Dined on 15 November 2024
- Overall 1
- Food 1
- Service 2
- Ambience 2
Based on reviews here and on other platforms, we had high expectations for Brown’s. We were disappointed. Brown’s, despite its venerable reputation, gave off depressing dying-restaurant vibes and even more depressing food for the price.
To start, we had a reservation at 6:30 on a Thursday night. When approaching the host stand, we stood there for at least thirty seconds while the host typed on her iPad and ignored us…I’d write it up as a one off, but we sat near the stand waiting to be seated for about twenty minutes and watched it happen to everyone else who came up to check in as well. Once we were seated, it took about ten minutes for our server to finally check in. It was windy and the live music setup, not being used yet, was live and creating thunder-like sounds from the mike/speakers with each gust of wind.
On to the food. My husband had the ahi tataki and I had the daily catch which was mahi. My husband said his food was “okay,” but that’s faint praise from him. My mahi was flavorless and overdone, with some roasted potatoes (literally sliced fingerling potatoes) and asparagus as a half hearted side. The lilikoi reduction didn’t add any pizzazz or class, just tartness and despair. I felt like I could have treated those ingredients better myself as an above-average home cook.
The only food I enjoyed was the complimentary sweet potato rolls with honey and sea salt butter.
At over $60 a plate, the food was not worth it. The service was not worth it. The ambience was not worth it. Save yourself the disappointment and go to CanoeHouse or, if you’re looking for something more casual, Aloha Vibes in downtown Kona Village. Both have great food and a great experience for the price.