The Hualalai Grille

They served me a drink that was bad then they forgot to make my food the only reason it’s ok is it has a cool interior but very dark and the food when I got it was not very good and the place was very expensive and no one out of the people we were sitting with liked it and there was 20 + people at our table.

Poor service, improperly prepared food, small portions (for price).
Nothing to recommend this place.

If you’re fond of golf, driving to the edge of a tropical island for dinner, and discovering that your dinner overlooks a short fairway instead of the last embers of a fiery sunset over a warm ocean, might be a delight. For the rest of us, it’s a letdown. «Letdown» was the theme of the evening.
Our server, Mike, had a speech impediment, Talking Too F***ing Fast (TTFF), munging all his words together in a single-​breathed, stuttering mega-​word. Give generously to help stamp out TTFF in our lifetimes. I, native English speaker, could barely understand him; my companion, whose first language is not English, relied on me to translate Mike’s TTFF after each of Mike’s departures.
The more desirable a la carte vegetable sides were mostly dressed in hot pepper of one sort or another (sriracha, etc.), and being intolerant of spicy heat, I asked if they’d omit the sriracha from the Brussels sprouts. Note that I didn’t say, «Put not a molecule of flavor in that pan, sir!» I said, «Leave out the sriracha.» FFS, there’s a difference. Guess what happened. You got it! A dinky $ 10 saucer of toasted Brussels sprouts without even a grain of salt on them. I’m already sick of casual restaurants assuming that «no heat» means «no flavor»; you can imagine how I feel about some four-​star steakhouse with their valet parking and obsequious attempts to address me by my name doing this.
When a dining manager of some sort came around to ask if everything was all right, and I told her about the bland sprouts and requested salt, she offered to bring me the fish sauce that was typically mixed with the sriracha during cooking. Raw fish sauce. Tell me, do you actually have trained cooks back there? You’re telling me that at a pricey resort steakhouse, unless your cookbot follows the recipe exactly, he can’t function? He can’t come up with some heat-​free substitute, like sprouts with bacon and onions, or sprouts with garlic and butter, or sprouts with balsamico? It’s either sprouts with sriracha and fish sauce, or he short-​circuits like a toaster dropped into a bathtub? The poor thing. Shall I go back there, and start cooking in his place, until he can recover?
Our second side, a $ 12 saucer of lobster mac and cheese, contained a total of two pea-​sized pieces of lobster. We were embarrassed for the kitchen, to be honest. This is what would happen if McDonald’s offered lobster mac and cheese. The McAndLobster. No.
Honestly, I struggled to find anything on the menu that I liked. It’s a short and not particularly impressive array of off-​island steaks and a mix of local and distant seafoods. There are only five steak choices, and maybe six exorbitantly overpriced toppings, such as Maine lobster, at the top of the list, for $ 36. The seafood entrees always seemed to me to be ruined by the addition of something unappetizing. I went with a simple-​looking seafood pasta that had a yellowish sauce with wine and tomatoes. It was good. Not $ 38 good, not memorable, but not problematic.
My companion ordered a six-​ounce filet mignon that was nice, but nowhere near the butter-​tender, tongue-​thrilling lozenge of ambrosia served by Merriman’s or Duke’s. For the first time in my life, when given a bite of the filet, I found myself chewing more than I can ever recall chewing on a filet mignon before.
We weren’t impressed by the dessert menu, either. The macadamia toffee pie has a fine reputation, but nothing else looked worth the calories, honestly. We were annoyed enough by the other kitchen fails to just be ready to bug out and get gelato on the way home. I snorted with laughter at a $ 16 offering of French-​pressed, 100% Kona coffee; Sam Choy’s has the exact same menu item for $ 4. You can have it, TTFF Mike and company. Peace out.

I wanted to be optimistic; OpenTable reviews were hit and miss, Unilocal seemed pretty positive.
The location is nice; 2^nd story of the golf club and cultural center at the Four Seasons. They take reservations via OT or from the hotel which is handy.
If you are desperate for a choice of steaks this could be a good place for you. However, I was disappointed to see the steaks are prime grade steaks from Wyoming. Seems lame considering what amazing beef the Big Island has to offer. I didn’t have steak as I was in search of something provided local but they might be fine.
Local fish was good; prepared well. Service sucked overall. Slow with half the restaurant full, waitress was slow with drinks, all in just not the upscale type of service you might expect being at the Four Seasons.
The main drawback and reason for the 2 stars was a specific issue with oysters. We ordered a seafood sampler for two which came with shrimp, oysters on the half shell, and king crab legs. Legs and shrimp were great (despite Alaskan king crab) but the oysters came out dry which seemed weird considering how you’re supposed to serve oysters with as much of their brine as possible. Understanding maybe it didn’t work out we asked for mignonette sauce to which our waitress just said OK and then never brought anything. We tried two out of the four oysters and they were terrible. Smelled bad and tasted worse. We didn’t eat the rest and when some staff came by to collect plates they asked immediately if we didn’t the oysters and offered to replaced with some of the king crab or shrimp which we took up on their offer. This was cool because we got something else that was good but was not cool because the immediate question and response seemed as though this wasnt the first time this had happened that evening so it seemed lame they would ever continue running them on the menu.
Slow service, crappy oysters, bunch of daily specials not available; maybe a 3 or 4 (the fish was good) for some places but at the Four Seasons this should have been excellent.

Overall, my Husband and I had a great meal at Hualalai Grille during our stay at the Four Seasons. We decided to go to the grille one night as a splurge meal to celebrate. The restaurant it very pretty and open air, but we went at night and didn’t get to really enjoy the view. I found the tables to be close together and the dining area seemed a bit tight. It was also really hot, since it was open air, but these are just minor «issues» I had. The service and the food really made up for the minor «issues» I experienced.
For dinner, the Hubs had steak and lobster and loved every bite. I had the pork dish and it was HUGE. So much food, I was a bit overwhelmed. The pork belly was delish, but the size made it a little too much. The best part of all, was the bacon mac and cheese. I WISH I had gotten this as my meal, it was SOOO… good, we are still thinking about this mac and cheese and wanted to get it via room service several times. We were so full from our wonderful meal, we didn’t get dessert, but everyone around us had some and it looked great. Oh and the bread basket is fabulous as well!
If you’re interested in a fancy, good quality meal and have some money to spend, for sure hit up Hualalai Grille.

Best restaurant on the island. Super staff, beautiful ambiance, great food and drink. This is what you dream Hawaii to be, island breeze, ukulele music, great food.

The first night of our stay at the Hualālai Resort we were in the mood for some prime steaks so we headed to the Hualālai Grille, which is located above the club shop overlooking the golf course and ocean. The restaurant has a causal elegance with the breezy open air ambiance and dark woods décor.
My husband and I both ordered the 6oz filet and he paired his with Alaskan king crab legs. I was tempted to pair my steak with lobster, but I wanted to make sure I had room for desserts. I prefer my steak with no additional sauce, but you have your choice of spicy house ketchup, chilichurri, tomato relish, mint sauce, peppercorn, or béarnaise. The steaks and crab legs were delicious and cooked perfectly.
We decided to splurge and try both of their dessert specials: a lilikoi tart and a trio of malasada ice cream sandwiches. The lilikoi filling was very rich and perfectly tart. I just love the idea of a malasada ice cream sandwich! Two desserts I love paired so well together.
Service was excellent at the Hualālai Grille. A wonderful traditional American steakhouse.

They are the only restaurant on the island with «prime» cuts of beef. So if you are serious about your steak, this is the place to go! Our family of 6 went and our orders varied from salad to seafood to steak — and we were all very impressed and happy with each of our selections. Everything was delicious! Even the pretzel buns they served in the beginning. And their service is impeccable! :D

Excellent food. Octopus appetizer was great. Steak was perfect. We didn’t have dessert, but saw several being served and wish we had.

Best date night ever! We have eaten at most of the restaurants on the resort. Best restaurant on the resort. This is our second time here and we love it. The prices are steep, but the service is top notch. The steak was amazing and cooked perfectly with great seasonings. The Mac and Cheese is better than mine and I make a killer Mac and Cheese. It is pricey but it was a great way to wrap up an amazing vacation. If we are able to come back we will be eating here again!

My husband and I ate dinner here once during our stay at the Four Seasons. Service was good, and the manager was especially friendly. The pretzel bread was fantastic, as was the thin crispy cracker bread sprinkled with sea salt. My husband enjoyed the oyster appetizer and I liked my wedge salad. For dinner, my husband ordered a lobster pasta, which he loved. Menu description: Seafood Pasta — Sautéed Lobster, Scallop, Shrimp, Mushrooms, Brillat Savarin Sauce, Penne Pasta.
This delicious pasta had chunks of pancetta in it, and we are pescetarians. Our server knew that we were pescetarians before we ordered, and he did not inform us that the seafood pasta had pancetta in it. Oh, well! A little bacon never killed anyone, and my husband said that it was his favorite meal of the trip. I ordered the baked potato, sauteed mushrooms, and the summer squash, which was tasty. We were too full for dessert.
The ambiance of the restaurant was dreamy. The soft music playing, the breeze blowing, the palm trees swaying… it made for the perfect night. It felt like we were in a tree house, since the restaurant is set up high in the palm trees. On our next trip to Hawaii, we will be back to the Hualalai Grill!

Went here for an anniversary dinner and the food was delicious and service superb. Ranks up there with the best steakhouses. They brought us the macadamia nut toffee cake for dessert and if was amazing!

Omg… so good! Perfect for our last dinner in Hawaii. Nice, laid back atmosphere. Everything we ate was fantastic. We loved the a la carte sides that were big enough for our table of 3 to share. Great portion sizes. Service was wonderful. The only negative thing to complain about is the view. There really isn’t one. The trees & condos/​villas block almost any view of the sunset/​beach you might have. It wouldn’t keep me from coming back though…

Lynn S. in her review of this place said it best,
«Magnificent view, average to average minus food, at Michelin star rating prices.»
I couldn’t say it any better than that. That’s exactly what we experienced last night.
On top of that, the service was way below standard. Waiter was unhelpful, condescending at times, and MIA most of our meal. He completely forgot to bring the beer I ordered when we sat down. He didn’t realize he hadn’t brought it until I asked him to remove it from the bill at the end of our meal. Ever so slight apology, but didn’t seem like a big deal to him.
CLAM CHOWDER — A bit of a starchy mess. I’m born and raised in Boston and this clam chowder didn’t do it for me. I took a bit and left it.
ALASKAN KING CRAB LEGS — 3 very skinny legs. Smelled fishy to begin with. Not good.
SEAFOOD PASTA — My daughter’s dish. Tomato-​based sauce. She said it was OK.
BRUSSEL SPROUTS — These were fried to death. Overcooked, over-​carmamelized, lacking the simple flavor of what should be the star – BRUSSEL SPROUTS!
CAULIFLOWER — Completely ordinary, dusted with a curry bread crumb. Sorry, not even close to what a Michelin-​starred restaurant should be serving.
BABY WEDGE LETTUCE — Just average, nothing special.
The owner or the manager is out of touch and it shows in the quality of food being served as well as the quality of service.
We are staying at the Four Seasons where Hualalai Grill is one of 4 restaurants. Later in the week I think we have another reservation here, but after this, I think we’re going off-​site to find some better food.

Tremendous… Starting with the open-​wall seating so you’re protected from sprinkles but can enjoy the sea breeze, moving through cocktails, wine and an amazing dinner, this place is hard to beat. If you’re staying at the Four Seasons don’t miss it. If you’re not staying there, don’t miss it. They, like the other restaurants on property, offer a great GF menu. They were also able to customize a dish based on existing ones so that I felt like I got the best of all possible options. Our server, Michael, had a terrific sense of humor and was attentive without being obtrusive. Overall, definitely a 5-​star experience.

«Fabulous, Incredible, Wonderful, Amazing»
will have to say I enjoyed the food in this one the best. It had a nice view overlooking the golf course and resort. We had steak and fish and both were wonderful. The service was also very good. If dinning at the Four Seasons don’t forget about the Hualalai Grill, it might just be your best meal.

Despite the fact that we are on the big Island every year, this was our first visit to the Four Seasons and the Hualalai Grille. The room is very nice, the menu leans more towards beef than fish, and the prices, even by Hawaii standards are high. In addition everything is a la carte. Our party had both beef and fish, and the food was good, service was acceptable, but when considering the price, I can’t award 5 stars

It’s so hard to play favorites, every restaurant at the Four Seasons was out of this world, but I think this one wins by a slight margin in my book. The experience from start to finish was outstanding, and even though it was very very expensive, it was absolutely worth every single penny.
Our server could have been on the radio (it turns out he used to be!) with his voice. Both him and his manager were extremely well versed in the menu, and made everything sound so delicious.
The Ahi was beyond fresh, our entrees were perfectly portioned, and the dessert was BEYOND decadent. The atmosphere was wonderful and the drinks were heavy on the pour.
What can I say? I would go back time and time again, it’s worth it!

Had our a wedding rehearsel dinner because we did not want to burden everyone with leave the Four Seasons to go to Merrimans. Was pleasantly suprised with high quality of dishes prepared. Best Bison steak I’ve ever had and everyone was very pleased!
Giving 5 starts despite the hostess screwing things up that made us wait 15 before a server was sent to our table.

Alan Wong’s praise traveled to Maui where several people told us we had to check out his restaurant when we got to the Big Island. And the restaurant just happened to be located within the spectacular Four Seasons resort we were staying at. We made reservations at this beautiful restaurant, overlooking the Four Seasons golf course for the first night we were there.
And we were not let down… everything was incredible starting with the bread basket and unique tasting butters served with it. Then again every restaurant we visited in Maui and the Big Island had very impressive bread baskets… there will be no atkins dieting in Hawaii. And there will be no sobriety in Hawaii either because the pineapple infused vodka drink I had was so worth a hangover the next day.
At our waitress’s suggestion we ordered the tuna tartare as an appetizer. Surely the best tuna tartare ever! And while on a tuna kick I ordered the ahi tuna for my entre, which was remarkably fresh. My husband ordered the onaga (some type of snapper) and he’s still talking about it weeks later. I had a few bites and have to agree it was pretty delicious, but I was mostly concentrating on eating his garlic mashed potatoes– YUM! And then for dessert we let the waitress pick for us once again (she seemed to know her stuff!) and out came a heavenly vanilla bean cheesecake with lots of caramel sauce on the side. So good that when the cheesecake disappeared into our stomachs I helped myself to spoonfuls of caramel. Yes, gross, but you know you’d do it too.
The real surprise came at the end of the night when our waitress told us our bill, which would have been around $ 200, had been taken care of by the family sitting next to us. I turned around to see if someone famous (perhaps the Brangelina crew?) was sitting next to us, but it was just a young couple with 2 small children… no one I’ve seen gracing the pages of US Weekly. We asked them why they picked up our meal and they said they felt bad disrupting our meal when they had 2 babies, who I should add were miraculously well behaved for 2 small children. We thanked our benefactors graciously and returned to the restaurant 2 nights later (this time with friends staying on the Big Island). We ordered the same exact dinner (although spring rolls instead of the tuna tartare — a mistake!) and enjoyed it just as much, even when we had to pay for it.