Aloha Island Grill — Restaurant in Spokane

Local Hawaii, born and raised wahine hea. Drove about three hours to try this place because there's no Hawaiian food places near me, all are about three hours away. Usually drive to Seattle when I'm having a mean craving but this time decided to go in the other direction. My first choice was Umi on Summit Parkway but there was so much road construction I settled on this place. When we arrived I thought they were closed because no cars were there. The place looked run down like it had been closed for awhile. When I walked through the door my first thought was to turn around and leave.My gosh, if the outside looked bad, the inside was ten times worse. So filthy and nasty. That's really all I can say. Even now I wonder why I stayed and purchased. Third negative is the nerve of these owners to think their plate lunches are worth 20 bucks a plate. In Hawaii where the cost of living is WAY higher than Spokane we can still get plate lunches in cleaner establishments than this place for 12 bucks, some even less, but the most maybe 15 bucks for a surf and turf. This really angers me when a place wants your business while at the same time ripping you off. I even had to confirm with the guy who took my order if he made a mistake. No sooner than I placed my order their was a long line. Seems I got there at the right time. The Mac salad is not authentic Hawaiian Mac salad, period. Chicken Katsu? Did not taste like katsu, looked more like nuggets. The katsu sauce was a joke. NOT, I repeat, NOT katsu sauce. For one thing katsu sauce in not black like soy sauce. Flavor nowhere near katsu sauce flavor. This sauce, whatever the H it was was gross! Rice was good. YAY. Teri chicken, though good and tender but WTH is with all the char on it? Teri chicken is not roasted to the point of burning it. On the positive side, the man who took my order was new I think, in training, tall haole guy, was very nice and considerate. The cook was as well. I felt bad for both of them, but especially the cook because it was only the two of them and the line was long and the cook was also having to help the new guy. Lastly. This place and the plate lunches were not worth 4o. bucks (20ea). After we left here we went to another place we wanted to try (since we were down this way after all), this was a nicer place and we got two steak and eggs w/potatoes, 1 scotch potato and a veggie omelette w/potatoes ALL for 46 bucks! 1-10 w/1 as best we give this place a 9 since the rice was darn near perfect. Will not be back. Represent Hawaii nei better. This filth and run down look should be embarrassing - seriously. Charging 20 bucks for a plate lunch makes Hawaiians look greedy. DO BETTER! So...

For years I have enjoyed Aloha but there were more than several problems tonight. The employee who helped me was visibly overwhelmed, distraught, and had been left alone. I understand this can happen which is why I was polite and tried my best not to blame them. My order was taken, I paid, and sat down to wait. Things began escalating pretty quickly there after as this person was losing their patience and becoming agitated. While I waited, different door dash drivers came in and were informed there was no more mac salad for their paid orders and we're given pea salad instead. Next, a couple popped as the employee was being very negative and verbally expressing it. They were hit with a list of food that couldn't be ordered in a harsh and intimidating tone. The next few minutes were tense as the employee got angrier because the tablet kept notifying of new orders, aggressively hung up the phone as it kept ringing, and even went as far as to clean up a few spills from the floor before proceeding to cook without washing their hands. When my food was ready I too was informed there was no more mac salad. Although I had heard this said to customers after me, I assumed I was the last one to get it since I was never told before nor after paying or even while I sat and waited. I settled for the pea salad and took my food. I got in my truck and noticed there was no teriyaki sauce anywhere on my teriyaki beef. Went back inside, asked, they apologized, and drizzled sauce on my food. Once I got home I found that a large portion of the meat wasn't fully cooked. I spent my money, left a tip, was patient, let more than several issues slide but that was the icing on the cake. This was very disappointing and...

Strike 2. First tried the Francis location summer 2018. Recent transplant from the west side so was excited to see a Hawaiian food joint and excited to finally get to try it. Service was on point, for sure. Unfortunately, the rice was under-cooked (too al dente), the kalua pork was overcooked and under-seasoned, and the macaroni salad was also under-seasoned, dry tasting, and had these little potato cubes that just don't go with macaroni. Sauce and portion size were the only good things. Fast forward to winter 2019, I decided to give them another chance (Monroe location) and ordered their famous teriyaki chicken. Sauce, portion size, and customer service were still good. But man, I don't think these guys know how to cook rice. Better, but still too al dente. That's bad news for a Hawaiian joint. That's bread and butter.

Moving on, the chicken was way overcooked! It was a dry, dark brown mess. In fact, I thought they got the order wrong and gave me the pork. Worse still, about 10% of it was a black, burned, carcinogenic mess. The mac was again dry, under-seasoned, and I still don't think mac and potatoes go together. I don't think they believe in using salt, because the food just doesn't have any! I also don't recall what I paid last time, but I paid over $16 for a small plate and large pop this go around. Total gyp. I don't get how this place has so many positive comments. I don't think I'll be giving them a...