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Kona Grill - Columbus

3.4 (571 reviews)
Closed • 11:30 am - 11:00 pm
Updated 1 month ago

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KONA GRILL - COLUMBUS ATMOSPHERE

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Moderate noise

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Brussels sprouts
Janie R.

Kona Grill, I so wanted to like you. But there are a lot of problems with this restaurant. There was something seriously wrong with the way the kitchen was functioning. We did not receive our appetizers until an hour after we ordered them. The restaurant was not crowded. Nobody was getting their food. The server was initially inattentive (no water for 15 minutes) but overall, she tried, and she did accommodate our needs to the best of her abilities. The food was good. That's what is so difficult about this. If I were just rating this place on the food it'd probably be closer to 3.7 or 3.8 stars. But the kitchen is dysfunctional. Two managers had some sort of a conversation about issues for nearly 10 minutes just over my friend's shoulder. We were seated unnecessarily close to the little station beside the bar. A disgusting greasy broom was propped up against the wall, very close to our table. Also, I witnessed the bartender open, a can of something, taste it with a long spoon, and then put that long spoon back in with the rest of his tools. I don't know if there was cleaning solution in that or what was going on with the tools he was using, but it was surprising to see it as a diner. It looks like this restaurant has a problem from the top down. Whatever was going on was a big turn off. I was OK with the food that I had. I had pad Thai with shrimp and a seasonal pumpkin bruschetta. My friend ordered potstickers and a beef appetizer and a sushi roll. She also ordered brussels sprouts. The sushi had been rolled in some sort of chili powder and it was much too spicy for her to eat. She was unable to continue with her meal after that. She liked the potstickers, bruschetta, brussels sprouts, and the beef appetizer that she ordered. We also had to wait 10 minutes before we were even seated. I should have taken that as a sign of things to come. It was a Wednesday evening, the restaurant was not crowded.

Ry C.

The food wad delicious overall. The bread was pretty crunchy. The bacon in the burger was also very crunchy. The service was nice. It was a little awkward though because they kept pressuring me to order more. I'm a pretty small person and it was awkward, because the staff kept making comments like "no protein"? Or "Do you want to add things to go?" Or when I was deciding whether to get sushi or the penne, they were like "Get both". It didn't feel very classy. To add, when we were about halfway through the meal they asked us if we wanted takeout boxes and that they could get the bill out. We also talked about how it was weird that the meatballs never came out, and that it would be nice to get the free appetizer like the menu stated but it was okay that it wasn't there.

Aja H.

YE Gurl Says: Nostalgia Didn't Survive the Trip to Kona Grill Place: Kona Grill Date: April 11, 2026 Let's just get straight to it--this wasn't the Kona I remember. I walked in holding onto years of loyalty. Back in the 90s and 2000s, Kona Grill was that spot--reliable sushi, strong drinks, and a guaranteed good time whether I was in Atlanta or Las Vegas. It was a go-to for work travel and an easy "yes" for date nights. So when it finally landed in Ohio? I was genuinely excited. Maybe too excited. I pitched it for a girls' lunch, thinking I was about to reintroduce everyone to a classic. Yeah... no. From the moment we sat down, the tone felt off. I arrived a little late, but somehow the energy at the table already felt... stalled. Our server seemed preoccupied and honestly looked over it--and this was early in the shift. It took about 20 minutes just to get the 3-for menu, and once we ordered? Another 30-45 minutes for the food. Let's talk about what actually hit the table: * Spicy tuna roll -- not spicy. At all. * Bama roll -- rice stuck to the plate like it didn't want to be served. * Timing -- painfully slow, especially for a spot that was maybe 1/3 full (about six tables total) I went with the prix fixe option (one of the few things that felt reasonably priced), which included sushi, a drink, salad, and dessert. My chicas ordered hot entrées--curry bowl, chicken dish, sake. Nothing overly complex that should've justified that kind of wait. What should've been a quick, easy lunch turned into a nearly 2-hour commitment between waiting to order, waiting for food, and waiting for the check. And let's not ignore the elephant in the room: Suggested tips starting at 17%... for this level of service? That's a tough sell. YE Gurl Says: This one hurt a little. Not because it was terrible--but because it didn't live up to what it used to be. Nostalgia carried this visit further than the actual experience did. Big picture? This felt like a restaurant trying to charge big-city prices without delivering big-city execution--and that gap shows. Between slow service, underwhelming food, and a lack of attention to detail, it just didn't justify the time or cost. Final take: If you've got memories of Kona from back in the day... you might want to let them stay right where they are.

Kenya G.

Came here for lunch with some friends and to say the least, it was a disappointing experience. The menu looked delicious so I went with the Kona favorite Macadamia Nut Chicken. The dish was definitely lackluster and no where as eloquent as the dish looked online. Service was friendly but slow and as if she didn't even care to serve us. Getting menus alone took 30 minutes, our food probably close to 30 minutes as well. Drinks even took awhile and all I ordered with a sake that came in a bottle. The restaurant was pretty empty so I'm not sure what the long waits came from. I liked the photo wall when you walked in but everything else just reminded me of a cafe. I was pretty appalled by the menu prices considering the vibe of the establishment. Overall, I don't think I'll be returning. Poor service and poor food ruined it for me.

Fried Rice*
Jasmine T.

I came to Kona Grill with a friend to try their $3, $6, $9 happy hour and (outside of the shrimp taco) it didn't disappoint! The chicken fried rice was my fav, followed by the sushi roll, then the sliders. I also had a frozen margarita and one on the rocks. The restaurant is huge and has plenty of bar and patio seating. I've also stopped by for their late night happy as well and it was a vibe.

Filet with mashed potatoes and Sweet Chili Green Beans
Kathleen C.

Decided to try this location since we've walked past it a few times. It was pretty quiet on a Monday night and we were seated quickly. My husband ordered the filet medium with whipped potatoes and green beans. I ordered the miso Chilean sea bass with bok choy. At first, I was a little shocked at the portion size for the cost. The fish was a bit small but packed with flavor. The bok choy was cooked perfectly. My husbands green beans were cold and when the manager realized it, he brought a new fresh hot plate of green beans. They were really good. The sauce is great. Overall, food was very good.

Passion fruit Rita
Cristina P.

First time stopping in- pros good customer service, every was very frieyans attentive. Atmosphere was casual but has background music playing not to loud so you could carryon a conversation. They are known for steaks, sushi and drinks. I don't get any sushi but rolls looked very tasty. The calamari was good not overcooked and had a moderately spicy sauce to dip in. The burger and fries were good. Fries just a bit greasy but presentation is very nice, Enjoyed the soft bun and onions. Liked that lettuce and tomato are served on the side. Plenty of parking in garage across from restaurant.

Salmon sushi
Tommy M.

Probably will not be returning here. The service here was not great. We barely saw our server and the pace the food came out for raw fish was VERY SLOW. I also don't mind paying higher prices for food if the food is worth it. This was not a $72 meal in any way shape or form for me and my friend. The poke bowl I got was also not great. Some of the salmon were ICE COLD and when I bit into it I thought it wasn't even thawed out all way making me feel like it was frozen. The place in it of itself though was clean and nicely decorated and the host seemed to know what was going on. This was my first and last time going here.

Tuna
Nichole A.

This was a nice restaurant however I do think the food was overpriced for what we got. Additionally, the restaurant was empty and the service took forever, once we got our food, our server never checked on us again. Fried rice was good but somewhat plain. The ambiance was fine, nothing crazy, we went on a weekday and it was fine.

Really poorly made vegetable sushi roll.
Camdon R.

Probably the worst service I've received in a very long time. Restaurant was nearly empty and it still took over an hour to get a second round of drinks. No water refill. No check ins from the waitress. We asked the bartender if he was working on our order and he said, no, he was cleaning. Manager finally came down to help him but never apologized for the issues. Also, the vegetable egg roll came to the table and we were told, "sorry, he's not very good at that kind of sushi". Ridiculous. They truly don't care.

Birthday girl!!!
Octavia M.

I ordered the pot stickers the cilantro, chicken and rice and the kg burger and fries bill was 103!!! We had a table of 10 the lighting was beautiful the food was delicious! A little over priced but the experience was great! Our server was nice but seemed a little dry. You can tell she was tired and ready to go home but got all our order right! Nothing was sent back!!!! Great place to come too and loved its photo friendly!

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I'm so glad they reopened. Every night from 9:00 PM to close they have discounted sushi! Late night sushi craving satisfied!

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The food was below average, the service slow and the atmosphere meh at best. I had the salmon and it was dry and didn't taste fresh .

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Ask the Community - Kona Grill - Columbus

Domo Sushi Kitchen & Bar - Spider roll

Domo Sushi Kitchen & Bar

4.5(117 reviews)
6.8 mi•Short North, Italian Village

I ordered the teriyaki salmon and it was delicious! Our server was okay, nice but, wasn't too…read moreattentive to checking in on our table. We had to flag down another waitress to get her to come back to our table. Other than that, everyone enjoyed their food and the ambiance is nice.

1. Ambience (4/5) This place is very cute! The décor was…read moreintentional without trying too hard. Midway through my meal, they came around to light a candle at the table, which added such an intimate touch, and gave cozy date night energy in the best way. In fact, I believe I was sitting next to a couple having their first date. 2. Plating (4.5/5) The presentation did not disappoint. Everything came out looking polished and thoughtfully arranged. The edamame stood out because they generous with the flaky salt, which I personally loved. Sometimes places hold back, but this was well seasoned. 3. Customer Service (2.5/5) This is where things started to fall apart a bit. I stood at the front for about 12 minutes before being acknowledged, and the restaurant was nearly empty. I had to make eye contact with someone in the kitchen just to be seated. Service at the table wasn't much better. It took about 15 minutes just to get my drink order taken (which I had to flag the waitress down to order), and by that time I was ready to order my whole meal. I ordered an appetizer along with a couple of sushi rolls and some sake. I'm not sure if the waitress wasn't thinking about it, but she brought my rolls out before she even brought out my appetizer or my drink. The inconsistency was noticeable and took away from the experience. 4. Overall Taste (4.5/5) The food absolutely carried! I ordered a sweet potato roll and the Hoonie Roll, which ended up being my favorite part of the meal. Both were fresh, flavorful, and really well-balanced. Paired with the edamame and sake, everything came together nicely. 5. Overall Experience (3.9/5 ) Taking everything into account, the experience lands just under a 4. The food and atmosphere were strong, but the service created a noticeable disconnect. It's definitely one of those places where you'd go back for the food, but you'd hope the service catches up next time.

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Domo Sushi Kitchen & Bar - Dining room

Dining room

Domo Sushi Kitchen & Bar - Spicy scallop roll (l) and spider roll (r)

Spicy scallop roll (l) and spider roll (r)

Domo Sushi Kitchen & Bar - Short ribs

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Short ribs

The 698 - Fried California roll

The 698

4.6(90 reviews)
7.0 mi•Short North, Italian Village

Really fun time with great service, atmosphere, food, and drinks!…read more We got one of the small booths and had Riley as our server. Riley is knowledgeable, attentive, and fun! She picked out cocktails and saki for us based on our preferences. Atmosphere was energetic and happy without being too loud. We got crispy tuna with truffle oil. The truffle oil was subtle and the appetizer was delicious. We then had a couple of rolls - they were beautiful and delicious! I would definitely come back!

I suggested 698 for a dinner with friends since it was such a good experience last time. Not to be…read moretonight. It took 30 minutes for our waitress to come to the table after being reminded we were seated. She didn't introduced herself all evening and looking at the receipt at least I know it now. Also, it appeared that they were understaffed for as full as the restaurant was with at least 3 conferences nearby. There were only 2 bartenders so even drinks took a while after our order was placed. Once the drinks finally arrived about 20 minutes later, everything started coming out as well. Japanese 75 was a little sweet but flavorful! The Kyushiki was very nice, like a Japanese old fashioned. The Gin & Tea was delicious again. A dirty martini did not taste right, had no dirty in it and the green olives were soft. The Age Tofu had a nice coating on it and was silky and creamy inside. The beans were very good and had a nice spicy heat to them although over salted. The Veggie roll was huge! Never seen such a big roll! The pickled radish added a nice crunch and overall very flavorful. It does fall apart easily unless you put the whole slice in your mouth at once. The Naruto roll was phenomenal as always. I love the contrasting texture of the crispy cucumber and the soft fish. The Pink Lady roll stayed together nicely with the soy paper and again had nice flavor. The White Dragon was creamy and subtle with the pop of tobiko on top. If I was eating just the food it would be 5 stars again. The service this time, had much to be desired. The entire meal was around $175 for 4 people with drinks.

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The 698 - The inside was beautiful as was all the dinner and glassware

The inside was beautiful as was all the dinner and glassware

The 698 - Tropical Roll

Tropical Roll

The 698 - Chili Oil Gyoza

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Chili Oil Gyoza

Oishii 2 Japanese Bistro - Dragon eggs (deep fried avocado with crab and tuna)

Oishii 2 Japanese Bistro

3.9(11 reviews)
5.9 mi•University District

The first Oishii is far off my usual routes, so I haven't gotten there though I heard it's good…read more This one opened up near campus last week, much closer to me. And after that soft opening with a regular menu, this week they introduced an all-you-can-eat menu as well. So of course I got there as soon as I could. Quite an extensive menu for AYCE too, though not as big as their standard one. And full of interesting stuff. Nigiri, raw rolls, cooked rolls, deep-fried rolls, specialty rolls, apps, ramen, hibachi, and more. I wanted to try everything, but even though I arrived hungry I just couldn't. Maybe 25 years ago I could have eaten twice as much, and when the students hear about this they will clean them out. It's just down from where Japanese Oriental Restaurant used to be, and I used to save up and pig out there with my friends. Now I eat a bit less, but I still figure I had about $60 worth of sushi for $30. I started with seaweed salad- big portion, and very tasty. Fresh and a little spicy. Then unagi- two big pieces, excellent, tender and flavorful. Then maguro- good, melt in your mouth. Next I tried their "dragon eggs"- deep fried avocado with kani and tuna. OMG. Again, a big portion (two whole avocados, halved and stuffed. Finally, two big rolls: the High Street roll with spicy tuna, and the Seashore roll with salmon, kani, and more. Wow. Big, and tasty. Best sushi in town? No, but up there. Really good. Service was great. They open at noon, at least on weekdays, and I was the first one in. The decor is cool- it's an old house, and they have made it modern but with vintage touches. The bathrooms and waiting area are super cool. There's a bar off to one side, a sushi bar in back, and lots of sleek but comfy seating. Also a huge patio and courtyard out front. Free street parking out front (except during rush hour.) Also a small lot in back. Get here. If you like sushi, or other Japanese food, you'll like it. If you like a bargain, you'll love it. $27, yes, not cheap; but for sushi it's not bad, and for AYCE sushi it is a steal. A cool place to hang out, not far from campus, and drink, and eat good food till you're stuffed.

The AYCE is a good deal and pretty yummy! The menu is actually surprisingly varied, you can get all…read morekinds of things. Service was friendly and pretty quick considering. Atmosphere was modern and soothing. You can get ramen, cooked dishes like tempura, salads, all kinds of things. There's a full bar as well, and areas with cozy or romantic seating. The design was actually pretty cool, you could eat with a group or sit up at a bar by yourself and feel very comfortable either way. The sushi menu itself includes more traditional Japanese sushi, which honestly is what I'd recommend from the AYCE menu. They even have sashimi, which is cut thinly- which is fine, if you want more you can just order more, that prevents excessive waste. Most AYCE places wouldn't offer sashimi anyway. But the traditional sushi, sashimi and rolls were the ones we liked best. The more Americanized rolls with the alternative (non-nori) wraps were not as delicious, in our opinion. We couldn't figure out what it was, whether it was the wraps or an ingredient in the chopped sushi roll fillings. But there's a ton on this menu that was good. Will eat here again. Oh and a short note on large groups- maybe this is not the spot to go with a massive group? It's more of an intimate dining experience, although they do seem to allow big groups. I only mention this because I saw a negative review about slow service for large groups before we went and then the evening we went a group of maybe 10-12 college students impatiently waited by the door to be seated, even though the servers were polite and had to wait for multiple tables to clear at the same time to push together seat such a large group in a smallish restaurant- the patrons kept coming in and trying to sit at random tables before it was their turn. If you have a massive group I'd say split into multiple tables or maybe choose a different, larger or chain restaurant, like El Vaquero or Buffalo Wild Wings? Anyway I hope they left a good tip because the workers were very professional and the group was very large and very impatient.

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Oishii 2 Japanese Bistro
Oishii 2 Japanese Bistro - Cool space, tin ceiling.

Cool space, tin ceiling.

Oishii 2 Japanese Bistro - Menu

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Menu

jony's sushi

jony's sushi

4.2(59 reviews)
8.8 mi•German Village

I was a little apprehensive since this was "carryout only," but heard you can dine at the South…read moreVillage Grille which is a great place on its own. Figured it'd be busy and I'd sit at the bar. But the place was only half full, and they sat me on the side with the sushi chef (not a sushi bar since you can't sit there, but you can watch.) Great service all the way through, a table to myself, and great music playing (okay, they had me when I walked in and the Dead were playing; I also heard the Pixies and loads of other good stuff.) Plus, the menu was bigger than the ones I'd seen online. You can get nigiri and sashimi, and apps, plus regular and special rolls. I went with the yuzu tobiko nigiri, and a JV roll. The nigiri was luscious, flavorful, and overflowing with tobiko. The roll was over the top, deep fried with salmon, scallions, and tons of toppings. Plated nicely, tasted great, and a large portion. Eating good food in a relaxing atmosphere, with great service, is always a delight. I'll be back for both menus, grille and sushi. And the service. A German Village classic.

For someone who doesn't care for sushi too much, I have eaten it twice this month at two different…read morerestaurants. I might be rethinking my stance. My partner loves it and he wanted to grab a few pieces. I can do a nice California Roll but for most people that doesn't count. I think it's raw fish that gets me so I went with the California and it was $10. I was so good and didn't disappoint. Chris went with the Sashimi Maguro (tuna) and it was $9. He lived it and it was a nice treat for him. Would recommend and neat location in German Village on Thurman Avenue. It has the main entrance and is connected thru South Village Grill. Worth checking out.

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jony's sushi
jony's sushi - Oysters

Oysters

jony's sushi - Hots for gardener

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Hots for gardener

Kona Grill - Columbus - sushi - Updated October 2026

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