DECK. at Queen Kapiʻolani Hotel — Restaurant in Honolulu

I visited/ordered from the deck a few times during our stay at Queen Kapiolani. The first was during brunch. We waited at our table 40 mins before or server came to our table. I was understandable, it seemed that they may have been short on staff? I don’t want to make assumptions on that. He was apologetic and took 20% off our bill for the trouble. The I ordered a $19 house wedge and was shocked at the appetizer plate and side salad that came out. Not a big deal, I chalked it up to the expensive food bills in the area.

Second time we visited during happy hour and sat at the bar. Female bartender was great, knowledgeable and personable. Ordered mai tais and she did a fantastic job. Ordered an app of guac and chips labeled vegetarian, imagine my shock and surprise to see bacon sprinkled on guac, which is a fun take however, defeats the vegetarian label especially for those of us who don’t eat pork. Again not a big deal, bartender got us squared away.

Third time is why I am writing the review as it is happening. Ordered a house wedge salad with salmon for pick up. When my husband brought my food back, the salad was missing dressing. Went downstairs to ask for dressing and the hostess (tall, slim, brunette) was very apologetic and brought me dressing. Upon returning to my room ready to eat I noticed the salad was made with white cooking onions, did not have cucumbers, blue cheese or shallots. I was disappointed but at this point tired from beach day and hungry so I decided to eat it anyways, but then the fish was undercooked. I fought myself to not go back but again—tired and hungry.

Upon returning downstairs for now a 3rd time for the same order, I noticed they were visibly busy. I encountered the hostess who I believe is mentioned several times in review for her resting B/disgusted face. Not a big deal because at this point my face matches hers. I was told it would be 15 minutes for a refire. Ok cool. When she returned back with the new salmon I noticed it said well done which ok as long as it was cooked, she took the old salad away, told me to enjoy, and did not wait until I opened the box to see if everything was ok—which it was not, because now to my dismay I had a Caesar salad… lol so no tomatoes, white onions nothing, just lettuce salmon croutons and cheese. Did I let out a frustrated yelp? Yes yes I did, so if you heard me tonight, you know why. At this point it had been over and hour since my original order and I wasn’t going to stick around for another mistake.

Simple checks could have prevented all this, from the kitchen to the host stand. I’m sure if the tall slim hostess delivered my food, I would have gotten it squared.

Suffice it to say I will only be visiting the bar for drinks at the Deck the...

Food was fine, server was nice and did what he could.

My biggest issue with this place is them letting street panhandlers to the third story restaurant to try and corner kids into buying their 30$ Lei.

When we were seated, before menus were even handed out this lady came around to our table and went to the youngest girl in our party and started talking to her, telling her to smell the flowers of the lei and putting it on her. We were a large party so this happened on the kids end of the table away from the adults. At first we thought it was just something the restaurant did as we’ve experience at some places where they welcome us with leis.

Before we knew it she placed it over the girl and asked for 30$, which at that point she felt like she couldn’t say no, and this easily felt like one of those panhandling schemes we see when you travel to Asia or Jamaica where they put “friendship bracelets” on you and then ask for money and follow you until you do. Except the difference is you expect that from being in street markets not a so called established restaurant on the 3rd floor of a hotel.

When we realized what happen the lady had gone and we asked the server who that lady was and why she was in here panhandling to people she could target. The server said he had no idea who she was and had no affiliation to the restaurant but he would go talk to a manager.

Apparently the manager told him that that lady wasn’t involved with the restaurant but they can’t do anything about it and we should go ask for a refund from her directly? So you allow panhandlers in to harass guests and then expect the guests to figure it out? You expect this from cheap restaurants on the strip but not here lol.

I went and found that lady as she was continuing going around the restaurant pulling the same thing with other diners whom I’m sure didn’t realize what they were getting into. She easily flipped and tried being offensive and condescendingly asked if this was our first time in Hawaii and that leis are never free only at Luau’s that costs 150$, and that usually people tip her and that the kid in our family didn’t even tip her. News flash it’s not the about the money as evidence that our party spent just shy of 1k for the entire dinner but the principle of it.

I'm all for supporting small businesses and locals, just be upfront about it. "Hey I'm selling these leis for my small business and they're 30$, would you be interested?" Don't pull the same panhandling schemes we see all around the world in the streets.

The manager/restaurant is easily as compliant allowing...

I had a made a dinner reservation for my boyfriend’s birthday over a week in advance of the day. A few days before the reso, I physically went into the restaurant to speak with the hostess to request specific seating if possible, and mentioned this was a birthday celebration.

The evening of our reservation arrives and about an hour and a half before our reservation time which was for 6:45pm, I get a phone call from the restaurant saying they’d be closing at 8pm for a staff party and therefore we would have just a little over an hour for our dinner reservation, with only a 25 minute window for drinks before their last call. I asked why this information hadn’t been passed along sooner. I mentioned that I had physically come in after making plans for the reservation and not a word had been said. After some uncomfortable, ‘Oh, I’m not really sure…’ statements, there was no real answer, so I asked to speak to the manager in order to get a better understanding of what had gone wrong. I was disconnected.

I immediately called back and got through on the second call to someone who said they were the manager. I explained things on my end and asked why I wouldn’t have been told sooner that we would have a little over an hour for a birthday dinner celebration in order for us to adjust plans. The manager responded with an off-handed, ‘Sorry ‘bout that!’ and repeatedly passed the blame to the staff, saying she ‘didn’t know who I spoke to’ but they should have told me. She then went on a strange defensive ramble about the ‘difficulties’ at the restaurant lately and that she ‘guessed staff just forgot about the party and to mention the early closing before then’. The call ended with no resolution.

With some quick maneuvering on our part, we made alternate plans for the evening.

As someone with over 20 years in the hospitality industry, it was one of the least professionally handled, self-admitted mismanagement I’d experienced. Even a sincere apology would have been a better resolution than the uninterested curt dismissal we received.

I’m aware that at this restaurant the customer turnover is largely tourists (one and done patronage), so I’m not surprised about the complete lack of interest management had in righting their admitted mistake. But as customers who did come on a regular basis, we won’t...