5.0
Verified reviews from real couples
Family-Inspired Hawaiian Cuisine
Oahu
Travel area: Within 50 miles See details
Taniokas staff was very professional, punctual and the food was overall delicious. I grew up eating Tanioka's and their wedding catering definitely lived up to their name. Would 100% recommend them.
Ashlyn O.
5.0
Taniokas was an amazing caterer for our wedding and I would highly recommend to anyone planning a wedding in Hawaii! The tasting was super easy to set up and Lauren was great at communicating with us throughout the entire process. The tasting was super easy to set up and we just stopped by to pick up the foods and ate them at home. We decided to order a couple platters of spicy ahi on sushi rice and edamame for our cocktail hour and did the prime rib buffet for our wedding with Korean chicken and ahi patties. We also had one guest who is vegan and Taniokas was super accommodating at letting us know which dishes were vegan friendly and were able to put together a separate plate for our guest. They also have vendor bento boxes that are affordable as well. Our guests could not stop raving about the food and were super excited to see Taniokas at our wedding (my husband's family LOVES Taniokas - specifically the ahi patties!). My grandmother even requested to stop by Taniokas for the spicy ahi on sushi rice before she left the island after the wedding! I think the food was some of the best food I've had at a wedding yet. Taniokas was one of the more affordable catering options we looked into and was most definitely worth it. We had so much food leftover and our guests were happy to take the beloved ahi patties home. Tad and his team made everything run so smoothly and the day was absolutely perfect. Thanks so much to the Taniokas team! Highly highly recommend.
Lauren L.
5.0
Tanioka's Seafoods and Catering is an award-winning wedding and event catering company based in Waipahu, HI. This business blends contemporary flavors with traditional Hawaiian fare to create delicious dining experiences.
Tanioka's Seafoods and Catering was started in 1978 by Mel and Lynn Tanioka. What started as a small family business has grown into a successful take-out restaurant and catering business. In addition, they are dedicated to supporting local schools, hospitals, and organizations in need of in-kind donations or financial support. This company continues to be family-owned and operated and is committed to serving the finest cuisine that customers have come to expect and giving back to the community that has supported them.
Tanioka's Seafoods and Catering specializes in providing fresh, locally sourced seafood. Their signature dishes include local favorites like fresh, raw fish, limu poke, fried chicken, sushi, and fish patties. In addition, a wide selection of American food is also available. They can provide a full-service catering package that includes display ware, catering equipment, experienced serving staff, and setup and cleanup. Cuisine can be served plated or as food stations to suit event styles and needs.
48+ years in business
Speaks English
Large team (21+ members)
Details
Cuisine
American
Fusion
Hawaiian
Japanese
Seafood
Specialty
Dietary Options
Vegan
Vegetarian
Food & Catering
Buffet
Catering Clean Up
Catering Delivery & Setup
Chef Stations
Menu Tastings
Passed Appetizers
Any questions?
Reviews
5.0
out of 5.018 reviews
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Ashlyn O
Highlighted review.
5.0
Taniokas staff was very professional, punctual and the food was overall delicious. I grew up eating Tanioka's and their wedding catering definitely lived up to their name. Would 10...
0% recommend them.
Lauren L
5.0
Taniokas was an amazing caterer for our wedding and I would highly recommend to anyone planning a wedding in Hawaii! The tasting was super easy to set up and Lauren was great at co...
mmunicating with us throughout the entire process. The tasting was super easy to set up and we just stopped by to pick up the foods and ate them at home. We decided to order a couple platters of spicy ahi on sushi rice and edamame for our cocktail hour and did the prime rib buffet for our wedding with Korean chicken and ahi patties. We also had one guest who is vegan and Taniokas was super accommodating at letting us know which dishes were vegan friendly and were able to put together a separate plate for our guest. They also have vendor bento boxes that are affordable as well. Our guests could not stop raving about the food and were super excited to see Taniokas at our wedding (my husband's family LOVES Taniokas - specifically the ahi patties!). My grandmother even requested to stop by Taniokas for the spicy ahi on sushi rice before she left the island after the wedding! I think the food was some of the best food I've had at a wedding yet. Taniokas was one of the more affordable catering options we looked into and was most definitely worth it. We had so much food leftover and our guests were happy to take the beloved ahi patties home. Tad and his team made everything run so smoothly and the day was absolutely perfect. Thanks so much to the Taniokas team! Highly highly recommend.
Any questions?
M A
5.0
Mikel and the Tanioka's team were so incredible to work with throughout the year+ we were planning our wedding and it is clear they have a smooth-running operation. From the start,...
Mikel was responsive and helpful with all of our questions via email and was happy to hop on phone calls when needed, and promptly provided us with tasting options and quotes. Our wedding wasn't big (60 guests) so to them it was a small event, but they still provided us with so much care and meticulousness that we felt extremely well supported throughout. Tanioka's is an incredibly well-equipped operation - they provided timely transportation for the food, a heated buffet line set up that looked amazing, attendants to help serve our guests, buffet line takedown and packing up of leftovers, as well as disposable plates, utensils, and napkins that looked great. Most of all, our guests were so impressed with the food (especially the furikake ahi, mochiko chicken, haupia squares, and vegetarian tofu poke) and it was special having guests from the mainland try local food. We're looking forward to working with them in the future!
Claire H
5.0
When we first did our taste testing at Tanioka's pre-COVID we knew instantly that we wanted them as our caterers. Then COVID hit and we decided to postpone several times, eventuall...
y deciding we wouldn't postpone after changing our date to September 2021. But through that entire process of postponing, Justin from Tanioka's would call me and keep me updated on their status as well as ask what our plans were. Very personable guy. But not only was their food and customer service spot on, but they were the only vendors who gave us a full refund of our deposit due to the uncertainty of COVID when it was all ramping up. Even though the entire restaurant industry was struggling due to COVID, Tanioka's unselfishly gave our money back without us even asking them too. Unfortunately, due to miscommunication, we ended up going with a caterer who our coordinators recommended. But now that we've had our wedding, I totally wish we persisted on staying with Tanioka's. Their food really is the best, but not only that, they are a personal and professional business with morals and ethics. Next time we have an event, we'll go with Tanioka's.
Timothy L
5.0
Gabrielle and the rest of the Tanioka's team deserve high praise for going above and beyond just catering our food. They curated everything from beginning to end, accommodating spe...
cial requests without any argument, and if I were to wed again, they'd be the first vendor I book. The food received many compliments from guests who've never tried this style of food, the staff was extremely courteous the entire night (especially at the end), and working with Gabrielle through this entire process was an absolute pleasure.
Hami S
5.0
Tanioka’s catered our food for our wedding, and it was the best choice ever! I knew Tanioka’s from having had their poke when I lived there for a couple of years before. I didn’t k...
now they catered for weddings until I started planning!
My husband and I wanted poke and local food, so we had narrowed down our search to a couple of caterers on the island. We knew we wanted Tanioka’s after we went for their tasting. Lauren, who helped us from the beginning to end, let us try the food that would be served, and they were DELICIOUS.
Since it was a destination wedding for us, communication was very important for us. Lauren was responsive, and we were able to plan without stress. We also wanted to serve our own alcohol (we bought from Costco), so we had Tanioka’s serve for us.
Our guests LOVED the food. Some of them even went back to the store for more! They also packed the leftovers for us to take home, which was enjoyed at midnight :)
We recommend Tanioka’s to anyone who is looking for some local catering!
Cara C
5.0
Tanioka’s catererd our wedding and the food was amazing, the service was great! Gabrielle was so helpful throughout the planning process and was always quick to answer my numerous ...
questions! I highly recommend them for all your catering needs!
Chea M
5.0
Communication was great, Lauren reached out and didnt rush us on oir decisions. She guided us through their menu and the tasting was stress free and FREE! Price was affordable in c...
omparison to other vendors. The food served was fantastic! Hawaiian menu was spot on delicious.
Courtney S
5.0
We used Tanioka's for our destination wedding, and the food was BOMB.COM! Everyone loved it, and our only regret is not getting a togo plate! The short rib was EVERYTHING, and the ...
garlic chicken was so good. People raved about the sushi we had during the cocktail hour as well. They were awesome, the food was good, and our guests still rave about it! THANK YOU Tanioka's!!!!!
Cheryl M
5.0
We hired Tanioka’s to cater our wedding, and we could not have been happier. First, Tanioka’s provides exceptional customer service. Justin and his father are incredibly kind, an...
d you can tell that they believe in the quality of their food and, more importantly, they want their customers to be happy. Lauren, who helped us with our order, was also so nice, patient, and helpful. My husband and I went back and forth on what we wanted, and Lauren continued to answer our questions and attempt to accommodate our requests.
Second, the food is amazing. Most of our guests were from the mainland, so we wanted to have a menu that showcased local food. We choose the menu that included short ribs, garlic chicken, furikake fish, and tofu salad. We also ordered appetizers that included sushi rice with spicy ahi, garlic soybeans, and caprese skewers. We were worried that although we love this type of food, it may not appeal to our mainland guests. But our mainland guests loved it all! Our guests could not stop talking about the food, and our only regret is that we didn’t have time during the wedding to finish our plates. To this day, my husband keeps telling me that we need to go back to Tanioka’s to order all of the foods that we weren’t able to eat—especially the garlic chicken. We could not have asked for a better catering experience than Tanioka’s. There is a reason why every time we went to their storefront location, there was a line to the door.
Vivien L
5.0
I used Tanioka's to cater my 'welcome dinner' during my wedding weekend at the Waikiki Aquarium and it was DELICIOUS! Justin helped me through menu planning and was extremely gener...
ous and patient with my many questions and multiple visits/tastings. He was also so flexible and accommodated to our food requests (giving me pure mac salad since it's my brother's favorite).
Everyone could not get enough of how good the food was! The grilled tofu came highly recommended since we needed vegetarian options and it turned out to be the most popular dish! it was first to go - we didn't even get a taste! :( Other crowd favorites were the garlic fried chicken, the pork sliders and spicy ahi sushi. And most definitely the poke!
In terms of professionalism, you could not get a better team, and definitely not for that price. Casey and team were so incredibly professional and thoughtful - they even prepared plates for us since they saw us running around and they wanted to make sure we got food. The set up was beautiful and all the utensils/plates they brought were beyond awesome and classy.
If our wedding venue didn't have a caterer, I would have had Tanioka's in a heartbeat. They can dress up their set up to match any environment and even our simple dinner felt like a million bucks. The food was so good, it might have outshined the wedding itself!
M J
5.0
Taniokas did an excellent job! We had 220 guests in an outdoor venue and everyone loved the food! We are locals, but had several out-of-state guests, and went with the Hawaiian Ban...
quet menu: Kalua pig, garlic chicken, lomi salmon, poi (50%), chicken long rice, tossed greens (we opted for a plain salad instead of the chinese chicken salad), rice and sweet potato haupia squares! We also had pupus for the "cocktail hour" prior to the start of the ceremony (caprese skewers with balsalmic drizzle, spicy ahi on sushi rice, garlic soybeans and tofu poke). We also utilized their "fancy" plastic dishes and utensils--looked beautiful and was so easy (didn't have to deal with renting or worry about breaking dishes)! Not only was the food delicious, but the staff was amazing! Justin was great to work with through the entire wedding planning process and his staff who worked the event were very friendly and accommodating! We would definitely recommend them for a wedding or other large event. Taniokas made choosing a caterer so easy!
Charity M
5.0
Aside from seeing our wedding day unfold, the next best thing our guests look forward to is the FOOD! We are so glad to have chosen Tanioka's as our caterer. If we could, we'd give...
them 10 stars. Their quality of service was amazing, very friendly, and because it is a family owned and operated business, their professionalism and communication were tremendous. We scheduled a taste test, which is highly recommended. They were very flexible and easy to work with. They answered all our questions and made the menu work for our budget. Their menu costs is very reasonable, and honestly, so worth it! We received a lot of compliments that the food was delicious and tasted very fresh. We were so happy to hear that because food was our biggest cost haha.
Jeanette G
5.0
Words cannot express how thankful we are to Tanioka's. This is a family owned business and they run it beyond well. It is no doubt that food is hard thing to choose while searchi...
ng for your vendors. We were almost going to go with someone else, but the costs were sky high and that brought us back to reality. Amazingly, our florist recommended them and we are ever so happy that she did. They were so welcoming, generous and professional. They fed us very well at our complimentary tasting and even sent us home with food! We immediately booked them. We loved that we were able to customize everything!! We are still receiving compliments about the food and most of all the service. A few items that were brought up was the Lomi Salmon, Kalua Pig, Furikake Ahi Balls and of course, the Okinawan Sweet Potato Haupia Squares. Many of our guests boasted about how elegant the staff members made the wedding feel. We highly suggest that people give this team a try and at the costs, Wow, it is a steal. We love Tanioka's so much that we are recommending them to everyone, not just for their carry out food, but for weddings because they just took it to the next level.
Eve N
5.0
Tanioka's is a great caterer to go with. They are really nice and will work with your budget. The food is also really delicious and reasonable.
Dana M
5.0
I was looking to save money on my catering, but still offer great food. I chose to do a buffet with Tanioka's. I opted out of their fancy wedding option and just ordered a regular ...
buffet of their hawaiian style foods. I added an attendant so we would have someone able to refill the buffet as items ran out.
Tanioka's showed up on time with delicious food. They were professional and helpful and gave great service. The attendant was friendly to all of my guests. Did I mention the food was great?
The in office staff was super helpful too. They helped me build the perfect buffet with something for everyone (even my out of town guests who thought chicken long rice looked like jellyfish).
Great service, great value, and ono grinds!
Anonymous
5.0
We chose Tanioka's to cater our wedding after reading numerous rave reviews on Yelp. After trying the food ourselves prior to the wedding, we were sold. They were extremely afforda...
ble, have a pre-suggested Wedding buffet menu (you can add additional items if wanted) which was a huge hit amongst all our guests, even the picky eaters.
Our specific menu also provided two attendants, both of whom were extremely professional and courteous. It was a nice touch to have attendants there to refill the food as needed. They even boxed the items for us at the conclusion.
They have an extensive menu and I would not hesitate to use them again. The food was truly outstanding.
Renee B
5.0
I can't say enough good things about this place. We had the hardest time finding a caterer that fit within our budget. Also, a lot of caterers wanted to make fancy food that didn't...
sound appealing to us. Finally, a friend suggested Tanioka's. We heard through different people that their food was really good. I think a lot of people use them for church functions and BBQs. We looked at their menu and saw the Prime Rib Dinner. This sounded perfect. There was not only prime rib but chicken and mahi mahi as well. People raved about how great it was... all of it. We had a guest list of about 100 people and we had plenty of food. They were very generous with their portions and the quality was amazing! We were very impressed. Also, they were extremely nice and not a problem to deal with at all. I would highly recommend them! Just know- they will provide plastic ware but if you want something a little nicer for dishes- you may want to rent through a rental company. It is so worth it though because the price at Tanioka's is WAY more affordable than other places. AND- it is delicious!
Service area & Contact info
Oahu
Typically included in the starting cost
Travel area: Within 50 miles
Additional charges may apply
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Tanioka's Seafoods and Catering
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