Reviews of Kona Cafe Lunch/Dinner
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Menus at Kona Cafe
Reviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 11/19/2020
Rating: (1) Not Recommended
I gave it a one because I didn't get to eat. Scored reservations and was looking forward to enjoying tonga toast. When we got to the hostess- who greates us with a deceptive smile- we were instructed to check in on the mobile app. We were not given an option to check in but told we had to - with that deceptive smile. I looked around, there were three or four other groups of diners trying to check in via the mobile app and having no luck. I hate to stupidity of the mobile check in - I am paying YOU but I have to check myself in. Mrs. Smiley face was splitting her time between \"happily\" instructing people to check in with the mobile app and trying to HELP people check in. (HINT: it wasn't working very well.)
At any rate, I try to check in. After several tries, I finally get the \"menu.\" Cool: just push check-in, right? WRONG- now I have to change the settings on my phone. What????? I need to enable my GPS. Enabke GPS to freaking eat. I had trouble getting that done. Feed up with having to jump through hoops for the privilege of paying top dollar for what amounts to a little above average breakfast, I got frustrated and walked away. Mrs. Smiley Face was probably happy I was one less source of frustration she had to deal with and didn't even bother to ask if she could help. Disney, stop with everything smart phone for the love of God.
What difference does it make if my GPS is enabled for mobile checkin???? I scanned the qr code- I must be there, right? Never again.
Pros:
nothingCons:
mobile check in, including rearranging the settings on you phone.Reviewed by Disney_Dreamz Review Date: 01/01/2015
Rating: (1) Not Recommended
We have eaten dinner at the Kona Cafe twice between 2005-2014 so we decided to try lunch here on the 17th of November. Oh My Gosh, we really regretted it. We will NOT be returning to the Kona Cafe EVER again.
For lunch they don't serve the bread with hazelnut butter...at least we didn't get one. Then when our lunch (eventually) came they brought the wrong item. I ordered the hamburger w/ bacon instead of shrimp, but they brought the hamburger w/ shrimp which did taste good.
Then, there was dessert... :shudders:. We both had the apple tart. It looked soo good and had my mom order it too. It tasted like it was 2-3 months old. It was hard as a rock...okay we were able to break it but it was so horrible. Even the ice cream tasted bad. ICE CREAM!!!
So we just paid and left. The waiter took forever w/ our food. So we are NEVER EVER EVER returning there.
Pros:
NOTHINGCons:
EVERYTHING: Food, Waiter, Service... ICKReviewed by Disney_Dreamz Review Date: 11/26/2014
Rating: (1) Not Recommended
I really regret going to Kona Cafe for lunch. We only went because nothing was open for Dinner. Lunch pretty much was bad.
My mom had the steak which was good but my hamburger was bad. I ordered the bacon hamburger instead of the shrimp but they messed up my order and brought the shrimp, which was 'ok.'
We were surprised there was no bread served. Not sure if they just forgot about it for us. But the service was bad.
The dessert was HORRIBLE. We both had the apple cobbler which was hard as a rock. We will not be returning to Kona for lunch OR dinner.
I would rate this a 0 or none at all if there was a choice so I gave it a one.
Pros:
NoneCons:
Food... ServiceReviewed by disneymom77 Review Date: 08/21/2013
Rating: (1) Not Recommended
The food was terrible & the waitress was totally unconcerned. The salad was floating in dressing. The steaks were raw & mostly fat & gristle. The beans were mushy. The broccolini could not be cut with a steak knife. Where did the good chef & servers goi?
Pros:
Easy to get toCons:
Used to be our favorite....Never again!Reviewed by peytonshea02 Review Date: 06/05/2013
Rating: (1) Not Recommended
I am so sad to write this review. 🙁
We have enjoyed many meals here and have always loved them. I was very excited to see a new menu for KONA! - I was so looking forward to our dinner here...but....read on if you dare.
DD11 had the Teriyaki Style New York Strip - it was the best dish of the night and it was not that good. Very tough piece of meat and the broccolini was one step from raw. DH had the Togarashi Spiced Ahi Tuna. The Tuna was fine - cooked well, but had very little flavor/seasoning. The deep fried veggie roll was nasty. VERY greasy and odd. A veggie roll with sushi rice and seaweed isn't something that should be deep fried. Absolutely nothing appealing about this. The winner for worst dish - was mine - Sesame Seared Sea Scallops - with rice, wakami salad and tarragon-champagne beurre blanc. Translation: 3 scallops, over cooked with no taste other than a bit of large black peppercorns cooked into them. The wakami salad was inedible. I am not sure what sort of flavor profile they were going for here..but it was a fail.
The one saving grace of this meal was the desserts. The Banana-Chocolate Creme Brulee and the Chocolate Fondue were excellent...thankfully. Had it not been for the yummy bread and desserts, I would have left hungry. It will be a very long time before we find the strength to try Kona again.
Pros:
dessertsCons:
—Reviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 02/06/2023
Rating: (2) Not Recommended
So disappointed with the Pupu Platter as appetizer for dinner. The breading was salty & overpowered taste of calamari, Rick shrimp & fish. Should have sent it back.
Pros:
Service was goodCons:
Unsatisfactory food, especially for a Disney hotel restaurant.Reviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 10/02/2020
Rating: (2) Not Recommended
Ate lunch at Kona cafe because we could not get our normal Ohana since it is closed. Poor choice on us. The waitress was slow with everything. 5 minutes to even get to the table the first time. She was only waiting on 3 tables besides us and we was all sitting close together. 5-10 minutes to bring our drinks. The duck plate with fried rice was so salty it was inedible. One bite and we sent it back and said we did not want anything else because of how long it was taking. The only good thing I can say was the chicken wings were very good. From the time we sat down til we paid was just shy of 2 hours and they was not busy with plenty of empty seats. Hopefully after the renovations they will have a new chef and a better menu.
Pros:
Chicken wingsCons:
Service, limited menu, too salty, slowReviewed by EleanorofAquitaine Review Date: 01/04/2020
Rating: (3) Not Recommended
Well I hate to write this review but feel I really must join the chorus of those saying that the Kona of today is NOT the Kona of the past, and the changes have been to the negative. We stay at the Poly two or three times a year, at least, and have always considered Kona our favorite place to eat. No more. In the past year or so, since they changed chefs, it has suffered. The menu is full of sushi (they have a sushi bar already so those who want to focus on that could eat there instead) and new dishes that pale in comparison to the wonderful dishes of the past. This past visit, the week before Christmas, was the last straw. I had some bland airline chicken with decent vegetables beside it, my DH ordered salmon and had to order a side dish, because NOTHING is included with that very expensive entree. They brought him a plate of broccolini that could have fed at least 4 people, but it was woody and bland and cold. His salmon was inedible--- there were dozens of bones in it, some large enough that I could see them from across the table. It was dangerous, imo. The waitress did not come back by to check with us after someone else dumped off our food. She finally appeared with our check--- didn't ask if we needed a to-go box for my half-eaten chicken or his basically untouched fish, didn't offer to show us a dessert menu, didn't show any interest in us at all. My husband told her about the problem with his meal and she basically shrugged and said "oh, sorry you didn't like it." No one attempted to put things right or even to acknowledge that the meal should never have been served as it was. Water glasses went unfilled, the butter they brought with the rolls was so hard it could not be spread--- lots of little things I could overlook under other circumstances. Clearly, they don't care that their menu is not satisfying to guests like us (oh, how I long for them to bring back the fabulous tuna sandwich that was a must-have for every DW visit in past years). But when the changes in the menu are combined with poor quality control, and worse, a lack of concern, that's when I throw in the towel. I love the Poly, but we'll just grab a bite at the fabulous pool bar next time and head next door to the Grand Floridian for an actual evening meal. I never dreamed I'd post a negative review of Kona's, but I cannot in good conscience recommend it in its current state.
Pros:
It's at the Poly, and they still have Tonga Toast in the morningCons:
menu, price, substandard quality, poor serviceReviewed by ribby Review Date: 08/20/2017
Rating: (3) Not Recommended
Kona has been a mainstay during our visits for years but this year (August 2017) was disappointing. The menu listed for Kona on AllEars is for December 2016 but that has changed and not, in my family's opinion, for the better. Sushi selections have been cut by more than half, entrée selections have been reduced as well and the steamed pork buns - a favorite appetizer - have exited the menu. Among some items we ordered were the California roll (ate half; not tasty), Asian Pasta Shrimp (half eaten; again, not tasty and a bit overcooked) and the steak (reduced portion for the amount paid). Additionally, the restaurant was fairly empty at 6:00 which we have never experienced in prior visits. We liked dining at Kona rather than Ohana because of the more selective menu. I'm afraid future visits are probably in jeopardy. Do not know what happened there but my family was very disappointed.
Pros:
Ambiance; friendlinessCons:
Dramatic menu change and not positiveReviewed by Daniellep93 Review Date: 06/15/2013
Rating: (3) Not Recommended
My party of 4 ate here and were disappointed. When the server was told we were on the dining plan, she really lacked on the service. We were left to wait as we watched other tables get their food and she spoke to us as if we were beneath the other guests not on the meal plan. The food was good but with the portion size, we all left hungry. However, everyone LOVED their desserts including my sister who is not a huge sweets fan. The chocolate fondue dessert was to die for. I loved the homemade cookies and the fresh fruit.
