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    Kai Eats + Drinks

    4.3 (710 reviews)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 9:00 PM

    Order Kai Eats + Drinks Takeout or Delivery

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    Business Info

    KAI EATS + DRINKS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Touristy
    Loud
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Kai Eats + Drinks

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    David S.

    With validated parking for 2 hours and for a restaurant on the water, it's hard to beat. We came for happy hour and were surprised to find some great food options on the list as well. We decided to go for the salad and "fun Kai" pizza. The pizza was very good and had a nice soft crunch to it. The salad was also very good but it just needed more toppings since there were a lot of greens in comparison. The bartender provided amazing service and was very friendly. The bar had a local type vibe mixed in with some visitors but it was nice to talk to some locals. Great spot for food and drinks in that area.

    Mahi mahi tacos and poke topped grilled swordfish.
    Frank B.

    We had the mahi tacos and the hook, line, and sinker special of swordfish and poke. Both were fresh and tasty. Great views. Chill vibe. Pricey - but everything in Kona is.

    Great spot.. wonderful food and drink
    Steve S.

    We ordered a couple drinks and pancake. Loved the bloody Mary, probably one of the best old bay bloody Mary's I've had, tastes like they may be using pickle juice old day some other seasoning just really, really good. Buttermilk pancakes very tasty with a little bit of coconut and maple syrup. Price point was perfect. Service and atmosphere was on point. We will definitely return.

    The lightest, creamiest, most heavenly coconut  cake you will ever taste!!!!
    Gigi B.

    The food was spot on in flavor, freshness, and just so satisfying! Our server Savannah was delightful and the coconut cake was a dream!!

    Gillian E.

    Fabulous view. Wonderful waitress. The coconut shrimp +2 sides was just what I needed (although it was like +$6 or $8 for the sides and they're regularly a few dollars cheaper which isn't great). The smash burgers were not great but it did not take away from the meal. Great beer list. Really enjoyed my time here!

    Haupia cake (from broke da mouth)
    Kylie S.

    Dined here on a Wednesday in a group of 10. They don't seat groups over 6 people! They were kind enough to accommodate us in a table of 6 and an adjacent table of 4 on the lanai. Service was very friendly!! Food was good, pricey though. I had the seared ahi (med rare). I definitely enjoyed it but you can get something similar elsewhere for about $10 less than what they charge here. The cake was alright, coconut flakes were not our thing but the cake inside was good. We had reservations at 6:30, but I'm sure this would be a wonderful place to watch the sunset over dinner! Might have to come back for the ambiance.

    Pancakes
    Hanaah F.

    Came here for breakfast with family. Wonderful and friendly staff. View was gorgeous- right by waterfront. Service was good also. Parking can be found in the parking garage next to the restaurant. Compact spaces. No need to pay in advance if you'll be dining at the restaurant. You'll need to go to the host and provide your license plate number. The restaurant will start the validation, and you get 2hrs of complimentary parking, which is nice. We ordered a few items to share as a table. Wanted to try their pizzas, but they weren't available until noon. The POG drink was very much just OJ juice. The breakfast burrito was fair, except we didn't get the pico de gallo on the side. We could've asked, but we didn't. The potatoes on the side were cubed and very salty. The pancakes were OK, nothing extraordinary. The carne fries were also salty... but less than the potatoes. The poké nachos were decent. The coconut shrimp was good. The coconut flavor wasn't overbearing. Overall, food was mediocre, but the staff and views were good.

    Complimentary garlic bread
    Nikia B.

    First, the view was beautiful. We went close to sunset and I'm glad we did! Our waiter recommended the Ube Limeade which was a refreshing treat after being at the beach all day. So many servers came to our table making sure everything was good and tasted good. I will definitely come back and bring others to experience!

    Pasta that was special of the day.
    Aditi Y.

    We were here on a Sunday around 11.30am. Seems most places have brunch menu on Sundays which has limited items so while we were waiting for bigger menu to be available at 12, we ordered drinks first. They have a bar and their seating on the patio is facing the ocean so definitely would be a great sunset place to come back for. I ordered a pasta which was very nice. Bf had a sandwich which was very huge on the size. Portions on the sandwiches are very large for sure.

    Breakfast burrito
    Tomomi S.

    What a fun place to eat and drink in the heart of downtown Kona. We come here often for a drink, dinner, breakfast, desserts, and for happy hour! Great service, everyone is happy and friendly here. Our favorite is fungi pizza, Kai's lemon fries, and cheese cakes. Great beer selections on tap. Swing by and enjoy the aloha spirit here!

    Sandee M.

    We found this place in Yelp and the reviews were pretty accurate. Our service was superb. And the ocean view was amazing. We ordered steamed clams (well seasoned) and Caesar salad (a generous portion that was very sharable) to start. Followed that up with spaghetti Bolognese with burrata (tasty) and chicken parmigiana (good). Our second was oven roasted branzino (crispy skin with moist meat) but the sides were just okay. We ordered the coffee flavored cheesecake of the day and it was average. The true highlight of the evening was the ambiance and our server, John. Maybe next time I'll try the pizza.

    Shira G.

    Holy yum! We all devoured our lunch. Literally not one complaint about this place. And we are a picky group! We've got vegans, we've got vegetarians, we've got picky fish eaters, gluten free, gluten lovers, carnivores who hate vegetables, and little kids. We're a mess. But everyone found something on the menu easily and really enjoyed it. The Mai Tai really is special and the server was a delight. Our food came out super fast and anything we requested additionally was brought out quickly. And this is all before mentioning that we ate seaside with the sound of the ocean in the background. Don't miss the parking structure next door. We did and we had to park down the road for $25 for 2 hours! The restaurant will validate parking if you park in the right structure so don't do what we did!

    Men's restroom
    Steve K.

    One of our favorite restaurants for brunch/breakfast and occasionally dinner. When they changed dinner to a more "fine dining" Italian focussed menu we held off as we heard from people and reviews that it wasn't meeting expectations. After two recent dinner experiences I can say that they are past the rough spots. We went a few weeks ago and our party of three all were pleased with the food. I had the osso bucco and it was delicious. They still have that excellent beer selection and my companions martinis were solid. Last night we returned, and once again the food was delightful. My wife had the eggplant parmigiana and she's still raving about it. I had the seared ahi, even though I cook a lot of ahi at home, and the picatta really made it shine, along with the potatos and greens. Our companion had the hook line & sinker, which was recommended by our very sweet server Jessica, and he thought it excellent. Too often ono can be overcooked, but this was just right. When you consider the location, which is truly oceanfront, and not on the traffic side of Alii drive, and the validated free parking in the underground lot next door (take a pic of your car's license and give it when checking in), the scales are tipped even further towards five stars. To hear the sound of waves without distraction, and to watch the Kona sunset and perhaps if you're real lucky see a green flash, well, it's hard to find a better spot. Also as a four decade plus resident of this town I appreciate everything that the owners have done for the community over the years. When Eric took over at Huggos and his team built Lava Lava at Waikoloa, and then bought what was Bubba Gumps and made it Kai's, well I feel they've done a great job and have made each place they operate special. You may see Eric and friends dining there on occasion; they're personally concerned in the quality and success of their ventures. We'll still take visitors over to Huggo's on the Rocks for live music and a fun evening. Each of the restaurants is memorable in their own right, but for us Kai's is our favorite. Mahalo.

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    2 months ago

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    1 day ago

    Best Beyond burger ever!! Service was excellent as well. Great view, right on the ocean. Friendly staff.

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    4 days ago

    The service was good, the view outstanding. The food average. I would return for drinks and the view.

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    Yonathan M.

    Mahalo for having brunch with us Melody!

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    10 months ago

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    12 days ago

    Amazing food and service. Mekela P was our server and could not of done a better job taking care of us.

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    Ask the Community - Kai Eats + Drinks

    Can customers vote somewhere to get rid of new Italian menu and go back to the old normal?

    Was this the former Bunba Gumps?

    Yes, the exact location where Bubba Gumps used to be.

    Are dogs allowed in the outdoor seating?

    I have definitely seen dogs at the bar more than once. There are lots of places in Kona that people take dogs that aren't supposed to be allowed though, where they become "service dogs". So take that with a grain of salt.

    Do you offer take out?

    Yes of course! You can even order online!

    Do you take reservations?

    We are first come, first served! Mahalo for asking!

    What time is Happy Hour?

    Happy hour is from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

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    Absolutely loved my experience Aloha Vibes. The view of the ocean is so peaceful, so you expect…read morethem not to try, right? Not this place. Probably the best fish sandwich of my life and the poke was perfect. The waitress was true to the name of the place and had kind Aloha vibes. If you are lucky enough to get there for the entertainment you are in for a treat. Truly one of the best spots we visited on the island so far. Lots of true Aloha here, Aloha vibes throughout this small restaurant. Hope you get to visit. Soo cool.

    Had to wait nearly half an hour due to a staff meeting, which, sadly, cut deep into happy hour. We…read morewere seated just in time to place our first order and score a discount on pupus. Be sure to request inside seating if you prefer not to be too toasty on the patio at sunset. However, the view is stunning! Props for stocking Lanikai's shave ice seltzer (although it's not part of the happy hour offerings). It's so delicious! Food is always plated beautifully, from the dynamite fries (which lived up to their name although they're not spicy) to the kalua pork plate. The lilikoi bbq sauce did not taste like lilikoi, but the wings were crisp and not greasy. We did take out for entrees - they didn't have potato salad (on a Friday night?! ) and I was promised some cucumber salad instead but didn't get it. A mixed experience.

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