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Aloha Specialties to Close at California Hotel

The downtown Hawaiian restaurant's last day is November 22, and its owners point regulars to Henderson.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Dining Out

Gouache-painted editorial illustration of an empty wooden bar stool beside a palm-frond placemat and plumeria on a tiled counter in warm light.
Aloha Specialties, the Hawaiian restaurant that has operated inside the California Hotel since 1985, will close for good on November 22. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Diners who grew up on Aloha Specialties' Hawaiian plates in downtown Las Vegas will have one less place to get them after November 22, when the restaurant closes at the California Hotel. The closure was announced on Instagram by the restaurant's owners, who pointed customers to their Henderson location, Ross J's Aloha Grill.

Why it matters

Aloha Specialties had run at the California Hotel for more than 40 years, making it a fixture for downtown regulars rather than a visitor stop. The restaurant is a leased concept with its own owners, so the decision sits with them and the hotel's landlord, Boyd Gaming, not with the property itself.

The announcement is an owner post confirmed by Boyd Gaming, not a formal filing. Aloha Specialties opened in 1985 and closes November 22, 2026, after more than 40 years at the California Hotel; the reasons for the closure and the plans for the space were not given.

The players

Aloha Specialties

The Hawaiian restaurant at the California Hotel that is closing after more than 40 years downtown.

Boyd Gaming

The property owner of the California Hotel, whose representative confirmed the restaurant's closure.

Sam Boyd

The founder of Boyd Gaming who opened the California Hotel in 1975.

The details

Aloha Specialties, a Hawaiian restaurant that opened in 1985 at the California Hotel in downtown Las Vegas, will close on November 22. A representative for Boyd Gaming, which owns the property, confirmed the closure, and the restaurant's owners announced it on Instagram, where they encouraged customers to visit their sister restaurant, Ross J's Aloha Grill, at 4650 E. Sunset Road, Suite A, in Henderson. The restaurant is a leased concept run by separate owners, not a Boyd Gaming operation; Sam Boyd founded the company and opened the California Hotel in 1975.

Timeline

  1. 1975: Sam Boyd opens the California Hotel.

  2. 1985: Aloha Specialties opens at the California Hotel.

  3. November 6, 2026: The closure is announced on Instagram.

  4. November 22, 2026: Aloha Specialties closes at the California Hotel.

Beyond the Strip

Aloha Specialties has been part of downtown since Sam Boyd opened the California Hotel in 1975, a decade before the restaurant arrived in 1985. Its closure takes one of the older tenants off Fremont Street's hotel-restaurant circuit, even as the owners keep a presence in Henderson.

If Aloha Specialties was your regular Hawaiian lunch downtown, plan your last visit before November 22 or head to Ross J's Aloha Grill in Henderson at 4650 E. Sunset Road, Suite A. Fans who want to keep the menu going can follow the owners' Instagram for updates.

The takeaway

Aloha Specialties' closure is a reminder that a restaurant can be a long-running downtown fixture even when the building belongs to someone else. Watch the November 22 date, and if you want to keep eating the same food, check out Ross J's Aloha Grill in Henderson.

What happens next

Aloha Specialties closes at the California Hotel on November 22, 2026, which is the next date to watch for the space and for any announcement from its owners about a new location.

Further reading

For more restaurant news across the valley, see our Dining Out coverage.

Source note: This article includes information reported by Neon.

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