Roy's Ko Olina questions

ten822

Mouseketeer
Joined
Mar 26, 2005
I've seen mixed reviews on here about Roy's but the menu and pictures on yelp look great so we're going to try this May!
My questions are:
is it walkable- distance and sidewalks?
dress code?
how is happy hour?
is parking available and free if we drive?
Thanks!!
 
Parking is free. Happy hour is in the bar area only. A couple of cocktails and pu pus on HH menu for under $10. They were gracious enough to seat us at a high top I. The bar area with our 3YO to enjoy HH. They also have a Keiki menu and they also made a kid friendly mock tail. We were beach casual for HH, but probably wanna dress up a bit for dinner.

You could walk but a tad further a foot than Monkeypod area. There are sidewalks.

For a ridiculously cheap HH, I recommend Mekiko Cantina — $5 bites and beer/wine/bartenders cocktail. It’s across the street from Monkeypod.
 
We only got pupus but they were all delicious. Also the mai tai, which is pretty standard.

I forget our bartenders name but she was blonde and petite. She was very attentive and made our experience that much more enjoyable.
 
I've seen mixed reviews on here about Roy's but the menu and pictures on yelp look great so we're going to try this May!
My questions are:
is it walkable- distance and sidewalks?
dress code?
how is happy hour?
is parking available and free if we drive?
Thanks!!
I’m one of those people a bit more negative on Roy’s, and just thought I’d weigh in…

1. Last time I was there, I had to send back my steak because it was tough and unchewable.

2. Service was nonexistent. Our waiter was hardly present.

3. There is no ambience whatsoever. The restaurant is located in an older building which is part of the country club. Both the interior and exterior seating look out on the golf course, which is not illuminated at night, so it feels like you’re sitting in the middle of a giant black void. For us it was kind of depressing.

4. It’s expensive and nowhere near worth it. If you want to splurge, I’d suggest either Noe or Mina’s at the Four Seasons. Both of them have great food and are beautiful.

Anyway…just my two cents worth!
 
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We go there every trip for the happy hour. Their apps are really good and well priced during HH. I think their appetizer platter was around $35 and then we orders another plate of the ribs. As a golfer I also enjoy being able to sit outside and watch the approach shots on the 9th green. I think between all the apps and 2-3 beers/cocktails our meal for 2 was under $100 w/tip.

I think dining in the restaurant is over priced with service and quality that just doesn't measure up. Mina's at the Four Season isn't that much more and I'd choose that over Roy's everytime.
 
Man we ate at the roys at Turtle Bay it is was fantastic. These reviews do not measure up and making me rethink trying roys ko olina.
For what it’s worth, I’ve heard that the quality of Roy’s various from location to location. Apparently the one in Kahala is supposed to be good, one reason being that Roy actually lives nearby.

We gave Roy’s Ko Olina two shots. Our first time was a bad experience, but we decided to go back the next year (about 6 months ago), to give it a second shot…and it was even worse!!!

Mina’s, Noe, and Longhi’s at the Marriott are all great, and you’re assured a wonderful meal at all three. Am sure Ama Ama is probably great as well. We’ve never been there but will try it out in Feb. I think it’s the priciest of the bunch, though, so it better be good!
 


Parking is free. Happy hour is in the bar area only. A couple of cocktails and pu pus on HH menu for under $10. They were gracious enough to seat us at a high top I. The bar area with our 3YO to enjoy HH. They also have a Keiki menu and they also made a kid friendly mock tail. We were beach casual for HH, but probably wanna dress up a bit for dinner.

You could walk but a tad further a foot than Monkeypod area. There are sidewalks.

For a ridiculously cheap HH, I recommend Mekiko Cantina — $5 bites and beer/wine/bartenders cocktail. It’s across the street from Monkeypod.
We love Meikiko!
 
I’m one of those people a bit more negative on Roy’s, and just thought I’d weigh in…

1. Last time I was there, I had to send back my steak because it was tough and unchewable.

2. Service was nonexistent. Our waiter was hardly present.

3. There is no ambience whatsoever. The restaurant is located in an older building which is part of the country club. Both the interior and exterior seating look out on the golf course, which is not illuminated at night, so it feels like you’re sitting in the middle of a giant black void. For us it was kind of depressing.

4. It’s expensive and nowhere near worth it. If you want to splurge, I’d suggest either Noe or Mina’s at the Four Seasons. Both of them have great food and are beautiful.

Anyway…just my two cents worth!
Just curious when you went? It's no excuse but was it in the height of the pandemic and could that have affected the service at least?
 
According to Google Maps, it's .4 miles, a seven-minute walk.

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Just curious when you went? It's no excuse but was it in the height of the pandemic and could that have affected the service at least?
No, both times it was after the pandemic, in 2022. It’s a very expensive meal, so when we encountered such substandard food and service, my wife and I felt just monumentally ripped off.

Their service is designed in such a way that the waiter takes your order, but someone else from the kitchen actually delivers the food. So when our food was delivered and had to be sent back, we couldn’t even find our initial waiter! No one came to check up on us or anything. Also, because it’s in such an old building, the place has kind of a dated, stodgy feel as well.
 
It's totally walkable; a very pleasant stroll on sidewalks the whole way. As for dress code, I don't think there is one but you might feel underdressed in t-shirts and flip-flops. We consider it a more upscale place so I'll throw on slacks and a camp shirt; my girls typically wear aloha dresses, and we always felt like we fit right in (this is the same way we used to dress for 'Ama 'Ama).

And it's a shame others have had poor food and inconsistent service, but Roy's is a must-do on all my family's trips to Aulani and we have had nothing short of great meals there. I get what one other poster said about how there's no view after dark, but the restaurant itself is still clean and upscale; I didn't get the "black hole" vibe.
 
We dined at Roy's in November. We had a group of 13, from ages 10 to 75. The dinner was incredible and the staff was attentive and accommodating. While it's true that a team serves the table, our primary server was with us throughout our meal. We drove because of the age of my in-laws, but the walk would be enjoyable. We ate at many locations during our stay at Aulani, but Roy's was the family favorite. It is quite expensive, but not so much more than most locations in Ko'Olina. We would return without hesitation.
 
We dined at Roy's in November. We had a group of 13, from ages 10 to 75. The dinner was incredible and the staff was attentive and accommodating. While it's true that a team serves the table, our primary server was with us throughout our meal. We drove because of the age of my in-laws, but the walk would be enjoyable. We ate at many locations during our stay at Aulani, but Roy's was the family favorite. It is quite expensive, but not so much more than most locations in Ko'Olina. We would return without hesitation.
It was positive reviews like yours that got my wife and I to return for a second time, only to be disappointed again! But clearly you guys had a great time. Maybe a party of thirteen is hard to ignore and will receive a little more attention. Our party of two did not fare so well.

Roy’s reviews, in spite of my negative experience, aren’t all bad, but mixed. Personally, if I were new to Ko Olina, I’d avoid the risk and go to Mina’s, Ama Ama, Noe or Longhi’s, all pricey as well, but all well reviewed and delicious. And if location is important, all four are located in beautiful island settings. Roy’s sits on a golf course that at night you can’t see, in an older building that doesn’t really feel like Hawaii. For us, the ambience isn’t terrible, but the space is kinda generic and at night there’s no view of anything whatsoever.

My advice to the OP would be to do a little more research online, even pull up some pics, to make a more informed decision.
 
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I am taking my sons and a few of their friends to Aulani for their senior Spring break. My son is attending CIA in Hyde Park this September and thought Roys would be great for our last night. I wonder if I am making a mistake...
 
I am taking my sons and a few of their friends to Aulani for their senior Spring break. My son is attending CIA in Hyde Park this September and thought Roys would be great for our last night. I wonder if I am making a mistake...
I definitely think you are. My advice would be to go to a better restaurant in a nicer setting, like Longhi’s or Mina’s, both of which are pretty much universally well liked on these boards. Some people have had a good experience at Roy’s, but others haven’t, myself included. Why risk it?
 
I think the food is very good. But it’s kind of a dusty (I went in last in late 2019 so maybe they have updated since?) restaurant on a golf course. I could see outdoor seating at dusk being very nice. It wouldn’t be my first choice - only because there are wonderful options right there. It is a nice walk from Aulani and has delicious food. So if the menu really appeals to your family I could see how it could be nice.
 
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I am taking my sons and a few of their friends to Aulani for their senior Spring break. My son is attending CIA in Hyde Park this September and thought Roys would be great for our last night. I wonder if I am making a mistake...
I'm reconsidering too based on all these negative posts!! I'm torn because I'm a very visual person and the pictures of food on yelp look amazing to me! LOL. The food pictures of Mina's which seems to be everyone's favorite doesn't seem as appealing to me. I understand there might not be a view but that's not as important to me as tasty food. 🤷‍♀️
 
I definitely think you are. My advice would be to go to a better restaurant in a nicer setting, like Longhi’s or Mina’s, both of which are pretty much universally well liked on these boards. Some people have had a good experience at Roy’s, but others haven’t, myself included. Why risk it?
There aren't even prices on the Mina's website. I'm used to fine dining and not that worried but I don't like that I can't see the menu prices.
 

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