Ohana Hawaiian Cafe — Restaurant in Milwaukie

Based on reviews, I drove across the river to eat at this cafe. I walked in to an empty restaurant and was seated promptly. I was handed a menu, opened it, and almost spit out my water while looking at the prices of the food. My gut instinct told me to walk away but my stomach took over and I ordered the Macadamia Nut Crusted Chicken. It came with one scoop of rice and one scoop of mac salad. It was laid nicely on a small amount of cabbage slaw. It also came with some pineapple marmalade. My entree cost $24. It was basically Chicken Katsu. I did not taste any macadamia nut and the portions were not anything you would think with the price tag it came along with. A can of soda is $3. My brain finally took over again and I tried to cancel my order, but it was already prepared, so I took it to go so I didn’t have to pay any tip on this outrageously priced meal. I could have gotten two orders of Chicken Katsu at Roxy’s Island Grill with twice the rice and twice the Mac salad. I will never return again, as I am so mad at myself for paying this much for such an entree. The food was decent, but nothing that constitutes paying double the price of, which any other Hawaiian grill could replicate. If you want to pay way too much for your next meal, this is the place for you. Otherwise, steer clear people. Steer clear.

Disregard the Sriracha sauce on the food but here is the photo of my food before I consumed it. $24 for this plate. Do you think it’s worth...

Convenient in a pinch, but not my go-to for island flavors.

We ordered takeout for dinner on 6/18, total came to $78. Overall, the food was okay, but not particularly memorable.

-Short ribs: Disappointing. Mostly fat, heavily soaked in teriyaki sauce, and ultimately forgettable. Not the kind of "melt-in-your-mouth" you hope for,just... meh. -Spam musubi: Standard. $6 each. Nothing to write home about, but it did the job. -Chicken yakisoba: The chicken came coated in teriyaki sauce, there was no real depth. The noodles were your typical yakisoba, serviceable, but nothing special. -Garlic Shrimp Salmon (listed on menu in Yelp app) wasn't available. Instead, we were offered deep-fried mahi mahi, which turned out to be the surprise semi-win of the meal. The seasoning on the fish was actually decent, though it was a bit overcooked and came with way too much breading. -Mac salad and steamed rice came as sides with the short ribs and mahi. The mac salad lacked flavor, kind of just... there. Rice was standard.

The Yelp menu also listed coconut haupia, which wasn't on the actual menu when we ordered. They did have pineapple haupia listed online, which I might circle back to try one of these days.

If you're feeling dinner decision fatigue, Ohana is convenient for those lives nearby, but it wouldn't be my first choice for Hawaiian food in Portland. The...

09/24/16: 4.5 out of 5 - Phoned ordered the Teriyaki Fried Chicken, Palau Salt Rub Ribs, and a few pies. Got it home and it was excellent. Only suggestion I would recommend for take home orders is to put a few holes on the container so the steam doesn't accumulate insider. Otherwise, it's excellent!

05/31/16: 5 out of 5 - Had lunch here with a business associate and friend. Everyone enjoyed the Teriyaki Fried Chicken, which is amazing! However, I opted for the Palehu (Hawaiian Salt Rub) Ribs. The food was so good that I forgot to take photos to share.

So, go there and try it once and decide for yourself. I'll be going back for more.

05/15/16: 5 out of 5 - Ordered Large Teriyaki Fried Chicken and Chicken Yakisoba to go. Got home and immediately got into the food because it smelled amazing in drive home. What I realized was that it was SO DELICIOUS that I forgot to post pictures for the readers. Sorry folks, but there will be a next time!

04/21/16: 5 out of 5 - I keep coming back for more with friends and family. Must mean I like it. I would recommend trying the Teriyaki Fried Chicken and share the Ohana Plate.

02/01/15: Friendly service & good Hawaiian foods...and that Coconut...