Better than average (and their logo is awesome). We stopped in PDX to go to The Screen Door, but they weren't open at the time. Across the street we found AteOhAte, and delightfully so. Somewhere between fast food and sit down is an islandic meal for your pleasure. I ordered a katsu plate, and it was done just right - lots of food too, between it, the pasta and the rice. Strange little place, but glad we stopped. The bombardment from the random photographer while I was enjoying my meal was pretty comical.
(4)
Sylvia S.
It gets two stars due to their nice service and location. But man, the disappointment lingers even after 2 weeks of having eaten there. As others have mentioned, I expected better from the people behind Simpatica and Laurelhurst Market. What happened?? I ordered the Kalua pig and it came with a scoop of tasteless pulled pork, two scoops of white rice (yawn) and an iceberg lettuce salad (double yawn) The flavors were so weak I could have easily been sitting at a food court in the mall. I hope they read these reviews and get their act together.
(2)
Helen G.
Yummy Mac salad moist rice and delicious shoju chicken. If you want some island comfort food this is it. Atmosphere is more shusi place than tiki hut.
(5)
A. L.
Had the Moco Loco: This was very good. The chef knows his business. The eggs were perfectly cooked, as was the hamburger patty! Most cooks overcook hamburger, but mine showed up medium rare, just right. The mushroom gravy is made with beef stock and it was very very good. I also had some poke, which was good, but had too many shallots/onion/garlic and not enough FISH. Also the pieces of fish were cut too small. I look forward to trying other dishes at this restaurant.
(4)
Mark T.
My new favorite place to eat in Portland. I read the article in the Oregonian mentioning Ate-Oh-Ate has having one of the best burgers in town so I immediately had to go. I ordered their special burger with pork belly and wasn't disappointed. It was delicious! The burger was cooked to perfection and the mix of the pork belly just put it over the top. Did I mention it had kimchi on it also?! The only complaint I had was that the bun got really soggy but that was because of how moist the burger was. Since then I have gone back a few times and ate the katsu and saimin. Both were excellent but neither could top the burger. I've also gotten the sweet potato tempura as a side; the breading is great and it's not greasy at all. Make sure you order the POG juice, it's really refreshing. Overall it's a definite must eat in Portland. Best island food so far! Oh and it has dog friendly seating outside.
(5)
Heather J.
The poke doesn't quite stand up to what I had on Oahu, but it was tasty nonetheless. The pork katsu was tender and crispy, and hit the spot. A little bit of island life right down the street, washed down with a Lucky Buddha Lager.
(4)
Maxwell T. H.
Remember back in the summer of '92 when you saw your first They Might Be Giants concert at the Melody Ballroom? And you also took your first hit of acid at said concert and everything suddenly just MADE SENSE??? That is the Tombo Tuna Poke at Ate Oh Ate.
(4)
Jenni B.
Yuuum. My boyfriend and I had a late ish dinner here on a Friday night. The woman working at the counter who took our order was friendly. The people working in the kitchen seemed to enjoy the food they were making and everything looked pretty clean in the kitchen. No problems there. It was also nice to go into a place in Portland where they obviously frequently cleaned off the tables once people left (bonus). There are a lot of order at the counter style places where tables get ignored and so you end up seating yourself at a table that isn't exactly clean a lot of the time if the place is busy. Not during our experience here. We ordered the Kal-Bi Pork Ribs and the Katsu - Panko-Crusted Chicken. I ordered the salad for my side and he got the macaroni salad. Everything tasted good and the ribs weren't overpowered by the flavor of sauce. I noticed some other Yelpers reviewed that this place wasn't an "authentic" Hawaiian food joint or whatever. Whatever to them, this food is delicious the portions are a good size and the price is right. We will be back for more, next time likely for happy hour for a fancy cocktail and a sandwich of some kind.
(5)
H M.
Pretty good food. Can't say the best Hawaiian ever, but good. The people saying this is the best Hawaiian they've had in Portland just don't know where to go. The mac salad was pretty good but not quite top notch. Still good though. Same for their loco moco.
(4)
Reed C.
First time here -- had a gift card, and been meaning to check out the place. I had the Hekka with chicken (Stir-Fried Vegetables & Yam Noodles in a Sweet Soy & Rice Wine Sauce -- you may choose chicken, beef, fish cake or vegetarian). My husband got one of the plate lunches with macaroni salad. Both were really good. Excellent flavor, good portions, and lots of chicken in my dish. We also split a side of tempura sweet potato -- served with sweet chili sauce. I could have eaten a double order (triple?) as my dinner. This is a good, solid place for a decent meal. The one thing that stood out for me, compared to other Hawaiian spots I've tried in Portland, is that the food at Ate Oh Ate isn't as greasy and fatty. Another excellent reason to visit.
(3)
Kiyana K.
808 has a really good burger and the ribs are the best I like how sweet and soft they are sauces is really good
(4)
Kristina S.
I originally heard about ate-oh- ate from a guy from Hawaii, who said this is Authentic Hawaiian Food. I do not know about authentic, as I do not have much experience with authentic Hawaiian dishes, however Ate- oh Ate is tasty. I really like the Teriyaki steak, and friends have really enjoyed their pulled pork. They also have cocktail selections, and sides.
(4)
Regina C.
Tables of 2 and 4 and kitchen side seating keeps this place casual and local. Ordered the teriyaki beef, kalua pig and Lau Lau. I had high hopes for this place but the food just missed the mark for my taste. Instead of a standout dish, I found all of them lacking in flavor, consistency and/or texture. I've had more than my share of Hawaiian food and will only consider returning to try the shaved ice or to give happy hour a go.
(3)
Dan H.
With Hawaii on my mind (I was there 3 years ago at Halloween time) and a friend in town for the weekend (she used to live here, but moved back to NJ) dinner was a callin' and Ate-Oh-Ate was our destination. I didn't really know what to expect going in. I know that the people behind this restaurant are also behind Simpatica Dining Hall as well as the Laurelhurst Market. I haven't been to the former, but have been to the latter and that place rocks. Why wouldn't Ate-Oh-Ate? No reason it wouldn't and therefore it did. At first walking in my friend and I didn't realize you had to order at the counter. It didn't take long to figure that out. All of a few seconds. Ok. Looking at the menu, everything looked like it would be really good. I ordered the Katsu which is Panko-crusted Chicken or Pork Cutlets (I went with the pork) with Katsu sauce. This comes with white rice and your choice of Macaroni Salad or Green Salad. I had the green salad which had a really nice dressing on it. Don't know what it was, but very tasty. A few minutes after ordering, our food came out to us. Good sized portions for around $9. The pork was plentiful and I would kill a baby elephant to get to that Katsu sauce. Ok, not really. Sorry PETA. The pork was pretty perfect. They even cut it into pieces for you. The rice was white so I don't really have anything to say about that. This is a good meal and you can certainly get out of there for well under $15 even if you have a drink. Quality food in this tough economic times.
(4)
Sophie A.
Delicious poke (so fresh, they used a local fish, which I appreciated, instead of having frozen ahi (tuna) flown overseas or something)!! A bit pricey, but haven't had hawaiian style food like that in a while. Their butter mochi was so yummy with coconut ice cream! They've got the curry down too. By the way, I grew up in Hawaii for over 19 yrs.. Just sayin :)
(4)
Aundria L.
This place is bad-ass. Yep. BAD-ASS. Where else can you feel like you're back on da-big-Island bra and get awesome food for super cheap? Not on the Big Island thats for sure! After visiting friends in Kona and scouring the Island for good food, we were pretty disappointed by their local plate lunch joints. The ingredients were garbage and the best food there was over-priced sushi. Ate-Oh-Ate gives you the Island feel with local ingredients that are fresh and delicious. Btw I've read some of the other reviews for this place and I have to say, you guys are retarded. If you've actually been to Kona, you would understand that most plate lunch places DON'T have the tropical Island feel you continue to mention. They're hole in the wall tin and concrete buildings, and the service is usually awful because they hate dealing with your white Howlie ass. And the moron who thought this was a Korean place...well you're just a moron. I also don't think the food is expensive at ALL. Last night I ordered the fish plate (which was a perfectly seared Tuna filet, mac salad, pineapple slaw and rice) for only $11. My daughter and I shared it and were full. My boyfriend ordered the burger which is less than $10. Apparently spending $20 on two giant plates isn't cheap? Again...you guys are retarded. Plus the staff have been nothing but friendly each time we visit, and there are always new specials to try. Definitely try some of the Mochi dessert cake too! It's awesome. :)
(5)
Steve S.
I am from Oahu and, as far as I'm concerned, an expert with regard to plate lunches. This was not impressive. Let's start with the food, since it is the essence of a restaurant. They purport to be a "Hawaiian-Style" establishment, so I can't skewer them too severely. However, much of the food is not authentic. In a way it is too good to be authentic. The mac salad has too much going on. That is the opposite of a good Japanese-Hawaiian style mac salad. Mayo, a little shredded carrot and the essence of a Japanese tabi, as my grandfather used to say. That kind of mac salad is the holy grail of plate lunch. This salad was ok, although a little under seasoned, but it had something else in it that was wrong. Maybe it was a little tuna or some finely chopped cabbage, not sure, but for the first time in perhaps my entire life I left some salad on the plate. I ordered "Japanese style" curry. First, it was not Japanese style--it was Thai style, with too much coconut and a distinct flavor of lemon grass. Second, they did not understand my request to put the curry, rice and mac salad all on the same plate. Once I got the food it made sense. The curry was more soupy than Japanese style curry so it really could not be on a plate but had to be in a bowl. That meant I could not have the quintessential plate lunch experience of the curry and the rice and the salad all touching each other and--can I say out loud--mingling on the same plate. On a positive note, the chicken katsu was excellent. Jeff had fried saimin, which is yakisoba by another name. This is not an uncommon dish but, in my opinion, they messed it up with upscale ingredients. Jeff is not fond of pork belly (I know, crazy but stay with me). It's too fatty for his taste. Frankly, I didn't like it either in this dish. Usually it is Chinese bbq pork, which is leaner than pork belly, and is cut into thin slices. The distinct, sweet flavor of Chinese bbq pork lends itself better to this preparation. Pork belly, though delicious, seems out of place for me, as it vies for attention in the mix instead of playing along, like a good platelunch food should. Perhaps most importantly the place was cold and without aloha. I know, "aloha" is a difficult quality to define but when it is missing a local person knows it. High ceilings, minimal decoration and the constant drone of "Jawaiian" music did not make for a good atmosphere. Now, I know that Jawaiian is a legit category of Hawaiian music but I contend it is crap and just the over-influence of hippies high on ganga. Sorry, my opinion. When I go into a Hawaiian establishment I expect to hear the greats of Hawaiian music like Gabby Pahinui, Genoa Keawe, Cazimero Brothers, Iz and so on. My advice: Stop trying to be what you think mainlanders think Hawaii is all about and go back to roots. Make the food the way it is remembered and loved, play a variety of music in addition to a little Jawaiian, bring in some people with some aloha and warm up the decor. I might stop in again in the Summer, when a cold restaurant feels good but, at the moment, I can make my own katsu and Japanese curry and mac salad. Ok, the mac salad is a work in progress but I have connections in the meantime.
(2)
Rachael C.
The food was amazing, the service was excellent, and the atmosphere was so relaxing. I have to say, our first visit here has been a great experience. The counter person was more than willing to give us great suggestions on what to order and offered detailed descriptions of each item we asked about. Definitely coming back here the next time I'm in Portland!
(5)
Brooke G.
After the rave review from Portland Monthly, my friend and I decided to give Ate-Oh-Ate a try. On a Tuesday night, the restaurant was quiet. I ordered a drink, which was mediocre at best. The burger was good and the pork belly was a nice addition. It hit the spot for my burger craving, but certainly was not the best burger I've had in town. If I go back and I'd just stick with the Hawaiian food.
(3)
Sudipto G.
Went there for the Portland Burger Week an the $5 burger. The place is small and is seat yourself, but very well run. They still had the $5 burger at 745pm which was great, other places ran out much sooner. They burger itself was very good, slightly small, but still more than your moneys worth for 5 bucks. Their crushed ice made a good accompaniment to your meal especially in the hot summer days. The rest of the menu is interesting as well.. well worth a visit.
(4)
Stephanie W.
I wanted to like this place, since I've been meaning to go for so long. And granted what I got was a take-out order of the Korean Chicken with extra mac salad, it was *really* cold when I got it back to work and began to eat. I don't believe it's from having sat for too long. The sauce came off as a primarily sriracha-based with no complexity of flavors and was pretty plain aside from the chili heat. The mac salad, which I paid extra to have more of, was pretty lackluster as well. The only flavor there was mayo, no pepper that I remember. I was extremely disappointed. When I crave Hawaiian, it is an insatiable drive until I snag some and this did not fulfill my needs. It made me wish I had gotten better Hawaiian food for a lower price here in Beaverton instead. I won't go back.
(2)
Phil M.
I first ate here during Portland Burger Week, where they served an amazing burger topped with char siu pork. Being as close to my office as it is, I decided to give their standard menu a try for lunch. I was absolutely blown away! Both times, I had their spam musubi and macaroni salad. These two items are MUST gets. Don't turn up your nose at spam; it's amazing in "sushi" form. For my entree, I got the Korean chicken wings, which were nice and crispy. The sauce on them reminded me slightly of the fish sauce wings you can get an another restaurant in town, but they have a charm all their own. You can also get this dish with thighs, which I may do next time. My wife had the Kalua Pig, which is some of the most succulent pulled pork I've had since moving to town. Leave it to a Hawaiian joint to turn out a BBQ dish that's southerner approved. I see that they have this available on a sandwich, so I already have yet another future order in mind. But, for your side (other than the heaping helping of rice they give you), do get the macaroni salad. I don't know what they do to it to make it so crazy good!
(5)
Mars M.
First time visit...what Hawaiian restaurant does not have pineapple? I loved the tempura sweet potatoes, deliciousness..... Korean hot wings very average, my friend's fried rice omelette with spam was bland to say the least, my niece did not take more than three bites the pork was fatty and greasy and our guest had Korean Chicken it was great. I had such higher hopes.
(2)
Sandra Z.
Excellent and fast! Everything about their burger of the week burger was delicious! I will come back to try other menu options soon.
(5)
Lokahi V.
I only got take out so I can't comment on the actual restaurant experience. That being said, the food was great! When I went to pick it up the food was ready and hot. My only issue was that the poke should have been in a separate bag so it stayed cold. Nice packaging and solid containers. My food was still in place when I got home, even after my driving! Poke was awesome! I got the tombo tuna poke and it was the best I've had in Portland (sorry Kawika). The Kalua pig was perfect. Not too dry and not all greasy and nasty. I loved the flavor of the Teri chicken and it was grilled to perfection. This may sound weird if you're not from Hawaii, but the rice was perfect! Sticky not over or under cooked...just like home! The Mac salad was delish but needs green onion to make it perfect oh and a little black pepper. My only issue was the saimin. I'm a purist and I like kamaboko and green onion, char siu and spam. The broth was good but too dense and not enough. I boiled water at home and added shoyu and it was perfect. I would suggest packaging it separate so noodles don't drink all the broth. The pork belly was good but not char siu. Noodles were perfect...not too thick not too thin and great texture. I will be back and look forward to it. I topped it all off with a li hing mui I had from my mom... It was as close as home as possible.
(4)
Peter C.
Only had the shaved ice there but it was amazing. I ordered a shaved ice with condensed milk and red beans. Wish the red beans were on top instead of in the middle of the shaved ice but it was still really good.
(5)
Alisha M.
My boyfriend and I stopped there as soon as we go into town. We started off with some mac salad, which was pretty perfect. This was not the bland, mayonnaise-y kind that comes from a lot of places. It had a perfect amount of spices, and the noodles were cooked perfectly. I had the Fried Rice Omelet with the Portuguese Sausage. Perfectly cooked, fluffy eggs with a enormous pile of veggie-filled rice inside. It was pretty spectacular I must admit. Definitely something I'll want to order again! My boyfriend had the Moco Loco. I grabbed a couple bites off his plate, and it was darn good, too. The eggs on top were beautifully runny, and the hamburger patty had awesome flavor.
(5)
Sean S.
The beef was awesome here. A bit salty, but overall it was great. The rest of the entree was good as well and was really better than the plate lunches I had when I vacationed to Oahu.
(4)
Rylan A.
Could be the best plate lunch I have had in Portland. Their Korean Chicken is particularly excellent, alongside properly cooked rice and delicious mac salad. It is slightly pricey but after several times of walking out the doors completely full and satisfied, it is worth every dollar.
(5)
Otis M.
First time ever to write a yelp review after years of usage. Very disappointed local boy from Hawaii. Came here to eat a year ago and was Ono with good portions. They must have sold out to haole hipsters who draw more hipsters in as trendy followers. Yes it was busy but lets be honest and call it an expensive $12 bento and not a plate lunch meal. Left hungry again so Im going back to No Ho 's for a real local boy meal. Too bad because i used to look forward to a visit here.
(1)
Jenene Y.
After reading the reviews, this place is amazing good. My husband from Hawaii said the Mac salad was the closest to what his mom made. That's saying a lot. Mai Tai - Yes please! Yummy and worth it. I think we will be back sooner than later.
(5)
Alison M.
Randomly deciding to check this place out was the best decision!!! Their food is amazing- I got the Kalua pork, which I'm always afraid will be too salty, but theirs was perfect! Flavorful, juicy, just straight up yummy! I also tried a little of the Aina burger and oh man was that good too! They have this chili garlic water that added even MORE bang to my food... I was seriously impressed! Plus, I got to leave with a shave ice, and what could be better than that?!
(5)
Connie C.
Ate-Oh-Ate was our Hawaiian joint for a while. We would routinely order different plates to go to devour at home. However, we've since "banned" them from our list. We loved the Korean Chicken, Kalbi Pork Ribs, Curry Bowl w/ a Pork Cutlet, and the Aina Burger. The Korean Chicken were little fried drummettes covered in a sweet and spicy soy based sauce, sesame seeds. It was a little crispy with juicy/chewy meat. If you like chicken wings, this might be your thing. It was kind of like the kind Basa Basa had. The Kalbi Pork Ribs are solid. They can be a bit saltier than others I've had, but still charred and tasty. The curry bowl with pork cutlet (katsu) is like the ones lots of Japanese restaurants have. It's good and comforting. The Aina burger is crazy. We had to stop ordering it because it left us feeling a bit guilty, but it's a perfect burger topped with pork belly! Darn good pork belly. If I was feeling my sweet tooth, I'd get one of their butter mochi desserts and always a couple of the Hawaiian sodas. The reason we stopped going here was sadly on service alone. We always ordered to go and they'd always forget to put something in the bag. Our soda or our dessert or whatever. It happened more than 3 times and we never noticed until we got home. We lived on the west side and braving back to the east side in rush hour was not ideal. We called them each time and they just told us to come back. When A finally came home these times about 45 minutes later, our food was cold and unappealing. On top of that, he said they were completely unapologetic. On the last time (I think the 4th time this happened), I was especially mad because we redeemed our free plate with our punch card, but they completely left out a plate from our bag. After that, we vowed to never go back because it was not even worth it anymore.
(2)
Jimmy M.
My new favorite Hawaiian style restaurant. Slightly more expensive then the competition but worth it. Recommend the grilled chicken thighs Korean style. "Shaka"
(5)
Jeremy L.
Having been to other Hawaiian-style restaurants in the Portland area, I have to say this is hands-down the best of them all and closest to authentic as I've been able to get! Unlike other restaurants, they don't add a pound of pepper to their mac salad (staple in my old Hawaiian meals), they have the best selection of meals. I would recommend the chicken katsu with a side of musubi! The staff is always nice to me and everyone looks like they love to work there. It would be nice to find a place that serves chocolate haupia pie like at Ted's Bakery on Oahu but I'll suffice with your excellent food any day!
(5)
Brian C.
Nice Hawaiian food with good flavors for a reasonable price in a casual environment. It's not exceedingly cheap but neither are the ingredients and I am told by a native Hawaiian that Ate-Oh-Ate (the area code for Hawaii) is very authentic. Overall it's tasty, reasonably priced, and worth a visit.
(4)
Jennifer N.
I am amazed to see some of the reviews claiming that the Kalua Pig here is bland. On the contrary, mine was very flavorful and moist. In fact, I was almost laughing at the fact that the bun (I had the pig sandwich) was practically soaking, making me very glad they had Wet-Naps! Also, those who complain about the iceberg lettuce salad have clearly never seen a traditional Hawaiian plate lunch- that's what you get and this is the only circumstance in which I welcome the iceberg with open arms! Service was quick and friendly. Makes me miss the days of visiting my Meama in Waikiki. I wish she were still with us so I could take her here; she would love it! I look forward to trying it again, there are myriad things I would still like to try!
(5)
Christy W.
Missing authentic Hawaiian, I'd been wanting to try this place, and when my birthday rolled around on the Ate-Oh-Ate and other local restaurants were donating profits to Mercy Corps Japanese fund, it was the perfect opportunity. The macaroni salad was perfect! There's just something about Hawaiian style mac salad, and they got it just right. I had the lau lau, which I'd been craving, and although it was a tad dry, the taro leaves were beautifully steamed and delicious. But what I really want to give props to is the service. They were slammed that night. Wonderful that so many people came out to support Japan, but the staff was running ragged. Despite the never-ending rush, our hostess was sweet and polite and didn't miss a beat. Will definitely go back!
(5)
Jenna V.
What a terrible disappointment. The pork was utterly flavorless - unless you count sodium as a flavor. I love pork - and it's hard for me to not like a plate of it - but this was mediocrity at best. Salads are watery and also without flavor - sad when a scoop of white rice is the most interesting thing on your plate. There is much better pork to be had locally, and for having had such a disappointing meal I won't be back. I've had worse - it wasn't inedible - I was just very unhappy to have had lunch here knowing what else exists in Portland.
(2)
Keo F.
If your from Hawaii don't eat here. Salty and nothing like food made by people from Hawaii. I won't eat here again nor will I recommend this place. Nice atmosphere and friendly staff but sucky food.
(1)
Chris H.
Had a few Hawaiian spots around Portland, and this is by far the best, hands down! The sweet potato tempura is a delicious appetizer, and their teriyaki chicken is like none I've ever had. Exploding with flavor and complimented nicely with their homemade macaroni salad (not too tangy either). I recommend Ate-Oh-Ate to everyone that is in need of a killer dinning experience, and the hawaiian/reggae music only adds to the vibe! Meal is around $10, won't break the bank either. You won't ever seek out another teriyaki chicken dish after having this one.
(5)
Samuel K.
So plate lunch, ya brah! So far been twice and been vaguely disappointed each time. The rice isn't up to par... What can I say, I'm picky about my white rice. Here's the trick, even though it says DO NOT RINSE on the Calrose rice bags, ignore that shit and wash it at least 3 or 4 times. That's the "top secret oriental rice trick" that so many people don't seem to know, including ate oh ate apparently. Their Korean chicken and Kalbee both suffered from the same fatal flaw: where's the SWEETNESS??? Man I don't know what it is about Portland's Korean food joints but so many of them don't push the sweetness thing. Kalbee and Korean chicken both should be slathered with some ambrosial salty sweet sauce... So sad, so sad. Overall, not bad, but disappointing nonetheless. For your money half the Korean "teriyaki" places around town are better.
(2)
Joseph H.
Like to give it 3.5, but that doesn't exist so this time I'm rounding up. To dispel their complaints about portions and price, it's mostly invalid. They're on the slightly higher side of everything, drinks, plates, grinds. $8 Mai Tai's but the ones they poured for me were nice and strong. You can't have everything, the ribs they serve are spot on, but they should also offer a salt rub version which they don't have yet. The Kalua Pork has been nailed, and why wouldn't it by the master porcine producer Benjamin D. Lots of good food all around, and for less than $12 it's on par and better than many of the other hawaiian joints around brudah. Good people and great fare make it a brilliant unassuming stop to chill and relax on Hawaiian time.
(4)
Tom A.
Hawaiian cuisine is a funny thing to review because more than with, say Italian or Mexican restaurants, it seems like we have to disclose our relationship with the place of origin. So, okay, i've never lived in Hawaii and I've only visited two times in my life. My sole claim to knowledge of Hawaiian anything is that I like to race those outrigger canoes and I have some Israel Kamakawiwo'ole CDs. And I used to wear puka shells and OP shirts in high school, although I was never on a surfboard until my 40s. So as you can see I'm pretty much an expert. After months of anticipation, I finally made it into Ate-Oh-Ate by myself on a lunch hour. I wasn't feeling like a big meal or spending a lot so I focused on sandwiches and decided on the Shoyu Chicken sandwich, which set me back $6.95. It's a mixed result, not quite what you'd call 'ono kine'. The Shoyu chicken is moist to a fault but whatever gingery goodness it offers is submerged in a sea of salt. The Mac salad turns out to be the low sodium item in my lunch. Everything else was right about it - the nicely grilled kaiser roll, the drippy mess of succulent chicken and slaw within. If they could just dial back the NaCl this would be a killer sandwich. Since it was lunch on a work day I couldn't wash this down with a Longboard or a MaiTai and I had to settle for a Dr. Pepper. I'm going to return to Ate Oh Ate and give it another chance because I do like a Mai Tai and maybe they'll have fixed that leak in the salt shaker by then.
(3)
Michele C.
I went in on a whim one time as I was walking through the neighborhood. It wasn't that busy, but my order took 20 minutes longer than the woman at the register told me it would (I think because she forgot about it, but who knows). When my food was ready, she apologized and gave me a $10 gift card for my next order. The card actually didn't work the next time I went in, but the guys at the register believed my (true) story and honored it. All in all, I enjoy this place but don't come as often as I would if it were a dollar or two less. I took my dad here once for lunch (he works by Lloyd Center) and he liked what he ordered. I've tried the Teriyaki Chicken and Kalua Pig and enjoyed them both, and the sweet potato tempura is delicious.
(4)
Brendan D.
Kalua pig is fire! I love this place! solid strat for Hawaiian food!
(4)
Thomas M.
I was super excited for a new Hawaiian joint to open in Portland, even more based on the owner ship by Laurelhurst and Simpatica, I figured I would be in for something special. I really like the space and the idea of a nice Hawaiian plate lunch, but the food was only OK. I had the teriyaki steak which was pretty good and free of grizzle, which often ruins the steak at Hawaiian places for me. But that is about where it ended, decent tasting steak and an OK mac salad. Also where is Da Sauce? Thats the best part of a plate lunch! I smoother everything in it. The major issue, the price, for $11 I expected a little more then a decent meal with a fairly small serving size. I would love this meal if it was half the cost which can be found at about any other plate lunch spot. For the same price I could go to Bamboo grove and feed a family of 4 a large size offering of just about anything. Or Hawaiian time and have a more tasty meal. I will give it another shot given it was there first day, but it was not the best first impression
(3)
Todd M.
GREAT Food.. and way better than the food I had in Hawaii. ( although I wish they would have made the garlic shrimp they sell in those trucks ). awesome korean dungeness crab poke, korean short ribs, and korean chicken ( i had a korean guy with me.. what can i say?). Everything was great, and it was good to see Ben in the kitchen working his magic. only downside is bussing my own table.. I know.. "suck it up" .. but at these prices, I think that's something that the staff could take care of. Can't wait to go back.
(4)
Jeff T.
I finally made it in here this past weekend. To use a phrase from Portuguese: Ate-Oh-Ate matou a sauldade! Basically, it killed the longing, nostalgia that I had for Hawaiian/Polynesian food. I grew up around a Tongan family and got to eat and help out with some of their umu many times. Local Boyz in Corvallis used to be my go-to place for this, but seems like everytime to go to visit my folks there, it's closed or something. Ate-Oh-Ate just gave me one less reason to make the drive, sorry Mom and Dad. I had the Lau Lau (pork and salt cod steamed in taro leaves) and my wife and the Bi Bim Bau special. The service was very nice but a little slow to get the food out, but I didn't mind once it arrived. Decent sized portions and very tasty. I just felt all kinds of happy with the food. The mac salad was just right, and loved the teriyaki sauce at the table to put on the rice. Yum! I'll be back and fill up my card soon enough for a free plate. :)
(4)
Abi A.
After getting back from Hawaii with my family, I was really missing plate lunch and shave ice. When we found out about Ate-Oh-Ate we made it a priority to try. All in all, we were not disappointed! Plate lunch was delicious, very authentic Hawaiian food indeed. I tried the fish dishes and was quite pleased with texture and flavor. I was super thrilled to see their shave ice options to, though I haven't had a chance to try them, they look authentic... well minus the liquored up ones, but I'd make an exception! The interior looked pleasant, fancy enough for a date night and the prices are reasonable. Not much else comment on service or vibe as we had it to go, but if you are looking for an authentic plate lunch experience it is the place to go.
(4)
Nick D.
Went in on a whim as a friend and I were just driving by looking for 'something good.' I had been craving ramen for days and judging by the sign hoped they had some sort of delicious noodles inside. Saimin sounded about what I was looking for and was absolutely ecstatic when it arrived (fairly speedily) in front of me. "Ramen" indeed! Good sized pork cuts and fish "cakes" (ok, we all know it's like a fish-hotdog) with plenty of flavor. The broth wasn't overly salty (which could be good or bad depending on how you like it). 9 bucks is equal to anywhere else I've had ramen in the city. My roommate got the Chicken Teriyaki. It was also super awesome. Place was super clean and I couldn't tell if it was a chain or franchise being that it was an order-at-the-counter-and-take-a-seat sort of place. But while we were eating the lovely girl at the counter approached us as a server would in a "nicer" place. Props to her and the chef both. THANKS. Will definitely come again.
(5)
Mark P.
This place has decent Hawaiian food. However there are a few pricing discrepancies. The Loco Moco is priced higher than the Kalua Pork? Don't understand that one. Also, the fruit drinks are too expensive. Service/Staff is good however at the posted prices, I don't feel that I should bus my own table. Kalua Pork was adequate, but please tone down the cabbage, no need for that much. Mac Salad? Terrific. Rice? Just right.
(3)
Greg L.
This brief review is all about the poke! We stopped here Thursday on our pub\Happy Hour crawl. I am glad we did. We only ordered the Daily Poke Special during Happy Hour (daily 4 pm to 6 pm). I thought the poke was delicious and reminded me of all the poke I've had in Hawaii. We briefly lived in Hawaii and I have visited Hawaii multiple times. Poke is one of the top local treats that I make sure to eat while there. The poke here is a good value at a good price. We enjoyed our visit. Only slight negative as that they only had two beers on tap. We had the Fort George Vortex IPA. Be nice if they had more of a draft beer selection. Definitely plan to visit again to try some of their other local Hawaiian dishes.
(4)
Mike G.
Really probably should be 3.5 stars...What a cool little place they have here! The service is great, it is really clean inside and the quality of the food is very good. Portions are on the smaller side, The burgers are fantastic but very small. If the portions were larger this place would be the BOMB!
(3)
Jonah S.
For a fun, authentic Hawaiian lunch, don't miss this place. It has a cool, surfy vibe, fresh ingredients and great flavors. The owners seem totally cool and have created a unique alternative to a burger lunch.
(5)
Andrea P.
Great teriyaki and taro chips! They also have odd combos with Spam that you won't find anywhere else. Great service, nice casual atmosphere, and great food!
(5)
Scott F.
Really enjoy the jerk sandwich every time.
(4)
Beerboy M.
Very good Hawaiian food at this place. Slightly upscale with quality of ingredients compared to some places in Portland and the places I've tried on Kauai and Oahu, but not expensive. Had the Kalua Pork, Teriyaki Beef, and Japanese Curry with the obligatory sides of 2 scoops of rice and 1 scoop of mac salad. The mac salad ranks up there with the best I've ever had, really tasty. The standout at this place. The Kalua Pork is pretty standard, salty and smoky, with cooked cabbage, good texture and quality of meat. Teriyaki Beef was super tender, and a really good teriyaki sauce taste. Good quality meat and better than Yoshida's Special Sauce taste. The Japanese Curry was good, nice mixture of veggies. Not sure about how "authentic" it is for Japan, but I don't care, it tasted good. Very good service, very nice cashier/server, but you do have to bus your own table. The above 3 meals, with 2 soft drinks, was a little under $29, so not a bad deal for a good amount of tasty food.
(4)
Michael H.
Love this place. Our business is nearby - so we eat lunch here once every two weeks. Pretty standard Hawaiian fare -- and that is Good!! They don't try to make it fancy or do anything radical. Just tasty teriyaki and other plates/sandwiches. Decent POKE -- not quite the fresh taste you find in Hawaii but good. They get a 5 stars because they are consistent and a solid addition to our neighborhood - straight forward good Hawaiian food.
(5)
Marcus P.
Well, lets see. I'm glad they do mixed plates. I decided to do the teri beef/chicken katsu, with a side of the kim chee cucumber. The katsu was the driest I've ever had, and the katsu sauce couldn't save it. The rice was also pretty dry or old. The mac salad was decent, somewhat better than other local "hawaiian" places. And the cucumber kim chee was something i would have again. The portions/price ratio was fair. Gotta go back to try the saimin and the spam musubi....
(3)
Jeremy F.
Korean Chicken is amazing and the mac salad is the best I have had. Love this joint!
(5)
CT T.
I love Hawaiian food so I was very excited to try this place! I met a friend for happy hour so we got an assortment of items. Spicy edamame was good, spicy Korean wings were excellent, mac salad was good. We also ordered kalua pig sliders they were ok, but the best thing was shoyu chicken sliders! The buns were so soft, taste and texture were like croissant. Must try!! Also best Hawaiian soda!
(4)
Cedric J.
I've explored more of the menu. It is all really good and really solid. The meat is indeed from Laurelhurst Market, and the specials have been excellent. It is weird being a fan of beef, since I usually don't go that route, but the Island Burger, the Kal-bi, and the teriyaki beef are all stupendous.
(4)
Janice P.
Plate lunches are amazing. A heart-stoppingly generous amount of meat with two scoops of rice and mac or green salad. I ordered the Kal-bi plate the first time and the beef was so richly marinated and succulent. The meat quality can vary depending on the day. I haven't been able to figure it out yet, but the second time I went the Kal-bi (beef spare ribs) deteriorated in terms of quality they were cut thinner with fattier chunks and a little less densely marinated but still delicious all the same. It certainly wasn't bad enough to prevent me from ordering it again the third time when the meat was deliciously succulent like the first time. The same for the Kalua pig, which was a bit dry the first time and crazy moist and saucier the second time. Even on the bad meat days the meat is to die for and definitely worth the slightly above average prices for the lunch plate portion sizes. Not sure what was expected by other reviewers who gave this place only two stars. "Korean dishes taste much better in Korean restaurants" well of course they do, but this isn't a Korean restaurant, it's Hawaiian. And unfortunately as a Korean, all the Korean restaurants in Portland are all somewhat underwhelming (or maybe I've just failed to find a good place). Another reviewer balked at bussing your own table. Personally, I like the informal self-service format. You're not being rushed to order/eat and I feel like I could chill and eat myself into a proper meat coma every time I visit, with no one to judge. The ordering at the counter and bus your own table format provides that casual but epic food ambiance that no one would blink twice at if they served, for example, mexican food, and personally I don't think Hawaiian restaurants should ever be formatted any other way. There were also some previous reviews complaining about proportions. I had no idea what they were talking about and would have vehemently disagreed if not perhaps laughed maniacally as you would have when you see the enormous man vs. food size proportions of the lunch plates. However, my friend recently ordered the Hekka and it was a shockingly small for $8.95 plate. It may have filled up maybe half of a 16 oz togo container. Overall, however, this place is epic and delicious. It's good to know what you're in for though and what to order.
(4)
Aaron P.
Service was ok. The Kahlua pig was salty and pretty boring, lau lau was over cooked and also overly salty! Won't be back.
(2)
Alien T.
I went here for lunch one day because I got bored eating in the NW hood. More than that I wanted to eat different cuisine for lunch other than italian, french, mexican, indian or sandwich or pizza. And I have high expectations for hawaiian food because for the first time in my life I have experienced true Hawaiian food in Hawaii itself and fell in love with it. This place totally met my expectations in my pursuit of finding different cuisine than one I was eating for the lunch and a good hawaiian cuisine. This place goes on top of my list of the Hawaiian food in Portland. Taro chips were awesome and cooking style of the chicken thigh was great. It was worth the trip from West to East for lunch. I would totally recommend this place to others.
(4)
Af R.
Best Mac salad!!
(4)
Miguelonius X.
I've eaten here a few times and have had different experiences with the food. The most recent time I dined there was a bit unfortunate. My friends and I decided to go family style and ordered the Fried Saimin, Lau Lau dinner and the Kalua Pig with a couple Spam musubi for an appetizer. The musubi came first and they were tasty enough for a simple snack of Spam, egg, rice and nori. But then the rest came out. The kalua pig was so intensely salty that I could only bear a few bites before my throat started tingling they way it does when you accidentally swallow some sea water. Same thing with the lau lau. The Saimin was over fried and crispy and heavily salted as well. Someone went commando with the salt and destroyed a perfectly good meal. The food has been decent here in the past. Maybe the kid in the kitchen was having a bad day. The staff is always very friendly and service is great. I'd like to add that I've lived in Hawaii and have eaten the ass out of some plate lunches and other local fare so I have a good point of reference.
(2)
chemaatah a.
Not too shabby at all. I ate here with my son and my parents, and the whole lot of us really enjoyed our food. The four of us have been frequenting Noho's for years, very enthusiastically, but the last few trips there had left us all with a hmm, that's just not tasting as awesome as it used to kind of feeling, so that's where Ate Oh Ate came in. Their menu is short and sweet, but still has everything I need anyways from an island food joint. Loco moco here is awesome, though I have no idea why it doesn't come with mac salad like everything else does. Eating loco moco without mac is like, I don't even know? Who does that? The mac salad is awesome. Heavy, like it's supposed to be, but not too heavy, knowwhatimean? Crab leg Poke special was awesome too, spicy from the sriracha, sweet from the crab, and delicious. I could eat that anytime. My son loved his island burger and thought that taro chips were very good eats. My mom pretty much never met a hunk of kalua pig she didn't like, but she ordered it again on our return trip here, so I take that for a yes this stuff is good from her anyways. I've also had the teriyaki beef, and it's splendid. To me it tastes like they use Yoshida's, which is more than alright with me. Junki's sauce has always been one of my favorites. Finishing up this review is getting me craving some of their grub right now actually-may have to hit up the ate oh ate later today too...
(4)
Maria P.
Best Hawaiian in Portland! Don't miss the teryaki chicken, korean chicken and pineapple slaw.
(5)
terry r.
Well, perhaps it's not fair to judge a place with just one meal, but I'm less than impressed, especially with the pedigree of backers/Laurelhurst Market, etc. folks. I ordered the Kalua Pig after being told it was pulled pork. Absolutely flavorless pork shreds on a commercial hamburger bun, not drained so juice all over the plate. The "green salad" was a soggy iceberg lettuce type thing. Pretty tasteless. I guess I expected the pulled pork to be smoked pork butt, not steamed pork. The other offerings don't look particularly interesting. There are so many good places in this neighborhood and it being almost directly across from Screen Door which does an unbelievable pulled pork, I wonder how it will fit into the food niche of high quality other places around. Will I try it again? Maybe.
(2)
Monika P.
I was in town, but used to live in Oregon. I was dying for some good local food. I was told that all the places I used to eat at are now closed, and the only one left was no longer worth going to! My son had heard about this place, and we were both impressed... Dan was great, and it was nice to hear that he grew up in Kona, on the Big Island of Hawaii. We are from Maui, so we know good local food. You have to try the Mai Tai... it is both tasty and packs a punch!!! The food was outstanding (ONO), and it made me wish I still lived in the Portland area. My son took the stamp card, because this is the place to get the bestest local grinds from the Islands :))) ...and he'll be back for more! Mahalo Staff & Aloha, Monika.
(5)
Tim B.
Blue plates specials come from the heart, not from someone who's got a culinary arts degree. So just as the latest PDX trend of great young chefs making burger bars bugs the crap out of me, so does this new hypo-allergenic version of Hawaiian food. On another tack, is Hawaiian food that great anyway? I'm sure some of it is, but the last time I went to the island I couldn't find much to shout about. Had the pig plate and came away with the blahs. Certainly not worth close to $10 when I can get awesome drunken noodles at Chai-Yo for the same price. Do yourself a favor, find your favorite six-pack, get some meat on the grill, and stay home with your own fortified mac. This place won't cut it for you.
(2)
Cyd L.
It's a neat place to eat and prices are fairly reasonable. Parking is somewhat of a challenge as expected for the area. The food was pretty authentic and tasty. But as :locals" from Hawaii would say....it wasn't "broke da mouth", just average.
(3)
Alex N.
I am from the big island and I can tell you that this is a legitimately delicious plate lunch place. I have had most of the things on the menu and all of them remind me of home. The chicken katsu, spam musubi, and aina burger were all amazing. If you want real local style grinds then Ate-Oh-Ate is the place to go.
(5)
Marta L.
After my initially harsh review I have been won over by consistently great service and delish teriyaki.
(4)
M K.
I'm not exactly sure why everyone is raving about Ate-Oh-Ate. I just visited this establishment and I have to say that the food was really not good...as in, just plain bad. This is coming from a person who was born, raised and is actually Hawaiian (and not just from Hawaii). The Korean Chicken had no semblance to the version provided for in Hawaii and was so unappealing that we left half of the order on the plate - we didn't even want to pretend to like it and ask for a to-go box. The Kalbi was fatty and tasteless, too. What made matters worst is that the price was way over inflated. If you're going to charge that much, please pay closer attention to the details and focus on the food.
(1)
Erik N.
Killer food and shaved ice that's better than what I had in Hawaii.
(5)
Laura H.
Yuuuummmmmm!!!! The chicken teriyaki is super yummy and the mac salad is pretty good. The staff has always been really nice when I come through, plus when I have gotten delivery from them it is always perfect.
(5)
Christina S.
The hawaiian food reminds me of my own mother's cooking. Whether that is authentic to the Hawaiian cooking, I dont know, but I am Korean. The Korean chicken is the spiciest and yummiest in my opinion. The tender spicy morsels of meat pair so well with the rice and mac salad. I love the spam masubi and kim-chi as a little appetizer. The restaurant has a great relaxed feel and I love that you can watch the cooks from the bar. You can tell that the meat is really high quality and it goes to show that Ate oh Ate really cares about their ingredients. My husband will always get the pulled pork and he will demolish the whole plate. That is when he is not getting the Fried Saimin, which whenever he orders, I always have to have a little (big) bite. The happy hour is a steal! If you can come during happy hour, you will be set. Grab a Mai-Thai and a Ahina Burger some time as well. You will leave satiated and well fed. Love the Buddha Pilsner's too.
(5)
Anthony N.
I love Hawaiian food and heard great things about this place. On one of my Portland trips, I convinced my friends to finally check this place out. We came here on a Sunday afternoon and it was about half full, so no wait at all! I ordered the kalbi pork ribs expecting it to be similar to the beef, but it wasn't. It was still moist, flavorful and delicious, just not the thin cuts I'm familiar with. The dish came with a side of mac salad and it was average. Overall, a good Hawaiian place that I'd visit more often if I lived in Portland.
(4)
G K.
Great eats. I had half chicken and half teriyaki beef. Really tasty. The Mac salad was ok. My GF loved it. We'll be back.
(4)
Janelle O.
The spam musubi was good! I don't know if it's a "thing" or if Ate Oh Ate made it up, but it's like a large sushi roll with spam and eggs instead of traditional sushi fillings. The loco moco was good too! The hamburger patty was medium rare and super tasty instead of well done and chewy. Nicely done, ate oh ate. The Kahlua pig was ok, I've had better.
(4)
Jenna R.
Like a few others have confessed, I've never been to Hawaii, so I can't attest for the authenticity. That being said, I really like that it isn't super cheesy with hula girls everywhere and a free lei at the door. It's pretty much just "Hey. We're good. Eat." And I can appreciate that. Everything I've had here is damn tasty, and that includes the cocktails, which I always feel suckered into paying $8 for (they didn't sucker me in - the chalkboard did. F'ing chalkboard.) The trick is getting here when it's not really crowded, so I suggest going on off-hours, like a late lunch or early dinner. The portions are nicely-sized so you'll be full for a while. Probably painfully full, but that's your own damn fault and you know it.
(4)
Kal C.
This place is the reason Basa Basa closed. So many options, so many flavors, reasonably priced. If you're at the counter and you're staring at the butter mochi, stare no longer. Order it (with ice cream), eat it, believe it. Yes, it really is that delicious. You might need help getting to your car after eating it, but it's worth it. I'm telling you, it's worth it.
(4)
Claire G.
Nope. Okay I get that quite a variety of Hawaiian food is a bit salty- I'm perfectly okay with that. I have a hidden guilty pleasure that is spam based salty snacks. No, I never do eat anything with spam in it (unless in Hawaii or in a Hawaiian restaurant), but on occasion I will. So salty, I'm okay with as Hawaiian food goes. Ate Oh Ate. I thought the name was freaking adorable. Perfect for a Hawaiian restaurant. Oh, how I wanted to love this place. We ordered the spicy Korean wings, the fried rice, and the veggie curry. When I saw the shine on the fried rice I was worried. When I raised the spoon to my mouth and the abundance of soy burnt my nose, my worries were confirmed. The curry surprised us pleasantly. It was perfect. It's the only reason this place is getting two stars from us. It actually was delicious. I'd come in for the two dollar curry on happy hour. That's absolutely it. The wings came and we were hopeful after the delicious curry, and despite the dehydrating rice. Biting into it, I got a mouthful of flavor akin to the dried ramen my schoolmates and I used to snack on back in elementary school, when I'd bite into a piece of dried noodle with ALL of the seasoning on it. This might have been momentarily nostalgic for me, but not in a pleasant way. There's a soda fountain, and as far as non-alcoholic beverages that aren't loaded with corn syrup goes, there's water. I asked if there was a chance they'd have tea of any sort, and they directed me to that god forsaken soda fountain and recommended the "Nestea". How hard is it to put some boiling water in a cup with a bag of leaves? Anyway, that would have been forgivable, except I was already offed by the pricing on their dishes. Spam from a can? Totally fine. Kinda the only way to go really. Pineapple from a can? Maybe at a food cart for half the pricing. We did happy hour to get an idea of their food. We aren't even remotely interested in trying a full priced meal after that. I do wish I'd have tried the mac salad. On to Hale Pele!
(2)
Andrew H.
I've never been to Hawaii. I have no idea if this is "authentic". But I don't really care, because it's GOOD. Portions here are nicely-sized and the food is good. I get the Kalua Pig with a green salad when I'm in the mood for a hearty meal and I have never been disappointed! Also, I will get often get the poke of the day (but, to be honest, the two of these together is almost too much food, even for me!). What is poke? It's raw tuna marinated in herbs and spices, it's quite good. Maybe I'll go to Hawaii if I get too depressed next summer and try it IN THE LAND WHERE IT WAS BORN. I've heard the Chi-Chi here is good. I'm not really sure what it is...It's somehow related to a pina colada I think? I heard about it on an episode of South Park.
(4)
C S.
It was OK. Portions were huge and food was decent. For Portland i would have expected a bit better on both food and drink
(3)
Gene B.
Ate Oh Ate is for folks that are at least a "bit" adventurous - not super spicy, but not run of the mill food either. I've been here close to a dozen times. First off, don't trust any reviewer with fewer than 100 reviews TOO MUCH - and that might include me right now...I say this because I agree with the folks with at least that many reviews, in that the food is solid (Hawaiian by the folks that brought you Laurelhurst Market) in regards to ingredient quality and preparation, the drinks (in particular the Mai Tais) are tasty and appropriately strong, and the prices are all reasonable (especially so during happy hour). PLEASE ignore some of the low reviews from folks that don't seem to eat out much - and focus their review on goofy things like an annoying fellow customer, getting take out, or a server not smiling at them. Recommend the spam masubi tempura (distinctive, satisfying in a "guilty pleasure" way), solid mac salad compliments just about anything else on the menu (which tends to be on the salty side, which is par for the course with this cuisine).
(4)
Todd D.
I don't find myself craving Hawaiian food very often, but when I do it is a craving that must be satisfied. This place does it right. Good sticky rice, salty teriyaki, and nice Mac salad to wash it down. When I find myself here and don't want to pig out they have some good healthy options too.
(4)
Chezz C.
Went in for Portland Burger Week. Wasn't crazy about the burger. (Mainly because it was way overcooked. To the yelper below who complained about their burgers being raw in the middle: uh, that's called "rare." That's how a good piece of ground beef should be served. Sorry I didn't have your "problem" or get to trade burgers with you.) However, I became a fan of this place, as did the two friends I went with. We will be back (and possibly even order a burger -- I can understand that during Burger Week, when they are preparing burgers by the dozen, they can't ask each person how he wants it cooked). The first item that captivated us was the three-kimchi plate (order it as an appetizer or side). One cabbage, one radish, one cucumber kimchi, all housemade, all delicious and different from one another. And healthy too! And the dessert also was wonderful: butter mochi with coconut ice cream. And actually the burgers were interestingly seasoned, even though overcooked. And we enjoyed the servers and the street scene (we sat at outdoor table). Fun place, good food.
(4)
Christopher K.
Today, I decided to try the Aina burger ($8.95), after agonizing about how much I love Ate-Oh-Ate's plate lunch options, and how I would be remiss to order anything else, but I felt like it was time to branch out. The Aina burger comes topped with crispy pork belly, Kimchi relish, shredded iceberg, and shaved onion, and it is served with a choice of Ate-Oh-Ate's outstanding macaroni salad, fresh green salad, or taro chips. Having experienced the first two delicious options countless times, I opted for the taro chips, which were crispy, sweet, salty and awesome. I also ordered a Fort George IPA to wash it down, which was a great pairing with this particular burger. The burger came out fresh and hot on a toasted sesame bun, and it looked amazing. The patty was thick and substantial, not one of those flat, pre-formed patties you find elsewhere. I could tell this was fresh ground chuck, the kind of burger you always dream of when you think of a good burger. The first bite was juicy and delicious, and every single bite thereafter was equally good. The patty was perfectly cooked and seasoned, and the spread and Kimchi relish definitely kicked off the flavor of the burger. The pork belly was "crispy", just like the menu said, but words can't describe how well the flavor and texture lended itself to the burger. Those of you who like bacon on your burger know what I mean. Sometimes it's hard to eat a burger without tearing the bacon out with your teeth, because it pre-cooked, dry, and chewy. This was an entirely different experience. You get a bite of pork with every bite of burger, and to sum it all up in too many words, every part of this burger was done to perfection. It truly didn't need anything more than what was on it, but I love sauces and contrasting flavors, so halfway through my meal, I put some of the house made Broke Da Mouth teriyaki sauce and a little bit of Sriracha on my plate and used the soft, sesame seed crusted bun to soak it all up; it was this magic combination of everything on it, along with the sauces, that made this burger particularly memorable. The Aina Burger is absolutely one of the best burgers I've eaten in the Portland area, and there's no compromising quality for price here. I am so happy I can go to Ate-Oh-Ate whenever I want, for better Hawaaiian food than I can find anywhere on the Big Island, AND not deal with crowds or crazy prices, AND get an OUTSTANDING lunch or dinner for not a lot of money!
(5)
Janet L.
Had lunch the other day...FABULOUS!!! Ordered teriyaki beef, chicken and roasted pork. All were incredible. The salad with special dressing was really good...very fresh. Got to taste the macaroni salad...which was excellent. can't wait to return!
(5)
Melissa K.
Yummy plates here. I got the spicy Korean chicken, and it was so goo-ood! The chicken wings and drums are deep fried and covered in a mild red chili sauce. The chili sauce is just a little bit spicy and it goes well with the sticky rice and the mac salad. My hubby got the kalbi plate and the ribs were super tasty. Finally, a kalbi place to love that's not an actual Korean restaurant. Only thing we wish for is for more kalbi on that plate. :) Ordered the spam misubi, but it's not like the spam misubi I'm used to in Hawaii. Its got egg with green onions, which I thought was a nice touch, but I like the really fried spam with sticky rice kind of misubi. Oh. For some reason I thought this was going to be a full service restaurant, but you actually get your own utensils and bus your table at the end of your meal. It's a little more casual and college-like, but I think that's fine. Will definitely be coming back here.
(4)
Kimmy K.
I love Ate-Oh-Ate, so much. This place seriously, broke da mouth! I keep putting off writing my review here because I have so much to say. So much good to say. It's hard to get it all down. Especially while stuffing another bite of their musubi into my mouth. Mr. Kupcakes and I go here pretty often. We hit happy hour, come for lunch and dinner filling up our punch cards and stop in just for some shave ice. We are never disappointed. We've taken both friends and family here and they've all loved it, too. We even had a dinner here with a large group of friends while planning for our destination wedding on Maui. Again, we've never been disappointed. All of the staff is great. I really like the guy who works the counter with the accent. He always goes above and beyond. It's about time we find out his name. I think we've officially tried everything on the menu now. The other day when we were in there, we finally tried one of their burgers and we're blown away. It was hands down one of the best burgers we ever had. Everything about it was perfect from how the patty was prepared to the bun to the very fine cut lettuce. Simply delicious. Their musubi is the best in Portland, as far as I'm concerned. Love the egg they put on it. At happy hour they have a tempura version that's even better. The creamy sauce that comes with it accommodates it perfectly. Their shave ice has an extremely fine shave. Just like I like it. They've got my favorite flavor, li hing mui. Must places on the mainland don't carry that flavor so I was pretty excited when I found out they did. Love to get it with ice cream inside or add some alcohol to it during happy hour. Other dishes we love are their Korean chicken, veggie curry (one of my best friends drives up from Salem just to get this), mac salad, diakon radish kimchee, kal-bi ribs and kalua pork. Really, you can't go wrong with anything you get here. You will be happy and stuffed, no matter what. Ate-Oh-Ate, you stole my heart and filled my tummy. I love you.
(5)
liz m.
Yumm eat here all the time. I have ordered and tried a variety off their menu and EVERYTHING has been good. I have tried other hawain spots that I really liked and this place is comparable. Nice friendly staff that has a positive attitude. Really appreciate that especially when dinning solo.
(5)
McLellan M.
Serviceable, but not what I'd call great. The food was kind of bland, and plates were more expensive per meal by a dollar or two than what I felt like we got. Staff was friendly, though the multitude of 'bus your own table!' signs was kind of off-putting. No grudge against it, but we probably won't find our way back any time soon.
(3)
Rick P.
Solid grub...fun atmosphere...truly Ono...luv the Kalbi and mac...be back soon for late lunch and beers...
I'm no Hawaiian food expert but I want to be. The plate of kaluah pork, 2 portions of white rice, and scoop of mac salad costs $8.95 and was worth every penny. The pork was tender, moist, and appropriately smokey. I usually don't like salty foods but the pork was slightly salty and I LOVED IT! It paired well with the rice. As for mac salad, I usually don't care for it because I've been hurt too many times in the past: too much mayo, not enough mayo, bland noodles, cheap flavor. Ate-Oh-Ate helped me rehab from my mac salad past! The mayo was the perfect amount and flavor. The bits of carrot gave just the right amount of crunch. The noodles were the perfect texture. Overall, AOA delivered great Hawaiian food!
(4)
Clarkitty C.
So I have changed my mind about this place. Two times now I have recieved chicken that was raw in the middle. I mean its only a half inch thick so if its raw in the middle you are doing something horribly wrong or just being careless. Two other times my food has been so over cooked that its more like crunchy jerky. The last straw for me was the manager Nick and how extremely rude and obnoxious he was to me. I can't even repeat what he said to me on here without violating yelps posting policy. I used to love this place but now I just think they are too expensive, full of themselves, crappily prepared food, extremely salty, absolute crap mac salad, and overall a massive letdown. I will never come back again to this establishment after how I was treated. Bamboo Grove is better and cheaper. Roxy's Island grill is better and way cheaper even with the gas to drive out there and back. Shape up Ate-Oh-Ate. When you crap on your customers they dont come back and then you go out of business and they all clap their hands and cheer.
(1)
Nicole B.
I'm overdue in writing a review for this place by, oh, three years or so. Put simply, it's a great group of people who serve up tasty tasty food. They started treating us like regulars even before we became regulars, and as a result we now come here about once a week. I haven't been to Hawaii in a while, so I can't necessarily speak to the authenticity of the food, but it's delicious and we easily get two meals out of each main plate. When my family comes to town, it's always on their list of "must-visits." Really, though, it's the customer service that keeps us coming back, whether it's my customary shave ice waiting for me on the counter after waiting in a long line, the kitchen staff calling out their appreciation for our ticket, the punch card they filled up for me when they realized I'd been coming there for about two years without one, or countless other little gestures that make us feel at home. That extra bit of warmth, friendliness, and recognition really sets Ate-Oh-Ate apart and will keep us coming back for many years to come.
(5)
Brandon Z.
Have been twice and I would go back. The atmosphere is surprisingly awesome. Huge skylights and high ceilings make it bright and open. Kalua pig plate and pork katsu are good. Haven't had much else. Be prepared for ice cream scoops of white rice and mayo heavy pasta and green salad. I am sure there are others sides too. Pretty affordable for what you get in my opinion.
(4)
Trippe D.
Hawaiian food isn't supposed to be this good. The teriyaki beef slays me, I can't stop coming here. Pros: Amazing and innovative hawaiian cuisine. Super friendly staff Decent environment & great condiments Cons: A little bit pricey and the beer selection is kind of lame.
(4)
Andrea H.
My friend from Hilo, cousin, son and I went there for dinner the other night. I was so excited. I heard the kalua pork was good so I wanted to try something else. These observations were just that. Not to complain but to let them know that if 808 is supposed to be Hawaiian Island food...... he needs to quit saying that and say Island inspired dishes. Because with 2 Island girls with one hailing from Hilo come in and leave food behind, it's not Hawaiian food. Poke fish was old (Hawaiians know fresh Ahi) , not enough hawaiian salt. And no ogo. Which is a type of seaweed that can be difficult to get here in the mainland. Spam Musubi, beautiful presentation but it was stone cold. And the best part (being sarcastic) was the hard crusty rice on the ends of it . It seems they left the saran wrap off and it was stored in the fridge. They need to be kept warm to taste good. Pork katsu: breading was not panko. It looked like plain old bread crumbs. And that too was cold. Which was odd because it was fried and usually uses thin cuts of pork. Meat had a nice clean flavor though. Katsu dipping sauce is weird. We are used to Tonkatsu sauce sold in huge bottles at Fubonn ,Uwajimaya or any other Asian grocery store. Korean Chicken: that was good. Taro chips: good but very cold. Saimin: The soup stock looked like it was pork based but it was hondashi . A common fish stock used for miso soup. Flavor was flat no depth. Noodles were excellent. Kamaboko (fish cake) was not very good in flavor, is it organic? Because most stuff that veers from traditional recipes to healthy it up ends up tasting yucky like tofu burger...wtf. Served with Pork belly which was greasy and although looked amazing but was also flat. Suggestion is to move to a pork base soy soup. But the bad side is that it takes a long time to make. Although you would just let it sit in boiling pots on the burner all day for tomorrow stock. Put Chinese style BBQ pork and sliced boiled egg. green onions. Dashi does not seem to go well with saimin for my mouth. Unless used as a spice rather than a base. Mac salad: Good flavor, alittle less mayo and cook the noodles a bit longer. I could still taste the flour. Kalbi: Good. Meat was tender, sauce good. Rice; eh what can I say it is what it is. hold back on the water just a bit . The actual chicken and beef and pork tasted good but overall the taste was very non dimensional and cold. Shave Ice: needed a bit more POG(passion fruit, orange , guava) sauce on one. I ordered lilikoi (passion fruit) and li hing mui combo. I got strawberry. Or it was grenadine. I used to tend bar and have made many of a shirley temple to know. Never got the li hing mui sweet (well it was very sweet) and tangy tartness. I was so disappointed. And I knew talking to or mentioning it to the girl would have been fruitless because she would not know what li hing mui was. One of the cooks came up and talked to us about our soup having plastic in it or something and we said huh? But I guess another table got it. Well , wow, a cook apologizing that he put a foreign object in my soup. Okay... well we find out that he lived in Hawaii but is Samoan by blood. We started telling him some of what I said above, but I know that he is hoping to keep his new job so I know it was not his fault that the food was not good. He was being watched over and told what to do by a shorter white guy with a beard. dark hair. Front staff was very friendly. HOWEVER, again if you are going to have a HAWAIIAN restaurant, SOMEONE and I MEAN SOMEONE needs to be there that knows about Local style . But if this is supposed to be a haole-fied (Americanized) Hawaiian restaurant, then it should be known. I was soooooo sad. I looked forward to it and was so happy to go and was severely disappointed. I will try it again but maybe wait a few months. Maybe they need to get their recipes in line. Lei said it was as bad as Hawaii Time in Beaverton. Roxy's in SW so far has the best plate lunch. Price: $10 average for a small plate. Hmmmmmm. Cheap by simpatica standards but expensive for Hawaiian food. This restaurant being owned by the highly acclaimed Simpatica crew I wanted 808 to be the bomb. I think it can still happen and I so want it to. Bruddah go back to your roots. And you goin' make choke kine money!
(2)
Arinda P.
I've been here a few times, and I'd have to say the food isn't as good as the first few times I've tried it. I thought it was pretty decent, but not so much since the l most recent visit. It was pretty disappointing; especially since we trekked all the way from Hillsboro! We ordered kalbi, korean chicken, loco moco, shoyu chicken, and spam musubi tempura. The kalbi was overly salty, the korean chicken was nowhere near the real korean chicken (this tasted like breaded siracha chicken wings instead of the sweet korean chicken sauce), and the spam musubi tempura held a lot of the oil it was fried in. I hope they were just having 'one of those days'. I will give it another shot, but let's hope it's much better!
(2)
Greg B.
The amazing thing here is that I'm tasting Hawaii. I am tasting Honolulu. There is no point in going anywhere else. One you have even looked at the chicken katsu it is home. It's home written in the pile of rice. it is home with the authentic shoyu bottle that properly taints the white blandness to something with a little less kitsch on the television and more of a true drive in that does serve mac salad. I do have to say - the mac salad was slightly not of Hawaii but with the kalua pig - it's just fine. There is a certain fact that when you see "Saimin" on the chalkboard - it is home. Perhaps the makers of this wonderful place could offer more dishes that an everyday drive in from Hawaii has - but really - the fact that a place from the Mainland can get the dishes right - it's an A. I cannot give a plus because of the mac salad - but I am being pedantic.
(5)
CousCous M.
One of the most consistently delicious places in Portland. Unpretentious and really gets the Hawaiian spirit. Kalua pig is delicious, as is the poke and lau lau. Love it.
(5)
Tyanna Y.
Cute lil place! I dug the vibe right as I walked in. It smelt great and had some fun island music playing. The guy at the counter was very friendly and knew the products he was selling. My SO and I ordered to go..him getting the kalua pig with rice and macaroni salad and I getting the teriyaki chicken with rice and green salad. Overall we are satisfied! He loved his pork and the simplicity of the dishes. I loved mine too though It's kind of difficult to mess up teriyaki. I will say that for what you get, quality and quantity wise, at least for my teriyaki, I can get the same thing at other places for less money. Also, I thought my boyfriends pork was pretty salty. All that said, I'm definitely coming back! Next time I will get something more authentic that I can't get any where else but here :)
(4)
kekai c.
I've been here three times in the past month and plan to be back soon! This is more than just your neighborhood Hawaiian place but has become my go to spot when I want to show out of town friends what they're missing by not living in Portland! I've had the chicken hekka twice and shoyu chicken once. Both times I cleaned da plate! Oh and their poke is a great cure for homesickness. It's just soo Ono! I thought the service was fine. Only wish is that they stayed open later than 9!
(5)
Sean S.
This food is crazy delicious every person I've taken here falls in love after the first bite hands down best mac salad in the city I've never bragged about teriyaki chicken but they're teriyaki chicken is unbelievable!!!!
(5)
Michael B.
OH my... See, when I ask my friends if they want Hawaiian for a meal, I usually get odd stares. Now, NoHo's used to be my mainstay...and truth be told, its close to my house so I still go back (because it is delicious). But Ate-Oh-Ate has taken their flavor and notched it just above. The Quality is great here. The char on the terriyaki chicken is perfect. The Mac salad is amazing (as the large tubs of Best Foods mayo indicate in the back). I've eaten the Terriyaki chicken, Loco Moco, and the Kalua pig. All are the main dishes I would order at any Hawaiian place. I definitely suggest eating here!
(4)
Brandon A.
The food was really good. My friend and I enjoyed our food. On the other hand, the service was alright. They were not too accommodating.
(3)
Belmont M.
I have had two burgers at Ate-Oh-Ate which I would classify as perfect. Lightly toasted perfect bun, masterfully cooked burger - crisp seared surface, rosy pink in the center with a touch of red juiciness, delicious flavor. The Saimin is my other favorite - smokey, savory broth, tender slab of pork belly, tastiest slice of fish cake ever. I am frankly shocked that the place isn't packed all the time. I have eaten a lot of Hawaiian food, and frankly most of it sucks. Even in Hawaii. It always sounds awesome, but usually falls down on the execution - under-seasoned, overcooked, over-sauced, generally out of balance food aimed at your basest cravings for mayonaise, animal fat, and salt. It's designed to fill you up and send you back to the beach. Ate-Oh-Ate doesn't mess with the original concept, they just do it with more care and better ingredients. They aim for my basest cravings and hit them every time, without making me feel gross. There is clearly a great deal of love hat goes into this food. The cooks are tasting things. Their Laurelhurst Market lineage is apparent in the quality. I am reading another reviewer who accuses Ate-oh-ate of being overpriced with small portions. That reviewer is insane. Portions are generous and given that they are using real ingredients from actual farms and ranchers, it's a great value. I had believed that the Mai Tai was a drink that for whatever reason just couldn't be good outside of Hawaii or Trader Vik's. However Ate-Oh-Ate serves up a perfect zingy Mai Tai that delivers a tropical storm of flavor without being cloying. Sure, it's sweet and fruity, but thoughtfully balanced and not syrupy. My only complaint would be that food can take a long time to appear, even when not busy. But for food this good I don't mind the wait. And their name sounds like a bad stoney idea. I am mystified why this place doesn't get more buzz. They're doing everything right. Mahalo a lot, Ate-Oh-Ate.
(5)
Kari M.
Two words: Island Burger. I am a fan of burgers, and I have been to a lot of Burger places in town. I think this place just knocked my other faves out of contention. This is a great, juicy burger with pork belly and avocado. The sauce on it? Fabulous. I'm still trying to figure out in my head exactly what all the flavors exploding in my mouth were, But at 7.95, with a side of green or macaroni salad, I won't be keeping myself up nights trying to recreate it in my own kitchen. The husband and I also got some of the Korean Chicken wings. They were okay, the sauce was a tad salty for our taste, but the chicken wings themselves: super crispy skinned YUM! and you get rice and your choice of salad with these as well. Also, at their happy hour (4-6 daily) you could get the wings 5 for $5. I'd say to at least give them a taste sometime. I'm also going to give this place big ups for being right next to Alder, a delicious bakery with just about any kind of dessert you could ever want. That is a dinner and dessert date begging to happen.
(4)
Greg E.
I have tried both lunch and dinner and was underwhelmed both times. The Kalua pork at lunch was OK but $10 is a rip off. There is better Kalua pork at one of my favorite (pink) food carts for $4 less! At dinner, I ordered the "fresh" fish special (tuna) which was not fresh tasting - terribly fishy tasting!! The ambiance is ok but fell short on a better lay-out, the circulation is awkward with the ordering, drink station and walking to the rear to bus your own table.
(2)
Phil N.
I love the food and have been coming here every now and then for happy hour before Blazers games. My most recent visit involved incredibly poor and disrespectful service by a server/manager. Some rude patrons had cleared my table as I briefly stepped away. My table had a fresh can of juice that was still cold and I was surprised to learn that the server had told the party to take my table. Once I returned to my table I noticed my can of drink was cleared and others had taken my table. Instead of being sympathetic the manager was downright rude. I questioned her that if people thought I had vacated the table why was my drink then moved to the bar still full instead of being disposed of. Another table did not open up until my order stated to arrive. Giving an extra star bc the cashier was very sympathetic and attentive. She even apologized for her rude manager. My food came out and everything tasted great but the piss poor service kind of left a sour taste in my mouth.
(2)
Aaron W.
I ordered a kalua pig/shoyu chicken combination plate with mac salad ($9.95). The kalua pig was a good attempt, but not quite there for me. I loved that Ate-Oh-Ate put some cooked cabbage in there, but the cabbage really became more of a browned, stewed cabbage by this point, as opposed to a cooked, stir-fried-style cabbage that would at least retain its vibrant green color (trust me, in terms of taste and appearance, I prefer the latter). The kalua pig would benefit from a bit longer slow-cooking and a bit more salt to get even more tender. The shoyu chicken was a bone-in variety, with the skin still on the chicken thigh. It had good flavor, but could have benefited from cooking a little longer, low and slow-style, so that the chicken could fall off the bone better. The chopped scallions on the top of the chicken was good for presentation, but really nothing more than that for me. They almost forgot to put my mac salad in the plate lunch -- and had I not pulled the to-go box out of the package to snap a photo, I wouldn't have gotten the mac salad at all. I'm glad I got that mac salad...I'm a fan of Ate-Oh-Ate's version. Very authentic in taste and look. A little too much mayo for my liking, and perhaps a bit more pepper would have made it a better side dish for me. I enjoyed the shoyu chicken and kalua pig juices/sauces getting on the two scoops of rice and the mac salad...can't beat that! I like that Ate-Oh-Ate also offers chicken katsu and saimin. A family ordered those two dishes and, from what I saw, the food looked pretty authentic. Overall, a respectable attempt at two authentic Hawaiian BBQ creations, but the overall meal could have been better.
(3)
Jack R.
Teriyaki beef, hula pig - which? At Ate-Oh- Ate they're both good. This place really does remind me of Hawaii. Food is simple but tasty and quantities are filling without overdoing. Entrees come with scoops of nice sticky rice and meat. Mac salad is classic. And the staff actually stops by to see if you need more sauce or anything else. Friendly folks. Interior is plain, exterior is as well. You could almost miss the place. Perfect for a humble plate lunch anytime.
(4)
Don B.
I've been to Hawaii twice this year. Plus I was born there. Does that mean I'm an expert on Hawaiian food? No. Hell no. I have eaten a bunch of it this year at quite a few places on Oahu, but other than that, the only expertise I claim to have is in my own taste. I know what I like. And I REALLY liked what I ate at Ate oh Ate last night. I wandered in to this new-ish Hawaiian plate lunch spot with middle-of-the-road expectations. While the pedigree of the ownership is strong (he's from Hawaii, his other restaurants are successful), the reviews have been quite mixed. This is frankly one of those places I had to try for myself, and I'm glad I did. I sampled the special of the day, a Luau chicken dish that consisted of chicken meat stewed in coconut milk and taro leaves over steamed white rice with a side of Mac salad. For somewhere in the $7.50 range, it was a very hearty portion. But I didn't stop there. I had to sample the SPAM Musubi offering ($1.95) as well as one of their Mai Tais. This quickly escalated the bill for what otherwise could have been a totally satisfying meal. The space is a long, deep space with counter service and an open kitchen area. The tables have some Hawaiian flair under the glass and there's a large mural on the wall. I'd call it "festive-industrial." It's fine for a casual plate lunch, that's for sure. My meal didn't take long to arrive, and I was impressed with what I got. The Mai Tai was a fairly standard Hawaiian-style Mai Tai with some decent quality ingredients. Definitely better than one you'd get at an average bar. The sprig of mint they threw in the top was pretty wilted and sad, but it's not mint season, so I guess I'm not too surprised. The Musubi was made in a hand-roll/burrito style, with the egg and SPAM in the middle, and then cut into 2 pieces. The Musubi was tasty - probably about average for what I've had in Hawaii but nothing near the top spots like Iyasume. Still, it's the best Musubi I've had here in PDX. As far as the main course, goes, this was the best part of the whole meal. The dish was simple and comforting, a nice thick rich coconut cream sauce with chunks of tender succulent chicken (not a ton of chicken) over some perfect white rice. The coconut cream had taro leaves in it which lent the creamy sauce an earthy flavor, which complimented the chicken quite well. This is not a traditional plate lunch dish but it was SO good. It came with a side of mac salad that had a nice tang to it. I did notice that the prices of many of the other dishes on the menu were quite high for a plate lunch place. No question. While I'm excited to come back and try more of the menu, those high prices do scare me a little bit. However I also realize that competition for Hawaiian food that's even halfway decent in Portland is fairly lacking, so I can't fault them for charging upwards of $9 for a plate (where in Hawaii it would be in the $6 to $7 range), but if the rest of the food tastes as good to me as that luau chicken I ate, then I won't care. not one bit. I ate at Ate oh Ate and I cant hate. That luau chicken was great. My hunger it did sate. Can you relate?
(4)
Poeko W.
Waitress asked "how does everything taste?" Which is the best possible question for her to ask... I probably would have been honest (and negative) to almost any other of the typical mod-meal server queries. So, because she either knew exactly what to ask or was inadvertently lucky in her question, I answered honestly and positive, "Everything tastes fine..." Portion size: WAY too small. Price: WAY too expensive. Value: WAY too low. Taste: good... The claim to fame, apparently, of this place is that it was opened by someone who also traffics in high quality meats and owns a butcher shop. Ironic for me because I think the development of much local food (especially the Asian influences) is the classic cheaper cuts of meat doctored up with great sauces to much it taste great but cheaply. Chicken thighs are cheaper than chicken breast, for example. So I was kind of unimpressed by the "quality of meat" badge and could not really tell at all because teriyaki tends to be powerful stuff. They also do some strange things...my daughter loves Kalbi short ribs but hers were a six inch length of bone instead of traditional cut. My Kalua pork was cut pieces and not shredded. Everything tasted good but the format was a little off-putting. So, if I wanted value, I'd go to almost any other Hawaiian place over this one...if I wanted classics done the traditional way the same is true...And incorporating taste into the equation I would go to Roxy's every single time.
(2)
Terry W.
Stopped in for lunch, couldn't help myself to over-order. Am perplexed and somewhat annoyed by a few of the reviews below. The one that said her order of chicken wings was "a wing and a half". How in the hell can that be when I got 7 plump wings? OK, I see, you split an order between four people, what do you expect? 20 wings? I thought the orders were plenty generous. Poke order was generous and pretty fresh. It didn't have that flash of uber-freshness to it, but the yellowtail wasn't fishy or "off". It was still quite good. A bit underseasoned, but I like my poke probably a bit too smothered in onion and soy sauce, so it was refreshing to not have the fish masked too much. As I said, a pretty generous order. Cucumber kimche. Same story. Understated in seasoning and spiciness. Just a bit of a warm aftertaste of heat. However, the cukes are super-fresh, crisp and once again, the order is pretty generous. Korean chicken wings.... Wonderful. VERY garlicky in an extraordinary way with a nice, subtle bit of heat. Crispy, very tasty. And for the life of me, how in the HELL are people whining about lack of value here? I got a plateful of 7 wings, two big scoops of rice and macaroni salad for $8.95. That's not generous? OK, maybe a shade above "plate lunch" prices, but come on. Other diners appeared to have piles of food on their plate. Some reviews appear to have their pricing expectations stuck in the 1980s. The 5.95 quality lunch is way over. Sure my huge main course meal with two large sides was $18 total, but I could have easily split it two (or three) ways and still not finished it all. Lots more to check out on the menu. Will be back.
(3)
Misty B.
I ordered from here last night through Delivered Dish. Had waaaayy to much gin, no driving for me, but really wanted some Hawaiian food. I've heard good things about this place, but unfortunately, it did not live up to the hype for me. Maybe they were out of mac salad? But there was no mac salad with our meals, which I know I specifically ordered. Hawaiian mac salad is kind of a deal breaker for me, it's necessary! The teriyaki chicken was like, 10 small pieces of chicken breast. I ordered shoyu chicken for my teenage daughter, who LOVES shoyu, but it turned out to be leg/thigh meat on the bone. Ok Ok, that's not an issue for me, but she is terrified of meat on the bone. (I have no idea....). I thought the flavor was ok, but I've had better. My husband, on the other hand, loved his loco moco! So there was that! I guess I've been spoiled by Roxy's out in Beaverton, their shoyu plate is like a pound of shredded chicken, and you get a LOT of chicken with your chicken teriyaki. They did have really good salad dressing on the salad that we somehow got...
(2)
Helen Y.
I thought it was just okay. The food did taste good but it also didn't give me a "WHAO" factor after dining here with my friend the other night. We tried their Kalua pig and Korean Chicken. They were both okay. The pig was tender, moist, but I was hoping for a stronger smoky flavor... The Korean Chicken was crispy and juicy, nothing special about them though. The sweet potato tempura was okay and so did the pineapple-cabbage slaw. I didn't have any complain but their taste didn't make it to my memory... We wanted to try their Spam Musubi but they're out of them! How can a Hawaiian restaurant be possibly out of Spam? Musubi????! Shave ice is average.... They didn't disappointed me even I was expending for another "Simpatica" experience. I don't mind coming back, and in fact, I want to come back for their happy hour next time.
(3)
Kari V.
Good, but not fantastic. But the prices are reasonable. Half my family is from Hawaii, so I've eaten a lot of Hawaiian food over my lifetime. The Laulau was good, but could have used more taro. The ribs were very good. The dungeness poke and Korean chicken were okay. A bonus is that they have real shave ice there! And I imagine the Kalua pig is worth a try too.
(3)
Jeni M.
I was unaware of the archaic and racist notion that Hawaiians enjoy Spam because of their love of human flesh. Interesting to know! Being from Alaska, where many Alaskans love Spam, I was under the impression it was because living in an area where everything has to be shipped in from far away Spam was a cheap, shelf stable meat. And also, Alaskans enjoy the taste of human flesh. :) Anyway, having spent time on the Islands and the fact that my best friend is a Native Hawaiian I consider myself a Hawaiian food pro. My Hawaiian BFF enjoys Ate-oh-Ate more than I do, but the truth is I'm more of a fan of the Korean spin on Hawaiian food. So, basically AoA is where I go when Namu isn't open or I don't feel like being rained on. I think AoA's food is just fine. Nothing really jumps out at me as being the most amazing Island food I've ever had, but it's far from the worst. And I don't really blame AoA because like I said, I like the Korean side of Hawaiian cuisine. So - for the sake of ease here is the gradiant of my opinion on AoA's food stuffs - Best - Nothing will ever beat homemade Spam Musabi (basically because 48ers just don't know how to make Spam taste optimally like human flesh (I kid, I kid)) but as far as Spam Musabi I've had in Portland this is the best. I've tried the tempura Spam Musabi and it was good for variety, but I'll stick with my SpaMusa served up the way way it is meant to be. A-Ok - Chicken Teriyaki is yummy and is perfectly charred. But, nothing really to write home about. Also in the A-Ok category is the kahlua pig -good but nothing to write Pele about. Worst - Not because it tasted horrible, but the Japanese Curry was full of wtf. I ordered it one day being stoked about it because I had a hankering but didn't feel like making it at home, but what compelled them to put what tasted like coconut milk in the curry paste!? Coconut, while a staple of many curries, is never used to my knowledge (or experience of an extended stay in Japan) in Japanese curry. Japanese curry is more of a gravy savory kind of thing, not a a light saucy with notes of sweetness kind of thing. So, while it was an interesting flavor experience, it was not what I expected, nor wanted. So, Ate oh Ate gets a solid 3 stars as A-Ok from me, however, if you do enjoy the trashy macaroni and salt side of down and dirty Hawaiian food, this may be right up your alley. If you like the vinegar and vegetables, kim chi, and less salt Hawaiian join me over at Namu. And if Ate of Ate is still not down and dirty authentic enough for you, check out Lilikoi in N. Portland.
(3)
Dan R.
Maybe I'm just lucky--i read many more reviews than I actually eat out. Maybe because i give drive tests at DMV, where everyone starts 100% but loses points with sins of commission or omission, i want to say what did the place do wrong. low key funky environment. very nice staff. and of course the food, huge potions, tasty ingredients. The ribs huge, yummy, balanced sweetness. I had the saimen with crazy pork belly chunks, silky fish loaf, chewy noodles and another intense broth---pork, blood, spices. Most plates in 8-10$ range and all fill you up The curry sauce rich and multi-flavored, the kahlua pork was inhaled, not letting the kahlua flavors overcome the basic meat. i want to say 4.5. spending a couple days in bend so much just review an ordinary brewpub, get a 3 or 4 star. when i eat out I'm usually celebrating so the energy is good.
(5)
Stephano G.
I had to go back to Ate Oh Ate after being so impressed with my dinner. I played it safe the first time, as I often do, only trying things I know. This gives me a good way to measure the success of a chef in recreating things I know before I delve into the luscious unknown. So, I was thrilled that they had a Poke of the day, and made this my second trip. I've had my share of sashimi, but never this interesting marinade of raw fish and onions. There were green onions and cabbage mixed in with the marlin-like fish (I thought she said Tombo Ahi, not quite sure). The marinade was a basic sesame oil blend with some interesting dipping sauce. I'll be going back for this dish, no doubt about it. I also grabbed a spam musubi just for giggles. I've seen some rather unattractive versions of this dish, so I had yet to dive in and try one. Musubi is (another word for) onigiri with spam in it. I wasn't really sure what would possess one to do that, but who am I to question the Hawaiians? It was surprisingly good. It was simple enough as some spam, a fun mixture of egg reminiscent of Tamagotoji, and rice wrapped in nori. Honestly, this was more of a surprise than the Poke. If I thought that increasing my weekly pork intake was a good idea, I can say that this would be one rather delicious way to do it. So overall I'm very impressed. For $10 I had a very hearty and somewhat healthy lunch. On top of that, I've been wowed both by the usual fair and their more eclectic offerings. So keep up the great work Ate Oh Ate!
(5)
Devon D.
I've come to find myself craving a big ol' plate of Ate-Oh-Ate. There's something addictive about this Hawaiian comfort food. Is there crack in the chilled macaroni salad? MORE! Put some teriyaki-liciousness on everything! Add a poke plate to the order please! It's delicious comfort food, just the way it was meant to be.
(5)
Justina S.
Staff is very friendly. This place is AWESOME. When I'm in town for leisure, now I know where to go for some Hawai'i grindz!!
(4)
Michael V.
Shitake Brown Gravy makes this the best Loco Moco I've ever had. I've been to Hawaii and I always get loco moco at Hawaiian joints on and off the islands. This one is spot on!
(5)
Joe M.
I love Hawaiian food and had heard a lot of great things about this place so I had really high expectations going in. I like the fact that they use quality ingredients and the setting was nice, but the food itself didn't blow me away - solid, but at that price point and portion size and I think Noho's might be a better option, esp in terms of value. I'd still like to go back and try some different menu items.
(3)
Scott L.
Honestly I cant recommend this place. The food was okay, but I guess I was expecting more. The ingredients were fresh,but I guess I was expecting a traditional plate lunch. Food is expensive and at that price I would expect table service. Try Roxy's Island Grill or NoHo's if you are looking for Hawaiian food.
(2)
Dennis K.
OK spam musubi (ordering without egg should be an option), disappointing beef teriyaki (no real grilling, just warmed up with bland sauce brushed on like an afterthought). Heard good things about the place, sad it didn't live up to them.
(2)
Scott C.
So surprised to see that this place only has 3.5 stars. My husband and I Love this place! Other Hawaiian places in Portland don't even compare! We have tried almost everything on the menu and it has all been wonderful. We get take out about once a week but I could easily eat here more often.
(5)
Leah H.
Hurray for a Hawaiian restaurant with non-chicken options! And it doesn't even have to be a special! ! I've been NOT eating chicken for probably close to a decade now (not counting Screen Door...because that is some next level shit right there). I know, people think its weird. I'm all about the swine or some red meat...just keep the poultry away from my face and we'll be okay. But it didn't really seem to matter where I went - Hawaiian food was just all about the chicken. Local Boyz...Roxys...it didn't matter. All chicken. All days. Then I would find a place with kalua pork or kalbi ribs!...but they only offer it as a special on whichever-day-I'm-not-there-day. Hrmpf! Enter Ate-Oh-Ate. Now here is a place with the non-chicken options on the menu. For whichever day I make it in. SUCCESS! I could just end this review right there. But I'll go on...just a little. The pork is porky. And the ribs are...ribby. They let me get extra rice instead of the mac or green salad. I love splashing the clear chili sauce onto my 3 piles of rice. My partner has tried the shoyu chicken and chicken wings (ugh, I know, all the chicken, right?) and I can say the sauce on the wings is yummy. I was down to dunk some of my rice in that too! The shaved ice is next for me to try there!
(3)
Sarah L.
Favorite happy hour in town. The wings are more satisfying than Pok Pok's!!! Casual atmosphere, strong $5 drink special with cute umbrella+pineapple slice, heaping bowl of fried rice for $2 bucks. Good spot for vegetarians and meat eaters alike.
(5)
Travis B.
Delicious. Doesn't quite get 5 stars for two reasons though. First, would prefer table service instead of ordering at the counter. Second, there is another Hawaiian restaurant I prefer so I have to reserve the five stars for that one. This is a really good place, just not my one true love.
(4)
Brit M.
I'm only rating it 3 stars only because I haven't had much variety of dishes from this place. But what I have had has been GREAT. They serve the best well-done beef I've had in Portland so far, and they toast their cheeseburger buns perfectly. Their vegetables are also consistently fresh. I look forward to coming back here again and again!
(3)
J D S.
Not for me. If you love salt, you'll probably like the food here, because that is the predominant flavor. Pricing is average to high, while you still are asked to bus your own table. Comfort inside the place is only moderate. Korean dishes taste much better in Korean restaurants. Maybe it is an acquired taste, or you have to grow up in Hawaii to appreciate it. The Kalua Pork was a total salt and fat fest, with not a whole lot more flavor. When you read about it on Wikipedia it sounds interesting - - pit cooked pork. That's not how this was made. Maybe it is all authentic but to me, uninspiring.
(2)
Olivia T.
I had my day of birth celebration here. There were fifteen of us and we were hungry for delicious Hawaiian food. I love the fact that our tables were already set up when we got there. Yes, this place is not very big, and I think we took most of the indoor seat. However, I think this place is awesome for group dinners. You won't have problems with splitting checks at the end of your meal because you will need to place your orders at the counter and pay first before you will get your meal. I had the combo dinner plate of Chicken Katsu and Korean short Ribs. I love love love the ribs, but the Katsu was just alright. I'm not a big fan of white meat, I love dark meats, so it's hard for me to love the Ate-Oh-Ate's Chicken Katsu. Every dinner plates come with either Macaroni Salad or Garden Salad. Get the Mac Salad! It's one of the yummiest Hawaiian mac salad I've ever had. It was creamy and perfectly seasoned. I paired my meal with Mai Tai and it was really strong. It was a good thing that I had tons of carbs with my drink because if not, I would be soooooo trashed. We ended our meals with Shaved Ice and I got their homemade Coconut Ice cream mixed with the POG Shaved Ice. It was a perfect way to end the feast. I will come back here again and next time, that Island Burger will be mine.
(4)
Vivian C.
Awesome food! Awesome staff! Just amazing!
(5)
Ronald A.
Had a wonderful lunch yesterday. Rebecca had the curry bowl, I had the Shoyu chicken and our friend Gary had the fried rice omlet. We were all very happy and will go back again. This is a great place for lunch.
(4)
Katie S.
I love happy hour! The best little place I could find on the Se side. No parking, but totally worth the search and walk if need be. Best curry soup I've had, and can we talk about the Mai Tai ... Yum. Go and order anything you won't be disappointed.
(4)
Warren C.
I went here earlier this week because I had a hankering for their shoyu chicken. Ordered my food and waited what seemed to be a very long time. At one point I noticed the guy that had ordered after me was eating his meal so I just patiently waited. I finally receive my meal and the consistency was not the same as last time. The food was sloppily placed on the plate and instead of white rice I was given fried rice. Some may think that would be a bonus but with shoyu chicken you're gonna want regular steam rice to soak up the sauce. I was a bit disappointed and hope my next trip here will be as good as my first.
(3)
Byron S.
Ono kine Grindz!! Nice relaxing place. Local, Hawaiian style. I was stoked when I saw an old 'Homegrown' album cover on the wall and the classic 'Gabby' cover. Also, Detric Verez art. True Hawaii style. Da grindz: We had the tombo poke. Brok da mout. The kalua pork was excellent. The pork adobo and squash was good. If only he added bagoong. It would've sealed the deal for me. My big deal is the mac salad. If it's not good, waste of time. However, Ate-Oh-Ate's mac salad was the best that I've had in Portland so far. If you like cheap hawaiian style comfort food. This is the place for you. I can't wait to go back and bring da keikis. I'm guessing the Katsu must be onolicious.
(5)
Holy-foo' X.
Pink, bloody burger patties besmearing my divinity, the Loco Moco? Not my preference anymore, braddah. Not since 'at least' college football days. Not unless I specifically ask for it that way, which is "rarely" (ha ha). Certainly not by default. Too bad, 'cos the burger was juicy and effin' HUGE, which is precisely why it wasn't cooked properly. Good help is so hard to find, and even more difficult to retain.... The Kalua pig was ho-hum kinda good. The Saimin had very large, very fatty hunks of pork on top, which was good for initial flavor, but left a waxen coat all over the Ramen-esque noodles. Bleeeaggghhhh!!! Also, the egg, though hard boiled, was "over easy" inside. Again, this is a cardinal sign of sloppiness, of a hastily-cooked meal. If you guys were slammed at the time, I'd be mo' forgiving, but as it was, I was the only person there. Also the wait staff was attentive and friendly, so it wasn't a complete bust. 808 get your act together, or your future digits as a business might be 1-800-DEEP-SIX....
(2)
Chris A.
Holy Hawaiian Lava GOD! This was off the charts good it was the best Hawaiian I've had in Portland. Ate Oh Ate has great food, atmosphere, employees, and all of the above. Great carnivore and and veg options I suggest you go now like right now no seriously get the F up and go.
(4)
Aaron L.
Hmmm....Spent a great deal of time on Maui and Oahu, some I'm not your average diner. The Mac Salad tastes more like coleslaw and the Kahlua Pork was salty as all getup. Probably won't bother again.
(2)
emily r.
YUM. I love Teriyaki, and theirs is fantastic. The macaroni salad blew my mind. I need to eat here all the time. When a beverage choice is POG I know I am in the right place!
(5)
Von L.
Ate-Oh-Ate...I'm a sucker for Hawaiian style food. I know.....Its not very good for you; the teriyaki beef, pork, and chicken, the macaroni salad, the white rice...but at 808 it is good, really good. All the meats are thoughtfully sourced and high grade. The teriyaki is exceptional and each table comes complete with ginger infused flavor spritz ( I think it is sweetened vinegar plus fresh ginger), Sriracha, and a hoisin style teriyaki fusion sauce....all very nice compliments to a chicken or beef teriyaki with rice and mac salad. Of course for those who want the true experience Spam is served up several ways! I haven't yet delved into a Spam burger but probably will eventually. They also have amazing burgers! Imagine a nice quality burger with pork belly, kim-chi relish, taro chips and sauce to make the fat person inside of you cry and scream for more. There is a nice kim-chi sampler rendered in three styles that is amazing...Ramen bowls with pork belly and egg are delicious and the curry bowl with veges is a nice healthy option if you don't want to gain 5 lbs. Also, they offer up Hawaiian beer, tropical cocktails, shaved ice and sodas. There is a chill ambiance usually rocking steady to a reggae rhythm with a wall mounted flat screen playing surf vids! The service is fast, nice and efficient. Order at the counter and they bring out your drinks and fare. If in South East Portland and seeking some amazing Hawaiian style grub that will keep you coming back for more try 808!!!! See you at the Teriyaki trough! Von Luki
(4)
Brad C.
Solid Hawaiian plate food equals a lot of meat, rice and mac salad. Ate oh Ate has the backing of one of the most legit meateries in all of Portland so they have that covered in spades. After trying the teriyaki beef plate, the meat was the highlight by far with ample well marinated supple cow flank. Rice, eh? Not going to complain too much because it is just a side dish to compliment the meat but... overly mushy rice in a legit rice cooker should not be happening... maybe that is Island style? Mac salad is good with fresh flavor, well seasoned and honest preparation of a clearly bad for you food. I really like the small dining space with the soaring roof trusses and wood booths. Counter service seemed convenient and quick for lunch. If there is room out back I highly encourage creating an outdoor patio space that can bring some more of the Pacific breezes in.
(4)
ReviewInHaik u.
Kalua pig plate. Wet, fatty and undercooked. Plus, broke da wallet!
(2)
Julia C.
I love getting take-out from this place. My finicky daughter and I always share the chicken teriyaki. Why? Because she won't eat a whole lot of other things yet, and they're portions are HUGE. And that's okay. Because I LOVE their chicken teriyaki! My husband has tried other things and has found them all to be delicious. He's spent a lot of time in Hawaii, and says AOA has the feel of a Hawaiian cafe. And their service has always been great. Sometimes it can be a bit slow, but every restaurant can have issues. Maybe those who wrote negative reviews only write negative reviews. And remember, this is Portland and not Hawaii! Just had to set the record straight. Their food is good. We'll be eating something from there tonite.
(4)
Anne C.
The staff and service at Ate Oh Ate, cancel out the quality of the food. We love plate lunch and have eaten here or ordered take out three times in the hope that the timing and service will improve. Last night was the third and last time. Arrived to find diners at the counter complaining that it was over 25 mins and they still didn't have a meal. We were told our take - out order would take 15 minutes, so ordered cocktails to have while we waited. They took over ten minutes to make - so by the time food arrived after 20 minutes - we had to leave our drinks. Staff said sorry for the wait - but showed no urgency or efficiency in how they were waiting tables or serving customers. Just cruising around. We got our meal home and it was missing one entree. The owners of this place are employing counter and waiter staff who are killing their business. Island time should be for the customers to eat and knock back drinks. Not sitting without either and waiting for half an hour. Shame - this restaurant will never be a great option due to slack management.
(2)
Gina P.
Mmm... Not to toot my own horn but this was my good call yesterday. =D I made the executive decision to eat at this bright little spot and it was great! $1.95 spam musubi with scrambled egg! Stamp card: Thumbs up! Reggae music: YES! *; ) friendly & professional counter person My husband had the Fried Rice Omelette--YUM! The flavor of the fried rice took me back home. I had the Chicken Katsu with 2 scoop rice & mac salad. The chicken was so tender and juicy. The Katsu sauce was so ono with an interesting zest to it. Only one teeny weeny thing about the mac salad, not enough mayo... but other than that, me & the hubby are coming back. I'm soo looking forward to checking out their Happy Hour (4pm -6pm) to try their SPAM MUSUBI TEMPURA--OMG!!! are you serious now? and I'm telling all my friends too... *; )
(4)
Chelsea A.
I've never been to Hawaii. I have no idea what Hawaiian food is supposed to taste like. But what I do know, is that my Teriyaki Beef was tasty delicious. And while I find the name of the business to be, uh, clever (not really) I'm glad the food delivered. The macaroni salad was awesome (and a close contender for NoHos but I'll have to get back to you after some extensive sampling of both). The girl working at the counter was very nice and extremely helpful when I wanted to know what the SPAM Musubi was. But they were out of SPAM so I didn't get to try it. Which makes me sad, because I've never had SPAM before and was really looking forward to breaking my SPAM cherry (that sounds disgusting). But, well now I have an excuse to go back. I had the Mai Tai that tasted like summer in a glass if I was bathing in a pool of fruit flavored booze (my way of saying it was good). And my friend got the Primo beer which I have never seen before, but was also very tasty (do they sell that somewhere in Portland? maybe it's time to make a trip to Belmont Station). Reason for the star docking? Turns out you order at the counter and they bring your food to you. Which I wouldn't mind for lunch but for dinner and breakfast it's just not my thing. Unfair, I know. Anydoodle, I'll be back. During the summer, to drink Mai Tai's and Primo's until I smell like a Hawaiian drunk and to eat some SPAM. I can hardly wait.
(4)
Michelle H.
Being a native of Honolulu, I am always seeking out new Hawaiian-style plate lunch restaurants here in Portland. Thanks to Don B. for bringing to my attention this newer establishment located pretty close to my house in Alameda. Hubby and I had takeout from here two weeks ago, and we were both very happy with our selections. Compared to other plate lunch places, the menu here is a bit more limited in my opinion, but the offerings are more unique and creative. On the day we went, they did not have the Luau Chicken that Don B. was lucky to be able to partake of on his visit, so I got my good old stand-by....a loco moco, and hubby ordered the kal bi ribs. Upon opening our meals at home, I noticed that the presentation of our food was much more aesthetically pleasing than your usual Hawaiian-style restaurant. My loco moco was topped with a very nice shiitake mushroom gravy and garnished with fresh parsley. Even though the portion was smaller than most other places, my loco moco was very good. The hamburger patty was hand-formed, the gravy was tasty and the mac salad was excellent. Although I did not taste it, Hubby enjoyed his Kal Bi plate. So far, we like Ate-oh-Ate, and Hubs and I are planning to return to try some of their other menu selections. Next time, I plan on ordering the fried rice omelet with Portuguese Sausage or the adobo, two very local menu selections I have yet to see on any other Hawaiian restaurants in town.
(4)
Sara S.
My office came here for a lunch/meeting. When I ordered, the man at the register handed me a dirty glass for my drink. I handed the glass back to him only for him to hand me yet another dirty glass (both caked with dried on food). The food wasn't bad. The green salad and rice were actually quite good, the Kahlua Pig was okay but a little lacking on flavor. I didn't finish my meal, but not because it was a huge portion. Once I got just about 3/4 of the way done I noticed that there was a dead fly that had been under all of the meat on my plate. When I showed it to the staff they didn't care and never offered to do anything to make it better. I highly doubt i'll ever go back.
(2)
Wolf L.
GF is Hawaiian. Native Hawaiian--not just someone who happened to live in Hawaii. Her direct ancestors were standing on the beach waving when Captain Cook came floatin' into Waimea. The first thing she said when we walked inside Ate-Oh-Ate was that the place SMELLED like Hawaii. I really got my hopes up for some tasty, palette pleasing victuals. Alas, we were somewhat disappointed. I ordered a Loco Moco, which is my most favorite breakfast ever. GF got Chicken Katsu. The rice was good. Unfortunately, the rest of the food wasn't the best. My hamburger patty just didn't have much flavor. The gravy was kind of runny and tasteless. GF's chicken was also strangely bland. I'm having some difficulty describing exactly what was lacking in the food. Everything looked good but it was missing that certain...Hawaiian soul. For drinks, we both got the POG. (No Hawaiian Sun? Wot up wit dat, brah?) The POG was pretty tasty. However, the prices left a lot to be desired. Our entire tab was $23 and some change. Ouch. This place is fairly new, so maybe they'll get better. We'll see.
(3)
Kimberly V.
An archaic and racist notion about people from Hawaii and their pronounced love of Spam goes like this: The reason native Hawaiians and those raised on their islands like the taste of Spam more than most is because the quasi-meat is extremely salty and chewy, much like the human flesh that our ancestors supposedly devoured back in the days of yore. Not only is that insulting, but it's simply illogical. Do you really think that after a full day of fishing, climbing trees, and soaking up the constant sun, any self-respecting Hawaiian would really want to chow down on another person? After all that physical activity, would your first choice for a refreshment be your brother, your great aunt, or that weird dude three huts down who tried to have sex with a coconut? That just makes no sense. Unfortunately, the cooks at Ate-Oh-Ate took that old hat idea - that Hawaiian food should be rich in sodium and not much else on the flavor profile - and ran with it. There are elements of most Hawaiian and island-style restaurants that Ate-Oh-Ate gets right. There's Korean and shoyu chicken as well as the kalua pig and Loco Moco found up and down Kapahulu Avenue on Oahu, at the very least. But for a minimum of ten bucks per plate, there's nothing that leaps out at your tongue or brings to mind a white sandy beach. Unless that beach had an ocean of cooking oil, maybe. Man, my fried rice was greasy. I know it's supposed to be, but I would have enjoyed more vegetables besides the carrots and celery to balance out the oiliness of the rice and the salt bite from the Portuguese sausage. The infamous Spam was also offered, for those die-hard flesh-eaters. Let me put it plainly - Hawaii's economy was way in the weeds long before the rest of the country got there. To demand $10 to $12 per plate for the same kinds of foods I ate as a kid on food stamps and not evoke my childhood just sounds ludicrous. I mean, not have-sex-with-a-coconut crazy, but close enough that I bid a Pomaikai to the people at Ate-Oh-Ate and continue to wait for a Hawaiian restaurant in Portland that gets it right.
(2)
Eric t.
I've heard some mixed reviews about this place. I went here on a whim one day while I was in town. The place is quite clean on the inside and there were a bunch of white people cooking in a clean kitchen. This scene was kind of unnerving and I didn't know what to expect, as I'm used to more divey settings whenever I make my annual pilgrimage to Hawaii. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the food. Poke: Nice nutty flavor to the poke. I thought it was well done. Spam Musubi: Kind of a thud for me. I didn't like the sweetness the tamago added to it. It tasted too fresh, I'm used to Spam Musubi marinating together in some plastic wrap for a few hours so all the flavors absorb into each other. Maybe because the best one's I've had were just bought at markets and then taken to the beach and inside my backpack for a few hours. Mac Salad: A bit forgettable. Most mac salad I've had is, though. Shoyu Chicken: Thought it was a very comforting dish. Not outstanding but comforting. I liked the marinade and the texture of the chicken, which I could easily flake off the bone without it being dry whatsoever. Loco Moco: This alone added an extra star to the review. The best loco moco I've had...the quality of the beef was EXCELLENT and the gravy was fantastic. It was not too heavy/starchy tasting, you can tell it was made with very high ingredients. Ice Cream- coconut- fresh made, interesting although they went overboard with the allspice...maybe b/c it was thanksgiving time. To me, it seems the concept here is slightly elevated Hawaiian comfort food, and I think they do well if you have that in mind. You're not getting a traditional hawaiian plate lunch here. There are a few things they could do to improve it, I really don't think they are trying to "dumb down" hawaiian cuisine for the *cough* "american palate".
(4)
John H.
Just finished a quick bite at Ben Dyer's new "ate-oh-ate," which is a Hawaiian sandwich shop that has opened on the buzzing East Burnside corridor (just down from Screen Door, June, Heart and Luce). The menu is actually more extensive than I expected with Kalua Pig (pork shoulder), Kal bi (Korean short ribs), a couple of teriyaki dishes and some fish and poke amongst the offerings. There are a bunch of good looking sides, though I tried the macaroni salad (which was fantastic) with my Kalua Pig plate. Having tried the Laurelhurst Mkt mac & cheese, I needed to compare and I actually liked this one better. It's more of a summer picnic style version and not quite as rich as LM's (which is much cheesier), but it suits the main plate well which came with two scoops of plain white rice and a mound of pulled pork over steamed cabbage. The drink menu includes a few hawaiian beers as well as Moose drool brown ale (from Montana). There are some tropical cocktails and a selection of flavored shaved ice (not, apparently, to be confused with a snow cone!). I'm sure this'll be another well received endeavour from Portland's home grown butcher shop, cum food empire.
(4)
Chantel H.
The Mai Tai was strong and the MAC salad was delicious...the teriyaki and kalua pig were both fabulous! It definitely had a cozy and friendly atmosphere and I will be back for dinner again!
(4)
Jen T.
Man oh man, Ate Oh Ate! As a former 808-er myself, I was looking forward to this joint for a long while, even trying to show up this past weekend to sneak into a potential soft opening... No go on the ogo, but I still showed up on its grand opening on Monday. Guaranteed the Simpatica/Laurelhurst Market folks would have some next level Hawaiian plate lunches, especially if they claimed one their own (Ben Dyer) as from da aina. However, while all the meats were definitely on point (holy crispy tender pork belly in my $10 saimin!), the accompanying carbs definitely needed some more love and attention. Textureless, soggy noodles are always a no no (try cooking them a little less, boys). And RICE! How can you mess up rice? The white rice itself was a little on the dry-but-sticky side (huh? how can? try wash the rice! And was it even Calrose? Come on man, the AZN standard is what we crave!) And the fried rice was definitely made with new rice...which, interestingly enough, isn't always a good thing. (If you're using hot-out-of-the-rice-cooker rice to fry, the rice gets overcooked and mushy. Ideally, you should use day-old rice.) Of course, these are all cooking time and technique issues which I have faith in these guys to correct very, very soon to make this place very, very awesome. (With more stars as the reward!) A few other things: Overall environment - Cute decor. A local (Big Island?) station streaming live from the internet. Shave ice machine. Feels like an upscale L&Ls except in green (with the upscale price to boot). Salt, the debate - Sadly, I wanted to originally say it was "undersalted," but then I realized that all the foods were appropriately salted for mainland standards and that local food is just gnarly and covered in soy and salt and MSG and oil...which is what makes it sooooo good after you go to the beach and/or get shitty. So, please, for the sake of our health and ambitions...forgo the "authenticity" and continue leaving the extra salt out. Add these beers to the menu - Heineken (green bottles, chee hee!), Red Stripe Brah, try make one PORK BELLY MUSUBI. And Redondo's hot dog musubi. And spam katsu musubi. Just make more musubis. Okay...I know you can't just put whatever into a musubi and call it "local cuisine," but shit, it would be sooooooooooo good and ridiculous and that's what local food is all about! Just salt and rice and craze and beer!
(3)
Andrea M.
Mahalo for the super delicious, as good as it gets off the island, local food! It was like local food "plus" with the super fancy egg and what-not. Great flavor, really nice. The poke was okay - not as good as home but good enough to be called poke; and the loco moco was good.
(5)
K T.
The best part of tonite's visit to Ate Oh Ate was the entire staff. They deserve a 5 star! They were all warm, kind and helpful. Just fabulous. In fairness, I mentioned that I would like something that didn't have too much salt and they did warn me that things were pretty salty there. We probably should have left, but... We had no idea that we were going to eat a dinner FILLED with salt. We read some reviews about the high sodium content, but didn't expect it to be inedible. So if you don't love love love salt, this is NOT a place for you. That is the primary flavor you get there. We couldn't taste other spices because the salt was overwhelming. The restaurant was comfortable inside even when it was 92 outside.
(2)
Dylan E.
I can probably say I have tried everything on the menu. And I have never been extremely disappointed with any dish. I love the dessert here. I love the mochi and shave ice. I think my favorite dish however is a combo of lau lau and kalua pig. A close to Hawaiian special. Though there are a things I do have to say. The service is great and the staff is friendly. I feel the menu is to Hoale. Like there are no real authentic Hawaii food besides what I mentioned. I also feel that the curry lacks especially because I love katsu and curry combos. I feel it should be more of a spicy Japanese style curry not what they have. I had to start a new account so re telling my experiences.
(4)
Kiara H.
FANTASTIC!! Thank you Portland for giving me Ate-Oh-Ate!! Their Kalua Pig tasted better than how your first kiss made you feel. If I had to choose between a hot guy and a free meal at Ate-Oh-Ate, I would definitely choose the free meal. Their Mac Salad was incredible and I wish every BBQ I went to had macaroni salad that incredible.
(5)
Adam R.
Wow. Ate-Oh-Ate was great and so is their name. We at at Ate-Oh-Ate after seeing a review in the Oregonian and they were right. It was spectacular. I had the Spam Fried Rice Omelet. I was skeptical... it was a Spam Fried Rice stuffed into a 3 egg omelet. Who would guess. It was awesome. Thin sliced spam, just the right amount added a very unique flavor to the rice. A little weird stuffed into the omelet, but it worked. My wife had a shredded pork dish with rice and salad that was also wonderful (I took her leftovers home and ate that too for dinner!). The menu is small but they did a wonderful job of creating some great, tasty food with a casual ambiance. Thanks Ate-Oh-Ate we will be back soon! -Adam
(5)
Duane P.
I continue to go in thinking I'm going to try something different other than the Saimin soup and get something like the Aina burger but I don't. Today that was the right decision. The Saimin soup today is the best soup I have had this year. In addition the roasted pork belly in the soup was the best pork belly year to date. The 3 kinds of broth in the soup along with charred onions, fish cakes, soft boiled egg and al dente noodles makes it a winner. But don't take my word for it, go get you some and enjoy.
(5)
Mindy S.
I had my work picnic catered by this restaurant. From start to finish the staff was incredible to work with. The food was amazing! Several people told me it was the best Hawaiian food they ever had, and I agree. Delicious!
(5)
Andrew A.
I'm luke-warm on Hawaiian/Island food, so I've passed this place for years even though a number of friends have recommended it. I was pleasantly surprised by my first visit during Happy Hour. Their offering is one of the better value plays in town. The $2.50 Kailua Pig Cabbage Slider was incredibly tender and "wet." Equally blissful (if not more) was the tempura SPAM with egg concoction. The Korean Wings maybe the star of the show. Mai Tai was very strong and tall. SUPERB service, plenty of seating and decent parking. Do it!
(4)
Yelena G.
Best Hawaiian food in Portland!! I was very impressed by the selection and quality of food.
(5)
Lana S.
Came here for lunch with my coworkers today. Got the Korean Chicken dish, which came with rice, grilled chicken (in Sriracha sauce) and macaroni salad. Yum! I am not Hawaiian, but the food was flavorful and tasted home-made. Definitely coming back! ...waited a long time for our food, but it was worth it.
(4)
David B.
Walked in to this Hawaii-surf eatery and we ordered off the easy to read chalk board menu. We did not hesitate to chow down on the pork belly plates and Ramen noodles as we watched epic surf rides, digital style. My guava beverage came with an umbrella so slipped on my shades for fun. Others enjoyed their craft beers. Seems to be a real favorite among locals.
(3)
Allen K.
Oh, Ate-Oh-Ate.. how I have tried so hard to like you. So, so hard. But depending on what I order my taste buds are either assaulted by sodium or yearning for some type of seasoning to keep them interested. The mac salad is okay but generally has been very salty. Mixing it with some rice helps take the edge off. Similarly, the Kalua pork is like a shredded meat salt bomb: nice texture but the flavor is overwhelming. Again, mix with rice (but not mac salad) to help with that. On the other end of the spectrum the Saimin is incredibly bland and just feels like wet noodles in your mouth without the added benefit of flavor. The loco moco (typically my favorite Hawaiian dish to get) looks freakin' bomb, but taste-wise fails to live up to expectations. The patty is hardly seasoned and even the gravy doesn't do much to elevate the experience. I like how they add some egg to the SPAM musubi, it's a nice touch, but one time I ordered it and the rice was incredibly dried out and had clearly been sitting out for a while. If you're gonna do a good musubi, making sure the rice is on point is essential! Probably the best and most reliable dish I've gotten has been the chicken katsu. Fried to order and the katsu sauce has good flavor. If I come back again, I'll be sticking to that. I think I've given Ate-Oh-Ate a fair shot and tried multiple dishes several times, but for now I will have to give my mouth a break from the taste extremes and bid you farewell.
(2)
Nicole B.
Sometimes food is never as great as it is on the mainland is it? Laid back, and casual. You order your food at the register. I ordered the Kalbi pork ribs with the kalua pork. 2 of my favorites. We also ordered the loco moco, another favorite of ours. The kalua pork was great, had a lot of flavor and enough smokiness to it. The Kalbi pork ribs, just didn't do it for me. I think the issue with the loco moco was the gravy, it's a mushroom gravy. It didn't have the right flavors going on. The mac salad was ono. I'll definitely try this place again. I would probably try other items on the menu or check out their happy hour now that they have a decent list of cocktails!
(3)
Jonathan C.
I visited this place right after completing day 2 of STP. I was so hungry I ordered both the Shoyu Chicken and the Samin. The Shoyu Chicken was pretty good. I like the flavor of the sauce and the chicken just fell off the bone which is what I love. The Saimin was just ok for me. It had crispy roasted pork belly which is what made me want to try it and it was pretty good, but the broth wasnt anything special. The atmosphere was nice and chill which I liked. Overall, I'm definitely a fan. When craving Local Hawaiian food in Portland, this is the place to go.
(4)
Adriana X.
Their chicken katsu is amazing! I am always craving this. The meat isn't dry and their breading is perfect. Also, their Mac salad is one of the best I've ever had!
(4)
Sandra C.
This place is located down the street from our apartment. I wanted to try hawaiian food for a long time, since we don't have that back on the East coast. I ordered the korean chicken wings plate and my bf ordered the luau luau?. I loved mine so much more. The Korean chicken wings were fried really crispy and had just the right amount of saucy flavor that was delicious paired with the macaroni salad and the white rice! I didn't need any extra soy sauce or flavoring. It was just so delectable! I wish i can say the same for the luau luau, which was pulled pork wrapped in steamed leaves. It wasn't as good as we thought it would be. Kinda disappointing. We also ordered the poke of the day. It was a small dish, with a couple of pieces of tuna in a ton of onions and chives! you definitely don't want to kiss anyone after eating that. All in all, i would just come back for the wings.
(3)
Ace E.
To say this is my favorite Hawaiian food place is an understatement. The food here is consistently good and always filling. Great happy hour items including their Portland's best cheeseburger for $5 and panko fried spam musubi! I love that they offer shave ice and you can get it with rum and/or ice cream at the bottom. The cocktails are great too! I'd say the food is as good or better than the best Hawaiian lunch plates you get on the islands. Okole Maluna!
(5)
Jessica F.
Best Mac salad in town, all the others are impalpable. Fried Korean chicken wings, or the grilled Korean plate lunch. Or kalbi ribs. Pineapple cole slaw. Loco moco with the shittaki gravy. Poke. It's all amazing. Home made teri sauce and chili water in the green glass bottles. You won't regret!
(5)
Mark P.
Note: do not confuse this restaurant with the OTHER similarly-named 808 Grinds. That one is a food cart. Ate-Oh-Ate is stationary. If you see it moving, put down the weed, man. That's some powerful stuff. Both 808 and Ate-Oh-Ate (a play on Hawaii's area code) serve excellent Hawaiian food. I am on a quest for the perfect Portland saimin, so naturally that's what I ordered. It's not exactly the easiest dish to find in P-town, so I tend to get excited when I see it on the menu. Ate-Oh-Ate's contains thin soba noodles in a broth of pork, chicken, and shrimp, accompanied by roasted pork belly, kamaboko (fish cake), and a soft boiled egg. The broth is nicely balanced and not at all overpowering; if anything, it could use a little more flavor. But that's why they invented soy sauce, right? Both the pork belly (crispy and smoky) and the soft boiled egg (velvety, creamy perfection) elevated the dish to something special. Was it the best saimin I've ever had? Not by a long shot, but I'm an island boy so that would be expecting too much. By Portland standards, it was a pretty good bowl of soup. I also had a side of sweet potato tempura as an appetizer. That was perfection! It arrived golden brown and crispy, and wasn't the least bit greasy. Dusted with a bit of red chili and served with a sweet dipping sauce, I was very impressed with the tempura. I actually consider that to be the star of the show. Service was decent if a little slow, but in all fairness it was lunchtime and they were doing brisk business. All in all, this is a great place to stop in and enjoy a taste of the islands! Especially on a cold and rainy Portland fall/winter/spring day.
Love this place. Cheap prices. Elevated Hawaiian dishes. Friendly service. Try the Shoyu Chicken Sandwich, Mac Salad, Taro Chips, Teriyaki Beef Plate, Kaluha Pork Plate, AND THE SHAVED ICE!!
(5)
Bryson B.
Howzit!!? Looking for a rad vibe and great food? Look no further than the Ate-oh-Ate restaurant, located on East burnside going into downtown. Look for the pink sign with the pig on it. A far cry from your stereo typical "Hawaiian Time" dining experience, the Ate-oh-Ate offers true authentic Hawaiian cuisine. The dining experience is legitimate. Their open kitchen allows you to see your food being prepared right before your eyes, with that said, you know your getting your food hot and fresh. My first experience was amazing, I ordered the Loco Moco with a side of Hawaiian Mac. The Mac was delicious; nevertheless simple components combined together always make for great flavor. The Mac was very light on the mayo and filled with shredded carrots, chopper onions and other vegetables. Now the Loco Moco was a punch in the mouth of true flavor! With your choice of brown or white rice, a hardy burger patty well seasoned, and a egg cooked over easy to top everything off, not to mention the brown gravy that brings the whole dish together; the Loco Moco will have you as plump as the pig on the sign. I believe the Loco Moco is the Hawaiian equivalents of Wheaties!! Meal of champions! In the end the Ate-oh-Ate has decently fair prices for the quantity of food your getting. The crew is cheerful and helpful and the restaurant is cool. I give the Ate-oh-Ate a solid 4 stars for my review. #CheapEats2015
(4)
Kevin L.
The kalbi ribs weren't what I was expecting; they weren't cut thin like I normally see, they were big pork ribs. Will have to try something else next time
(3)
Chee K.
We tried this place for lunch and were very pleased. I always thought Hawaiian food was a combination of Asian with pineapple or poi. I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this place, very laid back. You order at the counter, take your number and sit at a table and watch surf videos. I ordered the Korean fried chicken wings plate which comes with rice and mac salad. Typically, the Korean fried chicken is a little sweeter and stickier but I could appreciate what they were trying here. It was had a good spicy kick and great crisp. I'm usually not a mac salad fan, too much mayo and one big glop. But not this one, it was really flavorful and had a great texture. My husband wanted their burger but were out so he had to settle for their pork sandwich. I tried a bite and it was also really good. I liked that they toasted their bun and that texture really made the sandwich stand out with delicious flavorful shredded pork. Our food didn't come out too fast but it could have been that an office phoned in their order. I didn't mind though. The servers were really great too and I can't wait to go back and try other dishes.
(4)
Bri G.
Authentic Hawaiian food. Got the kalua and it did not disappoint! Def recommend this spot.
(5)
Jessie K.
This place is amazing! Atmosphere: cafeteria style, natural wood, chill music, very mahalo Food: incredible! The meats were luscious (we had the Korean wings, the ribs, and the Khalua pork) and falling off the bone. The Mac salad was unique and the perfect compliment to the spicy wings. Green salad was a little basic, just lettuce, carrots and dressing. The rice was sticky-iky-iky and the teriyaki plentiful. I will be back. Very very soon.
(5)
Tania B.
One of the best burgers ever! And with a side of Mac salad, so good. Was not very impressed with the plate lunches. I was sad when I ordered the Korean chicken and it was not Big Island Korean chicken, If you don't know then ask somebody. But with the burgers, boozy shave ice, poke, and tempura spam musubi you can't go wrong.
(4)
Tim F.
The poke is excellent. And the mai thai is steong! The burger was disappointing-- as well as the kimchi
(3)
Jenny C.
Visited again awhile back. This time I got the Omelette Fried Rice. It looked amazing! It had spam in it and it was just so appealing. However when I ate it, the flavors were way too plentiful that I wasn't able to finish it. Huge disappointment, my friend got the Curry Katsu and he still enjoyed it, maybe it's time for me to go with what I know is good instead of being adventurous. This place is still great though!
(4)
C C.
Outstanding!! The best I've had in years! Trio of kimchi was tasty. Cabbage kimchi went well with the Kalua pig. Teriyaki chicken excellent, Kalua pig excellent. Preferred side salad over the macaroni salad. Macaroni had eggs in it, which I don't like. Salad dressing was tasty too! Too bad I live over an hour away, but when I'm downtown I'll be stopping by again!
(5)
Geoerl N.
Ate here for the first time yesterday! The atmosphere is fun and the staff is a good mix of cool and capable. I did run into an issue with my to go order. I waited for over 20 minutes and finally had to ask if I had been missed. I had been and my food was sitting to the side of the front counter. I was immediately given a coupon for a free meal the next time I came in. The food was good and it was well seasoned. I did add some teri sauce to my rice and enjoyed that. I tried the teri chicken it was a little over cooked but flavors were there. Also trien the Kahlua Pig it was good as well but probably not in the top 5 on my list. all in all I give it 3 stars it could easily get to 5 if they just take a little better care of their consumer and payed a little more attention to cook times. don't be afraid to flavor it up!! the beverage selection looked great although being a work day there wasn't an opportunity to check quality. :-)
(3)
Katharine W.
Best teriyaki beef I've ever had!! Staff was so nice and helped me decide what i wanted, they actually seemed they liked there job. Also amazing house chips and mac salad. First time I've been there i definitely will be going back!
(5)
Daniel M.
Some of the food items are great here. The Teri chicken and Mac salad are island legit. The service is really slow which is surprising considering how many people are back there. I also have to point out that what they serve for kal-bi is a travesty. First of all, it should be beef. But fine, I can understand the substitute. But you can't serve ribs like that and call it kal-bi! Google image search kal-bi and you'll see what I mean. And the meat was dry and not very marinated. Noho's still has them beat.
(3)
Steve P.
I'm pretty sure I could eat their mac salad every day for the rest of my life.
(5)
Miya A.
The butter mochi was super delicious. I was a little disappointed with my lau lau because the meat was a little dry in some spots. But the overall flavor was delicious. The mac salad wasnt bad either. Will definitely be back!
(4)
Alana K.
I was raised on the Big Island, and this is some of the best Hawaiian food I've had, on OR off the island. I judge every Hawaiian place I've been to on the mainland by 3 things; if they have steamed cabbage in their kalua pork; if they even have a Loco Moco on their menu; and how good their poke is. They win at all 3. I haven't even had their burger, but it's award-winning here in Portland, which is home to some pretty kick-ass burgers to begin with.
(5)
Betty F.
I eat here at least once a week and know their phone number by heart. I work in the neighborhood and have consistently had nothing but amazing customer service by Emily, Nick and his fake accent, and Danielle's smiling face. My food has never once been bad. It's fresh, local, organic and has a fantastic laid back atmosphere. Although there is way too much Reggae being played CONSTANTLY, I do enjoy the surf videos and neighborhood feel. Great for families, a date or a meeting place with friends. I tell all my customers to go here and they are always happy too.
(5)
Brandon T.
Let's see, we got loco moco, five chicken wings, three sliders (shoyu chicken, spam and kalua pork), a side order of mac salad and two Mai Tais. Yum! One the surface the food was good, the service was great and I don't have much 'real stuff' to complain about. But when I take a look at the nitty gritty, I have to be honest that my experience wasn't as great as I had wanted it to be. For example, I didn't expect the SPAM slider to literally be just a slice of SPAM in a mini bun. SPAM is a versatile luncheon meat and they could easily dress it up and make this slider special. This one is on me because I could have read the description and avoided my disappointment by not ordering it. But that doesn't change the fact that Ate-Oh-Ate cut corners in creating the SPAM slider, especially when you compare it to flavor rich alternatives such as the shoyu chicken and kalua pork. Another tiny complaint is that the mac salad didn't come with the loco moco. Few things are as disappointing as ordering a hawaiian dish only to realize that THE MAC is missing. The loco moco showed up with no mac and I immediately went inside to order a side because I it didn't feel right continuing without that glue holding the meal together. I could swear the menu said that loco moco came with mac but maybe I just wasn't being attentive to the fine print. The bottom line is that it should definitely be eaten with mac regardless of if it is currently supposed to come with it or not. Which brings me to my last gripe, ordering hawaiian food should be just about the most laid back thing in the world and this shop has way way way way way too many things on their menu for it to not be complicated. I basically went with what I knew (loco moco) and the first things I glanced at (sliders+wings) after being inundated with menu/happy hour options. I appreciate that all of the dishes have the island influence but to be honest I would prefer that they cut it down to a few mainstays and run happy hour specials for the rest. Again this gripe is really all on me, as most people like having a ton of choices so how can I really fault them for this? As I said before the service was great, in the sense that they were attentive and accommodating. Besides the mac snafu and spam disappointment I really have little to complain about food-wise, as it was all delicious. As for the Mai Tais, well... I filled my quota of maraschino cherries so I have nothing to complain about. Ate-o-Ate is solid 4 stars, and would I to recommend it to a friend.
(4)
Vicki C.
first time coming into Ate oh Ate and I'm kinda bummed I didn't find my way in here sooner! their menu reminds me of home style comfort food - island style. I've missed this food so much! we ordered the poke of the day; ahi was solid, onions were spicy and crunchy, green onions were cut a little on the large side, sauce was alright, on the whole pretty decent poke. spam musubi was alright, I liked that they added some egg in it. table also ordered the pork belly burger, fried saimin, and loco moco. burger was cooked perfectly, pork belly was awesome fatty/salty/tastiness, but macaroni salad was the best part of the burger plate for me. fried saimin was decent. my favorite thing ordered was definitely the loco moco with shiitake gravy. burger was a nice medium, eggs were over easy and filled with yolky goodness that went awesome with the gravy & rice.
(4)
Brye P.
I haven't ordered a single thing from this place that wasn't good. They make one of the best burgers in town (I never see it mentioned on any lists). Thir salad dressing, while not cheap (I can't remember how much a glass jar is...like $7-$8?) is a bit of a condiment addiction of mine, along with whatever that vinegar in the Buddha Beer bottles happens to be (besides delicious). The only thing I don't like about the place is the decor. It was obviously done quickly, and on the cheap. We have taken multiple out-of-town people here, and they walk away saying "I wasn't sure at first. The place looked... like a strange choice? But that was really good." Or something to that effect. Agreed.
(4)
Marianne S.
So I have to admit that I was a little bit typsy when I came here the other night for dinner, but it was delicious! Really reasonably priced plates with lots of food! We got the kimchi to share and it was amazing! The chicken was perfect. We got some mai-tais and they have a limit of two and I can see why. Phew! Were they strong! But awesome! I am going to venture to this place again soon, when I have a little less alcohol in me. I love the name, too! It's really clever. Ate-oh-Ate, just like Hawaii's are code- 808!
(4)
Amy D.
Great wings. Good sized portions. Perfectly cooked rice. Their housemade sesame dressing is amazing. The mac salad is addictive.
(5)
Oscar M.
I'm from Big Island so when I heard there was a local kind grinds spot here in town I was all over it! So I started with the Poke, I was skeptical seeing as our Ahi back home is fresh off the boat and its basically impossible to recreate that here based on logistics alone. But seeing as the tuna was Tombo vs our standard of yellow fin it was fresh and seasoned exactly like back home at KTA. I went a little unconventional when I ordered my main course of the Aina burger. Basically it's a concoction of their own made with a hybrid of traditional local cuisines combined on a burger that had the potential to fail horribly or slam it outta the park. And OMG they grand slammed it off the island right into our happy faces! The only reason I didn't give five stars is for two very simple and easily corrected issues. One is no fresh brewed tea just that nestea syrup that comes out of the soda fountain which is high fructose corn syrup with artificial color and flavor, its so simple and i bet cheaper to do it the right way, plus you open that nozzle for another flavor of soda that im sure will get used as well if not more than that crap. And secondly the salad was just simple iceberg lettuce with shaved carrots and a random creamy sauce. I can safely say that statistics are showing that a health conscious PDX is on the rise, sadly this is a traditional salad back home, but I do think this does provide an opportunity to improve upon tradition and make a better locally provided fresh green salad. I will return and look forward to trying the Lau Lau that was sold out!
(4)
Devin M.
I was born and raised in Hawaii, 20 years. This is my favorite Hawaiian restaurant in Portland and I've been to them all. I've tried just about everything on the menu here in my many visits and everything is good at least, if not great. My favorites are the fried rice omelette (both the spam and homemade portuguese options are winners) and the Kal bi ribs. I gotta say everything but the kal bi is pretty authentic in my opinion and while the kal bi is more baby-back rib style then the thin slices you usually see it is very, very good. Oh, and don't forget to get some poki to start, just like how we used to make 'em back home. If you wanna go with something safe get the chicken katsu, the kids will love that one too, gaurans-ball-bearings. My least favorites are the burgers and sliders which are super rich and buttery and pretty greasy but still very tasty (which means you'll eat the whole thing and probably regret it later) and the tempura spam musubi which is better non tempura(ed) in my opinion. I would recommend hitting up the happy hour but be careful with the mai tai's, they are strong. Also, for desert the butter mochi is just how my mom used to make it, so ono and the shave ice is the best in town, hands down, don't forget the ice cream on the bottom. The owner of this place also owns Laurelhurst Market and I appreciate knowing that I'm getting high quality meat when I eat here. I also really like the roots reggae music playing in the background and the surf videos on the TV screen in the corner.
(5)
Bryan L.
One of my favorites by far. Have been here numerous times for lunch and dinners and have never been disappointed. The Lau Lau is my favorite. The ribs are great and their Kalua Pig is perfection. Highly recommend.
(5)
James D. H.
A local Culinary Hero of mine, Chef Ethan (Mad Props Chef E.) suggested the AOA. So glad I did. I've drivin by here a couple times & remembered the sign. Came in for lunch and got the window seat. Awesome! Had the Spam Musubi. Macaroni Salad and the Kim chi Sampler. The sampler is Daikon Radish, Cucumber and Bok choy Cabbage. All in separate bowls. The Spam Musubi comes out a little warm and fluffy soft and yummy and ....... I had another. Kinda wished i only ordered Musubi. Then Again. All 3 parts of the Kim chi, yum! Did i mention the Macaroni Salad? Creamy, with a hint of onion. I left in a food daze. My mind/stomach kept drifting back to lunch at the AOA. Around dinner time my friend said he was hungry, I knew just the place. For dinner I had two (2) Spam Musubi and Macaroni Salad. Ya. It's that good.
(5)
Sean A.
GET THE AINA BURGER. If you love juice burgers and want something crispy too... this is it! Atmosphere's alright. Good lunch time spot.
(5)
amy m.
These guys catered our wedding last year at Mt. Tabor, and it was amazing. The staff was great, the planning went well, the food was awesome, and everything went perfectly. Thanks for helping make our day very memorable.
(5)
Katie S.
DO NOT get the Kalbi ribs! They are dry and overpriced. I ordered my to go and had to wait for 30 mins while the big groups came in after me already got their food. My waiting time could have been even longer if i didnt come up and asked about my order. Not coming back for sure!
(2)
Kris E.
While in Portland on vacation I decided to give this place a try since I was craving hawaiian food. We ordered the poke, kimchi sampler, fried rice omelette with Portuguese sausage, and shoyu chicken /korean chicken wings plate. The food was not all that great. The fried rice tasted like pure butter and they used portuguese linguica instead of the hawaiian style portuguese sausage. The shoyu chicken was dry and the Korean chicken wings were not was I expecting. It was neither korean style or the hawaiian version of it and tasteless. The won bok kimchi was pretty old as well which shouldn't have been served unless prepared into a dish like soup or fried rice. However the poke, diakon & cucumber kimchi, and Mac salad were good but that's about it. I was quite surprised that the locals from Hawaii gave good reviews for this place. I've have experienced better hawaiian mainland food.
(2)
Eila L.
The loco moco is bland, the meat is too salty and they skimp you on it. I've eaten there three times and I am done giving this place a chance. The women at the counter had horrible customer service skills, she was rude and not accommodating. This place is also over priced for the quality of food they serve. I do not recommend - go over to Beaverton and go to Roxys island grill if you want good Hawaiian plate food.
(1)
Ashley H.
Oh my gosh every time I eat from here I finish every last bite, and the portions are pretty big. They are my first encounter with Hawaiian food and what I hold other places up to. I just scarfed the kalua pig and mac salad - the pork is so juicy! It is my favorite dish here. I am stuffed and happy and would definitely recommend this place to people I know. The service is amazing too!
(5)
Veronica V.
Ate-oh-Ate has made it into our regular rotation for neighborhood restaurants. Uh.... heavy rotation, to tell the truth. It's such a comfortable, friendly place, we wind up heading there as a default destination pretty often. One of the things I love about 808 is that while they have the traditional Hawaiian gut-buster plate lunches, they also have lighter far -- like hekka noodles and chicken long rice -- which are satisfying, filling meals, but not quite as heavy as some of the other offerings. But if you want a big fat plate of loco moco that could choke a sumo wrestler, well, they've got that, too, and it's awesome!
(5)
Cliff E.
The best thing about the place is the catchy name. There was nothing Hawaiian about the dishes we had here. They were sold out of the lau lau but i couldn't imagine it to be that good with the rest of the food we had. Chicken Katsu, it was decent but that is probably the easiest dish you can make. Spam Musubi, the spam wasn't crispy on the edges and they served it with egg which wasn't the norm. Ahi Poke was a huge disappointment, looked great but couldn't taste the marinade or the fish. The chicken wings were extremely salty. The pork belly saimin soup actually tasted 'burnt'. Overall all the names were familiar but the tastes were not.
(2)
Amy Y.
Korean wings were definitely something to rave about. And who can beat shave ice with rum in it? After only one visit we will go back a try more dishes. One negative: I have never had poke SO oily! Service was friendly and helpful.
(4)
S-papadoc K.
Cool place. Took a while for food to arrive. Lau lau good, Korean chicken good, musubi good, loco moco - no comment 11 bucks.
(3)
Kevin J.
Neat place. More Asian fusion then Hawaiian though. Good portion sizes. I got the kalbi ribs and a dark and stormy. The drink tasted like a high schooler made it, which isn't a problem if you're just drinking to get drunk, but I was hoping for more. I'll probably be back.
(4)
Kccstrong A.
Only gripe? The poke was 90% onions and maybe 10% fish and that's not right!
(3)
jackie l.
A good place to go for cheap eats. I ordered edamame, musubi, and ramen. The edamame was cold but I guess that's how it's supposed to be, I preferred it soft and warm. I did like the chili flavoring on the edamame, just took the rest home and microwaved it. Didnt care for the ramen, I've had better however I did loved their musubi! Wanted to order more but they ran out! Will come back for more.
(4)
Dian K.
3.5 stars is about right for this place. On a rainy Portland day, I wanted to be reminded of tropical places and decided to go to Ate-oh-Ate. Although, the ambiance of the place isn't exactly tropical - I wasn't transformed - yes, it's still raining outside. We got there the last few minutes of HH, but I was under pressure and couldn't search yelp fast enough on what to order for HH, so I went for the common meat dish so I can compare to the other Hawaiian restaurant in the area. I tried the kalua pork and shoyu chicken. I was surprised that it was a bone-in chicken - nice surprise. Usually shoyu chicken is semi-mystery chicken meat chopped into small pieces. This way, we know it was good chicken meat that we're eating. The sauce was nice and sweet too. Definitely would order this again. The kalua port, on the other hand, was WAY too salty. There wasn't enough rice to cut down the saltiness. I ate less than half of it. Mac salad was so-so too. Since it's not really in my neck of the woods, while it's not horrible, I probably wouldn't come here again. I'd rather go to Roxy since it's closer.
(3)
Nathan W.
Quality tacos at an amazing price! So good and fast service! If you are on the NE side, definitely don't pass this spot up.
(5)
Brianna R.
I've been here a couple of times and the food is decent! I've had a few of the plates and the burger. The burger was crazy rare. Pretty much raw in the middle and from the other reviews it seems this is a common occurrence. Maybe that's how it's supposed to be. Either way, I probably won't get it again. I like the Mac salad and I'm sure I'll come back to get some other stuff. But that raw burger kinda put a damper on the place for me.
(3)
Dawn B.
Pork shoulder was delicious! It's fast food Hawaiian... the ambiance isn't much.
(5)
Spencer G.
This place is awesome. I go a few times a month. Terriyaki Chicken is super good. Best Hawaiian food I have found in portland! The Mai Thai is strong and good too! If you like plate lunch, this is a must!
(5)
Zack M.
I've been here twice now and each time I was pretty unimpressed with their food. Everything I have tasted was pretty bland, no flavor to be remembered (especially the meat). The seating area is not that comfortable either. The only reason I would recommend someone to come here is for a quick place to go on a work lunch break. The small seating area kind of felt like a college campus restaurant area.
(2)
Jessica F.
The girl at the counter was not so nice. But other than that l have gone a few times and l always like the food. The butter mochi dessert with ice cream was so awesome!
(4)
Traci J.
It's Hawaiian, it was close to the hotel, and we saw it advertised in an Asian newspaper. Unfortunately they didn't have the bucket of Primos that we were excited about, but we swapped in a couple of tall Longboards. The two of us ordered a side of taro chips, combo kim chee, fried saimin, and Korean chicken wings. Though they weren't hot out of the fryer and self-seasoned, like we get at Hawaiian Chip Co., they were a close second. Crispy, salty, and not broken! Kim chee trio was the best bargain at $3.99: individual bowls of cucumber, napa and daikon. Slightly sweet and not fiery hot. Korean chicken wings were good, a tad more spicy than I like, and had a bit more batter than I like. Mac salad was good, a bit more zipped up than the standard mac, shredded carrot and Best Foods. Fried saimin was not quite what we were used to, and was fairly salty and wet. Nice vibe to the place, with a mixed crowd of families, couples and a large birthday crowd.
(2)
Charlie C.
auwe! Was really looking forward to this place. I've eaten a lot of Hawaiian food from the islands and around Portland/Beaverton area. Got the take-out for supper. Ordered the standard such as kalua pig and poke. Really wanted to try the shoyu chicken but didn't want to mess with the bone-in chicken, so went for the teriyaki chicken instead. Got to say the kalua pig was juicy and tender, BUT was too salty. Hawaiian food is usually on the savory side, but this kalua pig was overly seasoned and I had to throw it out. The teriyaki chicken and poke was right on. Mac salad was fresh and rice was good. Please, lighter on the salt and the kalua pig would be perfect. I will come back to check out the shaved ice.
(3)
Big D.
HAMBURGER WAS RAW in the middle. Fried rice and pig sliders were very good. Mac salad was good.
(3)
Jamie L.
After waiting to try this place for so long I was just a little let down after all I had heard BUT it was still tasty. Loco Moco is one of my favorite dishes ever. This was what I decided to have here. It was overall good but the meat didn't taste quite seasoned like they do on the island. I appreciate that they are putting a Portland twist on it with the mushroom gravy and while it had good flavor it just wasnt the traditional gravy I was looking for. The portions were decent. The Mac salad was good but not the best I've had. My friend ordered the chicken sand which that looked delicious and had some nice looking slaw on it. It's a fairly small restaurant and was packed on a Tuesday evening. Dinning early or getting Togo would be best. All in all it was delicious and I will definitely be going back to try some of the other plate lunches.
(3)
Trisha A.
Really superb food. Korean chicken wings are spot on. Burgers are flavorful and interesting. The saimin is addictive. I don't feel the portions are as ginormous as other Hawaiian joints. And the food is less greasy. I can eat here and feel very satisfied but not over indulgent. +++
(4)
Raechel S.
The chili wings are amazing. I literally crave them. Yum! Been going here for years. Never disappointed.
(5)
Eric S.
I enjoyed this place and there was a foursquare deal which sweetens the flavor of the food.....to me price is an important factor.
(4)
Keane C.
Alright, since there aren't many people who are actually from Hawaii, I felt like I had to write a review (after eating here for the first time). I'm born and raised from the Big Island and was jonesing for a good plate lunch. The reviews were good and I wanted everything on the menu. I settled on a combo plate of Lau Lau, Korean Chicken white rice and mac salad. The Korean chicken was NOT the Korean chicken you would get anywhere in Hawaii. The Hawaiian kine is sweet, shoyu based sauce with sesame seeds and green onion. This was probably more of what actual Korean chicken is like, as it had a spicy Kim chee type sauce on it. It was severely burnt. Like ridiculously so. It was a bummer 'cause it still had a good flavor otherwise. But seriously, I can't believe the cook served that. Shame. It was thin slices of chicken wouldn't have taken five minutes. The Lau Lau was also disappointing. It said it was Pork with salted cod wrapped in a Kalo leaf. Bra! It was more like straight Kalo leaf. Someone forgot to put fish in it and there was only one small piece pork, which was tasty. I love the Kalo leaf, but it was like a fat wad of Kalo and little else. The rice was cooked perfect and the Mac salad was top of the line (as far as Mac salad goes). I'm gonna give them another chance, though I am going to check the other Hawaiian places around town first. Bottom line: if you're from Hawaii and what legit Korean chicken or Lau Lau, I would look elsewhere. If you never had Hawaii plate lunches, it's probably pretty good, as long as they don't incinerate your chicken! They got a good vibe going on in the restaurant, but I had it for take out (probably why they served that chicken).
(2)
Simon R.
I lived in Hawaii for some time and am always on the lookout for good pig. Ate Oh Ate has good food but portion sizes leave a lot to be desired. I was disappointed enough to contact them and make sure they knew about how small the portion size was and the manager was incredibly defensive and upset. It's a good place in a pinch but you can do much better, even in the Beaverton area. Again good food, overpriced. You will not have left overs.
(3)
Jen T.
So Ono! The shoyu chicken is cooked to perfection. Great reggae music playing. Friendly staff. You can feel the aloha walking in.
(5)
Colleen M.
For some reason I crave the teriyaki beef here every few months and I'm not a big beef person. I also like the macaroni salad. I would come here more often if there were healthy vegetable options to balance the meat and mac but the food is tasty.
(3)
Dan R.
Far from healthy but addicting. Katsu chicken and kalua pork is delicious...and green salad!
(4)
Tiffany L.
Tried Ate-Oh-Ate yesterday for the first time. I'm not an expert on Hawaiian cuisine but my parents live in Oahu and I've had plenty of authentic Hawaiian chow. I wouldn't exactly call AOA authentic, but more like fast-food Hawaiian-like cuisine. You wait on line and order at the counter and then seating is seat yourself. The staff and counter girl were friendly. There was only one table open so we took that one. It was by the door, so it got pretty cold when the door got opened. They have their menus on boards, as well as some Specials. I totally missed that they even had Specials, because it's on a very small sign off to the side of the counter. Cocktails and beer lists have their own board, and they have typical tropical concoctions and Hawaiian beers. I got the PROG Cocktail, which is Passion-Orange-Guava juice and rum. It was strong, so that was good at least. At $7, it wasn't the best, and I thought the juice didn't taste very fresh. Hubby got a beer at $4. The menu is broken up into Plate Lunches, More Plates (which include Loco Moco & Hekka), Sandwiches & Sides. I got the Kahlua Pig Plate Lunch, and hubby got the Beef Hekka. My Kahlua pig was honestly, inedible (to me). It was so overly salted that all I tasted was salt, and not the meat itself. I love salt and I tend to oversalt things, but I couldn't eat this. The rice was a good consistency and the macaroni salad was actually delicious. I switched my meal with my husband and he ate the pig and I had his Hekka. The Hekka tastes just like Filipino Pancit if you've ever had that. A clear-noodle stir-fry with your choice of meat, in our case beef. It was tasty, but I thought it had too much sauce, and also not enough noodles. The beef, however, was really nicely flavored and tender. The inside is no-frills, and bathrooms were clean. They also have Shaved Ice but we didn't try it. I wouldn't be in a huge rush to return, but would possibly for Happy Hour.
(3)
A Z.
Mediocre food, overpriced. Not bad, but not good.
(3)
Jenny T.
One of our fav place. Only thing that needs improvement is the saimin, it's always a little too salty. Other than that, everything else is fantastic. Make sure to leave some space for the mochi cake and their homemade coconut ice cream. Eat them together, SOOOO GOOD! :)
(5)
Andrew H.
So back in 2007 my family took a trip out to Hawaii. I pretty much ate fish every. single. day. So I didn't eat a whole lot of meat with the exception of a burger at Jimmy Buffet burger joint and some Kalua pork at a luau we went to. When you are that close to the ocean, and you are coming from land-locked Texas, one eats fresh fish. In Texas, one eats a lot of beef or pork.... or you just starve. Sorry vegheads. Now in 2013, I have made the jump to Portland and well there's a coastline a little over an hour away and I am also quite a bit closer to the Hawaiian Islands. I am also living in a town that you can find almost every type of food possible. Hawaiian food is something I crave from time to time and Ate-Oh-Ate is only a few blocks from me. I never got to eat Lau Lau or Loco Moko out there or even a Spam Masubi (if I spelled that right) There are a few locations of this type of food in this town. I am happy for that. This Lau Lau I had was just so good that I didn't leave a single bite at all. The green salad with they "Thai peanut" type dressing was just sweet, sweet goodness. It tied in nicely with the saltiness of the pork and salt cod. I added some chili water that had vinegar in it and a little sriracha for some heat and had a great balance of flavors going around. All food is in the $10 range, except it looked like there was some great happy hour deals to be had and I saw fried kimchee was an item i'd like to taste. I can't wait to go back for more. I'll also have a beer or two because the fruit punch option (I don't drink soda) was way too sweet to eat with my Lau Lau. Enjoy.
(5)
Ryan A.
I had to start avoiding one of my favorite Hawaiian places because the service just got too terrible to justify going back. It's too bad Ate-Oh-Ate isn't closer to home, or I would make it the replacement. The woman that took our order didn't start out the best, but she warmed up throughout our time there and I ended up liking the service. Other than that brief moment, there was nothing bad to say about this place. Don't get me wrong; this is not a "oh my god, I am coming back here tomorrow" type five-star review. This is a "everything was just about perfect" five-star review. The ingredients seemed to be of high quality, the food tasted great and the restaurant as a whole was just as it should be. I even appreciated their attention to traffic flow that was the ordering line and process. I have had Hawaiian food I liked better (just a different option for me), but I have not had better Hawaiian food. I know that doesn't make sense, but I think it means that if you like authentic plate lunch, you'll like this place.
(5)
Anna W.
I have eaten here several times and have always had a great experience. Try to get in a little early as the dinner rush can be crazy! For food I recommend the khalua pig and for a drink their chi chis are my favorite!
(5)
Paige H.
Craving poke for weeks, the boyfriend and and I stopped here after exploring PDX on foot and we were happy to see everything on the menu sounded good! Score! He ordered the loco moco and I ordered the saimin. His was excellent with perfectly cooked eggs and delicious meat - so good, in fact, that I kept trying to take more, which didn't go over well, but that's beside the point. Anyway, his was good and mine? Mine left a lot to be desired. After enjoying the small poke bowl, I had high hopes because the small plate I'd just had was so tasty. The reality was actually a boring, lifeless soup that I so badly wanted to like but couldn't. I wound up giving up on it after about 5 minutes. No amount of soy sauce or Sriracha sauce could wake that broth up. Most of the staff was nice, but the cashier was actually a bit snobby and had zero personality beyond that. She alone knocked off a star. How about smiling and not looking like we are ruining your day? Will I try this place again? Yes, since the food was mostly good. Hopefully I have better luck next time! I think they deliver, so that's also a plus.
(3)
Deena J.
I was drawn here by the pork belly saimin, (having just spent three weeks in New Zealand and still craving pork belly) but was unsure how to eat it. Apparently I figured it out because my bowl was empty! The chili pepper water? I could drink it! Great music, great people. Will totally be back, with friends. Lots of friends!
(5)
Vanetta A.
A bit overpriced, but delicious.
(4)
Eric H.
We enjoyed a few things about this place. They had a decent selection for people who don't eat pork which was nice. I was surprised because of the creepy pig on the sign, but there are several items with no pig! The food was good yes, but the drinks here are amazing. The two drink limit on their specialty drink is a good idea. I had one and I was a bit buzzed. Will definitely be coming back.
(4)
Leilani C.
OH my GAWD....I've tried way too many Hawaiian restaurants in PDX and been vastly disappointed. Over 100 reviews and I can't believe this place only has a 3 star average. We moseyed on over here after I had a post-op appointment at Providence. I make it a point to try every Hawaiian establishment I come across and was far from disappointed after lunch at AteOhAte. I walked in here resembling One-eyed Willy with an awesome eye patch courtesy of the awesome eye-surgery caused by a bunch of annoying details I won't bother you with. I was definitely getting looks from the guys behind the counter but couldn't be bothered with that when the only thing I could think of was the delicious aroma saturating the air and oozing out the door crack into the street. Prices were decent - I think I paid $7 or $8 for a teriyaki chicken plate with mac salad. My unbetter half ordered the kalua pig and ribs as a mixed plate. It seemed to take a little longer than expected to get our food but I partially blame the smell of all sorts of delectable animal proteins on an open flame for wreaking havoc on my perception of time. The char on the chicken, the smoke in the pig, the fall off the bone ribs...they were just ungodly. The teriyaki sauce was mouth-watering (I'm salivating just thinking about it - gah!) - so much so that I ordered a mason jar to go. Now...the mac salad. I will die attempting to copy-cat this freaking mac salad. Why is it orange? How is it orange? I have no idea but I'm sure it's for good reason because it's the best mac salad I've ever put in my mouth...not that it's ever gone elsewhere. If anyone knows the top-secret, classified ingredients that make this mac salad a criminal delicacy, I will do unspeakable things to obtain them. Their service was not impeccable but they were nice. Took my order. Brought me delicious food. I really couldn't care for much else. We've been back numerous times since and are still thoroughly pleased each time. GO to AteOhAte. Don't listen to these other ninnies that have rated it less than great - they're just WRONG. I'm attempting some chicken tonight with this handy lil mason jar of sauce. Let's see if my authentic Hawaiian heritage will serve me any good.
(5)
Alex M.
Cute restaurant that has a lot of charm. The Hawaiian food tastes authentic! The price is great for how much you get. Nothing to complain about. You order first and then find a table to sit at. We went with a bigger group and easily found a table to fit us all. This place should definitely be more packed with the quality of food they have! Everything about this place was excellent: the food, service, atmosphere. Came here with a bunch of friends and everyone loved the dishes they were served. We had more than plenty for leftovers and felt completely full afterwards. Would definitely recommend to anyone.
(5)
Brandi M.
So far I'm impressed but a little upset with myself that it took me so long to give ate O ate a try. I really like the spicy chicken wings and the Korean chicken....yummy. The daikon and cucumber kimchi is not too shabby either. I bought a jar of the teriyaki sauce and used it on some pork ribs as a marinade and I must say they were amazing.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : No Drive-Thru : No Caters : Yes
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B F.
Better than average (and their logo is awesome). We stopped in PDX to go to The Screen Door, but they weren't open at the time. Across the street we found AteOhAte, and delightfully so. Somewhere between fast food and sit down is an islandic meal for your pleasure. I ordered a katsu plate, and it was done just right - lots of food too, between it, the pasta and the rice. Strange little place, but glad we stopped. The bombardment from the random photographer while I was enjoying my meal was pretty comical.
(4)Sylvia S.
It gets two stars due to their nice service and location. But man, the disappointment lingers even after 2 weeks of having eaten there. As others have mentioned, I expected better from the people behind Simpatica and Laurelhurst Market. What happened?? I ordered the Kalua pig and it came with a scoop of tasteless pulled pork, two scoops of white rice (yawn) and an iceberg lettuce salad (double yawn) The flavors were so weak I could have easily been sitting at a food court in the mall. I hope they read these reviews and get their act together.
(2)Helen G.
Yummy Mac salad moist rice and delicious shoju chicken. If you want some island comfort food this is it. Atmosphere is more shusi place than tiki hut.
(5)A. L.
Had the Moco Loco: This was very good. The chef knows his business. The eggs were perfectly cooked, as was the hamburger patty! Most cooks overcook hamburger, but mine showed up medium rare, just right. The mushroom gravy is made with beef stock and it was very very good. I also had some poke, which was good, but had too many shallots/onion/garlic and not enough FISH. Also the pieces of fish were cut too small. I look forward to trying other dishes at this restaurant.
(4)Mark T.
My new favorite place to eat in Portland. I read the article in the Oregonian mentioning Ate-Oh-Ate has having one of the best burgers in town so I immediately had to go. I ordered their special burger with pork belly and wasn't disappointed. It was delicious! The burger was cooked to perfection and the mix of the pork belly just put it over the top. Did I mention it had kimchi on it also?! The only complaint I had was that the bun got really soggy but that was because of how moist the burger was. Since then I have gone back a few times and ate the katsu and saimin. Both were excellent but neither could top the burger. I've also gotten the sweet potato tempura as a side; the breading is great and it's not greasy at all. Make sure you order the POG juice, it's really refreshing. Overall it's a definite must eat in Portland. Best island food so far! Oh and it has dog friendly seating outside.
(5)Heather J.
The poke doesn't quite stand up to what I had on Oahu, but it was tasty nonetheless. The pork katsu was tender and crispy, and hit the spot. A little bit of island life right down the street, washed down with a Lucky Buddha Lager.
(4)Maxwell T. H.
Remember back in the summer of '92 when you saw your first They Might Be Giants concert at the Melody Ballroom? And you also took your first hit of acid at said concert and everything suddenly just MADE SENSE??? That is the Tombo Tuna Poke at Ate Oh Ate.
(4)Jenni B.
Yuuum. My boyfriend and I had a late ish dinner here on a Friday night. The woman working at the counter who took our order was friendly. The people working in the kitchen seemed to enjoy the food they were making and everything looked pretty clean in the kitchen. No problems there. It was also nice to go into a place in Portland where they obviously frequently cleaned off the tables once people left (bonus). There are a lot of order at the counter style places where tables get ignored and so you end up seating yourself at a table that isn't exactly clean a lot of the time if the place is busy. Not during our experience here. We ordered the Kal-Bi Pork Ribs and the Katsu - Panko-Crusted Chicken. I ordered the salad for my side and he got the macaroni salad. Everything tasted good and the ribs weren't overpowered by the flavor of sauce. I noticed some other Yelpers reviewed that this place wasn't an "authentic" Hawaiian food joint or whatever. Whatever to them, this food is delicious the portions are a good size and the price is right. We will be back for more, next time likely for happy hour for a fancy cocktail and a sandwich of some kind.
(5)H M.
Pretty good food. Can't say the best Hawaiian ever, but good. The people saying this is the best Hawaiian they've had in Portland just don't know where to go. The mac salad was pretty good but not quite top notch. Still good though. Same for their loco moco.
(4)Reed C.
First time here -- had a gift card, and been meaning to check out the place. I had the Hekka with chicken (Stir-Fried Vegetables & Yam Noodles in a Sweet Soy & Rice Wine Sauce -- you may choose chicken, beef, fish cake or vegetarian). My husband got one of the plate lunches with macaroni salad. Both were really good. Excellent flavor, good portions, and lots of chicken in my dish. We also split a side of tempura sweet potato -- served with sweet chili sauce. I could have eaten a double order (triple?) as my dinner. This is a good, solid place for a decent meal. The one thing that stood out for me, compared to other Hawaiian spots I've tried in Portland, is that the food at Ate Oh Ate isn't as greasy and fatty. Another excellent reason to visit.
(3)Kiyana K.
808 has a really good burger and the ribs are the best I like how sweet and soft they are sauces is really good
(4)Kristina S.
I originally heard about ate-oh- ate from a guy from Hawaii, who said this is Authentic Hawaiian Food. I do not know about authentic, as I do not have much experience with authentic Hawaiian dishes, however Ate- oh Ate is tasty. I really like the Teriyaki steak, and friends have really enjoyed their pulled pork. They also have cocktail selections, and sides.
(4)Regina C.
Tables of 2 and 4 and kitchen side seating keeps this place casual and local. Ordered the teriyaki beef, kalua pig and Lau Lau. I had high hopes for this place but the food just missed the mark for my taste. Instead of a standout dish, I found all of them lacking in flavor, consistency and/or texture. I've had more than my share of Hawaiian food and will only consider returning to try the shaved ice or to give happy hour a go.
(3)Dan H.
With Hawaii on my mind (I was there 3 years ago at Halloween time) and a friend in town for the weekend (she used to live here, but moved back to NJ) dinner was a callin' and Ate-Oh-Ate was our destination. I didn't really know what to expect going in. I know that the people behind this restaurant are also behind Simpatica Dining Hall as well as the Laurelhurst Market. I haven't been to the former, but have been to the latter and that place rocks. Why wouldn't Ate-Oh-Ate? No reason it wouldn't and therefore it did. At first walking in my friend and I didn't realize you had to order at the counter. It didn't take long to figure that out. All of a few seconds. Ok. Looking at the menu, everything looked like it would be really good. I ordered the Katsu which is Panko-crusted Chicken or Pork Cutlets (I went with the pork) with Katsu sauce. This comes with white rice and your choice of Macaroni Salad or Green Salad. I had the green salad which had a really nice dressing on it. Don't know what it was, but very tasty. A few minutes after ordering, our food came out to us. Good sized portions for around $9. The pork was plentiful and I would kill a baby elephant to get to that Katsu sauce. Ok, not really. Sorry PETA. The pork was pretty perfect. They even cut it into pieces for you. The rice was white so I don't really have anything to say about that. This is a good meal and you can certainly get out of there for well under $15 even if you have a drink. Quality food in this tough economic times.
(4)Sophie A.
Delicious poke (so fresh, they used a local fish, which I appreciated, instead of having frozen ahi (tuna) flown overseas or something)!! A bit pricey, but haven't had hawaiian style food like that in a while. Their butter mochi was so yummy with coconut ice cream! They've got the curry down too. By the way, I grew up in Hawaii for over 19 yrs.. Just sayin :)
(4)Aundria L.
This place is bad-ass. Yep. BAD-ASS. Where else can you feel like you're back on da-big-Island bra and get awesome food for super cheap? Not on the Big Island thats for sure! After visiting friends in Kona and scouring the Island for good food, we were pretty disappointed by their local plate lunch joints. The ingredients were garbage and the best food there was over-priced sushi. Ate-Oh-Ate gives you the Island feel with local ingredients that are fresh and delicious. Btw I've read some of the other reviews for this place and I have to say, you guys are retarded. If you've actually been to Kona, you would understand that most plate lunch places DON'T have the tropical Island feel you continue to mention. They're hole in the wall tin and concrete buildings, and the service is usually awful because they hate dealing with your white Howlie ass. And the moron who thought this was a Korean place...well you're just a moron. I also don't think the food is expensive at ALL. Last night I ordered the fish plate (which was a perfectly seared Tuna filet, mac salad, pineapple slaw and rice) for only $11. My daughter and I shared it and were full. My boyfriend ordered the burger which is less than $10. Apparently spending $20 on two giant plates isn't cheap? Again...you guys are retarded. Plus the staff have been nothing but friendly each time we visit, and there are always new specials to try. Definitely try some of the Mochi dessert cake too! It's awesome. :)
(5)Steve S.
I am from Oahu and, as far as I'm concerned, an expert with regard to plate lunches. This was not impressive. Let's start with the food, since it is the essence of a restaurant. They purport to be a "Hawaiian-Style" establishment, so I can't skewer them too severely. However, much of the food is not authentic. In a way it is too good to be authentic. The mac salad has too much going on. That is the opposite of a good Japanese-Hawaiian style mac salad. Mayo, a little shredded carrot and the essence of a Japanese tabi, as my grandfather used to say. That kind of mac salad is the holy grail of plate lunch. This salad was ok, although a little under seasoned, but it had something else in it that was wrong. Maybe it was a little tuna or some finely chopped cabbage, not sure, but for the first time in perhaps my entire life I left some salad on the plate. I ordered "Japanese style" curry. First, it was not Japanese style--it was Thai style, with too much coconut and a distinct flavor of lemon grass. Second, they did not understand my request to put the curry, rice and mac salad all on the same plate. Once I got the food it made sense. The curry was more soupy than Japanese style curry so it really could not be on a plate but had to be in a bowl. That meant I could not have the quintessential plate lunch experience of the curry and the rice and the salad all touching each other and--can I say out loud--mingling on the same plate. On a positive note, the chicken katsu was excellent. Jeff had fried saimin, which is yakisoba by another name. This is not an uncommon dish but, in my opinion, they messed it up with upscale ingredients. Jeff is not fond of pork belly (I know, crazy but stay with me). It's too fatty for his taste. Frankly, I didn't like it either in this dish. Usually it is Chinese bbq pork, which is leaner than pork belly, and is cut into thin slices. The distinct, sweet flavor of Chinese bbq pork lends itself better to this preparation. Pork belly, though delicious, seems out of place for me, as it vies for attention in the mix instead of playing along, like a good platelunch food should. Perhaps most importantly the place was cold and without aloha. I know, "aloha" is a difficult quality to define but when it is missing a local person knows it. High ceilings, minimal decoration and the constant drone of "Jawaiian" music did not make for a good atmosphere. Now, I know that Jawaiian is a legit category of Hawaiian music but I contend it is crap and just the over-influence of hippies high on ganga. Sorry, my opinion. When I go into a Hawaiian establishment I expect to hear the greats of Hawaiian music like Gabby Pahinui, Genoa Keawe, Cazimero Brothers, Iz and so on. My advice: Stop trying to be what you think mainlanders think Hawaii is all about and go back to roots. Make the food the way it is remembered and loved, play a variety of music in addition to a little Jawaiian, bring in some people with some aloha and warm up the decor. I might stop in again in the Summer, when a cold restaurant feels good but, at the moment, I can make my own katsu and Japanese curry and mac salad. Ok, the mac salad is a work in progress but I have connections in the meantime.
(2)Rachael C.
The food was amazing, the service was excellent, and the atmosphere was so relaxing. I have to say, our first visit here has been a great experience. The counter person was more than willing to give us great suggestions on what to order and offered detailed descriptions of each item we asked about. Definitely coming back here the next time I'm in Portland!
(5)Brooke G.
After the rave review from Portland Monthly, my friend and I decided to give Ate-Oh-Ate a try. On a Tuesday night, the restaurant was quiet. I ordered a drink, which was mediocre at best. The burger was good and the pork belly was a nice addition. It hit the spot for my burger craving, but certainly was not the best burger I've had in town. If I go back and I'd just stick with the Hawaiian food.
(3)Sudipto G.
Went there for the Portland Burger Week an the $5 burger. The place is small and is seat yourself, but very well run. They still had the $5 burger at 745pm which was great, other places ran out much sooner. They burger itself was very good, slightly small, but still more than your moneys worth for 5 bucks. Their crushed ice made a good accompaniment to your meal especially in the hot summer days. The rest of the menu is interesting as well.. well worth a visit.
(4)Stephanie W.
I wanted to like this place, since I've been meaning to go for so long. And granted what I got was a take-out order of the Korean Chicken with extra mac salad, it was *really* cold when I got it back to work and began to eat. I don't believe it's from having sat for too long. The sauce came off as a primarily sriracha-based with no complexity of flavors and was pretty plain aside from the chili heat. The mac salad, which I paid extra to have more of, was pretty lackluster as well. The only flavor there was mayo, no pepper that I remember. I was extremely disappointed. When I crave Hawaiian, it is an insatiable drive until I snag some and this did not fulfill my needs. It made me wish I had gotten better Hawaiian food for a lower price here in Beaverton instead. I won't go back.
(2)Phil M.
I first ate here during Portland Burger Week, where they served an amazing burger topped with char siu pork. Being as close to my office as it is, I decided to give their standard menu a try for lunch. I was absolutely blown away! Both times, I had their spam musubi and macaroni salad. These two items are MUST gets. Don't turn up your nose at spam; it's amazing in "sushi" form. For my entree, I got the Korean chicken wings, which were nice and crispy. The sauce on them reminded me slightly of the fish sauce wings you can get an another restaurant in town, but they have a charm all their own. You can also get this dish with thighs, which I may do next time. My wife had the Kalua Pig, which is some of the most succulent pulled pork I've had since moving to town. Leave it to a Hawaiian joint to turn out a BBQ dish that's southerner approved. I see that they have this available on a sandwich, so I already have yet another future order in mind. But, for your side (other than the heaping helping of rice they give you), do get the macaroni salad. I don't know what they do to it to make it so crazy good!
(5)Mars M.
First time visit...what Hawaiian restaurant does not have pineapple? I loved the tempura sweet potatoes, deliciousness..... Korean hot wings very average, my friend's fried rice omelette with spam was bland to say the least, my niece did not take more than three bites the pork was fatty and greasy and our guest had Korean Chicken it was great. I had such higher hopes.
(2)Sandra Z.
Excellent and fast! Everything about their burger of the week burger was delicious! I will come back to try other menu options soon.
(5)Lokahi V.
I only got take out so I can't comment on the actual restaurant experience. That being said, the food was great! When I went to pick it up the food was ready and hot. My only issue was that the poke should have been in a separate bag so it stayed cold. Nice packaging and solid containers. My food was still in place when I got home, even after my driving! Poke was awesome! I got the tombo tuna poke and it was the best I've had in Portland (sorry Kawika). The Kalua pig was perfect. Not too dry and not all greasy and nasty. I loved the flavor of the Teri chicken and it was grilled to perfection. This may sound weird if you're not from Hawaii, but the rice was perfect! Sticky not over or under cooked...just like home! The Mac salad was delish but needs green onion to make it perfect oh and a little black pepper. My only issue was the saimin. I'm a purist and I like kamaboko and green onion, char siu and spam. The broth was good but too dense and not enough. I boiled water at home and added shoyu and it was perfect. I would suggest packaging it separate so noodles don't drink all the broth. The pork belly was good but not char siu. Noodles were perfect...not too thick not too thin and great texture. I will be back and look forward to it. I topped it all off with a li hing mui I had from my mom... It was as close as home as possible.
(4)Peter C.
Only had the shaved ice there but it was amazing. I ordered a shaved ice with condensed milk and red beans. Wish the red beans were on top instead of in the middle of the shaved ice but it was still really good.
(5)Alisha M.
My boyfriend and I stopped there as soon as we go into town. We started off with some mac salad, which was pretty perfect. This was not the bland, mayonnaise-y kind that comes from a lot of places. It had a perfect amount of spices, and the noodles were cooked perfectly. I had the Fried Rice Omelet with the Portuguese Sausage. Perfectly cooked, fluffy eggs with a enormous pile of veggie-filled rice inside. It was pretty spectacular I must admit. Definitely something I'll want to order again! My boyfriend had the Moco Loco. I grabbed a couple bites off his plate, and it was darn good, too. The eggs on top were beautifully runny, and the hamburger patty had awesome flavor.
(5)Sean S.
The beef was awesome here. A bit salty, but overall it was great. The rest of the entree was good as well and was really better than the plate lunches I had when I vacationed to Oahu.
(4)Rylan A.
Could be the best plate lunch I have had in Portland. Their Korean Chicken is particularly excellent, alongside properly cooked rice and delicious mac salad. It is slightly pricey but after several times of walking out the doors completely full and satisfied, it is worth every dollar.
(5)Otis M.
First time ever to write a yelp review after years of usage. Very disappointed local boy from Hawaii. Came here to eat a year ago and was Ono with good portions. They must have sold out to haole hipsters who draw more hipsters in as trendy followers. Yes it was busy but lets be honest and call it an expensive $12 bento and not a plate lunch meal. Left hungry again so Im going back to No Ho 's for a real local boy meal. Too bad because i used to look forward to a visit here.
(1)Jenene Y.
After reading the reviews, this place is amazing good. My husband from Hawaii said the Mac salad was the closest to what his mom made. That's saying a lot. Mai Tai - Yes please! Yummy and worth it. I think we will be back sooner than later.
(5)Alison M.
Randomly deciding to check this place out was the best decision!!! Their food is amazing- I got the Kalua pork, which I'm always afraid will be too salty, but theirs was perfect! Flavorful, juicy, just straight up yummy! I also tried a little of the Aina burger and oh man was that good too! They have this chili garlic water that added even MORE bang to my food... I was seriously impressed! Plus, I got to leave with a shave ice, and what could be better than that?!
(5)Connie C.
Ate-Oh-Ate was our Hawaiian joint for a while. We would routinely order different plates to go to devour at home. However, we've since "banned" them from our list. We loved the Korean Chicken, Kalbi Pork Ribs, Curry Bowl w/ a Pork Cutlet, and the Aina Burger. The Korean Chicken were little fried drummettes covered in a sweet and spicy soy based sauce, sesame seeds. It was a little crispy with juicy/chewy meat. If you like chicken wings, this might be your thing. It was kind of like the kind Basa Basa had. The Kalbi Pork Ribs are solid. They can be a bit saltier than others I've had, but still charred and tasty. The curry bowl with pork cutlet (katsu) is like the ones lots of Japanese restaurants have. It's good and comforting. The Aina burger is crazy. We had to stop ordering it because it left us feeling a bit guilty, but it's a perfect burger topped with pork belly! Darn good pork belly. If I was feeling my sweet tooth, I'd get one of their butter mochi desserts and always a couple of the Hawaiian sodas. The reason we stopped going here was sadly on service alone. We always ordered to go and they'd always forget to put something in the bag. Our soda or our dessert or whatever. It happened more than 3 times and we never noticed until we got home. We lived on the west side and braving back to the east side in rush hour was not ideal. We called them each time and they just told us to come back. When A finally came home these times about 45 minutes later, our food was cold and unappealing. On top of that, he said they were completely unapologetic. On the last time (I think the 4th time this happened), I was especially mad because we redeemed our free plate with our punch card, but they completely left out a plate from our bag. After that, we vowed to never go back because it was not even worth it anymore.
(2)Jimmy M.
My new favorite Hawaiian style restaurant. Slightly more expensive then the competition but worth it. Recommend the grilled chicken thighs Korean style. "Shaka"
(5)Jeremy L.
Having been to other Hawaiian-style restaurants in the Portland area, I have to say this is hands-down the best of them all and closest to authentic as I've been able to get! Unlike other restaurants, they don't add a pound of pepper to their mac salad (staple in my old Hawaiian meals), they have the best selection of meals. I would recommend the chicken katsu with a side of musubi! The staff is always nice to me and everyone looks like they love to work there. It would be nice to find a place that serves chocolate haupia pie like at Ted's Bakery on Oahu but I'll suffice with your excellent food any day!
(5)Brian C.
Nice Hawaiian food with good flavors for a reasonable price in a casual environment. It's not exceedingly cheap but neither are the ingredients and I am told by a native Hawaiian that Ate-Oh-Ate (the area code for Hawaii) is very authentic. Overall it's tasty, reasonably priced, and worth a visit.
(4)Jennifer N.
I am amazed to see some of the reviews claiming that the Kalua Pig here is bland. On the contrary, mine was very flavorful and moist. In fact, I was almost laughing at the fact that the bun (I had the pig sandwich) was practically soaking, making me very glad they had Wet-Naps! Also, those who complain about the iceberg lettuce salad have clearly never seen a traditional Hawaiian plate lunch- that's what you get and this is the only circumstance in which I welcome the iceberg with open arms! Service was quick and friendly. Makes me miss the days of visiting my Meama in Waikiki. I wish she were still with us so I could take her here; she would love it! I look forward to trying it again, there are myriad things I would still like to try!
(5)Christy W.
Missing authentic Hawaiian, I'd been wanting to try this place, and when my birthday rolled around on the Ate-Oh-Ate and other local restaurants were donating profits to Mercy Corps Japanese fund, it was the perfect opportunity. The macaroni salad was perfect! There's just something about Hawaiian style mac salad, and they got it just right. I had the lau lau, which I'd been craving, and although it was a tad dry, the taro leaves were beautifully steamed and delicious. But what I really want to give props to is the service. They were slammed that night. Wonderful that so many people came out to support Japan, but the staff was running ragged. Despite the never-ending rush, our hostess was sweet and polite and didn't miss a beat. Will definitely go back!
(5)Jenna V.
What a terrible disappointment. The pork was utterly flavorless - unless you count sodium as a flavor. I love pork - and it's hard for me to not like a plate of it - but this was mediocrity at best. Salads are watery and also without flavor - sad when a scoop of white rice is the most interesting thing on your plate. There is much better pork to be had locally, and for having had such a disappointing meal I won't be back. I've had worse - it wasn't inedible - I was just very unhappy to have had lunch here knowing what else exists in Portland.
(2)Keo F.
If your from Hawaii don't eat here. Salty and nothing like food made by people from Hawaii. I won't eat here again nor will I recommend this place. Nice atmosphere and friendly staff but sucky food.
(1)Chris H.
Had a few Hawaiian spots around Portland, and this is by far the best, hands down! The sweet potato tempura is a delicious appetizer, and their teriyaki chicken is like none I've ever had. Exploding with flavor and complimented nicely with their homemade macaroni salad (not too tangy either). I recommend Ate-Oh-Ate to everyone that is in need of a killer dinning experience, and the hawaiian/reggae music only adds to the vibe! Meal is around $10, won't break the bank either. You won't ever seek out another teriyaki chicken dish after having this one.
(5)Samuel K.
So plate lunch, ya brah! So far been twice and been vaguely disappointed each time. The rice isn't up to par... What can I say, I'm picky about my white rice. Here's the trick, even though it says DO NOT RINSE on the Calrose rice bags, ignore that shit and wash it at least 3 or 4 times. That's the "top secret oriental rice trick" that so many people don't seem to know, including ate oh ate apparently. Their Korean chicken and Kalbee both suffered from the same fatal flaw: where's the SWEETNESS??? Man I don't know what it is about Portland's Korean food joints but so many of them don't push the sweetness thing. Kalbee and Korean chicken both should be slathered with some ambrosial salty sweet sauce... So sad, so sad. Overall, not bad, but disappointing nonetheless. For your money half the Korean "teriyaki" places around town are better.
(2)Joseph H.
Like to give it 3.5, but that doesn't exist so this time I'm rounding up. To dispel their complaints about portions and price, it's mostly invalid. They're on the slightly higher side of everything, drinks, plates, grinds. $8 Mai Tai's but the ones they poured for me were nice and strong. You can't have everything, the ribs they serve are spot on, but they should also offer a salt rub version which they don't have yet. The Kalua Pork has been nailed, and why wouldn't it by the master porcine producer Benjamin D. Lots of good food all around, and for less than $12 it's on par and better than many of the other hawaiian joints around brudah. Good people and great fare make it a brilliant unassuming stop to chill and relax on Hawaiian time.
(4)Tom A.
Hawaiian cuisine is a funny thing to review because more than with, say Italian or Mexican restaurants, it seems like we have to disclose our relationship with the place of origin. So, okay, i've never lived in Hawaii and I've only visited two times in my life. My sole claim to knowledge of Hawaiian anything is that I like to race those outrigger canoes and I have some Israel Kamakawiwo'ole CDs. And I used to wear puka shells and OP shirts in high school, although I was never on a surfboard until my 40s. So as you can see I'm pretty much an expert. After months of anticipation, I finally made it into Ate-Oh-Ate by myself on a lunch hour. I wasn't feeling like a big meal or spending a lot so I focused on sandwiches and decided on the Shoyu Chicken sandwich, which set me back $6.95. It's a mixed result, not quite what you'd call 'ono kine'. The Shoyu chicken is moist to a fault but whatever gingery goodness it offers is submerged in a sea of salt. The Mac salad turns out to be the low sodium item in my lunch. Everything else was right about it - the nicely grilled kaiser roll, the drippy mess of succulent chicken and slaw within. If they could just dial back the NaCl this would be a killer sandwich. Since it was lunch on a work day I couldn't wash this down with a Longboard or a MaiTai and I had to settle for a Dr. Pepper. I'm going to return to Ate Oh Ate and give it another chance because I do like a Mai Tai and maybe they'll have fixed that leak in the salt shaker by then.
(3)Michele C.
I went in on a whim one time as I was walking through the neighborhood. It wasn't that busy, but my order took 20 minutes longer than the woman at the register told me it would (I think because she forgot about it, but who knows). When my food was ready, she apologized and gave me a $10 gift card for my next order. The card actually didn't work the next time I went in, but the guys at the register believed my (true) story and honored it. All in all, I enjoy this place but don't come as often as I would if it were a dollar or two less. I took my dad here once for lunch (he works by Lloyd Center) and he liked what he ordered. I've tried the Teriyaki Chicken and Kalua Pig and enjoyed them both, and the sweet potato tempura is delicious.
(4)Brendan D.
Kalua pig is fire! I love this place! solid strat for Hawaiian food!
(4)Thomas M.
I was super excited for a new Hawaiian joint to open in Portland, even more based on the owner ship by Laurelhurst and Simpatica, I figured I would be in for something special. I really like the space and the idea of a nice Hawaiian plate lunch, but the food was only OK. I had the teriyaki steak which was pretty good and free of grizzle, which often ruins the steak at Hawaiian places for me. But that is about where it ended, decent tasting steak and an OK mac salad. Also where is Da Sauce? Thats the best part of a plate lunch! I smoother everything in it. The major issue, the price, for $11 I expected a little more then a decent meal with a fairly small serving size. I would love this meal if it was half the cost which can be found at about any other plate lunch spot. For the same price I could go to Bamboo grove and feed a family of 4 a large size offering of just about anything. Or Hawaiian time and have a more tasty meal. I will give it another shot given it was there first day, but it was not the best first impression
(3)Todd M.
GREAT Food.. and way better than the food I had in Hawaii. ( although I wish they would have made the garlic shrimp they sell in those trucks ). awesome korean dungeness crab poke, korean short ribs, and korean chicken ( i had a korean guy with me.. what can i say?). Everything was great, and it was good to see Ben in the kitchen working his magic. only downside is bussing my own table.. I know.. "suck it up" .. but at these prices, I think that's something that the staff could take care of. Can't wait to go back.
(4)Jeff T.
I finally made it in here this past weekend. To use a phrase from Portuguese: Ate-Oh-Ate matou a sauldade! Basically, it killed the longing, nostalgia that I had for Hawaiian/Polynesian food. I grew up around a Tongan family and got to eat and help out with some of their umu many times. Local Boyz in Corvallis used to be my go-to place for this, but seems like everytime to go to visit my folks there, it's closed or something. Ate-Oh-Ate just gave me one less reason to make the drive, sorry Mom and Dad. I had the Lau Lau (pork and salt cod steamed in taro leaves) and my wife and the Bi Bim Bau special. The service was very nice but a little slow to get the food out, but I didn't mind once it arrived. Decent sized portions and very tasty. I just felt all kinds of happy with the food. The mac salad was just right, and loved the teriyaki sauce at the table to put on the rice. Yum! I'll be back and fill up my card soon enough for a free plate. :)
(4)Abi A.
After getting back from Hawaii with my family, I was really missing plate lunch and shave ice. When we found out about Ate-Oh-Ate we made it a priority to try. All in all, we were not disappointed! Plate lunch was delicious, very authentic Hawaiian food indeed. I tried the fish dishes and was quite pleased with texture and flavor. I was super thrilled to see their shave ice options to, though I haven't had a chance to try them, they look authentic... well minus the liquored up ones, but I'd make an exception! The interior looked pleasant, fancy enough for a date night and the prices are reasonable. Not much else comment on service or vibe as we had it to go, but if you are looking for an authentic plate lunch experience it is the place to go.
(4)Nick D.
Went in on a whim as a friend and I were just driving by looking for 'something good.' I had been craving ramen for days and judging by the sign hoped they had some sort of delicious noodles inside. Saimin sounded about what I was looking for and was absolutely ecstatic when it arrived (fairly speedily) in front of me. "Ramen" indeed! Good sized pork cuts and fish "cakes" (ok, we all know it's like a fish-hotdog) with plenty of flavor. The broth wasn't overly salty (which could be good or bad depending on how you like it). 9 bucks is equal to anywhere else I've had ramen in the city. My roommate got the Chicken Teriyaki. It was also super awesome. Place was super clean and I couldn't tell if it was a chain or franchise being that it was an order-at-the-counter-and-take-a-seat sort of place. But while we were eating the lovely girl at the counter approached us as a server would in a "nicer" place. Props to her and the chef both. THANKS. Will definitely come again.
(5)Mark P.
This place has decent Hawaiian food. However there are a few pricing discrepancies. The Loco Moco is priced higher than the Kalua Pork? Don't understand that one. Also, the fruit drinks are too expensive. Service/Staff is good however at the posted prices, I don't feel that I should bus my own table. Kalua Pork was adequate, but please tone down the cabbage, no need for that much. Mac Salad? Terrific. Rice? Just right.
(3)Greg L.
This brief review is all about the poke! We stopped here Thursday on our pub\Happy Hour crawl. I am glad we did. We only ordered the Daily Poke Special during Happy Hour (daily 4 pm to 6 pm). I thought the poke was delicious and reminded me of all the poke I've had in Hawaii. We briefly lived in Hawaii and I have visited Hawaii multiple times. Poke is one of the top local treats that I make sure to eat while there. The poke here is a good value at a good price. We enjoyed our visit. Only slight negative as that they only had two beers on tap. We had the Fort George Vortex IPA. Be nice if they had more of a draft beer selection. Definitely plan to visit again to try some of their other local Hawaiian dishes.
(4)Mike G.
Really probably should be 3.5 stars...What a cool little place they have here! The service is great, it is really clean inside and the quality of the food is very good. Portions are on the smaller side, The burgers are fantastic but very small. If the portions were larger this place would be the BOMB!
(3)Jonah S.
For a fun, authentic Hawaiian lunch, don't miss this place. It has a cool, surfy vibe, fresh ingredients and great flavors. The owners seem totally cool and have created a unique alternative to a burger lunch.
(5)Andrea P.
Great teriyaki and taro chips! They also have odd combos with Spam that you won't find anywhere else. Great service, nice casual atmosphere, and great food!
(5)Scott F.
Really enjoy the jerk sandwich every time.
(4)Beerboy M.
Very good Hawaiian food at this place. Slightly upscale with quality of ingredients compared to some places in Portland and the places I've tried on Kauai and Oahu, but not expensive. Had the Kalua Pork, Teriyaki Beef, and Japanese Curry with the obligatory sides of 2 scoops of rice and 1 scoop of mac salad. The mac salad ranks up there with the best I've ever had, really tasty. The standout at this place. The Kalua Pork is pretty standard, salty and smoky, with cooked cabbage, good texture and quality of meat. Teriyaki Beef was super tender, and a really good teriyaki sauce taste. Good quality meat and better than Yoshida's Special Sauce taste. The Japanese Curry was good, nice mixture of veggies. Not sure about how "authentic" it is for Japan, but I don't care, it tasted good. Very good service, very nice cashier/server, but you do have to bus your own table. The above 3 meals, with 2 soft drinks, was a little under $29, so not a bad deal for a good amount of tasty food.
(4)Michael H.
Love this place. Our business is nearby - so we eat lunch here once every two weeks. Pretty standard Hawaiian fare -- and that is Good!! They don't try to make it fancy or do anything radical. Just tasty teriyaki and other plates/sandwiches. Decent POKE -- not quite the fresh taste you find in Hawaii but good. They get a 5 stars because they are consistent and a solid addition to our neighborhood - straight forward good Hawaiian food.
(5)Marcus P.
Well, lets see. I'm glad they do mixed plates. I decided to do the teri beef/chicken katsu, with a side of the kim chee cucumber. The katsu was the driest I've ever had, and the katsu sauce couldn't save it. The rice was also pretty dry or old. The mac salad was decent, somewhat better than other local "hawaiian" places. And the cucumber kim chee was something i would have again. The portions/price ratio was fair. Gotta go back to try the saimin and the spam musubi....
(3)Jeremy F.
Korean Chicken is amazing and the mac salad is the best I have had. Love this joint!
(5)CT T.
I love Hawaiian food so I was very excited to try this place! I met a friend for happy hour so we got an assortment of items. Spicy edamame was good, spicy Korean wings were excellent, mac salad was good. We also ordered kalua pig sliders they were ok, but the best thing was shoyu chicken sliders! The buns were so soft, taste and texture were like croissant. Must try!! Also best Hawaiian soda!
(4)Cedric J.
I've explored more of the menu. It is all really good and really solid. The meat is indeed from Laurelhurst Market, and the specials have been excellent. It is weird being a fan of beef, since I usually don't go that route, but the Island Burger, the Kal-bi, and the teriyaki beef are all stupendous.
(4)Janice P.
Plate lunches are amazing. A heart-stoppingly generous amount of meat with two scoops of rice and mac or green salad. I ordered the Kal-bi plate the first time and the beef was so richly marinated and succulent. The meat quality can vary depending on the day. I haven't been able to figure it out yet, but the second time I went the Kal-bi (beef spare ribs) deteriorated in terms of quality they were cut thinner with fattier chunks and a little less densely marinated but still delicious all the same. It certainly wasn't bad enough to prevent me from ordering it again the third time when the meat was deliciously succulent like the first time. The same for the Kalua pig, which was a bit dry the first time and crazy moist and saucier the second time. Even on the bad meat days the meat is to die for and definitely worth the slightly above average prices for the lunch plate portion sizes. Not sure what was expected by other reviewers who gave this place only two stars. "Korean dishes taste much better in Korean restaurants" well of course they do, but this isn't a Korean restaurant, it's Hawaiian. And unfortunately as a Korean, all the Korean restaurants in Portland are all somewhat underwhelming (or maybe I've just failed to find a good place). Another reviewer balked at bussing your own table. Personally, I like the informal self-service format. You're not being rushed to order/eat and I feel like I could chill and eat myself into a proper meat coma every time I visit, with no one to judge. The ordering at the counter and bus your own table format provides that casual but epic food ambiance that no one would blink twice at if they served, for example, mexican food, and personally I don't think Hawaiian restaurants should ever be formatted any other way. There were also some previous reviews complaining about proportions. I had no idea what they were talking about and would have vehemently disagreed if not perhaps laughed maniacally as you would have when you see the enormous man vs. food size proportions of the lunch plates. However, my friend recently ordered the Hekka and it was a shockingly small for $8.95 plate. It may have filled up maybe half of a 16 oz togo container. Overall, however, this place is epic and delicious. It's good to know what you're in for though and what to order.
(4)Aaron P.
Service was ok. The Kahlua pig was salty and pretty boring, lau lau was over cooked and also overly salty! Won't be back.
(2)Alien T.
I went here for lunch one day because I got bored eating in the NW hood. More than that I wanted to eat different cuisine for lunch other than italian, french, mexican, indian or sandwich or pizza. And I have high expectations for hawaiian food because for the first time in my life I have experienced true Hawaiian food in Hawaii itself and fell in love with it. This place totally met my expectations in my pursuit of finding different cuisine than one I was eating for the lunch and a good hawaiian cuisine. This place goes on top of my list of the Hawaiian food in Portland. Taro chips were awesome and cooking style of the chicken thigh was great. It was worth the trip from West to East for lunch. I would totally recommend this place to others.
(4)Af R.
Best Mac salad!!
(4)Miguelonius X.
I've eaten here a few times and have had different experiences with the food. The most recent time I dined there was a bit unfortunate. My friends and I decided to go family style and ordered the Fried Saimin, Lau Lau dinner and the Kalua Pig with a couple Spam musubi for an appetizer. The musubi came first and they were tasty enough for a simple snack of Spam, egg, rice and nori. But then the rest came out. The kalua pig was so intensely salty that I could only bear a few bites before my throat started tingling they way it does when you accidentally swallow some sea water. Same thing with the lau lau. The Saimin was over fried and crispy and heavily salted as well. Someone went commando with the salt and destroyed a perfectly good meal. The food has been decent here in the past. Maybe the kid in the kitchen was having a bad day. The staff is always very friendly and service is great. I'd like to add that I've lived in Hawaii and have eaten the ass out of some plate lunches and other local fare so I have a good point of reference.
(2)chemaatah a.
Not too shabby at all. I ate here with my son and my parents, and the whole lot of us really enjoyed our food. The four of us have been frequenting Noho's for years, very enthusiastically, but the last few trips there had left us all with a hmm, that's just not tasting as awesome as it used to kind of feeling, so that's where Ate Oh Ate came in. Their menu is short and sweet, but still has everything I need anyways from an island food joint. Loco moco here is awesome, though I have no idea why it doesn't come with mac salad like everything else does. Eating loco moco without mac is like, I don't even know? Who does that? The mac salad is awesome. Heavy, like it's supposed to be, but not too heavy, knowwhatimean? Crab leg Poke special was awesome too, spicy from the sriracha, sweet from the crab, and delicious. I could eat that anytime. My son loved his island burger and thought that taro chips were very good eats. My mom pretty much never met a hunk of kalua pig she didn't like, but she ordered it again on our return trip here, so I take that for a yes this stuff is good from her anyways. I've also had the teriyaki beef, and it's splendid. To me it tastes like they use Yoshida's, which is more than alright with me. Junki's sauce has always been one of my favorites. Finishing up this review is getting me craving some of their grub right now actually-may have to hit up the ate oh ate later today too...
(4)Maria P.
Best Hawaiian in Portland! Don't miss the teryaki chicken, korean chicken and pineapple slaw.
(5)terry r.
Well, perhaps it's not fair to judge a place with just one meal, but I'm less than impressed, especially with the pedigree of backers/Laurelhurst Market, etc. folks. I ordered the Kalua Pig after being told it was pulled pork. Absolutely flavorless pork shreds on a commercial hamburger bun, not drained so juice all over the plate. The "green salad" was a soggy iceberg lettuce type thing. Pretty tasteless. I guess I expected the pulled pork to be smoked pork butt, not steamed pork. The other offerings don't look particularly interesting. There are so many good places in this neighborhood and it being almost directly across from Screen Door which does an unbelievable pulled pork, I wonder how it will fit into the food niche of high quality other places around. Will I try it again? Maybe.
(2)Monika P.
I was in town, but used to live in Oregon. I was dying for some good local food. I was told that all the places I used to eat at are now closed, and the only one left was no longer worth going to! My son had heard about this place, and we were both impressed... Dan was great, and it was nice to hear that he grew up in Kona, on the Big Island of Hawaii. We are from Maui, so we know good local food. You have to try the Mai Tai... it is both tasty and packs a punch!!! The food was outstanding (ONO), and it made me wish I still lived in the Portland area. My son took the stamp card, because this is the place to get the bestest local grinds from the Islands :))) ...and he'll be back for more! Mahalo Staff & Aloha, Monika.
(5)Tim B.
Blue plates specials come from the heart, not from someone who's got a culinary arts degree. So just as the latest PDX trend of great young chefs making burger bars bugs the crap out of me, so does this new hypo-allergenic version of Hawaiian food. On another tack, is Hawaiian food that great anyway? I'm sure some of it is, but the last time I went to the island I couldn't find much to shout about. Had the pig plate and came away with the blahs. Certainly not worth close to $10 when I can get awesome drunken noodles at Chai-Yo for the same price. Do yourself a favor, find your favorite six-pack, get some meat on the grill, and stay home with your own fortified mac. This place won't cut it for you.
(2)Cyd L.
It's a neat place to eat and prices are fairly reasonable. Parking is somewhat of a challenge as expected for the area. The food was pretty authentic and tasty. But as :locals" from Hawaii would say....it wasn't "broke da mouth", just average.
(3)Alex N.
I am from the big island and I can tell you that this is a legitimately delicious plate lunch place. I have had most of the things on the menu and all of them remind me of home. The chicken katsu, spam musubi, and aina burger were all amazing. If you want real local style grinds then Ate-Oh-Ate is the place to go.
(5)Marta L.
After my initially harsh review I have been won over by consistently great service and delish teriyaki.
(4)M K.
I'm not exactly sure why everyone is raving about Ate-Oh-Ate. I just visited this establishment and I have to say that the food was really not good...as in, just plain bad. This is coming from a person who was born, raised and is actually Hawaiian (and not just from Hawaii). The Korean Chicken had no semblance to the version provided for in Hawaii and was so unappealing that we left half of the order on the plate - we didn't even want to pretend to like it and ask for a to-go box. The Kalbi was fatty and tasteless, too. What made matters worst is that the price was way over inflated. If you're going to charge that much, please pay closer attention to the details and focus on the food.
(1)Erik N.
Killer food and shaved ice that's better than what I had in Hawaii.
(5)Laura H.
Yuuuummmmmm!!!! The chicken teriyaki is super yummy and the mac salad is pretty good. The staff has always been really nice when I come through, plus when I have gotten delivery from them it is always perfect.
(5)Christina S.
The hawaiian food reminds me of my own mother's cooking. Whether that is authentic to the Hawaiian cooking, I dont know, but I am Korean. The Korean chicken is the spiciest and yummiest in my opinion. The tender spicy morsels of meat pair so well with the rice and mac salad. I love the spam masubi and kim-chi as a little appetizer. The restaurant has a great relaxed feel and I love that you can watch the cooks from the bar. You can tell that the meat is really high quality and it goes to show that Ate oh Ate really cares about their ingredients. My husband will always get the pulled pork and he will demolish the whole plate. That is when he is not getting the Fried Saimin, which whenever he orders, I always have to have a little (big) bite. The happy hour is a steal! If you can come during happy hour, you will be set. Grab a Mai-Thai and a Ahina Burger some time as well. You will leave satiated and well fed. Love the Buddha Pilsner's too.
(5)Anthony N.
I love Hawaiian food and heard great things about this place. On one of my Portland trips, I convinced my friends to finally check this place out. We came here on a Sunday afternoon and it was about half full, so no wait at all! I ordered the kalbi pork ribs expecting it to be similar to the beef, but it wasn't. It was still moist, flavorful and delicious, just not the thin cuts I'm familiar with. The dish came with a side of mac salad and it was average. Overall, a good Hawaiian place that I'd visit more often if I lived in Portland.
(4)G K.
Great eats. I had half chicken and half teriyaki beef. Really tasty. The Mac salad was ok. My GF loved it. We'll be back.
(4)Janelle O.
The spam musubi was good! I don't know if it's a "thing" or if Ate Oh Ate made it up, but it's like a large sushi roll with spam and eggs instead of traditional sushi fillings. The loco moco was good too! The hamburger patty was medium rare and super tasty instead of well done and chewy. Nicely done, ate oh ate. The Kahlua pig was ok, I've had better.
(4)Jenna R.
Like a few others have confessed, I've never been to Hawaii, so I can't attest for the authenticity. That being said, I really like that it isn't super cheesy with hula girls everywhere and a free lei at the door. It's pretty much just "Hey. We're good. Eat." And I can appreciate that. Everything I've had here is damn tasty, and that includes the cocktails, which I always feel suckered into paying $8 for (they didn't sucker me in - the chalkboard did. F'ing chalkboard.) The trick is getting here when it's not really crowded, so I suggest going on off-hours, like a late lunch or early dinner. The portions are nicely-sized so you'll be full for a while. Probably painfully full, but that's your own damn fault and you know it.
(4)Kal C.
This place is the reason Basa Basa closed. So many options, so many flavors, reasonably priced. If you're at the counter and you're staring at the butter mochi, stare no longer. Order it (with ice cream), eat it, believe it. Yes, it really is that delicious. You might need help getting to your car after eating it, but it's worth it. I'm telling you, it's worth it.
(4)Claire G.
Nope. Okay I get that quite a variety of Hawaiian food is a bit salty- I'm perfectly okay with that. I have a hidden guilty pleasure that is spam based salty snacks. No, I never do eat anything with spam in it (unless in Hawaii or in a Hawaiian restaurant), but on occasion I will. So salty, I'm okay with as Hawaiian food goes. Ate Oh Ate. I thought the name was freaking adorable. Perfect for a Hawaiian restaurant. Oh, how I wanted to love this place. We ordered the spicy Korean wings, the fried rice, and the veggie curry. When I saw the shine on the fried rice I was worried. When I raised the spoon to my mouth and the abundance of soy burnt my nose, my worries were confirmed. The curry surprised us pleasantly. It was perfect. It's the only reason this place is getting two stars from us. It actually was delicious. I'd come in for the two dollar curry on happy hour. That's absolutely it. The wings came and we were hopeful after the delicious curry, and despite the dehydrating rice. Biting into it, I got a mouthful of flavor akin to the dried ramen my schoolmates and I used to snack on back in elementary school, when I'd bite into a piece of dried noodle with ALL of the seasoning on it. This might have been momentarily nostalgic for me, but not in a pleasant way. There's a soda fountain, and as far as non-alcoholic beverages that aren't loaded with corn syrup goes, there's water. I asked if there was a chance they'd have tea of any sort, and they directed me to that god forsaken soda fountain and recommended the "Nestea". How hard is it to put some boiling water in a cup with a bag of leaves? Anyway, that would have been forgivable, except I was already offed by the pricing on their dishes. Spam from a can? Totally fine. Kinda the only way to go really. Pineapple from a can? Maybe at a food cart for half the pricing. We did happy hour to get an idea of their food. We aren't even remotely interested in trying a full priced meal after that. I do wish I'd have tried the mac salad. On to Hale Pele!
(2)Andrew H.
I've never been to Hawaii. I have no idea if this is "authentic". But I don't really care, because it's GOOD. Portions here are nicely-sized and the food is good. I get the Kalua Pig with a green salad when I'm in the mood for a hearty meal and I have never been disappointed! Also, I will get often get the poke of the day (but, to be honest, the two of these together is almost too much food, even for me!). What is poke? It's raw tuna marinated in herbs and spices, it's quite good. Maybe I'll go to Hawaii if I get too depressed next summer and try it IN THE LAND WHERE IT WAS BORN. I've heard the Chi-Chi here is good. I'm not really sure what it is...It's somehow related to a pina colada I think? I heard about it on an episode of South Park.
(4)C S.
It was OK. Portions were huge and food was decent. For Portland i would have expected a bit better on both food and drink
(3)Gene B.
Ate Oh Ate is for folks that are at least a "bit" adventurous - not super spicy, but not run of the mill food either. I've been here close to a dozen times. First off, don't trust any reviewer with fewer than 100 reviews TOO MUCH - and that might include me right now...I say this because I agree with the folks with at least that many reviews, in that the food is solid (Hawaiian by the folks that brought you Laurelhurst Market) in regards to ingredient quality and preparation, the drinks (in particular the Mai Tais) are tasty and appropriately strong, and the prices are all reasonable (especially so during happy hour). PLEASE ignore some of the low reviews from folks that don't seem to eat out much - and focus their review on goofy things like an annoying fellow customer, getting take out, or a server not smiling at them. Recommend the spam masubi tempura (distinctive, satisfying in a "guilty pleasure" way), solid mac salad compliments just about anything else on the menu (which tends to be on the salty side, which is par for the course with this cuisine).
(4)Todd D.
I don't find myself craving Hawaiian food very often, but when I do it is a craving that must be satisfied. This place does it right. Good sticky rice, salty teriyaki, and nice Mac salad to wash it down. When I find myself here and don't want to pig out they have some good healthy options too.
(4)Chezz C.
Went in for Portland Burger Week. Wasn't crazy about the burger. (Mainly because it was way overcooked. To the yelper below who complained about their burgers being raw in the middle: uh, that's called "rare." That's how a good piece of ground beef should be served. Sorry I didn't have your "problem" or get to trade burgers with you.) However, I became a fan of this place, as did the two friends I went with. We will be back (and possibly even order a burger -- I can understand that during Burger Week, when they are preparing burgers by the dozen, they can't ask each person how he wants it cooked). The first item that captivated us was the three-kimchi plate (order it as an appetizer or side). One cabbage, one radish, one cucumber kimchi, all housemade, all delicious and different from one another. And healthy too! And the dessert also was wonderful: butter mochi with coconut ice cream. And actually the burgers were interestingly seasoned, even though overcooked. And we enjoyed the servers and the street scene (we sat at outdoor table). Fun place, good food.
(4)Christopher K.
Today, I decided to try the Aina burger ($8.95), after agonizing about how much I love Ate-Oh-Ate's plate lunch options, and how I would be remiss to order anything else, but I felt like it was time to branch out. The Aina burger comes topped with crispy pork belly, Kimchi relish, shredded iceberg, and shaved onion, and it is served with a choice of Ate-Oh-Ate's outstanding macaroni salad, fresh green salad, or taro chips. Having experienced the first two delicious options countless times, I opted for the taro chips, which were crispy, sweet, salty and awesome. I also ordered a Fort George IPA to wash it down, which was a great pairing with this particular burger. The burger came out fresh and hot on a toasted sesame bun, and it looked amazing. The patty was thick and substantial, not one of those flat, pre-formed patties you find elsewhere. I could tell this was fresh ground chuck, the kind of burger you always dream of when you think of a good burger. The first bite was juicy and delicious, and every single bite thereafter was equally good. The patty was perfectly cooked and seasoned, and the spread and Kimchi relish definitely kicked off the flavor of the burger. The pork belly was "crispy", just like the menu said, but words can't describe how well the flavor and texture lended itself to the burger. Those of you who like bacon on your burger know what I mean. Sometimes it's hard to eat a burger without tearing the bacon out with your teeth, because it pre-cooked, dry, and chewy. This was an entirely different experience. You get a bite of pork with every bite of burger, and to sum it all up in too many words, every part of this burger was done to perfection. It truly didn't need anything more than what was on it, but I love sauces and contrasting flavors, so halfway through my meal, I put some of the house made Broke Da Mouth teriyaki sauce and a little bit of Sriracha on my plate and used the soft, sesame seed crusted bun to soak it all up; it was this magic combination of everything on it, along with the sauces, that made this burger particularly memorable. The Aina Burger is absolutely one of the best burgers I've eaten in the Portland area, and there's no compromising quality for price here. I am so happy I can go to Ate-Oh-Ate whenever I want, for better Hawaaiian food than I can find anywhere on the Big Island, AND not deal with crowds or crazy prices, AND get an OUTSTANDING lunch or dinner for not a lot of money!
(5)Janet L.
Had lunch the other day...FABULOUS!!! Ordered teriyaki beef, chicken and roasted pork. All were incredible. The salad with special dressing was really good...very fresh. Got to taste the macaroni salad...which was excellent. can't wait to return!
(5)Melissa K.
Yummy plates here. I got the spicy Korean chicken, and it was so goo-ood! The chicken wings and drums are deep fried and covered in a mild red chili sauce. The chili sauce is just a little bit spicy and it goes well with the sticky rice and the mac salad. My hubby got the kalbi plate and the ribs were super tasty. Finally, a kalbi place to love that's not an actual Korean restaurant. Only thing we wish for is for more kalbi on that plate. :) Ordered the spam misubi, but it's not like the spam misubi I'm used to in Hawaii. Its got egg with green onions, which I thought was a nice touch, but I like the really fried spam with sticky rice kind of misubi. Oh. For some reason I thought this was going to be a full service restaurant, but you actually get your own utensils and bus your table at the end of your meal. It's a little more casual and college-like, but I think that's fine. Will definitely be coming back here.
(4)Kimmy K.
I love Ate-Oh-Ate, so much. This place seriously, broke da mouth! I keep putting off writing my review here because I have so much to say. So much good to say. It's hard to get it all down. Especially while stuffing another bite of their musubi into my mouth. Mr. Kupcakes and I go here pretty often. We hit happy hour, come for lunch and dinner filling up our punch cards and stop in just for some shave ice. We are never disappointed. We've taken both friends and family here and they've all loved it, too. We even had a dinner here with a large group of friends while planning for our destination wedding on Maui. Again, we've never been disappointed. All of the staff is great. I really like the guy who works the counter with the accent. He always goes above and beyond. It's about time we find out his name. I think we've officially tried everything on the menu now. The other day when we were in there, we finally tried one of their burgers and we're blown away. It was hands down one of the best burgers we ever had. Everything about it was perfect from how the patty was prepared to the bun to the very fine cut lettuce. Simply delicious. Their musubi is the best in Portland, as far as I'm concerned. Love the egg they put on it. At happy hour they have a tempura version that's even better. The creamy sauce that comes with it accommodates it perfectly. Their shave ice has an extremely fine shave. Just like I like it. They've got my favorite flavor, li hing mui. Must places on the mainland don't carry that flavor so I was pretty excited when I found out they did. Love to get it with ice cream inside or add some alcohol to it during happy hour. Other dishes we love are their Korean chicken, veggie curry (one of my best friends drives up from Salem just to get this), mac salad, diakon radish kimchee, kal-bi ribs and kalua pork. Really, you can't go wrong with anything you get here. You will be happy and stuffed, no matter what. Ate-Oh-Ate, you stole my heart and filled my tummy. I love you.
(5)liz m.
Yumm eat here all the time. I have ordered and tried a variety off their menu and EVERYTHING has been good. I have tried other hawain spots that I really liked and this place is comparable. Nice friendly staff that has a positive attitude. Really appreciate that especially when dinning solo.
(5)McLellan M.
Serviceable, but not what I'd call great. The food was kind of bland, and plates were more expensive per meal by a dollar or two than what I felt like we got. Staff was friendly, though the multitude of 'bus your own table!' signs was kind of off-putting. No grudge against it, but we probably won't find our way back any time soon.
(3)Rick P.
Solid grub...fun atmosphere...truly Ono...luv the Kalbi and mac...be back soon for late lunch and beers...
(4)Kristen M.
I never would have thought that Oregon would have a LOT of Hawaiian food! It turns out a lot of the islanders migrate to Oregon to have their children go to school on the mainland. I have been fortunate to try an abundant amount of restos and Ate-Oh-Ate is one of them. Ate-Oh-Ate (808) décor seems like it's kinda Americanized. Although I must say, the food here is a mini-spinoff of what traditional local grub. I came here one lovely afternoon for happy hour and endured in a bunch of carb-heavy, glutton-ish entrees. You pretty much walk in, order your food at the cashier, they'll give you a number, you find a seat and your food will be delivered to your table. *KALUA PIG SLIDERS ($5 for 3 or $2 each): the mini sliders were stuffed with moist and saucy kalua pork. It was pretty good and for a mini slider it was a bit tall to handle a bite into one's mouth. Good flavor but handling was a bit of a challenge. *SPAM MUSUBI TEMPURA ($2 each): is a MUST ORDER!!!!! When I first heard about this, I didn't think much of it. But a lot of people have posted it as a tip and thought it would be worth a try. I do commend the other yelpers as they are correct! Yes it's your typical spam musubi that is fried in tempura batter - quite delicious! Very moist and a great way to showcase the spam musubi in a different light! I would order a bunch of these the next time I'm here! *FRIED RICE ($2 small bowl): was pretty decent. I think I've had better fried rice elsewhere. I would pass on this one and save the $2 for another spam musubi tempura! *MAC SALAD ($2 for 2 scoops): was also decent. It was nothing spectacular and was not too bad either. It's your typical mac, but I have had better mac salad elsewhere. Again, I must stress you can save your $2 and order the spam musubi tempura instead! *The VOG (Vodka + Passion-Orange-Guava Juice + Pineapple Wedge as a garnish, $7) was one of the popular cocktails on their menu. I must say it was quite refreshing and did pair well with the kalua pork slider and spam musubi tempura. *$10 can get you a bucket of 5 bottled beers (Brand: Primos or Steinlagers) Parking for Ate-Oh-Ate is on the street or a shared parking lot with nearby restos. Service was great. I liked how the employees were able to give suggestions on items I was toggling about. In addition, food came out within a couple minutes of me ordering. Overall, Ate-Oh-Ate is a good deal for happy hour! There are a bunch of other cocktails and food on their menu. I would like to come back here for their lunch to try out their lunch plates AND come back for the SPAM MUSUBI TEMPURA!!!!! (Yes, it's worth trying!)
(3)Phong D.
I'm no Hawaiian food expert but I want to be. The plate of kaluah pork, 2 portions of white rice, and scoop of mac salad costs $8.95 and was worth every penny. The pork was tender, moist, and appropriately smokey. I usually don't like salty foods but the pork was slightly salty and I LOVED IT! It paired well with the rice. As for mac salad, I usually don't care for it because I've been hurt too many times in the past: too much mayo, not enough mayo, bland noodles, cheap flavor. Ate-Oh-Ate helped me rehab from my mac salad past! The mayo was the perfect amount and flavor. The bits of carrot gave just the right amount of crunch. The noodles were the perfect texture. Overall, AOA delivered great Hawaiian food!
(4)Clarkitty C.
So I have changed my mind about this place. Two times now I have recieved chicken that was raw in the middle. I mean its only a half inch thick so if its raw in the middle you are doing something horribly wrong or just being careless. Two other times my food has been so over cooked that its more like crunchy jerky. The last straw for me was the manager Nick and how extremely rude and obnoxious he was to me. I can't even repeat what he said to me on here without violating yelps posting policy. I used to love this place but now I just think they are too expensive, full of themselves, crappily prepared food, extremely salty, absolute crap mac salad, and overall a massive letdown. I will never come back again to this establishment after how I was treated. Bamboo Grove is better and cheaper. Roxy's Island grill is better and way cheaper even with the gas to drive out there and back. Shape up Ate-Oh-Ate. When you crap on your customers they dont come back and then you go out of business and they all clap their hands and cheer.
(1)Nicole B.
I'm overdue in writing a review for this place by, oh, three years or so. Put simply, it's a great group of people who serve up tasty tasty food. They started treating us like regulars even before we became regulars, and as a result we now come here about once a week. I haven't been to Hawaii in a while, so I can't necessarily speak to the authenticity of the food, but it's delicious and we easily get two meals out of each main plate. When my family comes to town, it's always on their list of "must-visits." Really, though, it's the customer service that keeps us coming back, whether it's my customary shave ice waiting for me on the counter after waiting in a long line, the kitchen staff calling out their appreciation for our ticket, the punch card they filled up for me when they realized I'd been coming there for about two years without one, or countless other little gestures that make us feel at home. That extra bit of warmth, friendliness, and recognition really sets Ate-Oh-Ate apart and will keep us coming back for many years to come.
(5)Brandon Z.
Have been twice and I would go back. The atmosphere is surprisingly awesome. Huge skylights and high ceilings make it bright and open. Kalua pig plate and pork katsu are good. Haven't had much else. Be prepared for ice cream scoops of white rice and mayo heavy pasta and green salad. I am sure there are others sides too. Pretty affordable for what you get in my opinion.
(4)Trippe D.
Hawaiian food isn't supposed to be this good. The teriyaki beef slays me, I can't stop coming here. Pros: Amazing and innovative hawaiian cuisine. Super friendly staff Decent environment & great condiments Cons: A little bit pricey and the beer selection is kind of lame.
(4)Andrea H.
My friend from Hilo, cousin, son and I went there for dinner the other night. I was so excited. I heard the kalua pork was good so I wanted to try something else. These observations were just that. Not to complain but to let them know that if 808 is supposed to be Hawaiian Island food...... he needs to quit saying that and say Island inspired dishes. Because with 2 Island girls with one hailing from Hilo come in and leave food behind, it's not Hawaiian food. Poke fish was old (Hawaiians know fresh Ahi) , not enough hawaiian salt. And no ogo. Which is a type of seaweed that can be difficult to get here in the mainland. Spam Musubi, beautiful presentation but it was stone cold. And the best part (being sarcastic) was the hard crusty rice on the ends of it . It seems they left the saran wrap off and it was stored in the fridge. They need to be kept warm to taste good. Pork katsu: breading was not panko. It looked like plain old bread crumbs. And that too was cold. Which was odd because it was fried and usually uses thin cuts of pork. Meat had a nice clean flavor though. Katsu dipping sauce is weird. We are used to Tonkatsu sauce sold in huge bottles at Fubonn ,Uwajimaya or any other Asian grocery store. Korean Chicken: that was good. Taro chips: good but very cold. Saimin: The soup stock looked like it was pork based but it was hondashi . A common fish stock used for miso soup. Flavor was flat no depth. Noodles were excellent. Kamaboko (fish cake) was not very good in flavor, is it organic? Because most stuff that veers from traditional recipes to healthy it up ends up tasting yucky like tofu burger...wtf. Served with Pork belly which was greasy and although looked amazing but was also flat. Suggestion is to move to a pork base soy soup. But the bad side is that it takes a long time to make. Although you would just let it sit in boiling pots on the burner all day for tomorrow stock. Put Chinese style BBQ pork and sliced boiled egg. green onions. Dashi does not seem to go well with saimin for my mouth. Unless used as a spice rather than a base. Mac salad: Good flavor, alittle less mayo and cook the noodles a bit longer. I could still taste the flour. Kalbi: Good. Meat was tender, sauce good. Rice; eh what can I say it is what it is. hold back on the water just a bit . The actual chicken and beef and pork tasted good but overall the taste was very non dimensional and cold. Shave Ice: needed a bit more POG(passion fruit, orange , guava) sauce on one. I ordered lilikoi (passion fruit) and li hing mui combo. I got strawberry. Or it was grenadine. I used to tend bar and have made many of a shirley temple to know. Never got the li hing mui sweet (well it was very sweet) and tangy tartness. I was so disappointed. And I knew talking to or mentioning it to the girl would have been fruitless because she would not know what li hing mui was. One of the cooks came up and talked to us about our soup having plastic in it or something and we said huh? But I guess another table got it. Well , wow, a cook apologizing that he put a foreign object in my soup. Okay... well we find out that he lived in Hawaii but is Samoan by blood. We started telling him some of what I said above, but I know that he is hoping to keep his new job so I know it was not his fault that the food was not good. He was being watched over and told what to do by a shorter white guy with a beard. dark hair. Front staff was very friendly. HOWEVER, again if you are going to have a HAWAIIAN restaurant, SOMEONE and I MEAN SOMEONE needs to be there that knows about Local style . But if this is supposed to be a haole-fied (Americanized) Hawaiian restaurant, then it should be known. I was soooooo sad. I looked forward to it and was so happy to go and was severely disappointed. I will try it again but maybe wait a few months. Maybe they need to get their recipes in line. Lei said it was as bad as Hawaii Time in Beaverton. Roxy's in SW so far has the best plate lunch. Price: $10 average for a small plate. Hmmmmmm. Cheap by simpatica standards but expensive for Hawaiian food. This restaurant being owned by the highly acclaimed Simpatica crew I wanted 808 to be the bomb. I think it can still happen and I so want it to. Bruddah go back to your roots. And you goin' make choke kine money!
(2)Arinda P.
I've been here a few times, and I'd have to say the food isn't as good as the first few times I've tried it. I thought it was pretty decent, but not so much since the l most recent visit. It was pretty disappointing; especially since we trekked all the way from Hillsboro! We ordered kalbi, korean chicken, loco moco, shoyu chicken, and spam musubi tempura. The kalbi was overly salty, the korean chicken was nowhere near the real korean chicken (this tasted like breaded siracha chicken wings instead of the sweet korean chicken sauce), and the spam musubi tempura held a lot of the oil it was fried in. I hope they were just having 'one of those days'. I will give it another shot, but let's hope it's much better!
(2)Greg B.
The amazing thing here is that I'm tasting Hawaii. I am tasting Honolulu. There is no point in going anywhere else. One you have even looked at the chicken katsu it is home. It's home written in the pile of rice. it is home with the authentic shoyu bottle that properly taints the white blandness to something with a little less kitsch on the television and more of a true drive in that does serve mac salad. I do have to say - the mac salad was slightly not of Hawaii but with the kalua pig - it's just fine. There is a certain fact that when you see "Saimin" on the chalkboard - it is home. Perhaps the makers of this wonderful place could offer more dishes that an everyday drive in from Hawaii has - but really - the fact that a place from the Mainland can get the dishes right - it's an A. I cannot give a plus because of the mac salad - but I am being pedantic.
(5)CousCous M.
One of the most consistently delicious places in Portland. Unpretentious and really gets the Hawaiian spirit. Kalua pig is delicious, as is the poke and lau lau. Love it.
(5)Tyanna Y.
Cute lil place! I dug the vibe right as I walked in. It smelt great and had some fun island music playing. The guy at the counter was very friendly and knew the products he was selling. My SO and I ordered to go..him getting the kalua pig with rice and macaroni salad and I getting the teriyaki chicken with rice and green salad. Overall we are satisfied! He loved his pork and the simplicity of the dishes. I loved mine too though It's kind of difficult to mess up teriyaki. I will say that for what you get, quality and quantity wise, at least for my teriyaki, I can get the same thing at other places for less money. Also, I thought my boyfriends pork was pretty salty. All that said, I'm definitely coming back! Next time I will get something more authentic that I can't get any where else but here :)
(4)kekai c.
I've been here three times in the past month and plan to be back soon! This is more than just your neighborhood Hawaiian place but has become my go to spot when I want to show out of town friends what they're missing by not living in Portland! I've had the chicken hekka twice and shoyu chicken once. Both times I cleaned da plate! Oh and their poke is a great cure for homesickness. It's just soo Ono! I thought the service was fine. Only wish is that they stayed open later than 9!
(5)Sean S.
This food is crazy delicious every person I've taken here falls in love after the first bite hands down best mac salad in the city I've never bragged about teriyaki chicken but they're teriyaki chicken is unbelievable!!!!
(5)Michael B.
OH my... See, when I ask my friends if they want Hawaiian for a meal, I usually get odd stares. Now, NoHo's used to be my mainstay...and truth be told, its close to my house so I still go back (because it is delicious). But Ate-Oh-Ate has taken their flavor and notched it just above. The Quality is great here. The char on the terriyaki chicken is perfect. The Mac salad is amazing (as the large tubs of Best Foods mayo indicate in the back). I've eaten the Terriyaki chicken, Loco Moco, and the Kalua pig. All are the main dishes I would order at any Hawaiian place. I definitely suggest eating here!
(4)Brandon A.
The food was really good. My friend and I enjoyed our food. On the other hand, the service was alright. They were not too accommodating.
(3)Belmont M.
I have had two burgers at Ate-Oh-Ate which I would classify as perfect. Lightly toasted perfect bun, masterfully cooked burger - crisp seared surface, rosy pink in the center with a touch of red juiciness, delicious flavor. The Saimin is my other favorite - smokey, savory broth, tender slab of pork belly, tastiest slice of fish cake ever. I am frankly shocked that the place isn't packed all the time. I have eaten a lot of Hawaiian food, and frankly most of it sucks. Even in Hawaii. It always sounds awesome, but usually falls down on the execution - under-seasoned, overcooked, over-sauced, generally out of balance food aimed at your basest cravings for mayonaise, animal fat, and salt. It's designed to fill you up and send you back to the beach. Ate-Oh-Ate doesn't mess with the original concept, they just do it with more care and better ingredients. They aim for my basest cravings and hit them every time, without making me feel gross. There is clearly a great deal of love hat goes into this food. The cooks are tasting things. Their Laurelhurst Market lineage is apparent in the quality. I am reading another reviewer who accuses Ate-oh-ate of being overpriced with small portions. That reviewer is insane. Portions are generous and given that they are using real ingredients from actual farms and ranchers, it's a great value. I had believed that the Mai Tai was a drink that for whatever reason just couldn't be good outside of Hawaii or Trader Vik's. However Ate-Oh-Ate serves up a perfect zingy Mai Tai that delivers a tropical storm of flavor without being cloying. Sure, it's sweet and fruity, but thoughtfully balanced and not syrupy. My only complaint would be that food can take a long time to appear, even when not busy. But for food this good I don't mind the wait. And their name sounds like a bad stoney idea. I am mystified why this place doesn't get more buzz. They're doing everything right. Mahalo a lot, Ate-Oh-Ate.
(5)Kari M.
Two words: Island Burger. I am a fan of burgers, and I have been to a lot of Burger places in town. I think this place just knocked my other faves out of contention. This is a great, juicy burger with pork belly and avocado. The sauce on it? Fabulous. I'm still trying to figure out in my head exactly what all the flavors exploding in my mouth were, But at 7.95, with a side of green or macaroni salad, I won't be keeping myself up nights trying to recreate it in my own kitchen. The husband and I also got some of the Korean Chicken wings. They were okay, the sauce was a tad salty for our taste, but the chicken wings themselves: super crispy skinned YUM! and you get rice and your choice of salad with these as well. Also, at their happy hour (4-6 daily) you could get the wings 5 for $5. I'd say to at least give them a taste sometime. I'm also going to give this place big ups for being right next to Alder, a delicious bakery with just about any kind of dessert you could ever want. That is a dinner and dessert date begging to happen.
(4)Greg E.
I have tried both lunch and dinner and was underwhelmed both times. The Kalua pork at lunch was OK but $10 is a rip off. There is better Kalua pork at one of my favorite (pink) food carts for $4 less! At dinner, I ordered the "fresh" fish special (tuna) which was not fresh tasting - terribly fishy tasting!! The ambiance is ok but fell short on a better lay-out, the circulation is awkward with the ordering, drink station and walking to the rear to bus your own table.
(2)Phil N.
I love the food and have been coming here every now and then for happy hour before Blazers games. My most recent visit involved incredibly poor and disrespectful service by a server/manager. Some rude patrons had cleared my table as I briefly stepped away. My table had a fresh can of juice that was still cold and I was surprised to learn that the server had told the party to take my table. Once I returned to my table I noticed my can of drink was cleared and others had taken my table. Instead of being sympathetic the manager was downright rude. I questioned her that if people thought I had vacated the table why was my drink then moved to the bar still full instead of being disposed of. Another table did not open up until my order stated to arrive. Giving an extra star bc the cashier was very sympathetic and attentive. She even apologized for her rude manager. My food came out and everything tasted great but the piss poor service kind of left a sour taste in my mouth.
(2)Aaron W.
I ordered a kalua pig/shoyu chicken combination plate with mac salad ($9.95). The kalua pig was a good attempt, but not quite there for me. I loved that Ate-Oh-Ate put some cooked cabbage in there, but the cabbage really became more of a browned, stewed cabbage by this point, as opposed to a cooked, stir-fried-style cabbage that would at least retain its vibrant green color (trust me, in terms of taste and appearance, I prefer the latter). The kalua pig would benefit from a bit longer slow-cooking and a bit more salt to get even more tender. The shoyu chicken was a bone-in variety, with the skin still on the chicken thigh. It had good flavor, but could have benefited from cooking a little longer, low and slow-style, so that the chicken could fall off the bone better. The chopped scallions on the top of the chicken was good for presentation, but really nothing more than that for me. They almost forgot to put my mac salad in the plate lunch -- and had I not pulled the to-go box out of the package to snap a photo, I wouldn't have gotten the mac salad at all. I'm glad I got that mac salad...I'm a fan of Ate-Oh-Ate's version. Very authentic in taste and look. A little too much mayo for my liking, and perhaps a bit more pepper would have made it a better side dish for me. I enjoyed the shoyu chicken and kalua pig juices/sauces getting on the two scoops of rice and the mac salad...can't beat that! I like that Ate-Oh-Ate also offers chicken katsu and saimin. A family ordered those two dishes and, from what I saw, the food looked pretty authentic. Overall, a respectable attempt at two authentic Hawaiian BBQ creations, but the overall meal could have been better.
(3)Jack R.
Teriyaki beef, hula pig - which? At Ate-Oh- Ate they're both good. This place really does remind me of Hawaii. Food is simple but tasty and quantities are filling without overdoing. Entrees come with scoops of nice sticky rice and meat. Mac salad is classic. And the staff actually stops by to see if you need more sauce or anything else. Friendly folks. Interior is plain, exterior is as well. You could almost miss the place. Perfect for a humble plate lunch anytime.
(4)Don B.
I've been to Hawaii twice this year. Plus I was born there. Does that mean I'm an expert on Hawaiian food? No. Hell no. I have eaten a bunch of it this year at quite a few places on Oahu, but other than that, the only expertise I claim to have is in my own taste. I know what I like. And I REALLY liked what I ate at Ate oh Ate last night. I wandered in to this new-ish Hawaiian plate lunch spot with middle-of-the-road expectations. While the pedigree of the ownership is strong (he's from Hawaii, his other restaurants are successful), the reviews have been quite mixed. This is frankly one of those places I had to try for myself, and I'm glad I did. I sampled the special of the day, a Luau chicken dish that consisted of chicken meat stewed in coconut milk and taro leaves over steamed white rice with a side of Mac salad. For somewhere in the $7.50 range, it was a very hearty portion. But I didn't stop there. I had to sample the SPAM Musubi offering ($1.95) as well as one of their Mai Tais. This quickly escalated the bill for what otherwise could have been a totally satisfying meal. The space is a long, deep space with counter service and an open kitchen area. The tables have some Hawaiian flair under the glass and there's a large mural on the wall. I'd call it "festive-industrial." It's fine for a casual plate lunch, that's for sure. My meal didn't take long to arrive, and I was impressed with what I got. The Mai Tai was a fairly standard Hawaiian-style Mai Tai with some decent quality ingredients. Definitely better than one you'd get at an average bar. The sprig of mint they threw in the top was pretty wilted and sad, but it's not mint season, so I guess I'm not too surprised. The Musubi was made in a hand-roll/burrito style, with the egg and SPAM in the middle, and then cut into 2 pieces. The Musubi was tasty - probably about average for what I've had in Hawaii but nothing near the top spots like Iyasume. Still, it's the best Musubi I've had here in PDX. As far as the main course, goes, this was the best part of the whole meal. The dish was simple and comforting, a nice thick rich coconut cream sauce with chunks of tender succulent chicken (not a ton of chicken) over some perfect white rice. The coconut cream had taro leaves in it which lent the creamy sauce an earthy flavor, which complimented the chicken quite well. This is not a traditional plate lunch dish but it was SO good. It came with a side of mac salad that had a nice tang to it. I did notice that the prices of many of the other dishes on the menu were quite high for a plate lunch place. No question. While I'm excited to come back and try more of the menu, those high prices do scare me a little bit. However I also realize that competition for Hawaiian food that's even halfway decent in Portland is fairly lacking, so I can't fault them for charging upwards of $9 for a plate (where in Hawaii it would be in the $6 to $7 range), but if the rest of the food tastes as good to me as that luau chicken I ate, then I won't care. not one bit. I ate at Ate oh Ate and I cant hate. That luau chicken was great. My hunger it did sate. Can you relate?
(4)Poeko W.
Waitress asked "how does everything taste?" Which is the best possible question for her to ask... I probably would have been honest (and negative) to almost any other of the typical mod-meal server queries. So, because she either knew exactly what to ask or was inadvertently lucky in her question, I answered honestly and positive, "Everything tastes fine..." Portion size: WAY too small. Price: WAY too expensive. Value: WAY too low. Taste: good... The claim to fame, apparently, of this place is that it was opened by someone who also traffics in high quality meats and owns a butcher shop. Ironic for me because I think the development of much local food (especially the Asian influences) is the classic cheaper cuts of meat doctored up with great sauces to much it taste great but cheaply. Chicken thighs are cheaper than chicken breast, for example. So I was kind of unimpressed by the "quality of meat" badge and could not really tell at all because teriyaki tends to be powerful stuff. They also do some strange things...my daughter loves Kalbi short ribs but hers were a six inch length of bone instead of traditional cut. My Kalua pork was cut pieces and not shredded. Everything tasted good but the format was a little off-putting. So, if I wanted value, I'd go to almost any other Hawaiian place over this one...if I wanted classics done the traditional way the same is true...And incorporating taste into the equation I would go to Roxy's every single time.
(2)Terry W.
Stopped in for lunch, couldn't help myself to over-order. Am perplexed and somewhat annoyed by a few of the reviews below. The one that said her order of chicken wings was "a wing and a half". How in the hell can that be when I got 7 plump wings? OK, I see, you split an order between four people, what do you expect? 20 wings? I thought the orders were plenty generous. Poke order was generous and pretty fresh. It didn't have that flash of uber-freshness to it, but the yellowtail wasn't fishy or "off". It was still quite good. A bit underseasoned, but I like my poke probably a bit too smothered in onion and soy sauce, so it was refreshing to not have the fish masked too much. As I said, a pretty generous order. Cucumber kimche. Same story. Understated in seasoning and spiciness. Just a bit of a warm aftertaste of heat. However, the cukes are super-fresh, crisp and once again, the order is pretty generous. Korean chicken wings.... Wonderful. VERY garlicky in an extraordinary way with a nice, subtle bit of heat. Crispy, very tasty. And for the life of me, how in the HELL are people whining about lack of value here? I got a plateful of 7 wings, two big scoops of rice and macaroni salad for $8.95. That's not generous? OK, maybe a shade above "plate lunch" prices, but come on. Other diners appeared to have piles of food on their plate. Some reviews appear to have their pricing expectations stuck in the 1980s. The 5.95 quality lunch is way over. Sure my huge main course meal with two large sides was $18 total, but I could have easily split it two (or three) ways and still not finished it all. Lots more to check out on the menu. Will be back.
(3)Misty B.
I ordered from here last night through Delivered Dish. Had waaaayy to much gin, no driving for me, but really wanted some Hawaiian food. I've heard good things about this place, but unfortunately, it did not live up to the hype for me. Maybe they were out of mac salad? But there was no mac salad with our meals, which I know I specifically ordered. Hawaiian mac salad is kind of a deal breaker for me, it's necessary! The teriyaki chicken was like, 10 small pieces of chicken breast. I ordered shoyu chicken for my teenage daughter, who LOVES shoyu, but it turned out to be leg/thigh meat on the bone. Ok Ok, that's not an issue for me, but she is terrified of meat on the bone. (I have no idea....). I thought the flavor was ok, but I've had better. My husband, on the other hand, loved his loco moco! So there was that! I guess I've been spoiled by Roxy's out in Beaverton, their shoyu plate is like a pound of shredded chicken, and you get a LOT of chicken with your chicken teriyaki. They did have really good salad dressing on the salad that we somehow got...
(2)Helen Y.
I thought it was just okay. The food did taste good but it also didn't give me a "WHAO" factor after dining here with my friend the other night. We tried their Kalua pig and Korean Chicken. They were both okay. The pig was tender, moist, but I was hoping for a stronger smoky flavor... The Korean Chicken was crispy and juicy, nothing special about them though. The sweet potato tempura was okay and so did the pineapple-cabbage slaw. I didn't have any complain but their taste didn't make it to my memory... We wanted to try their Spam Musubi but they're out of them! How can a Hawaiian restaurant be possibly out of Spam? Musubi????! Shave ice is average.... They didn't disappointed me even I was expending for another "Simpatica" experience. I don't mind coming back, and in fact, I want to come back for their happy hour next time.
(3)Kari V.
Good, but not fantastic. But the prices are reasonable. Half my family is from Hawaii, so I've eaten a lot of Hawaiian food over my lifetime. The Laulau was good, but could have used more taro. The ribs were very good. The dungeness poke and Korean chicken were okay. A bonus is that they have real shave ice there! And I imagine the Kalua pig is worth a try too.
(3)Jeni M.
I was unaware of the archaic and racist notion that Hawaiians enjoy Spam because of their love of human flesh. Interesting to know! Being from Alaska, where many Alaskans love Spam, I was under the impression it was because living in an area where everything has to be shipped in from far away Spam was a cheap, shelf stable meat. And also, Alaskans enjoy the taste of human flesh. :) Anyway, having spent time on the Islands and the fact that my best friend is a Native Hawaiian I consider myself a Hawaiian food pro. My Hawaiian BFF enjoys Ate-oh-Ate more than I do, but the truth is I'm more of a fan of the Korean spin on Hawaiian food. So, basically AoA is where I go when Namu isn't open or I don't feel like being rained on. I think AoA's food is just fine. Nothing really jumps out at me as being the most amazing Island food I've ever had, but it's far from the worst. And I don't really blame AoA because like I said, I like the Korean side of Hawaiian cuisine. So - for the sake of ease here is the gradiant of my opinion on AoA's food stuffs - Best - Nothing will ever beat homemade Spam Musabi (basically because 48ers just don't know how to make Spam taste optimally like human flesh (I kid, I kid)) but as far as Spam Musabi I've had in Portland this is the best. I've tried the tempura Spam Musabi and it was good for variety, but I'll stick with my SpaMusa served up the way way it is meant to be. A-Ok - Chicken Teriyaki is yummy and is perfectly charred. But, nothing really to write home about. Also in the A-Ok category is the kahlua pig -good but nothing to write Pele about. Worst - Not because it tasted horrible, but the Japanese Curry was full of wtf. I ordered it one day being stoked about it because I had a hankering but didn't feel like making it at home, but what compelled them to put what tasted like coconut milk in the curry paste!? Coconut, while a staple of many curries, is never used to my knowledge (or experience of an extended stay in Japan) in Japanese curry. Japanese curry is more of a gravy savory kind of thing, not a a light saucy with notes of sweetness kind of thing. So, while it was an interesting flavor experience, it was not what I expected, nor wanted. So, Ate oh Ate gets a solid 3 stars as A-Ok from me, however, if you do enjoy the trashy macaroni and salt side of down and dirty Hawaiian food, this may be right up your alley. If you like the vinegar and vegetables, kim chi, and less salt Hawaiian join me over at Namu. And if Ate of Ate is still not down and dirty authentic enough for you, check out Lilikoi in N. Portland.
(3)Dan R.
Maybe I'm just lucky--i read many more reviews than I actually eat out. Maybe because i give drive tests at DMV, where everyone starts 100% but loses points with sins of commission or omission, i want to say what did the place do wrong. low key funky environment. very nice staff. and of course the food, huge potions, tasty ingredients. The ribs huge, yummy, balanced sweetness. I had the saimen with crazy pork belly chunks, silky fish loaf, chewy noodles and another intense broth---pork, blood, spices. Most plates in 8-10$ range and all fill you up The curry sauce rich and multi-flavored, the kahlua pork was inhaled, not letting the kahlua flavors overcome the basic meat. i want to say 4.5. spending a couple days in bend so much just review an ordinary brewpub, get a 3 or 4 star. when i eat out I'm usually celebrating so the energy is good.
(5)Stephano G.
I had to go back to Ate Oh Ate after being so impressed with my dinner. I played it safe the first time, as I often do, only trying things I know. This gives me a good way to measure the success of a chef in recreating things I know before I delve into the luscious unknown. So, I was thrilled that they had a Poke of the day, and made this my second trip. I've had my share of sashimi, but never this interesting marinade of raw fish and onions. There were green onions and cabbage mixed in with the marlin-like fish (I thought she said Tombo Ahi, not quite sure). The marinade was a basic sesame oil blend with some interesting dipping sauce. I'll be going back for this dish, no doubt about it. I also grabbed a spam musubi just for giggles. I've seen some rather unattractive versions of this dish, so I had yet to dive in and try one. Musubi is (another word for) onigiri with spam in it. I wasn't really sure what would possess one to do that, but who am I to question the Hawaiians? It was surprisingly good. It was simple enough as some spam, a fun mixture of egg reminiscent of Tamagotoji, and rice wrapped in nori. Honestly, this was more of a surprise than the Poke. If I thought that increasing my weekly pork intake was a good idea, I can say that this would be one rather delicious way to do it. So overall I'm very impressed. For $10 I had a very hearty and somewhat healthy lunch. On top of that, I've been wowed both by the usual fair and their more eclectic offerings. So keep up the great work Ate Oh Ate!
(5)Devon D.
I've come to find myself craving a big ol' plate of Ate-Oh-Ate. There's something addictive about this Hawaiian comfort food. Is there crack in the chilled macaroni salad? MORE! Put some teriyaki-liciousness on everything! Add a poke plate to the order please! It's delicious comfort food, just the way it was meant to be.
(5)Justina S.
Staff is very friendly. This place is AWESOME. When I'm in town for leisure, now I know where to go for some Hawai'i grindz!!
(4)Michael V.
Shitake Brown Gravy makes this the best Loco Moco I've ever had. I've been to Hawaii and I always get loco moco at Hawaiian joints on and off the islands. This one is spot on!
(5)Joe M.
I love Hawaiian food and had heard a lot of great things about this place so I had really high expectations going in. I like the fact that they use quality ingredients and the setting was nice, but the food itself didn't blow me away - solid, but at that price point and portion size and I think Noho's might be a better option, esp in terms of value. I'd still like to go back and try some different menu items.
(3)Scott L.
Honestly I cant recommend this place. The food was okay, but I guess I was expecting more. The ingredients were fresh,but I guess I was expecting a traditional plate lunch. Food is expensive and at that price I would expect table service. Try Roxy's Island Grill or NoHo's if you are looking for Hawaiian food.
(2)Dennis K.
OK spam musubi (ordering without egg should be an option), disappointing beef teriyaki (no real grilling, just warmed up with bland sauce brushed on like an afterthought). Heard good things about the place, sad it didn't live up to them.
(2)Scott C.
So surprised to see that this place only has 3.5 stars. My husband and I Love this place! Other Hawaiian places in Portland don't even compare! We have tried almost everything on the menu and it has all been wonderful. We get take out about once a week but I could easily eat here more often.
(5)Leah H.
Hurray for a Hawaiian restaurant with non-chicken options! And it doesn't even have to be a special! ! I've been NOT eating chicken for probably close to a decade now (not counting Screen Door...because that is some next level shit right there). I know, people think its weird. I'm all about the swine or some red meat...just keep the poultry away from my face and we'll be okay. But it didn't really seem to matter where I went - Hawaiian food was just all about the chicken. Local Boyz...Roxys...it didn't matter. All chicken. All days. Then I would find a place with kalua pork or kalbi ribs!...but they only offer it as a special on whichever-day-I'm-not-there-day. Hrmpf! Enter Ate-Oh-Ate. Now here is a place with the non-chicken options on the menu. For whichever day I make it in. SUCCESS! I could just end this review right there. But I'll go on...just a little. The pork is porky. And the ribs are...ribby. They let me get extra rice instead of the mac or green salad. I love splashing the clear chili sauce onto my 3 piles of rice. My partner has tried the shoyu chicken and chicken wings (ugh, I know, all the chicken, right?) and I can say the sauce on the wings is yummy. I was down to dunk some of my rice in that too! The shaved ice is next for me to try there!
(3)Sarah L.
Favorite happy hour in town. The wings are more satisfying than Pok Pok's!!! Casual atmosphere, strong $5 drink special with cute umbrella+pineapple slice, heaping bowl of fried rice for $2 bucks. Good spot for vegetarians and meat eaters alike.
(5)Travis B.
Delicious. Doesn't quite get 5 stars for two reasons though. First, would prefer table service instead of ordering at the counter. Second, there is another Hawaiian restaurant I prefer so I have to reserve the five stars for that one. This is a really good place, just not my one true love.
(4)Brit M.
I'm only rating it 3 stars only because I haven't had much variety of dishes from this place. But what I have had has been GREAT. They serve the best well-done beef I've had in Portland so far, and they toast their cheeseburger buns perfectly. Their vegetables are also consistently fresh. I look forward to coming back here again and again!
(3)J D S.
Not for me. If you love salt, you'll probably like the food here, because that is the predominant flavor. Pricing is average to high, while you still are asked to bus your own table. Comfort inside the place is only moderate. Korean dishes taste much better in Korean restaurants. Maybe it is an acquired taste, or you have to grow up in Hawaii to appreciate it. The Kalua Pork was a total salt and fat fest, with not a whole lot more flavor. When you read about it on Wikipedia it sounds interesting - - pit cooked pork. That's not how this was made. Maybe it is all authentic but to me, uninspiring.
(2)Olivia T.
I had my day of birth celebration here. There were fifteen of us and we were hungry for delicious Hawaiian food. I love the fact that our tables were already set up when we got there. Yes, this place is not very big, and I think we took most of the indoor seat. However, I think this place is awesome for group dinners. You won't have problems with splitting checks at the end of your meal because you will need to place your orders at the counter and pay first before you will get your meal. I had the combo dinner plate of Chicken Katsu and Korean short Ribs. I love love love the ribs, but the Katsu was just alright. I'm not a big fan of white meat, I love dark meats, so it's hard for me to love the Ate-Oh-Ate's Chicken Katsu. Every dinner plates come with either Macaroni Salad or Garden Salad. Get the Mac Salad! It's one of the yummiest Hawaiian mac salad I've ever had. It was creamy and perfectly seasoned. I paired my meal with Mai Tai and it was really strong. It was a good thing that I had tons of carbs with my drink because if not, I would be soooooo trashed. We ended our meals with Shaved Ice and I got their homemade Coconut Ice cream mixed with the POG Shaved Ice. It was a perfect way to end the feast. I will come back here again and next time, that Island Burger will be mine.
(4)Vivian C.
Awesome food! Awesome staff! Just amazing!
(5)Ronald A.
Had a wonderful lunch yesterday. Rebecca had the curry bowl, I had the Shoyu chicken and our friend Gary had the fried rice omlet. We were all very happy and will go back again. This is a great place for lunch.
(4)Katie S.
I love happy hour! The best little place I could find on the Se side. No parking, but totally worth the search and walk if need be. Best curry soup I've had, and can we talk about the Mai Tai ... Yum. Go and order anything you won't be disappointed.
(4)Warren C.
I went here earlier this week because I had a hankering for their shoyu chicken. Ordered my food and waited what seemed to be a very long time. At one point I noticed the guy that had ordered after me was eating his meal so I just patiently waited. I finally receive my meal and the consistency was not the same as last time. The food was sloppily placed on the plate and instead of white rice I was given fried rice. Some may think that would be a bonus but with shoyu chicken you're gonna want regular steam rice to soak up the sauce. I was a bit disappointed and hope my next trip here will be as good as my first.
(3)Byron S.
Ono kine Grindz!! Nice relaxing place. Local, Hawaiian style. I was stoked when I saw an old 'Homegrown' album cover on the wall and the classic 'Gabby' cover. Also, Detric Verez art. True Hawaii style. Da grindz: We had the tombo poke. Brok da mout. The kalua pork was excellent. The pork adobo and squash was good. If only he added bagoong. It would've sealed the deal for me. My big deal is the mac salad. If it's not good, waste of time. However, Ate-Oh-Ate's mac salad was the best that I've had in Portland so far. If you like cheap hawaiian style comfort food. This is the place for you. I can't wait to go back and bring da keikis. I'm guessing the Katsu must be onolicious.
(5)Holy-foo' X.
Pink, bloody burger patties besmearing my divinity, the Loco Moco? Not my preference anymore, braddah. Not since 'at least' college football days. Not unless I specifically ask for it that way, which is "rarely" (ha ha). Certainly not by default. Too bad, 'cos the burger was juicy and effin' HUGE, which is precisely why it wasn't cooked properly. Good help is so hard to find, and even more difficult to retain.... The Kalua pig was ho-hum kinda good. The Saimin had very large, very fatty hunks of pork on top, which was good for initial flavor, but left a waxen coat all over the Ramen-esque noodles. Bleeeaggghhhh!!! Also, the egg, though hard boiled, was "over easy" inside. Again, this is a cardinal sign of sloppiness, of a hastily-cooked meal. If you guys were slammed at the time, I'd be mo' forgiving, but as it was, I was the only person there. Also the wait staff was attentive and friendly, so it wasn't a complete bust. 808 get your act together, or your future digits as a business might be 1-800-DEEP-SIX....
(2)Chris A.
Holy Hawaiian Lava GOD! This was off the charts good it was the best Hawaiian I've had in Portland. Ate Oh Ate has great food, atmosphere, employees, and all of the above. Great carnivore and and veg options I suggest you go now like right now no seriously get the F up and go.
(4)Aaron L.
Hmmm....Spent a great deal of time on Maui and Oahu, some I'm not your average diner. The Mac Salad tastes more like coleslaw and the Kahlua Pork was salty as all getup. Probably won't bother again.
(2)emily r.
YUM. I love Teriyaki, and theirs is fantastic. The macaroni salad blew my mind. I need to eat here all the time. When a beverage choice is POG I know I am in the right place!
(5)Von L.
Ate-Oh-Ate...I'm a sucker for Hawaiian style food. I know.....Its not very good for you; the teriyaki beef, pork, and chicken, the macaroni salad, the white rice...but at 808 it is good, really good. All the meats are thoughtfully sourced and high grade. The teriyaki is exceptional and each table comes complete with ginger infused flavor spritz ( I think it is sweetened vinegar plus fresh ginger), Sriracha, and a hoisin style teriyaki fusion sauce....all very nice compliments to a chicken or beef teriyaki with rice and mac salad. Of course for those who want the true experience Spam is served up several ways! I haven't yet delved into a Spam burger but probably will eventually. They also have amazing burgers! Imagine a nice quality burger with pork belly, kim-chi relish, taro chips and sauce to make the fat person inside of you cry and scream for more. There is a nice kim-chi sampler rendered in three styles that is amazing...Ramen bowls with pork belly and egg are delicious and the curry bowl with veges is a nice healthy option if you don't want to gain 5 lbs. Also, they offer up Hawaiian beer, tropical cocktails, shaved ice and sodas. There is a chill ambiance usually rocking steady to a reggae rhythm with a wall mounted flat screen playing surf vids! The service is fast, nice and efficient. Order at the counter and they bring out your drinks and fare. If in South East Portland and seeking some amazing Hawaiian style grub that will keep you coming back for more try 808!!!! See you at the Teriyaki trough! Von Luki
(4)Brad C.
Solid Hawaiian plate food equals a lot of meat, rice and mac salad. Ate oh Ate has the backing of one of the most legit meateries in all of Portland so they have that covered in spades. After trying the teriyaki beef plate, the meat was the highlight by far with ample well marinated supple cow flank. Rice, eh? Not going to complain too much because it is just a side dish to compliment the meat but... overly mushy rice in a legit rice cooker should not be happening... maybe that is Island style? Mac salad is good with fresh flavor, well seasoned and honest preparation of a clearly bad for you food. I really like the small dining space with the soaring roof trusses and wood booths. Counter service seemed convenient and quick for lunch. If there is room out back I highly encourage creating an outdoor patio space that can bring some more of the Pacific breezes in.
(4)ReviewInHaik u.
Kalua pig plate. Wet, fatty and undercooked. Plus, broke da wallet!
(2)Julia C.
I love getting take-out from this place. My finicky daughter and I always share the chicken teriyaki. Why? Because she won't eat a whole lot of other things yet, and they're portions are HUGE. And that's okay. Because I LOVE their chicken teriyaki! My husband has tried other things and has found them all to be delicious. He's spent a lot of time in Hawaii, and says AOA has the feel of a Hawaiian cafe. And their service has always been great. Sometimes it can be a bit slow, but every restaurant can have issues. Maybe those who wrote negative reviews only write negative reviews. And remember, this is Portland and not Hawaii! Just had to set the record straight. Their food is good. We'll be eating something from there tonite.
(4)Anne C.
The staff and service at Ate Oh Ate, cancel out the quality of the food. We love plate lunch and have eaten here or ordered take out three times in the hope that the timing and service will improve. Last night was the third and last time. Arrived to find diners at the counter complaining that it was over 25 mins and they still didn't have a meal. We were told our take - out order would take 15 minutes, so ordered cocktails to have while we waited. They took over ten minutes to make - so by the time food arrived after 20 minutes - we had to leave our drinks. Staff said sorry for the wait - but showed no urgency or efficiency in how they were waiting tables or serving customers. Just cruising around. We got our meal home and it was missing one entree. The owners of this place are employing counter and waiter staff who are killing their business. Island time should be for the customers to eat and knock back drinks. Not sitting without either and waiting for half an hour. Shame - this restaurant will never be a great option due to slack management.
(2)Gina P.
Mmm... Not to toot my own horn but this was my good call yesterday. =D I made the executive decision to eat at this bright little spot and it was great! $1.95 spam musubi with scrambled egg! Stamp card: Thumbs up! Reggae music: YES! *; ) friendly & professional counter person My husband had the Fried Rice Omelette--YUM! The flavor of the fried rice took me back home. I had the Chicken Katsu with 2 scoop rice & mac salad. The chicken was so tender and juicy. The Katsu sauce was so ono with an interesting zest to it. Only one teeny weeny thing about the mac salad, not enough mayo... but other than that, me & the hubby are coming back. I'm soo looking forward to checking out their Happy Hour (4pm -6pm) to try their SPAM MUSUBI TEMPURA--OMG!!! are you serious now? and I'm telling all my friends too... *; )
(4)Chelsea A.
I've never been to Hawaii. I have no idea what Hawaiian food is supposed to taste like. But what I do know, is that my Teriyaki Beef was tasty delicious. And while I find the name of the business to be, uh, clever (not really) I'm glad the food delivered. The macaroni salad was awesome (and a close contender for NoHos but I'll have to get back to you after some extensive sampling of both). The girl working at the counter was very nice and extremely helpful when I wanted to know what the SPAM Musubi was. But they were out of SPAM so I didn't get to try it. Which makes me sad, because I've never had SPAM before and was really looking forward to breaking my SPAM cherry (that sounds disgusting). But, well now I have an excuse to go back. I had the Mai Tai that tasted like summer in a glass if I was bathing in a pool of fruit flavored booze (my way of saying it was good). And my friend got the Primo beer which I have never seen before, but was also very tasty (do they sell that somewhere in Portland? maybe it's time to make a trip to Belmont Station). Reason for the star docking? Turns out you order at the counter and they bring your food to you. Which I wouldn't mind for lunch but for dinner and breakfast it's just not my thing. Unfair, I know. Anydoodle, I'll be back. During the summer, to drink Mai Tai's and Primo's until I smell like a Hawaiian drunk and to eat some SPAM. I can hardly wait.
(4)Michelle H.
Being a native of Honolulu, I am always seeking out new Hawaiian-style plate lunch restaurants here in Portland. Thanks to Don B. for bringing to my attention this newer establishment located pretty close to my house in Alameda. Hubby and I had takeout from here two weeks ago, and we were both very happy with our selections. Compared to other plate lunch places, the menu here is a bit more limited in my opinion, but the offerings are more unique and creative. On the day we went, they did not have the Luau Chicken that Don B. was lucky to be able to partake of on his visit, so I got my good old stand-by....a loco moco, and hubby ordered the kal bi ribs. Upon opening our meals at home, I noticed that the presentation of our food was much more aesthetically pleasing than your usual Hawaiian-style restaurant. My loco moco was topped with a very nice shiitake mushroom gravy and garnished with fresh parsley. Even though the portion was smaller than most other places, my loco moco was very good. The hamburger patty was hand-formed, the gravy was tasty and the mac salad was excellent. Although I did not taste it, Hubby enjoyed his Kal Bi plate. So far, we like Ate-oh-Ate, and Hubs and I are planning to return to try some of their other menu selections. Next time, I plan on ordering the fried rice omelet with Portuguese Sausage or the adobo, two very local menu selections I have yet to see on any other Hawaiian restaurants in town.
(4)Sara S.
My office came here for a lunch/meeting. When I ordered, the man at the register handed me a dirty glass for my drink. I handed the glass back to him only for him to hand me yet another dirty glass (both caked with dried on food). The food wasn't bad. The green salad and rice were actually quite good, the Kahlua Pig was okay but a little lacking on flavor. I didn't finish my meal, but not because it was a huge portion. Once I got just about 3/4 of the way done I noticed that there was a dead fly that had been under all of the meat on my plate. When I showed it to the staff they didn't care and never offered to do anything to make it better. I highly doubt i'll ever go back.
(2)Wolf L.
GF is Hawaiian. Native Hawaiian--not just someone who happened to live in Hawaii. Her direct ancestors were standing on the beach waving when Captain Cook came floatin' into Waimea. The first thing she said when we walked inside Ate-Oh-Ate was that the place SMELLED like Hawaii. I really got my hopes up for some tasty, palette pleasing victuals. Alas, we were somewhat disappointed. I ordered a Loco Moco, which is my most favorite breakfast ever. GF got Chicken Katsu. The rice was good. Unfortunately, the rest of the food wasn't the best. My hamburger patty just didn't have much flavor. The gravy was kind of runny and tasteless. GF's chicken was also strangely bland. I'm having some difficulty describing exactly what was lacking in the food. Everything looked good but it was missing that certain...Hawaiian soul. For drinks, we both got the POG. (No Hawaiian Sun? Wot up wit dat, brah?) The POG was pretty tasty. However, the prices left a lot to be desired. Our entire tab was $23 and some change. Ouch. This place is fairly new, so maybe they'll get better. We'll see.
(3)Kimberly V.
An archaic and racist notion about people from Hawaii and their pronounced love of Spam goes like this: The reason native Hawaiians and those raised on their islands like the taste of Spam more than most is because the quasi-meat is extremely salty and chewy, much like the human flesh that our ancestors supposedly devoured back in the days of yore. Not only is that insulting, but it's simply illogical. Do you really think that after a full day of fishing, climbing trees, and soaking up the constant sun, any self-respecting Hawaiian would really want to chow down on another person? After all that physical activity, would your first choice for a refreshment be your brother, your great aunt, or that weird dude three huts down who tried to have sex with a coconut? That just makes no sense. Unfortunately, the cooks at Ate-Oh-Ate took that old hat idea - that Hawaiian food should be rich in sodium and not much else on the flavor profile - and ran with it. There are elements of most Hawaiian and island-style restaurants that Ate-Oh-Ate gets right. There's Korean and shoyu chicken as well as the kalua pig and Loco Moco found up and down Kapahulu Avenue on Oahu, at the very least. But for a minimum of ten bucks per plate, there's nothing that leaps out at your tongue or brings to mind a white sandy beach. Unless that beach had an ocean of cooking oil, maybe. Man, my fried rice was greasy. I know it's supposed to be, but I would have enjoyed more vegetables besides the carrots and celery to balance out the oiliness of the rice and the salt bite from the Portuguese sausage. The infamous Spam was also offered, for those die-hard flesh-eaters. Let me put it plainly - Hawaii's economy was way in the weeds long before the rest of the country got there. To demand $10 to $12 per plate for the same kinds of foods I ate as a kid on food stamps and not evoke my childhood just sounds ludicrous. I mean, not have-sex-with-a-coconut crazy, but close enough that I bid a Pomaikai to the people at Ate-Oh-Ate and continue to wait for a Hawaiian restaurant in Portland that gets it right.
(2)Eric t.
I've heard some mixed reviews about this place. I went here on a whim one day while I was in town. The place is quite clean on the inside and there were a bunch of white people cooking in a clean kitchen. This scene was kind of unnerving and I didn't know what to expect, as I'm used to more divey settings whenever I make my annual pilgrimage to Hawaii. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the food. Poke: Nice nutty flavor to the poke. I thought it was well done. Spam Musubi: Kind of a thud for me. I didn't like the sweetness the tamago added to it. It tasted too fresh, I'm used to Spam Musubi marinating together in some plastic wrap for a few hours so all the flavors absorb into each other. Maybe because the best one's I've had were just bought at markets and then taken to the beach and inside my backpack for a few hours. Mac Salad: A bit forgettable. Most mac salad I've had is, though. Shoyu Chicken: Thought it was a very comforting dish. Not outstanding but comforting. I liked the marinade and the texture of the chicken, which I could easily flake off the bone without it being dry whatsoever. Loco Moco: This alone added an extra star to the review. The best loco moco I've had...the quality of the beef was EXCELLENT and the gravy was fantastic. It was not too heavy/starchy tasting, you can tell it was made with very high ingredients. Ice Cream- coconut- fresh made, interesting although they went overboard with the allspice...maybe b/c it was thanksgiving time. To me, it seems the concept here is slightly elevated Hawaiian comfort food, and I think they do well if you have that in mind. You're not getting a traditional hawaiian plate lunch here. There are a few things they could do to improve it, I really don't think they are trying to "dumb down" hawaiian cuisine for the *cough* "american palate".
(4)John H.
Just finished a quick bite at Ben Dyer's new "ate-oh-ate," which is a Hawaiian sandwich shop that has opened on the buzzing East Burnside corridor (just down from Screen Door, June, Heart and Luce). The menu is actually more extensive than I expected with Kalua Pig (pork shoulder), Kal bi (Korean short ribs), a couple of teriyaki dishes and some fish and poke amongst the offerings. There are a bunch of good looking sides, though I tried the macaroni salad (which was fantastic) with my Kalua Pig plate. Having tried the Laurelhurst Mkt mac & cheese, I needed to compare and I actually liked this one better. It's more of a summer picnic style version and not quite as rich as LM's (which is much cheesier), but it suits the main plate well which came with two scoops of plain white rice and a mound of pulled pork over steamed cabbage. The drink menu includes a few hawaiian beers as well as Moose drool brown ale (from Montana). There are some tropical cocktails and a selection of flavored shaved ice (not, apparently, to be confused with a snow cone!). I'm sure this'll be another well received endeavour from Portland's home grown butcher shop, cum food empire.
(4)Chantel H.
The Mai Tai was strong and the MAC salad was delicious...the teriyaki and kalua pig were both fabulous! It definitely had a cozy and friendly atmosphere and I will be back for dinner again!
(4)Jen T.
Man oh man, Ate Oh Ate! As a former 808-er myself, I was looking forward to this joint for a long while, even trying to show up this past weekend to sneak into a potential soft opening... No go on the ogo, but I still showed up on its grand opening on Monday. Guaranteed the Simpatica/Laurelhurst Market folks would have some next level Hawaiian plate lunches, especially if they claimed one their own (Ben Dyer) as from da aina. However, while all the meats were definitely on point (holy crispy tender pork belly in my $10 saimin!), the accompanying carbs definitely needed some more love and attention. Textureless, soggy noodles are always a no no (try cooking them a little less, boys). And RICE! How can you mess up rice? The white rice itself was a little on the dry-but-sticky side (huh? how can? try wash the rice! And was it even Calrose? Come on man, the AZN standard is what we crave!) And the fried rice was definitely made with new rice...which, interestingly enough, isn't always a good thing. (If you're using hot-out-of-the-rice-cooker rice to fry, the rice gets overcooked and mushy. Ideally, you should use day-old rice.) Of course, these are all cooking time and technique issues which I have faith in these guys to correct very, very soon to make this place very, very awesome. (With more stars as the reward!) A few other things: Overall environment - Cute decor. A local (Big Island?) station streaming live from the internet. Shave ice machine. Feels like an upscale L&Ls except in green (with the upscale price to boot). Salt, the debate - Sadly, I wanted to originally say it was "undersalted," but then I realized that all the foods were appropriately salted for mainland standards and that local food is just gnarly and covered in soy and salt and MSG and oil...which is what makes it sooooo good after you go to the beach and/or get shitty. So, please, for the sake of our health and ambitions...forgo the "authenticity" and continue leaving the extra salt out. Add these beers to the menu - Heineken (green bottles, chee hee!), Red Stripe Brah, try make one PORK BELLY MUSUBI. And Redondo's hot dog musubi. And spam katsu musubi. Just make more musubis. Okay...I know you can't just put whatever into a musubi and call it "local cuisine," but shit, it would be sooooooooooo good and ridiculous and that's what local food is all about! Just salt and rice and craze and beer!
(3)Andrea M.
Mahalo for the super delicious, as good as it gets off the island, local food! It was like local food "plus" with the super fancy egg and what-not. Great flavor, really nice. The poke was okay - not as good as home but good enough to be called poke; and the loco moco was good.
(5)K T.
The best part of tonite's visit to Ate Oh Ate was the entire staff. They deserve a 5 star! They were all warm, kind and helpful. Just fabulous. In fairness, I mentioned that I would like something that didn't have too much salt and they did warn me that things were pretty salty there. We probably should have left, but... We had no idea that we were going to eat a dinner FILLED with salt. We read some reviews about the high sodium content, but didn't expect it to be inedible. So if you don't love love love salt, this is NOT a place for you. That is the primary flavor you get there. We couldn't taste other spices because the salt was overwhelming. The restaurant was comfortable inside even when it was 92 outside.
(2)Dylan E.
I can probably say I have tried everything on the menu. And I have never been extremely disappointed with any dish. I love the dessert here. I love the mochi and shave ice. I think my favorite dish however is a combo of lau lau and kalua pig. A close to Hawaiian special. Though there are a things I do have to say. The service is great and the staff is friendly. I feel the menu is to Hoale. Like there are no real authentic Hawaii food besides what I mentioned. I also feel that the curry lacks especially because I love katsu and curry combos. I feel it should be more of a spicy Japanese style curry not what they have. I had to start a new account so re telling my experiences.
(4)Kiara H.
FANTASTIC!! Thank you Portland for giving me Ate-Oh-Ate!! Their Kalua Pig tasted better than how your first kiss made you feel. If I had to choose between a hot guy and a free meal at Ate-Oh-Ate, I would definitely choose the free meal. Their Mac Salad was incredible and I wish every BBQ I went to had macaroni salad that incredible.
(5)Adam R.
Wow. Ate-Oh-Ate was great and so is their name. We at at Ate-Oh-Ate after seeing a review in the Oregonian and they were right. It was spectacular. I had the Spam Fried Rice Omelet. I was skeptical... it was a Spam Fried Rice stuffed into a 3 egg omelet. Who would guess. It was awesome. Thin sliced spam, just the right amount added a very unique flavor to the rice. A little weird stuffed into the omelet, but it worked. My wife had a shredded pork dish with rice and salad that was also wonderful (I took her leftovers home and ate that too for dinner!). The menu is small but they did a wonderful job of creating some great, tasty food with a casual ambiance. Thanks Ate-Oh-Ate we will be back soon! -Adam
(5)Duane P.
I continue to go in thinking I'm going to try something different other than the Saimin soup and get something like the Aina burger but I don't. Today that was the right decision. The Saimin soup today is the best soup I have had this year. In addition the roasted pork belly in the soup was the best pork belly year to date. The 3 kinds of broth in the soup along with charred onions, fish cakes, soft boiled egg and al dente noodles makes it a winner. But don't take my word for it, go get you some and enjoy.
(5)Mindy S.
I had my work picnic catered by this restaurant. From start to finish the staff was incredible to work with. The food was amazing! Several people told me it was the best Hawaiian food they ever had, and I agree. Delicious!
(5)Andrew A.
I'm luke-warm on Hawaiian/Island food, so I've passed this place for years even though a number of friends have recommended it. I was pleasantly surprised by my first visit during Happy Hour. Their offering is one of the better value plays in town. The $2.50 Kailua Pig Cabbage Slider was incredibly tender and "wet." Equally blissful (if not more) was the tempura SPAM with egg concoction. The Korean Wings maybe the star of the show. Mai Tai was very strong and tall. SUPERB service, plenty of seating and decent parking. Do it!
(4)Yelena G.
Best Hawaiian food in Portland!! I was very impressed by the selection and quality of food.
(5)Lana S.
Came here for lunch with my coworkers today. Got the Korean Chicken dish, which came with rice, grilled chicken (in Sriracha sauce) and macaroni salad. Yum! I am not Hawaiian, but the food was flavorful and tasted home-made. Definitely coming back! ...waited a long time for our food, but it was worth it.
(4)David B.
Walked in to this Hawaii-surf eatery and we ordered off the easy to read chalk board menu. We did not hesitate to chow down on the pork belly plates and Ramen noodles as we watched epic surf rides, digital style. My guava beverage came with an umbrella so slipped on my shades for fun. Others enjoyed their craft beers. Seems to be a real favorite among locals.
(3)Allen K.
Oh, Ate-Oh-Ate.. how I have tried so hard to like you. So, so hard. But depending on what I order my taste buds are either assaulted by sodium or yearning for some type of seasoning to keep them interested. The mac salad is okay but generally has been very salty. Mixing it with some rice helps take the edge off. Similarly, the Kalua pork is like a shredded meat salt bomb: nice texture but the flavor is overwhelming. Again, mix with rice (but not mac salad) to help with that. On the other end of the spectrum the Saimin is incredibly bland and just feels like wet noodles in your mouth without the added benefit of flavor. The loco moco (typically my favorite Hawaiian dish to get) looks freakin' bomb, but taste-wise fails to live up to expectations. The patty is hardly seasoned and even the gravy doesn't do much to elevate the experience. I like how they add some egg to the SPAM musubi, it's a nice touch, but one time I ordered it and the rice was incredibly dried out and had clearly been sitting out for a while. If you're gonna do a good musubi, making sure the rice is on point is essential! Probably the best and most reliable dish I've gotten has been the chicken katsu. Fried to order and the katsu sauce has good flavor. If I come back again, I'll be sticking to that. I think I've given Ate-Oh-Ate a fair shot and tried multiple dishes several times, but for now I will have to give my mouth a break from the taste extremes and bid you farewell.
(2)Nicole B.
Sometimes food is never as great as it is on the mainland is it? Laid back, and casual. You order your food at the register. I ordered the Kalbi pork ribs with the kalua pork. 2 of my favorites. We also ordered the loco moco, another favorite of ours. The kalua pork was great, had a lot of flavor and enough smokiness to it. The Kalbi pork ribs, just didn't do it for me. I think the issue with the loco moco was the gravy, it's a mushroom gravy. It didn't have the right flavors going on. The mac salad was ono. I'll definitely try this place again. I would probably try other items on the menu or check out their happy hour now that they have a decent list of cocktails!
(3)Jonathan C.
I visited this place right after completing day 2 of STP. I was so hungry I ordered both the Shoyu Chicken and the Samin. The Shoyu Chicken was pretty good. I like the flavor of the sauce and the chicken just fell off the bone which is what I love. The Saimin was just ok for me. It had crispy roasted pork belly which is what made me want to try it and it was pretty good, but the broth wasnt anything special. The atmosphere was nice and chill which I liked. Overall, I'm definitely a fan. When craving Local Hawaiian food in Portland, this is the place to go.
(4)Adriana X.
Their chicken katsu is amazing! I am always craving this. The meat isn't dry and their breading is perfect. Also, their Mac salad is one of the best I've ever had!
(4)Sandra C.
This place is located down the street from our apartment. I wanted to try hawaiian food for a long time, since we don't have that back on the East coast. I ordered the korean chicken wings plate and my bf ordered the luau luau?. I loved mine so much more. The Korean chicken wings were fried really crispy and had just the right amount of saucy flavor that was delicious paired with the macaroni salad and the white rice! I didn't need any extra soy sauce or flavoring. It was just so delectable! I wish i can say the same for the luau luau, which was pulled pork wrapped in steamed leaves. It wasn't as good as we thought it would be. Kinda disappointing. We also ordered the poke of the day. It was a small dish, with a couple of pieces of tuna in a ton of onions and chives! you definitely don't want to kiss anyone after eating that. All in all, i would just come back for the wings.
(3)Ace E.
To say this is my favorite Hawaiian food place is an understatement. The food here is consistently good and always filling. Great happy hour items including their Portland's best cheeseburger for $5 and panko fried spam musubi! I love that they offer shave ice and you can get it with rum and/or ice cream at the bottom. The cocktails are great too! I'd say the food is as good or better than the best Hawaiian lunch plates you get on the islands. Okole Maluna!
(5)Jessica F.
Best Mac salad in town, all the others are impalpable. Fried Korean chicken wings, or the grilled Korean plate lunch. Or kalbi ribs. Pineapple cole slaw. Loco moco with the shittaki gravy. Poke. It's all amazing. Home made teri sauce and chili water in the green glass bottles. You won't regret!
(5)Mark P.
Note: do not confuse this restaurant with the OTHER similarly-named 808 Grinds. That one is a food cart. Ate-Oh-Ate is stationary. If you see it moving, put down the weed, man. That's some powerful stuff. Both 808 and Ate-Oh-Ate (a play on Hawaii's area code) serve excellent Hawaiian food. I am on a quest for the perfect Portland saimin, so naturally that's what I ordered. It's not exactly the easiest dish to find in P-town, so I tend to get excited when I see it on the menu. Ate-Oh-Ate's contains thin soba noodles in a broth of pork, chicken, and shrimp, accompanied by roasted pork belly, kamaboko (fish cake), and a soft boiled egg. The broth is nicely balanced and not at all overpowering; if anything, it could use a little more flavor. But that's why they invented soy sauce, right? Both the pork belly (crispy and smoky) and the soft boiled egg (velvety, creamy perfection) elevated the dish to something special. Was it the best saimin I've ever had? Not by a long shot, but I'm an island boy so that would be expecting too much. By Portland standards, it was a pretty good bowl of soup. I also had a side of sweet potato tempura as an appetizer. That was perfection! It arrived golden brown and crispy, and wasn't the least bit greasy. Dusted with a bit of red chili and served with a sweet dipping sauce, I was very impressed with the tempura. I actually consider that to be the star of the show. Service was decent if a little slow, but in all fairness it was lunchtime and they were doing brisk business. All in all, this is a great place to stop in and enjoy a taste of the islands! Especially on a cold and rainy Portland fall/winter/spring day.
(4)Jennifer L.
I think it's time for me to accept the fact that only Koreans are able to make good Korean food. In this case, it was my mistake to order Korean fried chicken wings at a Hawaiian restaurant. While the wings were crispy, the taste itself wasn't very good. There was way too much ginger and vinegar going on that completely overwhelmed what little of the sweet, garlicky, and spicy flavors that were there. Good people of Portland, why is it that your idea of Korean food is-must use tons of GINGER? That being said, both the rice and macaroni salad were good. I tried a little of my fiancé's teriyaki chicken and that too, was above average. I really wanted to like the shaved ice but it was only mediocre :( It had way too much flavoring syrup and as a result was too sweet. Would I come back to try some more Hawaiian food? Yes. Anything else on the menu? Probably not.
(3)Matt G.
Love this place. Cheap prices. Elevated Hawaiian dishes. Friendly service. Try the Shoyu Chicken Sandwich, Mac Salad, Taro Chips, Teriyaki Beef Plate, Kaluha Pork Plate, AND THE SHAVED ICE!!
(5)Bryson B.
Howzit!!? Looking for a rad vibe and great food? Look no further than the Ate-oh-Ate restaurant, located on East burnside going into downtown. Look for the pink sign with the pig on it. A far cry from your stereo typical "Hawaiian Time" dining experience, the Ate-oh-Ate offers true authentic Hawaiian cuisine. The dining experience is legitimate. Their open kitchen allows you to see your food being prepared right before your eyes, with that said, you know your getting your food hot and fresh. My first experience was amazing, I ordered the Loco Moco with a side of Hawaiian Mac. The Mac was delicious; nevertheless simple components combined together always make for great flavor. The Mac was very light on the mayo and filled with shredded carrots, chopper onions and other vegetables. Now the Loco Moco was a punch in the mouth of true flavor! With your choice of brown or white rice, a hardy burger patty well seasoned, and a egg cooked over easy to top everything off, not to mention the brown gravy that brings the whole dish together; the Loco Moco will have you as plump as the pig on the sign. I believe the Loco Moco is the Hawaiian equivalents of Wheaties!! Meal of champions! In the end the Ate-oh-Ate has decently fair prices for the quantity of food your getting. The crew is cheerful and helpful and the restaurant is cool. I give the Ate-oh-Ate a solid 4 stars for my review. #CheapEats2015
(4)Kevin L.
The kalbi ribs weren't what I was expecting; they weren't cut thin like I normally see, they were big pork ribs. Will have to try something else next time
(3)Chee K.
We tried this place for lunch and were very pleased. I always thought Hawaiian food was a combination of Asian with pineapple or poi. I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this place, very laid back. You order at the counter, take your number and sit at a table and watch surf videos. I ordered the Korean fried chicken wings plate which comes with rice and mac salad. Typically, the Korean fried chicken is a little sweeter and stickier but I could appreciate what they were trying here. It was had a good spicy kick and great crisp. I'm usually not a mac salad fan, too much mayo and one big glop. But not this one, it was really flavorful and had a great texture. My husband wanted their burger but were out so he had to settle for their pork sandwich. I tried a bite and it was also really good. I liked that they toasted their bun and that texture really made the sandwich stand out with delicious flavorful shredded pork. Our food didn't come out too fast but it could have been that an office phoned in their order. I didn't mind though. The servers were really great too and I can't wait to go back and try other dishes.
(4)Bri G.
Authentic Hawaiian food. Got the kalua and it did not disappoint! Def recommend this spot.
(5)Jessie K.
This place is amazing! Atmosphere: cafeteria style, natural wood, chill music, very mahalo Food: incredible! The meats were luscious (we had the Korean wings, the ribs, and the Khalua pork) and falling off the bone. The Mac salad was unique and the perfect compliment to the spicy wings. Green salad was a little basic, just lettuce, carrots and dressing. The rice was sticky-iky-iky and the teriyaki plentiful. I will be back. Very very soon.
(5)Tania B.
One of the best burgers ever! And with a side of Mac salad, so good. Was not very impressed with the plate lunches. I was sad when I ordered the Korean chicken and it was not Big Island Korean chicken, If you don't know then ask somebody. But with the burgers, boozy shave ice, poke, and tempura spam musubi you can't go wrong.
(4)Tim F.
The poke is excellent. And the mai thai is steong! The burger was disappointing-- as well as the kimchi
(3)Jenny C.
Visited again awhile back. This time I got the Omelette Fried Rice. It looked amazing! It had spam in it and it was just so appealing. However when I ate it, the flavors were way too plentiful that I wasn't able to finish it. Huge disappointment, my friend got the Curry Katsu and he still enjoyed it, maybe it's time for me to go with what I know is good instead of being adventurous. This place is still great though!
(4)C C.
Outstanding!! The best I've had in years! Trio of kimchi was tasty. Cabbage kimchi went well with the Kalua pig. Teriyaki chicken excellent, Kalua pig excellent. Preferred side salad over the macaroni salad. Macaroni had eggs in it, which I don't like. Salad dressing was tasty too! Too bad I live over an hour away, but when I'm downtown I'll be stopping by again!
(5)Geoerl N.
Ate here for the first time yesterday! The atmosphere is fun and the staff is a good mix of cool and capable. I did run into an issue with my to go order. I waited for over 20 minutes and finally had to ask if I had been missed. I had been and my food was sitting to the side of the front counter. I was immediately given a coupon for a free meal the next time I came in. The food was good and it was well seasoned. I did add some teri sauce to my rice and enjoyed that. I tried the teri chicken it was a little over cooked but flavors were there. Also trien the Kahlua Pig it was good as well but probably not in the top 5 on my list. all in all I give it 3 stars it could easily get to 5 if they just take a little better care of their consumer and payed a little more attention to cook times. don't be afraid to flavor it up!! the beverage selection looked great although being a work day there wasn't an opportunity to check quality. :-)
(3)Katharine W.
Best teriyaki beef I've ever had!! Staff was so nice and helped me decide what i wanted, they actually seemed they liked there job. Also amazing house chips and mac salad. First time I've been there i definitely will be going back!
(5)Daniel M.
Some of the food items are great here. The Teri chicken and Mac salad are island legit. The service is really slow which is surprising considering how many people are back there. I also have to point out that what they serve for kal-bi is a travesty. First of all, it should be beef. But fine, I can understand the substitute. But you can't serve ribs like that and call it kal-bi! Google image search kal-bi and you'll see what I mean. And the meat was dry and not very marinated. Noho's still has them beat.
(3)Steve P.
I'm pretty sure I could eat their mac salad every day for the rest of my life.
(5)Miya A.
The butter mochi was super delicious. I was a little disappointed with my lau lau because the meat was a little dry in some spots. But the overall flavor was delicious. The mac salad wasnt bad either. Will definitely be back!
(4)Alana K.
I was raised on the Big Island, and this is some of the best Hawaiian food I've had, on OR off the island. I judge every Hawaiian place I've been to on the mainland by 3 things; if they have steamed cabbage in their kalua pork; if they even have a Loco Moco on their menu; and how good their poke is. They win at all 3. I haven't even had their burger, but it's award-winning here in Portland, which is home to some pretty kick-ass burgers to begin with.
(5)Betty F.
I eat here at least once a week and know their phone number by heart. I work in the neighborhood and have consistently had nothing but amazing customer service by Emily, Nick and his fake accent, and Danielle's smiling face. My food has never once been bad. It's fresh, local, organic and has a fantastic laid back atmosphere. Although there is way too much Reggae being played CONSTANTLY, I do enjoy the surf videos and neighborhood feel. Great for families, a date or a meeting place with friends. I tell all my customers to go here and they are always happy too.
(5)Brandon T.
Let's see, we got loco moco, five chicken wings, three sliders (shoyu chicken, spam and kalua pork), a side order of mac salad and two Mai Tais. Yum! One the surface the food was good, the service was great and I don't have much 'real stuff' to complain about. But when I take a look at the nitty gritty, I have to be honest that my experience wasn't as great as I had wanted it to be. For example, I didn't expect the SPAM slider to literally be just a slice of SPAM in a mini bun. SPAM is a versatile luncheon meat and they could easily dress it up and make this slider special. This one is on me because I could have read the description and avoided my disappointment by not ordering it. But that doesn't change the fact that Ate-Oh-Ate cut corners in creating the SPAM slider, especially when you compare it to flavor rich alternatives such as the shoyu chicken and kalua pork. Another tiny complaint is that the mac salad didn't come with the loco moco. Few things are as disappointing as ordering a hawaiian dish only to realize that THE MAC is missing. The loco moco showed up with no mac and I immediately went inside to order a side because I it didn't feel right continuing without that glue holding the meal together. I could swear the menu said that loco moco came with mac but maybe I just wasn't being attentive to the fine print. The bottom line is that it should definitely be eaten with mac regardless of if it is currently supposed to come with it or not. Which brings me to my last gripe, ordering hawaiian food should be just about the most laid back thing in the world and this shop has way way way way way too many things on their menu for it to not be complicated. I basically went with what I knew (loco moco) and the first things I glanced at (sliders+wings) after being inundated with menu/happy hour options. I appreciate that all of the dishes have the island influence but to be honest I would prefer that they cut it down to a few mainstays and run happy hour specials for the rest. Again this gripe is really all on me, as most people like having a ton of choices so how can I really fault them for this? As I said before the service was great, in the sense that they were attentive and accommodating. Besides the mac snafu and spam disappointment I really have little to complain about food-wise, as it was all delicious. As for the Mai Tais, well... I filled my quota of maraschino cherries so I have nothing to complain about. Ate-o-Ate is solid 4 stars, and would I to recommend it to a friend.
(4)Vicki C.
first time coming into Ate oh Ate and I'm kinda bummed I didn't find my way in here sooner! their menu reminds me of home style comfort food - island style. I've missed this food so much! we ordered the poke of the day; ahi was solid, onions were spicy and crunchy, green onions were cut a little on the large side, sauce was alright, on the whole pretty decent poke. spam musubi was alright, I liked that they added some egg in it. table also ordered the pork belly burger, fried saimin, and loco moco. burger was cooked perfectly, pork belly was awesome fatty/salty/tastiness, but macaroni salad was the best part of the burger plate for me. fried saimin was decent. my favorite thing ordered was definitely the loco moco with shiitake gravy. burger was a nice medium, eggs were over easy and filled with yolky goodness that went awesome with the gravy & rice.
(4)Brye P.
I haven't ordered a single thing from this place that wasn't good. They make one of the best burgers in town (I never see it mentioned on any lists). Thir salad dressing, while not cheap (I can't remember how much a glass jar is...like $7-$8?) is a bit of a condiment addiction of mine, along with whatever that vinegar in the Buddha Beer bottles happens to be (besides delicious). The only thing I don't like about the place is the decor. It was obviously done quickly, and on the cheap. We have taken multiple out-of-town people here, and they walk away saying "I wasn't sure at first. The place looked... like a strange choice? But that was really good." Or something to that effect. Agreed.
(4)Marianne S.
So I have to admit that I was a little bit typsy when I came here the other night for dinner, but it was delicious! Really reasonably priced plates with lots of food! We got the kimchi to share and it was amazing! The chicken was perfect. We got some mai-tais and they have a limit of two and I can see why. Phew! Were they strong! But awesome! I am going to venture to this place again soon, when I have a little less alcohol in me. I love the name, too! It's really clever. Ate-oh-Ate, just like Hawaii's are code- 808!
(4)Amy D.
Great wings. Good sized portions. Perfectly cooked rice. Their housemade sesame dressing is amazing. The mac salad is addictive.
(5)Oscar M.
I'm from Big Island so when I heard there was a local kind grinds spot here in town I was all over it! So I started with the Poke, I was skeptical seeing as our Ahi back home is fresh off the boat and its basically impossible to recreate that here based on logistics alone. But seeing as the tuna was Tombo vs our standard of yellow fin it was fresh and seasoned exactly like back home at KTA. I went a little unconventional when I ordered my main course of the Aina burger. Basically it's a concoction of their own made with a hybrid of traditional local cuisines combined on a burger that had the potential to fail horribly or slam it outta the park. And OMG they grand slammed it off the island right into our happy faces! The only reason I didn't give five stars is for two very simple and easily corrected issues. One is no fresh brewed tea just that nestea syrup that comes out of the soda fountain which is high fructose corn syrup with artificial color and flavor, its so simple and i bet cheaper to do it the right way, plus you open that nozzle for another flavor of soda that im sure will get used as well if not more than that crap. And secondly the salad was just simple iceberg lettuce with shaved carrots and a random creamy sauce. I can safely say that statistics are showing that a health conscious PDX is on the rise, sadly this is a traditional salad back home, but I do think this does provide an opportunity to improve upon tradition and make a better locally provided fresh green salad. I will return and look forward to trying the Lau Lau that was sold out!
(4)Devin M.
I was born and raised in Hawaii, 20 years. This is my favorite Hawaiian restaurant in Portland and I've been to them all. I've tried just about everything on the menu here in my many visits and everything is good at least, if not great. My favorites are the fried rice omelette (both the spam and homemade portuguese options are winners) and the Kal bi ribs. I gotta say everything but the kal bi is pretty authentic in my opinion and while the kal bi is more baby-back rib style then the thin slices you usually see it is very, very good. Oh, and don't forget to get some poki to start, just like how we used to make 'em back home. If you wanna go with something safe get the chicken katsu, the kids will love that one too, gaurans-ball-bearings. My least favorites are the burgers and sliders which are super rich and buttery and pretty greasy but still very tasty (which means you'll eat the whole thing and probably regret it later) and the tempura spam musubi which is better non tempura(ed) in my opinion. I would recommend hitting up the happy hour but be careful with the mai tai's, they are strong. Also, for desert the butter mochi is just how my mom used to make it, so ono and the shave ice is the best in town, hands down, don't forget the ice cream on the bottom. The owner of this place also owns Laurelhurst Market and I appreciate knowing that I'm getting high quality meat when I eat here. I also really like the roots reggae music playing in the background and the surf videos on the TV screen in the corner.
(5)Bryan L.
One of my favorites by far. Have been here numerous times for lunch and dinners and have never been disappointed. The Lau Lau is my favorite. The ribs are great and their Kalua Pig is perfection. Highly recommend.
(5)James D. H.
A local Culinary Hero of mine, Chef Ethan (Mad Props Chef E.) suggested the AOA. So glad I did. I've drivin by here a couple times & remembered the sign. Came in for lunch and got the window seat. Awesome! Had the Spam Musubi. Macaroni Salad and the Kim chi Sampler. The sampler is Daikon Radish, Cucumber and Bok choy Cabbage. All in separate bowls. The Spam Musubi comes out a little warm and fluffy soft and yummy and ....... I had another. Kinda wished i only ordered Musubi. Then Again. All 3 parts of the Kim chi, yum! Did i mention the Macaroni Salad? Creamy, with a hint of onion. I left in a food daze. My mind/stomach kept drifting back to lunch at the AOA. Around dinner time my friend said he was hungry, I knew just the place. For dinner I had two (2) Spam Musubi and Macaroni Salad. Ya. It's that good.
(5)Sean A.
GET THE AINA BURGER. If you love juice burgers and want something crispy too... this is it! Atmosphere's alright. Good lunch time spot.
(5)amy m.
These guys catered our wedding last year at Mt. Tabor, and it was amazing. The staff was great, the planning went well, the food was awesome, and everything went perfectly. Thanks for helping make our day very memorable.
(5)Katie S.
DO NOT get the Kalbi ribs! They are dry and overpriced. I ordered my to go and had to wait for 30 mins while the big groups came in after me already got their food. My waiting time could have been even longer if i didnt come up and asked about my order. Not coming back for sure!
(2)Kris E.
While in Portland on vacation I decided to give this place a try since I was craving hawaiian food. We ordered the poke, kimchi sampler, fried rice omelette with Portuguese sausage, and shoyu chicken /korean chicken wings plate. The food was not all that great. The fried rice tasted like pure butter and they used portuguese linguica instead of the hawaiian style portuguese sausage. The shoyu chicken was dry and the Korean chicken wings were not was I expecting. It was neither korean style or the hawaiian version of it and tasteless. The won bok kimchi was pretty old as well which shouldn't have been served unless prepared into a dish like soup or fried rice. However the poke, diakon & cucumber kimchi, and Mac salad were good but that's about it. I was quite surprised that the locals from Hawaii gave good reviews for this place. I've have experienced better hawaiian mainland food.
(2)Eila L.
The loco moco is bland, the meat is too salty and they skimp you on it. I've eaten there three times and I am done giving this place a chance. The women at the counter had horrible customer service skills, she was rude and not accommodating. This place is also over priced for the quality of food they serve. I do not recommend - go over to Beaverton and go to Roxys island grill if you want good Hawaiian plate food.
(1)Ashley H.
Oh my gosh every time I eat from here I finish every last bite, and the portions are pretty big. They are my first encounter with Hawaiian food and what I hold other places up to. I just scarfed the kalua pig and mac salad - the pork is so juicy! It is my favorite dish here. I am stuffed and happy and would definitely recommend this place to people I know. The service is amazing too!
(5)Veronica V.
Ate-oh-Ate has made it into our regular rotation for neighborhood restaurants. Uh.... heavy rotation, to tell the truth. It's such a comfortable, friendly place, we wind up heading there as a default destination pretty often. One of the things I love about 808 is that while they have the traditional Hawaiian gut-buster plate lunches, they also have lighter far -- like hekka noodles and chicken long rice -- which are satisfying, filling meals, but not quite as heavy as some of the other offerings. But if you want a big fat plate of loco moco that could choke a sumo wrestler, well, they've got that, too, and it's awesome!
(5)Cliff E.
The best thing about the place is the catchy name. There was nothing Hawaiian about the dishes we had here. They were sold out of the lau lau but i couldn't imagine it to be that good with the rest of the food we had. Chicken Katsu, it was decent but that is probably the easiest dish you can make. Spam Musubi, the spam wasn't crispy on the edges and they served it with egg which wasn't the norm. Ahi Poke was a huge disappointment, looked great but couldn't taste the marinade or the fish. The chicken wings were extremely salty. The pork belly saimin soup actually tasted 'burnt'. Overall all the names were familiar but the tastes were not.
(2)Amy Y.
Korean wings were definitely something to rave about. And who can beat shave ice with rum in it? After only one visit we will go back a try more dishes. One negative: I have never had poke SO oily! Service was friendly and helpful.
(4)S-papadoc K.
Cool place. Took a while for food to arrive. Lau lau good, Korean chicken good, musubi good, loco moco - no comment 11 bucks.
(3)Kevin J.
Neat place. More Asian fusion then Hawaiian though. Good portion sizes. I got the kalbi ribs and a dark and stormy. The drink tasted like a high schooler made it, which isn't a problem if you're just drinking to get drunk, but I was hoping for more. I'll probably be back.
(4)Kccstrong A.
Only gripe? The poke was 90% onions and maybe 10% fish and that's not right!
(3)jackie l.
A good place to go for cheap eats. I ordered edamame, musubi, and ramen. The edamame was cold but I guess that's how it's supposed to be, I preferred it soft and warm. I did like the chili flavoring on the edamame, just took the rest home and microwaved it. Didnt care for the ramen, I've had better however I did loved their musubi! Wanted to order more but they ran out! Will come back for more.
(4)Dian K.
3.5 stars is about right for this place. On a rainy Portland day, I wanted to be reminded of tropical places and decided to go to Ate-oh-Ate. Although, the ambiance of the place isn't exactly tropical - I wasn't transformed - yes, it's still raining outside. We got there the last few minutes of HH, but I was under pressure and couldn't search yelp fast enough on what to order for HH, so I went for the common meat dish so I can compare to the other Hawaiian restaurant in the area. I tried the kalua pork and shoyu chicken. I was surprised that it was a bone-in chicken - nice surprise. Usually shoyu chicken is semi-mystery chicken meat chopped into small pieces. This way, we know it was good chicken meat that we're eating. The sauce was nice and sweet too. Definitely would order this again. The kalua port, on the other hand, was WAY too salty. There wasn't enough rice to cut down the saltiness. I ate less than half of it. Mac salad was so-so too. Since it's not really in my neck of the woods, while it's not horrible, I probably wouldn't come here again. I'd rather go to Roxy since it's closer.
(3)Nathan W.
Quality tacos at an amazing price! So good and fast service! If you are on the NE side, definitely don't pass this spot up.
(5)Brianna R.
I've been here a couple of times and the food is decent! I've had a few of the plates and the burger. The burger was crazy rare. Pretty much raw in the middle and from the other reviews it seems this is a common occurrence. Maybe that's how it's supposed to be. Either way, I probably won't get it again. I like the Mac salad and I'm sure I'll come back to get some other stuff. But that raw burger kinda put a damper on the place for me.
(3)Dawn B.
Pork shoulder was delicious! It's fast food Hawaiian... the ambiance isn't much.
(5)Spencer G.
This place is awesome. I go a few times a month. Terriyaki Chicken is super good. Best Hawaiian food I have found in portland! The Mai Thai is strong and good too! If you like plate lunch, this is a must!
(5)Zack M.
I've been here twice now and each time I was pretty unimpressed with their food. Everything I have tasted was pretty bland, no flavor to be remembered (especially the meat). The seating area is not that comfortable either. The only reason I would recommend someone to come here is for a quick place to go on a work lunch break. The small seating area kind of felt like a college campus restaurant area.
(2)Jessica F.
The girl at the counter was not so nice. But other than that l have gone a few times and l always like the food. The butter mochi dessert with ice cream was so awesome!
(4)Traci J.
It's Hawaiian, it was close to the hotel, and we saw it advertised in an Asian newspaper. Unfortunately they didn't have the bucket of Primos that we were excited about, but we swapped in a couple of tall Longboards. The two of us ordered a side of taro chips, combo kim chee, fried saimin, and Korean chicken wings. Though they weren't hot out of the fryer and self-seasoned, like we get at Hawaiian Chip Co., they were a close second. Crispy, salty, and not broken! Kim chee trio was the best bargain at $3.99: individual bowls of cucumber, napa and daikon. Slightly sweet and not fiery hot. Korean chicken wings were good, a tad more spicy than I like, and had a bit more batter than I like. Mac salad was good, a bit more zipped up than the standard mac, shredded carrot and Best Foods. Fried saimin was not quite what we were used to, and was fairly salty and wet. Nice vibe to the place, with a mixed crowd of families, couples and a large birthday crowd.
(2)Charlie C.
auwe! Was really looking forward to this place. I've eaten a lot of Hawaiian food from the islands and around Portland/Beaverton area. Got the take-out for supper. Ordered the standard such as kalua pig and poke. Really wanted to try the shoyu chicken but didn't want to mess with the bone-in chicken, so went for the teriyaki chicken instead. Got to say the kalua pig was juicy and tender, BUT was too salty. Hawaiian food is usually on the savory side, but this kalua pig was overly seasoned and I had to throw it out. The teriyaki chicken and poke was right on. Mac salad was fresh and rice was good. Please, lighter on the salt and the kalua pig would be perfect. I will come back to check out the shaved ice.
(3)Big D.
HAMBURGER WAS RAW in the middle. Fried rice and pig sliders were very good. Mac salad was good.
(3)Jamie L.
After waiting to try this place for so long I was just a little let down after all I had heard BUT it was still tasty. Loco Moco is one of my favorite dishes ever. This was what I decided to have here. It was overall good but the meat didn't taste quite seasoned like they do on the island. I appreciate that they are putting a Portland twist on it with the mushroom gravy and while it had good flavor it just wasnt the traditional gravy I was looking for. The portions were decent. The Mac salad was good but not the best I've had. My friend ordered the chicken sand which that looked delicious and had some nice looking slaw on it. It's a fairly small restaurant and was packed on a Tuesday evening. Dinning early or getting Togo would be best. All in all it was delicious and I will definitely be going back to try some of the other plate lunches.
(3)Trisha A.
Really superb food. Korean chicken wings are spot on. Burgers are flavorful and interesting. The saimin is addictive. I don't feel the portions are as ginormous as other Hawaiian joints. And the food is less greasy. I can eat here and feel very satisfied but not over indulgent. +++
(4)Raechel S.
The chili wings are amazing. I literally crave them. Yum! Been going here for years. Never disappointed.
(5)Eric S.
I enjoyed this place and there was a foursquare deal which sweetens the flavor of the food.....to me price is an important factor.
(4)Keane C.
Alright, since there aren't many people who are actually from Hawaii, I felt like I had to write a review (after eating here for the first time). I'm born and raised from the Big Island and was jonesing for a good plate lunch. The reviews were good and I wanted everything on the menu. I settled on a combo plate of Lau Lau, Korean Chicken white rice and mac salad. The Korean chicken was NOT the Korean chicken you would get anywhere in Hawaii. The Hawaiian kine is sweet, shoyu based sauce with sesame seeds and green onion. This was probably more of what actual Korean chicken is like, as it had a spicy Kim chee type sauce on it. It was severely burnt. Like ridiculously so. It was a bummer 'cause it still had a good flavor otherwise. But seriously, I can't believe the cook served that. Shame. It was thin slices of chicken wouldn't have taken five minutes. The Lau Lau was also disappointing. It said it was Pork with salted cod wrapped in a Kalo leaf. Bra! It was more like straight Kalo leaf. Someone forgot to put fish in it and there was only one small piece pork, which was tasty. I love the Kalo leaf, but it was like a fat wad of Kalo and little else. The rice was cooked perfect and the Mac salad was top of the line (as far as Mac salad goes). I'm gonna give them another chance, though I am going to check the other Hawaiian places around town first. Bottom line: if you're from Hawaii and what legit Korean chicken or Lau Lau, I would look elsewhere. If you never had Hawaii plate lunches, it's probably pretty good, as long as they don't incinerate your chicken! They got a good vibe going on in the restaurant, but I had it for take out (probably why they served that chicken).
(2)Simon R.
I lived in Hawaii for some time and am always on the lookout for good pig. Ate Oh Ate has good food but portion sizes leave a lot to be desired. I was disappointed enough to contact them and make sure they knew about how small the portion size was and the manager was incredibly defensive and upset. It's a good place in a pinch but you can do much better, even in the Beaverton area. Again good food, overpriced. You will not have left overs.
(3)Jen T.
So Ono! The shoyu chicken is cooked to perfection. Great reggae music playing. Friendly staff. You can feel the aloha walking in.
(5)Colleen M.
For some reason I crave the teriyaki beef here every few months and I'm not a big beef person. I also like the macaroni salad. I would come here more often if there were healthy vegetable options to balance the meat and mac but the food is tasty.
(3)Dan R.
Far from healthy but addicting. Katsu chicken and kalua pork is delicious...and green salad!
(4)Tiffany L.
Tried Ate-Oh-Ate yesterday for the first time. I'm not an expert on Hawaiian cuisine but my parents live in Oahu and I've had plenty of authentic Hawaiian chow. I wouldn't exactly call AOA authentic, but more like fast-food Hawaiian-like cuisine. You wait on line and order at the counter and then seating is seat yourself. The staff and counter girl were friendly. There was only one table open so we took that one. It was by the door, so it got pretty cold when the door got opened. They have their menus on boards, as well as some Specials. I totally missed that they even had Specials, because it's on a very small sign off to the side of the counter. Cocktails and beer lists have their own board, and they have typical tropical concoctions and Hawaiian beers. I got the PROG Cocktail, which is Passion-Orange-Guava juice and rum. It was strong, so that was good at least. At $7, it wasn't the best, and I thought the juice didn't taste very fresh. Hubby got a beer at $4. The menu is broken up into Plate Lunches, More Plates (which include Loco Moco & Hekka), Sandwiches & Sides. I got the Kahlua Pig Plate Lunch, and hubby got the Beef Hekka. My Kahlua pig was honestly, inedible (to me). It was so overly salted that all I tasted was salt, and not the meat itself. I love salt and I tend to oversalt things, but I couldn't eat this. The rice was a good consistency and the macaroni salad was actually delicious. I switched my meal with my husband and he ate the pig and I had his Hekka. The Hekka tastes just like Filipino Pancit if you've ever had that. A clear-noodle stir-fry with your choice of meat, in our case beef. It was tasty, but I thought it had too much sauce, and also not enough noodles. The beef, however, was really nicely flavored and tender. The inside is no-frills, and bathrooms were clean. They also have Shaved Ice but we didn't try it. I wouldn't be in a huge rush to return, but would possibly for Happy Hour.
(3)A Z.
Mediocre food, overpriced. Not bad, but not good.
(3)Jenny T.
One of our fav place. Only thing that needs improvement is the saimin, it's always a little too salty. Other than that, everything else is fantastic. Make sure to leave some space for the mochi cake and their homemade coconut ice cream. Eat them together, SOOOO GOOD! :)
(5)Andrew H.
So back in 2007 my family took a trip out to Hawaii. I pretty much ate fish every. single. day. So I didn't eat a whole lot of meat with the exception of a burger at Jimmy Buffet burger joint and some Kalua pork at a luau we went to. When you are that close to the ocean, and you are coming from land-locked Texas, one eats fresh fish. In Texas, one eats a lot of beef or pork.... or you just starve. Sorry vegheads. Now in 2013, I have made the jump to Portland and well there's a coastline a little over an hour away and I am also quite a bit closer to the Hawaiian Islands. I am also living in a town that you can find almost every type of food possible. Hawaiian food is something I crave from time to time and Ate-Oh-Ate is only a few blocks from me. I never got to eat Lau Lau or Loco Moko out there or even a Spam Masubi (if I spelled that right) There are a few locations of this type of food in this town. I am happy for that. This Lau Lau I had was just so good that I didn't leave a single bite at all. The green salad with they "Thai peanut" type dressing was just sweet, sweet goodness. It tied in nicely with the saltiness of the pork and salt cod. I added some chili water that had vinegar in it and a little sriracha for some heat and had a great balance of flavors going around. All food is in the $10 range, except it looked like there was some great happy hour deals to be had and I saw fried kimchee was an item i'd like to taste. I can't wait to go back for more. I'll also have a beer or two because the fruit punch option (I don't drink soda) was way too sweet to eat with my Lau Lau. Enjoy.
(5)Ryan A.
I had to start avoiding one of my favorite Hawaiian places because the service just got too terrible to justify going back. It's too bad Ate-Oh-Ate isn't closer to home, or I would make it the replacement. The woman that took our order didn't start out the best, but she warmed up throughout our time there and I ended up liking the service. Other than that brief moment, there was nothing bad to say about this place. Don't get me wrong; this is not a "oh my god, I am coming back here tomorrow" type five-star review. This is a "everything was just about perfect" five-star review. The ingredients seemed to be of high quality, the food tasted great and the restaurant as a whole was just as it should be. I even appreciated their attention to traffic flow that was the ordering line and process. I have had Hawaiian food I liked better (just a different option for me), but I have not had better Hawaiian food. I know that doesn't make sense, but I think it means that if you like authentic plate lunch, you'll like this place.
(5)Anna W.
I have eaten here several times and have always had a great experience. Try to get in a little early as the dinner rush can be crazy! For food I recommend the khalua pig and for a drink their chi chis are my favorite!
(5)Paige H.
Craving poke for weeks, the boyfriend and and I stopped here after exploring PDX on foot and we were happy to see everything on the menu sounded good! Score! He ordered the loco moco and I ordered the saimin. His was excellent with perfectly cooked eggs and delicious meat - so good, in fact, that I kept trying to take more, which didn't go over well, but that's beside the point. Anyway, his was good and mine? Mine left a lot to be desired. After enjoying the small poke bowl, I had high hopes because the small plate I'd just had was so tasty. The reality was actually a boring, lifeless soup that I so badly wanted to like but couldn't. I wound up giving up on it after about 5 minutes. No amount of soy sauce or Sriracha sauce could wake that broth up. Most of the staff was nice, but the cashier was actually a bit snobby and had zero personality beyond that. She alone knocked off a star. How about smiling and not looking like we are ruining your day? Will I try this place again? Yes, since the food was mostly good. Hopefully I have better luck next time! I think they deliver, so that's also a plus.
(3)Deena J.
I was drawn here by the pork belly saimin, (having just spent three weeks in New Zealand and still craving pork belly) but was unsure how to eat it. Apparently I figured it out because my bowl was empty! The chili pepper water? I could drink it! Great music, great people. Will totally be back, with friends. Lots of friends!
(5)Vanetta A.
A bit overpriced, but delicious.
(4)Eric H.
We enjoyed a few things about this place. They had a decent selection for people who don't eat pork which was nice. I was surprised because of the creepy pig on the sign, but there are several items with no pig! The food was good yes, but the drinks here are amazing. The two drink limit on their specialty drink is a good idea. I had one and I was a bit buzzed. Will definitely be coming back.
(4)Leilani C.
OH my GAWD....I've tried way too many Hawaiian restaurants in PDX and been vastly disappointed. Over 100 reviews and I can't believe this place only has a 3 star average. We moseyed on over here after I had a post-op appointment at Providence. I make it a point to try every Hawaiian establishment I come across and was far from disappointed after lunch at AteOhAte. I walked in here resembling One-eyed Willy with an awesome eye patch courtesy of the awesome eye-surgery caused by a bunch of annoying details I won't bother you with. I was definitely getting looks from the guys behind the counter but couldn't be bothered with that when the only thing I could think of was the delicious aroma saturating the air and oozing out the door crack into the street. Prices were decent - I think I paid $7 or $8 for a teriyaki chicken plate with mac salad. My unbetter half ordered the kalua pig and ribs as a mixed plate. It seemed to take a little longer than expected to get our food but I partially blame the smell of all sorts of delectable animal proteins on an open flame for wreaking havoc on my perception of time. The char on the chicken, the smoke in the pig, the fall off the bone ribs...they were just ungodly. The teriyaki sauce was mouth-watering (I'm salivating just thinking about it - gah!) - so much so that I ordered a mason jar to go. Now...the mac salad. I will die attempting to copy-cat this freaking mac salad. Why is it orange? How is it orange? I have no idea but I'm sure it's for good reason because it's the best mac salad I've ever put in my mouth...not that it's ever gone elsewhere. If anyone knows the top-secret, classified ingredients that make this mac salad a criminal delicacy, I will do unspeakable things to obtain them. Their service was not impeccable but they were nice. Took my order. Brought me delicious food. I really couldn't care for much else. We've been back numerous times since and are still thoroughly pleased each time. GO to AteOhAte. Don't listen to these other ninnies that have rated it less than great - they're just WRONG. I'm attempting some chicken tonight with this handy lil mason jar of sauce. Let's see if my authentic Hawaiian heritage will serve me any good.
(5)Alex M.
Cute restaurant that has a lot of charm. The Hawaiian food tastes authentic! The price is great for how much you get. Nothing to complain about. You order first and then find a table to sit at. We went with a bigger group and easily found a table to fit us all. This place should definitely be more packed with the quality of food they have! Everything about this place was excellent: the food, service, atmosphere. Came here with a bunch of friends and everyone loved the dishes they were served. We had more than plenty for leftovers and felt completely full afterwards. Would definitely recommend to anyone.
(5)Brandi M.
So far I'm impressed but a little upset with myself that it took me so long to give ate O ate a try. I really like the spicy chicken wings and the Korean chicken....yummy. The daikon and cucumber kimchi is not too shabby either. I bought a jar of the teriyaki sauce and used it on some pork ribs as a marinade and I must say they were amazing.
(4)