Top Restaurants in Kailua-Kona
Top Things to do in Kailua-Kona
Top 10 Polynesian food in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, United States
Find out what Polynesian restaurants to try in Kailua-Kona. Coffee drinkers will recognize Kona as the source of some of the best beans in the world. Get your blood pumping with a walk along the “Royal Footsteps” waterfront stretch of Alii Drive, or take stargazing to the next level with a nighttime visit to the summit of Mauna Kea. Waterfalls, volcanoes, and soft black sands are just some of the natural features that make Kailua unique. Shimmy your hips at a hula-filled luau, or get an eyeful of native history at the Kamakahonu compound.
Things to do in Kailua-Kona
10. Island Breeze Luau at the King Kamehameha Hotel
Overall Ratings
4 based on 80 reviews
Guests of the Island Breeze Luau will be amazed with a display of authentic Polynesian activities, cuisine, and performances. Island Breeze Luau, located in right on the edge of the ocean of the King Kamehameha Hotel is rated the best lu'au on the Big Isl
Reviewed By ybarraness
The Luau is not worth the cost of admission. The food was mediocre and the show was average at best. It rained on us the whole time and although they couldn't do anything about the weather they didn't even attempt to cover the food with canopy's or anything so the food was wet when we served ourselves. This was the first Luau that I have been to that makes you buy the Lei, for the cost of the luau that should be included as they do at other places.Aloha ybarraness,Thank you for taking the time to review our Luau on Trip Advisor. We do greatly appreciate your review as it does let us know how we stand in comparison to other Luaus. We sincerely apologize for your disappointment and inconvenience. We try and provide our guests with the best experience that we can. We take the feedback of our guests very seriously as it helps us to improve, and we thank you for your time and we hope you will consider joining us again on your future trips to the Big Island. Mahalo
9. Kanaka Kava
Overall Ratings
4 based on 104 reviews
Reviewed By renaetm
My husband had read about Kava bars and wanted to stop by and try it out. The staff was very friendly and helpful. We heard good things about the food, but didn't try it. It was a fun experience and if you are in the area, it was a good addition to our trip.
8. Don the Beachcomber
Overall Ratings
4 based on 794 reviews
Reviewed By donnyg828
We stopped in for an after dinner cocktail, the ocean view and sound of the surf was fantastic. Her Mai Tai was decent, nothing special. My Mojito was forgettable. Not really impressed with the drinks, although they were quite generous with the alcohol. Service was good, but we left kind of disappointed.
7. Sam Choy's Kai Lanai
Overall Ratings
4 based on 2220 reviews
A former Wendy's restaurant completely redone.
Reviewed By JuneKaimuki
Sam Choy is a legend in Hawaii. But he is not in the kitchen of this restaurant. The description of the food was tempting, but it just did not quite deliver. We had the fresh fish, and it was dry.My suggestion. Go for Sunset. The view is the BEST. They do great cocktails. The pupu menu is standard but well done ( calamari was great!)And as other reviews note, the staff is great. Friendly and professional
6. Kona Inn Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4 based on 1353 reviews
Reviewed By 6-13-1966
We asked for a opened clean table and were told unavailable they sat us in the sun. Then right after we got seated they sat golf attired people at table we asked for we placed our order first yet mentioned table received food and superior service 1st. Great deserts reason I gave a 3. Below average customer appreciation
5. Umekes Fishmarket Bar & Grill
Overall Ratings
4 based on 679 reviews
âUMEKEâ is the Hawaiian word for âbowl.â At any Umekeâs eating establishment, a majority of menu items are designed to be served in bowls. Owner and Head Chef Nakoa Pabre is a seasoned professional who takes pride in giving customers the freshest, most ex
Reviewed By ES442
Firstly, I wasn't expecting this place to be a sports bar so that was kind of disappointing. Secondly, we were SO looking forward to this poke - but the poke we'd bought at the local supermarket (Foodland in Waikoloa) was way better than Umeke's. The fish tacos were also good but nothing special. Pretty disappointed as we were expecting this place to be really good! The staff was, on the other hand, amazing! Very friendly and helpful.Aloha,Thank you for your honest review. We feel sorry that you did not enjoy your meal with us. This is not the normal experience one should have at our restaurants. What makes our poke and seafood dishes so special is that we only serve the freshest fish from Hawaiian waters, with each batch of poke made in small portions to ensure the highest quality and freshness. We incorporate both traditional Hawaiian recipes and also infuse popular local dishes with modern twists. Umekes has received numerous awards for our poke and seafood dishes, and have even been featured on a few Food Network TV shows.If you have any suggestions on how we can improve or if you could provide further details about your negative experience, we would love to hear your thoughts as we are always looking to improve. If you could please email [email protected] we would sincerely appreciate your input.We hope you will give us another chance someday soon,Umekes Management Team
4. Big Island Grill
Overall Ratings
4 based on 1455 reviews
Reviewed By Sunsequitur
This was a surprise find. Though the locals were well acquainted!! :) The price is definitely right here, so was the service and it was a pretty standard but well executed breakfast. Lots of options and some really good local favourite varieties of loco moco. No view, not fancy, but good breakfast for decent price served by nice staff.
Most Popular Cafe food in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, United States
3. Umekes Ali'i Plaza
Overall Ratings
4 based on 714 reviews
Umekes prides itself in serving dishes using local ingredients that are of the highest quality. We source as many ingredients as possible from local fisherman, farmers, and ranchers. Our poke is always created with only the freshest fish from Hawaiian wat
Reviewed By Himalaya-to-Carolina
We stopped here for lunch while visiting the area. Parking can be tricky but itâs worth the effort for good, fresh local food at non-tourist prices. We ate at the benches outdoors. It was a more authentic, and probably tastier, lunch than we would have gotten at a nearby tourist stop. Aloha,Mahalo for your comments. We are very happy to hear that you enjoyed your meal with us! We hope to have you join us again someday soon to try out more favorites. Have a wonderful day,Umekes Management Team
Where to eat Seafood food in Kailua-Kona: The Best Restaurants and Bars
2. Broke Da Mouth Grindz
Overall Ratings
4 based on 448 reviews
Reviewed By RedTuna37
First of all, the address given here is wrong. The recent new address, a much larger location, is 75-5864 Walua Road, Kailua-Kona, HI. 'll try to get that corrected in the listing. Second, it is every bit as good as people are saying in the reviews. Friendly, helpful staff, excellent food and drinks. We tried the "nacho" appetizer, which replaces corn chips with crispy chicken skin and some unique toppings; it was delicious, and split that and the Mento Bento, a dish featuring chicken, beef ribs and Spam (!) with eggs, which was also great. The two different margaritas we ordered were also excellent. We plan to eat there several more times during our stay.
1. Da Poke Shack
Overall Ratings
4 based on 2069 reviews
Our "take-out" style shop specializes in poke bowls and plates, featuring a variety of locally caught ahi tuna. Our poke is always fresh, never frozen...guaranteed! We also serve shrimp, tako and taegu poke. For those in your ohana who do not eat fish we
Reviewed By Sunsequitur
Ate her in 2013, last time we were on the Big Island. The poke here is fantastic! Added feather in their cap, they are serving in compostable take away containers. Prices have gone up (almost doubled) about 30% in last 6 years...but still competitive with other places and I think BEST poke in the area for sure.
