Grindz

1^st time here and I ordered the «Apple Banana Pancakes» (apple bananas, coconut crème anglaise & crush mac nuts). The price for 2 stack $ 4.50 and 7 stack $ 7.50. It was OK!
*Great Service

Came here on a Saturday for brunch with eight people and surprisingly only had to wait about fifteen minutes for a table. This place really reminds me of home and has some local Hawaii favorites including chicken katsu, kimchi fried rice, malasadas, spam musubi, and loco moco! They also make some great twists on a few classics including kalua pig benedict and kalua pig moco.
I ordered the Ono Grindz Fried Rice which had kimchi and kalua pig, and topped with a fried egg. For $ 10.50, I expected the portion size to be a little bit larger then it was (and I wished that there was a little more kimchi and kalua pig). We also ordered some malasadas which were pretty tasty (they make them fresh to order and are $ 4.50/4pcs).

This cat lived on the islands for some time, and sometimes I miss some of those little homey Hawaiian places that I would find from time to time. When I stumbled across this place, I decided to see if it would bring me back to my home away from home.
I decided to give grindz a try once for a sit down meal, and another for take out.
Being a curious feline, I tried the same dish to see if the eat in option would be the same as the take out option.
Eating in, I had the katsu moco. The katsu was wonderful this time, and everything had a lot of flavor. Service for quick and kind, and our water was always filled.
Eating out, same dish. I have to say I was a bit let down. The rice, katsu and gravy seemed to just be thrown in the box randomly, and it was cold (even though we had just gotten it), did they leave it for a while? This time, everything was very bland, it was like this was a completely different dish than what I had when I ate in.
From this experience, I feel eating in is worth it, but take out left a bad taste in my mouth. So something to keep in mind.
Did this place take this cat back to the islands? Not really sad to say, but it wasn’t bad, and was a decent price for what I got, at least upon eating in.
*chirp*

Stopped by on a Sunday afternoon with a party of 3 and we were sat right away. Street parking only so better hope you’re lucky!
I’d actually heard about this place from a friend a while back and I finally got to try it. Hawaiian brunch is a really cool concept. The menu had things like loco moco and a few variations of it, and a banana macadamia nut pancake?
I shared a Big Island (I think that’s the name), which is a little of everything, with over easy eggs and kahlua pork with potatoes and the pancakes.
— Kahlua was tender and moist
— The potatoes were home fry style, golden brown and crispy
— Pancakes were delicious and fluffy, wish I got a side of extra sauce!
— Also got a side of mushroom gravy, a little bland
The table has a spicy vinegar and a house ketchup that also adds a kick you can put on anything
The staff is friendly and quick. Overall the food wasn’t outstanding. Nothing too memorable. It’s a good place to have brunch but probably not a «bucket list» place for me.

Subpar food for a place that had a waitlist. Granted the dish I had was pretty good (like a loco moco but with steak), the amount of pepper they included was overwhelming.
My boyfriend didn’t look satisfied with his chicken and waffles (again because they had whole peppercorns used within each slice of chicken).
May or may not come back to try the other dishes they have.

Wow just wow. I’ve been dying to try this place out for the longest time and I am so glad I finally had time to come today! I came with a friend around 12:30 and we were seated immediately.
Parking — tricky. Even though it was a weekday afternoon, there was still tons of people in the area as it is a busy street. Mostly metered parking but there is residential parking as well if you’re willing to walk a little further.
Service — great! I didn’t catch his name but he did a terrific job. Brought out the food pretty quick and was definitely on top of his stuff. Checked on us a couple times and refilled our water without us even having to ask.
Food —
1. Chicken and waffles — this dish was definitely an interesting combination between salty and sweet. I loved the waffles!!! Who knew spam with cheese in a waffle could be so delectable and delicious. The server suggested the katsu sauce for the chicken but I still wasn’t that blown away by it. Would’ve been even better if the chicken was seasoned more… I would say it tasted rather boring if I didn’t use the katsu sauce. The portion was definitely generous though! I had half for brunch and half for dinner.
2. Ahi tuna lunch plate — I didn’t try this myself but my friend seemed to like it.
Not in a rush to come back and try other dishes but I’m glad I got to try this place out.

I finally get to check off this bookmark after years of having it on my list. And it was just as satisfying as I had expected! The overwhelming number of positive Unilocal reviews do not lie.
Note: This review is for the lunch menu only. I need to come back for weekend brunch!
LUNCH:
— — –
Frau C. and I had been scoping out the menu hours beforehand, and had our eyes set on the **Garlic Shrimp** and the **Katsu Moco**. The shrimp were succulent, perfectly flavored with a little spicy kick, and came with macaroni salad and brown rice. The Katsu Moco was every bit as amazing as it sounds. Instead of hamburger patty, this dish consists of Katsu (panko crusted chicken) topped with two sunny side-​up eggs. The egg yolk running all over that crispy meat… nom!
I tried some of the **Chicken Waffles** which included the same crispy Katsu and some tasty buttermilk waffles infused with shredded Spam and cheddar cheese. Wow! My friend who is originally from Hawaii absolutely loved this dish and said it took him back to the islands. That’s an excellent sign! Another friend immensely enjoyed the **Oxtail Jook** (special of the day) and finished the entire thing, broth and all. The flavor was very hearty but the oxtail pieces were a little difficult to eat. Gotta use your hands!
DRINKS:
— — —
I was craving something fruity so got the juice of the day, which happened to be **Piña Colada**. Oh, how tropical! I felt like I was back in Hawaii. Everyone also ordered the **Lemongrass Tea** which turned out to be a soothingly delicious treat.
DESSERT:
— — — –
The assortment of desserts is impressive and very unique. The owner Brad chose four desserts for the 8 of us to try.
The **Lilikoi Cheesecake** was so delightful and unlike any dessert I’ve had before. And that’s saying a lot! I’ve had a lot of dessert, haha. Next up, the **Haupia Bread Pudding**. I don’t usually care for bread pudding but this one was just the right texture and not too dense at all. You can never go wrong with **Malasadas**, Portuguese donuts made with cinnamon and nutmeg. So light and sugary! And they go perfectly with the **Chocolate Haupia Pie** which is my absolute favorite one, hands down. Dark chocolate pudding with a graham cracker crust, Haupia, chantilly cream, and toasted macadamia nuts. I wished I’d had enough room to get a whole new one for myself.
SERVICE/​AMBIANCE:
— — — — — — — -
The place is somewhat small, so be prepared to wait during busy hours. On Monday around 1pm there was no wait. The restaurant is kept neat and clean, and very conducive for the brunch feel.
Service is attentive and very friendly at all times. Recommendations were on point.
Disclaimer: My half brother owns this resto, but as you all know, I’m an extremely fair Unilocaler who would give her own place 1 star if that’s what it deserved.
TIP: The wait and parking on Clement Street might be tough, but it’s totally worth it.
DATE TIP: This is truly the way to win someone over. Do it!

As much as I would have liked to rate this place higher, I wasn’t too crazy about the food here. The service was pretty good though. I came on a Saturday for lunch, hoping to try their ahi tuna, which I saw on some Unilocal photos. Unfortunately, they were only serving brunch, which did not have ahi tuna.
We ordered the prime rib loco moco ($ 18) with kimchi fried rice (+$ 2), which was the day’s special. We asked for the prime rib to be medium rare, but it came well done. The prime rib was thin, but had decent flavor. The rice in the kimchi fried rice was a little hard, resembling brown rice that hasn’t been cooked enough. The kimchi was cut pretty small, but you can taste the little spicy kick it gives. I was not too crazy about the kimchi fried rice as I’ve had better elsewhere.
We also had The Big Island ($ 15), which comes with 2 eggs, 2 apple banana pancakes, potatoes, and choice of meat (Portuguese sausage, Spam, kalua pig, or bacon. We chose kahlua pig, which turned out to be a little bland. The apple banana pancakes were good, but a little dry and definitely didn’t blow me away.
Overall, the service was good, but the food wasn’t that great for me. I do like the items on the menu, the cool name, and the overall concept of the Hawaiian restaurant, but the flavors could be kicked up a notch. I am still a little curious to try their ahi poke.

We came here for brunch but forgot that even though it’s a holiday, it’s still a Monday, so we ended up having lunch. They do have a few breakfast specials, bit overall, the meal was lack luster, nothing extraordinary. Hawaiian food is already so complex, so creating fusion cuisine based on Hawaiian food seems unnecessary.
The chicken and waffles made of katsu chicken and spam/​cheese waffle biscuits was okay, each on their own good, bit combined was lacking. Mac and cheese seemed slightly under seasoned, and the fried rice was slightly too toasty/​crunchy.
Overall not bad, but I’d much prefer to go to a more traditional Hawaiian place.

My favorite weekend brunch item would have to be the Chicken Katsu. This is a solid brunch item that won’t leave me hungry. With a generous portion of chicken and white/​brown rice covered in mushroom sauce, it’s the best option out there.
I also like the Spam and Cheese waffles. A great savory combination, but not enough protein for me personally. Of course anything covered in sweet sugar I will eat, but I digress.
Another delicious options is the Katsu moco, or Loco moco, and even Kalua Benedict.
I usually lick my plate clean, so no left over box for me, but many at my table tend to take something home.
Sundays, parking is tough because of the Farmer’s Market happening on Clement and 4^th. so I usually end up parking far away and hiking it in.

It was a sad day for Loco Moco yesterday at Grindz.
After the Hot Chocolate Run at Golden Gate park, my friends and went straight to Grindz for brunch. The menu consists of your standard hawaiian and brunch items. You have your loco mocos, and eggs benedict. I spent a while browsing the menu because a lot of the items sounded great but my heart settled for the Katsu Moco.
Now I am a big fan of Loco Mocos. It is a very simple concept. Sunny Side Up eggs, over a beef patty and rice slathered with thick gravy. When ordering a Loco Moco you have the choice of White, Brown, or Kimchi fried rice. I opted for the Kimchi Fried Rice because… well why not? Another friend got the same thing while others decided on the Kalua Benedict and a Pork Moco.
Our friend’s foods came out first before the Katsu Moco. I tried some bites and their dishes were pretty good. A few minutes later, our Katsu Moco arrived and it was a massive portion. The egg was cooked well, the Katsu was hot and crispy, but the rice and gravy did not live up to our expectations. They used a brown (whole grain?) rice for the kimchi fried rice. It was a deep brownish red but had no real impact in terms of flavor. I couldn’t taste kimchi from the tiny bits that were in there, but the assorted mushrooms provided a salty punch. The fried rice was luke warm, almost as if it was sitting on the plate as the chef was making the katsu and eggs. The gravy was watery and had no discernible flavor. The dish would have tasted the same if the gravy wasn’t there.
When we got the bill we found out that the Kimchi Rice was $ 2 more. I don’t have too much of a problem with the price, but it would have been nice if price difference was on the menu or mentioned when given the substitution option.
I may sound harsh, but Loco Moco is a dish that is hard to get wrong. Grindz got the hardest components right (the katsu and egg), but the rice and gravy was off. Two stars for my food, but because the staff was friendly and my friends were happy with their meal I will give them that extra star.

This place probably sells the closest thing to the best authentic hawaiian cuisine /​fusion in SF.
They serve their dishes with rice, eggs and gravy! That’s as hawaiian as it can get around the bay.
The price is slightly more than other hawaiian places, but I think it’s worth it because they have great quality food and their table table service is fantastic!
My recommended dishes are
* Loco Moco (MUST HAVE)
* Chicken Katsu plate
And I personally don’t like my egg yolk raw, so if you are like me, make sure to note that when you order! Otherwise they serve sunny side up.
As I mentioned, their service was great so tip well! And parking is a big issue in the Clement district, so if you can, bus is probably more efficient. There are parking but you just have to park about 2 – 4 blocks away.
Cheers!

When my family and I were up in SF for a trip I had to make sure we hit up a bunch of local restaurants and places to eat. I’m glad I looked this place up on Unilocal because it was definitely well worth it!
I ordered the katsu moco and it was sooo good! It was a pretty large serving of food too, and if I weren’t so hungry at the time I would have most likely had some leftovers to bring home lol. The rest of my family ordered the garlic shrimp and also the loco mocos. We were all pretty satisfied to say the least.
In general the service was great, the server was super attentive, and the food was delicious for some Hawaiian fusion. What more can I say? This place is definitely a must on my to-​eat list every time I’m up here.

One of the biggest challenges with living here in SF is finding Hawaiian joints that stack up to joints back home in Hawaii and joints I’ve experienced in Las Vegas when I lived there. Keep in mind, LV is known as the 9^th Hawaiian Island and some of their Hawaiian food (in my opinion) stacks up even better than some joints back in the islands. It’s that good! For Grindz, I’ve been hearing some great things about this place through friends so I wanted to check it out. Who knows, it might be my new favorite joint!
So I’ve noticed one thing. Their weekend menu is not the same as their weekday menu and I don’t know why. I get that weekends are a time for brunch but many folks, like myself (lol) have no time on the weekdays, especially since I don’t live near this place. It was a bit disappointing to hear that they had a limited menu on weekends which only included loco mocos, benedicts, scambles and similar. I was hoping for the roast porks and katsu and actual loco «grindz.» I just made due so I got the following:
–Spam musubi, two pieces for $ 4. This was a great deal. The musubi didn’t have a lot of rice which meant you could taste the spam more. Awesome :)
–Double Loco Moco for $ 11. Rice (either white or kim chee), ground steak patty, eggs, sauteed onions mushroom gravy. In my opinion, it tasted nothing like home. The mushroom gravy was a little too rich and saltier than the normal brown gravy, the kim chee rice was a fail. It almost seemed like they used brown rice to make the fried rice and that’s a tragedy! I’m sorry, I don’t like bashing dishes a lot but this dish was not what I expected for a local Hawaiian meal.
I’m really going to have to come back during the weekday to try their other menu items. I’ve heard so many good things about it and really want to change my ratings. Maybe I’ll get lucky and Grindz will offer their entire menu, 7 days a week!

Came here with my cousin (she’s been here before) because this place has always been bookmarked but I didn’t get around to trying it until recently. We ordered the loco moco, ahi poki, and spam ramen. Everything was good, but that’s it. Just good, not great, not amazing, nothing special. I guess I had high expectations from this place and when I came here to simple comfort breakfast blandish food, i was severely disappointed. The service was great, but unfortunately the food wasn’t what I was expecting. It’s great to be able to say I tried this place, but I don’t think I’ll be returning, maybe this just isn’t my kind of basic comfort food.

Had a craving for local food, so stopped-​in last week to try Grindz for the first time. We were greeted warmly and got seated right away. Our server explained the lunch specials, but my son and I already had an idea what we wanted. We started with the Spam Katsu Musubi. Not your healthiest option, but the idea of deep frying the Spam was interesting and different. I was also pleasantly surprised and I liked the crispy texture of the Spam and also enjoyed the Furikake under the Spam.
I ordered the Pig Moco and enjoyed every bite. The eggs fell upon delivery, but that didn’t affect the taste one bit. I liked that they give you enough gravy as well. My son ordered the Chicken and Waffles, which were good. The texture of the waffles was just right and they added small bits of bacon inside the waffle for added flavor. The Chicken was served Katsu style, which we thought was a nice touch, since Grindz serves Hawaiian food.
I’ll have to come back to try a few other items on the menu that looked appetizing. Till next time.

This review is simply for the ease of ordering from their catering menu and the ordering process. I have yet to taste the items I have ordered since I’m ordering early for my son’s 3^rd birthday. First off, let me tell you that all the items sound delicious. I will update my review once I actually taste the food. Secondly, the menu items are exceptional as most places don’t offer all the options that they offer. Plus, they deliver. It’s a win-​win for me. Yay! The prices are decent and from what I can gather, you get a lot of food.
I simply clicked on what I wanted to order online, paid with my credit card and someone from the restaurant called me with 2 business days to confirm what I had ordered and confirmed the delivery address. I was impressed.
I hope the catering dishes are as exceptional as the service.

The first time I went here it was because I was craving garlic shrimp and kalua pork — I was missin’ Hawaii. Came in and right when the waiter gave us the menu he told us that they unfortunately had run out of both of those things for the day. What a coincidence.
I settled with a loco moco and it was just okay. It was lacking in flavor. It’s definitely something I would never order again just because it was basically a burger patty with gravy and eggs. Nothing special about that.
Second time around, I made sure they had garlic shrimp/​kalua pork. The kalua pork was good, but it was pretty dry. It would’ve been better with some sauce. The only sauce they offered was katsu sauce and that didn’t sound good with it. My best friend got the garlic shrimp. It was good, but it was definitely not Giovanni’s.
Customer service was great here, but the food was definitely not as good as I had hoped. Maybe the spam and cheese waffles are better… who knows.

LOVE this place! Service, food, vibe– everything is excellent. However, little pesky flies kept flying into our faces and food when I went yesterday. Regardless, I think I will keep coming back. For a Sunday afternoon party of two, the wait was not long at all for 11am.
Tried and Recommended:
–Apple banana pancakes ($ 4.50 for 2/​$ 7.50 for 4) Amazing and different from the average pancake. I loved the sauce and macadamia nuts. No maple syrup needed.
–Katsu Moco ($ 11.50)
Delicious panko fried chicken, topped with 2 sunny side up eggs, mushroom gravy, and choice of white or brown rice.
My friend and I shared everything because that’s the way to go. I would love to come back and try other dishes.

Maybe I just don’t like Hawaiian food. I’d say 60% of the dishes were well received.
My boyfriend had been waiting ages to take me here because he’d heard good things, and wanted to try it. Once I finally moved to CA, we went the very next day.
Table: Split an order of Malasadas (fancy donut holes) and Apple Banana Pancakes.
Delicious. We were off to a great start.
Boyfriend: Ordered Loco Moco, small — which was quite sizable, and I couldn’t imagine the large — with steak, and it was alright. Kind of bland. Womp womp.
BFF: Ordered the Loco Moco small, with Kalua Pig, and it was delicious.
I ordered the Kalua Benedict Breakfast — two eggs benedict that have taro leaves, Kalua Pig and tarragon in the hollandaise. It was all just kind of bland, but like I said, maybe I just don’t enjoy Hawaiian. :/​
Would I go back? Yes. The table next door ordered the Chicken n Waffles that had spam and cheddar in the waffle batter. It smelled amazing, and also looked like it could feed 4 people, so I’ll definitely take friends.
Stay posted. Maybe I’ll change that 3stars to 5stars.

It’s ok — was really excited about coming here so a group of us came on Sunday about 11:30. I would say the wait was almost an hour, but we killed it in the Goodwill next door. I ended up getting the kimchi huevos, which were aight. They don’t tell you, but the kimchi fried rice is made with brown rice. I eat brown rice as my preferred grain, but it doesn’t make a great fried rice, and theirs was pretty watery as well. I wasn’t impressed by the flat chili water/​vinegar on the table (what is that???) and unfortunately the other plates (we wanted the chocolate haupia pie and maybe some other appetizer) were already out. Oh, the loco moco is ridiculously huge.
Unfortunately, don’t see the need to come back here. :(

I love Hawaiian food. Thx Grindz.
I ordered the Katsu Moco and thoroughly (yes, thoroughly) enjoyed it. The chicken katsu itself was a long piece of chicken and was crusted with the perfect minimal amount of breading to be still perfectly crispy. It tasted so well combined with the egg yolk and the sauce. The sauce around the plate looks like a lot, but it’s actually not overbearing at all. It’s thinner than the usual loco moco gravy, which I liked. There was a perfect amount to have some in each bite.
We also ordered the malasadas, since I’ve never had it on the mainland. In comparison to Leonards, it was not bad! It was nicely browned and coated with cinnamon and sugar. The center was both fluffy and doughy. It’s a great option for dessert.
Despite coming in like 45 minutes before closing the service was still above average and it didn’t feel like they were trying to rush us out or anything.

Hawaiian food is one of my favorites so I was pretty excited to see this place on the way to my aunts house. My grandpa is a Hilo born Hawaiian Portuguese man. It should be a no brainer to know what Ono food should taste like. After getting seated right away, We ordered the chicken and waffle plate and the loco moco.
The service was outstanding and our server did a great job at interacting and getting our food to us super fast. Loco moco is one of my favorite comfort foods. Unfortunately, The loco moco here tasted like it had no flavor. The chicken Katsu tasted pretty good to me while the waffles were amazing but I immediately felt sick as soon as we left. Overall, my experience was just ok. I will have to come back to try more of their food.

I find myself drawn to fusion style brunch – runny yolks in Benedicts were amazing for the first few times, and long gone are the days when Denny’s was my favorite restaurant for the scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and smiley face pancakes (my childhood breakfasts were otherwise cereal or toast).
With my favorite Asian/​Hawaiian fusion brunch place Aina opening only once a week and now temporarily closed for menu development, Grindz seemed to be a perfect alternative to indulge in a loco moco brunch.
Although the name is unassuming (can’t help but think of coffee grindz emesis i.e. coughing up blood… sorry, I have strange thought processes), the restaurant itself is nice and clean, with dim lighting so relaxing you could imagine being on vacation in Hawaii.
(+++) Apple banana pancakes (apple bananas, coconut crème anglaise, crushed macadamia nuts): So good!!! It’s as if your mouth went to Hawaiian paradise – not only are the pancakes divinely light and fluffy; the apple banana flavors, coconut creame, and dusting of macadamia nuts add a tropical flair. (FYI apple bananas refer to the mini bananas… not Engrish for apples and bananas)
(++) French toast (Grindz famous bread pudding, pina berry compote, vanilla whipped cream): Mmm bread pudding used for French toast P: Why had no one else thought of this idea before! The texture was a tad bit soggy, especially after sitting in the compote for awhile, but overall it was delicious and mildly sweet, the perfect dessert for breakfast. (Note: the dark red chunks look like beets or liver, but it’s the berry compote).
(++) Katsu moco (panko crusted chicken, white or brown rice, 2 eggs, sauteed onions, house made mushroom gravy): Hawaiians are katsu experts; this was among the best I’ve had across Hawaiian and Japanese restaurants (I mean legit Hawaiian… L&L is out of the league). I love the brown rice option and the runny fried eggs always make brunch food diabolically delicious. The gravy is not bad, but in my opinion it just doesn’t mesh well – I personally would have preferred the traditional curry sauce over katsu. Overall though, a hearty dish, probably my favorite savory entrée here.
(+) Grindz fried rice (kimchi, brown rice, kalua pig, shitakes, scallions, lomi tomatoes, fried egg): On the salty side, but good flavors with the blend of kimchi, kalua pig, and fried egg. I especially like the brown rice option so you can pretend to be somewhat healthy.
(+) Silog (2 sunny up eggs, brown rice, kalua pig): Kalua big is dry compared to carnitas, but the plus side is that it should be less fatty. The silog makes a hearty breakfast, and the incorporation of cabbage into the kalua pig gives it a nice crunch and you feel good about having veggies in your dish.
It gets more crowded during peak brunch times so I would try to get here early because there isn’t a whole lot of seating. Thankfully the wait is reasonable; it’s mainly normal people dining here instead of cray twentysomethings who could wait 1 – 2 hours for brunch like it’s completely normal. Service is exceptionally friendly and very efficient, and prices are reasonable.
Yay for an affordable and creative brunch! Kalua pig, kimchi fried rice, bread pudding dessert, all concocted in brunch form P: