Trader Vic’s

I have been to both the emeryville location and this one– emeryville is a bit more island atmosphere. The bar offers happy hour all night! 4– 11! so the appetizers are half off of you get them at the bar and the Mai Tai drinks are delicious for only $ 6– it’s a steal! I had Caesar salad– fresh & yummy– mussels and ahi tuna avocado poke– which was amazing! Totally would go back! Service was perfect as well :)

One of my favorite places to sit and have some drinks (mai tai perhaps) on a warm summer day after work — the happy hour prices are good. We usually order a couple of appetizers and generally enjoy them. For example, Cosmo Tidbits For Two which includes spare ribs, bbq pork sesame, crispy prawns and crab rangoon. Order another drink… enjoy the outside deck till the sun starts to set. This is a pleasurable way to spend some time.
We have had dinner here on a couple of occasions — and it never quite measures up to the happy hour outside deck experience for us. We would far better sit there and enjoy. Dinner is 3 stars at best…
but we still like Trader Vic’s on a warm summer day… for Happy Hour.
And that is when we go and enjoy… and as such, for that experience only, Yep, I’m a fan. With it closing, we’ll have to go now to our other favorite places… sigh…

Been here a while ago, and the only thing I remember was the gigantic drinks they serve, and the big menu. So we decided to visit again.
Well, the big menu is no more, and soon this restaurant will be replaced. I won’t sorely miss this place, but it served the area well with its tiki-​themed foods and drinks. The food was not spectacular but were quite delicious. The drinks were designed to get you drunk so you don’t see the high prices of the food ;)
It’ll definitely be a fun time should you visit though. I’d suggest the bar with the happy hour menu if you want to hang out with friends.

While their food is over-​priced and nothing to write home about, their drinks will do a number on you. Let’s face it, you don’t go to a Tiki bar/​restaurant to eat anyways.
The best time to go is happy hour, you can get food and drink specials that are fantastic.
The last time we were there the waitress was a bit rude to my party. She’d of gotten tipped more if she’d of practiced patience when collecting the tip. No worries though as it was very busy and they’ll all be out of work in another couple of weeks… TRADER VIC’S CLOSES AUGUST 4TH.

Well, apparently, they’re closing soon, to be replaced by a fish restaurant from Jeffrey Stout of Alexander’s Steakhouse. Meanwhile, we decided to have one last hurrah (or in our case, a first and last hurrah) with a couple friends at this slightly classier tiki bar and hotel restaurant.
We came a little early for happy hour at the bar — uncrowded on a Sunday afternoon. The cocktails list is long and complex, including some number of punch bowls intended to serve two or four folks. The chain also holds claim to having invented the Maitai, so of course we had to try it — not bad, especially if you’re looking for something a little less sweet and fruity than average. It is made with crushed ice, a little different, but refreshing. They also have a small selection of beer on tap, including a brown ale from the local and new Strike Brewing and Anchor’s easy-​to-​drink Liberty Ale.
We were quickly seated for our dinner reservation, no problems. The menu is apparently much abbreviated from that offered previously (and from that displayed online) — as our server too care to point out — perhaps as a prelude to their closing. It retains their fine curries, and a small selection of dishes including the bbq salmon, mahi mahi, a seared tuna and a couple steaks. We ordered the Ahi Tartare appetizer, which was a surprisingly small portion for the price, though nicely flavored. We also — in the spirit of the day — got one of the rum punches which came with four huge straws … an experience in itself and likely to put someone’s eye out. The punch was fine as only random fruit juice mixed with rum and ice can be.
Service was generally quick, unobtrusive and friendly. We were offered some decent bread and butter, which was replenished upon request. The Wasabi Crusted Filet (8oz) was cooked more-​or-​less to the requested temperature, and otherwise a nice, flavorful cut of steak, with a wasabi flavored compound smeared on the top. The Seared Ahi featured rice and a shredded salad. The most interesting plating of the evening was probably the lamb curry — neither weak nor overly strong, and arriving with quite some number of condiments in their own compartments on a special plate.
Dessert was variable. The Maitai Bread Pudding was probably the highlight. A rum ice cream, though topped with some vaguely rum-​flavored sauce and nicely candied nuts, was devoid itself of any strong rum flavor.
Overall, the food and service were very competent, though nothing to write home about. The drinks we tried — all variations of the tropical fruit and rum theme — were unsubtle, but it *is* after all, a tiki bar. The prices are a little high, more suited to a forgiving expense account than to someone looking for either a good deal or a fine dining experience, but as a casual themed restaurant in a business hotel, I can see why they’ve had a successful run of it.

I typically come here for happy hour and dinner with the architects I work with whenever they fly in and stay at Dinah’s Garden Hotel, so perhaps my experience is tinted as I’m never completely relaxed though the restaurant tries to whisk their guests away to a Polynesian getaway with their Mai Tais, dark wood paneling and southeastern décor. the patio is definitely a sweet spot to hang on a beautiful California afternoon, but the interior is trying a bit too hard. Anyway.
the happy hour is good, especially because it lasts all night. not a fan of the Mai Tai — too sweet for me, but it’s strong enough. summer rolls are good, as is the Ahi tuna poki. Among the other half of dozen of dishes I’ve tried here, the most memorable was probably the wasabi crusted fillet. the meat was cooked perfectly, well marbled, melts in your mouth, and plenty of flavor. this fillet was better than the steaks I’ve had at other steakhouses in Palo Alto (ahem, Sundance, ahem, Flemings).
will continue to meet my colleagues here for happy hour and most likely dinner.

We came back here again a couple years later (again, for a celebratory meal) and this time our food was a huge disappointment. The mahi mahi was nowhere near as good as I remembered. The fish was so dry and chewy it was almost inedible. The wasabi sauce/​mashed potatoes was quite spicy; much spicier than I remembered and too hot for my tastes. My fiancé didn’t really like his chicken lo mein; it didn’t have enough noodles. The other people in our party didn’t seem to think much of the food either. This visit would be 2 stars or less for food, but I’ll leave it at 3 because of our good experience in the past. I don’t think we’ll go back, however.

Good steak, great service!
I was on a business trip and made a reservation here using OpenTable integration within the Unilocal iPhone app. It couldn’t have been simpler.
When we arrived, we were promptly greeted and shown to our table. Not being big drinkers, we just ordered food — although we perused the extensive drink menu and were impressed/​amazed at some of the offerings. They have ‘party drinks’ that serve 4 people! I think one was called a ‘Rum Keg’ — next to that one, the menu had a little picture of a keg with a few straws sticking out of it.
Ultimately, we ordered two steaks, which arrived quickly and were prepared perfectly. I recommend the scalloped potatoes on the side; they have bacon and cheese in them. The waiter was prompt and friendly, and someone who looked like a manager even checked on us to make sure everything was to our satisfaction. After demolishing the steaks and potatoes, we checked out the dessert menu but were both too full from dinner to order anything. Several items sounded tasty and I will definitely have to go back and order dessert sometime.

Came here for happy hour with the coworkers after work on Monday. Happy hour is from 4-​close. Mai Tais are strong, but all the ice in it dilutes it. You pretty much get two good sips out of it. Bahia are like pina coladas. Sweet. Girly. And not much alcohol.
Dinner is expensive and not worth it (to me) here. We ordered a few appetizers off the happy hour menu. The calamari was the only thing memorable. So good we ordered two orders!
Service was lacking. Server was slow with everything… and there weren’t even that many people there on a Monday night.

Amazing oysters. Yes, I love oysters.
Wish the place had more of a scene.

Well the overall consensus about the poor service is true. I got to see it for myself. I took my guy and visiting family here for dinner. I had high hopes and looking forward to finally trying this place out. We walked in and were seated right away around 8pm on a Friday night which was nice. I really like the ambiance and Hawaiin décor. That was probably one of my favorite parts about this place.
Our server was okay. He highly recommended the Mai Tai so that’s what I had. He recommended the Samoan Fogcutter for my guy. After tasting the Mai Tai I wished I had ordered the Samoan Fogcutter instead. I thought the Mai Tai was too strong and just didn’t taste right to me.
We tried the BBQ Pork Spare Ribs, Crab Rangoons, Crispy Prawns and Spring Rolls. All were really good. We also had the Chicken Chow Mein. It wasn’t what I was expecting at all. It didn’t have actual chow-​mean noodles but the short crispy noodles instead which I thought was interesting. Thankfully the chicken, mushrooms and sauce were good.
We had to repeatedly ask for more bread, plates and melted butter for the lobster tails. They weren’t busy at all so there wasn’t any excuse for the delays.
I don’t think I’ll be back here to have dinner. Probably just have drinks and apps at the bar.

Been here a couple of times at the bar and once to eat. I can’t comment on the time I came to eat here since I can’t really remember, except that the food was good but definitely doesn’t own up to the price you pay for. The times I’ve been to the bar I can speak about. There is a huge selection of different signature drinks they have, which I like very much. I like the awesome cups they use even more! I really want to buy one and use it at home.
The bartenders here are really nice, especially our bartender Chaz. He was really nice and was able to recommend drinks for my group. I find that the drinks here are pretty strong, so these are definitely worth the price! Everyone loves their famous mai tais, but I personally love the Bahia. It tastes like a Pina Colada, but more watery and with crushed ice. I mentioned that I like Pina Coladas to Chaz and he was nice enough to blend my Bahia, yay! My friends also really like the drinks they had. Thank you, Chaz! I can’t wait to come back again to try another drink.
The restrooms are clean and look great, but I had a hard time walking up and down the stairs as I was a little impaired from all the drinks I had.

I came for an event last night that was held in their huge ballroom in the back. I think it combined all of their event space (room called Dinah?). There was food laid out in the hallway along with a bar. Inside they had a few booths and standing tables. The space was definitely big enough for at least 200 people.
The house wine and bottled beer was a bit on the pricey side ($ 8 and $ 6 respectively), but then again, so is all of their food and drink. I tried a few of the appetizers. Some were more successful than others. The grilled chicken skewers had too much sauce which got all over the skewers themselves and made it difficult to eat. The chow mein noodles were too sweet for my liking, but there were a lot of sliced veggies in it. The vegetable tempura got soggy sitting in the warming trays, but it was fairly light. I did, however, really enjoy the vegetarian eggrolls which were well seasoned with some sort of ginger. They were much tastier than the average vegetarian eggroll and managed to stay crispy as well.
All day happy hour! So I may return some time.

Our group started out at the bar for Happy Hour since the restaurant didn’t open until 5:00. Because we were there early, our party of six was able to get seated right away. We began with Mai Tai’s, Crispy Calamari and Malayan Chicken Skewers. All were good. For dinner my husband and I shared the Special Fried Rice and the Macadamia Crusted Halibut… both were delicious! Service was great. We mentioned to the waiter that we were on a short time frame and he made sure to get our orders out as quick as possible. Our overall experience was very pleasant. I will definitely go back again!

Good. Not too busy for a weeknight (8p.m. or so). I was half expecting more peeps since it was a decently rated place, happy hour ’til close, and adjacent to a hotel. Nevertheless, I appreciated the not having to sit and wait a ridiculously long time for a table.
The restaurant has a Hawaiian tiki theme and a relatively quiet atmosphere. The waitress brought a tiki candle to the table to romanticize the mood, but this was the first thing to go once our table began overflowing with food.
Service here was friendly, attentive, and patient (we had a few hang ups searching for misplaced ID’s and some misunderstanding of some of the menu items).
They have happy hour here from 4p.m. to close– prices are average, drinks are STRONG (but that’s what makes it worth it, right?). From the happy hour menu, we had a Mai Tai and a Bahia, BBQ ribs, and the summer rolls. All average in my book.
I am a lover of fish, and I had been eying the miso halibut the minute the menus were set in front of us. This is what I ended up ordering, and while it was good, very flaky and also attractive looking, it tasted like it could have been miso-​ed a little longer– a little lacking in flavor. Veggies and rice were average for stir fry. Nothing special.
Even though it wasn’t my order, the pepper crusted filet of beef, which is what my boyfriend ordered, was what made this place worth it’s while. It was excellent, very tender and juicy, and the pepper adorning the top was a fantastic way to finish, as it added great flavor. I also had a chance to try the accompanying asparagus and sweet potatoes, which were also very tasty.
Overall, it was a good dining experience. I’m always a little skeptical of meals that only take up a third of the plate, but in this case, the meal was filling and satisfying, and I’d come back again.

My friend recommended this restaurant knowing that I just love Hawaiian food and Hawaii. He went to a birthday party here and said that I needed to check it out. So I did and I am a fan now!
This is a wonderful date place! I do not recommend for small children. It’s more of a fine dining experience featuring a nice modern tiki bar. The décor is impressive and nice. The food is fantastic. The Mai Tai’s are very strong, so if you like strong Mai Tai’s you have to have their house Mai Tai!
The menu reminds me more of an Hawaiian-​Asian fusion fine cuisine more-​so than your real traditional Hawaiian dishes. The expansive drink menu design is reminiscent of vintage Hawaiian art tattoos! Just loved it! BTW happy hour is 4 until closing everyday in the restaurant bar area!
There is outdoor seating in the warmer months and is on the premises of Dinah’s Garden Hotel. A hotel tropical oasis you HAVE to check out. We had a tour of the property by the hotel desk clerk (who was very friendly).
I may just have to have a big party gathering here…

This is a local area favorite and a safe choice. My last experience was a little uneven though.
Service was efficient. The ambience is a little quirky and the artifacts seem more African or Indian than Hawaiian. The food was what was uneven the last time I was there. The onion rings are the best I have ever had over here, extremely crunch just the way I like them. The salad was good. However, the steak was very chewy. I had to do the old, «wipe my mouth and spit out the chewy piece» bit.
The crème brûlée though tiny is good. Will probably end up going there again in the future.

This review is for drinks only.
As lovers of all things Hawaiian, my guy and i have been wanting to stop here for drinks for awhile. (Not for food though, since the food reviews aren’t very good.)
We stopped in after dinner Friday night with some friends, and found some comfy seats in the bar area.
We all had different drinks, and we were all happy with them.
They totally hit the spot, and gave me a tiny reminder of Hawaii.
At least for drinks, i would recommend this kitschy cool place:)

I have only ever sat at the bar before. I love this place! Boy are the drinks good and strong (double bonus)! We also had the calamari which was excellent and the fried banana desert which was to die for. I don’t even like desert, but this was so tasty! I definitely recommend coming here for drinks and appetizers. I cannot speak for the restaurant itself, however.
FYI– It’s pricey.

After visiting Trader Vic’s at both the Beverly Hilton and the former Planet Hollywood location we were really excited to see that there was a Trader Vic’s near our hotel in Palo Alto.
Boy were we disappointed. After reading some of the Unilocal reviews I wonder if we ate at the same place! We started with the crab wontons and the ahi poke. The wontons had a weird flavor — like the crab was funky or something. They also served the wontons with two sauces that just didn’t go. The mustard sauce was terrible and the slightly more palatable plum (???) sauce wasn’t really much better. The poke was okay but not worth $ 18.
We shared a plate of the Dinah’s noodles and deep fried & sauced chicken. The noodles were good. The sauced chicken was one note and boring.
The biggest disappointment had to be the drinks though. I would say they were probably 90% ice. One sip and you’re done. I’m not sure what the bartender was thinking. For the price, it was kind of a joke.
The restaurant itself however was nice enough. Okay ambiance. Surprisingly not cheesy at all. The service was good and more deserving of maybe 4 stars. Unfortunately I do not go to a restaurant for service alone. With all the options out there I hate to say it, but I won’t be back.

First time in any Trader Vic’s, at any location, so take this review with a grain of salt. Preferably grains of salt around a margarita-​filled glass’ rim, yeah?
Their «Cosmo Tidbits» are like a combination platter, which was not as plentiful as the $ 16 cost would suggest. No matter, since everything went well with pints of Stella. A margarita was $ 6.50. A fruit salad, which was realy good, was $ 7.50. The total was $ 32.78 after tax. A bit pricey, but I would return if friends wanted to.
The atmosphere was on the nicer side of a brewery, and they don’t overdo the tiki-​bar theme which is good in my opinion. Good place for the bar crowds, or the lounge crowds. Well, good place for any sized groups… it’s a good place for dates too.

I came here for a belated birthday and good luck Rainbow Wahine (University of Hawaii women’s volleyball to the mainlanders) dinner.
I didn’t have their famous Mai Tai, but I did have wasabi mashed potatoes which added a kick to the meal nonetheless.
Service was nice, and I must be getting old because some of these dark romantic restaurants just have me squinting to read the menu. Luckily, I always have my camera so I will push the shutter slightly to get the meter light to act as my reading light.
I had seared ahi for the main course, and it was really smooth. It was a great meal, and I topped it off with an interesting dessert choice of chocolate orange spring rolls. Really didn’t taste the orange to it, but the chocolate was very good. My friend had the Polynesian Snowball, which looked great and she liked it because she is a big coconut fan.
About 3 miles from Maples Pavilion, this is a nice out of the way upgrade from some of the restaurants on University Avenue.