Rutts Hawaiian Cafe &amp; Catering

Rutt’s Hawaiian Cafe - Review - Mar Vista - Los Angeles - The Infatuation

"They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, which is great news because Rutt’s serves it all day long. This casual Mar Vista diner is decked out in enough tiki decor and surfboards to make you crave a mai tai (they don’t serve alcohol, but they do have plenty of Hawaiian Sun in the fridge) and features a huge menu of mostly solid Hawaiian breakfast plates—some with eggs and kalua pork, others with french toast, loco moco, or sandwiches on sweet rolls. Prioritize the Royales first, which are essentially oversized fried rice platters scrambled up with toppings like portuguese sausage, kimchi, or chicken teriyaki. Food Rundown photo credit: Cathy Park Hawaiian Royale This mountain of fried rice tossed with egg, Portuguese sausage, char siu, bean sprouts, and green onions is a filling way to start your day—especially if your day involves competitve paddleboarding or bare-hand climbing a volcano. It’s tasty but one-note, so you'll want to punch it up after a few bites, which is where a generous drizzle of teriyaki or hot sauce comes in handy. photo credit: Cathy Park Katsu Chicken & Coconut Shrimp Combo The coconut-packed fried shrimp and creamy-cool mac salad are the best bites on this lunch plate. The chicken is thinner, drier, and doesn’t deliver the same crunch, even if a dip in tangy katsu sauce makes it a bit better. photo credit: Cathy Park Spam Musubi The Spam-to-rice ratio on these is spot-on. If you ask your server to wrap them up, they're also the perfect little snack to keep in your pocket for later." - Cathy Park

38 Thanksgiving Takeout Specials In LA

"With locations in Culver City and Gardena, Rutt’s is a convenient option if you’re looking for a reasonably priced Thanksgiving takeout package with a little Hawaiian flair. The restaurant is offering individually packaged plates for $12 each, as well as group packages that can feed up to 13-15 people for $190. Dishes include roast turkey, sweet yams or mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, mac salad, sweet rolls, and pineapple bread pudding for dessert. Orders can be placed online for November 24th pickup. " - kat hong, nikko duren, garrett snyder

On the Grid : Rutt’s Hawaiian Cafe

"Missing an authentic taste of the islands? Rutt's Cafe has got you covered on all your spam, macaroni salad, sweet tea and shave ice cravings. Serving up traditional aloha dishes diner-style, our go-to is the Royale lunch special. Wheel chair ride home not included." - Italic Studio

"Rutt’s Hawaiian Cafe, Mar Vista. Missing an authentic taste of the islands? Rutt's Cafe has got you covered on all your spam, macaroni salad, sweet tea and shave ice cravings. Serving up traditional aloha dishes diner-style, our go-to is the Royale lunch special. Wheel chair ride home not included."

Los Angeles

Evan Tan

Google

have always been a personal favorite of mine when it comes to comfort food! the teriyaki sauce is basically a drug that makes it all amazing!

Michaella Creations

Google

This is the most affordable and delicious Happy Hour menu available on the west side of Los Angeles. Rutt’s is the first Hawaiian restaurant I’ve been to and the food was great! The spam musubi, salmon tacos and the shrimp tempura were some of my favorite dishes. This might be a little bit out of the ordinary, but I would recommend trying the spam musubi dipped in the tempura sauce if you order both. Like reviews? Watch detailed ones @michaellacreations on IG. Follow me around the world: @integrativetravel (YouTube & IG)

Michael Harrold

Google

The Original Hawaiian Royal w/ Fried Rice - Portugeuse Sausage, Char Sui (Chinese BBQ Pork), Eggs, Fried Rice, Sprouts, Onions / 5⭐! Spam Masubi - spam, rice, sauce, seawood wrap / 5⭐! Hawaiian-style Macaroni Salad / 5⭐! I am a fan of Hawaiian food partly because it is a wonderfully, eclectic blend of influences from other cuisines and has evolved far enough to have its own distinct culinary identity. Rutt's Hawaiian Cafe, an LA Hawaiian cafe with a few locations around the SoCal area, fully embraces the food that makes Hawaii special. Their menu includes a large list of island favorites. I was drawn towards the Royale dish, which is something that isn't available at lots of other Hawaiian places. A Royale is an egg/omelette dish mixed with rice and fillings. I went with their original which includes sausage and char sui and I went for the fried rice version. It was amazing! So much flavor with all the ingredients mixed together. Every bite was magic. It was also insanely filling. I used some of the bbq sauces on the table to add a bit more kick. I love Hawaiian style macaroni salad as well as spam masubi. Had I known how big the royale was, I'd probably have just ordered that but I was keen to try some other items. No regrets! The spam masubi is always a fun dish to have. It is a nice savory/sweet combo and hit the spot. Their take on the macaroni salad was also excellent. The restaruant is bright and colorful. I like that a large copy of the menu greets you at the door. There are lots of seats inside and outside on a patio. The servers were friendly and helpful. My server is who convinced me to try the royale. There is a very small parking lot connected to the restaurant but it also looked like there was lots of easy street parking. If you love Hawaiian cuisine or if you are curious what makes a great Hawaiian dish, give Rutt's a try! They have been open for a long time and have a lot of great food in their friendly, colorful location.

Jeremy Ekalo

Google

A word of caution, be careful about what you choose if you actually know authentic Hawaiian cuisine because you could be in for a real bruiser of a dissatisfied type of day <[single tear]> wah. I've eaten at Rutt's on several occasions and have never been displeased before so let's make that clear; they have a wide variety of menu options that includes some tasty stuff. Buuuuut THEN I ordered the Kalbi Plate and woowee, what a disappointment that was; tummy was unhappy & unsatisfied and so was wallet. When I see "Hawaiian" in any restaurant name or description, I get all nostalgic about the thousands (no kidding) of Kalbi plate lunches I've had and I generally never scratch that itch because it's generally a let down and on this day, it fortified that discontent. The friendly enough staff served, two...yes just two of the thinnest thinly cut Kalbi's I ever did see with my two wittle eyes. And guess what, those two wittle baby ribs matched the amount of seasoning they used too. No island flavor brah and could barely even suss out the salt and pepper! I was like, "these guys make em pipikaula or what" but I doubt they even know what that is lol. Weak flavor and weak portion = muy mal comida guey. Luckily my other half ordered the Portuguese sausage bowl which was alright and I avoided the, "I can't believe you took me here" scolding since it was my idea but needless to say, gonna have to play it safe at Rutt's and just order spam. All in all, don't challenge the kitchen too hard because you're liable to be letdown.

Isagani Tapaoan

Google

The food at this place was mediocre at best, not truly authentic Hawaiian cuisine. Instead, it seemed more like Mexican food with a Hawaiian twist. To top it off, there was Mexican music playing while we ate, which further emphasized the fusion vibe rather than a traditional Hawaiian experience. However, the service was outstanding, with a very friendly staff making up for the culinary letdown. I can see how this can be a Haole's favorite spot.

Brian May

Google

This is a great Happy Hour spot with so many options to choose from all for $5 each! The food never disappoints, and the vibe is very chill which makes the place even better.

Kimberly H

Google

Parking was a little difficult, on a very busy street, clean location with indoor and outdoor seating. Menu was very large offered Hawaiian, Mexican, and American, a little odd. Prices are fair, food was just ok, not too impressed but it was good. Would recommend, but not sure if I’d return.

Sarah P

Google

A family favorite since we found it 8+ years ago!! I can’t say enough about how wonderful the staff is and the food is consistently delicious !! Some of our favorites include the spam musubi, Original Royale (with fried rice), Saimin with extra extra fish cakes, Veggie Royale (with fried rice), kalua pork quesadilla, the Mac salad and you gotta try the Hawaiian bread French toast!!

Rutt’s Hawaiian Cafe - Review - Mar Vista - Los Angeles - The Infatuation

38 Thanksgiving Takeout Specials In LA

On the Grid : Rutt’s Hawaiian Cafe

Los Angeles