Ohana Island Kitchen began in June 2016 as a take-out window across the street from the Truffle Table in LoHi, run by Louie and Regan Colburn as a veteran-owned, family-operated business. Louie was born in Japan and grew up from age four in Kaneohe, on the island of Oahu, and that upbringing shapes the food. What started with a couple of picnic tables and umbrellas grew quickly enough that the Colburns moved into their own space in a historic LoHi building by the fall of that same year.
The menu has stayed small and scratch-made, a legacy of the original shared-kitchen pop-up setup. Poke began as a weekend special before the dish had caught on in Denver, and Ohana is often credited as the city's original poke spot. Pork sliders and macaroni salad round out a menu the Colburns have kept tight rather than expanded.
Westword named Ohana Island Kitchen among its Best of Denver picks in 2025, and the restaurant has also drawn coverage from The Infatuation.
The menu has stayed small and scratch-made, a legacy of the original shared-kitchen pop-up setup. Poke began as a weekend special before the dish had caught on in Denver, and Ohana is often credited as the city's original poke spot. Pork sliders and macaroni salad round out a menu the Colburns have kept tight rather than expanded.
Westword named Ohana Island Kitchen among its Best of Denver picks in 2025, and the restaurant has also drawn coverage from The Infatuation.