This is the 2nd time I've come in for dinner and I'm blown away. Food and service is amazing. We had Makela , ask for her. She's great. Right on the water I forgot to mention our drinks were made to perfection Thanks Kai eats Omg!!! The ahi, get it medium rare Ask for more sauce if you get the lemon rosemary chicken Caesar salad, yum. Little crunch with every bite read more

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Kai may have the best happy hour in the Kona area. Be aware it is at the bar only. They had great cocktails at $8, and $5 house wine. They offer half price apps, pizza, and some other options. We made reservations for a table for the sunset, but came early for happy hour drinks at the bar. The sunset is a bit difficult from the angle of the restaurant, only a couple tables had a good view. You start with the, worth the calories, soft bread and oil. My friend and I shared the catch of the day, the fish was served with mango Cole slaw, veggies, and excellent cream sauce. The staff is fantastic, from the manager who could actually pronounce my name, to the hustling bar tender, and the excellent but relaxed table service. read more

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This restaurant wasn't bad at all, I'm guessing it was the entree I chose that wasn't so good. I ordered the Bistecca Toscana, which looked amazing and I was in the mood for steak, so I gave it a go. Wasn't the worst steak I've ever had, but was far from the best. This restaurant's location is prime and offers seating right off of the ocean, an has some of the most beautiful views while at dinner. The staff were all very friendly, and the service was spot on! Maybe I came on a bad night, but I am totally open to dining here again. One thumb and one big toe up for Kai Eats and Drinks. Happy eating, my foodies! read more

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. read more

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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. read more

Kai Eats + Drinks - Mahi mahi tacos and poke topped grilled swordfish. - Tacos Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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. read more

Kai Eats + Drinks - Great spot.. wonderful food and drink - Tacos Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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

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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! read more

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

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. read more

Kai Eats + Drinks - Haupia cake (from broke da mouth) - Tacos Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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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. read more

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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! read more

Kai Eats + Drinks - Complimentary garlic bread - Tacos Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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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. read more

Kai Eats + Drinks - Pasta that was special of the day. - Tacos Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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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! read more

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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. read more

Kai Eats + Drinks - Tacos Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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

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! read more

Kai Eats + Drinks - Tacos Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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. read more

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We are here twice during our stay and recommended it to others we chatted with as well. The fish tacos the first trip were excellent and libations equally as good! The seating is absolutely wonderful on the waterfront, especially during sunset and the servers and hostess's were all so polite and chatty! Free parking in the parking garage is a HUGE PLUS, considering across the street is $40/2 hours! Don't forget to take a picture of your license plate to give the hostess! read more

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Excellent mahi mahi fish & chips! Everyone loved their food. Our waiter was fun and friendly. The view was amazing from the oceanfront lanai. read more

Kai Eats + Drinks - Kai Restaurant Kona - Tacos Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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We stayed in town at Kailua Kona on our first trip to the big island. We walked by Kai Eats and Drinks 10 times before we decided to have our last dinner on the island there. It was a good choice. We like to eat dinner early plus we thought we might catch the sunset. We did. (See Photo) We got a seat over looking the water. The weather was perfect so we started off with a couple of drinks and an appetizer to get things going. My wife had the Hawaiian Margarita and I as always had an old fashion. BTW the bartender was extremely generous with the bourbon. Thanks. Our Appetizer was the Calamari which I assume was really good since we devoured it like a Hyena going at a wildebeest carcass. Bring on dinner! I'm not sure why I ordered the Margarita Pizza, perhaps the bourbon got to me but I'm glad I did. The Pizza was perfect. The dough was crunchy but not hard cheese and fresh basil. Awesome! My wife had a Caesar Salad. Boring!! But that's why she looks so much better than I do. Dessert was the Tiramisu with some Kona Coffee. We lingered to watch the sunset and recollected the wonderful time we had on our first trip to the Big Island. We will be back. We will also be back to Kai Eats and Drinks. Definitely Recommended. read more

Kai Eats + Drinks - Dinner view at Kai Eats - Tacos Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Great service even when busy, friendly & helpful too, on the waters edge was very nice! Seared Ahi was perfection, Fun Kai Pizza JUST WOW THE BEST! Great burgers & fries, Fish & chips, coconut shrimp was good too!! There made since 1969 Mai Tai is very best on the island!! Save room for Coconut sorbet & get 2 you want your OWN!! Thank you for having validated parking too! Our new favorite date night or lunch place read more

Kai Eats + Drinks - Fish & chips, slaw - Tacos Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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This was one of our favorite eats on our trip. Our server was super friendly and helpful. We loved their mai tais. I tried their coconut shrimp peanut curry fettuccine ($24). I loved the fusion dish with the crispy shrimp and yummy bell peppers. My sister got the mahi mahi tacos and it was so delicious. read more

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Came here on a whim after cruising Alii drive on foot. When we arrived at the hostess stand, we were quickly seated with an ocean view tabletop. The scenery was spectacular even by local people standards. My daughter kept standing up to look at the ocean views. On the way to our table, we saw a room full of beer kegs and a pizza making area enclosed by clear glass. Being in the heart of tourist strip, I wasn't expecting much but was pleasantly surprised. The menu boasts forty eight beers on tap with an abundant selection of local Big island beers. The food menu is vast and we settled on pizzas. We got the meatsa and cheese pizzas for the kids and fish and chips with couple tap beers for the adults. The pizza came out hot and cheesy, but the homemade crust was the winner, it was soft and chewy and I couldn't stop eating it. The fish and chips were quite delicious, the fish pieces were thick and juicy and the fries were crisp and hot. The kids wanted dessert and they settled for frozen haupia ice cream served in a coconut shell. The kids wanted to take their shells home and waitress was gracious to let them. Highly recommend, will be stopping on my next Kona trip to try out other menu items. read more

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Yeah, the food was amazing. The service was on point. Good ambience Rihanna party at 10 people everybody loved their food to the chef. Excellent job definitely be back into the bartender made the best drinks read more

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The food was great and the service was fun and friendly! Food and drink recommendations were spot-on and even in the midst of stormy weather, Kai's made our anniversary dinner a delicious night to remember! Be sure to order dessert too! The lime pie was epic! read more

Kai Eats + Drinks - Huggo's famous big island lime pie! - Tacos Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

The nachos are amazing here and I had a great ube drink with coconut that was so yummy too! the bartender was awesome super nice and fixed our drinks perfectly! I Love the view from here especially now with all the huge waves read more

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This place will always remain a positive experience in my heart. When we visit the Big Island we usually stay on the Kona side. Their breakfast and lunch menu is the bomb! You can't leave here hungry. The portions and huge, the prices are very reasonable, and the food tastes fresh. You can get your favorites with a little Hawaiian twist or big twist. And the service, no matter the waitress or waiter nothing but Aloha. While you wait for your food you get a beautiful view (no matter where you sit) while listening to the waves. I'm going to miss this place. read more

Kai Eats + Drinks - Three Cheese Omelet. - Tacos Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Absolutely wonderful view. Impeccable service -- the food came out quickly, and never did I need anything more than the slightest eye contact for the waitress to address my needs. As for the food, it was just all right. It was definitely very filling, but everything was just mediocre. The fish tacos, while fresh, were bang average with some flavorless accoutrements, and the beans, while hearty, were definitely a questionable side for them. I had high hopes for the pizza and ordered what seemed closest to a Hawaiian pie (Kalua pork and pineapple), but that was also decidedly average. The crust was comically large, the presentation rather unappetizing with pools of grease, and the bottom was so floppy that I couldn't believe they dared tout a wood-fired brick oven. read more

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The food we had ordered was great but it's disappointing that their online site shows and mentions different foods offered than once in the restaurant. We also had to refer back to online to find any keiki options as they aren't on their in restaurant menus. Would be nice to add that option. The wait takes awhile for sure (table and service), even at not so busy hours of the day, so if you're in a rush, this isn't the location for you. They do offer free validated parking which is nice though. read more

Happy hour from 3-5pm. Not many drinks included on happy hour unless you drink beers. There is a lillikoi mule though. And dynamite fries. The Mac Nut Old Fashion is amazing but not on the happy hour list. Friendly service, but I think our waitress kid understood us and anyways it was fine. Sat on the small outdoor patio, but at least there is a patio with a view of the ocean. Is a great place for sunset. read more

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First, the view!! Water-side seating to die for- watch the sunset while u eat!! Service is great and friendly. Efficient and they work together- getting your food to you fast and hot! Food is great- ate too much and still got dessert. "Fun-Kai" pizza is great. Calamari was only item that was ok... would prob not order again. Steamed clams was out of this world- the broth was amazing to soak the garlic bread in... couldn't stop eating it... Eggplant parmigiana was delicious. Eggplant is sliced thin and cooked perfectly! somehow we still managed dessert. Very good! read more

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We debated a 2 or 3 here. Plusses: the view is amazing. Right on the ocean. We came for dinner, after dark, watching and hearing the waves crash on rocks feet away from us was great. Beer menu was good. I wasn't inspired by the cocktails, but I'm not a mai tai fan. Minuses: my partner got a burger, specifically asked if it was fresh ground beef --yes the waitress said, and she asked if she wanted it pink, yes. Burger arrived, definitely looked like a frozen patty. No pink. My fresh mahi mahi dish was better, although there were so many flavors all competing. Curry on the plate, pineapple mango topping and an aioli drizzle. It was good, a little sweet. Service wasn't great, either, although I do not rate restaurants on service--anyone can have a bad day! read more

Kai Eats + Drinks - Hook line and sinker mahi mahi - Tacos Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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I've been here a couple times before, the setting is so wonderful and food is excellent. Staff was also really sweet. One of my better meals so far in Kona. read more

Friendly local service, excellent happy hour deals at half off. Lots of pizza, menu is easy to spot vegetarian options. The salad was fresh and the goat cheese was perfect. The fried tempura veggies were good as well, slightly heavier on the breading almost like a beer batter. Deceptively strong mai tai, beautiful views, and fries that my selective kiddo loved. We arrived at 430 pm and stayed past 5 when the dinner menu and kid/ keiki menus became available, at which point my other daughter enjoyed her buttered pasta. Might be back again for happy hour! read more

Great Food, Great Servers, & beautiful view! Bad vibes from Female Hostess! Very passive aggressive and unfriendly. That one Female hostess should not be working as a Hostess. Very rude and made the rest of my party uncomfortable. The manager was very helpful and nice and even helped us get satisfied with our drinks! Cool person. Everything about this restaurant is lovely. Just that one female hostess that was being unprofessional. Must avoid Female hostess unfortunately. read more

Can't beat the view here! Came for brunch today but my loco Moco wasn't as good as the first one I had last month. Our server was in a pretty laid back mode. But don't get me wrong she was good. My husband wasn't able to get a pizza cause they don't serve it til 12. read more

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I love when a restaurant surprises me! From the outside this place looks pretty plain jane, but it's not! Great view, incredibly friendly service, and solid food offerings. Plus, if you go there and park in the underground parking lot next door, they validate (up to 2 hours so take a pic of your license plate and show them). Reviews talk about the pizza AND it IS GREAT. Note, on weekends they don't start firing pizzas until noon. The asada fries were legit. Steak was tender and flavorful! Poke was fine, but I would skip for some of the other food options. read more

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We had Myra as our server at the bar. She was fabulous. Very attentive, cordial, and personable. We live in Waikiki and fly over here every few months. She was such a treat. We got the meatsa Pizza and the Ragu which were freaking fabulous read more

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