Great food, great service, and amazing atmosphere. Truly enjoyed our mini family reunion that we celebrated here.

We went for dinner. We had reservations, so we were seated immediately. We were not having drinks so straight away ordered burger to share. Service was good and quick. Burger was ok, nothing extra ordinary. Ambience is good and I think they have good drinks on menu. Will revisit sometime. read more

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The tables were sticky, picked the menu up and the words stuck to the table. The service was non existent. Would have ordered more drinks, but our server was in the back with the kitchen staff. Our food came out before the appetizer, made it halfway to our table and was taken back to the kitchen to sit and get cold. Asked the person to bring our food back as we did not want to eat cold food. The beverages were great the best part of the meal. The corn ribs were horrible and should be taken off the menu, worst appetizer I've ever had. The loco moco with beef short ribs were good. The pork na his tasted Goff as well, although a bit on the cool side, definitely not read more

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After spending the morning at the Hapuna Beach, we decided to stop for lunch in the little shopping area on Waikoloa Beach Dr. When looking at the restaurant options, I noticed that Kuleana Rum Shack did rum tastings, so I was sold at that point. My wife is not a rum fan, so I did a tasting, and then we ordered lunch. I had the fish tacos with jalapenos on the side, and she had a house salad with fried tofu. I have to admit, I wasn't a big fan of the 4 rums I tried, but the food was very good, both mine and my wife's. Although to be fair, I put the raw jalapenos on my tacos, and I think the heat from those really messed up my palate as far as tasting the rum. Maybe I should buy a bottle and take it back to mainland to double check! read more

I would recommend this place to anyone that likes a craft cocktail. Delicious delicious delicious drinks. The staff is 10 out of 10. And I highly recommend taking their rum cocktail class. One of the most enjoyable classes I've ever been a part of. Nice spot with good outdoor seating. Say hi to Ben for me read more

Kuleana Rum Shack - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Waikoloa, Hawaii

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We stopped in here after a day at the beach to try some cocktails and bites. We had made a reservation, but it wasn't needed. We were seated right away. I ordered the Waikoloa Sour and my husband had a Hawaiian Margarita. I really enjoyed the sour, it was a great cocktail, well-balanced. We also ordered Pipi Kaula Lumpia and Street Corn Ribs for starters. The Lumpia was good, but quite messy. The street corn ribs were good, but seemed pricey for the size. read more

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Saw this cute spot at the Queens Market Center and decided to stop in with some friends. Grabbed a seat outside and enjoyed some Hawaiian air. Our server was great especially with answering all of our questions and indecisiveness. Rum flight. Good for the price and really fun to taste test with friends. We had a blast with the flavors. Loco Moco. This was my first time trying this famous Hawaiian dish and I have to say that I was underwhelmed. The short rib was fantastic, but the gravy was very little and not all that flavorful. The dish in itself was missing a lot of flavor and was overall pretty bland. For an over $30 dish, I definitely expected more. Snagged a fish taco from my friend and it was so good. The nachos are noteworthy as well. The sweetness of them were what made the dish stand out from normal nachos. Coconut rum cake was to die for. The best thing I tried all night. read more

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Lunch time at noon on a Tuesday. Four of us ordered two dishes of Pork Nachos and two plates of Fish and Chips. Coolers w/rum and ice cold water for beverages. The food was good. Portions were elfish and overpriced even for Hawai'i, might be the standard for Waikoloa. A nice airy spacious dining area, service was top-notch with attentive servers. Very clean bathrooms and overall a nice, pleasant stop at the Queens Market Center. read more

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Server was great and made solid recommendations! Great outdoor patio with a cool vibe! Some nice Hawaii dishes on the menu.

We chose to eat here based on the fact that there weren't many choices in the immediate area and they had good reviews. There were 6 of us and we were there for lunch. Service was good. I had the Kuleana pork nachos. I thought they would be better than what they were. They were disappointing, I had some chunks of fat mixed in with my pork. We also had the Pipi Kaula lumpia. That was not good at all. The others in our party, thought their food was just ok. The restaurant itself was nice. read more

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Love the breezy vibes of this place!! They have so many rums to try. We got the Mai Tai which had an infusion of two types of rum and a Waikaloa Sour. Both were really good. The food was pretty delicious as well. In the previous reviews I saw they offer a Vegan Coconut Curry and as a vegetarian I was looking forward to it but surprisingly they had taken it off the menu! So instead I had Pasta alla Rhum. When it arrived the presentation was a bit deceptive with the wide plate and small well in the middle, but the portion was pretty good for a dinner. And taste was delicious!! read more

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Rum aficionados don't get your hopes up. The Rum Shack offers four of their own rums and a fairly decent, but not stellar, selection of rums from other countries around the world. There are a few Hawaiian rums that we like, but the Kuleana rums fall short. They are heavy on alcohol and light on flavor. My husband tried their darkest rum, which is a very light yellow in the glass, very alcohol forward and lacking depth of flavor. I had an unmemorable cocktail. It seemed as though the bartenders were not all that well versed in their own rums or mixology in general. As for the food, we ordered the pork and watercress gyoza and the crab rangoon. Both were lacking flavor and substance...not made better by the lackluster, flavorless dipping sauces. To be honest...I've had better from the grocery store freezer section. The restaurant itself is pleasant enough with a nice bar and the ability to accommodate larger parties. We ended up hopping across the street to have some great cocktails and appetizers and Roys. read more

If you are looking for the best happy hour in the Waikoloa/Puako area you can stop searching because this is it!! It's 3-5pm EVERY DAY!! Their kalua pork nachos ($10) are outstanding, and they have some delicious craft cocktails (Hilo Fling is my fav). In addition to a rock solid happy hour, they have a keiki menu and a coloring page to keep the kiddos busy. Pros Happy hour Ola beer Easy parking Cons None! read more

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Stopped by on a warm day for some lunch! Extremely fast service -- started off with the Pork Nachos, which were extremely flavorful. The mojitos were also amazing for the heat. The kalbi short rib and the menchi-katsu burger were absolutely divine! Nice spot, good ambiance, and awesome service. A must when visiting this side of town. read more

Kuleana Rum Shack - Short Rib -- Lunch Plate - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Waikoloa, Hawaii

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We love this place and always go here multiple times a visit. Great rum/food and fantastic happy hour! read more

Kuleana Rum Shack - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Waikoloa, Hawaii

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The service was friendly, although a little slow to take our order. Thankfully the food came quick! I really enjoyed my miso butterfish salmon, although the price point was steap. The broth was incredible and the fish bloomed perfectly. My husband had the nacho appetizer and it was nearly a meal in and of itself. I also ordered the miso Caesar salad which was fresh and had cheese crisps, but the dressing was a little heavy handed for my taste. The cocktails were solid, not overly sweet and some innovation. Overall, recommend for a casual yet higher end dining than most of the marketplace fare. read more

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We went here for lunch. We did the rum tasting and some of the rums were extremely strong. I am glad I split it with my husband. It was a unique tasting. The food was pretty good as well. The restaurant was quiet and the service was quick. This was a nice break in the day to get out of our resort and check out the Queen marketplace shops. read more

Great happy hour. The drinks were amazing. We got to sample their rum flight for $8!! Our server explained the different rums. Amazing customer service read more

The hamachi collar - cheek was grilled wonderfully. Make sure you really aren't afraid to grind on this like a short rib. Take apart the bones and get the meat like eating crab! I asked the bartender for a sweeter drink - she brought the sweetener on the side and I didn't even need more than 3 drops over the ice. Attentive and friendly service! read more

If I could give negative stars this would be the time. We can win for happy hour on 5/11/26 at 310 which is advertised from 3-5 pm. We were sat at the bar and within 1 minute of sitting, some guy came from the back, grabbed the bartender and advised that happy hour was changed to 4-5pm only and the menu has been changed. This all happened within a few mins. Within those few mins the bartender came back and pulled the menu from the couple next to us and also took our menu. We asked what was happening and were told it just switched to 4-5 only and this was happening on the fly. We were not advised that they would honor h the e original advertised time and we needed up leaving. This is unacceptable from a restaurant and bar in which customers are coming in and being seated for something in which they changed at the time of. Who ever is in charge of this restaurant should take a closer look at what just happened. They won't last very long doing business like this. I do not recommend going to this bar anytime soon. Do better read more

Kuleana Rum Shack - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Waikoloa, Hawaii

This is a hidden gem I feel like. It's in a shopping complex near the theatre by they have a great happy hour! Open air seating, a large bar and plenty of tables. We came for HH, and I REALLY wanted to make it back to get their massive ramen bowl that I kept seeing. We stuck with HH options that time while we could. The food was excellent!! The staff was great. Some things are pricer than others. They make their own rum so their drink specials were great! Can't wait to stop back here again. read more

Cool restaurant with very friendly staff. Drinks were good including marg made with their rum. A little mixed on the food. I had Caesar salad with fish which was very good. Several got burgers and asked for medium/medium rare but all were overcooked. Still would come again. read more

I would recommend skipping this place. The prices are quite high, portions small, and the food wasn't very good. Short rib loco moco - didn't taste as good as a regular loco moco and was pretty small. 2/5 Katsu sandwich - probably the worst tasting item we had in a long long time. It was even hard to finish. 1/5 read more

This was one of our last meals on the big island. We came for lunch. It's located in a nice upscale mall. We came at about 1130am and it wasn't busy, which was perfect. No wait to be seated and service was quick. We got the pork nachos & lumpia for appetizers. We also each got the beet salad with a side of Ono/ Wahoo. Everything we had was fantastic. I tried their espresso martini and that was fabulous as well. My husband did the rum flight. Food was really good, no complaints. We did not buy any rum to take home because we didn't have the space but there were some really great options. read more

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Really underwhelmed by our experience here. It was quiet on a Friday night, but our server was manning the whole restaurant by herself and falling short. The older lady at the front was also rude and shouldn't be the face at the restaurant's entrance. We were underwhelmed by all of the food, pork nachos lukewarm and sweet, the moco loco lukewarm and bland, and the burger was strange and small. While the restaurant itself has a nice look, everything else fell short. read more

Kuleana Rum Shack - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Waikoloa, Hawaii

Decent food if you're hungry. Better places to eat if you really enjoy food. Fish tacos lacked flavor, the ribs weren't that great. This chicken was delicious! Service was great and our server was awesome! read more

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*Kuleana Rum tasting review* We purchased our tasting "tour" tickets online and showed up to the restaurant. I thought the tasting is at the restaurant but actually there is a special room for tasting right next to the restaurant. Room is nicely quiet and open. Cameron was our host and he was just amazing! Very knowledgeable local person who is passionate about this island and rum, and whole process of rum making. If you're on big island, I'd recommend to take part in this tasting event, and learn about the sugar cane and its history, and enjoy the big taste the Big Island! read more

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We stopped by after the beach for cocktails and had a wonderful experience. We ordered the Mai Tai and the Waikoloa Sour. I had the Waikoloa Sour, and it was so flavorful with bright tropical notes, refreshing and well balanced. The staff was welcoming, and happy to explain the menu and answer our questions. Great drinks, excellent service, and a relaxing atmosphere. We'd definitely come back for dinner! read more

Great little place for Sunday brunch! We enjoyed our meal on the patio and were served by Colin - he was so friendly and did a great job making our visit so enjoyable. The food was egg-septional!! Great omelettes and the fried potatoes were delicious. read more

Kuleana Rum Shack - Breakfast omelette with fried potatoes - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Waikoloa, Hawaii

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Disappointed with the lack of gluten free items that were on the online menu but not available in person. When we sat down, there was a gift card on the floor. I picked it up and gave it to Tyana, our server. She just said "ok." I inquired when it was time to order that several of the items that are marked gluten free on the online menu we're not marked gluten free on the in person menu. However, I wanted to know if any modifications could be made like a burger in a lettuce wrap. Before I could get out my question, Tyana cut me off and rudely said, no, just what is marked on the menu. When I asked again, she said the pork nachos could be made gf by just getting the pork with no chips/wontons. Since she was so annoyed and not taken being gluten free seriously, I absolutely did not trust anything she said after she had been so rude. I was in island, happy mode, and left hungry and baffled. My mom is not gluten free and she got the Kuleana rum cake. She said it was good 4/5, but that the rum could have been soaked all the way through instead of just at the top. I had the Waikoloa Sour which was really good. 5/5 Unfortunately it didn't take the bitter taste away from being mistreated. The beet salad was good, but pricey for so little. Taste was 4/5. I did my research ahead of time and chose this place because there were so many gf options on the menu. I didn't know that my server would react so meanly to a simple question. I chose this place because several options like the loco moco and pork nachos were marked gluten free on the online menu but in person were not marked gluten free. My hope is that Kuleana Rum Shack will make a few simple modifications to their menu or offer gf alternatives. And if not, please do not lure in people who are gf by claiming to have so many options online. Service 1/5. They do offer lots of rum choices and rum to take home. I am not sure if I would go back. read more

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Easter Sunday dinner. Very cool atmosphere, and the drinks were fabulous! Initial service was quite slow - took 8-10 minutes to be acknowledged at the table. It seems there were three servers for an entire restaurant and it was mostly full. Servers doubled as hosts. Service was friendly, overall - but they seemed a bit stressed. Service was a bit lagged throughout, but overall attentive given the short staffed situation (we understand this is an issue). Food menu is quite limited. We wished we had paid more attention before making reservations as we struggled to find something for a late dinner that wasn't too heavy. The iceberg salad was fresh but quite minimal for the price. I thought it would have been heavier on the toppings. Overall, food was well prepared. read more

Kuleana Rum Shack - pork nachos - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Waikoloa, Hawaii

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Found this place after the original place we wanted to go to was closed. So glad the other place was closed because this is a gem of a place. Server was super friendly. Drinks were delicious. Made with their own rum. Got the Kuleana pork nachos. The "chips" are wonton chips and that added a really great texture and flavor to the dish. I was and will be dreaming about those for a long time. The malasadas were nice. The sauces were nice too. Not sure I would get them again though. We did go back on our last night on the big island and I was so happy I was dancing in my seat. Got the same drink and main meal and skipped the malasadas this time and I was beyond happy. read more

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Excellent Mai tais and nachos! Fish tacos were also amazing! Staff is super friendly!

Go for the tour, stay for the rum! This was an insightful experience into the makings of some very fine rum, from farm to glass. We booked a 3 hour tour (sans Gilligan) that took us to their plantation up north by the old airport, where we were greeted by Keith and shown around part of their sugar cane farm where they test different types of plant (didn't know there was more than one!). Keith showed us the use of one of the smaller cane presses as we watched him juice fresh cane stalks that we then tasted. Not as sweet as you would expect, very earthy, semi-sweet green juice. All the cane is fresh pressed by hand and transported...quickly, to the distillery (can't take too long or the wrong kind of yeast starts forming...yeah, you learn a lot!). Next stop down to Kohala to tour where the magic is done...the distillery. Small operation that prides itself on quality, not mass quantity. Vertical stills cook the product down to the correct alcohol content where white rum is put in steel kegs and the brown is put in bourbon barrels. Quite the operation. Last but not least, travel down to Queens Market to the Kuleana Rum Shack for tasting. And tasting we did...a lot! From their entry level HuiHui white rum to their very sip able Hōkūlei dark rum, they have quickly established themselves as an award-winning and fan favorite for rum enthusiasts. Keith is a great host and super knowledgeable. Stayed after and tried their rum-based Manhattan...smooooth! Our bartender turned out to be the master distiller, Conner...nice. Chatted with one of the founders, Chris, at the bar...super chill and happy to check in our tour. A great way to spend a few hours away from sun and surf with a truly happy ending. read more

We ate here after church and the food was fantastic and the service was excellent. We sat on the patio area for the breeze and the food was so good we influenced another table to order the avocado toast. read more

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We just landed and were looking for a spot to grab a bite to eat. The ambiance here has an island vine that is more upscale than your island beach shack but not to the level of fine dining. It's fun to look at all of their different types of rum and you can do a tasting flights of 4 for $12. (We didn't do this but might on another visit.) We arrived for happy hour, which ends at 5:00, and there was ample seating. Happy hour has 4 diverse cocktails, all including rum, but the one we chose was well-balanced and didn't taste like rum. We had the Hilo Fling. There is a bit off beer and wine as well and 4 appetizers on the happy hour menu. All have meat, it seems, so if you're vegetarian, you'll have to order off the main menu. The hubs and I split the kalua pork nachos, which were Hawaiian style on fried wontons. They were very tasty and incredibly rich, such that we weren't hungry for any other food. To me, the pork was of higher fat content. But take this with a grain of salt--I don't like fatty or greasy meats. The hubs loved it! The cocktails were delicious and well-balanced. We want to come back for the miso butterfish saimen, which we saw at another table. read more

Kuleana Rum Shack - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Waikoloa, Hawaii

I've heard good things about this place so we stopped in on our way home after a day in Honolulu. My glass of wine was good but the house salad was a joke. A handful of bagged greens, a few wilted and slimy, and 3 cherry tomatoes, halved. For $14?? I had a side of jerked chicken for $12. It was about 1/2 if a thigh. It tasted good and was tender, but for $26 the meal was lame. I pointed out the slimy greens to the server who said she'd show the chef. No one said anything about it when the check came. Doubt I'll return. read more

Within 24 hours of arrival on island, if you bring your ticket, they have a limited time offer to get a delicious $1 mai tai. Their rums are unique, complex, and delicious. The location is nice as an open-air causal dining spot. But the most delicious thing we ordered was their rum-soaked cake. Good god that cake is delicious, warm, and incorporates one of their award-winning rums. Wow. read more

Kuleana Rum Shack - Rum Flight - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Waikoloa, Hawaii

We arrived right on time for a 6:30pm reservation-- 4 adults and a 7 year old. A salad arrived within 5 minutes of ordering. Drinks took 15 minutes. Food? Delivered at room temperature at 7:50. By this time, the 7 year old had zero interest in food. All but two fries and the entire hamburger sat uneaten. My penne alla rhum with meatballs tasted fine, but it was colder at the bottom than at the top, and indication of an extended time under a heat lamp. Another order, the burger, was described as "hit down the fairway" but not a great shot. The chicken skewer and veggie skewer were okay. Finally, the seared ahi was also okay, but certainly not the best. We happened to be sitting right in front of the kitchen, so we had a good view of all the orders blinking red. To add insult to injury, one of the chefs was eating the whole time he was working. I get it. This restaurant caters to the captive tourist trade. They don't depend on repeat business so they make no effort to satisfy their clients. If that's okay with you, then knock yourself out and make a reservation. But if you believe that a restaurant, even a touristy one, should make their best effort, then do yourself a favor, skip the Kuleana Rum Shack, and spend your dollars at one of the many independent and family-run restaurants on the Big Island. This is only the second 1-star review I've written; my first was for a restaurant that thankfully closed shortly after my review. read more

We went for the happy hour and got a rum flight and mojito during happy hour. Then we ordered the Pipi Kaula lumpia for an appetizer which was amazing! For our entrees we got the Short Rib Moco Loco and the Miso Butterfish Saimin which came in the cutest ramen bowl. The food was so amazing! We definitely want to go back to the Queens Marketplace to eat there again. The ambiance was relaxed and has outdoor seating for people watching at the market. The service was excellent! I would highly recommend this place for awesome food and drinks! read more

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