he teriyaki chicken at the Aloha Festival “will make your mouth water,” says Jose Orozco of Hayward, Calif.

The 16th Annual Aloha Festival in San Francisco, Calif. took  place on Saturday at the San Francisco Presidio Fair Grounds. Presented by the Pacific Islanders Cultural Association, the festival included a plethora of traditional island food vendors, offering attendees a taste of Pacific Islander foods.

While the event welcomed dozens of food vendors, the most popular offering of the day was traditional Hawaiian-style teriyaki chicken. The smell of the teriyaki chicken pulled people in, making the lines at the teriyaki booths longer than at any of the other stands.

While waiting in the Hawaiian Island BBQ line, Orozco said, “I’d wait for hours just to get some Hawaiian BBQ with some of that macaroni salad they make on the side.”

Orozco was fifth in line to place his order. “I could smell it right when I got out of my car, I rushed over here just to get some,” he said.

Event volunteer Michelle Rodriguez says, “This is a great way to get people together and to let the community see the many different aspects of being Pacific Islander.”

When asked how she felts about teriyaki chicken Rodriguez said, “Well, the teriyaki chicken is a great plus to being Pacific Islander! It’s delicious and is always a popular item here at the festival.”

Lines continued to grow throughout the day. “The alluring smell just won’t let the people stay away,” Rodriguez said.