of roe, but what I received was a tiny, depressing sprinkle that looked like it had been sitting out for hours. It’s like they’re trying to trick you into thinking you’re going to get something amazing, only to serve you the most half-assed version possible. If you enjoy being lied to by a restaurant, then hey, this place is for you.

And don’t expect much from the extra toppings you pay for, either. I forked over more cash for additional toppings, but what did I get? A bowl of rice with maybe one or two pieces of what I actually ordered. It’s like they think rice is the star of the show here because that’s pretty much all you’re getting. Paying extra for toppings and getting almost nothing is straight-up theft. They should be ashamed.

In the end, Maguro Spot is a complete dumpster fire. The food is overpriced, the portions are a joke, and the whole experience is wrapped in outdated COVID nonsense. The false advertising and skimping on everything just seal the deal. Honestly, I don’t know how anyone walks out of this place feeling anything other than ripped off. Save yourself the hassle, the money, and the frustration—avoid this place like the plague. It’s a piece of shit restaurant, through...

I experienced discriminatory treatment at this restaurant.

Last night, I ordered a Special Rainbow bowl, and the staff told me I was order number 1. While waiting, a staff member holding a takeout box looked at me. I politely stepped forward and asked, “Number 1?” He didn’t respond verbally but simply held up one finger.

As a customer who had clearly confirmed my number aloud, it was entirely reasonable to interpret that gesture as confirmation. So I took the meal.

I sat down, opened the box, and took a bite—only to realize I didn’t like it.I chose not to throw it away in front of others, out of respect for the restaurant’s image.

Then, the same staff member came after me and accused me of taking the wrong meal with a hostile attitude, as if I had done something wrong. He said the one-finger gesture meant I should “wait for one more.” But I had already clearly confirmed my order verbally. He never clarified, never spoke, just used a vague gesture. The misunderstanding was caused by the staff, yet I was blamed.

I offered to return the wrong item and simply asked for what I had ordered. They refused, instead offering to add Special Rainbow sauce to the incorrect dish. Trying to be understanding, I agreed, and asked for the seaweed salad that was originally supposed to come with my order.

Then someone who seemed to be a manager came out. Instead of apologizing, he kept pointing out that the incorrect dish I received was $4 more expensive and that they had “given me free seaweed salad.” But: • My original order already came with seaweed salad. • I never wanted the incorrect, more expensive item. • They forced it on me, then acted like I had received some kind of favor.

The most painful part was not just the poor handling of a simple mistake, but the way they used their language advantage to twist the facts, silence me, and shift the blame entirely onto me. I was calm, respectful, and cooperative, yet was treated as if I were at fault.

What made it worse—and truly confirmed the double standard—was that I witnessed the staff apologize sincerely to a white couple for a different issue. They received kind, respectful treatment, while I, an Asian woman, was met with defensiveness, hostility, and denial.

So I want to ask this restaurant: If a customer clearly confirms their number aloud, and the staff responds with only a vague hand gesture, isn’t it likely to cause confusion? If the food wasn’t mine, why didn’t anyone say so at the moment of confirmation? When a service mistake happens, is it acceptable to deflect blame, suppress the customer’s voice, and act as if they’re the problem? Why are apologies offered selectively—only to white customers?

If a business cannot acknowledge its mistakes and treats customers with such clear bias, how can anyone trust them to serve food or offer service with integrity? This wasn’t a simple miscommunication—it was a dismissive, disrespectful, and possibly prejudiced response that left me feeling deeply hurt...

It’s not an eat in place, so atmosphere doesn’t even matter. The menu is super confusing for me, personally, when there are barely any explanations. Like what does “poke only” and “poke salad” mean? Which dishes have rice and which dishes have salad greens? What about half and half? How much would that be? The food was great, but also not great when people can’t get your order right and you don’t end up getting what you want to eat. I went a second time and told them they got my order wrong last time, and didn’t find out until I was back at my room, and they were already closed. They told me I could call like I didn’t try, which I did, BUT THEY WERE CLOSED and I didn’t get to talk to anyone. The guy taking my order this time just nodded his head like it wasn’t his business that I got the wrong toppings last time (2 days ago). Thankfully, someone else told yet another 3rd person who cheerfully came up to me and said it was a misunderstanding (was it?) and said he will add the toppings for me this time. Okay, he tried to fix the problem, great! But when I got my bowl, it had EVERY topping on it EXCEPT one of the TWO toppings I wanted! I only wanted 2! Good thing I checked before leaving this time, and the person I notified took my bowl to the person adding toppings who then plopped a bunch of the topping I asked for on top of my bowl. I was lucky the message at least got passed on to someone who cares about righting wrongs. I was fully prepared for them to just shrug it off.

In conclusion, the food is good. It’s great. Fish is fresh, toppings are tasty. Service and competence leaves much room for...