Maguro Brothers Hawaii

Love this place! Great quality fish, and you can order by the pound and they’ll slice it into sashimi for you. My husband and I went a little crazy with a pound of salmon, but it was soooo good! They’re also super nice! Can’t wait to go back when we’re in Hawaii again!

Check out these beauties! All the right STuFF for a GReaT SNaCK. eNJoY ;^D

S E R V I C E (⁵⁄₅ stars)
— Family owned I believed. They were both so helpful and nice. I would totally come back here again! And
F O O D
Chu-​Toro Donburi (⁵⁄₅ stars)
— The price for this item… OMG. can not find THAT muchhhhh fatty tuna for only $ 11.00 or $ 10.50. I forget. In California… I would only get one or two piece of fatty tuna for that price. Maybe not even One piece !! They serve THE Freshest fish ever !! Super buttery ! Cuts like butter. Tastes DELICIOUS .
Uni (⁵⁄₅ stars)
— I WISH I can give this place more than 5 stars because their UNI… Oh. My. Damn. It is so fresh. Best Uni I have ever had. The ones back at home always have such a fishy yucky smell. And it doesn’t look good either. But man. I am JEALOUS for the locals that live here for their fresh Uni. It was 5.50 each. Average price I think… Not sure. But IT WAS SO WORTH IT !
Teriyaki Ahi Steak (⁵⁄₅ stars)
— THIS is a gooooood item to have if you’re not a raw fish eater. My cousin doesn’t like eating raw fish, so I suggested this item. When I had a taste of it, I just kept wanting more ! She couldn’t finish it, so… There was my chance to eat it all ! Hehehe ! It’s a bit salty cause of the sauce to eat alone but with rice and the edamame inside, PERFECTO!

We wanted to find somewhere authentic to eat poke while we visited Honolulu. This place definitely fit the bill! It’s located inside of an indoor market, so we had a little bit of trouble finding it at first. We enjoyed the poke (especially with the Hawaiian sauce) and the service was friendly. Because of the location inside the market it’s not a great place to sit down and eat (not much space and kind of a busy feel), but it seems more geared to grab-​and-​go anyways.

Maguro Bros is located inside a market in Downtown Honolulu. I went there with a couple of other people on a Monday afternoon and it wasn’t crowded. Although the market itself was busy, Maguro Bros didn’t have a long line. We ordered 2 spam masubies, 12 poke bowls, and 1 French toast cheesecake sandwich.
The spam masubies were pretty good. I wish I could have had the spam masubi when they were fresh because they don’t taste as good when they’re cold.
We had many different types of poke bowls. The best, most flavorful poke is the Spicy Ahi in my opinion. It was delicious! It’s creamy, fresh, and has a spicy kick to it.
Lastly, we tried the French toast cheesecake sandwich just for fun. Surprisingly, it tasted great! I was hoping the French toast was going to be a little bit sweeter but the cheesecake was delicious. It had bits of strawberries inside the spread, which I love (:
Overall, I had a great experience with Maguro Bros. There wasn’t a long line, we received our food within 15 minutes, and the employees/​owners were very nice and accommodating.

Love the impeccable service and love the freshly prepared fish here! Their poke bowls are one of the best on the island :) Have to say it’s better than Ono’s! Try it and you’ll see for yourself! Add on the awesome service. Every time I come here, the brother’s are so nice and friendly!

Fresh, made-​to-​order poke bowls!
This was a recommendation from locals. Located in Chinatown, it was difficult for us to find. Luckily, we consulted some fellow Unilocalers’ pictures and saw that it was tucked inside of Kekaulike market.
It’s a small stand in the market, with some small tables. We saw visitors and locals both dining there. The menu is limited.
We got a small shoyu poke bowl with uni added, and a large sake donburi with ikura added. We were able to taste the freshness and quality of the fish. Most excellent! However, since the poke is made to order, the fish didn’t have time to soak up the sauce. Instead, it all went to the rice. The add-​ons (uni and ikura) were quite expensive for the amount given.
Next time, I would opt for the sashimi donburis rather than the poke.

Been loyal to this place ever since they opened!
one word: butter!
their fish is super fresh that it melts in your mouth ugh need I say more!!!
But I should say more lol
I love when stores/​shops greet their customers and the two Japanese men that run this place never fail to do so. It makes a good impression when business acknowledge your presence (which means they actually want your business!)
I can say that their poke is like none I’ve tasted before. It’s not tamashiros, genkis, foodland, or wherever else you get poke. It’s unique and definitely their own.
Love and really recommend this place!

Maguro Bros. Hawaii is practically endorsed by most of my friends from Honolulu — 5-​star reviews from Lyla D. and Daniel C. plus suitable tips from Ric C., Connie M., and Li Y. There were also photos from Darrell P., Jules Y., and Jeffery A. So when we got to Oahu last December, we were definitely headed to Chinatown. We had the chance to meet Jun and Ryo Tsuchiya, a.k.a. the Maguro brothers, during our lunchtime visit. To satisfy my curiosity, I had to ask if Maguro were really their last name. Smiling, Jun told me what the real deal was and even spelled it out for me. I guess every superhero needs to have a cool alias!
Located inside the Kekaulike Market, Maguro Bros. has meat, seafood, and vegetables as its ambiance. It’s a stall inside a wet market, but their location was clean. It has limited tables and chairs, but we were lucky to get seated right away. We tried four items from the simple chalkboard menu — Large and Small Poke Bowls, Garlic Nairagi, and Togarashi Pepper Ahi Steak. Add-​ons can be purchased so I had an order of uni with my large poke bowl.
The nairagi (striped marlin) and ahi steak were well-​seasoned and perfectly pan-​griddled. Served on a bed of white rice, both dishes had two modest-​size cuts of fish. The nairagi had some tartar sauce next to it while the ahi steak was drizzled with spicy mayonnaise. Topped with green onions, they also came with edamame and a slice of lemon on the side. The garlic sauce gave the marlin a fine touch. Although they were plated in styrofoam containers, they still looked appetizing. After a few shutter clicks and some tidbit samplings, they were off to my wife and older daughter to enjoy.
My younger daughter had the small limu ahi poke bowl while I had the large half-​limu /​half-​spicy ahi poke bowl with uni. The fish was absolutely fresh and was taken from a huge piece of tuna right on the spot! The limu with white onion, chili, sesame seeds, and soy-​based sauce was outstanding. The best part was it blended well with the fish; the «bestest» part was it blended well with the rice! That’s the superlative among all superlatives! The other half of my bowl had the spicy ahi which had masago mixed into the sauce. It had a decent kick and since it was mayo-​based, the flavor was more on the surface. Nevertheless, it was still delicious in every bite. Rounding up this ultimate poke bowl was that golden uni — as rich and creamy as it could be!
Stripped to the bare essentials, Maguro Bros. is all about great food and friendly atmosphere. For the price and quality, this is a real bargain. No walls, no windows, no doors, no pretentions — simply superb. So ono! This was like listening to Dave Grohl’s acoustic rendition of «Everlong.» The electric guitar, bass, and drums were absent, but the song still rocked…

Perhaps I ordered the wrong item but this place didn’t jive with me. I prefer ahi assassins, ono, or even niko poke over this place.
The hamachi poke was the best thing I tried.
The chutoro don was a bit fishy so that was disappointing.
The spicy ahi was nothing special either. They give a lot of rice with their bowls
The owners/​workers are very nice though

I don’t see why tourist overhype this place. I’d choose Ahi and Vegetable or Take’s over this place any day.
I’d usually get the ahi musubis when shopping in Chinatown, which were always solid. But now, they never have any ready.
So I decided to try their sashimi don with hamachi, chutoro, and maguro. All the fish were cut too thin and had a floppy/​mushy texture… not firm yet delicate/​melt in your mouth kind of feel with good sashimi. The chutoro had very little fat content and seemed more akami than true chutoro.
Overall I give 1 star for their great service and 1 star for their solid ahi musubis which they never have. Tourist, you can have this spot!

Really wish I had a bigger stomach and more time on Oahu to try more of their fish, but we really enjoyed the two dishes we ordered.
Chu Toro Maguro Donburi ($ 10.95)
Fish tasted so fresh. I don’t normally care for wasabi because Japanese restaurants in the U.S. use powdered, faux wasabi which is more like American horseradish. However, rest assured you’re getting the real thing here, made from the wasabi japonica plant.
Garlic Nairagi (Striped Marlin) ($ 7.95)
Medium firmness on the fish, interesting flavor. The garlic was a nice addition, not overpowering.
Recommend coming early to beat the lunch rush and grab one of the few small tables. We came around 1130AM and one minute it was just us, the next all tables were taken and there was a line of people waiting to order.

Taste everything!
Its been a forever bookmarked but I’m so glad I finally made it here thanks to an awesome Unilocal friend!!! It’s tucked away inside the hustle and bustle of the market. If you blink, you could miss it.
We got here at 10 am! Yea, like bright and early for lunch. Or breakfast rather. It was perfect. They weren’t busy at all. Maybe one table! You can see the fresh fish offerings of the day! They haven’t even sliced them up yet. Wahhh. I saw churu toro, prime ahi! Hamachi! Yummy yumm Yumm. Menu is short and sweet. Poke bowls, sashimi, cooked miso butter fish, clams, uni/​ikura add on or order your own. So I did the latter.
I talked to one of the brothers and got me a perfect thing. Everything they have, sashimi style with Japanese Uni add on! Yea: hold the rice. I want to taste all the fish. For about $ 20, I got a bit of everything they have! Churu toro, king salmon, prime ahi, hamachi, Tako and amazing Uni!!! Say whhhhhhat!!! It was beautiful, amazing and exactly I needed to start my day with. Buttery, melty, beautiful fish. Didn’t even need any thing on top. Hold the soy sauce and the wasabi.
I love the tiny tables in tiny area. We get to watch them fillet, sliced and cooked miso butter fish as we ate our über fresh all fish breakfast. Kind of amazing! They even posed in a selfie with me! Yey! When the ingredient is so fresh, you hardly need to dress it up with anything. No overhead cost of fancy decors, no white linen napkins, no fancy menus. Really fresh fish done right by the right people. Friendly people too! All you need to do is show up and taste the magic!!! Yep. Sign me up!

Even though they’re located at the back of the Kekaulike Market tourists definitely find this spot. You’ll see they lack space for refrigeration, prep, cooking, and plating but lots of places can put out better seafood in less space. This is decent fare but you won’t find anything as good as Tokyo’s Tsukiji Outer Market.
The first time, I had the Maguro don @$ 8.50.
This was a disappointment. It was 8 fresh tasting, but thin and mushy slices of seasoned maguro topped with green onion, nori strips, and sesame seed, accompanied with two thin slivers of tamagoyaki, some pickled ginger, and wasabi. The rice was poorly prepared like Calrose plate lunch style and seasoned a little too sweet. Fresh fish usually hasn’t had enough aging to develop flavor or a firm textured mouthfeel. This one was almost like a zukedon, but not as good.
This time, I ordered the chutoro don. Similar as my maguro don from my previous visit but with better texture. The chutoro color and seasoning was not even and the rice was still not worth finishing.
Very courteous and quick service. Half a dozen two tops for sit down eating.

Hidden in a corner of the market I used to visit as a child, was probably one of the most high-​quality ahi plates you could get in Chinatown. I had my first otoro nigiri no more than 2 months ago, and I just could not get enough. A friend had posted his toro plate on instagram, and sure enough, I had to come the following day with my dad to have him try it out.
For $ 14.50, you can get the toro plate and it is just enough to fill you up possibly until your next snack time, but my father did enjoy it. Toro is a bit more fatty than your usual piece of ahi. And that also means, if you have a good one, it’ll literally melt in your mouth. These were not quite there, but still pretty good for what you could get for $ 14.50. Whereas, I paid $ 8 for one nigiri at Izakaya Torae Torae.
Though, it just was not mind-​boggling good, I could tell that they put in a lot of effort into this dish. Being that it was my father’s first time eating toro, I think he was impressed as well, but I was not quite convinced of the quality just yet. Though, really, at this price, you probably can’t find anything better.

If you’re looking for fresh Poke and you’re near Chinatown, you owe it to yourself and your stomach to pay a visit to Maguro Brothers. Located and tucked away inside the Kekaulike Market, this little gem serves fresh fish at a very reasonable price.
When we walked-​up, I noticed they were out of their Spicy Ahi Poke and their Shoyu Ahi Poke. No worries. They asked if I would wait a few minutes for them to make new batches of each. My response «of course». Why wouldn’t I wait a few minutes to feast upon fresh Poke?
Once my wife and I got a chance to enjoy our Poke bowls, we were delighted to feast upon two excellent Poke bowls. The fish was fresh and delish! My only regret was that I only ordered a regular sized bowl.
My delight was watching the brothers and their mom prepare our food. They take such care in what they serve to their customers. They are friendly and such a joy to talk to. So good!

Maguro brothers, can I join the family?! I almost don’t wanna go home just because I’ll miss their poke so much.
Maguro by far is the best poke I’ve had since landing in Hawaii. They’re located inside a market and though you’re surrounded by other fish vendors and shops, don’t let the smell of fishiness get to you! Maguro seems to be family run with 3 people behind the stand. Their fish are laid out in front and the poke is sliced and prepared on the spot.
I decided to get the spicy masago ahi poke bowl (small) and the only mistake I made was not ordering a large. Their poke is warm as they prepare the fish on the spot so don’t expect cold fish. It’s more room temp. First bite and I was in heaven. The ahi literally melted in my mouth and the spiciness was absolutely perfect. I can’t stress enough how delicious the spicy ahi was!
I will truly miss Maguros when I leave. Until next time, I will be on the hunt to find something that compares in the Bay Area :)

Maguro brothers has been on my list to try for a long time know. Finally an appointment brought me close by, and great opportunity to try.
It was not difficult to find; and the service was great. I got the poke bowl with extra Uni, some salmon eggs, hamachi, and hamachi collar. The only thing I didn’t communicated through was that I wanted just the hamachi collar, not with another serving of rice.
The taste was very fresh. The Uni was buttery, the poke was deliciously marinated, and the hamachi collar was tasty. I went around 10am, so I was the only customer there, sitting at one of their tables. It was interesting observing the activities in this little market. Lots of seafoods, and fresh vegetable.

So after reading all my Unilocal buddies — Nat N., Dave F., Ariana M., Jeana P., Ramfis B., Angel H., Lyla D., Paul C., Steve U., and my favorite auntie… da famous Auntie Nadine C.‘s reviews… Maguro Brothers was a place I knew I had to try, should I venture out to Chinatown one day…
Well, this weekend my girlfriend was rolling with me in Chinatown, and lucky for me, she has come to Maguro Brothers before… so guess what?
Yes gang, she took me to… MAGURO BROTHERS of course! Yay! Now I can proudly say I have joined the fraternity of Unilocal eaters who have eaten here, instead of wishing I had the opportunity of eating here! Thanks Jules Y.
So what can I say about Maguro Brothers? Well, this little shop is tucked away in the Kekaulike Market, and I would say it is pretty hard to find if you’re not familiar about where to go… Luckily I had a personal guide, so we made a bee-​line straight into the shop.
As we walk in, we see the wall menu written up on the chalkboard… the seafood items they sell here are very fresh! No doubt folks; get your fresh fish here! And if my good friend Nat N, says it good… believe me… it IS GOOD!
Upon scanning the menu, I decided on the Spicy Ahi Poke Bowl, and gf decided on the Grilled Ahi Belly with a side of a fresh Amaebi Shrimp.
What can I say about the grub? I loved the Spicy Ahi Poke Bowl, the sauce that they used had a nice strong kick! Generous serving of fresh fish… no can go wrong gang! As for the Grilled Ahi Belly… the ahi belly was soft, and had nice texture. The sauce they use was wonderful, too!
Now we come down to the fresh Amaebi Shrimp… I am not familiar with this item, as apparently it is served raw. The gf shared a piece with me, and I could tell the shrimp was quite sweet.
After the body of the shrimp was gone, all that was left was the head. I guess after you eat the shrimp, one is supposed to «suck da life outta dat shrimp»…So the conversation went like this —
GF: Umm… I don’t think I can eat this shrimp head. Can you eat it for me please, Fran C.!? I’ve never eaten this before…(insert the Jules Y. «eeks!») lol… have you!?!
Me: I tell her…“Hey, Man! Das da bestest part of da shrimp!” «You eat it! Buwhahahahaha!» (But what she does not know is… I’ve never sucked the life out of a shrimp, and eating all that shrimp guts is probably not appealing to me!) Lol! Should I be writing this? Hummmmmmm, well, if you see us together… and I have a black eye… ahem, you will understand! Lol!
GF: So the gf is a good sport & gives it da good ol’ college try… but she really can’t go through with it, and stops. She then offers me the shrimp head… and being I was talking smack to her, sometimes you gotta put your money where your mouth is!
Me: Beads of sweat start coming up on my forehead, nose, & armpit… realizing — «Hey, I may have to eat this!» Darn it! Well, I ended up taking the shrimp head & yes, I did suck da life outta dat shrimp… What can I say about it? Not bad at all!
So have I learned anything today? Why yes, I have! And they are —
1. Part of the beauty of Unilocal is trying new foods, & going to new places.
2. Meeting great people from all walks of life that enjoy great food & service experiences.
3. Don’t try to trick da gf… it could lead to a black eye, but luckily my gf is real cool & nice! (no black eye for me!) Phew! Buwahahahahahahaha!

Maguro Brothers Hawaii located in the Kekaulike Market in Chinatown. They are one of many stalls at the Kekaulike Market.
Every time I see friends post photos of delicious looking fish entrees makes my stomach growl. The photos can be freshly cut sashimi or grilled ahi belly. All I know it looks so yummy and I had to make my way to Chinatown on my day off.
My first visit to Maguro Brothers Hawaii I had ordered the Hamachi Kama. I was watching the lady employee prep my dish. First she would grab a to go container and put the rice in it topped with furikake. She then would fry the fish first and afterwards she would place the hamachi on a plate and pop it in the microwave for a bit. After she removes the fish from the microwave… she torches it for a bit. Once the hamachi kama is all done then she places the fish on top of the bed of rice. Edamame is placed next to the fish on top of the bed of rice. The hamachi kama was delicious.
My second visit I had ordered the ahi steak bowl. The lady employee once again prepped my dish. She fried the fish on both sides and placed the ahi on a bed of rice. There was a Sriracha mayo sauce drizzled on top of the ahi steak and some cut up green onions. Edamame was placed on the rice. I’m not one for spicy foods but the ahi steak bowl was absolutely delicious.
My third visit at Maguro Brothers Hawaii I had ordered the ahi poke bowl. One of the brothers prepped my dish that day. He grabbed the already cubed cuts of fresh ahi from the cold display case in a bowl. He added some purple seaweed and some onions to the mix as well as some seasonings to the ahi cubes. Once everything was mixed he put the ahi on a bed of rice and topped it off with some green onions. The poke bowl was an okay dish being that it was made on the spot… I kind of like my cubed ahi soaked into shoyu sauce or oyster sauce first before being placed on the bed of rice.
My last visit to the fish market I had ordered the King Salmon Kama. The cooking process was the same way as the hamachi kama. Same ingredients used as garnishes for the King Salmon Kama bowl. It was absolutely delicious.
I’ll be back to Maguro Brothers Hawaii if I am ever in Chinatown again. I need to taste some of the other fresh fish dish that they have to offer.