Service was great! Food just ok and spendy, but fun atmosphere. I think that 24.00 for a meatball sandwich with 3 meatballs is a bit much. read more

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We've been traveling to Kona for years and love to try different restaurants all the time. We tried Kai for the first time for dinner last night. Here is why we only gave it 3 stars. Service: was excellent. The waiter was attentive and all the staff were friendly. Hawaii really does have the best customer service of anywhere we have gone in the world. Appetizers: We had the meatballs and the garlic shrimp. They were both delicious. If you want a fulfilling small dinner, these would serve as a perfect combo. They actually ended up being a highlight of the meal. Main Courses: The chef's choice swordfish was the best dish. Included peppers and green beans as well as an over easy egg on top the swordfish with rice. Chicken Parmesan: Worst I've ever had. I should have known better, I feel like Chick Parm is something that best served at a local hole in the wall and not "by the sea". So I blame myself. This had no flavor. It was tomato paste mixed with overcooked spaghetti noodles and then thrown on unseasoned chicken with melted cheese. I love food... but didn't like this. There is no kids menu but the hostess said the waiter would tell us the kids specials... ended up not being specials at all. $22 for cheese Pizza that would serve 2 adults but again even tasted bland. It was just the cheese pizza from the adult menu... Our other son had chicken tenders which were fried wayyy too hard. It's like someone forgot them in the fryer. The drinks were good. A beautiful setting with great staff. Go for the appetizers and drinks. read more

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

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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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

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

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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I'm sorry to say that my wife and I had a truly disappointing experience here on our last night in Kona. We popped in for drinks and an appetizer. Once we ordered, the waitress (who shall remain nameless), couldn't seem to mask her disappointment in the fact that we weren't ordering dinner, only drinks and an appetizer. I get she may have been disappointed but it's a bit unprofessional to show it to the customers. Your tip may not be as big if we had ordered dinner but you're still going to get a tip. My wife ordered a mai tai which was served lukewarm with cubed ice. When I asked the waitress if mai tais should be served with crushed ice she just replied "nope" and walked away. She didn't even bother to ask the bartender who would've confirmed that mai tais, indeed, aren't meant to be served lukewarm and should be served with crushed ice (well in this case maybe he wouldn't since he didn't do it in the first place). I get it, these are first world problems, but when you're paying $16 for a cocktail you can have the decency to make it correctly. That really put a damper on our visit to this restaurant and our last night in Kona. Unfortunately, when I talk about my experience on the big island this place will be on my list of places to avoid. read more

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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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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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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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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I had the best ahi tuna steak everrrr ! The capers, potatoes, and vegetables were so yummy. The waitresses are super sweet, and we enjoyed chatting with ours! I got a mai tai, which was flavorful and a nice heavy pour ;) read more

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

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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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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Amazing experience for the new Italian menu at Kai Eats. For those sad about the change in menu, PLEASE give the new menu a chance for dinner time. My husband and I used to drive all the way to Waikoloa to eat Italian at Pueo's when we lived in Kona. If we didn't live over an hour north, this would have been our new regular spot. Our server was John -- incredible service, great energy, and he was so knowledgeable about the cuisine. He gave me spot on recommendations for our choices. The pesto shrimp pasta was INCREDIBLE and I wish I could eat it every week! My husband got the burger (just as good as it always has been) as well as the mini pepperoni pizza. For starters, we had the Polpetta/meatball. Those were so incredibly juicy, moist, and flavorful. Truly an incredible meal. There isn't another Italian restaurant in Kona that scratches this itch. I will definitely be returning to eat this whenever I'm in Kona next. read more

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

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The location and setting for this location is 5 stars. It's right on the water. You can't beat the views. It's a great place to eat. The service was solid too - no issues waiting or ordering. Everyone was pleasant and prompt. Where I got a little lost was the food quality. We started with the Carpaccio of Ahi and Kanpachi. The fish was hammered with dressing. It mostly tasted like vinegar. We shared eggplant parm and a the Fun Kai pizza. The pizza was pretty good with the mac nut pesto, but the eggplant parm was a little overcooked and tough. I think if I just went to this spot for pizza and drinks/beer we'd be looking at a 4. I'd go back and stick to pizza and beer or cocktails. Mai Tais were good. 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

Came for sunset and happy to see they had happy hour. More chill than Huggo's On The Rocks but similar casual vibe and excellent sunset views! We tried On the Rocks few days prior and had to wait for a seat, but no wait here and dare I say better service? John was excellent! Boo got a Coco Tai which he sucked down - almost too easy to drink - and couple Mai Tais. I enjoyed couple of the more refreshing Gilligan's Girl. Glad they had a variety of options, including wine. We had a late lunch so weren't very hungry but ordered a few things to try - a couple happy hour chicken and beef tacos that I wouldn't write home about (or order again) but enjoyed the lemon Kai fries - didn't get as much lemon flavor as I'd have liked but the chimichurri sauce was delish! They also validated parking which is really nice! read more

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OK, here we go. I actually created a Yelp account just to leave this review. Why change something that wasn't broken? I really miss their old dinner menu especially the fries. I've noticed a lot of the replies are only addressing the pasta portions, but that's not the whole issue. The problem isn't just portion size; it's the menu itself. They should have added pasta to the original menu instead of replacing it. Honestly, who wants to spend that much money on a pasta dinner in Kona? Does Kona really need another overpriced place to eat? When I went this past weekend, I didn't know what to think. It went from being one of my favorite spots with great food to feeling like I was eating mediocre pasta. Looking at what the menu used to be compared to what it is now, I have to ask: how do you go from that to this? Whoever suggested making this big of a menu change really needs to rethink their strategies. Moves like this are going to break the place if they're not careful. Maybe the owners should address this as soon as possible before they lose any more business. I only come here once or twice a year, but I've always recommended this place to friends visiting Kona. After this change, I'm not so sure anymore. read more

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

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Cory the bartender is an absolute rockstar, they seemed a bit shorthanded and he was killing it, very attentive to everyone, the "fun Kai" pizza is amazing, a must have 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

The service at the bar was excellent! Corey was on top of it and made great recommendations! The funghi pizza was fabulous!! A must visit! read more

Probably 3.5 stars. There are some highly desirable features here, especially the ocean view and wood fired pizza cooked right in view. But there are also some odd features that make the experience less-ideal. First, there's a sign outside that says "validated parking." That's nice because it's right in the hub of the busiest part of Kona's restaurant/ tourist strip. It's also conveniently next to the parking garage. So we parked and asked about validation when we entered the restaurant. Well, apparently you're supposed to ask about validation before parking I order to get validated. So somehow you leave your car in the middle of traffic and run into the busy restaurant? Service is also handled strangely. There are servers, but the menu is online. And the website isn't awesome. The server didn't mention anything about specials or menu options and my phone wasn't loading the website, so she eventually found a worn paper printout. I had mentioned it was our daughter's 9th birthday when we arrived, but service seemed uninterested enough that I didn't mention it again. That said, my daughters loved the pizza. My smash burger was dry. I wasn't asked what temperature I wanted it, so assumed that's how they're made here? Beautiful location, but a bit of a scattered experience. read more

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

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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It's ok. Not amazing -- the reviews surprise me. It's basically bar food in a REALLY nice setting. We had several things: poke, mahi tacos, chicken teriyaki, and a pizza and we all agreed on one thing: it wasn't bad, but it was just mediocre. The setting is lovely. It's like a big porch right on the water. It's breezy and cool, and from some locations you can see the sunset. They also have FREE PARKING in the garage next door. This is amazing, because, quite frankly, downtown Kona is now a real mess with one way streets, expensive parking and awful traffic. Our server was lovely, We wanted for nothing! All in all, if you're looking for a quick bite or a drink with a cool breeze and a nice view (isn't everyone?), this place fits the bill. If you're looking for a nice dinner, it's only average. read more

We came here after landing in Kona. The view was nice and it wasn't very crowded between meal times- I'd say 3pm. They had an awesome little happy hour menu. Best $5 nachos ever. We got an amazing chicken sandwich and good burger too. The waitress did her best to help me get gluten free food. Also, parking is free for 2 hours although the parking garage is tight. I recommend. read more

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The ambiance of this place is worth going to. It sits right one the water and you can enjoy your food while the waves crash. The service we experience was very friendly but not the quickest. They weren't very busy but seemed understaffed. My wife got the teriyaki chicken and really enjoyed it. I ordered the Poke to start and it was very good, but a little lacking in flavor compared to other pokes around the island and honestly the tortilla chips are off putting and don't make sense to me as part of that app. I had the BBQ chicken pizza as my main dish and it was ok. The toppings and flavor were very good, but the crust was too thin and floppy. I had to eat it with a fork and knife and no pizza should require a fork if it's a good pizza. If the pizza crust was better I would say 5 stars, but I just can't do it. read more

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Beautiful place with great scenery and atmosphere. Unfortunately, the service was extremely slow. Some of the waitresses seemed to spend a lot of time talking and pacing around while the kitchen staff appeared to be working extremely hard. At one point, we even had to ask another waiter passing by for a fork. The food was decent, but it could have been better, especially considering the overall experience. The drinks were the biggest disappointment. Whoever was making them seemed to have trouble balancing flavors. The drinks were either poorly mixed or lacking entirely. The lava flow barely had any sweetness or flavor and mostly tasted like watered-down rum. The martini also lacked flavor and didn't have the right balance. The location itself is beautiful, but the service and drinks need improvement. I would definitely recommend Don's Tiki Bar or Hugo's on the Rocks instead. Both are downtown in the same area and provide a much better experience. read more

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Loved the Carna asada tacos! The fried green beans were also ono! Service was excellent! Restaurant is located on the ocean side, so beautiful views!!! read more

Wow, what a meal. I had the Ultimate Cheeseburger and they weren't kidding. It was cheesier than french onion soup in Wisconsin and I loved every bit of it. I also had 4 Mai Tais (2 before the burger and 2 after) and those were delicious as well. The only thing better than the food was the scenery as our seats were right on the water. If you're looking for a hearty burger with delicious flavor, this is your place. After the burger we walked over to the street fair (didn't even have to move the car and hunt for parking) and had a great afternoon. read more

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We loved this place so much, we ate here twice while on vacation, which is something I rarely do, because I want to check out multiple places in any city. The view, food, and service, however were unsurpassed, so we had to eat here twice. They have a bunch of stuff on tap. I tried multiple ciders and had a guava one I really loved. They have good vegetarian options too. I had veggie tacos that were delicious one night, and the veggie burger the next night. Truly though, come for the view. Earlier rather than later. Gorgeous sunsets. read more

Kai Eats + Drinks - The view is amazing - Tacos Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Food was served quickly and very tasty. I ordered the Loco Moco and it would be better to share the large portion. Choosing a beer from their 48 selections is tricky- our server offered a golden beer and it was heavenly cool for the hot afternoon. Pizza was hot!! Pepperoni only small rounded but good quality. The overlooking the bay scenery made our lunch awesome too. Not too crowded. read more

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This was like the best fish and chips I have ever had. The fish was mahi mahi and it was sooo good. I wish they served more. I also ordered one chicken Happy hour chicken taco and beef. I would say the beef taco was way better. The kids had a pepperoni pizza and they enjoyed it and wolfed it all down. Friendly host and waitress. Remember there is a parking lot next door. You get free parking validated by your dining experience. What is weird is that I still paid for parking and still got a ticket. read more

My second review of Kai. Last visit was not the best so I decided to try weekend bunch. Much better- had the Kai omelet and asked for mushrooms instead of spinach and was graciously allowed to. This was a perfect omelet- light and airy and with a good amount of cheese. Potatoes and English muffin on the side made it a satisfying meal. My friend had the burger again and enjoyed it. Free parking and dog friendly . read more

I really enjoyed the food and experience here! They have unique menu items and fun drinks. Our server was nice and friendly. They took us even tho it was late. I would definitely come again read more

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We have been to Kai many times over the past 5 years. I have always had fantastic service, our server John was great as usual. The ambiance can't be beat. The ocean and sunset are iconic. The white tablecloths elevate the space. This was our first visit with the new dinner menu. My first question was are there any of the pasta dishes with fresh made pasta. I wasn't expecting all of the dishes to be fresh pasta but I was at least hoping for one. Unfortunately there are not any. If they are not going to make fresh pasta, maybe a suggestion would be partner with Sundog or another local vendor that makes fresh pasta. The menu is large which may be too large pushing the capability and capacity of the kitchen as our meal took quite a long time. There was an issue with one of our entrees at our table but that was resolved in the best possible way so I'll leave that out of the review. Overall it was a busy night for Kai and I hope others enjoy their meals but I don't think I'll be returning to Kai for dinner service. Lunch or bar happy hour, sure! I don't think mediocre Italian dinner service is what Kona needs. I hope Kai realigns with what they are good at. read more

This is my first time visiting the island of Kona and I decided on Kai eats and drinks for our first dinner stop. We arrived with a party of seven and were sat immediately, although we did come quite early. It got much busier as our meal progressed. They validate parking in the garage next door which is great- although be warned it is a low garage so it was a tight squeeze for our big car. I got the veggie nacho pan with the plant based crumbles. I appreciated the variety of veggie options and it was a huge part of why we ended up picking this restaurant. The nachos were delicious and had a ton of flavor which I loved, although I wish there were a lot more plant based crumbles, especially for the price. The overall size of the nachos was great though, and I loved the green sauce on them. Multiple people I was with got the carne asada wet burrito which they said was good. One person got the bbq chicken pizza which was fantastic- I'd like to return and try their pizza myself next time. Another got the fish and chips, and one got a burger. Both also enjoyed their meals. The service was especially great in the beginning, but once it got busy it tapered off and we didn't see our server again for a while which delayed the check and no more happy hour drinks. The view is absolutely breathtaking- one of the best parts about this spot. Overall not perfect but pretty darn close. Their brunch also looks like a good time- don't be surprised if you see me back! read more

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