The drinks were good, a perfect mix. Food was pretty good, saved to one of my favorites.

I came for dinner and left emotionally attached. Kona Grill Phoenix absolutely ate (literally and spiritually). The food was chef's kiss, the drinks were STRONG strong -- like "text-your-ex-by-accident" strong -- and the vibes were immaculate. Now let's discuss Zack, our server, because that man is not a server... he is an EXPERIENCE. Funny. Attentive. Teleported every time our drinks hit 30% full. Knew exactly when we were debating bad decisions and supported us anyway. Never judged. Only enabled. If Zack isn't getting a raise, free meals, PTO, and a parade, something is wrong with the system. I would come back for the sushi. I would stay for the cocktails. I would fight traffic on 101 again solely for Zack. Five stars. No notes. Someone protect this man at all costs. read more

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I don't leave a lot of reviews, but when there are bugs in the soy sauce, I feel like I'm obligated. Not for me, but out of respect for the fruit fly who, when faced with an already short lifetime on Earth, decided to end it all inside the soy sauce container that I ate. I mean, these little guys live for a tragically short lifetime anyway. Suicide by soy sauce was an option I never considered until now, knowing I probably ate his friends. Rest easy, fruit fly. I posted a picture of him but it doesn't seem to be in my review. read more

Kona Grill - Desert Ridge - 2 Sushi Rolls - Sushi Bars Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Wow! Been a long time since I left a restaurant and left less than 10% of a tip but tonight was the night. My husband and I tried Kona Grill at Desert Ridge for the first and likely last time tonight. Restaurant was fairly busy but we were sat immediately--thought it was a pleasant surprise for a Friday night at Desert Ridge. Should have been a clue. After a 10 minute review of the menu without a server taking drink orders she arrived. We asked about the fried pickles. discs or spears? Our server's response... "well they have texture and are circles" clue 2. The order: sushi & salad + miso soup and a steakhouse burger with fries. Diet Coke and Lemonade. At 15 mins of waiting the table next to us excitedly cheered when their Nextdoor neighbors burger sliders arrived. "Oh they've been waiting 2 hours for food" clue 3. At 30 mins in the sushi and salad arrived, Nextdoor table surprised for us. I asked for the miso soup and a refill of Diet Coke. The server brought soup but it didn't quite look right. I asked if that was the miso, response "um ya." As she leaned in to look closer, "oh ya that's clam chowder". 10 more mins and the server brought a plate of potstickers asking if we ordered these, "nope" and we asked again for the miso and Diet Coke. The 3/4 full soda refill that she slammed on the table was my husband's favorite portion of the night. He asked another server to get a full glass instead. It wasn't until 1 hour from ordering that we asked to speak with the manager. The server went to the kitchen and never returned. A food runner brought the burger at 1 hour and 10 mins in, provided the following explanation: "we only have two cooks, the manager is on the line. This isn't a normal night for us, we apologize." My husband shared he didn't want his food at this point and we would be leaving after the bill. They brought a box, comped the bill and provided coupons for us to come back. We left $3 cash, gave the neighbors our coupons and left. Not a great first impression. Leaving one star, while the miso was lukewarm the flavor was good. read more

This was what sadness looks like. Kona Stir-Fry* chicken, carrot, cabbage, cilantro, shiitake, chili-garlic sauce, broccoli, sesame, jasmine rice; sub: shrimp (shellfish) | add: shrimp (shellfish) | sub: tofu | add: tofu for an additional charge I subbed tofu for a $37 dish. Guys I didn't even take a picture of it because it was the saddest stir fry I've ever seen in my life. It felt like they took a bag of coleslaw and threw some soy sauce on it. Not only that my partner got his salmon sliders like 15 mins before I got my food. The server was nice, his salmon sliders were apparently delicious but I was not impressed one bit. Apologies but I would never return. For whatever that was. read more

Kona Grill - Desert Ridge - Bagged coleslaw that was their "Stir Fry" worst ever - Sushi Bars Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

We were running very late from work and didn't get to dinner until almost 11 but had been craving sushi.. so glad Kona was open! Our waitress was very very sweet and checked in enough while also giving us time to review the extensive menu. She also made very good suggestions. The crab crunch roll was my favorite--super fresh and delicious and perfect bite sized pieces. The lemon garlic penne with shrimp was also delicious. It's a big place but the bar and patio are cozy. The whole place is pretty upscale vibes. My boo had the cheesecake and I had an affogato for dessert and both were delightful. Would come back--the happy hour has a lot of great options! read more

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My wife and I were visiting the Cave Creek and we were trying to decide which of the "Friends with Benefits" restaurants to choose from. We were torn between STK and the Kona grill. We decided to come to Kona Grill. We are so happy we did. Our server, Lindsay, took great care of us. We did alter the menu a bit. We started with a glass of Sapporo draft. So cold and refreshing on a hot day. We shared a cucumber salad which tasted fantastic. The sunomono salad was better than many Japanese restaurants back in Los Angeles. We then shared a grilled glazed salmon and Bug Island rib eye steak. We swapped the potato and fried rice for steamed rice. We had great conversations with our server, Lindsay. The manager, Shelly, came over to check on us too. Amazing service and delicious food. The ambiance was very nice with the music just loud enough to hear, but still easily carry on a conversation with your dining guests. read more

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Went there for happy hour and tried what felt like almost the whole menu. Service was super slow and our waiter wasn't picking up our empty plates so we moved them to an empty table so he would get the hint. Drinks took FOREVR to come out and I'm thinking again that was an issue with our server not the bartender not making them. Honestly The drinks weren't even that good I've had much better next door at the thirsty lion. We sat outside and that was nice there was a super pesky bee but it eventually went away. As for the food it was just ok. Our two year old daughter enjoyed the kids cheese pizzza and the happy hour chicken pot stickers. Husband had the steak frites and the fries were solid! I tried several happy hour items and they were just ok. Pretty disappointed with The chicken and shrimp lettuce wraps the lettuce they came out with was wilted. Almost soggy. Not crisp like how it is at PF CHANGS. wouldn't order them again. Not really sure I see myself coming back here. Between the slow service and mediocre drinks and food. There are too many other good options in the area to spend my money here again vs. somewhere else. read more

Kona Grill - Desert Ridge - Receipt Jan 2026 - Sushi Bars Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Very impressive happy hour menu and prices, as well as the kids Bento box. It was only $8 and was a large amount of food (see pic)! Our server was attentive and kind despite it being 10pm on a Tuesday evening. Its nice that this restaurant is open later hours; working nightshifts leave you with very few selections. read more

Kona Grill - Desert Ridge - Kids Bento box - Sushi Bars Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

The service was great food was superb! We went here on whim and can't wait to go back. Atmosphere 10/10 service 10/10 food 10/10 felt like home! read more

Had a great experience at Kona Grill during restaurant week. Food was great. Staff was very friendly. The manager stopped by to check on us. The place is spacious, which is grrat. I'll just bring a sweater next time. I was a tad chilly. Overall we had agreat experience. I'm hoping to try their happy hour sometime soon. read more

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I came here for a lunch meeting with a number of people from work, and we had a really good experience. The server was competent and efficient, the ambience was good (and the restaurant wasn't very crowded at the time), and the lunch deals for a corporate lunch these days was actually a good deal. Best of all, the food was excellent. I ordered the $19 power lunch, which includes (from a limited but still ample menu) an appetizer or salad, an entree, and a brownie boxed up to go. The portion sizes are admirable, and everything I ate was very tasty. As part of my lunch, I ordered the potstickers as the appetizer and the fried chicken sandwich with fries for the entree. Both were great, but the sandwich was the stand-out item. It was a good size, but it may have been one of the best fried chicken sandwiches I ever ate. It tasted like an actual piece of fried chicken off the bone rather than the typical, dry fried chicken breast that you can get almost anywhere. It was really outstanding. As for the brownie, it was really good, though nothing particularly stood out about it. When we were done eating, an employee came by the table to talk to us about their "Friends with Benefits" rewards program. I was already a member, so I didn't need to apply, but what stood out was that the person was rather boisterous and sloppily dressed. It was really the only somewhat low point in the entire experience. All that said, if you're in the neighborhood, and this experience sounds good to you overall, give them a try. Odds are you'll enjoy your meal! read more

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Website says exceptional service, far from it other than one sever name Jen. Didn't have reservation but there were plenty of tables, the hostess just told us to sit at the bar. They have happy hour priced at $3, $6, or $9 basically you get what you pay for. Cheaper it is, the smaller portion you get. Our orders came out wrong and they tried to make it up by comping the HH appetizers but charged us regular prices for HH drinks. Horrible experience here, will not be back even if the food was delicious. read more

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I chose Kona Grill for my wife's birthday and placed an online order for curbside pickup. The ordering process itself was smooth, but everything that followed was a complete breakdown in execution. Upon arrival, I used the check-in link provided via email. After waiting five minutes with no response, I followed the instructions on the curbside signage and sent a text--again, no response. I then called the listed number, which went straight to voicemail. After more waiting, I finally went inside, only to find very few customers and multiple employees standing around. When I asked about my order, the response I received was dismissive and sarcastic rather than apologetic. Eventually, they located the food, but by that point the experience had already been frustratingly mishandled. Unfortunately, the food itself did not redeem the situation--it made it worse. For a $180 meal, the quality was shockingly poor. Everything tasted like it had been frozen and reheated. The steak was overcooked, dry, and completely lacking flavor. Across the board, the food quality was comparable to--or worse than--low-tier chain restaurants like Applebee's or Denny's. To add to the disappointment, the $17 cheesecake I purchased for my wife's birthday was an extremely small portion--more of a sliver than a proper dessert. Between the failed curbside process, unprofessional service, and subpar food, this was an unacceptable experience--especially for what was meant to be a special occasion. Kona Grill positions itself as a premium dining option, but based on this experience, it does not come close to delivering on that expectation. I will not be returning, and I would strongly caution others against spending their time or money here. read more

Kona Grill - Desert Ridge - Sushi Bars Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

GM John went out of his way to make my birthday feel special and bartender Bradley was a sweetheart. I ordered the avocado egg roll and chicken and shrimp lettuce wraps off happy hour. Both were okay, not great. The lettuce was a bit wilted and the sauce not very flavorful. The accompanying cucumber salad with it didn't go far but was good. I would probably have given This establishment of four star if the prices were lower but I don't believe their prices are justify given the quality, flavor profiles, and overall vibe here. Staff were busy. John was the nicest staff member who went above and beyond during my visit. read more

We went with 4 adults and 3 kids and enjoyed our meal! Service was quick and easy and our food was exactly as expected. Love the kids bento box options too! read more

When you walk in, the restaurant was beautiful. However, the host area wasn't very welcoming. The lady just stood there and stared at us until we started talking. Once we determined where we were going to sit, we ended up at the bar, which was nice and roomy. The bartender staff seemed super preoccupied doing other things. It was strange to see the bartenders doing the dishes while behind the bar. We ordered our drinks. Sake bombers. Delicious. Then, our appetizer came, the Kona Calamari. It was so yummy and I absolutely LOVED the sauce it came with. The cute little peppers that came it were a nice touch to the dish. Our rolls came out. They were very pretty. I ordered the shrimp and lobster roll, and my fiancé ordered the wave roll. The wave roll was massive! So big, that he had to cut it in half to eat it lol. In my opinion, I felt as though the price of the rolls were way overpriced. All in all, I've always loved Kona Grill, I just feel like it's way overpriced. The food doesn't match the prices especially paying $25-$30 for a roll. (8 pieces of sushi) read more

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I enjoyed my visit. On a Thursday night, it wasn't crowded and I had my choice of seating in this open concept establishment. There is indoor and outdoor seating in the bar area and multiple tvs throughout. I loved the decor and vibe! The staff were wonderful. I ordered the Asian salad, Philly roll, and tuna. It definitely hit the spot! The restaurant is located in Desert Ridge. There is plenty of parking and accessible spots nearby. read more

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The food is amazing we had, Salmon and fried rice which is the best on the menu in my words. We love T and Heather for making it the best experience. The ambiance and service is like no other. They all go over and above average to need make it a great experience. read more

Kona Grill - Desert Ridge - I'm T, thanks from the softball world!!! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Went back, did not place order or eat. Rude. Could not sit there. It was awful.No one was accommodating. read more

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This place is always dead. Location is specifically hit or miss. Sometimes great and sometimes bad. Drinks seem to always be blah. Great happy hour though. Lots of choices. Location has so much promise but no energy. read more

We visited on a Saturday and it was not too busy, but you could tell it's a popular spot for friends to gather, date nights, and of early in the eve, families too. The menu is varied, and on par with local prices at other places. Without alcohol, it's reasonable to expect to spend $60 for 2 guests if you order 2 sushi rolls. I had the sushi salad combo and it was not only delicious, but filling. The meal included a small Asian salad, a traditional roll of choice, and 3 pieces of sushi. I opted for the spicy, crunchy tuna roll, 1 shrimp nigiri, 1 salmon, and 1 tuna. Our server was super down to earth and took great care of us. The atmosphere is trendy but inviting and they have a fantastic patio for dining. Check it out! read more

Kona Grill - Desert Ridge - Sushi Bars Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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After not being able to eat anything vegan at jin jia we headed to kona grill, which had clearly labeled vegan items on their menu... unfortunately the only things marked vegan were the side of Brussels sprouts and the vegetable roll. Luckily they can do more than that vegan! We started with the edamame which was delightful and I got the Kona stir fry with tofu. Why that or the edamame isn't marked as vegan I don't know but they did confirm the regular edamame was vegan (they have angry edamame that's got non vegan butter). Our server was great and while the drinks were a little slow at first they were delicious. Sophie helped clear the table and was super friendly and helpful! And the all day Monday happy hour can't be beat! read more

Kona Grill - Desert Ridge - Kona Stir-Fry* with tofu - Sushi Bars Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Thought it would be a great dinner. It wasn't too busy. Got seated right away. And now I've been sitting here about 30 minutes and no one has come over. I don't even have water. A ton of staff have walked by and not even an acknowledgment. Not sure if this is a racial thing, an over-site or what because they clearly aren't super busy with 23 tables within my site that are empty and only 5 tables full with guest. Interesting how people who came in right before me are now leaving after having a great dinner. And 40 minutes later people that came in after me already have drinks and orders in. Who knows maybe they'll be able to rectify this. Update asked for a manager. She had someone come over immediately and take my order. Truly didn't even want the meal at this point but it's the principle they need to know how poor their service was. I will say that Evan was a great server and got everything out swiftly. They fully covered the bill which was a nice gesture. The food was mediocre. Nothing amazing - over cooked shrimp, well done steak when I ordered it medium, however the Picasso roll was amazing. Overall for food and then fixing the situation would probably bring them up to 3 stars, but overall experience remains 1 star. First impressions have a huge impact! read more

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They moved from High Street, closer to Tatum. Personally, I'm not into the new vibe. There's lots of bright, overhead lighting and it felt very cafeteria-ish. The music was very loud. Service and food were great though! They have a Friends with Benefits Rewards program and I signed up for it but not sure I will go back. read more

Kona Grill - Desert Ridge - New Friends with Benefits Rewards program - Sushi Bars Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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We had lunch at Kona yesterday and my Asian salad was old and if it had been in my fridge I would have disposed of it. The waitress recommended the macadamia nut chicken which had no flavor. My spouse had chowder that was very watery and fries that seemed to have been thrown in the microwave. Our bill was $69.00 plus tip... it was outrageous. We left most of the food uneaten. read more

This place isn't going to make it. My experience was awful last night. We were seated after a long wait at the hostess stand with no one acknowledging us for at least 5 minutes. Then when we were seated our table was so wobbly you couldn't put a drink down, which they did come over and fix. When we ordered the food it was disgusting. The lettuce wraps came with wilted lettuce and the lettuce had black edges. The sauce was a sesame oil, not a proper dipping sauce. We got the miso soup which was super super salty, not like normal. The drinks were good. The deviled eggs were good. Our kids meal took 90 minuets to arrive. Totally unacceptable. Throughout the meal we had at least three servers try to drop other people's food at our table. I felt sorry for the servers. Food was overpriced for small portions. This place is a train wreck so I don't anticipate it will be around long! read more

Omgosh this place is awful- the food wasn't good and the service was even worse. They brought out my poke bowl before they brought out my daughter's kids meal (which I ordered long before anyone else's food). My husband's meal came 30 mins after I had already received my food and my daughter's food and our drinks (just a Diet Coke) still didn't make it to the table! The odd part about it all was that it wasn't busy so I'm not sure what was going on. The food wasn't good - my poke bowl was just bland tuna and salmon on top of sushi rice with very little additions (like seaweed salad or cucumber or avocado). My husband's salmon was overcooked. Not a great experience and definitely will not be back. read more

Food is embarrassing. My 19 dollar margarita was awful. The appetizers were ok i guess. But the 2 steaks we ordered were laughable. I would expect a better steak at Dennys. If you really want to laugh, add the "crab oscar." Have been coming here for years, and will not be coming back. read more

First time visit for Friday HH. Got a seat at the bar, too cold to sit out on patio. HH food and drinks have 3 price points, which allows lots of delicious options. Good value for sushi rolls & macadamia nut chicken strips. most food as an Asian Fusion flavor profile. Manager Tonesha is a gem & sings a great HBD for customers. read more

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What an absolute horrible experience. I asked for a lemon martini, and the bartender had to pull up his phone to read how it was made. After he made it! He forgot an ingredient and then mixed it all again. I basically drank a cup of lemon lemonade. We ordered the edamame angry, it was overcooked and over spiced. Absolute garbage. We ordered the meatballs, which came 25 minutes after the order, it was basically dipped in sugar with mashed potatoes. Horrible. We then order the fire dragon, sushi roll, and it was dry and bland. To further, we had to ask for ginger and wasabi. And they didn't even give us a bowl for it so we could dip our sushi in it. We had a pour the soy on the sushi. Then, after receiving my $185 bill, we could only do, but anyone else would do, laugh at how horrible this place, and then cry how much money we wasted on people who are incompetent. And I will point out the manager, who should be in a professional attire, was walking around like a hippie who just smoked a joint. I've gone to Kona when it was at Desert Ridge High Street and it was great. It's now basically the worst location in Desert Ridge. Which is saying a lot cause cause it should be a highly rated restaurant. read more

I don't even know where to begin. Went on Valentine's Day. We had a reservation at 6 and we were not seated until 645. At 630 we inquired and the blonde manager was so freaking rude basically telling us to shut up and wait. I get it. It's Valentine's Day. We shook it off. They sat us, and eventually our waitress came and took orders. I kid you not, it took 32 minutes to get our drinks. We ordered our food. It took an hour and a half to come out!!! When we ordered refills on our drinks and the manager came over and told us the waitress was crying and she was taking over our table. We never said one bad thing, so we were confused. Then the waitress came back and seemed fine, so someone was lying. Later we heard the waitress saying bad things about us to the manager. The manager came over and scolded us. It was one of the worst experiences I have ever had at a restaurant. The blonde manager needs some serious training on how to talk to customers. Our waitress was overwhelmed and probably new so I don't blame her. But the blonde manager was way out of line on the things she said to us that I haven't even covered. Went to Kona Grill all the time in Georgia. I am just so disappointed in this location and their management. Will not be back. Good luck. read more

It was one of those nights when there's no one there when you're seated and then everyone and their mom pops in Dining room was clean and spacious, I liked the "fireplace" fixture and the bar area looked like the fun place to be. We ordered entirely too much food, par for the course, but everything was delicious. I liked the meatballs with the dollop of mashed potatoes, and I'm a sucker for ribs. My boyfriend enjoyed the sushi and pastrami sliders. The butter cake was to-die, so make sure you save room, and the best part of our meal was our server, Jen from the East Coast. She was hip and funky in the best way, and made our visit so much fun! read more

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HH prices are outstanding. Cheap beer that's not low quality. The wine list could use some altering. The service was good, the bartenders were nice and accommodating. The list price for food is great too, the HH burger is really good. The bar itself looks like a funky museum display with house music pumpin'. It's cool here, check it out! read more

Restaurant is very dirty. Smeared potatoes on my windows. Asked for clean dishes on table mine were dirty. Table was not wiped off or the seats. Service okay. Had shrimp macadamia sushi for 21$. No shrimp such a joke. I don't know how they stay in business. read more

The food and service was laughably bad and it didn't take me long to realize why the place empty at lunch time. The waitress seemed forgetful and had to be reminded that we ordered beers since she did not bring them out with the rest of the drinks. Not a big deal, maybe she was having a bad day. Then the food came and I couldn't help but start hilariously laughing when my friend had to pick the wilted lettuce out of her ridiculously small and basic $30 dollar salad. Then I got my burger. My friend ordered the same thing but he asked for medium and I asked for well done. When we got the burgers it was clear that there was only one in way they were going to make the burger. Why even bother asking if it's going to turn out the same either way? The bread was stale, there was barely any of th secret sauce, the meat was of poor quality, the cheese was not good, the fries were stale. It seemed like the food had been sitting under a heat lamp for the last hour which is how long it took to get the food in an empty restaurant. I paid $26 dollars for this hamburger and fries not including tax and tip and it was quite honestly the worst hamburger I've ever had in my life. How do you mess up a burger so badly and charge so much. The Kona beer was delicious so I'll give them one star for that. Avoid this place at ALL COSTS. read more

Wow dirty and smelly $200+ lunch not worth it Table was so gross and everything was stuck to it. Hope I never end up back at this location again read more

Kona Grill - Desert Ridge - Our dirty table - Sushi Bars Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Weird lighting and awkward hostess experience to start it off. What's the deal with asking us if we had reservations a few times...having to go get another hostess...when the tables were half empty. Our table ended up being by the bathroom and there was a rank smell permeating throughout the place. We split the spicy tuna roll, which was tasty, but got out of there and went next door and were really please. read more

Beautiful, big restaurant in a parking lot on the perimeter of a huge outdoor shopping mall. I only bring this up because our large group was seated outside and I was facing the headlights of cars parking fifteen feet away. Getting randomly blasted by the Kleig lights of luxury vehicles isn't my idea of ambience. The menu at Kona is eclectic, mixing your typical higher-end restaurant fare with sushi. We had sushi and, well, I guess it's what I would expect from a sushi restaurant in the middle of a desert. We had a few appetizers including edamame, miso soup, and potstickers. For our entre we split a couple rolls: the Las Vegas and the Picasso. The Las Vegas roll, for me, had the mouth feel of baby food due to the combination of cream cheese with eel sauce. Overall, just average, especially for the prices. Excellent service and the hosts were very nice. read more

We came for Thanksgiving dinner. The food was very good.Tanesha(T) Is amazing! So friendly and accommodating. There was a little issue with our dinner and she took care of it right away. Very impressed with her! read more