Lava Pit Hawaiian Grill

Great food, great service and great atmosphere. I come here everyday and will continue to do so. I highly recommend Lava Pit!!!

Came here due to the great reviews. I will never come back here again unfortunately. I ordered the shrimp skewers because some reviews said it was very flavorful. I found it to be tasteless and overcooked. And because of this you can really taste that is is frozen shrimp which is fine but the entire combination was just not great. We got a total of nine shrimp.
I wasn’t very hungry so I ordered the bbq mix to share with the hubby. The portion was good but the meat was tough and overly salty. The sauce was also too acidic for hawaiian bbq. We opted for the mac salad instead of the pineapple salad and it was not good or reminiscent of hawaiian mac salad. It tasted like watered down deli mac salad and very liquidy.
The service though was good and friendly and the price was probably about right. We paid $ 15 for the two items. I was really hoping for a step up from the other hawaiian places in the bay but this was not it.

Great food, great service, great prices & portions, what else can I ask for?
Cashiers are nice & helpful.
Their lunch special is a great deal, you can even get it with Katsu prawns or mahi mahi.
They have also catered for me twice, 5 stars on that too, they were on time & the food was fresh & delicious as always.

My boyfriend took me here one day and the food here was pretty good. We ordered the plate that had shrimp, fish, bbq chicken, white rice, and salad. It was quite a big plate of a little bit of everything and it was delicious.

This review is a little late in coming. Came for Dinner at the end of June and ordered the short ribs with a side of macaroni salad. Short ribs were overcooked and tough, flavor was acceptable but not outstanding, the macaroni salad unfortunately tasted like it came out of a carton.
Service was polite and the place was clean so no deductions in these areas. Food just was not good enough to get me to come back for those rare occasions when I want something I know isn’t good for me but still want to avoid corporate fast food. If I come back it won’t be for the short ribs, maybe I will try the Chicken Katsu.

This is atypical food for our family because of the high calorie and sodium factor but it really is great food. A nice turn from the spicy foods Jane and I both enjoy often. Every item we’ve tried has been a hit, for flavor and fun. So much so we decided to use Lava Pit for our wedding reception food. Maria has been very helpful with the planning of the catering and secured our date even before we knew what we would be ordering. very easy. Spam has been a joke food for me since I was a kid. Turns out if you wrap it up in rice and seaweed you call it Musubi and it’s delicious! We’ve tried most of the menu items and haven’t been disappointed. All flavorful and presented well.

I remember getting food to go there a few years ago when they first opened, and not being impressed, but I have changed my mind. They have come a long way. I ordered food to go last week after a friend suggested that I try it again, and it was fresh and delicious. The shrimp skewers were awesome, so were the pot stickers and the veggies were nice and fresh. Loved it so much I had lunch there yesterday. It’s great to have another good restaurant in Orinda. We need this kind of good quality food and service here in our city.

Lava Pit is so good.
Customer Service = 3.5 stars
Food = 5 stars
To go = 5 stars
dine in = 5 stars
The place is quiet and peaceful, but also empty. I still love this place.

Giving it a 3 star because over all it was ok.
White rice was a bit dry. Mahi mahi was over cooked and dry. The fried shrimp was good the pineapple salad can use more pineapples and more greens. I can say the BBQ meat was delicious and very well seasoned … For the price of $ 9.95 and good service it was not too bad…

I had just got done Charging my Ankle Bracelet and it was a Beautiful Sunday .
I felt a little Homesick for some Islander Food. So I looked at my Unilocal Bookmarks and up popped Lava Pit Hawaiian Grill .
So I went to the Bat Cave in jumped into my Whip Black Beauty and rolled to Orinda .
I like cruising Highway 24 because I can Unleash the Beast .
I arrived in Orinda in a Shake and 2 Snaps .
I Stashed my Whip Black Beauty on Street in a Parking Space and Sauntered in ti Theatre Square which is like a Giant Food Court.
I found the Lava Pit and rolled in .
They have indoor and outdoor dining areas .
They also have a Flat screen TV for entertainment
There’s a Unilocal Check in offer for a Game of Chance to win some free food or a discount .
I won a free dessert, Yay For Unilocal Check in offers.
I perused the Menu and ordered a Spam Musubi, Kahlua Pig Musubi and a Seafood Combo with Brown Rice
The Cashier was also the Cook and Server also .
I received my Musubi first they were well Constructed and very Tasty especially with the Katsu sauce.
My Seafood Combo came next .
Nice Portions, Good Flavors. I liked it .
Very Ono!!!
I paid by Credit Card and Rolled out.

Date night:
Movie: Monkey Kingdom
Dinner: Loco Moco w/​Spam and Kalua Pork Mix w/​BBQ Steak.
I had the Loco Moco with Spam. The Spam was was lightly darkened on the outside so it was OK. The white rice was great but the sauce had no flavor or kick. The egg on top was fried hard so that when I cut into it there was nothing wet to drip onto my rice. Overall I give the Loco Moco a 1.5 stars. It was eatable but no flavor.
She had the Kalua Pork Mix. The pork was fresh and full of flavor. Not nearly the best I’ve ever had but it wasn’t bad. If I was to ever return I’d get this pork and so should you. 4 stars. The meal also came with BBQ Steak. I’ve had beef jerky that was more tender. It was actually impressive how much time and effort it took to just eat one slice. ½ a star for this as it was uneatable and she left ¾ of it on her plate.
The woman who helped us was very friendly. The organization and cleanliness go a long way but that steak was absurdly had to chew.

I haven’t been to this place in years, but it tastes just like I remember! The girl at the register was super sweet. I wish there was a Lava Pit closer to my home.

Have you ever had a Spam Musubi? Sounds like something you should pass up, being made with Spam… but I tried it today on a whim. What was I thinking? This was wonderful and dipping it in Lava Pit’s pineapple sauce just made the whole thing a Luau in my mouth! What a happy fun bit of paradise on earth!
My Fiancé, son and I serindipiously found ourselves ordering here since the cupcake store we wanted to visit was closed for the week. «Let’s check them out» I said and so we all happily turned our attention to sampling the menu.
We tried only three of the entrée’s and the Spam Musubi. Just had to since I’ve seen it around and needed to find out what the Islanders know that I don’t know. A Lot!
We ordered Spring Rolls, Chicken Gyoza and Shrimp Skewers. Also Spam.
The Spring Rolls were so good. Not greasy at all and very hot. We think all the items were made up fresh for our order. the Gyoza were also very fresh and not greasy or soggy. Not too sure how these are cooked or if there is just one way of doing it. I’ve always cooked mine in a little oil in a frying pan. Don’t judge me.
The Shrimp were grilled and perfectly done. Also used the pineapple sauce on everything and it was great. They gave us a little packet of half Gyoza sauce, half chili sauce. Wow does that add a punch.
The young lady who took our order was very informative since I asked questions about catering and she was able to answer everything. She didn’t pass it off to someone else (you know how easy it is for the cashier to say «I don’t know but the manager will be here any minute and you wait and wait and wait…) and offered for us to call and ask for her personally if we thought of any more questions.
I wasn’t able to get network connection to take advantage of their deal. None the less, we had a very fun, tasty treat and will come back to try some entrees.

They didn’t have macaroni salad. How can you not have macaroni salad at a Hawaiin BBQ place? HOW???
Besides that the food (bbq mix and spam masubi) was decent and moderately priced. I got 15% off my entrée with my Unilocal check-​in after drawing from the prize bucket.
Never coming back again unless they get macaroni salad on their menu.

I really wanted some Hawaiian food and the boyfriend thought it would be cool to check this place out. I had a combo plate with bbq steak, katsu mahi mahi and katsu shrimp. The bbq steak had a a very salty sauce and the katsu sauce was okay but not a regular katsu sauce. The fish and shrimp breading was good and very crispy but I wasn’t much of a fan of the fish. It was very thin. The food came with a salad and I was disappointed because I was looking forward to macaroni salad! The salad was okay, I liked the sauce of this much better than the sauces for my meats.
Fun that if you check in on Unilocal,you get to draw a number and match it to your prize!

I wish Orinda had more places like this. One of the few places in this town you can get a lunch under $ 10. The menu is decent, if limited. Lots of chicken, beef, and shrimp. Kind of Hawaiian style, but nothing very exotic
There’s a tv here. They usually put on sports though the cashier will watch soap operas on occasion.
The crowds tend to be thin here. The bowl for barely over $ 5 is a steal. Check in on Unilocal and you get a raffle ticket for a prize.

First time here just Unilocaled some places nearby and thought I’d check this place out because of the amount of reviews.
Appearance:
clean, small, and had cute décor
Service:
the woman that helped did not greet me when I walked in. the turn around time on food was alright. I order a total of 2 entrees and 1 appetizer. the entrees came out one after the other but for whatever reason the appetizer (kalua musubi) came almost 10 mins after the last entrée which I thought was odd considering appetizers come before the entrée.
Food:
Kalua musubi was for me just alright. I was hoping for something more authentic that gave me a feeling of being on the islands… but it didn’t. maybe that’s where the fusion came in? lol
Spring rolls were mediocre, I’ve had better.
BBQ chicken was a little too dry for my liking.
BBQ ribs were tough to cut and a little chewy.
Deal:
I bought the $ 20 for $ 25 deal on Unilocal saved me a whopping $ 7. when I checked in I drew a ticket for the prize board and got a 15% off however since I bought the deal the cashier hooked it up with some spring rolls, that was nice of her.
Overall:
I would come back here again but it wouldn’t be my first choice. There are definitely better selections in the area.

I know very little about Hawaiian food.
I figure if it has pineapples in it, it’s probably Hawaiian.
My salad did.
All I know is that my food tasted good, the prices were reasonable, and the portions were generous. Not exactly a five-​star joint, but definitely deserving of 4 stars.
Be sure to take advantage of their Unilocal check-​in offer. When you check-​in, you get to pick, at random, a free food or drink item. We got a free Gyoza appetizer.
Oh, and if you’ve never tried Spam before, you’ve been missing out. It’s Heavenly.

I had the BBQ mix. Ribs, Steak and Chicken, all awesome. Brown rice on the side added just the right touch. Everything was made to perfection, with a S. Pellagrino to wash it all down. A lot of Asian Fusion does not work out too well, not the case here. I had a ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ chance I thought before going here, I’m glad I chose to try Lava Pit.
Its set in the town center, a beautiful place with shops and outdoor eating. Orinda is a great city to visit, eat and shop. There is an old-​fashion candy and ice cream store, its like a modern day Mayberry.

This review is for catering:
My company ordered party trays for an all day meeting we had. The foods were great! Tasty, not soggy, and the foods weren’t too cold by the time we got it. They delivered it on time. No mess (great bonus!), clean, and everybody loved it. My favorite were the shrimp skewers, they were so tasty! We ordered a very large tray for the chicken katsu and it was soo good. The rice was heavenly.