Aloha Cafe and Catering

Aloha Café had a food station at a Massey Cancer event yesterday (thank you!), which led to my first taste of their magical flavors. I cannot believe I have worked so close to this café and never stopped in… they definitely have a new ‘regular.’ The shrimp poke was fantastic!

Good service. Tasty food. Will return again, and recommend to others.

These guys were excellent. If they had a larger interior, I’m positive they’d get more business. I had chicken wings and pulled pork bbq with the red quinoa and rice and everything was perfect! The chicken was tender and sweet and the meat just fell off the bone. Pulled pork was on point tender and moist and I had some kinda tropical drink that wrapped it all up just right. Best part of this experience is a tie between the food and customer service. They really make you feel at home. It felt like my best friend’s mom cooked me a meal then she came out and asked how it was and when I said how delicious it was she just lit up and thanked me! At the end, our waiter a big ol’ teddy bear offered us goodbye hugs and I left feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. Go here. Order the LARGE PLATE with one of everything. Get the banana bread as a dessert and hug him before you leave. You will not regret this experience!

We were at the Richmond Convention Center and needed a quick bite for lunch. We saw the reviews and decided to give this place a try. I am so glad we did. We came a little after the lunch crowd. There are only a few table but they were able to easily accommodate a party of 7. We have no experience with Hawaiian food so weren’t sure what to expect, the food was very flavorful and seemed authentic. We all had something different. Most got bowls but one got a plate. The plate was enough to feed and adult and two children. The sticky rice was amazing. That alone was worth it. The pork was delicious. I had the lomi lomi tomatoes. My wife had the Namasu. We loved everything. The kids loved everything. I tried a few thing from other plates and don’t know what they were, but we’re very tasty. Friendly staff. Quick service. Give it a try.

Had such a great experience for lunch today I actually created a Unilocal account just so I could say mahalo! As others have commented, the owners were awesome and engaging. The food was fantastic and fresh. Tuna poke was out of this world with many different flavor profiles and after watching countless travel shows featuring Spam musubi I finally got to try it and it did not disappoint.
If you’re considering trying Aloha Café, stop thinking, turn off your phone and go! We will certainly be back.

Went here for a quick dinner with an old friend. The location is on a really quiet street, kind of tucked away and easy to miss, right next to the Convention Center. We sat down to dine-​in and long story short: food was good, service was good, owners were super friendly, and I’d definitely come back again.
The Ahi Tuna Poke was pretty good, it was my first time trying it so I have nothing to compare it to but I enjoyed it enough to get some also to go. Mac salad was pretty standard but still good. The namasu however was a little too vinegary (?) for me and it was a little harsh, burning a little bit up my nose when I tried it.
This restaurant seems new and still developing its menu, so I have high hopes for what is to come. At the end of our meal, the owners asked for «alohas» aka hugs and they were both very sweet and laid back.
Edit: Also, the Aloha Lemonade would be so good with a shot of vodka or something

The food here is so good! We are fans from the old south side location. The kalua pork is so good we served it for Christmas Eve dinner. It was a big hit. A real taste of Hawaii. The Musubi is excellent and the Mac salad is to die for. (Honestly, I could eat a bucket full.) Ok, now I’m getting myself in the mood for spam. :0)

I was in town for work and thought I’d Unilocal for some help in finding a good place to eat close by to The National. I saw good reviews for this place and decided to walk over to see for myself.
It was great. Friendly service and what I had was delicious — salmon poke bowl with a side of how they do it Hawaiian style plate lunches — Mac salad. So good.
I will come back for sure next time I roll through RVA.
Mahalo, AHC!

Delicious! I ordered the large lunch plate with a side of Smoked Salmon Poke (They actually texted me letting me know they were out but the subbed it with Crab Poke!) and the Lomi Lomi Tomatoes. I decided to try the pork which was juicy, simple, and very well flavored. The macaroni salad was just as good. All in all I cant complain.
I decided to venture out since my mom has always said that I like spam and eggs when I was little in Hawaii. I tried the Spam Musubi. Not terrible, just not my taste. I also ordered the Pork Musubi as a backup, yum!

This was my first time trying Hawaiian food and my husband and I really liked Aloha Café. We ordered delivery, so I’m not sure how the sit down restaurant is, but everything arrived quickly and was hot and delicious. We tried the pork, pasta salad and a shrimp poke. We also had namasu and plain rice with seaweed. As first timers, I wish their menu had a little more detail, but everyone was really nice and friendly on the phone.

The food is great
The atmosphere is comfortable and almost feels like my mom’s place and the staff is friendly and acts like family to me

Oh my goodness, I just ordered spam musubi about 30 minutes ago and it got here in good quick time! The tracking app was pretty neat and accurate. But omggg this is what I live for, spam and rice. lol I’ve been wanting to try this place so bad but my lazy butt would never take me down south of the river! I should’ve ordered their lemonade too cause ever since I tried it at broad appetit I’ve been craving it. Anyways, the spam musubi was delicious!!! Perfect flavors all smushed together in a little rectangle!
3÷8÷16 soo I just had to place another order cause this place is just too good hehe and we want to thank you so much for that special sweet treat! My husband and I enjoyed it so much! We enjoyed everything that was delivered! The Hawaiian macaroni salad was delicious and the Kalua pork was sooo so good too! I’m so glad you’re nearby! This place is awesome!

Definitely try their Spam musambi. I thought I wouldn’t like it at all but now I’m a believer! It may just look like a gigantic hunk of Spam, which it is, but it’s marinated in a way to actually «enhance» the «meat». It wasn’t too salty and the combination of it with the rice and seaweed was really tasty. I would come back just for that!
My boyfriend and I shared a large plate and chose the shoyu chicken wings and pork as our meats. The chicken wings were super tender, slightly sweet, and nicely seasoned. The pork was also pretty tasty, but the chicken was really the star of the plate. We also tried the salmon poke which I didn’t really enjoy and it just didn’t suit my taste. I’m also not a fan of the heavily mayo’d macaroni salad, but my boyfriend enjoyed it.
The owners were super sweet and have so much passion. They greeted everyone with a huge smile and made sure that all their guests knew how much they were appreciated.

It’s hard to find actual Hawaiian food in this area so when I saw then place I was excited. I ordered the aloha bowl smoked salmon poke an spam musubi… AMAZING! The flavor of the pork was spot on the poke had a great taste musubi was perfection. Staff was friendly and welcoming, good prices, AND this place is in walking distance! Very satisfied! I’ll be back…

So happy to have had dinner here last night with my family. My mom was especially excited to try it out being as she is a native Hawaiian.
This tiny restaurant made me feel like I was back home, eating food that I only get every few years when I go back to visit. The owner was very sweet but the food, oh the food.
I ordered the shoyu chicken wings which were deliciously sweet but would rather have had it as thighs, which is more traditional. Dawn explained that customers seemed a little put off with the thighs so they started using wings and people loved it. The mac salad was perfect and the lomi lomi tomatoes were a perfect side.
I ordered a large plate which came with huge portions and I left very full and happy. Already looking forward to coming back!
My only wish is that the menu was bigger but understand that they are slowly introducing the community to great Hawaiian food. With that said, come on Richmond and support this restaurant!

Great little restaurant in Richmond. The owner is very sweet and a native Hawaiian. The restaurant isn’t built around frills and fluff, just simply delicious Hawaiian food. The Kalua pork is juicy, tasty, and all natural! I substituted a side for the shrimp POKE, and I HIGHLY recommend you do the same. The POKE pops with flavor and tastes just like it does in HI.
Give them a shot, you won’t be disappointed!

Earlier today, I was on a quest to order lunch from a restaurant that I had never been to before. Sometimes in life, its good to shake things up a bit and go out on a leap of faith. Well I took my leap today in ordering from the Aloha Café. This was my first time tasting Hawaiian food, but I’ve heard many great things about it from the Food Network and Top Chef. So how did my experience go? To find out, read below.
The Good:
Online Ordering– I am a fan of any restaurant that allows customers the ability to place an order online versus calling in and possibly having to wait on hold for 5 – 10 minutes. Gotta love the 21^st Century.
Speed of Delivery– The delivery estimate said that the food would arrive in 30 – 45 minutes and the estimate was pretty accurate.
Taste of Kalua Pork and Spam– I ordered the Large Plate Lunch with came with two scoops of rice, two meats and three sides. The Kalua Pork was so good, I could eat an entire plate of that just by itself. Tender, juicy and the flavors were bursting with every bite. The spam was also good. It wasn’t the spam in a can that ya ate with two slices of miracle whipped bread to feel like a man that I grew up remembering. This spam was tasty and as tender as could be.
Portion– As you can see from the picture, the portion size for the item was very huge. Two or so meals could be made from that one container.
On the Fence:
Taste of Hawaiian Macaroni Salad and Smoked Salmon Poke– Sadly, I wasn’t a huge fan of the macaroni salad or smoked salmon poke. It wasn’t bad by any meals, but to me, it did not follow the level of flavor profiles from the kalua or spam.
Price– For the portion being sold, the price seemed to be fair, but for those that are how shall I say, financially challenged, the price may be a little on the expensive side for this dish.
Overall– This was my first Hawaiian experience and I was impressed. I loved the ease of ordering food from this restaurant and also loved the speed at which it was delivered. I was also a huge fan of some of the dishes and not so much of others. I would definitely give this restaurant another chance and would recommend it to anyone that loves Hawaiian food or is itching to try some new good food. FOUR STARS.

We got 2 small Kalua pork plate with sides of Namasu, Lomi Lomi tomatoes, and macaroni salad. Everything was perfect and the guy behind the counter was very friendly! Definitely a must try if you’re in Richmond.

Great food with warm and friendly service straight from the big island. We came in on a quick trip to Richmond and were not disappointing. We ordered the smaller portions of the plate lunch (bowl lunch), includes everything on a smaller scale. Pork was moist and well seasoned, great sauce, and the macaroni salad was perfection.

Oh man, am I happy that I found this place. Seeing their food featured on Greenbrier Café’s Twitter page, and seeing they’re only four blocks away from work, I knew I had to give this place a try. A couple of my coworkers are from Hawaii, they always talked about how delicious and unique the food was. I visited Hawaii back when I was a teenager, but I don’t remember much of the food except for the pork and poi that was served at a luau. My family and I never ventured out to try authentic Hawaiian food, and I knew that Spam Musubi was one of those random things on my list of Hawaiian food to try. Being half Filipino and raised on Spam, this was one of those random delicacies that most folks wouldn’t bat an eye to, but it tickled my culinary fancy.
We walked here today on a cold icy day; quite the parallel, walking in cold Richmond to a warm, cozy Hawaiian food paradise. The restaurant is tucked away in Jackson Ward, in a cute repurposed space. The interior is small but homey. I ordered the small lunch plate of Kalua Pork, with a side of Macaroni Salad, Namasu, and Salmon Poke. I also ordered a Spam Musubi. Everything was super flavorful, amazing, and according to my coworkers, super authentic and just like Hawaii! I was incredibly pleased. The shoyu sauce that goes on top of the rice was very savory with lots of delicious ginger. I could put that sauce on everything.
The chef and the people who work here are also beyond friendly, they’re super appreciative and nice, giving you a hug and saying «Aloha» like you’re family. I always love local Richmond restaurants where the employees come out and talk to you, and enjoy your company. I’m very glad we have a nice place like this here in Richmond that offers fantastic service and authentic Hawaiian food. The chef lived in Hawaii for 22 years and cooks up a storm, so you know you’re getting the real deal. My coworkers and I have found our new favorite lunch spot!!!

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this great café delivers with a 5 mile radius! Lucky us! We had been wanting try this place since before they moved to Jackson Ward, and i’m glad we did. We ordered through Zoomer. Our order arrived in just about 30 minutes– and the delivery driver was polite and quick.
We ordered
2x Spam Musubi–
1 Aloha Bowl with namasu poke ($ 2 extra) and kalua pork
1 Large Plate Lunch Shoyu chicken wings, kalua pork, mac salad, shrimp poke ($ 2 extra), and lomi lomi tomatoes (missing from order)
1 side salmon poke
for a total of $ 39.82 with tip, tax and delivery fees.
Most of our meal was very good, but for about $ 20 a person– it didn’t quite hit the nail on the head.
The very good–
Their rice is super delicious, the kalua pork was tender and flavorful, the shoyu chicken wings were excellent– if only a little bit small, the mac salad was great, the shrimp poke was really yummy. The clear winner of the night was the shoyu chicken wings, the musubi and just the 2 scoops of sweet, sticky rice that we had been missing.
needs improvement–
The namasu poke –was extremely spicy– which was unexpected, and unfortunately not advertised. It was so spicy i couldn’t finish it, and it was not interesting or different enough to warrant the extra $ 2 in my opinion– (just a little carrot, cucumber and celery in a spicy sesame flavored vingegar) The tomatoes were missing from the order– so i can’t comment on those. The smoke salmon poke was extremely salty. the flavors were good– but we couldn’t get through a 2 ounce side because the salt was so overwhelming. Curiously– it was also very spicy. We like spicy foods, but it would be helpful for Aloha Café to advertise which items are spicy so you can pick and choose which items you are feeling like eating.
We’re excited to go back and try some of their specials and desserts, and i’m hoping for a tuna poke bowl in my future! Glad to have some Hawaiian food near by too.

**A TRULY AMAZING SAVORY ADVENTURE!**
The food is simple, tasty, filling, and not your typical RVA dining experience. The food is NOT salty (thank God!), not over done, nothing extra, just tasty and satisfying. I was greeted at the door with a loud «MAHALO» and two friendly faces popped out from the back and I was given a hug and a kiss. Yes. you read right and it was amazing. The restaurant is clean and cute (watch your steps!) and easy to navigate through. The food took me way back, like, way back to when I was still in size 3 diapers chillin on Redondo Beach… the lomi lomi tomatoes were great! The mac salad was smooth and not too tangy or sweet, just right. The rice was cooked well and most importantly the spam was cooked to perfection. The spam musubi has a little something in it which enhanced the spam musubi experience.
I loved everything about this place and I highly recommend them. HIGHLY.

We were in town for a few days and found Aloha here on Unilocal — extremely glad we did. We shared our meals so tasted much of the menu. All were very good, the Spam was great! The salads were delicious, especially the smoked salmon poke. And leave room for the bread pudding desert.

Real Hawaiian food in downtown & close to the Fan? Heck yes!
This cute little place is tucked in a basement location by the convention center, near Mama J’s, which is how I spotted it. Walking in it felt really cozy and the owners are SO nice — I really felt like I was getting a taste of that aloha spirit!
The food was awesome. If you’ve never had spam musubi, you’ve really got to give it a try — I’m officially addicted. It’s basically a big brick of spam sushi. The lunch plates are also great, because you can try several things at one time. The portions will not leave you hungry. The kalua pork was SO good and super tender, but the chicken was awesome too. Not sure I could pick one I liked better than the other. I’m definitely in love the tomato side dish — I think they’re called lomi lomi tomatoes? I could eat buckets of that. You’ve got to try it.
They have a lot of other great sounding menu items I want to go back and try, including weekly specials, and I noticed they have a lot of good vegetarian (maybe even vegan?) and gluten free items. Oh, and the iced coffee was on point. Next time I’m trying the bread pudding because it sounded amazing, but I was too stuffed this trip!

Aloha Café is definitely one of those places you can go to and feel like Norm on Cheers. If you can’t get to Hawaii it’s the next best thing. Nothing beats a spam musabe… Hawaiian Mac salad and an Aloha lemonade. And everything else is just as tasty too. Dawn and the gang make you feel at home with all of the Aloha spirit. Mahalo Dawn.

Owners are very welcoming and attentive. Food was excellent and very fresh. I will be back again and will be sure to tell everybody about my great new find

Staff was VERY friendly — space is clean and cozy. However — the food was not so good. My pork/​rice was tasty; but for $ 12, I’d expect more than a half cup portion. That macaroni salad was gross — like eating a spoonful of mayo (yuck!) and the tomatoes side (pico de gallo, btw) was ok — but again, they gave me like 2 Tbsp. I added curry sauce on the side, which was friggin delicious (they gave me a whole lot of that). But overall, this place gets no more money from me – my tummy hurts :(

Went in last night after looking up Hawaiian food in Richmond. Found this little gem that had spam musubi and I knew I needed to try it out. The staff is super friendly and the place is very clean. I got that with the shrimp poke and lomi lomi tomatoes and all of it was delicious. Super stoked that I can go to a place in the river city and pick up some musubi whenever I’m craving it. Can’t wait to try out all of the platters soon.

Hawaiian food in downtown Richmond? Yeah, and it’s pretty darn good! I stopped in for lunch with my wife and daughter and we each enjoyed an Aloha bowl (sticky rice topped with a meat and some scrumptious broth and one side). My wife and I had the pork (OMG delicious) and my daughter had the chicken (very good, but not as good as the pork). Perfect lunch size portion for a very reasonable price. The lemonade is a mixture of fruit juices and was delicious. We shared a bread pudding for desert which was outstanding as well. The owners are super friendly and welcomed feedback as to how to potentially improve the newly opened location. We will be back to sample the rest of the menu!

All I have to say is that I keep coming back for the great service, friendly people, and SPAM MUSUBI ! The rice to spam ratio is great and I like how they add a sprinkle of Furikake (japanese rice seasoning) onto the rice. It even passes my «midnight snack/​next day snack» test. If you love spam musubi, have always been intrigued by it or just want to try something new then this place has it and serves it up with a big aloha smile.

We were very happy to come across this friendly little eatery after browsing the day away at the Market Bazaar which is right next door. We got the large pork plate lunch and one spam musubi — delicious! And just the right amount for two to share. The owner, Dawn, is super sweet, informative and welcoming. This is not high-​brow food — it’s home style and clearly homemade with love. I can’t wait to come back!