Papa Kona Restaurant Bar - Kailua-Kona

I’m born and raised here on the Big Island so this is not a biased review but an honest one.First off, the restaurant is located in the backside of the building but in my opinion in prime location to view the ocean and Ali’i drive.As we walked in the host was very kind in greeting us and was sat along the rail looking out towards the cove.Soon after being seated the server arrived and took our order for food (at the time we didn’t know what adult beverage we wanted). In the meantime we were ready to order an adult beverage but have not seen the waiter come by in almost 15min and this wasn’t only our table. Now, it was busy but it wasn’t that busy to not be able to check on your other tables that were waiting on food. The next time the waiter came by was when the food was brought to the table and it wasn’t even the waiter assigned to our section. My partner light heartedly made a joke about our waiter disappearing and this server had the nerve to role her eyes and walk away without saying a word.Our assigned waiter finally returned and the vibe was just off at this point. We figured we would order our drinks and make the best of the situation in hopes that service got better. My partner ordered the omelet and it was a little dry and the potatoes heavily seasoned. I had the French toast which was made with Punalu’u sweet bread so it was good.Overall the food ended up being just ok. As we are eating and drinking all we could think about was closing the bill and leaving. When we flagged down the waiter we tried to emphasize with him because his section was big and it started to get packed (mind you we’ve already been here for some time when it wasn’t packed in the beginning). He gave an apology that seemed fake because if we didn’t point anything out, I doubt anything would have been said. We paid our bill and still tipped 20% because as an islander I’d prefer to give back to a local ran business vs a corporation. I am ashamed that this is how a local business is representing Kona side and the natives of the Big Island. I do think there are redeemable qualities and I hope this review as well as the others like mine aren’t discarded because we’ll just take our service to the resorts where they actually care and if they are pretending I sure as heck don’t feel it.

Most incredible meal we have had so far in Kona!! The atmosphere was great with live music, right next to the ocean. From appetizer to dessert, just incredible! Highly

Great, easy, early breakfast. Nothing better than a cup of Kona coffee with the sound of the waves crashing on the rocks. Traditional Benedict wasn’t terribly traditional when you go Kalua pork and rice, but it was delicious!! Island style French toast was bomb too!

Since listed as the top 10 on big island, Hawaii, we made this restaurant a priority during our visit; but unfortunately didn’t feel that great. Not sure if it’s cause of the time we went in. The ambience was beautiful, perfect for a date besides the sea. Food however was too salty and highly priced.

Food is excellent. Drinks are made well. Service was fantastic, thank you bartender Tomi, our experience was awesome because you are awesome! Beautiful views everywhere you look, it's either the ocean or the wood and glass design of the restaurant. Upstairs is another area that can be reserved for events, meetings, and private parties. The patios are large spacious and overlook the ocean. Happy hour is available at the bar only. Regular menu prices are moderate, many dishes are under $20. Sometimes they have live music too. I highly recommend checking it out.Parking: Garage is under the building