Ai Pono Cafe

Ai Pono Cafe Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Ai Pono Cafe, 283 suite A, 17th St., Costa Mesa, CA.
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07/11/2026

In honor of the blessed one – Max Holloway

So 🅲🆄🅻🅸🅽🅰🆁🆈 🅶🅰🅽🅶🆂🆃🅴🆁 figured he’d bless Costa Mesa with a little sneak peek of what’s coming to exit8bodega

This one’s for the ones from Kauaʻi.

If you know… you fu***ng know.

FLYING SAUCERS. 🛸

But Ai Pono had to do it our way.

Pastele Stew.

Chicken Adobo.

Stuffed. Sealed. Ready to bless the streets.

EXIT 8 is coming.

A Hawaiʻi-inspired bodega built for the culture, not the trend.

Costa Mesa… stay tuned.

The streets are about to get blessed.

07/11/2026

The Documentary of the Rock Haad Laulau.

Starring Thai-Style Beef Jerky.

The legend disappeared.

People asked questions.

Rumors started spreading.

Some said it would never return.

They were wrong.

A story of smoke.

Flavor.

And one plate that refused to be forgotten.

We had to bring the legend back.

Now streaming for a limited time at Ai Pono Café Costa Mesa.

No subscription needed.

Just show up hungry.

Who’s been waiting for this comeback? 👇

07/11/2026

Everybody talks about the food.

But the food was never the most beautiful part of Ai Pono.

You are.

The families.

The regulars.

The first-timers who became friends.

The strangers who became ʻohana.

You’ve turned this café into more than a restaurant.

You’ve made it a gathering place.

A place where stories are shared, birthdays are celebrated, friendships are built, and people always know they’ll be welcomed.

To our Costa Mesa community…

Thank you for believing in us, supporting us, and making Ai Pono what it is today.

We may cook the food…

But you are the heart of this place.

Tag someone you’ve met at Ai Pono or someone who always feels like family when you walk through our doors. ❤️

07/09/2026

Build a plate worthy of a Culinary Gangster.

Anybody can order food.

Not everybody can build the right plate.

It’s Tupac Thursday, and today YOU call the shots.

Las Vegas came to play with Garlic Butter Mahi-Mahi and Korean Short Ribs joining the lineup…

(Costa Mesa… don’t get jealous. 😉)

Now let’s see who really knows Ai Pono.

Build your ultimate Tupac Thursday plate using ANY TWO menu items.

No wrong answers…

Except the ones Chef would roast you for. 😂

Vegas, defend your lineup.

Costa Mesa, tell us why yours is still better.

The comments are officially open. 👇

07/09/2026

What your food is cooked in matters.

That’s why at Ai Pono Café, we made a choice.

No seed oils.

No shortcuts.

We cook with 100% Mishima Beef Tallow—not beef tallow–flavored oils.

And when we use olive oil, it’s single-source, cold-pressed Lebanese olive oil—never blended with canola oil.

Because we believe what goes into your food is just as important as what goes on your plate.

You have enough choices to make every day.

The oil shouldn’t be one you have to worry about.

This isn’t about following a trend.

It’s about cooking with intention.

Now tell us…

Does the oil a restaurant cooks with matter to you? Why or why not? 👇

07/08/2026

“What should I order at Ai Pono?”

Wrong question.

The real question is…

What are you willing to miss out on?

Because no matter what you pick, there’s another plate that’s going to have you looking over at the next table wondering if you made the right decision.

Crackhead Chicken.

Korean Short Ribs.

Meat Jun.

Garlic Butter Mahi.

Guava Chili Pepper Fried Chicken…

The list keeps going.

So let’s settle it.

If you could only recommend ONE plate to a first-time customer, what are they ordering?

No gatekeeping.

Drop your answer below and defend it. 👇

07/07/2026

Basic human needs:

1. 💧 Water.
2. 🌬️ Oxygen.
⸻

We’ll let you fill in the blank.

Around here, it’s looking a lot like Crackhead Chicken, Hawaiʻi-Style Meat Jun, and Guava Chili Pepper Fried Chicken.

Science might disagree…

Your taste buds won’t.

Now it’s your turn.

What’s the third basic human need at Ai Pono? Name one menu item that you can’t live without.

Let’s see who knows the menu. 👇

07/06/2026

Ai Pono isn’t just food… it’s ______.

For some, it’s family.
For others, it’s home.
A place to reconnect.
A place to celebrate.
A place where strangers become regulars, and regulars become ʻohana.

Every person who walks through these doors has a different story. This is just the beginning of ours.

Now it’s your turn.

Ai Pono isn’t just food… it’s ______.

Drop one word below. 🤙

07/05/2026

Too much fun this Fourth of July weekend?

We’ve got the cure.

Today’s special is our Sriracha Garlic Butter Pork Chop.

Juicy.

Savory.

A little heat.

A whole lot of flavor.

Forget the greasy drive-thru. Feed your body something worth waking up for.

Whether you’re recovering from fireworks, family parties, or one too many drinks…

This is the reset button you’ve been looking for.

Now be honest…

What’s your go-to hangover meal? Did we just beat it?

Drop your answer below. 👇

Address

283 Suite A, 17th St.
Costa Mesa, CA
92627

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