Kona Cafe for Dinner

[azcavalier]

Free dining was released for late fall yesterday (to Disney Visa Card holders), and found out that we had booked our vacation during one of the blackout periods....Jersey Week! So, we actually pushed our vacation back a week to start on Nov. 10th. Downside of this was we had to try to get all new ADRs, and its well past the 180 day mark. But, for the most part, I got everything...

....except for O'hana. To me, this is not a big deal, because the family we're taking to WDW for the first time are not big meat eaters. If you don't love meat, O'hana is not for you. So, to fill the spot, I opted for the Kona Cafe. We've never tried it. I've heard about breakfast there...people seem to love Tonga Toast. But what about dinner?

Oh, and FYI for anyone who cares, this also means that we're releasing our ADRs for Le Cellier (Lunch for 9 people) on Nov. 6th. So if anyone is looking...

[mydisneygirls]

Although we've stayed at the Poly many times, we've never eaten at Kona. Have you looked to see if Grand Floridian Cafe has availability? Remember, the closer you get to your trip ADR open up.

[Itchy]

I have eaten at Kona quite a few times, the most recent in May and will be there again in Sept.

I think you have made a good choice although some have had bad experiences. I have always gotten good service and food.

Hope this helps...:mickey:

[LandFan]

We love Kona! DH LOVES the Teriyaki steak dish. We actually like it more than O'hana - a LOT more. We like being in the open lobby area of the Poly where we can hear the waterfall and see the monorail out the window...

[SBETigg]

Kona has a lot of fans, but I am not one of them. We had a mediocre meal, gave it a second shot, and had an awful meal. I love the Poly lobby, but the atmosphere of Kona is not my favorite. Service has been okay though. I would totally ignore my review and try it for yourself. You might be one of the fans. But I would choose Grand Floridian Cafe.

[Arielfan98]

Kona is great for families! They serve Hawaiin style bread and the menu features Pomegranate Porkchop (my favorite!!!), steak (which if I remember correctly has a pineapple glaze to it), and a noodle dish. The kids will love the desert options. Kona is known for serving a "build you're own sundae" with cotton candy.

[Disney4us2]

I have had 3 good dinners at Kona. DD loved her meals there as well. I loved the steak, and the desserts are really good. Last time I had a fruit plate with a chocolate dipping sauce. DD had the Kona Cone, which is a waffle ice cream cone with cotton candy under it. I would return here for another dinner.

[figgie]

One of our favorite places to go and eat. We live close by and choose this place at least once a month. Have always had good food and special care for our gluten-free diet!

[Tinkerbella16]

Good choice! Kona is my absolute favorite restaurant in WDW. I booked 2 ADR's for my trip in September.. 1 for breakfast and 1 for dinner. I cannot wait to have the Teriyaki Steak! I have never had a bad meal at Kona. The service has always been great also. :mickey:

[coloradowendyl]

I ate there a few weeks ago and had the the Tuna Oscar! I love tuna and this was cooked perfectly! I actually prefer Kona to Ohana!

Wendy

[KathyMO]

Kona is a favorite of ours. We eat there at least once every trip.

[AllDisney]

We are headed to WDW in September and have made reservations at Kona. Glad to read all the positive posts:mickey:

This will be our very first visit to this restaurant and can't wait!

[Katzateer]

We love Kona! DH LOVES the Teriyaki steak dish. We actually like it more than O'hana - a LOT more. We like being in the open lobby area of the Poly where we can hear the waterfall and see the monorail out the window...

I agree! And I love the Teriyaki steak also. Other great choices too. And the desserts are almost as good as CG!

Have fun!:mickey:

[ElenitaB]

Kona has a lot of fans, but I am not one of them. We had a mediocre meal, gave it a second shot, and had an awful meal. I love the Poly lobby, but the atmosphere of Kona is not my favorite. Service has been okay though. I would totally ignore my review and try it for yourself. You might be one of the fans. But I would choose Grand Floridian Cafe.
:ditto:
We used to love Kona but our most recent visits left a lot to be desired. Several members of our dining party all concurred that the entrees were well conceived but poorly executed.

Your mileage may vary.

[AgentC]

We have had one excellent meal (with rather slow service) and one bad meal at Kona. Management's and the server's response to the bad meal was very good.

We ate there Friday night. My husband had the popular Teriyaki steak. I had the scallops and panko breaded shrimp, and both my children had plain pasta with butter and slat. Our food took over 40 minutes to come out.

The pasta was dried out and my meal was tasteless and dry. My husband's steak was excellent. We mentioned to the waiter that we were not happy. A few minutes later a manager came out and told me he had looked at our plates and agreed the food was not well prepared. He took everything off our check except the check.

I may have caught them on a bad night, so I agree with Sherri- you should still try it out for yourself.

[RedSoxFan]

We had dinner at Kona Cafe a couple of years ago. Great meal. Have ADR's for it in November.:mickey:

[BiloxiMom]

LOVE Kona. Love, love, love! The food is fabulous and we've become friends with one of the servers. He actually remembers us from visit to visit. (He wants to take my dh to play golf next time we're there!) We've booked 2 dinners with them and a breakfast on our Oct. trip!

[Jared]

I still like Kona -- and 'Ohana, for that matter. I tend to stay on the bandwagon longer than most others, I suppose. ;)

Seriously, though, I can make a wonderful meal at Kona with the unbelievable bread, the sticky wings and the killer desserts. The restaurant offers some nice entrees as well, but I think appetizer and dessert is where Kona really thrives.

[Disneyglamour]

I LOVE Kona!!! Everything that everyone has mentioned is fabulous plus the have great sushi!! If you're a sushi lover I would suggest getting the Volcano roll. AMAZING!!

[cer]

We enjoy Kona for dinner. I read somewhere that they do everything teriyaki well, and I have found that to be true.

On the dinner they have a teriyaki steak dish with rice. FYI, if you prefer, you can ask for teriyaki chicken and even substitute potatoes for the rice.

The last 2 times I ate there I had the fondue for dessert and really liked it.

[Bethanymouse]

We Love Love Love Kona! Yes, breakfast is great, but I have to say, so is dinner! We reorganized our trip a few weeks ago too- but ours was to accommodate a trip to Kona for dinner. I know you will love it!:mickey:

[KarenP]

I like Kona Cafe a lot too. My favorite dish is the beef teriyaki salad, but it is only served for lunch.

[Guya103]

Our family has a terrific meal every time we dine here. It is a must visit each trip. Many times we eat here more than once per visit to WDW. :mickey:

[VWL Mom]

Is the sushi menu still available at dinner time?

[madhatterrules]

We had a really nice meal there. My daughter is still talking aboout her Teryaki steak with the pineapple on it. My husband had the tuna oscar which was very good. I had the shrimp & scallops which were good but could have used some seasoning; they were very bland. Desserts were really good; my daughter loves the Kona Cone!

[Travis1717]

We ate at Kona in June and had a GREAT meal! It was our first trip there and we'll definitely be going back. Bread, teriyaki steak, and desserts were all fantastic. Also enjoyed their tropical drinks!

[missastrocat]

I like Kona for dinner. I've gone there twice and enjoyed it both times. I wanted to go there again this year but I wanted to try other places I've never been before. The food from the bread, main course, and dessert was all great. I believe I had the teriyaki steak both times. I would definitely recommend Kona.

A little off topic, but to the OP, I'll be there starting Nov. 10th too(staying at POR as well). I found an opening for Ohana's but opted not to go to it because my DH isn't too keen on character meals. I think we ended up at Sanaa at AKL instead.

[azcavalier]

A little off topic, but to the OP, I'll be there starting Nov. 10th too(staying at POR as well). I found an opening for Ohana's but opted not to go to it because my DH isn't too keen on character meals. I think we ended up at Sanaa at AKL instead.

We're also going to do Sanaa, but for lunch when we spend a morning at AK. If you see a bald guy wandering around in either a Virginia Tech shirt or a BYU shirt, stop me to say "Hi!"