Blog

Tropical Hawaiian BBQ is located in the same shopping center as the Smart N' Final in the Arroyo Grande (AG) area and I'm happy to say that Tropical Hawaiian BBQ is exactly what I think a Hawaiian restaurant would be like. The menu includes katsu chicken, loco moco, kalbi ribs and other Hawaiian entrees. I ordered the Daily Special B which include katsu chicken, one scoop of white rice and one scoop of macaroni salad and I did not finish my meal. The portions were huge! 

The katsu chicken reminded me of the ones I would get from L & L's and that's saying a lot! We don't have an L & L's around here in SLO but this is a great alternative!

My husband ordered the Loco Moco (regular size) and that usually comes with 2 scoops of rice and a scoop of macaroni salad but since he doesn't like macaroni salad, he omitted it. This size seriously is enough to feed two regular eaters.

They slap a lot of gravy on top so if you don't want it, tell them to skip the gravy or put it in a different container.

I also liked the cleanliness of Tropical Hawaiian BBQ. The gray countertops were sleek and the staff was eager to serve. They had balloons out in front of the restaurant when we came. 

All in all, I'm happy that we have a new Hawaiian restaurant here. I can't wait to come back and try their shrimp! They also allow you to order online on their website, but you would still have to pick it up yourself. I've already seen someone pick up a big catering order from here so ordering large portions for family meals or parties can be done here! Tropical Hawaiian BBQ Address: 1436 E Grand Ave, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420
 

See more restaurant reviews under the SLO Restaurants page.

To see other pictures of restaurants that I've visited in San Luis Obispo County, go to the Restaurants Page.

Other Suggested Hawaiian Restaurants:

• Pono Pacific Kitchen in Grover Beach (serves high end fusion Hawaiian and 1 block from the ocean)
• Poke Morro in Arroyo Grande
• Red Dirt Coffee House in Arroyo Grande (coffee shop and have Hawaiian Plate Lunches)

See other restaurants that I recommend in San Luis Obispo County.

(Note: Their Grover Beach location is now at a different address and most of these photos were captured when we went to their older Pacific Flips Grover Beach location.)

We planned a birthday party for our 6 year old at Pacific Flips Gymnastics at the Grover Beach location and it was fantastic! Our son and his guests had an amazing time. 

You can pick from 2 packages: 90 minutes or 2 hours and we went with the 2 hours for $205. (Rates may have increased over time.)
(tables and chairs set up already by them upon my arrival)

The $205 package (probably costs more now) that we picked included 90 minutes of playtime led by a party host (we had two) who guided them through games and instructions and then another 30 minutes were spent finishing the party with pizza and cupcakes that we brought. This package covered 10 participating kids and the birthday child is free. For any additional kids, it's only $10 more. I thought that was a good deal considering it covered the space, games and instructions, bathrooms, seating area and a lot of fun.

I brought my table cloths, plates, napkins, utensils, pizza, cakes, drinks, party favors, balloons, etc to decorate the tables. My son has been really into Minecraft so we did a bit of a Minecraft theme. We got square-shaped balloons from the Dollar Tree store, bought Minecraft napkins from Party City in Santa Maria, baked our Minecraft-themed cakes, made a Creeper center piece using cardboard and a green tablecloth and also TNT-themed party favors for our guests to take home.
(how table looks after decorating)

I had forgotten to take a picture of my tray of TNT party favors at the party but thankfully I had taken a picture right after I had finished making them a couple of weeks before the party. What's inside of this pretend TNT (dynamite) are two chalk sticks. I just wrapped red wrapping paper around them and created a personal message on white paper to thank the guests for coming. See image below.
(TNT party favor I created as part of our Minecraft birthday theme)

There were two rooms where the kids got to play in. 
(This was one of the rooms.)

They gave me 30 minutes to set up ahead of time and meet the party hosts to go over the plan of our 2 hour slot. Both of the party hosts were very welcoming and easy to talk to. The kids listened to them well and followed their game instructions. After the kids seemed tired and it was getting close to our last 30 minutes, the party hosts led all the kids to the bathrooms and instructed them to wash their hands before eating pizza and enjoying some cake. This was very helpful. As they all sat down, they all got so quiet. The obstacles, games and jumping got them really tired and they devoured their pizza while they sat and rested. That's very telling for a dozen kindergarteners and we chose a peaceful moment to light up the candles and sang happy birthday to the birthday boy. As a mommy, I was very satisfied with this party event space. The timing and activities were appropriate for this age group. Even though it was only two hours and I didn't do any jumping like the kids did, I was also very tired. The birthday boy fell sleep early that night after the party. It was 6:30pm when he decided that it was time to go to sleep, on his very own. The jumping and playing for those 90 minutes were high energy and fun and our kindergartener had spent all his energy for the day. It was a very happy birthday.

2024 New Location Update

In 2024, the Pacific Flips in Grover Beach moved to a new located to Huston St. It's a much quieter area but it is located next to the Natural Healing Center and sometimes the smell of weed carries over so if you don't mind that, it's much easier to find parking and it's away from all the hustle and bustle.

Address of the Pacific Flips Gymnastics at the Grover Beach location: 998 Huston St., Suite E, Grover Beach, CA 93433. To see other places to have kids' birthdays in San Luis Obispo county, go to my Birthday Party Ideas List.

Planning an organized birthday is helpful when gymnastics and other venues give you a limited timeline with activities. Some places provide some birthday decorations, but you can easily purchase some from Walmart, Target or even online. There are birthday sets that come with balloons, signage, confetti and more.

One of the more popular things to do in San Luis Obispo County is visit the Monarch butterflies at Monarch Butterfly Grove in Pismo Beach. It's free to visit and free to park.

It also leads to a walking trail that is parallel to the ocean. You could go towards the Grover Beach side and see amazing views of Grover Beach and Pismo Beach by going on the Meadow Trail or go North and walk near the RV's and continue along that route until it leads you to the boardwalk and Pismo Beach Pier. Either direction will lead you to the beach. 

If you only want to stick to the Monarch Butterfly Grove main area only, you can also enjoy a picnic there because there are many picnic tables and benches. 

There's usually a porto potty there for visitors to use. During the busier seasons, there are usually quite a few.

The Monarch butterflies usually come here during the fall and then leave when winter ends. However, you are welcome to visit the Monarch Butterfly Grove year-round! It's always open as it's a public state park. Parking can be really hard during the busy tourist season. You park in the dirt in front of the grove or you can parallel park on the other side of the road. Many can just walk here if they don't mind walking from their hotel if it's within a reasonable distance.

Here are the pictures of the Meadow Trail that connects from the Monarch Butterfly Grove to Grover Beach. The views going this direction are phenomenal. 

I've taken my son on the Meadow Trail using a jogger stroller. I would not recommend bringing a side-by-side double stroller as it can be narrow and people do come from both directions.

This is the view of Grover Beach walking on the Meadow Trail. Grover Beach is a smaller beach in comparison to Pismo Beach but Grover Beach is the beach that connects you to the famous dunes. It's the starting point from this end. 

This is the entrance sign you can find as you enter the Meadow Trail from the Grover Beach side instead of the Monarch Butterfly Grove side. You can also park in Grover Beach for free right by the Fin's Restaurant on Grand Ave.

If you were to turn around and head back to the Monarch Butterfly Grove on the Meadow Trail, this is the Pismo Beach view you would see. It's breathtaking and I enjoy this walk every time I come here. 

In the middle of the Meadow Trail is an uphill path to go to the shady trees. Past these trees is the ocean and it's a great picture taking spot and a good stopping point to rest your knees too. The Meadow Trail is free and open year round.

All photos were taken by SanLuisObispoMom.com.
See other beach pictures in San Luis Obispo County taken by SanLuisObispoMom.com.

Don't forget to bring some water in a reusable water bottle as you can get winded on a hot day. However, the walking trail at Monarch Butterfly Grove is very easy to walk through for the most part. Sunscreen and a hat are also very helpful to have for sun protection.

To see pictures of restaurants that I've visited in San Luis Obispo County, go to the Restaurants Page.

Read about my staycation at the famous Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo.

We visited Talley Vineyards in Arroyo Grande today. Arroyo Grande (AG) is part of San Luis Obispo county on the Central Coast of California. Talley Vineyards is one of the more popular vineyards in AG. It's located in the middle of a lot of farms and wineries so you won't find a lot of restaurants or other types of businesses nearby. 

This vineyard hosts a lot of events throughout the year with some that are family-friendly. Their wine member lounge is not, however. Although their wine member lounge is adults only, their tasting room is kid-friendly so there are toys in the back corner for them to play to keep them occupied while you do a taste. Inside of the tasting room, a lot of the decor is brown wood so there is a rustic feel to this, compared to the other wineries in Edna Valley that are only 5 minutes away. Do visit Edna Valley if you are in Arroyo Grande because it is very close by and has dozens of wineries for you to try! See other wineries that I've visited over the years. 


Their patio area is very inviting and although they can't have wedding receptions at this winery, baby showers and bridal showers have taken place here. You would need to arrange a special party date with Talley Vineyards ahead of time to figure out the right set-up. 

The cost of the tasting that my husband and I shared was $20 (probably costs more over time) and it included 5 tastings. Here is the list we were presented with when we came in (see image below). Although Talley Vineyards is not my top 10 favorites wine tasting rooms, it's still fun to be on their farm because they are known for growing a different variety of produce!

Address of Talley Vineyards: 3031 Lopez Dr, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420

Reading Suggestions

• Read about other wineries that I've visited in Edna Valley and Paso Robles in San Luis Obispo County.


• See my top 10 favorite local wineries in Edna Valley and Paso Robles, as a local.


• See this IG reel of different wine tasting rooms that I've personally visited.

Located about a 5 minute drive from the famous Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo is a very family-friendly, pet-friendly and picnic-friendly park called Meadow Park. There are a few benches spread throughout the park which makes Meadow Park a really great option for kids' birthday parties.

With a lot of green grass and playground, you'll find a lot of activities happening here. With trails all around the park, you can take an easy stroll or exercise. Read about a few Moms Exercise Groups for San Luis Obispo county.

It's also dog-friendly and many come here to walk their dogs. Parking may be difficult when there is a large party happening. Address of Meadow Park: 2333 Meadow St., San Luis Obispo, CA 93401


Too see other parks with playgrounds in San Luis Obispo County, go to the Family-Friendly Activities page.

Every year, the City of San Luis Obispo hosts an Easter egg hunt here at Meadow Park for the public. See a list of Easter egg hunts throughout San Luis Obispo County.

See pictures of all the playgrounds in San Luis Obispo County that I've personally taken and visited.