CanoeHouse

I’d like the start out with the positives. Beautiful setting, beautiful weather and overall, we love the Mauna Lani.
But, our experience at The Canoe House was underwhelming at best.
First problem: I ordered a Manhattan with rye. Our server took quite a while, just to come back and say they don’t have rye. What kind of bar doesn’t have rye? especially at these prices. Anyway, I go on and ask her what kind of bourbon they have, she has to go check…
10 minutes later, she comes back and says they have Makers Mark and Jim Beam, obviously I have to choose the Makers.
15 minutes after that, we’ve gotten our salads, my dining companions have gotten their wine, yet still no manhattan and no sign of our server. We finally flag someone down who finds our server who then finally brings my drink. She brings it in a shaker that has been obviously sitting on the bar for a half hour. Needless to say, it was a watery mess. I get her to bring me a new one, and it’s not as watery, but still a mediocre manhattan.
OK, but enough about the drink…
When our food finally arrived, it was cold. Tasty, but cold. My dining companion mentioned that his ribeye was cold and our server said it was because he ordered it medium rare. More like, it was cold because it sat for 30 minutes before she served it (this was true for all our dishes, my short rib was cold too.)
When we finally got our check, it took her forever to run our credit card.
Overall, beautiful location, bad service and mediocre food.
I wouldn’t go again.

I ate here several times last year and enjoyed our experience. Last night was a different story. We had a party of 10 which was booked days before. The service was slow and not attentive at all. One person at the table had to go to the bar to get drinks because the wait was so long for the server. Two ordered the lobster dish which was difficult to find the lobster. The manager did take it off the bill. I had ribeye which was tough. 2 others in our party had the same meal which was tough also. Not a good experience. I won’t go there again.

A stunningly beautiful restaurant. The reviews that rate this restaurant as excellent are correct. We had a spectacular time. I’d love to go every night. Decent martinis, maybe a little weak but presented well. It is just as beautiful after the sunset so don’t feel obliged to eat early. This is a great restaurant.

Ok. Not too many veg options. And they were out of a lot of the desserts. Drinks were soso. The waiter spilled my drink on me and didn’t even apologize. Nice ambiance.

This is going to sound like one of those credit card commercial but it’s true. AMAZING food, EXCELLENT service, the experience… PRICELESS!
In all seriousness this is one of the best dining experiences I have ever had. We were privileged to get a reservation for the Captains Table on our actual anniversary date! The Captains Table is a personalized experience where the Chef does a surprise custom menu, 5 courses just for you and your guests. You can chose to have wine pairings or not — although I would highly recommend the pairings if you drink. You fill out a questionnaire ahead of time so that the Chef knows if you have any allergies or any foods that you will not eat. The Chef comes out and talks to you about each course. The restaurant manger who was our sommelier verified with the Chef each wine pairing. He was so much fun and extremely educational. Our server was absolutely wonderful as well. She was perfectly balanced with being very attentive but also allowing us space. We spent over 4 hours enjoying this wonderful experience –I realize that most people wouldn’t stay that long :) — and we loved every minute! Thank you Canoe House we will be back next year!

The Canoe House was fabulous. The setting can’t be beat being right on the ocean.
Our service was excellent especially server, Shelley. We both ordered the sea wood encrusted Ono & we’re very pleased.
Best meal we have had on the islands!
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The food was definitely good, but the Oceanside view is really what you are paying for here.

The meal was marvelous, the ambiance amazing and the service by Shelly was superior!
We were engaged here by candlelight and serenaded by a lovely man. We ate, we cried, we conquered! Thank you Canoe House, for a magical and memorable experience!

We came here for the «sustainable abalone», because we love to try all sorts of foods, and abalone is one thing we’ve never had. It was lovely. The foods were well prepared, local salads and goat cheeses, and a nicely prepared ono. Overall, for the price, everything was very good. I’d recommend coming here for a nice dinner.

My husband and I had a marvelous dining experience here on our previous trip. During this one, not so much.
Tables are not guaranteed. Period. Don’t expect to sit outside with the beautiful view every time. We made the first possible reservation so as to get the first pick seating. We arrived 15 minutes early and were told to wait while the waiters prepped the restaurant. Two other couples arrived after us and were quite aggressive as to their seating. Instead of waiting, they forced their way to a table – the best ones. Meanwhile, we were patient and waited to be seated. By the time these obnoxious people were seated, we were forced to sit inside. The host should have given us the priority because we had reservations and arrived first. It was a very bad start to our meal.
It then took 10 minutes for a waiter to greet us at our table. By this point, we were so annoyed and underwhelmed by the menu, we simply got up and left.
To conclude, this is a fabulous location, but the service is not well trained and the food is above average. You are certainly paying for the view.

Another wildly successful Thanksgiving dinner! Jill our server did a great job. She had the kitchen customize the serving sizes per my husband’s request. Not so much of this, more of that, based on our prior years’ experience.
I knew I’d poach a little turkey from my husband’s plate, so I ordered the prime rib. It was cut perfectly to my order of medium rare. It’s served with a good portion of au jus, but the best condiment of all is their Horseradish Crème Fraiche. I needed a second ramekin, it was so good!
Do you drink decaf as we do after dinner? Theirs must be the richest and strongest around!
We’ll keep coming here for Thanksgiving dinner forever!

Amazing ambience, the most beautiful location I have sen for dinner yet. Large out door deck over looking the beach and ocean with pretty great live music. Expensive food but so is everything on the island. Some portions but good quality. I had grilled shrimp and pork BBQ ribs which were both amazing. The chicken is also very good. The food is pricy but good and the view will make you forget all about the check!

View and service are great. It was windy when we came so they sat us at a deck seat, partially covered from the gusts.
Pork rib appetizer was yummy — I only had a single bite before it was all gone. My steak was cooked just as I like it (rare-​med rare) and very flavorful. The lobster was good, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend getting it there. The fresh fish plate is yummy.
Drinks are good. Kids got a virgin piña colada with a strawberry swirl — I’m sure it’s even better liquored up :)

The drinks were fantastic– very strong– we like them strong.
The food however was only ok. Apparently they have a new chef that doesn’t know how to cook steak. Ordered a medium rare received a medium. Had to ask for salt need I say more?
The pork buns were a little greasy. The tuna tartar had too much sauce. The ribs were yummy but the presentation looked like a hot mess.
The dessert was fantastic!
I choose to give them 3 stars as the food lacked flavor.

We were disappointed to choose this restaurant as the place to celebrate our anniversary.
The view was spectacular. The food was average (for that price). Server doesn’t know the wine very well…
We made reservation through the concierge at Mauni Lani Bay Hotel where we stayed for our anniversary /​baby’s birthday trip. None the hotel nor the restaurant provided extra service (such as cake or wine) like most other high end restaurants we experienced on our special occasions. It was a disappointment.

The Canoe House has one of the most amazing views on the island. Overlooking the ocean with the open air patio is flawless! The view alone keeps you in awe during your entire meal. 5 stars for the décor and venue.
Service: 3.5 Star.
Waitress was lovely and gave a great description of the menu. However she seemed to be MIA for most of the evening when we were thinking of ordering more drinks etc. The complimentary cold wash clothes were also left on our table for far too long. For such an upscale restaurant I felt it should’ve been taken off our table right after washing our hands, not right before our main course. Also our water glasses weren’t refilled towards the end of the evening. For $ 100 a person I expected more.
Food: 5 Stars.
Everything was fabulous! From start to finish every item was delicious.
appetizer: tempura lobster– perfect for 1 or 2 people. Only comes with two small pieces of tempura lobster but the flavors were amazing! Fish eggs, crunchy lobster, and the seaweed salad underneath was beyond amazing!
Salads: Butter Lettuce Salad– one of the best salads I’ve had. Fresh butter lettuce, candied bacon, tomatoes, cucumber, onion. So fantastic, the dressing was fresh and light.
Main course: Seared Ahi Tuna.
Rare on the inside cooked to perfection. So tasty & fresh. The quinoa underneath was also some of the best I’ve ever had. Great dish. Only recommendation would be to have the quinoa more on the side, the quinoa was sticking to the fish since it was searched underneath so every bite lacked a true tuna taste with everything stuck on it, the simplicity of the tuna was kind of ruined by this.
Tip: Pass on the cocktails here: mai tai and piña colada were meh

Most delicious food and such a relaxing atmosphere. So nice to take a load off and feel the cool ocean breeze. When I think of dining on the coast for the sunset, this is where I envision myself! Such a wonderful find.
Plus the wait staff are very kind. And Azzy is a sweetheart.

The setting is spectacular. Outdoor space, larger than the Four Seasons down the road, yet still intimate. Had the abalone app, and yes, it was tasty. Colorado lamb chops were beautiful and had lots of meat, fish special was mahi mahi in a light thai curry sauce (yummy), short ribs were ok… banana storm ice cream was a surprise, banana ice cream with strawberries and chocolate.
Bit of a walk to the venue but totally worth it. If you have trouble with the walk, the valet guys will drive you down in the golf cart thingy. Super helpful!

When you look up Oceanfront dining in the dictionary, this place is it. Canoe House is located on the backside of the hotel. This place has a nice ambience with outdoor seating facing a picturesque view the ocean and row of Palm trees
Decided on a couple of the apps: the Shrimp and ribs.
The shrimp was complemented well with the sauce.
I found myself leaving something to be desired with the rib and can’t exactly put my finger on it.
Mad props to Joe, the bartender mixed the best drinks I had on the trip, no doubt.
Definitely is a spot I’d consider bringing the future Missus

On Wednesday, 7÷16÷14, my girlfriend and I ate at CanoeHouse for dinner. We were staying at Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows so we decided to give CanoeHouse a try.
Atmosphere/​Décor:
The restaurant is beautiful! You are literally eating on the beach right next to the ocean. There are palm trees everywhere and you can hear and see the waves of tthe shoreline. The restaurant has an open floor plan. There were plenty of outdoor dining tables as well as indoor tables to sit at. We sat outside of course. If you literally want to eat on the beach, this restaurant is for you. The views are amazing! There’s no décor that could compare to having the actual ocean right in front of you.
Food:
I started off with the Caesar Salad (baby romaine, croutons, parmesan.) It was decent but not the best I ever had. I felt like the dressing could of been better. I ordered the Pulehu Pork Ribs (spicy soy, bacon pineapple baked beans, house citrus slaw) for my main entrée. The pork ribs were hands down some of the best ribs I’ve ever eaten! They were literally fall off the bone and melt in your mouth! The ribs were loaded with flavor an so so tender and moist. The beans and slaw were good as well. I would of liked some type of potato dish on the side rather than the beans. I also ordered the Bacon n’ Green Onion Biscuits (kiawe honey, wild flower honey, waimea butter.) The biscuits were really good and baked perfectly. The kiawe honey and wild flower honey were absolutely delicious! They were very fresh and sweet. They both had a unique taste.
My girlfriend started off with the Roasted kobacha squash soup (house bacon, roasted pumpkin seeds, garlic croutons.) She said it was one of the best soaps she’s ever had in her life! She literally scraped the bowl clean with bread. For her main entrée she went with the Ahi Tuna Steak (quinoa, soy glaze, caviar.) She liked it but she wished there was more soy glaze to dip the tuna in. For dessert she ordered the Tropical Fruit Compote, Kona Mango Sorbet. We both liked this dessert a lot. The compote was fresh and very flavorful.
Service:
Our waitress was very nice. She thoroughly went through the menu with us and answered all of our questions. She was very attentive throughout our dinner.
Overall:
CanoeHouse is a really nice restaurant with amazing views, great food and good service. The views alone are worth going for! I highly recommend this restaurant if you are staying on the Big Island… One more thing, if you go to the CanoeHouse look out for a cute little tabby cat looking for scraps. He is very sweet so throw him a bite. FYI, he really loves the seared Ahi ;).