Tommy Bahama Restaurant, Bar & Store — Restaurant in Honolulu

Warning: This is a long review because the experience was such a multifaceted failure. Bottom line, I do not recommend.

We went here for an early dinner and wanted to sit on the rooftop. We asked the host for a table and he pointed to the two seat table behind the hostess station. I asked if we could have a larger table with a nice view to which he responded the sand pit area and the bar also have service. I asked for a larger table again and he was insistent that this was the only table we could have because they were "very busy tonight and would fill up." I did not feel like arguing so we took the table behind the hostess station. I eagerly waited for the seating area to fill up during our meal. It did not, as you can see in the picture. Five tables stayed vacant from the beginning of our meal up to the time we walked out.

I ordered my fish well and it was no where near well done. I do not like the texture of "perfectly cooked" fish which is why I requested well to the point of being dry. Regardless of what the kitchen staff thinks is right, everyone has an individual preference for a reason. The fish itself was a low quality tapered cut with the bloodline in tact and it tasted fishy and not fresh. Additionally it had several pin bones in it, a first for me ordering fish frequently when we dine out. I didn't feel like going through the hassle of sending it back, and it was cooked just not to my preference. I ate most of it which I regretted when we cut our evening short due to feeling nauseous. A side note, friends of ours had under cooked scallops here and will not return. They actually cautioned us against going to this location because of that experience.

I was uncomfortable and do not like sitting by hostess stations or areas of heavy traffic. I was treated to our host stomping back and forth in his Louboutin shoes for the duration of our meal as well as a gathering of wait staff periodically. We had a nice view of the staircase and people coming and going during our meal. The host was rude and argumentative about the seating arrangement and drew attention to himself with obnoxious behavior several times during our meal. He was polite and accommodating to other parties and would not acknowledge us on our way out.

A note to management, it is not fun to see people selectively given preferential treatment and uncomfortable/unhappy people do not spend money, do not return and do not recommend the establishment to others. Check the other low ratings and you will see that vacant tables and denial of customer requests for seating is not an isolated incident. The hosts at Denny's let you sit where you feel comfortable and Nico's can follow customer instructions on how to cook fish well. Not to devalue either establishment but a chain that bills themselves as high end or fine dining should be able to do just as well if not better and Tommy Bahama's failed on all levels. We will not be giving this chain another chance and recommend many of the local unique options available in Waikiki over this restaurant.

The only reason I gave two stars is because our server, Gregory, was top notch and my husband had a nicely...

Overall I was about as impressed as I should have been for a branded Waikiki bar & restaurant. Without reservations, we asked for a table in the rooftop lounge for dinner. There were four of us around 6:00pm and we ended up waiting about 35-40 minutes. We were seated at a low patio table in a sand box. Interesting lounge experience, sipping Mai Tai's as tho you're on the beach, but actually 4 stories up and on the roof. The experience isn't so interesting if you're intending to eat a meal. The space was cramped and I couldn't move my chair so I was forced to swing my now sandy Olukai's over the table, spreading sand across the top. The chair was uncomfortable and positioned in a way that I was unable to sit back.

The idea is classic, classy, and has good intentions. The staff are all very attentive and courteous, and provide the Aloha vibe in a very natural and accepting way. Ambiance-wise, they had a brilliant local musician playing guitar and pedal-mixing some beautiful, relaxing music, at just the right volume. You can relax and enjoy the beautiful evening island air with friends and family and experience the Aloha vibes the scene is set for.

If all you want to do is hang out and drink.

I had a Mai Tai and it was good - certainly passable, but not extraordinary. I also had the Macadamia Nut encrusted Mahi Mahi with grilled asparagus and mushroom risotto. The fish was okay - seemed too processed for me (especially given the location) - perfectly cut (shaped), and the Mac nuts seemed "machined" on. It was cooked well, with good texture and flavor, but did seem to be lacking individuality, personality.

We shared their Pina Colada cake for dessert, and it carried the night. Layers of moist cake with rich, creamy frosting all around it really gave you the feeling if eating a sweet, decadent version of the classic cocktail.

Go for drinks and the island-ish experience. Try the cake! Maybe think about dinner...

If you enjoy Tommy Bahamas clothing then you will enjoy this restaurant. It got 2 stars only because our food arrived. Firstly the atmosphere seemed nice enough, a good view over the Waikiki beach walk on the 3rd floor. The second floor is a good high ceiling restaurant ambiance as well. The restaurant staff seem to be everywhere and nowhere all at once. Theres hostesses/hosts, bus boys, waitress/waiters, managers, shift leaders and more walking around the restaurant but somehow everyone is waiting for their food and drinks. We waited for our waiter to bring menus after sitting down, After already interacting with 4 different people to get us to our table. There was a family of 7 sitting across from us that had their kids screaming, coughing, spitting and running around the entire restaurant. We had to move tables because of it. The hostess watched it all happened and did nothing. So don’t expect there to be any sense of class or values at this restaurant. It’s not as nice or romantic as they would want it to be. When the food finally came it was not good at all. And if this restaurant didn’t have their prices 50% more than what they should be I might let it pass, but it’s clearly some highly motivated low drag chef in the back that is pushing these plates for this special location of their restaurant. The food is all over the place and nothing is quite what you want it to be. Guava BBQ ribs? Coffee coated Steak? Furikake coated salmon? There aren’t any options for just normal food that is Hawaiian or more simple. Like I said it’s basically food for The typical Tommy Bahama customer. For some reason the rooftop doesn’t have any protection for rain, so when it started raining the entire left side of the restaurant moved over causing chaos and longer waits for your waiter. All in all there are far better restaurants in Honolulu for the price. Go eat local Hawaiian...