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Kona Inn Restaurant, Kailua-Kona, HI

Kona Inn Restaurant

4.0
4
502 Reviews
$30 and under
American

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2 people
19:00
Booked 5 times today
  • Charming
  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Romantic
***TEMPORARILY NOT TAKING RESERVATIONS***
PLEASE COME WALK IN AND WE WILL SET YOUR PARTY UP WITH A BEAUTIFUL TABLE!

Situated where it's always been: on the waterfront in the heart of old Kona town, offering one of the most beautiful restaurant settings in the world. The open air environment with unobstructed views of the Kona sunsets offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a romantic dinner accompanied by the wonderful sounds of waves breaking right in front of the restaurant.

Seafood is King at the Kona Inn where the fresh fish are brought in daily by the local fisherman. The mammoth horseshoe-shaped all-Koa-wood bar is a world-famous watering hole that serves the best Mai Tai in the Isands and the coldest beer on the Big Island. You have not truly had an Hawaiian experience until you've visited the Kona Inn Restaurant.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Grill, Seafood
  • Hours of Operation
    Cafe Grill Daily 11:30–21:00 Happy Hour Daily 14:00–17:00 Dinner Daily 17:00–21:00
  • Phone number
    (808) 329-4455
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress

What 502 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.0
4 based on recent ratings
  • 3.9Food
  • 4.2Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 3.7Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Hawaii / Big Island

    Neighbourhood gem

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Kona Inn Restaurant boasts an "excellent food, ambience, and service," making it a favorite in Kona. Guests rave about the "beautiful views" and "amazing prices" for generous portions. While some note inconsistencies in service and food temperature, the "fresh seafood" and "fantastic location" consistently impress visitors.

502 Reviews
  1. Jane

    San Diego

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Beachfront location with amazing ambiance, excellent food and very friendly service. Local fish dishes were excellent, and the mud pie is to die for! Best dining experience in Kona so far.

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  2. Elizabeth

    Columbus

    27 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    27 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    We have visited this restaurant over the last 20 years and we will never go back! I am sad! The location is lovely and we love the historic building and the view. The food was not good this visit… husbands steak was fine, my fish was dry and lacking flavor. They now charge for any side you want to add, which used to be included. Server claimed it was due to allergies, but a person can request not to have it on the plate, so I see it as a way to charge more. The service was abysmal! It’s normally slow there, but she only filled water once and took 10 minutes to find a menu to look at dessert options & another 10-20 minutes to see if we wanted anything. We gave up at that point and requested the check, but we would still be sitting there waiting for her to pick up the charge card. We finally gave up and put cash in the folder after waiting another 15 minutes and her ignoring us to take care of a larger table next to us!?! On top of all this, the parking is now around $15 an hour near their location…. Just truly disappointed after many years of fabulous experiences here!

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  3. Connie

    Cincinnati

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 14 November 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great historic building, service was very good but the food was just okay.

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  4. Brent

    Tasmania

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on 14 November 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    We felt rushed from the start and the staff started closing the restaurant around us at 8pm. Food was average and service poor.

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  5. Paul

    Seattle

    53 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    53 reviews

    Dined on 12 November 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Menu is limited and the fresh fish is determined by what is line caught by local charter boats. The Mahi mahi and machong were scarce and priced higher. I had the Tuna tower with seared Ahi. The fish was delicious, but the crab cake left a lot to be desired. My wife had the Ohno and it was good. Her lemondrop was too tart to be good though. Love the history and the location. Waiter was excellent.

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  6. Michael

    Washington DC

    31 reviews

    5.0

    31 reviews

    Dined on 11 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    They were very busy and a little short staffed but our waiter whom we’ve had before was great and apologized several times. But the view was excellent and the food incredible.

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  7. Cinde

    San Francisco

    98 reviews

    1.0

    98 reviews

    Dined on 5 November 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    Nice ambience. I requested that my fish be cooked to be moist, it was hard and dried out. I was told that it had cajun spice but that it was mild - it wasn't! My husband had macadamia crusted mahi-mahi. It was also over cooked and dry. I was able to eat some of my dinner and brought the rest home for my husband. I tried to order dessert, but after requesting dessert, the server spent over 10 minutes talking to the people at the next table. I cancelled dessert and we left. This was the last time I will dine here. Also, the menu did not have prices for the entrees, just market price. When the bill arrived, it was over $40 for my dry fish and $61 for the dry mahi. I cannot recommend this restaurant for anyone. Definitely overpriced and not prepared well.

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  8. David

    Los Angeles

    18 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    18 reviews

    Dined on 3 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We frequent Kona Inn Restaurant evertime we visit The Big Island! Food, service, ambience all are good! Thank you Jessie for your service...we know that there were two (2) other tables giving you a difficult time but you made the best for us. Thank you!

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  9. Roberto

    Berlin

    3 reviews

    1.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 29 October 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    Very awful and mainly the table and the waiters below the expectetives

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  10. Bobi

    San Francisco

    17 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    17 reviews

    Dined on 28 October 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    Disappointed this time. Eighth visit to have Monchong, which was too rare but tasted great.

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FAQs

Kona Inn Restaurant is rated 4 stars by 502 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 5 times today
Google Map for Kona Inn Restaurant

75-5744 Alii Dr Ste 135, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Area
    Kailua-Kona
  • Hours of Operation
    Cafe Grill Daily 11:30–21:00 Happy Hour Daily 14:00–17:00 Dinner Daily 17:00–21:00
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Grill, Seafood
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    None
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Impressum
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
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