Initially we were seated in an ok seat, our server Melanie moved us to a seaside table with amazing views, then took our drink orders. She returned with our drinks and we discussed a few entrees and appetizers. I ordered the lamb shank and Tess ordered the skirt steak "medium". The skirt steak was delivered rare unfortunately. Melanie took it back to the kitchen with apologies. The lamb shank was incredible and the skirt steak was simply ok. Melanie was very sweet, always right on with stellar service. Unfortunately the kitchen missed a beat, that would have made it a perfect meal. read more

Beautiful view for morning, lunch, and dinner. Everyone here was friendly and very considerate. They sat you based on the time of day to give you the best shade possible, which I really appreciated. The food was really good, generous portions. We also enjoyed happy hour, and the drinks were also good. read more

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We come here often as both of my in laws retired here after working 30+ years. Food is always 10/10, views are beautiful. Wonderful workers. Great live music on certain evenings. read more

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We had the fish chowder breadbowls and the coconut shrimp appetizer! They were so good I forgot to take pictures. The bread bowls were sourdough filled with big pieces of potatoes and filled with yummy seafood pieces. I wish I had room to eat the yummy bowl too. And those shrimp! Oh my-so yummy. Perfectly crisp with the best sauce ever! The service is great and you get to look out on the ocean and the beautiful horizon. It's a great lounge to wind down and relax. read more

Don The Beachcomber - Too good we forgot to get a pic! - Bars Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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Food and drinks are great!! Our server was great!!! Live music was so loud that we couldn't hear each other at a table for 4. And why on earth would you use plastic cups for water? In an island paradise such as The Big Island, why would you create waste that will wind up in a landfill or worse, in the ocean? read more

Great Mai Tai! And really yummy burger. It's... 3 patties, plus fries. Great ambiance... circular bar back set against the ocean. And a tiny stage for a band and they let us watch the 49er football game on their TV's. read more

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This restaurant is at the Royal Kona Resort. It's a bit old school and has some construction going on in one of the towers but didn't affect our lunch. The view from the patio is spectacular so you must sit towards the water. The piña colada was good and so was the Caesar salad, but nothing extraordinary. The fish was good but the batter was a bit oily. The sweet potato fries were tasty. The best was the prime rib bahn mi. The large bun was fresh along with the prime rib and topped off well with the pho juice as dipping sauce. The service was fine. Nothing special. I know it is a bit difficult trying to find staff but the restaurant was fully staffed just not above expectations. The total came out to $59 for the meal which is not bad. I would recommend for the views and prime rib bahn mi. Enjoy. read more

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If you are looking for a fun Hawaiian vacation food experience this a a must do. Excellent happy hour and the meals were great without breaking the vacation budget . You can also see a wonderful sun set here . The service definitely had the Aloha spirit. read more

You come here for two things: the view and the mai tais. If you're coming for any other reason: fail. You're probably going to wait for a table with a good view so be prepared. We waited, and waited, and ended up getting the BEST table in the restaurant, front and center to the water. And yes, it's worth the wsit. The food is average. We ordered nachos and coconut shrimp. Nothing wrong with either dish and nothing great, either. We also tried the mud pie. It was fine. I've had better. I was skeptical of the mai tai tasters (flight) but it was TERRIFIC. You get four different mai tais and, I have to say, the Green Flash variety was a standout. Service was friendly and efficient, especially for a place that was so swamped. If you go at night, depending on the day of the week, you might get to sneak a peek at a luau in action across the way. Great views and great mai tais. You're on your own after that. read more

Don The Beachcomber - Mud pie. It was fine. Stick to the mai tais. - Bars Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Over a week, we ate 3 meals here (b,l,d), but only because we had a resort credit that was only good for food and drinks. If I had to do over, I'd have spent it all on drinks...The view is lovely. The food is not. Breakfast: 1 star. On their menu, you can buy a HALF papaya for $7. That means a 'whole' papaya (nothing done to it) is $14. For context, the lovely market across the street sells them for $1 each. Ya. Assuming you have money to burn, and decide to come here anyway, you don't have to worry about wasting it on espresso drinks with your breakfast, they don't have them. Out of a notably uninspired menu, we went for the açaí bowl and the standard eggs,sausage,toast, and rice. Açaí bowl was $16 and ROCK HARD. go across the street to Basik Cafe and enjoy any of their sinfully delicious açaí bowls instead: cheaper, bigger, fresher, more toppings. The 'Royal Sunrise' (ie eggs and toast) was fine I guess, other than it was $16, and the fried rice never saw a wok in its life. I'm depressed remembering this meal. Lunch: 4 stars. Fish tacos (3) are fresh but forgettable at $19. The burger and fries are pretty good. Burger well cooked, nice brioche bun, guacamole, cheddar and bacon, and crispy fries. But, $18 - cost of that view. I would never pay this out of pocket (go to Island Ono Loa Grill, a 3-min walk away - awesome and affordable burgers). The winner of the entire menu though, and the singular reason for that 4th star is the Bahn Mi Pho Dip. Great crispy/fluffy baguette with really flavorful thinly sliced prime rib, and pickled carrot and daikon, then served with a pho broth to dip. It's a good size for sharing, which also helps offset that $19. I'd get this (and only this) menu item again. Dinner: Back down to 2 stars. 'Ultimate Royal Poke Bowl' - a $28 train wreck, not the least of which was because there was maybe a 1/4 lb serving of poke, but it was hard to even find it under the gloopy dual sauces. Poke nachos in comparison were still way too sauce-laden for my liking (sriracha Mayo, and a sweet eel sauce) but the wonton chips were crispy and ironically there was about twice as much poke, although that's still not saying much at $18. Far better value was the ahi sashimi, which was thick cut and very fresh, though I'm still not 100% convinced over the pairing of truffle oil and tuna. $70 for dinner pre-tip with no drinks and we went up to the hotel room and ate bananas afterwards. I did enjoy their lava flow (piña colada with a fruit purée of your choice), but at $12/drink plus tax and tip... Service is good once you get it. Oddly there is no hostess, so at dinner, we were one of 6 parties standing around awkwardly while waitresses zipped past us repeatedly, not a one of them ever stopping, smiling, commenting, even looking at you...it feels like there is some secret protocol no one has told you about. Friendly once they decide to eventually acknowledge your existence and seat you. read more

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Used to b place to go. Serious lack of caring. Over 20 years. Can't even ask for a manager without complaining. Terrible.

Bad service...no view can make up for the unexperienced bad attitude young woman who didn't want to work today. Thank you you made us go to Magic's down the street with a better view, better service and great food. Your current rating is too high for what we experienced. read more

The Royal Kona Resort has a great location. The resort is as close to the ocean as it gets, and its food and beverage outlets have an amazing oceanfront view. The view cannot be beat. The ambiance is great too. One of its outlets is Don's Mai Tai Bar, a tiki bar that serves the original mai tai as well as a lot of its variations and other tasty tropical cocktails. The drinks are great. The food is good. However, the service is generally terrible. I have been to the mai tai bar three times. The first time was okay until it came time for the check. It was a slow Sunday afternoon. I was in a party of four, and we asked to have the check split. Our server, Courtney, glared at us, did not say a word, walked away, and did bother to come back to our table until she saw that we had put only one card down. The second time, I came around opening time with my friend and sat at the bar. Our bartender was great, and I regret that I do not remember his name. He was very friendly and engaging, and my friend and I had a good time chatting with him. The third time was not a good experience. I was in a party of three, and it was a busy weekday evening. Our server told us that he would seat us after cleaning our table. We had seen him wiping down other tables and actually cleaning them. For ours, he simply removed the dirty dishes and utensils. We had to ask him to clean the table. Also, my friend had ordered a flight, and her tasting glasses were dirty. As well, the bar had made substitutions to her tasters without telling her. The substitution was not a big deal, but confusion could have been avoided if she had been told that she would be drinking something different from what she had ordered. A plus side though was that the server replaced one of my tasting glasses that I had accidentally knocked over, but the overall service was slow and lacking attention to details. This place has so much potential. The location and menu are great, but the service could use a lot of work. I am not sure I want to go back here again considering that I had only one positive experience out of three visits. read more

Don The Beachcomber - mai tai tasters - Bars Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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Don's is open! It's lovely! Hard to beat the ocean front! The drinks are great. I had the Pama!

Best fish and chips anywhere to go along with the best and of course original mai tai .... The view is also breathtaking especially if you get a outdoor outer table! read more

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It's really open even though yelp said closed. Had great view of sunset. Try the seafood corn chowder. You won't regret.

Since this is the home of the original Mai tai, we had to stop here! The drinks were good and happy hour goes until 6pm! We shared the Buffalo fries which were tasty! Definitely a good stop with beautiful views! read more

Don The Beachcomber - Buffalo fries - Bars Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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This is another place like a scene from a movie. It is hard to explain how epic the location is, given that it is literally built right on the oceanfront probably 10 feet from where the waves are breaking against the lava flows from ancient times. If you arrive at the right time you can witness an epic sunset as well as an incredible ocean view of tropical waters that cannot be seen anywhere else on the planet Earth. Enjoy the azure blue waters over a cold brew or mixed drink while you reflect on how awesome life can be. Plus this is the actual birthplace of the Mai Tai so you are in good hands when it comes to deciding upon what to drink. They also happen to have what I consider to be an excellent selection of beers on tap and you cannot go wrong with just about anything you might choose. Food wise, everything on the menu I tried was excellent, from the bucket of shrimp to the barbecue ribs, to the prime rib. During happy hour, you can find many excellent deals on choices of foods and drinks that will be sure to hit the spot. Overall, I would definitely recommend Don the Beachcomber as a legitimate historical monument as well as a legitimate food establishment worthy of any foodie's exploration. It is both a bar and a restaurant and a bar. If you come here, you will understand the foregoing sentence. Five solid stars of awesomeness! read more

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Home of the Original Mai Tai Great place to watch the sunset. So many people will be lined up along the wall as the sun dips into the ocean. Perfect way to end a perfect day in Kona. Fun retro 70s architecture gives a groovy vibe. Mahalo! read more

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We came here to grab a quick drink after a day of activities. We of course tried the Mai Tais. Unfortunately we didn't think any of the drinks we got were very good. The views were amazing, service was so friendly and attentive. Just kind of touristy and weak flavorless drinks. read more

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This is a terrific location, beautiful view, and good food and drinks. Only three stars because there are some serious flaws and better places within walking distance. First, there is no seating wait list. So at sunset when the place is full, tourists are just hovering over diners and cutting each other with no organization. Really awkward when you're eating and when you're waiting. The food is good. But really expensive compared to other local restaurants (it is in a hotel lobby) and not significantly better. Drinks are good, but again 20% more than other places within 1000 feet with similar views. Maitais start at ten bucks, we had one for 16. For example- our group of five ate at Don's, two apps and regular dinners. $225. The next night we ate at Lava Java, two apps and dinners (it was happy hour) and paid less than $110. And everything was just as good. Also, when busy, service here is shockingly slow. Overall cool place with great view, but not worth it when there are better options. read more

Don The Beachcomber - View from the table! - Bars Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Have wanted to check this tiki bar out after reading about it in Smugglers Cove. So many choices! Can't go wrong with all the samplers offered-and the atmosphere on the beach can't be beat! Update: after checking out the menus up and down Alii drive we decided to come back to this amazing restaurant for the culmination of our trip- my husbands birthday dinner. Unfortunately we learned the menus posted online are not up to date. When we shared this info with the restaurant manager we were scolded for looking at the wrong websites. In a world post Covid I would expect tourists would be welcomed with open arms rather than the brutal reception we experienced. Buyer beware- it's a great place for drinks and appetizers but if your looking for a special occasion dinner experience this is not the place. read more

Don The Beachcomber - Mai Tai sampler - Bars Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Original MaiTai's, then a MaiTai flight, and dinner as the sun went down. It's all good now. The Kalua pork Bánh mì was excellent. read more

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It's closed. Has been for awhile now. They use the kitchen for Don's Mai Tai bar, and they store chairs and boxes inside. It's rumored that they plan to refresh it, but there were no signs of life while we were here. read more

Food was fantastic! Had the nachos and fish tacos. The ocean front table was delightful. The service was excellent. Can't say enough about this place! read more

This bar is located in an older but beautiful hotel in downtown Kona. It is also where the first Mai Tai was made. We have visited multiple time and it never disappoints. I recommend dropping in at Sunset to enjoy the view and their tasty Mai Tai's. They also have descent appetizers you can snack on as well as full service menu. Their food is good, not great but in all honestly who needs great food when you have the view and great drinks. The service is on point and the prices are reasonable. read more

I mean it's hard to give anything less than 5 stars when you're in Hawaii. This bar is amazing! You are situated on the ocean, stunning views and delicious drinks. We sort of stumbled upon this place as we had plotted to go to a different bar in the area for lunch but we were impressed! The drinks are anywhere from $9-13 depending on how fun of a drink you want as well as a Mai Tai sampler with 4 different ones you can try. You don't get cheated on the booze in the drinks and frankly, there is really no reason to sweat that as you sit the whole time talking and looking out over the ocean. Put the phones away, grab and friend or loved one and hit this place up anytime you are in the area. read more

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I am surprised by some of the reviews here, as for us didn't meet our expectations at all. It is true that the views at the restaurant are fantastic and the atmosphere is great. A quiet place where you can enjoy fabulous views. Food wise, we are really disappointed. We ordered linguine con gamberetti and they had as special the prime rib all you can eat. Also we tried the famous Mai Tai (actually the birthplace of Mai Tai) The linguine was a recommendation from the waiter (he was really nice giving us recommendations of what to visit), but it was bad. The pasta was overcooked, the gamberetti were not fresh and the sauce was sticky and not smooth, the bread was frozen and also it supposed to have asparagus but I saw none. The prime rib, was way undercoocked, tasteless and chewy. The only good thing was the Mai Tai, compared to others that we tried this was definitely the best one. I would recommend the place for having some drinks and enjoying the views. Overall, I wouldn't recommend to a foodie to go to Kailua-kona, food is expensive for the quality and also don't meet the expectations. read more

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This place was amazing. We did not eat here just had drinks and watched the sunset but man it was an amazing sunset! The drinks were also super tasty and they had a lot of happy hour options. Definitely try and come to get a table right on the ocean we totally lucked out, the view and sound of the waves crashing is incredible. So far the best beach front bar view I've seen here! Hopefully we'll make it back for some food and a mai tai flight! read more

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Every time I come to the Big Island, I'd stay at the Royal Kona Resort. Beautiful view and amazing food right at the hotel. Dining at Don is a relaxing and amazing experience. Hearing the waves crashed against the rocks with an ocean breeze while biting into that nice juicy burger or tasty fork of pasta. You cannot go wrong dining here. read more

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We came here for the happy hour and to watch the sunset. Our server offered us a much better table right away which was extremely nice. When she realized though that we would be staying she got a bit short and rude. Then she realized we would be ordering dinner as well and that we were going to continue to order she softened a bit. Apparently people must come here sit for hours and not order or tip well. The food was extremely good and the views are exceptional. The hotel it sits in is quite dated and the restrooms smell very musty and moldy. read more

Love this place. Must go when in Kona. Great views and the best drinks in Kona. Lava flows and pina coladas are delish. Right on the water. Poke was great. Good service and easy parking. read more

Don The Beachcomber - Lava flow flight - Bars Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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We stopped into Don's specifically to watch the sunset and grab a drink while vacationing in Kona this past June. We were able to grab a seat for 4 adults in the bar area without needing a reservation or waiting for a table as the bar is first come first serve seating. We did wait a decent amount of time before our server came over but almost all seats were filled due to the sun close to setting which is why I was unable to give a full 5 stars. Once we finally ordered we were all thrilled with our drinks. I tried the Mai Tai sampler which is made up of 4 of their house Mai Tais. Each sample had its own twist on the classic drink and was made with a kick (no one skimped out on the alcohol during the preparation of these tiny drinks). The sunset was truly amazing from this location. We did not have a seat with a direct view as we arrived close to the main event but once the sun was setting we just got up from our seats and watched the sun go down, mai tai in hand. If you are able to snag one of the seats right along the water you are truly in paradise. My husband enjoyed some of their tacos as a snack to go with his drink but we did not eat dinner or a full meal. Over all we enjoyed our time at the bar mostly because of the strong drinks and amazing breathtaking views offered. This place is a must if visiting Kona. Cheers! read more

Don The Beachcomber - Sunset view from Don the Beachcomber bar area in June. - Bars Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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The view is amazing and the menu is fun! You might be able to catch a glimpse of whale spray or even spray from a triathlon-er in the ocean! The restaurant is surrounded by beautiful dreamy scenes in addition to the ocean. A totem of tiki gods that tower above the torches greet you. The seating area around the pond and walkway to the restaraunt sends you into a fanciful paradise. With all the ambiance sending you into dreamland it's difficult to concentrate on the food. The fish tacos and the shrimp salad was grounding and delicious. We ordered the pineapple upside down dessert. The only improvement is to have more cake and less ice cream. It is the cake why it's ordered after all...If the need was to focus on ice cream then ice cream would have been ordered. This is the only reason why four stars were given. See photo. read more

Don The Beachcomber - The pineapple upside down cake sandwich with way too too much ice cream. The cake is yummy, ice cream bland - an impressive tower though. - Bars Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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Great views but the mai tai, service and ambiance were just meh. We entered Kona from the south after snorkeling at Kahalu'u Beach. I might have stopped somewhere else for happy hour and pupu if I realized there were so many options just to the north. read more

Don The Beachcomber - Dons Original Mai Tai - Bars Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

The drinks were really nice and actually pretty. The view was really great being right on the beach and completely open platform. You can see lots of boats floating around and you are in shade. This is a nice place to watch the sunset! They have 2 large screen flat outdoor TV's, outdoor fans, outdoor carpet and lots of comfy chairs and couches to sit in. I dinged them one start because of how high the price the price is. It was crazy everything drink was over $15. I got the cheapest at $15 and it was not the most amazing thing. At the same time it was really tasty however still not worth the price tag when you can walk 2 min accross the street and get the same or stronger for less than half the cost. read more

Don The Beachcomber - Missionary downfall - Bars Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

The gold standard of legit beach style bars with MaiTais to die for. No wonder they run the largest MaiTai contest I've ever seen. As flight crew we stayed in the hotel for years and loved the bar. The food is good and the staff is great. Be sure Not to miss this place read more

Great lunch ($200) until we needed to validate our parking. The waitress was gone, the bartender said his machine didn't work and we'd have to go to the front desk. We went to the front desk, not a problem at all. But only one person working the front desk and there were 4 people in line ahead of us checking in. Sooo, I went to the Concierge desk and asked if the gentleman could help us get our ticket validated. We are all over 60 years old and nice ladies. We have lived here for over 25 years. The gentleman advised us that we would have to wait in line because he couldn't help us. There was no one else around waiting for him. He further replied that he couldn't validate our parking because that wasn't his job and he said it with a rather tight voice. So I asked if he worked here and he said YES. Gosh then certainly he could have assisted us - but he refused. I asked to see a manager, by now it was incredulous that he would have this attitude in customer service on our Aloha island. He said no manager could help me! Honestly, this was abrasive and uncalled for. I asked for his name. He said it was "Ricky" - I asked for his last name he said, "it doesn't matter". It certainly does matter young man. You were rude, offensive, and very put offing to our group of ladies over a PARKING VALIDATION. You didn't offer any valuable assistance and I want our visitors to the island to know that this hotel is not 100% back on track. One person can ruin for everyone - Ricky did this to us. Ruined a beautiful day at your hotel with his attitude. Last thing any of us wanted to do was to have to come home and write this review. Just not worth it to be hassled like this. When we finally got to the front of the check-in, I asked again for a manager, she politely told me no one was available but that Ricky should have validated the tickets. So officially - Kona Royal Resort Hotel - here is your customer feedback. Please read at your convenience, apparently, y'all are very busy. read more

Don The Beachcomber - Ricky in Concierge at Kona Royal Resort - home to Don's the Beachcomer - Bars Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

The service was slow and the food was mediocre. I just ate here out of convenience of not having to leave Royal Kona Resort. To start of with I had a bowl of the Island Chowder. It was nice and hot, flavorful, but I had to add salt and pepper. It came with stale cracker so I asked for more bread. As the main course, I had the braised boneless beef. It was very tender, moist, and hearty. No complaints with this dish. I was super tired, but wanted dessert. I ordered the Royal Kona Mud Pie, to go. Michell O. Was my server and she was very polite and gracious, but too slow. The table in front of me was complaining that they ordered dessert a long time ago when they saw that my dessert had arrived. I still tipped my server well. Overall, nice ocean front ambiance, mediocre food, and good (but slow) service. read more

Don The Beachcomber - Crab and clam chowder (with stale crackers) / Braised beef with rice - Bars Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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Beautiful bar with great views of the bay (weather permitting of course). The Mai Tai is the way to go. $6 during their happy hour. The Pele Mai Tai was also good if your looking for something with a good kick. Their blended drink was a great last drink for the night, not overly sweet but desert like. Wouldn't recommend the Kona Itch, tasted almost wholely of alcohol rather than any flavor. If you're staying at the hotel you can order your drink in a plastic cup to take to the pool or to take up to your room. The food was fine, typical bar food with a Hawaiian kick. Service was much faster ordering directly from the bar rather than one of the servers. read more

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