Hawaiian Restaurant Surfs Into Sacramento
An island of Hawaiian culture and cuisine has arrived in Sacramento, in the form of a family-friendly, family-owned restaurant. We had the fun task of visiting them recently and trying out what they had to offer. Read on to see what we thought!
Disclosure: We received complimentary meals at Coconut’s Fish Cafe for review purposes; however, all opinions are my own.
When you enter Coconut’s Fish Cafe, the first thing you notice is the fun island decor. It’s all tastefully done – no hula outfits here! – with paintings of Hawaiian fish and (our favorite!) tables shaped to look like fish/surfboards. You immediately feel like you’ve entered a little tropical paradise right in the heart of midtown Sacramento.
The staff is also incredibly friendly. Waitresses circulated constantly to answer questions and clear away plates. Even in midst of the busy lunch crowd customers’ needs were quickly taken care of.
And after meeting the owner, it was easy to see why. Founder Michael Phillips is so personable, and his outgoing personality sets the tone for the restaurant. His obvious enthusiasm for the restaurant is infectious, and it’s clear that Coconut’s Fish Cafe is a true labor of love.
It is also a family affair: the co-owners are his daughter and son-in-law, though they are currently out on parental leave, as their daughter was born earlier this month – her photo prominently displayed on the wall by proud grandpa!
The thought and care that has gone into each dish is obvious. There are no filler items on the menu. Even the kids fish and chips dish – which in many other places is a deep fried mess – is actually something I was happy for my kids to enjoy. I loved that the breading was so light and not greasy, but Phillips says that the real key is in the tropical fish. Hawaiian fish have a much milder taste than our cold water varieties, and so kids that visit Maui get hooked on the taste, even if they didn’t previously like fish.
I can attest to the truth of this – My older son does not eat fish (not even fish sticks), but he agreed to try the grilled mahi mahi kids plate. (Yes! A kids plate that actually is a real meal, not just junk food!) He not only said it was good, he actually ate it. And that is really something for my picky eater!
A photo posted by Leanna Alldonemonkey (@alldonemonkey) on
All of the dishes at Coconut’s Fish Cafe are health conscious yet also incredibly flavorful. For example, Phillips uses coconut milk in the cole slaw instead of heavy mayonnaise – it is such a great combination!
I was excited to try their signature fish tacos. I love that in designing this dish, Phillips was careful to use Hawaiian flavors, such as mango salsa and wasabi, rather than doing a fusion with Mexican tacos.
So if you are looking for something new, fresh, and healthy that the whole family can enjoy, I highly recommend Coconut’s Fish Cafe in midtown Sacramento. Be sure to tell Chef Phillips we said hello! 😉
If you are going, do make sure to plan on extra time to find parking, especially if you go at peak times. Street parking in this area can be difficult to find!
For more family fun in Sacramento, be sure to check out my Sacramento for Families board on Pinterest!
-4 Comments-
Great Shots of your dishes.
Having your picky eater actually enjoy the food is quite a tribute! Sounds & looks like a fun place!
Yes, that is a real 4 star review from him! It is a really fun place to go 🙂
We love Hawaiian food! We wish there was one of these in Boston!