Dinner - Ohana's vs. Kona

[psu1978]

I really want to eat at the Poly and just can't decide between these two. Please help me. Reviews on Ohana's seem mixed, so I am leaning towards Kona. What do you think?:confused3

[Muffy]

I have the same question as you! We've been to both Kona and Ohana and still don't know which one we prefer?! I'm making PS now for our Feb trip and trying to figure out if we want to go back to either. I'm just not sure.....

[CamColt]

We love both, so I dont think you can go wrong either way. I guess it depends what you are looking for.
Kona is a casual relaxing restuarant. They have a regular menu with a good variety.
Ohana is an all you can eat meal with a set price and set menu. Its more "festive" with coconut races and hula hoop contests for the kids.
We find the food at both to be wonderful, its a tough choice.

[Miss Inga Depointe]

I think they are almost too different to compare. Kona is more like a cafe and Ohana's a real restaurant. Konas is big and open looking out into the hotel and the menu is limited. The theming is pretty limited, too.

I like the Kona, but it's just not quite as special of an experience.

[blanq]

I agree with Miss Inga Depointe that these restaurants are so different they are hard to compare. Our family loves these two restaurants! We love 'Ohana for the great atmosphere and family-style service/food, but Kona beats 'Ohana for food, hands down. We had a divine dinner at Kona this past January, and are drooling to return!

[Fox&Hound]

Not a fan of 'Ohana -- the food was average and not worth the $$. :(

[greeny]

I was on a business trip and took my co-workers to Ohanas for dinner and to watch the fireworks. I agree that the food wasn't the best so if that's all your into then I'm sure there are better alternatives. But the whole dining experience was excellent, the grill, the festive enviornment and of course the fireworks. We had the good fortune of having a window seat so it was great. We all loved it and had a great time. I loved it so much that I plan on taking the family there in two weeks when we visit Orlando. It's juts a different dining experience that has good food and a great atmosphere so I would recomend that you try it.

[Mickey_loves_Minnie]

Originally posted by Fox&Hound
Not a fan of 'Ohana -- the food was average and not worth the $$. :(

I agree. Go with Kona Cafe.

[BCV23]

The food at Kona is excellent and the menu is quite a bit more varied than the set meal at 'Ohana in my opinion. The setting is casual but the food compares well with some of the nicer restaurants at WDW although we don't like some of the latest changes to the menu as well as previous dishes....really miss the macadamia encrusted mahi mahi.:( It is very different now.

'Ohana does enjoy a beautiful setting. It is also qite a bit larger than Kona. I wish it were more of a California Grill, Narcoossee's or Citricos type of restaurant though.

[Beachangel]

Kona all the way whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

[DizMom11]

Do you need to request a specific ps time table area at O'hanas in order to view the fireworks?:mickeybar :drinking1 :mickeybar :drinking1 :cloud9:

[StaceyA]

Originally posted by Fox&Hound
Not a fan of 'Ohana -- the food was average and not worth the $$. :(

Ditto,
I don't like Ohana, and won't be back so I voted for Kona ;)

[bugbugmom]

We dined @ both this past September. Kona (our 1st visit) was excellent..food good/ service was great. Dined @ Ohana (2nd visit) wasn't as enjoyable as our 1st dining experience. Our server, Jamal, wasn't at all interested in our party of 4. However, he had extreme interest in his party of 8. We had to continually ask for refills or food/drink. He also, had a table of 2..they also experienced the same as us. I told my DH not to leave a tip b/c he clearly wanted to get his tip from the larger party. After dinner, the couple ( the party of 2) also said they didn't leave a tip. Jamal, if you frequent these boards ..please try to treat all of your tables equally. ::yes::

[Belle5]

The food quality at Kona is much more consistant. Very good!

[lovmy2girls]

Ohana's to us was great. Maybe because my husband likes Shrimp a lot and does not mind to peel them. He thought they were great . I love steak and the meat was so tender. The side dishes were fantastic. Wow those sauces were good too. Sat by the window and saw the castle, so we had a great view. The girls loved the games and we could actually eat for a few minutes in peace. Kona was good too, but if I had my choice Ohana for us.

[Jenn Lynn]

The way my MIL and DH raved about Ohana I would go with that. They thought Knoa was good, but Ohana much better. :)

[surf2di4]

i like the KONA cafe much better than Ohanna's the food is really good and i think they actaully havve the best breakfast on the property. jmho!

karl
surf2di4

[kbkids]

Love Ohana - the peanut dipping sauce is delicious!! Wasn't too fond of the beef - wasn't cooked enough - but the shrimp and chicken were awesome. Even my two picky toddlers (who I ordered the chicken fingers for) set them aside and went for the regular meal. Oh, and the pineapple at the end - oh my! - my mouth is watering as I type!!

[kirkharrod]

Everything at Kona Cafe has teriyaki so if anyone in your party is not a fan of teriyaki....

[BCV23]

LOL, but there are actually many things without terriyaki sauce. The mahi mahi and coconut chicken come to mind. Kona also offers a great burger.

The last time we had dinner there which was July, the prime rib had been changed and did have a mild terriyaki mariade taste to it. I preferred the old version.

But check the menu....at both lunch and dinner there are many things without it.::yes::

[psu1978]

The poll is a split decision, but it seems like Kona received more positive comments. We love teriyaki, so it sounds like Kona would be a good fit for our family!!

Thanks for all the wonderful replies.:worship:

[MelanieC]

I love Ohana's!! It's so delicious. I also really enjoy the peanut sauce and everything that is there. I miss the salmon they used to serve years ago.

I've been to Kona's once as well and I really liked it there too. Tough choice, but I'd have to vote for Ohana's!! Looking forward to my meal there on 11/28. Yummy!

[karensi]

DizMom11, I read from another poster that you should get there (Ohana's) about 45 minutes to an hour before the fireworks begin and then "very nicely" request a table by the window.

[flyball]

Had to put in another plug for Kona. We've eaten at MANY restaurants in DW, and our meal at Kona in September ranks up there with the most memorable. The atmosphere is pleasant, but casual. Everything we ate was delicious. My coconut chicken was perfectly cooked, and the salad that accompanied it was out of this world (I ate every morsel)!!! Save room for dessert; it's really a treat to visit the dessert bar, but difficult to choose only one! We will definitely return! (Sorry, we haven't been to O'hanas for dinner, so I can't comment on that. Based on the many reviews, it sounds to me like the food at Kona is a little finer.)

[Miss Inga Depointe]

I don't know why, but we think of Kona's for lunch and Ohana's for dinner. We tend to pick a place for atmosphere even more than the food, though.

[jimmalru80]

Both are great places to eat, but we prefer Kona Cafe to 'Ohana.
For us, it's the difference between quality and quantity.

[4greatboys]

We dined at both last time and enjoyed Ohana's so much more.

[Deb & Bill]

Didn't vote. My choice wasn't there. NEITHER. Don't care for either of them. Had several bad meals at Kona. Ate at Ohana once and didn't care much for it.

[Uncleromulus]

The main problem I had with O'hana was all the "antics" that occur during the meal. If that would bother you AT ALL, skip it and go to Kona.

[behappy]

We (our party of 15 - 9 adults and 6 kids) had a wonderful dinner in each restaurant this past week. DW has food allergies and both chefs came out and talked about options on the menu and what they could do to accomodate her allergies. Her meals were as delicious as all others (she got the same treatment at all the Disney restaurants...even Chef Mickey's breakfast.) As many others have stated, part of the 'Ohana experience is the entertainment. We were fortunate to have almost constant attention...drinks glasses were always full and food kept coming and coming! The last time we were there they had steak/pork/shrimp/turkey.....this time the poultry was chicken and it was much tastier!