Keoki's Paradise

Ambiance: Very cool garden setting. Live music at certain times. Overall an great atmosphere. Tends to be very busy. I'm giving it four stars, though, because they try to rush people through in 60 minutes to accommodate the next seating. They pushed us to order right away and then brought out our salad and entree at the same time. Wait: We waited 10 minutes with a reservation. Without a reservation, you're rolling the dice. Can be hard to get reservations during the peak season. Food: Good, but nothing special enough to justify the price. "Keoki's Style" fish was just ono with some pesto and a sweet glaze. The kale salad was quite good. They have happy hour specials 4-5, but if you come in with a 4:45 reservation, they won't allow you to order them. You have to arrive earlier than that. Drinks: The cocktails here are unique and good, but incredibly sugary. I would recommend them if that's your style. Prices range from $17-$25 per drink. Service: The front of the house generally did a good job, except that they served us a dish that I was allergic to after I told them about my gluten allergy. When I looked at the dish and asked the server to confirm that it was gluten free, she immediately apologized and took it away.

Amazing experience! We were able to get a same day reservation and were seated early upon our arrival even with the restaurant already being busy. The food was absolutely incredible - definitely the best we had during our stay in Kauai and maybe the best we’ve had in several months (years? Who knows - time passes so quickly these days). We loved our drinks (both booze and non-alc choices), our entrees (Keoki’s style, panko Mac nut crusted, and chef’s fresh fish duo), dessert (the bread pudding and mango GF pono pie) and the overall ambiance (beautiful setting, live music). They were super accommodating of gluten and nut allergies too. Definitely recommend!

Stopped here for lunch and dinner during recent vacation. Atmosphere is pretty laid back - comfortable setting, often live music playing, nice layout. Staff is friendly and welcoming. Food is terrific, drinks can run on the "creative" side. As other reviews suggest - it's bigger inside than it appears. Please note: it sometimes gets busy and service slows down a bit (at least it was at dinner) as staff is attentive to customers (also see: Island Time). Like many other restaurants on the Island, it can get a bit pricey, however portion sizes are good. One of us ordered the 12 oz prime rib and ended up with something closer to 14 or a pound (we actually had to confirm they didn't goof up and charge us for the 24 oz). I noticed an earlier review expressing frustration over a lack of gluten-free options. To be fair to Keoki's, the menu makes it clear that certain items may not be made with ingredients containing gluten, however it's possible they could be exposed to gluten due to the nature of their kitchen. If you are extremely sensitive to gluten, do your research ahead of time. Look up the menu. If you're unclear on something, call them ahead of time and check. They genuinely seem to care about getting things right and will answer your questions. If you don't mind a little slowness during the evening (more time to take in the atmosphere), I'd highly recommend this place.