Everybody has their favorite hole-in-the-wall spot: a quaint dive bar, a hamburger stand with questionable health inspector records, an old Mason hall serving strong coffee. We came to love Ohana Island Kitchen when it was a literal hole in the wall: a window-font station in a shared space on a quiet corner just west of The Platte River. Thanks to much-deserved success, it has since evolved into a full-scale operation serving excellent Hawaiian lunch favorites from its own shop (across the street from the hole in the wall). Say aloha to Denver’s best poke stop: Ohana Island Kitchen.

photo credit: TASHA FITTS

The small, cafe-style operation is all about fresh, big flavors - think teriyaki-esque pulled pork, high-quality tuna, sweet rice, and a good amount of spam (don’t be afraid). The food alone sells the place, but the picnic-style seating situation and very friendly staff really ups Ohana’s game, and works well for both hurried and leisurely lunches.

The higher prices might give you pause considering it’s lunch, but rest assured, you get what you pay for. Plus, we guarantee eating food this good while relaxing for a few minutes at a picnic table will cure your mid-day work stress. Grab a buddy or two and order the entire menu to share. We’ll see you there.

Food Rundown

Poke Bowl

We’ve been wondering when the poke bowl craze was going to hit Denver, and we couldn’t be more pleased with this showing from Ohana. It’s super simple: fresh tuna and good rice. Get to it before they sell out (usually by around 2pm).

Hawaiian Sliders

Standard pulled pork slider that’s a little on the sweet side. The pork here is tender and pretty amazing, but ask them to go light on the sauce.

Bento Box

The rice to pork portions are a little off in our opinion, but it won’t matter if you get the dish to share. Definitely add the spam option on this one.

Potato Salad

As authentic as Hawaiian potato salad can get. Which means there’s a lot of mayo. Another item you want on the table help cleanse your palate between pork and tuna, but also another one you’ll want to share.

Kale Salad

Cool, crisp, light, and perfect on a hot day. Pretty sure that goes for most Kale salads, but this one goes above and beyond what you’re used to.

Guava Cake

Dessert during lunch is usually a risky move, given the odds say you’ll probably want to hibernate all afternoon after eating, but this one is worth it. Super light, moist cake, and a nice fruity layer of glaze. A must order.

Spam Musubi

It’s not Hawaiian if there isn’t some sort of Spam, right? This representation is a great sandwich substitution to add into your weekly lunch mix. Another must- order, at least once.