Chris' Ono Grinds Island Grill - North Park — Restaurant in San Diego

Let me start by saying this: the food is phenomenal. I’ve been back multiple times now, and each visit has confirmed what I already suspected the first time—Chris’ Ono Grinds Island Grill might be one of the best Hawaiian food spots I’ve ever been to. From the flavors to the quality, everything hits just right.

Now, let’s address the elephant in the room—ordering with a group can be a bit chaotic. There’s a very real chance that your order will get mixed up if you’re ordering with friends. For example, I ordered an extra scoop of rice and a side of mac salad, but my friend ended up with my sides and I had his. It’s not a dealbreaker by any means, but it’s something to be aware of. Despite the mix-up, the food was so good, I honestly couldn’t even be mad. Definitely not worth deducting a star over.

Let’s talk about the star of the show—the chicken. I’m a chicken guy, through and through, and their char siu chicken is absolutely insane. Rich, flavourful, and grilled perfectly. The huli huli chicken is another knockout—smoky, sweet, and super satisfying. The sides are exactly what you’d expect from a great Hawaiian joint—classic, consistent, and delicious. I haven’t had a bad Hawaiian side dish yet, and this place keeps that streak going.

They offer other meats too, and while I haven’t tried them yet, I have full confidence they’re just as good. And if they’re not? I guarantee their sauces will make up for it. The sauces are legit game changers—bold, unique, and packed with flavour that ties the whole plate together.

Price-wise, I paid about $18 before tax for a full plate (2 scoops of rice, a side, and an entrée). Honestly? That meal could’ve easily gone for $20–$25 based on taste and quality alone. It’s rare I feel like I underpaid for food, but this was one of those times.

If it isn’t obvious by now—I loved this spot. Great food, generous portions, and flavors that’ll make your eyes roll back in your head. Just double-check your sides when you go with a group, and you’re golden.

(I ate my food way too fast to take any pictures. Next time I’ll hold...

Tried this spot for the first time since we were visiting Sea World San Diego and we wanted some Hawaiian food to eat afterwards.

Being from Oahu, I see “Huli Huli chicken” and my thoughts immediately go back to being a kid and my dad stopping at an abandoned parking lot in Nanakuli to buy some huli huli chicken from a man roasting and selling chicken leg quarters in clear plastic bags where you can see the steam and juices from the marinade and the bags are nice and hot to the touch.

And that is the flavor and chicken my dad and I expected when we ordered the “Huli Huli chicken” from the menu. When we opened our plates, what we saw were sliced chicken pieces with a sauce poured over it. When we tasted it, both my dad and I said “that’s not huli huli chicken, it’s barbecue chicken.” If you’re from Hawaii (not sure if the other islands make em the same from where I grew up on Oahu) don’t expect it to taste like that type of huli huli chicken I described above. It didn’t taste bad, it just didn’t taste like the one’s we’re used to.

Other than that, I appreciate the rice portions because lots of other hawaiian plate lunch franchises in California don’t give enough rice (poly problems lol), although I would still prefer the protein ratio to match cause then I had a lot of rice left over 🤷🏽‍♀️. The food satisfied my Hawaiian food cravings minus the nostalgic taste of the chicken I was looking forward to which is why I give this plate lunch a 3/5. Not bad but not memorable...

Ono Grind's is one of my go-to pickup food options in North Park. The servings are substantial and it's much healthier than typical fast food. They have a good variety of options, so depending on my mood I'll typically go for a teri-chicken plate if I'm more hungry, or the poke bowl if I'm less hungry and want something a little healthier. This is a great option when I'm craving sushi/raw fish but don't want to go out for it. I got teri-chicken last night which was delicious as always but was especially impressed by the quality of the rice. It's like really nice japanese-style sushi rice. My favorite side has to be the sweet potatoes as they go great with all the dishes I've had and are prepared perfectly. I used the online ordering on the website for the first time and that ended up being really convenient. For improvements I can't think of much! Maybe some dishes with shrimp would be yummy or some occasional specials to switch things up would be cool! Another time I tried to use the online ordering, entered all my information and then it said they weren't accepting online orders. Maybe the website could post the hours for online ordering or close it off before people enter in all their info. Overall I feel lucky to have a solid takeout option in North Park that's different from the typical options. ...