How is Kona for dinner?

[si-am]

It's been years since I've eaten here, and then it was only for breakfast. How is dinner, though? Is the sushi good?

We don't like tables packed really close together... Will we hate Kona? Any reviews would be appreciated! We want to hit Trader Sam's at opening and then dinner after. No luck getting Ohana that night! (Thanksgiving week)

 

[samsteele]

I really liked it last Nov. Good steak and for dessert their banana creme brule. Their bread was served with a macadamia nut butter. Best bread service I have had in a while. I had to push it away so that I had enough room for the steak. The restaurant itself doesn't have a great deal of atmosphere but I asked if I could sit with a view out the window toward the garden . . . think its a strip of vegetation near the monorail platform. My waitress was excellent & very attentive. I was there at opening. All round a very good dinner. I had good sushi there years ago (like 6 yrs plus) but not recently. I have the same idea for next fall. Planning to go to Trader Sam's first then have a dinner ressie for Kona. All the best!

 

[mousehockey37]

I really liked it last Nov. Good steak and for dessert their banana creme brule. Their bread was served with a macadamia nut butter. Best bread service I have had in a while. I had to push it away so that I had enough room for the steak. The restaurant itself doesn't have a great deal of atmosphere but I asked if I could sit with a view out the window toward the garden . . . think its a strip of vegetation near the monorail platform. My waitress was excellent & very attentive. I was there at opening. All round a very good dinner. I had good sushi there years ago (like 6 yrs plus) but not recently. I have the same idea for next fall. Planning to go to Trader Sam's first then have a dinner ressie for Kona. All the best!

Kona was a must-do for us, until our last trip. Bad service, cranky chef (we had allergies and it seemed he didn't want to deal with it), and to top if off, something was a miss with the steak. By the time we found our server, who had disappeared for most of the meal, paid and left, got on the monorail to go to the MK, I barely made it off the monorail and to the restroom before being sick at the Grand Floridian (and I had taken my meds for IBS with my meal, so it wasn't just me). We managed to make it the rest of the night, even though I now have a thorough knowledge of where every restroom is located in the MK.

So, no. For me, it's a place I'll never go back to.

 

[JZCubed]

If it's not your hotel - it would not be my first choice.

If staying at Poly - absolutely wonderful.

 

[ILikeWaffles]

My husband and I love Kona. It's a must visit for us on each trip. He loves the sushi. I love their chicken. The Kilauea torte is delicious.

 

[JennyDrake]

I consider it a hidden treasure.

 

[si-am]

Thank you all! We'll stick with it if we don't end up finding Ohana openings!

 

[LovingPooh]

My family and I love Kona. It is a must do every trip.

 

[ShirikiUtundu]

It used to be great but has declined the last few years. Most likely another victim of the DDP.

 

[jenjersnap]

If it's not your hotel - it would not be my first choice.

If staying at Poly - absolutely wonderful.

That about sums it up for us too.

And much of the seating can be tight.

 

[SharonLowe]

We used to love it. After our last trip (April 2015), we will not be back. Horrible service - it was like they were a whole turn behind on everything. Food allergies - they used to be great about them; this time they were ambivalent and what we got was not acceptable. Used to love WDW for its attention to food allergies and other dietary needs - this trip was the worst trip ever for dining - really disappointing.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Can't speak to the food (we only eat breakfast here) but the tables are close and the place is impossibly loud due to its location near Ohana and the Poly lobby.

And with no front wall, if you are unfortunate enough to get a table out front you can easily have a chat with folks walking by outside the restaurant.

The place has the look and feel of a coffee shop--which it used to be before they changed it to Kona.

But again--if you really like their food I suppose it's OK for dinner---

 

[OKW Lover]

It's been years since I've eaten here, and then it was only for breakfast. How is dinner, though? Is the sushi good?

We don't like tables packed really close together... Will we hate Kona? Any reviews would be appreciated! We want to hit Trader Sam's at opening and then dinner after. No luck getting Ohana that night! (Thanksgiving week)

We've been to Kona for breakfast, lunch and dinner several times over the past couple of years. Dinner is just as good as breakfast and lunch there.
As far as the closeness of tables goes, yes they are kind of close together. It seems that some tables are a bit more tightly spaced than others but I don't know of any way to avoid one of them.

 

[si-am]

Hmmm this is food for thought! Thank you for all the opinions! We are staying at Pop-- wanted to do Trader Sams the afternoon of our MK day and need a restaurant for dinner after that. Maybe we'll end up finding a Ohana opening.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Don't take my opinion too terribly seriously.

I'm not a fan of anything at the Poly ever since they closed Papeete Bay and Tangaroa Terrace

 

[OKW Lover]

Don't take my opinion too terribly seriously.

I'm not a fan of anything at the Poly ever since they closed Papeete Bay and Tangaroa Terrace

Wow Unc, you've been going to the World at least as long as I have.

 

[si-am]

Don't take my opinion too terribly seriously.

I'm not a fan of anything at the Poly ever since they closed Papeete Bay and Tangaroa Terrace

The Sunday brunch buffet at Papeete Bay used to be a favorite of our family!

 

[MarieShedsky]

The Kilauea torte is delicious.

I've always wondered about that. Is it cake? Or more importantly, dark chocolate (blech!)?

 

[LJSquishy]

We enjoyed it in 2012. We both had the teriyaki strip steak which I don't think is on the menu any longer, but it was delicious. I didn't care for the Kilauea Torte dessert at all -- it tasted like every other premade generic "lava cake" dessert at other restaurants...my husband had the banana crème brulee and loved it, but I tasted it and didn't like it. Looking at the current menu, none of the desserts appeal to me at all. I've heard great things about the sushi and would love to try it on our next trip.

My husband doesn't remember too much about being at Kona Café...he had a Lapu Lapu just prior to our ADR.

 

[Rosebud123]

LOVE Kona, although I may give it up and go to Kimonos in the Dolphin instead. That place looks amazing!