Hale Kai Restaurant

This was so bad! We had 5 adults and 4 kids — NO ONE like their food! Service was terrible and food was just as bad!

I have to say the food was pretty delicious. We are from this restaurant poolside at the fairmont. We had the big island beef burger, a flatbread, sweet potato fries, and chicken wings throughout our stay. Everything was tasty. Would have given 5 stars if we didn’t have to flag down pool servers each time. Seems like their short staffed and don’t cover the entire pool or something. We were happy with our service once we did catch their attention though!

Nice place and nice staff, but. Little to no choice for kids with food allergies. Our son has a dairy and egg allergy and even the pizza dough has egg in it. (He usually gets a pepperoni pizza with no cheese). Had to have a smoothie with fries

I try not to eat at hotel restaurants as I love to venture out, but we were starving! Plus, the Ironman triathlon was taking place so the roads were a mess and I didn’t want to deal with it, so here we were.
ATMOSPHERE:
They’re located poolside, oceanfront, and 100% outdoors. A towering, thatched-​roof bar that would look right at home in the Bahamas sits up front. Regular table seating spills out onto a sand floor, something I’m not fond of. There were a few umbrellas for shade. Naturally there were a few flies & gnats pestering us but that’s a given being that you’re outdoors.
MENU:
Apps, salads, a variety of entrees, pizzas, sandwiches, burgers, desserts.
FOOD:
Kale Caesar Salad — My spouse ordered this. Personally, I do not like the taste and texture of kale, but I had a few bites of romaine. The dish looked so appetizing when it arrived! Really fresh and «fluffy,» I’m assuming due to the added kale and finely shredded parmesan. The dressing was really good; creamy and on the savory side.
Big Island Wagyu Burger — This was really good and worth the $ 23 price tag. The patty was thick and juicy with a nice sear, and cooked perfectly to my medium liking. The jack cheese was a little weak… Where’s the Swiss? The two strips of bacon had a nice crunch. I was apprehensive on how the sesame taro roll bun would taste but thankfully there were no surprises, just a good ol’ plain bun is what I tasted. The natural cut fries were thick and salted with chunky sea salt crystals which gave it a great flavor and was visually appealing. Toppings to the side were a good sized pickle spear, tomato and green leaf lettuce. Two yums up!
SERVICE:
We were seated immediately as the place was empty on this Saturday afternoon around 3pm. Our server was Todd, who was friendly & professional, and checked on us often.
OVERALL:
A bit pricey, great food, views, and service.

Not sure why there are bad reviews! Beautiful view, delicious drinks, best fish tacos I’ve ever had (and I’m picky!) great service. Sorry but this is 5 stars hands down

My husband and I have been here probably over 20 times to eat at Hale Kai. Each and every time is a wonderful experience. I’ve also brought my office assistant for lunch and dinner here when we come to the big island for work. The Mauna Lani mules are delicious and on point every time we order it. The ginger is fresh and like no other in any part of the world. The Ono ceviche is delicious and refreshing after spending the day on the Fairmont beach or hiking a long day into Waipio Valley. HALE KAI hits the spot each and every time. My only wish is that flying to Hawaii wouldn’t take 14 – 17 hours for me! I would be a regular at Halekai every Friday. Mahalo nui loa for being so wonderful and also recognizing us every time we go visit you! It’s funny, they always wonder if we ever check out of the Fairmont! I think the Fairmont staff thinks we are permanent residents, or members!

We had a late lunch here while the rest of the family was hanging out on the beach and snorkeling, and were not disappointed! The ahi and avocado appetizer was perfect for a midday snack, and we sat right by the railing so we were able to see our group snorkeling in the ocean below. Though we went at a off time (around 3) service was quick and our waiters were very attentive.

Don’t do it. If you’re staying at the Fairmont, you have the option of dining at this beachside bar. You’d be better served with a bowl of cereal and milk. The extremely overpriced glop that they serve is more dismal than the worst fast food, and you don’t get a battalion of gnats and a minimum $ 25 per person bill for fast food.
I give it a star for the service, which is pleasant, if not always helpful. For instance, if flies always converge on the table whenever food arrives, why should I have to ask for citronella candles each time?

The restaurant is situated on a beautiful beach and the cocktail I ordered was delicious; two stars for that!
I ordered the chicken mango wrap in a spinach tortilla. I would compare this to something you might get out of a vending machine in an airport. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing… perhaps stick with burger and fries?

We walked to the Fairmont property from Mauna Lani for a change of pace for lunch. We were hoping to try Browns, but it was not open. No loss as it turned out.
My wife enjoyed her sangria immensely. We split the delicious poke appetizer which came with tasty, hand-​cut sweet poato chips. Many island restaurants feature Mahi as the «catch of the day» on a daily basis. I have nothing against the fish but was not excited to see a salad, tacos, a sandwich, and fish and chips all featuring the catch of the day since I ate Mahi twice already on this trip. Fortunately we asked as only the sandwich was Mahi and the rest featured ono (wahoo).
I ordered the tacos and was pleased. My only quibble is that the mango salsa lacked any kick. My wife got the fish and chips and the ono was terrific. The fish was obviously hand battered on site. She opted for the sweet potato fries which were good too.
Terrific service. Quite pricey. Fabulous views (a sidewalk separates some tables from a beach that is off limits to humans so that green turtles (honu) can use it un disturbed.

We stayed at the Fairmont Orchid Hotel, and this is on their property. We stopped in one time for drinks and snacks while we watched a beautiful sunset. We ended up there several more times during our stay. The Fish tacos were wonderful, with big slabs of fish of the day. Chicken pot-​stickers were also a big hit. Some of the other items were just ok, but the location more than makes up for it. You sit with your feet in the sand and watch the surf and the sunsets. One day we got a great view of whales breaching. For drinks there’s a small but varied bunch of tropical mixes on the menu. The service is relaxed and always friendly and professional. I wish I were there right now.

The ahi poke nachos are awesome. Great view on the beach and excellent service. Expensive but worth it!

We stopped in at Hale Kai on a Sunday to watch some football and I was a bit put off by the misleading advertising in the lobby, which advertised $ 5 draft beers and $ 7 mimosas for the NFL games, but when we arrived at the bar, the bartender said it was only for the first series of games, which was totally deceiving! False advertising.
We ended up having lunch at the bar, and I thought the Big Island burger was good. Hearty patty, but a bit salty on a sweet bread roll. I was not a fan of the fries, which were basically sliced potato wedges that were battered and fried tempura style.
I will say that it was nice that they had a couple of TVs at the bar to watch the game, but the reception was not very clear. In fact, the bartender initially would not turn the game on that we wanted to watch because he told out the manger wanted each game on either TV. I said no one was even here and besides they wouldn’t care about the game anyway and he finally changed it. This was probably the same manager that put up the misleading sign in the hotel lobby.
Overall I would not recommend Hale Kai. We did have a ok time, but I would not go out of my way to go here.

I can’t say that I actually ate at the restaurant, but it’s from this menu that the poolside food is ordered and then delivered. I didn’t think the menu was extensive enough and just not your typical pool side food. We ordered one time from the menu– a quesadilla and some fish tacos. They were OK. Nothing all that spectacular. But the pricing was of course «Hawaiian».

Glad I didn’t read all these negative reviews before dining at Hale Kai every day last week for lunch as my whole family and I loved it!
As we had so many lunches here, we were able to try quite a bit of the menu. From the poke nachos (amazing) to the burgers to the lobster fried rice, pretty much everything we ordered was awesome. The homemade salted potato chips were a huge hit with us, as were the poke nachos served on thick purple taro chips. Perhaps our favorite menu item was the lobster fried rice. All four of us determined it was quite possibly the best fried rice any of us have ever had. The adult chicken tenders were also great, if you’re as big a fan of poolside chicken tends as I am.
Oh and if you’re craving dessert, look no further than the MUD PIE.
All in all, great poolside/​beachside lunch option at the Fairmont. Quick service, beautiful views, and great food.

Food was ok, but the table next to us was not cleared for 15 minutes. The result was that birds came to eat the leftovers. Unsanitary! The table was finally cleared when I asked them to do it. Will not return

Aloha but ill skip the Maholo
For as lack luster their food is they sure price it at a premium. I have to say for a fairmont hotel resort property I’m surprised at how mediocre this place is.
I tried their wagyu beef burger and their «special salad» of the day. They were both mediocre at best and def not the best feeling knowing I’m staying at the resort this place sits on for the next four days.
I wouldn’t come back for anything outside of necessity here.
Service was ok but there just wasn’t anything but the lovely view of the ocean to bring me back here.
Aloha

Came to this place not very hungry, we split a seafood paella and a dessert. The server was really nice and made the meal, not hint of bitterness for half a tip since we shared a meal. Dessert was very good, and so was the Paella. Would come back.

I think my Mexican ancestors might have rolled over in their grave if they knew we paid $ 20 for four tiny street style tostadas. Still, I believe the dishes here are thoughtfully made and the price tag is really for the location — getting to beach front, with toes in the sand while gazing at the ocean is pretty spectacular. Skip the expensive cocktails (very light pours) and opt instead for a beer or their homemade limeade :)
Kama’aina’s get a 10−20% discount. Yay!

The Hale Kai is a lower tier restaurant at the beautiful Fairmont Orchid Hotel. But that’s not to say it’s a bad setting, or that the prices are low. It’s an all-​outdoor restaurant, consisting of a beautiful cabana bar and a dining room on beach sand, covered in thatch covered canopies. The best part, for me, was the super casual atmosphere. You could sit here in your swim trunks and drink a cocktail or have a luxurious meal and watch the sun go down. I loved the fact that I could keep my shoes off and dig my toes into the sand as I sipped a beer or Mai Tai.
But there is a problem with sand (and thick foliage) where food is around. Bugs. As the sun dropped and the temperature cooled, the sand flies, fruit flies and other flies came out in droves. It was so bad that eating became more work than relaxation; We had to wave them away constantly between bites. By the end of our meals, we were racing to finish so the waitress would take away our plates.
Birds were also a problem, but less so. They were quite aggressive, but you could shoo them away easily enough. But God forbid you should leave your table to walk over to the water or pose for a group photo, because they would swoop down your plates and start feasting in milliseconds.
It’s too bad, because the menu was interesting. A mix of Mexican, Hawaiian and Asian: mole pork chops, miso kampachi, bulgogi, lobster empanadas, gazpacho, banana leaf pork. My one wish was that they add a few more basics for the kids (the kids menu itself was pretty limited too).
We only ate one meal at Hale Fly… I mean Hale Kai, and it was good, but not great. It also felt a little overpriced. After that, I limited my visits to an occasional late afternoon cocktail at the cabana bar. (I loved that freeking bar); Hale Kai gets at least 3 stars for that.