Mai-Kai Restaurant & Polynesian Show

I was pleasantly surprised, I was in town and took a chance with unknown territory I would highly recommend this place and the only disappointment was that I can’t come back because we live in Clearwater FL. Food was delicious, my kids, husband and I enjoyed the show and I was super impressed with service because the restaurant was fully packed and they were still very attentive with us not leaving a dirty dish on table and keeping drinks filled. I’ve never given anyone five stars but they deserved it

3 stars because: the dancers were AMAZING, the cake, rice & fries were delicious but if the restaurant is Polynesian themed, why is their a statue of the Hindu god Ganesha in the bathroom? It’s also insulting to Hindus who worship the Ganesha deity as God because they don’t put sacred deities in restrooms, toiletries & other «dirty» areas. This false conception of Polynesian culture made it seem like the owners/​managers were trying too hard to be Asian/​Ethnic by finding whatever southeast Asian originated sculpture they could and putting it together for people who don’t know anything about the cultures. The Polynesian dance show was eye catching no doubt, but Ganesha has to do with the Indian religion of Hinduism and not at all with Polynesian islands, Micronesia & other territories. Please respect the cultures/​religions of others. I could understand the Buddha statues you had since Buddhism spread in the Far East Asia significantly and quite possibly could have reached Oceania & its islands as well but Ganesha? Not a chance. & if it did, if the owner by slim chance is Hindu, such a sacred deity to 1.3 billion people shouldn’t be a bathroom where people go potty and urinate. Thank you.

What’s not to love about the Mai Kai?
I travel 3000+ miles just to have the privilege of being served/​entertained by the morales of a time gone past. I must admit, I come here on a predisposition as I love mid-​century modern tiki/​Hawaiiana. But who doesn’t love an era gone past that exudes chivalry and antifeminism at the same time. I take it all with a grain of salt following what my anti-​Prohibitionist family believed in. Look up Moss Beach Distillery (California)
Awesome to sit pool/​waterfall with a drink and keep to your thoughts in the grotto, or take in the authentic Polynesian dinner/​dance show. You won’t be disappointed. If you live in the area, take advantage of the Mai Kai Club card membership. 20% off Sunday — Friday

Really didn’t enjoy this restaurant. Went for a friend’s birthday. We waited an hour and a half for our food which was mediocre at best. The drinks were over priced. I wasn’t even aware that you have to pay extra to see the show until I got my bill (not the restaurant’s fault), but everyone here raves about the show and the gardens. I was NOT impressed. The show was really boring except for the fire tricks towards the end and the gardens were really lame, maybe if you’ve never been in an actual rain forest you’d find it cool but it’s very tacky IMO.
My sister and I shared an app, a main and a side and had two drinks each and it came to over $ 120. If the food was great I wouldn’t have minded spending the money but it really isn’t worth it.
If I could give zero stars I would, I really didn’t enjoy it and was actually very mad about having gone for the rest of the night.

MY Mom from Russian was very happy after dinner in Mai-​Kai!!!

My 5 star review is directed to my server, RICHARD. He was incredible and created a wonderful experience for my guests and I. We sat outside by the waterfall and felt as if we were in Hawaii! The food is not why you go here… it’s for the vibes. However, Richard made the service factor top notch. Cheers to him!

Listen, you go to this place for the show experience and the venue — NOT the food. The Polynesian show is great and very entertaining and de garden is beautiful. As an one time experience I highly recommend you to go, it’s worth it. But if you plan to wine and dine this is not the place. I was there for my wife’s birthday 2 years ago and my family had a good time.
The food it’s just ok despite the huge varieties in the menu and the drinks are colorful and good but quite pricy.

It’s like a Rainforest café for adults!!!
Parking: valet only. They will give you two options. Take the cheaper one. You don’t need to spend an extra ⁵⁄₆ dollars to have your car parked at the front. We took the cheaper option and still got our car back in 2 minutes.
Reservation: make it. The show times are different depending on the day. We went on Friday (showtime: 7) and put the reservation for 6.
Atmosphere: very very dark. Like you can’t see the menu dark. There were a bunch of people using flashlights and phones just to see the menu. They have gardens outside for picture-​taking as well with a waterfall. In my perspective, the gardens were the coolest part.
Food: the food was okay. For appetizer, we had the nams (they were okay if not slightly fishy– comes in 4 pieces) We ordered the honey chicken, which we all LOVED, steak (very soft) and the shrimp. They were all in the 17 – 25 $ range per dish and each dish was for a single person serving. The waiter seemed kind of irritated for us wanting to share. Personally, food was too expensive for the taste but oh well. We ordered 3 dishes and 1 appetizer between the 5 of us with the included show– came out to be $ 200+.
Show: around 30 minutes. Pricing was $ 13/​person. It was cool with a short fire show mixed in. One of my friends were brought onto the stage to dance.
Service: good. We had a waiter switch in the middle which was confusing.
We had a coupon from the rental car service at the airport which was a buy one get one free for the showfare. NOTE: coupon only works when each person buys an entrée. The waiter would not take our coupon because we shared 4 dishes between 5 people.
Overall: the show was a cool experience but Wouldn’t go again. Food was subpar for the price.

We had a lot of fun at Mai kai. Good food and drinks. The show was entertaining to watch. The food/​drinks were a bit overpriced, but we are still happy we made this stop. It’s a great place to take a family for a special occasion. If in town on vacation, we would definitely recommend giving this place a try!

Well well! Upon reading a couple of reviews I decided to try this place out for Mother’s Day! Not a bad idea at all. There were some good things and there were some bad things, hence the 4 stars.
As we entered the location, valet tried to lure us into paying $ 10 simply because it was «full» and they suggested that it would be a better option because it would be parked up front and we wouldn’t have to wait. However, we decided to go with regular valet, which worked out fine because when we left there wasn’t any wait.
I like the system that they have set up where they’ll text you once your table is ready. However, the main host asking for names and party size was a bit stoic. I tried to smile at him a couple of times and couldn’t break a smile from him. Once we sat after a good 10 minutes after our reservation time (not bad at all) our waiter came. I didn’t like the fact that he didn’t introduce himself. He just went straight for «okay so what are we ordering?» He was a bit sarcastic, but at times funny! However, he seemed a bit annoyed when I asked about the «special» menu, which entails a standard price of $ 47 for an appetizer, entrée and dessert plus the show! Once we got the menu, he seemed really rushed. I felt like I couldn’t really make a proper decision on what I wanted and just had to go for what I first saw. Once the food arrived, it was good! The appetizer I had was the JB roll and it was pretty yummy. As for the entrée, it was okay. I mean for the price you’re paying it could be slightly better but still had good flavor. The show was really nice, but I also felt it was a bit rushed. It was enjoyable and it even got my grandma dancing. Definitely a must try place, but for a one time thing or maybe for a special occasion!

The Mai Kai is an incredible piece of tiki history. It’s rated the best, most atmospheric tiki bar in the country on tiki bar review site Critiki, and with good reason!
Our visit was made even more special by the kind staff, especially Ralph, who took the time to give us a short tour of the property and its storied history! We loved it, especially since we came to Florida specifically to come here.
I frankly wasn’t expecting much from the dinner menu since I was there for the atmosphere, but was pleasantly surprised — it stays true to the Mai-Kai’s historical roots but modernises the plating.
To the Mai-​Kai staff and management: Thanks for a great visit!

Do I finally get my Tiki Flamingo Scout Badge? I made it to the Mai-​Kai!
This place is about as classy as it gets for a tiki bar (not all are, which I am totally fine with). Tiki bars historically were classy joints, a place to get dressed up, get sauced, and hopefully see a few celebs doing the same. Didn’t see any celebs here, but met an Elvis impersonator, and thats just as cool in my book. The staff were wearing dinner jackets over their Aloha shirts, so it maintained its tropical vibe. We found out through the announcements during the performance that we were one of the very few tables NOT celebrating a birthday or anniversary and still watching the show. It seems like most of the other regulars just hangout at the bar or in the back rooms where the fire spinning revue is no longer visible.
The food was pretty good, considering the price, and the drinks tasted different enough from each other (not all of them just tasted like ambiguous citrus + rums). We had plenty of time to roam around, check out all the nooks and crannies. Even if you aren’t interested in purchasing anything, I highly recommend checking out the gift shop. It used to be the VIP room there, and is a pretty spectacular room. The lady running it was cool as the flip side of the pillow too. Gave us a little history of the place and some drink recommendations for when we ventured back to the table. While we were walking around, waiting for a few apps, a staff member we had not interacted with yet came up to us to let us know our apps were about to arrive. Bam, these guys know whats up, and you will too after giving the Mai-​Kai a visit.

From the start we were taken care of 100% at Mai Kai. Our table wasn’t ready when we arrived so we were escorted to the bar area for some drinks. Once we were ready to be seated we were taken right away ahead of everyone else waiting in the line near us. We were seated at a table right next to the stage which was awesome once the show started. Our waiter was the best, especially with helping my fiancé & I decide where we would go after dinner (we were visiting from out of town) and he also served us a complementary dessert at the end of the meal (a chocolate cake that was to die for!). The show was fantastic & very entertaining… I would definitely visit Mai Kai the next time I am in the Fort. Lauderdale area & every time after that!
P.S.
The food portions may LOOK small, but don’t be fooled they are certainly quite devilishly filling!

Went here for my lovely wife’s birthday and I’ve been wanting to go here forever. When you enter it’s like you’re instantly on some exotic cheesy vacation and it’s awesome. We had already made reservation so we had a drink at the bar while waiting. I got some kinda pirat drink as the bar is like a pirat ship kinda. 15 minutes and we had our table. Been a while since we went there so I can’t remember what I ate nor my wife, but I remember it being amazing. The service was great and the main show too was so good. You really feel like you are in Hawaii somewhere. After food and show, you can walk around in the back and was really cool too, with mini ponds and awesome fake volcano looking rocks. I’d go again for sure!

This is the kind of place that is nice to see once and then never go again. The Polynesian show was quite nice to see and the kids in the audience generally are invited up to participate at once point.
That was the only good thing about this place. The drinks were pricey and underrated. Barely and liquor in them, mostly juice. The food was HORRIFIC. DO NOT EAT HERE. We heard that the food was bad before we came but we decided to order a sampler appetizer where everything was fried. We figured how badly can they mess up fried food. Somehow they did. The egg roll was so bad that my friend had to spit it into her napkin. If you do go, do yourself a favor and try to get a groupon for it and avoid the food.

If it’s good enough for Johnny Carson, it’s good enough for me! ;)
Popped in to check out the drinks menu… Seems we arrived just as they were seating for the next floor show. It was crowded. Don’t be daunted! Mosey to the Molokai room (the bar) like it’s your living room… We were immediately greeted with a menu and a scantily clad cocktail waitress. Not bad!
We ordered the Kona Coffee Grog and my go to: a Mai Tai.
We were treated to a spectacular show with the grog –it’s a flaming nightcap. Ralph the manager, was knowledgeable, affable and well versed on his tiki mixed cocktail knowledge. My Mai Tai was serviceable. They mix it with Appleton 12 year old rum. (Normally, if you follow the «original» recipe, you use Jamaican rum and Martinique rum 1oz. of each.) So it seemed a bit weak.
The washroom was old school. Well. A quick word on that: that wash room needs updating. It was a bit grimy. But I was surprised to find an attendant in there!
So there’s chinks in the armor. But the wonderful staff made up for the oddball shortcomings of the place, that and the strong drinks.

Went here after seeing that there were Polynesian shows and a huge menu. We were in town for the weekend and wanted to see what this lace was all about. The inside was like exactly what you’d think it would be, a lot of Hawaiian, Polynesian decoration. Didn’t catch the show, but heard it from the bar area. It was dark and I needed my flashlight app to read the appetizer and drink menu. The specialty drinks were good but pricey, and the eggrolls were better than average. It was a cool place to check out and go with a group to get the whole experience.

Excellent experience. We came here for our company Christmas party. Absolutely loved it. I have been to Hawaii and seen a Polynesian show before and was very pleased with the dancers and fire show that the guys put on. They did a very good job with The choreography, the costumes and the real sense that you were at a Hawaiian show.
It’s definitely a treat that you would only take your family to on a special occasion because it is a little pricey, however, it is definitely worth the money! We had a great time.
The food and drinks were excellent as well!

I would give Mai Kai another star if Unilocal allowed it as I can’t say enough good things about this place!
Upon driving up, you already feel as if you’ve left the country and landed in Polynesia. Thatch roofing, tikis galore and a little kitschy — and I love kitschy! When you enter the inside of the compound (because just calling it a restaurant does not suffice), the décor is more grand and again, you feel as though you are truly on a Polynesian island!
While waiting for your meal or the show to start, you MUST take a stroll in the gardens in the back of the oasis. My pictures do not do it justice, so you have to visit Mai Kai in person to experience the many waterfalls, tiki torches, tiki sculptures (Mai Kai does have a sense of humor as some of the tiki statues are in funny poses), all while strolling along a bamboo bridge and walkway. There is island music lightly playing in the background, which again makes you feel as though you are on vacation at an island getaway.
For those of you who like to partake in the occasional (or not so occasional –I won’t judge) adult beverage, Mai Kai has a slew of alcoholic beverages — all containing the run of your choice. They also have fun non-​alcoholic beverages for the kiddos or people like me who don’t like alcohol (yeah, yeah — I’m weird, I know).
The food is superb! Everyone in my party practically licked their plates clean and even my picky nephew ate up some fried rice and macaroni and cheese. I urge you to save room for dessert as they have some pretty unique and yummy offerings — some of which come out with sparklers!
If you eat at Mai Kai, you need to stay for the show in order to experience all that they have to offer. You won’t be disappointed! The narrator introduces each dance performance from the different Polynesian nations and tells you a bit of history about each island as well. The dancers wear authentic attire native to each country that they are performing a dance from and they are simply amazing! We were worried that my 2-​year old nephew would get squirmy during the show, but he was mesmerized by the scantily clad dancers moving their hips rapidly. The final act involves fire and if you look around, everyone is staring in awe and many jaws are opened. The male dancers twirl fire sticks quickly and actually touch the fire to their hands and feet and you’re left wondering how in the world do they do that!
This is THE best dinner show I’ve ever been to and I’ve been to a lot. I can’t wait to return and have no doubt that everyone will have a similar experience to mine.

This place is perfect for dipping your feet in a different culture with dinner and a show! You can call ahead and let them know if you’ll be celebrating a birthday or an anniversary and they give you a shoutout during the show. It costs $ 13 something to just enjoy a show and then they also require you order either food or drinks. We ate prior to attending so we stuck to drinks.
The first drink we ordered was too fruity and really lacked alcohol — something I’m imagining all of their «tropical» drinks had in common. A popular choice, and a delicious one at that, was this after dinner coffee rum drink! Presentation is amazing! They bring it to the table, coffee in mug and alcohol in another, and then light the alcohol on fire before passing it over with cinnamon sticks and ultimately pouring it into the mug. We ended up ordering that one another two times.
The main reason to attend this place is definitely the show! The host is dressed in typical tourist attire and is present before every dance performance to inform the audience about the island the dancers will be representing. I really liked that she covered some history of each island and how the dances grew to become traditions. The most memorable dances included fire and another was a battle of dancing v. Drums and it was spectacular! Plenty of talent!
I’ve seen comments about the place being out dated but I definitely feel transported into a Polynesian Resort when entering and can’t imagine much renovation that would still keep this vibe. Maybe lighter wood all around and different lighting? The whole gardens and venue is so beautiful, full of waterfalls and photo ops — can’t leave without making the time to explore the whole thing!
Only three stars because while their menus are extensive the quality doesn’t seem to be there. I’d rather not have to order and just be able to enjoy the show!

THIS resturant has the Best food and exellent service. With a fabulous show. With no fees and how beautiful the park it has in the back

Wer mal etwas Polynesischen Charme in Fort Lauderdale erleben möchte ist hier gerade richtig. Die Dinner Show ist sehr schön und man kann das Feeling bekommen man wäre wirklich dort. Die Cocktails sind sehr gehaltvoll und man bekommt sie in großer Auswahl. Das Essen bei der Dinner Show ist durchschnittlich. Hier findet man auch sehr viele Touristen. Im Gegensatz kann man im Restaurant ohne Show wesentlich besser essen und als Highlight kann man im Außenbereich einen privaten Tisch unter Fackeln und Palmen reservieren. Bei den lauen Nächten ist dies ein wirklich romantisches Erlebnis. Die Preise sind etwas über den Durchschnitt, aber dafür bekommt man etwas für sein Geld.