The Makai Island Kitchen & Groggery is a Hawaiian Themed Restaurant with a lively bar & grill for seafood, steaks & pasta in a marine-inspired space with a rotating bar. The Restaurant is often visited by tourists and locals for its Hawaiian theme décor, famous Hawaiian local dish with different seasonings and local ingredients. The Restaurant is about 1 hour and 30 minutes from San Francisco via Hwy-1 South (69 miles). The Makai Restaurant is open 7 days a week from 11 a.m.- 9 p.m.
Our drive to The Makai Island Kitchen & Groggery was a very fun, relaxing, scenic, and winding road. The view of the various beaches (San Gregorio, Davenport, Bonny Doon, Four Mile) along the Hwy-1 coast was well worth the drive. We even passed through a few organic farms, (Pie Ranch, Swanton Berry Farm) small coastal towns (Pescadero, Davenport), Pigeon Point lighthouse, and wet marshlands.
We arrived at the Wharf in Santa Cruz at around 12 noon. We stumbled into this hidden gem restaurant with a Hawaiian theme as we were walking along the wharf. When we entered the restaurant, we were impressed with the Hawaiian theme decors, music, and the revolving tiki bar with the view of the water. We were greeted by our friendly hostess named Eyra and were seated at the outdoor covered tables with a view of the ocean. Our friendly, attentive server named Troy recommended a few items on the menu. I ordered the Huli Huli Chicken for $15, which is a marinated chicken thighs that are “turned” over an open flame to lock in the natural juices, and served with steamed rice and our house-original mac salad. My daughter opted for the Pineapple Spam Fried Rice with prawns for $17. My wife ordered the savory Guava Soy Bistro Steak for $16, a flank steak basted with a house-made guava-soy marinade, and grilled to perfection served with rice and your choice of vegetable. Lastly, for dessert we tried and shared the delicious Banana pudding for $8.
Overall, we enjoyed our fun and relaxing outdoor lunch experience at The Makai Island Kitchen and Groggery. Nothing compares to eating outdoors with Hawaiian background music on a sunny day with good quality food, refreshing Hawaiian cocktail drinks, and an amazing view of the ocean.
Tips: The parking rates at the Santa Cruz Wharf for summer (Mar- Sept) are $1 per 20 minutes or $24 daily max. And for Winter is $1 per hour for the first 4 hours then $2 per hour with a $12 daily max. The Wharf also has a Santa Cruz boat rental place that rents motorized boats, boogie boards, wetsuits, life jackets, fishing gears, frozen baits, and many more.
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