Ai Pono Cafe

09/20/2026

Last day of our off site catering!! Sorry for the inconvenience go check out exit8bodega across the street they got you….,

09/19/2026

Sorry for the inconvenience! We will be closing at 4pm today due to a large off site catering…. See you all tomorrow….

09/12/2026

THIS IS NOT A JOKE! 🤦🏽‍♂️🤦🏽‍♂️
Do you recognize these two? Last night around 7:05 PM, they worked together to distract our cashier and stole $200 from our café. 💔
If you know who they are, please send us a message — every bit of help matters. Let’s keep our small business community safe. 🙏 (guess that’s what happens a when you do joke around)

09/07/2026

Hawaii is truly the birthplace of poke! At its core, it’s all about the fish — the ingredients should enhance that flavor, never overpower it. Here at exit8bodega, we hold to that standard while still working with what’s locally available to us. And honestly, your customers are some of your best advisors — they’ll tell you exactly what sells, no matter what restaurant or spot you’re running.
Here’s Chef’s top 5 poke spots on O’ahu:
1. Tanioka's Seafoods & Catering
2. POKE FOR THE PEOPLE
3. KBAYBROS FISH & ICE CO.
4. Tamura's Market
5. PBTP

Still got a long list of spots to try on the next trip! Tag where else chef should go below…

09/06/2026

Sorry for the inconvenience, but sometimes the crew needs a few days off after all the hard work 🤙 It’s what keeps us able to keep serving the best Hawaiian street food on the mainland.
We’re closed Sunday, September 6 through Tuesday, September 8 for Labor Day weekend, and we’ll be back to our normal hours starting Wednesday, September 9. Thank you for understanding!
Still craving something from Hawaii? Our bodega across the street has you covered all weekend — full poke case, mini bentos, desserts, grab-and-go shave ice, and Dole Whip 🍍🍧
See you guys Wednesday!

09/03/2026

SWIPE LEFT……….
Now that we’ve got your attention
(and you’ve seen some of the food 👀),
come down and see us in person!
📍 Ai Pono Café in Costa Mesa
📍 Exit 8 Bodega, right across the street —
come get your lunch!
The very best Hawai’i street food in all the land, and the hottest thing to hit the scene since sliced bread. 🍍
Exit 8 Bodega — open all day. And like Chef said: if this is a real person, we apologize… come get a Dole Whip on us. 🍦

08/30/2026

We apologize for the inconvenience. See you all on Tuesday for our normal hours….

08/28/2026

08/25/2026

Chef’s always finding ways to make the classics more exciting and more craveable — and our crackhead chicken is proof of that. If you didn’t already know, we keep it playful, we keep it exciting, we keep it creative. Playing it safe might work for everyone else, but that’s just not us.
Stay tuned — Chef’s got some exciting new additions coming to the café soon. 👀
Drop a 🔥 in the comments if you’ve already tried our crackhead chicken, and tag a friend who needs to try it next.
OCFoodie ChefsSpecial NewMenuAlert FoodieCommunity EatLocalOC