Island Style Cafe

My spouse and I LOVE Island Style Cafe. Not only is their food authentic, it's the best Hawaiian in Santee! Anytime I get a craving for Mac salad, theirs is the one I'm thinking of. The service is great, portions are wonderful, and the food is delicious!

Awesome authentic food! I lived in HI for 6 years and this place reminded me of all the great food I used to eat there. Highly recommend!! The kalua pork is amazing!

Been going here for years. We live out of town now but we visit a couple times a year. This place is always on the list when we get here. Give it a try, you won't regret it.

Staff was very friendly. They offer a nice variety of Hawaiian favorites at reasonable prices.

great food and good prices!... wee will be back for sure

Best Hawaiian food spot in town, hands down!!! Get the Korean Chicken, spicy or regular. You can't go wrong.

Stopped here for lunch by chance and was pleasantly surprised. The place was very clean and cute and the portions were huge! Had I have known they were so generous my mom and I probably would have split a plate.

I have been coming here for years, always friendly service and consistently amazing food! Interior dining room is small, but very cozy and has an aloha feel to it. Extremely reasonably priced and generous portions.

Picked up some catered food (entrée: bbq chicken plus Kalua pork, sides: macaroni salad and rice. Also got the green salad w/mango dressing), for a gathering of about 40 people. Everyone raved about the food a lot. The Kalua pork was a hit. Thanks to Terri, Juan, and their staff and the great food they make.

I'm a haole (was stationed in Pearl Harbor back in the day) but the food here reminds me of the food in Hawaii and it's delicious. The portions are big and everything was tasty. I had the spicy Korean chicken with steamed rice and mac salad.

Very generous serving size for the Loco Moco (just like you'd get on the islands). Beef patty was very flavorful and the gravy was delicious.

This is a nice clean place.  They have indoor and outdoor seating.  I loved the pineapple light decorations.  The vibe when you enter is inviting and chill.  Rachel, who took my order, was super nice and helpful. After placing my order,  I couldn't help but look at the pictures and the little sayings decor they had.   The restroom was super clean. I ordered: 1.  Coconut shrimp:  Crunchy,  delicious, and not too sweet from the coconut.  Sweet chili sauce perfect dipping sauce. 2.  Kalua gau gee:  It's so cute they look like mini empanadas.  The first bite was crunchy,  meaty, and flavorful.  Tried the dipping sauce with it.   It was a match made in heaven.  I couldn't pinpoint what the dipping sauce was, but it was so familiar and comforting. 3.  Loco moco w/ over medium egg:  This was a meaty hamburger patty and well seasoned.  Plating was pretty. 4.  Char siu spam scramble:  This easily reminded me of the egg and beef with oyster sauce that I order sometimes at Chinese restaurants 5.  Lilikoi (arnold palmer) :  I had asked the lady who helped me to make lilikoi tea with regular lemonade.  This was amazing and not overly sweet. This was a nice find.   It's not the traditional Hawaiian food I'm used to, but it had a nice elevated twist.  I want to say it has a fusion twist, but my husband disagrees.   I'm curious to see what everyone else thinks.

Got a pretty simple lunch of Spam Musubi, and that alone was filling and excellent. Would recommend it to family <3

Good friend of mine always eats here and told me to make the drive and try it. He was right, the food was Hawwain style goodness! We have the kalua pork plate and the teriyaki beef plates. Both with Mac salad and fried rice. You won't go hungry here! The coconut shrimp salad is also a tasty item. have to try the lilikoi iced tea! see pics!

I’d say their Kalbi and Korean chicken were delicious. For traditional Loco Moco the patty needed more seasoning and the gravy was too plain for my me. Chicken katsu had a good breading and wasn’t dry so it passed my taste. Overall, it’s a good first time experience and the staffs were helpful, had a good product knowledge, and friendly. If anything to improve I think is the gravy, I’m looking for a rich and flavorful one.

A fun Hawaiian experience in town. We were craving something different today and found this little gem. Food was fairly priced and delicious. I got bbq chicken and shrimp skewer plate. Amazing! Even the little side salad I had on the plate was good. My boyfriend got the Korean chicken and bbq kalbi ribs plate. He was making those yes please yummy expressions so I knew he loved it. We would definitely recommend going here. We will be back to try more sometime soon.

Wow, a new place that was recommended by a friend. The food was so good reminded me of Oahu. I didn't think anyone made the Mac salad with potatoes and tuna it tasted so good. The meats were all Juicy and tender. 🤙🫶

Absolutely awesome food! Authentic, fresh, tender, and tasty, let me say. The food is served on paper plates, which I actually love, as it makes me feel that I just showed up to a luau! Made my wife and I feel like we were back in Hawall when we spent our 10 year anniversary there a couple of years ago. And eating the food at Island Style Cafe makes us want to go back even more! This place, wow, nothing but island love as you can taste the love and care in the food they serve. ❤

Wow, this place is great for everyone! Meat eaters, veggie eaters, sweets, breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, they got it all! I actually came here two days in a row after I found it, because I had to try more of their food and see if it was just a one time thing. Nope, it's amazing everytime. The first bite is always magical. The meat is perfectly cooked. I had the Spicy Korean Chicken moco the first day... Wow! So I tried the loco Moco the next day, amazing... My friend got the Island BBQ Chicken Salad, that was incredible as well. This is legit Hawaiian food and just great food in general for any time of day. Oh yeah, the Spam Musubi and the California Musubi were great as well. The Lilikoi Tea, idk what it is, but I am ordering it everytime now lol. I tried a lot here already haha. Super friendly staff, very helpful and nice. I'm coming back here a lot more often. I found my new "go-to" spot. Thank you!

I had a delicious kalbi ribs & chicken katsu mix plate for lunch. My friend had the Korean and Hawaiian chicken mix plate. The price was outstanding, the portions were generous and the food was very good. The fried rice was on hit, I think it was cooked with a little bit of ti leaves. The service also was great. Authentic Hawaiian and islander food.

Been here 3 times at this point, every single interaction has been welcoming, flavorful food and great portions! My family's new go to spot, worth the commute for us.

Very good Hawaiian style food restaurant. Got a Kalbu Grilled Mix plate, extra salad with mango dressing. It was excellent. The service was fast and friendly.

Absolutely amazing food!! Puts L&L to shame. Seriously this is going to be my new go to. I’m super impressed. The chicken Is very tender and juicy. The teriyaki beef was tender and flavorful…not overly salty like L&L. The food didn’t have a chance. I should have taken a before pic.

Teriyaki beef is amazing, super tender and perfect amount of glaze, friend rice and macaroni sides are a delight. Very nice employees and clean restaurant. Be back !!

No frills diner with welcoming staff and fast, efficient service. Clean dining area. The food Is served on paper plates and is delicious. I had the kalua pork with fried rice and green salad. The generous portions of both rice and pork were perfect and the pork is so tender it falls apart. I highly recommend this establishment if you are looking for authentic Hawaiian style food.

Awesome service and great food! I had the Korean Chicken and short ribs with pork fried rice and macaroni salad. Everything was delicious! Definitely going back to try other items.

Lynn Eglan

This is a nice clean place.  They have indoor and outdoor seating.  I loved the pineapple light decorations.  The vibe when you enter is inviting and chill.  Rachel, who took my order, was super nice and helpful. After placing my order,  I couldn't help but look at the pictures and the little sayings decor they had.   The restroom was super clean. I ordered: 1.  Coconut shrimp:  Crunchy,  delicious, and not too sweet from the coconut.  Sweet chili sauce perfect dipping sauce. 2.  Kalua gau gee:  It's so cute they look like mini empanadas.  The first bite was crunchy,  meaty, and flavorful.  Tried the dipping sauce with it.   It was a match made in heaven.  I couldn't pinpoint what the dipping sauce was, but it was so familiar and comforting. 3.  Loco moco w/ over medium egg:  This was a meaty hamburger patty and well seasoned.  Plating was pretty. 4.  Char siu spam scramble:  This easily reminded me of the egg and beef with oyster sauce that I order sometimes at Chinese restaurants 5.  Lilikoi (arnold palmer) :  I had asked the lady who helped me to make lilikoi tea with regular lemonade.  This was amazing and not overly sweet. This was a nice find.   It's not the traditional Hawaiian food I'm used to, but it had a nice elevated twist.  I want to say it has a fusion twist, but my husband disagrees.   I'm curious to see what everyone else thinks.

Kept It moving Projects

Got a pretty simple lunch of Spam Musubi, and that alone was filling and excellent. Would recommend it to family <3

Gary Giffin

Good friend of mine always eats here and told me to make the drive and try it. He was right, the food was Hawwain style goodness! We have the kalua pork plate and the teriyaki beef plates. Both with Mac salad and fried rice. You won't go hungry here! The coconut shrimp salad is also a tasty item. have to try the lilikoi iced tea! see pics!

Vera SD

I’d say their Kalbi and Korean chicken were delicious. For traditional Loco Moco the patty needed more seasoning and the gravy was too plain for my me. Chicken katsu had a good breading and wasn’t dry so it passed my taste. Overall, it’s a good first time experience and the staffs were helpful, had a good product knowledge, and friendly. If anything to improve I think is the gravy, I’m looking for a rich and flavorful one.

Kelly Hernandez

A fun Hawaiian experience in town. We were craving something different today and found this little gem. Food was fairly priced and delicious. I got bbq chicken and shrimp skewer plate. Amazing! Even the little side salad I had on the plate was good. My boyfriend got the Korean chicken and bbq kalbi ribs plate. He was making those yes please yummy expressions so I knew he loved it. We would definitely recommend going here. We will be back to try more sometime soon.

Robyn Abadie

Wow, a new place that was recommended by a friend. The food was so good reminded me of Oahu. I didn't think anyone made the Mac salad with potatoes and tuna it tasted so good. The meats were all Juicy and tender. 🤙🫶

Christopher Connolly

Absolutely awesome food! Authentic, fresh, tender, and tasty, let me say. The food is served on paper plates, which I actually love, as it makes me feel that I just showed up to a luau! Made my wife and I feel like we were back in Hawall when we spent our 10 year anniversary there a couple of years ago. And eating the food at Island Style Cafe makes us want to go back even more! This place, wow, nothing but island love as you can taste the love and care in the food they serve. ❤

Rod Gullo

Very good Hawaiian style food restaurant. Got a Kalbu Grilled Mix plate, extra salad with mango dressing. It was excellent. The service was fast and friendly.

Jacob N

Wow, this place is great for everyone! Meat eaters, veggie eaters, sweets, breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, they got it all! I actually came here two days in a row after I found it, because I had to try more of their food and see if it was just a one time thing. Nope, it's amazing everytime. The first bite is always magical. The meat is perfectly cooked. I had the Spicy Korean Chicken moco the first day... Wow! So I tried the loco Moco the next day, amazing... My friend got the Island BBQ Chicken Salad, that was incredible as well. This is legit Hawaiian food and just great food in general for any time of day. Oh yeah, the Spam Musubi and the California Musubi were great as well. The Lilikoi Tea, idk what it is, but I am ordering it everytime now lol. I tried a lot here already haha. Super friendly staff, very helpful and nice. I'm coming back here a lot more often. I found my new "go-to" spot. Thank you!

Joshua Norris

I had a delicious kalbi ribs & chicken katsu mix plate for lunch. My friend had the Korean and Hawaiian chicken mix plate. The price was outstanding, the portions were generous and the food was very good. The fried rice was on hit, I think it was cooked with a little bit of ti leaves. The service also was great. Authentic Hawaiian and islander food.

Zimitro Perez

Teriyaki beef is amazing, super tender and perfect amount of glaze, friend rice and macaroni sides are a delight. Very nice employees and clean restaurant. Be back !!

Stephen Jacob

Awesome service and great food! I had the Korean Chicken and short ribs with pork fried rice and macaroni salad. Everything was delicious! Definitely going back to try other items.

Roxanne Calimbahin

Been here 3 times at this point, every single interaction has been welcoming, flavorful food and great portions! My family's new go to spot, worth the commute for us.

Teissa Barling

Absolutely amazing food!! Puts L&L to shame. Seriously this is going to be my new go to. I’m super impressed. The chicken Is very tender and juicy. The teriyaki beef was tender and flavorful…not overly salty like L&L. The food didn’t have a chance. I should have taken a before pic.

This is my favorite Hawaiian restaurant in the San Diego area. Feels pretty authentic and better than some places I have been to on Oahu. I come here pretty often and have tried several dishes and enjoyed them all. They also make their own salad dressings which are very tasty so I usually get a salad as a side.

I asked David to make a recommendation and he recommended the katsu chicken with Curry and Mac Salad. 10/10 would recommend and would absolutely order again. delicious and generous portion sizes.

Jp Zampetti

I asked David to make a recommendation and he recommended the katsu chicken with Curry and Mac Salad. 10/10 would recommend and would absolutely order again. delicious and generous portion sizes.

Jan

This is my favorite Hawaiian restaurant in the San Diego area. Feels pretty authentic and better than some places I have been to on Oahu. I come here pretty often and have tried several dishes and enjoyed them all. They also make their own salad dressings which are very tasty so I usually get a salad as a side.

Surprising enjoyable. We decided to go to this restaurant on a whim... The Korean Chicken is a must have... I didn't particularly enjoy the other meats...a bit tough... But the Korean Chicken I would get again and again paired with rice and macaroni salad...kiss kiss. A decent tasting meal. Price was great and restaurant was emaculantly clean. We enjoyed it. Would definitely go again! P.S. the nutella crepes with bananas/strawberries/whip were a nice surprise for dessert. A thumbs up!

Everything was delicious!! Nice charbroil flavor on the chicken, ribs, and steak. Mac Salad is always a winner, and the fried rice sooo good!!

Visited here at 6 pm weekdays, and we are the only ones sitting down at a table. Rice is great, but all meat is super salty for me, and there are several flies 🪰 around our sitting area and food, so we have to go for our food.

Good Hawaiian comfort food. I tend to order their traditional loco moco while my wife and her family have their own favorites. Some of them will even drive over a hundred miles just to get their Hawaiian food fix from Island Style Cafe. Give them a try! :)

Janey GoExplore

Visited here at 6 pm weekdays, and we are the only ones sitting down at a table. Rice is great, but all meat is super salty for me, and there are several flies 🪰 around our sitting area and food, so we have to go for our food.

Overall, food tastes good but chicken can be cooked a little more. And Mac salad is interesting is there tuna in it. Either way, I enjoyed the food.

J “May” L. Mercy

Overall, food tastes good but chicken can be cooked a little more. And Mac salad is interesting is there tuna in it. Either way, I enjoyed the food.

5 stars for food cause we liked it. Meat was tasty and pretty good quality. 1 Star for service because they seemed to want to nickel and dime us for sauces, plasticware, etc. and they gave me a hard time, telling me not to eat the shaved iced that they sold me in their own restaurant? Like what? Confusing. We were packing our food to go and yet they tried to kick us out. 3 Stars for atmosphere cause the music was good but it was kind of cheap in regards to the build quality, but clean nonetheless. If they fix these things then they could get a tip that outweighs the nickels and dimes.

It’s not bad and a good substitute for Hawaiian food if you need a fix of it. I went for a dinner and my plate wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t as tasty as my tried and true go-to place of L&L. The place was also kinda dingy with yellow lighting and it was poorly lit. Not like the pictures of a well lit and clean restaurant. This would be a good substitute if my favorite place was close or if I lived right down the street in the neighborhood. The plates were priced fairly.

It was ok. Spicy Korean chicken wasn't spicy at all. Chicken Katsu was a little dry. I will try something different next time.

I didn't eat the spam musubi unfortunately sometbing was off....reminds me of l&l bbq when it first appeared in san diego in the corner and I wasnt fond of their macaroni side yonder . Anyways I gave this place a try and preferred the spam musubi at l&l bbq. I haven't tried anything else at that place. I think I saw 2 people inside there eating. My dad ate the spam musubi....

I’ve tried this spot before and it’s tasty, but unfortunately the service is really poor. We ordered over 50 dollars of food, drinks, and tipped. We decided to order to-go, but changed our minds and wanted to sit and eat in the restaurant. We didn’t think this would be an issue at all, but the owner was not okay. She rushed over to our table as soon as we opened the food, and said “ We’ve dealt with this before, to-go orders are for to-go. We aren’t allowed to change our mind and stay.” So we were rushed out right after we got food. Not sure why this was a big deal as the customers who were eating in the restaurant were eating on paper plates. It seemed like the staff was uncomfortable as well, the woman at the counter was beyond awkward and as I asked for a fork, she was literally staring at our table about to say we couldn’t eat there. She said “oh it looks like my manager is telling them”. She was even hesitant about the fork… That’s when the owner got to the table. It’s very confusing as to why we got kicked out, if they had told us from the start of the order that it wasn’t okay to eat inside for a takeout order then obviously we would understand. There’s no signage or note saying we can’t. So overall food is good but the service and atmosphere is uncomfortable, awkward, and rude.

Darlenne Diaz

I’ve tried this spot before and it’s tasty, but unfortunately the service is really poor. We ordered over 50 dollars of food, drinks, and tipped. We decided to order to-go, but changed our minds and wanted to sit and eat in the restaurant. We didn’t think this would be an issue at all, but the owner was not okay. She rushed over to our table as soon as we opened the food, and said “ We’ve dealt with this before, to-go orders are for to-go. We aren’t allowed to change our mind and stay.” So we were rushed out right after we got food. Not sure why this was a big deal as the customers who were eating in the restaurant were eating on paper plates. It seemed like the staff was uncomfortable as well, the woman at the counter was beyond awkward and as I asked for a fork, she was literally staring at our table about to say we couldn’t eat there. She said “oh it looks like my manager is telling them”. She was even hesitant about the fork… That’s when the owner got to the table. It’s very confusing as to why we got kicked out, if they had told us from the start of the order that it wasn’t okay to eat inside for a takeout order then obviously we would understand. There’s no signage or note saying we can’t. So overall food is good but the service and atmosphere is uncomfortable, awkward, and rude.

The food was yummy and the portion size was good for the price. The reason for the one star is because the service was not great, and made the overall experience not good. We asked for some teriyaki sauce for the Spam Musubi and were told it was an extra charge of .50c, after we were done eating we asked for a to go box and were told they don't provide those (only foil) and that it was.50c if I wanted a box... We ended up ordering a shaved ice along with a box to put all the leftovers. The server was literally trying to kick us out as I was packing all of our leftover food because we couldn't have the shaved ice in there. She saw me trying to box everything up and still stood there asking we get out.

I come here often and I ordered a mahi mahi plate and the inside had blood gushing out of it. I returned it back to the restaurant and I was treated rudely by all of the staff inside. A guy hollered at me from behind the kitchen it’s not raw it’s a bloodline . They only made over my fish and not my sides . The piece of fish was extremely small . I had to ask them to make my rice and veggies over again , And they were extremely upset . Once I received the sides the portions were extremely small . I will never go back here again and I don’t advise anyone else to either .

sam choe

I come here often and I ordered a mahi mahi plate and the inside had blood gushing out of it. I returned it back to the restaurant and I was treated rudely by all of the staff inside. A guy hollered at me from behind the kitchen it’s not raw it’s a bloodline . They only made over my fish and not my sides . The piece of fish was extremely small . I had to ask them to make my rice and veggies over again , And they were extremely upset . Once I received the sides the portions were extremely small . I will never go back here again and I don’t advise anyone else to either .