Ahi Lovers

I went there 2x this week after always wondering about this place. The first day I had the B-​1 with sushi rice. Came with poke (really good), spicy ahi (a-​okay), spicy salmon (meh), a bit of cooked choy-​sum veggies, pickled ginger, and small cup of miso soup. For $ 11, it was okay I thought. The second time I had a natto-​bowl with black rice for $ 8 … and it was okay. So based on my very limited sampling, I give it 3 stars based mostly on the food taste and value. The place is small with very limited seating (maybe 10 chairs total?), and a pretty good lunch crowd ordering mainly take-​out. But the food comes pretty quickly — you order, they give you a number, and within 4 – 5 minutes, you get your food! I’ll try again and see how the nigiri sushi is in the near future.

I came to get a poke bowl with black rice, at the end I ended up having a poke bowl with white rise because they mixed up my order and ran out of black rise and Chou sym, so my poke bowl ended up being nothing like I ordered. No next time, bad service

I did come to Hawaii to enjoy the poke! This place is going to be a regular stop for me on my trips out. The ahi is super fresh and coated in lots of flavorful ingredients (I couldn’t begin to describe them all). For about $ 10, you get a poke bowl which is pretty reasonable given the portion size. Service is very quick so if you are in a rush, you won’t be waiting long (don’t let the line fool you).

Yes yes yes! Finally found some fantastic sushi. Cute little store front with deliciously fresh seafood brought in daily. Gracious cashier, very polite and friendly. So happy I found this gem because I work downtown and don’t anyways pack my lunch. I ordered a side ocean salad and B1 (4 pieces of nigiri and 4 peices of spicy goodness) that also came with a miso soup. Cannot wait to try their other dishes, all of it looked so good!

OMG — just had the tsunami poke bowl and it was wrong, just wrong.
It was supposed to have Cucumbers. It had half a slice of a dill pickle. Really!
Jalapeños were three limp slices from a jar. Yuck!
My mouth is in shock. Why would anyone do this?

Smaller portions compared to ahi and vegetable. Used to be a great value, with generous cuts of fish but now it’s just mediocre for the price. Won’t be coming back

I used to come here a lot for the spicy ahi salad and the black rice sushi… But when I came to get my salad today for the first time in a year or so, I noticed the portions of ahi got SO small and the prices are higher :(
Ahi and vegetable on fort street gives bigger portions and it’s equally as good!

The ownership has changed!
It’s still great, but the prices are about $ 1 higher across the board, and the portions are just a touch smaller now.
Still the best place for a sushi lunch in downtown though.

I’ve always read about this place and now that I work downtown, I can finally try it!
If you read my other reviews for sushi or any type of raw fish, you’ll know that salmon is my absolute favorite. So naturally, I got the salmon bowl. just rice with some slices of salmon and a side of miso soup. plain and simple but very delicious!
A part of me gets a little bummed at how «manini» some of the pieces are but hey. You get quality over quantity. And Ahi Lovers really delivers!
If you are crazy like me and go to lunch at the EXACT same time as everyone in the downtown area, be prepared for the line. The good thing is that they are really fast at both taking orders and preparing the food.
I usually visit this place at least twice a week. (I know. I have a problem)
I haven’t tried the black rice yet but from what everyone says, it’s delicious! I’ll definitely have to give it a try.

I swear my boyfriend and I need to go to Ahi Lovers Anonymous. We could eat spicy ahi every day. I was working downtown this summer about two blocks from Ahi Lovers. Thanks to all you dependable Unilocalers, I was able to find Ahi Lovers.
I love this place for several reasons:
— The first time I went, it was extremely busy (made the mistake of going during the lunch rush — which apparently lasts through 1:30ish) and yet the woman working the register was extremely friendly AND quick and efficient. She made conversation with me and other customers but wasn’t slow and oblivious about it. Rare!
— Even though it was super busy (line was out the door), my food was ready within minutes.
— The sides are so yummy!
— They get their fish from the fish auction daily. Best practices for fishermen, the market, and consumers!
— Black rice. So good.
— First time I went, I ordered a spicy ahi bowl with black rice and asked if they could add avocado. She was like, «Of course!!» So nice and accommodating. And she legitimately sounded excited for me haha.
— The second time I went was about two weeks later. And she remembered me! Such a small but really nice and commonly overlooked touch.
I always recommend my friends who work downtown to go here. Made my boyfriend go just to say hi to the ladies for me (lol).
Definitely recommend. And make sure you try the black rice!

Had a meeting downtown and so I searched Unilocal for the perfect place to get lunch after. Chose Ahi Lovers for it’s location, good reviews, and close proximity to Otto Cake.
As I entered, cashier was politely joking with previous customers… that’s usually a good sign! Place is clean and bright… service prompt and polite… wanted to try the combo with sashimi and teri chicken… black rice was very good, everything flavorful and fresh. I would gladly return when in the area!

Ahi Lovers is my favorite place to pick up quick and healthy lunch in downtown!
They have a handful of bentos you can choose from and it can be customized. The black rice is hearty and at no extra charge! The fish here is definitely fresh and well prepared. The wait time after order is less than 5 minutes and a bento costs $ 10 including tax!
Try there!!!

I visited Ahi Lovers since it’s closer to my office than Ahi & Veg. As many of you know, the menu for both places are identical, so I opted to get one of my favorites (at Ahi & Veg), spicy salmon over salad.
I was bummed to see that the scoop of spicy salmon was way smaller and it didn’t taste too fresh. It wasn’t sour or spoiled, just a little fishy, so it was still edible. Some lettuce pieces were old and discolored so I tossed most of it out.
Service was quick, I was in and out within five minutes…3 stars, mostly for convenience. Maybe I’ll be back someday, but for now, I’ll probably walk the extra few minutes to Ahi & Veg in Ft. Street Mall.

I love me some Ahi Lovers.
Ahi Lovers is my go-​to lunch spot when I fail to bring lunch from home. I usually stick with the tried and true spicy ahi bowl or the salmon bowl and I usually opt for the black rice (yay antioxidants!)
Service is friendly and quick, which is impressive since it gets super busy around the lunch rush. Prices are definitely reasonable for the excellent quality of fresh fish… No one likes questionable sushi, ya dig?
Two very enthusiastic thumbs up!

Nicole K. and Sara S. convinced me that Ahi Lovers was the place to go downtown for poke. I never doubt them, so we went. Ahi Lovers is a difficult establishment to find. It;s on the bottom floor of one of those downtown buildings, so the address doesn’t really match up with what street it actually is on. The establishment itself is small, with only a couple tables. It also gets very crowded during lunch time with business workers. The line is not a problem though, as they are very efficient in making the food. I only waited a minute or two before my spicy ahi bowl was ready.
The spicy ahi bowl will run you a little over $ 8 (a little more pricy than Foodland or Onos), but you get a choice of what kind of rice you want with your bowl as well as some greens with your choice of poke. I opted for the black rice, which I highly recommend. I also thoroughly enjoyed the flavor and texture of the spicy ahi. Ahi Lovers prepares the spicy ahi similar to Kozo; the ahi isn’t cubed, it’s like… mashed (?). It’s kinda hard to explain, so if you don’t like that sort of texture, I’d go for the regular poke, which is prepared in the cubed way.
The menu is set up so that you can order very easily, but there isn’t exactly the right combination of spicy ahi and salmon nigiri that I want in the combo options. Oh well, maybe I can share with someone next time… or just suck it up and eat the maguro. Haha. The miso soup that came with my spicy ahi bowl was also surprisingly good, but maybe it was just because it was a particularly cold day and I was hungry.
Due to the limited seating, we ended up going across the street to eat. It seems like most people take their food back to their offices. As I don’t work downtown, parking in a muni lot to come here and eat outside is kinda out of the way for me, but I’d happily do it again, especially to have lunch with my downtown-​working friends.

Deciding where to eat lunch downtown hangs on three very important requirements: Quality, Price, and Walking Distance From My Office. (I’m lazy and my shoes pinch my feet!) While Ahi & Vegetable is 1 minute closer to my office (Yes, I’ve timed it.), Ahi Lovers pulls the lead with extra points for their option of black rice!
Ahi & Vegetable and Ahi Lovers are often pitted against one another as the «Best Spicy Ahi in Downtown». While the menu, the prices, and even the Sesame Dressing are all comparable, Ahi Lovers sets itself apart with its black rice. Seriously! That’s about the only distinguishable difference. Black Rice is highly nutritious and a great source of iron, vitamin E, and antioxidants with a fragrant and nutty flavor, similar to brown rice.
Ahi Lover’s spicy ahi uses fresh and quality fish that rivals some of Hawaii’s more upscale restaurants. With reasonable prices, fast and friendly service, and BLACK RICE included in their lunch time arsenal, an extra minute of walking is more than worth it!

4.5. I am torn! Ahi Lovers is great. It sounds like it should be a cult or club,– Ahi Lovers, unite! I for one, am an Ahi Lover. Ono Seafood is my best friend, Tamura’s is my homeboy, and Sushi Co. was my first love. Now we add Ahi Lovers onto the list.
First of all, if you do not work in downtown (I don’t, I work close, but not close enough where I can walk), good luck with parking (as always). I can see why this would be a popular spot for the downtown lunch crew though. I joined Nicole K. on her lunch break and got the B3 bento ($ 10) which comes with 1 scoop spicy ahi, 1 scoop spicy salmon, 1 scoop poke, with veggies, and miso soup. I also opted to get black rice instead of regular rice, because let’s be honest, that stuff is GOOD and supposedly healthier for you! The staff are very efficient and the food was ready in no time.
The ahi was okay. It’s very fine and the consistency is NOT cubed, think similar to mushed up potato salad in texture. The salmon was also okay, but I liked the ahi better. Lastly, the poke was actually my favorite of the three in the bento. Perfect sized cubes and seasoning!
What really set Ahi Lovers apart from the other ahi places for me was the black rice. That is probably why it does not get a 5 star rating, because the best part of the bento was not the ahi, but the rice! They do get bonus points definitely for having this option at no extra charge though. I LOVE black rice!
I envy the downtown lunch crew for having this place as an option, however, I can’t complain about my own choices either. And I certainly don’t envy the parking situation downtown.

This is one of those lunch spots that make me wish I worked in Downtown again! It’s damn inconvenient to stop by otherwise, to deal with parking & short hours, luckily they were open on the recent MLK day holiday and I was able to snag a close-​ish parking and run in to grab lunch.
Their various bento choices had me excited — so many options! Nigiri, spicy ahi, spicy salmon, poke, teri chicken, teri beef, california roll and the list goes on! It was a difficult choice to make. They also offer various types of rice: Black rice (!), brown, sushi, white — you had me at black rice!
I chose bento B3 with black rice and substituted the poke for more spicy ahi (this choice came with spicy ahi, spicy salmon and poke). For my lunch date, I chose B3 — california roll, spicy ahi & poke. Both bentos were $ 10 each and came with miso soup.
The quantity was great, the quality was good, however I prefer my «spicy» a bit more spicy. Overall, this was a solid lunch choice and will definitely satisfy that ahi-​love craving!

Ahi Lovers is one of those places that people who work downtown quickly become fans of. It’s not hard when they are quick to serve up tasty food, offer reasonable prices, and did I mention the food was tasty?
When the hankering for some spicy ahi should arise, look no further. Their spicy ahi might not be the most amazing, but it also isn’t the worse either and it definitely doesn’t disappoint. It salmon isn’t too bad either and the food may not wow, but it definitely doesn’t make you cringe and pleases the tongue (without the use of another tongue).
Service is quick and be ready to order at the cashier when your turn comes up. Your fellow patrons behind you will thank you. The wait hasn’t ever been excessive and doesn’t take more than about 5 minutes. When it comes to downtown, that time is worth a lot.
For that lunch on the go that is healthy for you, stop on by Ahi Lovers, its a damn good choice.

One of my favorite downtown lunch spots. The best way to describe this place is, fresh, efficient, and friendly.
The Food:
I am always a fan of fresh food. Especially fresh tuna. Seriously, who isn’t? Nobody wants a tuna that has bad texture and smells bad right? Well, you don’t have to worry about that here. I love the combo choices and I also love that the meals come with miso soup. The soup is always very hot when served.
My Favorite thing to order is the spicy ahi & natto bowl with sushi rice.
The Service:
has always been consistent for me. My phone order is always ready by the time I get there and if I decide to eat in it’s ready in about 5 minutes or less. Sometimes less than a minute. FYI, they get really busy at lunch time.
Environment
Really small. More of a take out type place. However, since most people take their food to go, you could actually get a table if you’re lucky.
This LOCATION is located in the Davies Pacific Center in downtown. Entrance facing Queen Street.
Note: IMO, This location is just as good as the other one (Ahi Vegtable) on Fort Street Mall.