Forty-one years. Then a closing date.
Aloha Specialties Restaurant, on the mezzanine of the California Hotel & Casino downtown, will permanently close on November 22, 2026. The announcement, signed by the restaurant and the Yamagata ohana, gave no reason for the closure.
You have 13 days left. Use them.
Not a Boyd Restaurant, and That Is the Point
Most people assume Boyd Gaming created this place. It did not.
Aloha Specialties is a family-owned, leased concept with separate owners, a Boyd Gaming representative confirmed to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The restaurant opened at The Cal in 1985.
It was founded by the late Larry Yamagata, a former Sheraton executive chef in Hawaii. The Cal, owned by Boyd Gaming, has deep ties to Hawaii, and Las Vegas is often called the Ninth Island for a reason.
The name is older than the dining room. In 1980, Herb Yamagata founded Aloha Specialties as a beef jerky business, and the restaurant followed in 1985.
That is the fresh detail most diners miss. This was never a casino invention. It was a family business that landed on a mezzanine and stayed for four decades.
Find it at 12 East Ogden Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89101, up on the mezzanine. Hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, per the California Hotel & Casino's own dining page.
What to Order Before November 22
Order like someone who will not get a second chance. Because you will not.
- The classics: saimin, Spam musubi, loco moco, teriyaki plates, kalua pork, curry, and rice bowls.
- From Boyd's own menu description: stews, combination plates, and noodle dishes such as Chicken Tou Saimin.
- The setting: umbrellas and wicker chairs line the mezzanine outside, with native art and aloha prints inside.
The restaurant got a major renovation in 2016, as part of a broader overhaul of The Cal. The food stayed comfort food. No reinvention, no small plates nonsense.
Go on a weekday if you can. The final stretch runs to Sunday, November 22, and no replacement for the space has been announced.
After the 22nd, the Family Name Continues in Henderson
Here is the part that softens the blow. The closing announcement points diners to the family's sister restaurant.
Larry Yamagata also opened Ross J's Aloha Grill in Henderson in 2001. It serves the same island playbook, including saimin, Spam musubi, and loco moco.
Ross J's is at 4650 East Sunset Road, Henderson, NV 89014. Different room, same family roots.
So the plan is simple. Get to The Cal mezzanine before November 22 for the original, then keep Ross J's on your Henderson list after it.
Downtown loses a 41-year fixture this month. At least you were warned in time to eat there one last time.
