Anthony’s By the Sea

The outdoor view was great, but the food was boring. The staff was awesome — very nice people — very attentive service. Funky low slung chairs made for uncomfortable eating and conversation positioning. Has potential.

We came here when the surf was literally crashing over the rock wall and splashing on to the patio. It was so incredible to see waves like that up close and made for a great show the entire dinner. The real start however, was the food.
Lobster flat bread — Words cannot explain how much I enjoyed this. Crispy flat bread topped with cheese and sweet lobster. *Important for you no dairy people* The menu only says that it has parm on it but this is cheesy like a pizza.
Poke — This was a spicy poke. We asked if it was going to be spicy and our waiter told us it was on the sweeter side. WRONG this had a strong kick to it and won the award of spiciest poke that I tried all week. That means it was spicier than a poke labeled «Inferno» at Da Poke Shack. Either it was an off batch or the waiter should try to take a step back and realize what he has a much higher tolerance to spice.
Fish Mongers Soup — A little salty but also freaking delicious. You would normally get white potatoes in a stew like this and I loved that they make it with sweet potato.
Keahole Lobster and Seafood Platter — The absolute best lobster I have ever had. The lobster had this incredible natural sweetness to it and was fork tender. The platter also came with a great sweet shrimp, and blackened mahi mahi. This was a gigantic plate of food and after appetizers I’m glad that we (two) decided to split it.
Bread pudding — Macadamia nuts, and Kona coffee took my favorite desert and amplified times 10.
Island Sunset Sampler — Lilicoi sorbet was the ultimate pallet cleanser. Had a dense chocolate banana torte with vanilla ice cream.
Lastly, the Mai Tai was the strongest drink that I had the entire trip and because of that, I had two!

Our server sucked. There weren’t very many people In the resto and he didn’t come back at the right time. (Right after our food was delivered and then no more. Ok, sure) He also said he’d bring us bread– which never came. Does that outweigh the quality of the food and location? I dunno, but that’s why it gets a 3.
Surf and turf. Lobster was totally good. What do they put in their spinach? Crack? Yummay. Dessert sampler was good too. Liked their rendition of the frozen banana Popsicle.
It being fine dining and all, they need to up their game, unless it was just our server.

Great place to watch the sunset and surfers. Food was good, not great. My filet, ordered medium rare was well done on one half and cooked to order on the other half. Husband’s mahi mahi was delicious. Veggies great and potatoes were yummy. Dessert sampler items had been frozen which is great for the ice cream but I needed a saw to get through the other items. At $ 4 cup, I would have expected great coffee… not so. Service was good.

Kailua seems to lack a wide selection of waterfront gourmet dining establishments. It is more casual and ‘old school’ compared to the resorts up the Kohala Coast. Hamburgers, kalua pork, poke and fish and chips are widespread. Those few gourmet places that do exist in Kailua aren’t necessarily on the water either. In a 11 day stay, this is the best overall high-​end dining experience I found.
The menu is somewhat limited but they have something for everyone, even vegetarians. The location is phenomenal, especially if you can get a seat outside to watch and listen to the surf crash on the adjacent beach. Inside atmosphere is pleasant — casual but more upscale than your beach bar type of place. Service was prompt, attentive, friendly, but not stuffy. Our party of five had 5 different entrees and everyone gave them two thumbs up. Flatbread appetizers are a good deal as was the quesadilla — big enough for an entrée for someone on a budget. If money is no object, they have a mixed seafood platter with lobster. Seafood pasta excellent, not too heavy, about the right amount of seafood.
Why not 5 stars? Price. It is strange this place has a beer advertisement next to the front door advertising $ 3 beers for Monday Night football, yet a typical entrée here is in the $ 32-​$ 42 range. It’s not a poor value all things considered, but not an exceptional value either. A high 4 stars.

Visited this restaurant for our lunch break from the beach activities. We worried that our «beach» look and full of sand sandals will prevent us from dining there. It was not the case. Our waiter invited us in through the back door, where he offered to wash sand off the sandals (we were happy to do so) and a minute later we had a table on the deck with a spectacular view. Food was really good. Their lobster flat bread is really good, perfect for sharing at the table. We had a variety of meals at the table from their fish and onion soups to a burger, everything was delicious. Highly recommend.

The location is awesome! Great view!
I ordered the surf and turf and it was awesome! The steak, lobster and rice were probably the best I’ve had in a long time. Three people in my party ordered this and agreed it was delicious.
My other friend ordered steak and it was over cooked. But otherwise we had a good time.
They had issues with their POS for credit cards. We waited a while but the waitress «comped» us dessert so it all worked out.

We ate here after our wedding with 10 people. They were really easy to work with on getting a menu set up, the food was very good (seafood was a lot better than the steak), and they were really accommodating to our unique needs.
One warning– the front of this place looks like a sports bar. I honestly would not have expected the caliber of food from the front.

August 2005 my 1^st time at this place was great from the flight over from Orange County.
Simple walk from the hotel and certainly elegant at night when it’s on the patio having a light dinner.
Anthony’s is great.

We had dinner here and although it is a nice setting, the rest of the experience does not add up. I ordered a rib eye steak and if you like your steak ¼″ thick you’ll love this place. For me, I’ve had better steaks at cheap chain steakhouses.
I brought a bottle of a nice Pinot Noir to enjoy with our meal and it was as if we had asked to make our own drinks behind the bar. When he saw our bottle, our server disappeared for ten minutes and said that there might be a problem with that.
He came back with some cockamamie story that stated that in Hawaii County one had to «submit a form to the liquor commission» if one wanted to bring their own bottle to dinner. He then had us fill out a form which «he would fax to the liquor commission». He was either knowingly LYING or being told to.
No other restaurant on the island ever asked us to fill out a such a form. He then proceeded to charge us a $ 25 corkage fee which is outrageous. We saw other corkages from $ 9 to $ 15 at other comparable (if not better) restaurants on the island. The wine list here is way overpriced compared to others on the island.
Lesson: Be very cautious at what you’re told when dealing with the staff here. They’re not very friendly and made us feel that they were «out to get us». And the customer is certainly NOT #1 here.

Anthony’s by the Sea is really by the sea. Outside dining, the night we were there, was on a patio separated only by a low wall from the surf. A table next to ours moved because they were getting sprayed! Wonderful!
The food and wine were equal to the view. I had the linguine seafood pasta and the wife had the mahi lau lau, all washed down with a fine chardonnay. Not the least expensive place, but worth it.

Anthony’s has a fantastic setting, but the food does not match up.
We had dinner last night at Anthony’s and although I was looking forward to eating here, we live very nearby, I did not expect to be too impressed because it’s typical for restaurants to overcharge when they have stunning ocean views like this. I was right.
Our table of 3 had 2 orders of the caprese salad which was good, but not fantastic. I had the spearfish (grilled) which was a little overcooked, but tasted good. We also had the teriyaki chicken flatbread, which was good too. The service was very attentive and good.
It’s not that I didn’t enjoy Anthony’s it’s just that for an entrée to cost $ 34 it better be worth it, which it was not. At the Big Island Grill they cook fish just as well, if not better for less than half the price, but of course there is no gorgeous view. If I’m going to pay this much for an entrée I’d rather eat at one of the Four Seasons restaurants or Roy’s.
If I come back to Anthony’s I will probably stick to the lesser priced menu items and not feel so gouged.
I would recommend Anthony’s if money is not an issue, but if you’re really looking for a good value for your money do not go, since you can get plenty of fantastic island views for free!

Excellent food, amazing service, perfect end to our vacation and a great birthday dinner.
Get their onion soup, it was so good. I am so glad we tried this place on our last night of our vacation. Prices were really good considering it’s Hawaii and it’s an ocean front restaurant.
Our bill for two onion soup, two drinks, two surf and turf and one dessert was $ 150 with tax and tip. I really enjoyed myself and so did my husband. When we come back to big island we will return here.

I had a great meal here once before with some excellent preparations, but service is inconsistant and menu still needs to mature. It is a spectacular location if you can get an outside table where you can enjoy the scenery and wave action at White Sands Beach.
Flat breads are great as are the sauces on meats. The vegetables are done to perfection and nicely seasoned. Rib eye was excellent. Filet Oscar was nicely seasoned but tough. Veal was also tough quite tasty.
Service: Either they were under staffed or inexperienced or both. Nevertheless, the staff was pleasant and friendly, except for the wine server who appeared somewhat frustrated and hurried. Wines and drinks took much too long to arrive and several times we felt abandoned with water glasses going empty. We needed to ask for napkins, steak knife and rolls went missing entirely.
I look forward to visiting again when I hope they will have worked out some of the kinks.

We went for lunch and was greeting by a wait staff that had no concept of the aloha spirit or interest in welcoming us.
I wonder about placed that are rather preciously priced where you are treated as an imposition rather than a guest.
We were surprised at the menu that seemed to less than a satisfying selection to us. The prices were high but you are paying for the view. We were seated in a view spot, the table rocked, our water glasses were not filled, and the food was only passable. Perhaps dinner is better but I wouldn’t want to pay to find out.
The Ahi that was on my salad were four think slices and although it was tasty it was just that a taste.
We were ignored service wise and unimpressed overall. Having said that it’s a great location and if you are wanting drinks and don’t care about the cost this may be your place. It’s not a place I’d return to sad to say as we used to love lunching at Jameson’s by the Sea.

Good service, good food. Wonderful dessert!!! Outside is nice, you are literally sitting on the edge of the beach. Nice dinner for out last night in Hawaii.

First off, in the interest of full disclosure, this has been one of my favorite restaurant locations for almost 3 decades. I remember back in the day sipping champagne at Dorians, and over the years we had many great family dinners there as well. So I’m emotionally invested.
Well I am pleased to say that Anthony’s delivers. They have done a fine job of rebuilding the place (it was severely damaged in a storm some time ago when the previous restaurant closed). Inside has an elegant vibe, and the outside area which is my favorite remains virtually unchanged.
We started off with the poke appetizer, nicely presented and tasty, and for dinner had the ribeye and seafood linguini. With a ribeye you do get more fat than their tenderloin, but it was very flavorful and came with delicious potatoes and veggies. The beef is local Waimea grass fed. The seafood linguini was massive, and excellent.
Our waiter Ken is a long time Kona resident, and was attentive throughout our meal. He knows the menu forwards and back, and the other wait staff were on top of things as well. I would recommend this as one of the best ocean front dining experiences you can have in Kona. The menu, as you can see from someone who posted it in the pictures, is not huge, but it is more than adequate, and representative of some of the finest of the Big Island. I look forward to returning for lunch as well!
I’d suggest making reservations and requesting outside dining. Enjoy!

This place is just lovely! Beautiful ocean view… come at sunset… so beautiful! I ordered the special Seared Ahi w/​mushroom gravy & mango salsa w/​Jasmine rice& fresh veggies not over done either! I wasn’t sure about the combination but it worked & it was so delicious!!! My bf ordered the seafood linguine & devoured it! We were super pleased. Not to mention we came earlier for a drink & a light nibble. Which was also yummy. The caprese tower… great presentation. The 3 cheese flat bread also lovely! Great service and extremely friendly staff! Check it out… you won’t be disappointed! Oh and prices are very reasonable! Enjoy!

Great place, great food, great staff!
This place offers friendly services, fantastic food, and amazing sunset.
Had «blue water» ono. WOW, great dish, ono filet and shrimps wrapped in ti leaves with some taro liked side dish. LOVED IT! the Ono was very fresh and delicious. Their ingredients are all local and fresh. I LOVED their dishes, super Hawaiian, unique, and delicious.
And, also the amazing sunset view.
Well, I think this place is way above a 2 dollar sign restaurant. However, in order to upgrade this place to a 3 dollar sign restaurant (well, the price here is definitely 3 dollar sign). If 5 stars is the highest rating for this restaurant, I would give it 4.99 stars.
What’s missing? I don’t know about you guys. But, I like nice, classy, and beautiful dishware (especially, when I go into a fancy restaurant, I would pay attention to dishware, utensils, and manners of their staff). I have to comment on the wine glasses at this restaurant. They are too thick and do not look classy, and the utensils are not uniform.
I loved the waitress I had. She was SUPER friendly and helpful on the menu. However, they sometimes forget to pay attention their customers’ needs. For instance, the waiter took my utensils after appetizers, but forgot to give us utensils for main courses. Another example would that the waitress forgot to pour wine into my glass when it was empty.
I absolutely loved their food and friendly services, amazing, truly impressive. If they can make some changes to my recommendations, I am sure that this place will be a big hit spot on the Big Island.
Imagine that, having dinner by the sea with amazing sunset view and sounds of the ocean water rushing to the lava rocks. How fantastic that is!
Dessert recommendation, island sampler, absolutely impressive.

This review is for dinner, whereas my previous review was for drinks.
Let me first say, that we were hesitant in trying this restaurant. As some of you may or may not know, this restaurant is located on the first floor of Kona Magic Sands, which is a very high end resort type condo (sarcasm…some, and perhaps most, units are a miss, but ours was a hit, lucky us). The restaurant is essentially brand new, and I had no previous reviews to go off of. In addition, we were here a couple nights ago with a not quite so superb drinking experience (though good nonetheless, see review below for that one). But this dining experience was surprising amazing.
We brought our own wine, but initially decided not to cork it because the corkage was 25, my wine was 20, so not much sense for me. Waitress Lea (Lei? sorry…) asked about a discount since we were staying at KMS, the corkage became 15, which we agreed too. Waitress was Extremely (capital ‘E’) friendly, and had I not been in a good mood today or buzzed from that wine, I might have thought she was too friendly.
Food:
–we shared a sweet lobster flatbread (delicious and unique, just enough crust/​dough), and a
–lomi lomi salmon avocado salad (salmon and spinach salad may not be a good combination, but that avocado dressing was delicious and according to Lea, is house-​made).
For entrée:
Ti leaf wrapped ono, which was cooked just the way it was requested, flaky soft creamy and NOT AT ALL overcooked, presentation wrapped in the ti leaf was very pretty and amazing, the sides that accompanied the ono was amazing as well.
Waimea (local) butterflied filet. WOW! what can i say, this steak was HUMONGOUS and cooked exactly the way I requested: medium rare more rare than medium! DAMN!
For Dessert:
Let me first say, I do not usually order dessert. But I was very very curious how else I might be surprised tonight. The waitress came over, brought one menu, set it on the table halfway, but before presenting it to us, she said «I know what you want.» And I was all like, alright, tell me what I want. And she recommended the island sampler. The sampler consisted of a key lime meringue, chocolate fudge with some kind of apple in the middle, a lilikoi cheesecake, and a sorbet made with lihingmui. She definitely knew what I wanted, HA!
In the end, the total bill was just under 100, which was another surprise as well (they didnt add on the corkage *wink wink*). This restaurant experience made me regret driving all the way out to Brown’s two nights ago (please see my review for that and dont get your hopes up). And as I have told many of Anthony’s restaurant staff, I think I’ll be back before I fly out of Kona.
Just because I feel like each Unilocal review should be balanced with pros AND cons, I feel compelled to point out some areas of improvement: bread, didn’t come and I thought they didnt offer it, until another table got some (not that I was dying to have bread, i was quite stuffed at the end), better/​nicer quality wine glasses and silverware.
This restaurant definitely has five star quality, and may even warrant diamond rating and michellin stars. its food, friendly wait staff, and superb waterfront/​sunset location makes it highly competitive with the big guys (like Brown’s, ugh).