We ordered food from the Fairmont Orchid pool menu which shares a kitchen with Hale Kai. When you're on the resort, expect to pay double for the convenience. Although the food is crazy expensive, it was delicious. The Buddha bowl was chock full of fresh veggies and tender chicken and the lobster tacos were soft and buttery. read more

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Great food and wonderful location with beautiful views of the sunset nightly from their outdoor tables. Their fish and chips were the best I've ever had and the lobster tacos were amazing as well. read more

Hale Kai Restaurant - Fish & Chips - Hawaiian Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

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We had lunch here several times, as it was as one of the only options on the resort for lunch. I'm not complaining- every meal we had was terrific. The Buddha bowls were by far my favorite. Fresh vegetables, sweet potato, pick a protein. Perfect pool or Oceanside meal. The chicken wings were sticky and sweet!! Do good. Tuna poke salad on point. Cocktails and smoothies were yummy!! read more

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TLDR: Restaurant on the beach at the Fairmont Orchid. We actually quite liked all the food here and the views of the water / sunset were great. However, we didn't have the best experience with service, enough so that we hesitate to go back. This is basically the only sit-down restaurant open before 5 pm at the resort though, so if you want a late lunch / early dinner that isn't just finger food or grab-and-go, this is your best bet. ------ FOOD: 1. Cubano (5/5): Not your classic cubano but I liked the Hawaiian twist more than I thought I would! Despite being a dutch crunch roll, the bread wasn't too sweet and was perfectly soft on the inside with a nice bite on the outside. The pickled pineapple added a nice tartness to the sandwich. 2. Yakisoba with Chicken (5/5): Delicious noodle dish with a generous portion of chicken, which we added. Flavors were overall well-balanced and the noodles were cooked well. 3. Macadamia Hummus (4.5/5): Large portion with lots of raw veggies. Perfect dish to share. 4. Shrimp Ceviche (4/5): Loved all the taro chips that came with this. Good amount of shrimp too, though in general I personally found the shrimp a tad too rubbery. ------ SERVICE: * Unfortunately service here was poor. Our server gave us some attitude and didn't make us feel welcomed. It was enough that we actively tried to eat elsewhere if we were able to. ------ ENVIRONMENT / AMBIANCE: * Small and large tables on the beach by the ocean, so be comfortable walking through some sand (i.e. comfortable shoes only) * Each table has a straw umbrella shielding it from the elements which is nice * There's also an outdoor bar here if you want to get a drink by the water read more

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Food 4 Service 4.5 Ambience 4.5 Hale Kai at the Fairmont Orchid Hotel. We enjoyed an oceanside casual outdoor lunch. We arrived at 2:30pm and were immediately seated. We ordered: Chicken Bahni Hawaiian fish sandwich in a brioche Ahi poke bowl with seaweed, crab salad slaw, warm rice Fish and chips The Fish and chips fish had a dense white flesh, which we liked. All the foods selected were well flavoured. Highlights; Fish of the fish and chips and the fish sandwich Seaweed salad in the Ahi Poke bowl Chicken bahni with a little spicy seasoning. We had a wonderful time dining with a beautiful view of the ocean. read more

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Beautiful setting in the sand, with an ocean view, at the Fairmont Orchid. A casual spot for lunch or dinner and kids under five eat free! Of course it is overpriced, as it is at the resort, but it is convenient if you're staying there. Food and drinks are so-so. Service is good. We ate here for dinner twice while staying at the resort. I had the fish and chips one night and the yakisoba noodles with chicken the second night. I enjoyed the noodles more. My husband had the Cuban sandwich one night and the c-blt the second. Both were just ok. He felt sandwich was a little light on the meat. Drinks were pretty sweet as well. read more

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Beautiful view. Fresh air whale watching on the beach. Food was plentiful....had Kona coffee to finish the lunch....poolside view! read more

Hale Kai Restaurant - Wagu beef burger with truffle fries - Hawaiian Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

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Just OK. We ate there on the first night we arrived. We were intrigued that they had a 'Fresh Catch ' fish and chips on their menu. The batter coating was pretty thick and the taste of the fish was very average. The fries were average as well. It was pretty high priced and I expected that since it was at the Fairmont resort. Our server was really great . The atmosphere at this restaurant is wonderful. Looks out onto the ocean . I am sorry I could not give them higher marks for the food. read more

Another good visit. I live nearby and frequently take visitors there on their first night on island. The menu has been tweaked a little bit, but the highlight was a special; a lobster and shrimp wrap that would be a great regular addition to the menu. read more

Food was very tasty, and the view is absolutely gorgeous. So much to walk around and look at while you wait for your table read more

Hale Kai Restaurant - View at dusk - Hawaiian Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

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Captive market - guests beware. $39 for a hamburger this bad is an insult. The menu is fairly pedestrian and about 50% overpriced. $24 for a mediocre cocktail is alcohol abuse The service was adequate - but the star of the show is the location. Beautiful sunset spot, feet in the sand - if this was a standalone spot not at the Fairmont Orchid this was a $20 per person meal instead of the $50+ we paid. Would not eat here again. read more

Amazing service and amazing food. I got the house Hamburger and truffle fries. MY LORD, IT WAS DIVINE.

We visited Hale Kai restaurant on our visit to Hawaii for my mom's birthday trip. My family of four plus my sister split off from the bigger group to have a sunset dinner at this sand in your toes restaurant. It was amazing. The atmosphere was spot on. We had a 6 and 10 year old with us and they were welcomed. The Mai tai was my favorite I found on the island. Strong and delicious that I could only enjoy one! everyone in our party enjoyed our food and they were so careful with our son who has a nut allergy. The service was good, maybe a bit slow, but we weren't complaining as we got to enjoy the sunset and the view and take our time. We sent our parents there the next night when we went on the Manta Rey snorkel. We will be back! read more

Hale Kai Restaurant - The view from our table (cropped out the table in front of us for privacy purposes). - Hawaiian Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

Walking in- The outdoor atmosphere was wonderful, you could watch the sunset while eating dinner. There were cool umbrellas that you could sit under while feeling the sand beneath your feet. Service- The food came out pretty fast, and the staff were respectful. Meal- The baby kale caesar salad was delicious, the dressing was excellent. The lobster tacos were fine, a different taste since the general lobsters aren't caught in Hawaii. The Hawaiian cubano was very tasty, the pork and pickled pineapple went interestingly well together. Hale Kai Restaurant is one of the best I've eaten at while in Hawaii, so stop by today for some awesome Hawaiian food! read more

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Decided to check out a new resort and restaurant. The resort was beautifil, large spacious grounds and the beach area was wonderful. The restaurant we tried was toes in the sand and we had some chips and guacamole and fish and chips. All was delicious, the "angry birds" actually flew up and grabbed a chip from my fingers! It was fun and a wonderful and relaxing afternoon lunch. read more

Had a very poor experience here with my wife. The drinks weren't good, the food was worse, my wife was being swarmed by ants sitting at our table (I get it's closer to plants on the beach bugs are bound to happen but it was excessive for being a restaurant), and our service was very very slow for not being busy. The benefit of the doubt was our servers were very nice. If you want to spend $140+ for two people I could think of more places on the island to do that and enjoy your dining experience than pay resort dining prices like these for only 4 items. If you are a family on a budget vacationing here this is not the place for you. read more

They have a wonderful fruit plate as well as delicious avocado toast. I would stay away from the bowl as it's mostly salad unless you want salad . The poke was OK. I recommend getting poke at one of the supermarkets or ocean poke specialist restaurants. Service, friendly and helpful ambience is beautiful as it's right near the ocean read more

What a beautiful location. We weren't staying at the Fairmont but stopped over to walk around and grab some dinner. The Fairmont is an incredible hotel and this spot takes advantage of the ambiance of the hotel. Our server, Scott, was great; friendly and helpful. Started with the ceviche which was well worth it. A solid start. Our son had the lobster fried rice and it was flavorful and really good. Daughter had the poke ahi which I thought was very good but was a bit much for her. The accompanying kimchee and crab was a nice touch. My wife had the chipotle chicken tacos. Three small tacos were perfect for her and they were very tasty. I went light and had the Caesar with crunchy tofu which was pretty much what you would expect, nothing out of the ordinary but got the job done. The drinks were great and priced in line with drinks you'd see around the island. read more

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Very cool spot, beach shack on the sand right next the the ocean crashing against the rocks, very good service, good menu selection, ordered the fish and chips and fish tacos, all very good, a little pricy for what it is. Good service as always. read more

We just arrived at the Fairmont Orchid and after checking in decided to head down to the beach for a quick lunch. I had read the yelp reviews and wasn't expecting that much from Hale Kai but the dishes weee surprisingly delicious. It's nice to sit at tables in the sand where you can have a great view of the ocean. It gave amazing beach vibes and was nice to go straight to lunch at the beach after we arrived. We got the ahi tartare which was fresh and delicious along with a kid's poke dish for my son. They give 50% off their signature dishes if you order it for your kid which is a good deal. I decided to go for the lobster friend rice despite the price being a bit expensive at $39 a plate. However, I was pleasantly surprised as the lobster fried ride was tasty and hit the spot. I wish they could have given a bit more lobster meat but overall delicious. Our server was a bit slow in the beginning as he was probably serving many tables but overall he was friendly and gave us good service when it wasn't so busy. read more

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Literally the best fish tacos of my life! I heard the person at the table next to us say they had the best kale salad ever. The ambiance is amazing. No wait time. Feet in the sand, ocean views, and amazing food. Very similar to lava lava beach club but no wait. A hidden gem. read more

Open air. Feel the sand on your toes. We sat in the bar area, so there was no sand on our toes. We had a light dinner but just enough. Fried spicy chicken, 8 pieces. Local mahi mahi fish taco, 3 of them. That fresh lemon really adds to the taste, as well as salsa. Thai salad with catch of the day, mungcho fish with light coconut dressing. Macademia hummus was just ok. Add some lemon makes it better. Tonight was super windy. Lettuce flying off the plate. We saw the semi sunset. The service was great. read more

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Excellent Mahi Mahi tacos and Mule drinks as well as very quick service. The view of the ocean was excellent as well. read more

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On a day trip to the Big Island, we visited our friends who were staying at The Fairmont Orchid. What a gorgeous resort! No matter where we were, the views were breathtaking. We spent the day sunbathing by the pools. A round of Shaka Flows followed by a beachside banh mi from the kitchen of the Hale Kai added some extra delight to our little day-cation. The Shaka Flow was cool and refreshing. The mango was a nice take on a traditional Lava Flow. My sister and I split the chicken banh mi, and the kitchen staff kindly served the sandwich and fries in individual containers. The portion was more than enough food for the two of us. Although all the food here has Hawaiian resort pricing, it was worth it to treat ourselves for the day. read more

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Three stars for the food. It was meh, but so disappointed that the Keiki Mac n' Cheese was actually box Kraft?? For a dining experience at the Fairmont, I expect much more. My teenage kids said they'd recognized the Kraft signature taste any time. 5 stars for the craft cocktails(Lilikoi Martini & Moscow Mule) and the Manta Ray, turtle, school of fish, stray cat sighting-all in one evening. Get the chicken wings too! read more

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We stayed at the Fairmont Orchid, and lunch options were relatively limited. I had the chance to eat multiple food offerings from Hale Kai. Mahi Mahi Sandwich: their sandwiches were very good! The fish was perfectly cooked, juicy and tender. The sauce was really flavorful as well, and it made for a great fish sandwich. Mahi Mahi Tacos: the tacos were decent, with well cooked fish as well, but the flavors were a bit lighter than the sandwich. Kale Caesar Salad with Shrimp: maybe it was because we did takeout, but the salad portion was embarrassing considering the price ($32 before tax and tip). You get 3 shrimp and a small salad portion that is grossly overdressed. This salad is a definite skip. Overall, I feel like the fish sandwich is worth getting. Otherwise I'd probably skip the other dishes, especially the salad. read more

Had a $27 salad that would have fit on an appetizer plate. We ate it in four bites. To make it worse they actually served it on a large 12 inch plate that was only have filled so we assumed they had inadvertently split the salad. Warning do not order a salad here unless you want to pay $30 for a handful of lettuce. read more

This place was closed to the resort and what a view!!!!! We had two choices that we picked for dinner. Garlic Shrimp and the Baby back ribs, both were delicious!!!! The beverage were also delicious. The oven crashing on the rocks close bye along with the waves provided another atmosphere unlike the usual dinners. The table and chairs we set in beach sand. If you planning on going here wear sandals or shoes that don't mind the sand. For me the only concern was as we dined looking at the view from where we sat people walking bye could obstruct your view of the scenery. And the close proximity of other tables could prevent an intimate conversation. Like I always say try for yourself and see if you like it. Oh one last thing, if you're on a budget you may have price shock, so you know. Enjoy!!!! read more

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Went here for breakfast. We were seated at a very nice table close to the lawn with an ocean view. We chose the buffet breakfast. The buffet has lots of different choices in foods, which makes it great. Most foods are good, not great. The omelette station gentleman seems a bit overwhelmed and rude but the omelets he cracks out are great. He has a lot of orders but most people placing their order and waiting for them are very nice. Of course there are always a few that are rude. The staff at Hale Kai are super nice and attentive. I would come here again. read more

Good beautiful view Bad the discontinued the lobster fried rice best item on their menu!!! read more

It's ok food. But the ambience and the service were great. We were there for the sunset dinner. Prefer spot. Casual, on sandy floor. Flip flops sandals are ok. just the way we like it . read more

My husband and I ate here a few times while we were staying at the Fairmont Orchid. Very convenient if you are staying at the hotel. If you are NOT staying here though, I don't recommend you go out of your way to dine here. The food is good, but not THAT good. Gorgeous views here. Everything was good! Limited menu, but again this is more of a restaurant of convenience. I think our favorite things here were the tacos! The fish was great. Grilled and not dry. read more

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My husband and I came here for dinner and had a great experience! I love the casual ambiance here. The tables are in the sand with a beautiful view of the ocean! It is the perfect spot to have a relaxing dinner. We started with the macadamia nut hummus with vegetables and pita. It was very good! The hummus was flavorful and fresh and it was the perfect appetizer. I also had a guava strawberry smoothie which was delightful and refreshing. For dinner, I had the hk tacos with the locally caught fresh catch of the day, queso fresco, pico de gallo, and guacamole. The fish was super fresh and cooked well and the other ingredients were very fresh as well. There were 3 tacos and the portion was perfect. For dessert, I tried the warm chocolate mac nut tart which was by far one of my favorite desserts on the island! It was presented beautifully and all of the ingredients harmonized so well together. I was in heaven. The servers were super sweet and got us everything we needed. The service was not super fast, but to be honest, I didn't want it to be! We were oceanfront with our feet in the sand. What more could you want? The prices were a bit pricey, but then again, we were at an oceanfront resort. So given that, it wasn't too bad. Overall, beautiful location, great food, friendly service, and a bit pricey. If I stay on this island at this hotel again, then I will likely be back! read more

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Great drinks! I got a lava flow. It's not on the menu but they were able to make it. We also got coconut shrimp. A little expensive for the amount. Of shrimp you get but they were so good! read more

Hale Kai Restaurant - Lava flow - Hawaiian Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

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Lovely view at sunset. Service was outstanding as Channette did a great job with accommodating us with a closer table. She provided excellent service as we were celebrating an anniversary and provided good insight and menu suggestions. Food: Korean ribs were outstanding with a great smoke to them and the gochujang sauce was delicious. The Asian slaw was more like shredded cabbage and a few peanuts but I have no complaints on that. Good dish for price on the menu at a hotel. The fish and chips had a great fry with a beer batter to the Ono fish. French fries were solid. Fresh catch sandwich was featured with swordfish which was nicely grilled and the Hawaiian roll was delicious. Pleasantly surprised by the hotel for a meal near pool and ocean front. read more

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Good place to have dinner with a sunset view - that's probably what you're paying for. With that said, Lobster fried rice lacked flavor. Fish and chips were undercooked. Mud pie was ok. Our server was handling too many tables that we were forgotten about and I had to stand up and go to the bar to ask the hostess / manager to get the check. And I have a lot of patience. read more

The setting is amazing--right on the water. We had an issue with being seated which was not handled well by the staff. We almost left. The manager later made it right by buying a dessert for us. The fish was very tasty. I'd go again for the view! read more

Hale Kai Restaurant - View from the walkway on the path to the restaurant. - Hawaiian Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

The food is delicious and the service is GREAT (especially Kathy and the chefs), and we ate there nearly every night of our 7 day stay. The $25 daily pool and restaurant fee at Hali'i Kai is WELL WORTH IT!! The location can't be beat for watching the sunset- it's literally on the cliff's edge and gives you a 180+ degree view of the horizon. The pool is great, too, although it only gets to 4 feet deep and is warm. Still the location is spectacular for swimming or lounging in a comfy pool-side chair. The towel service is awesome as well! read more

Located at the Fairmont Orchid resort on the big Island, this is more of a restaurant for a quick snack or lunch if you're out at the beach by the pool all day. Otherwise, there are better options for food. I met colleagues at Hale Kai one day for lunch. I ordered the fish tacos, which I was told was their best selling item. For $26, the fresh catch of the day was placed in a tortilla and topped with cilantro cream slaw, queso fresco, pico de gallo, and guacamole. Surprisingly, the fish had very little flavor and they forgot the accoutrements including the guacamole. Trying to flag someone down to get drinks and the rest of my meal was challenging as our server seemed overwhelmed. The restaurant is beautifully located steps away from the pool and very close to the ocean. But, the view unfortunately couldn't turn this into a five-star experience as the value just wasn't there. For $26, the tacos should have been amazing. Minus one star for the quality of the food and minus one star for the service. read more

Good service, our waiter Valerie was great, the view is unbeatable. The food was 2.5 stars. The Caesar salad had no taste, no garlic, was basically mayonnaise. The catch of the day sandwich had little to no seasoning. read more