Ohana Grill — Restaurant in Lavallette

It pains me to provide a less than stellar rating given we have wanted to try Ohana for over a year and even made a reservation over a week ago all based on the other stellar reviews. Maybe they’re having an off day.

We arrived a couple minutes ahead of our 5:15 reservation and was greeted with a mixed welcome. A bright smile from a blonde hostess and a scowl from a brunette in a Lilly Pulitzer dress. I had asked about if parking was allowed in one of the numbered spots but was told no and then immediately asked to wait outside given the small entrance way. No problem since my husband was already looking for parking. We waited a few minutes, my husband had arrived and then was called by the blonde but immediately told a mistake was made and it wasn’t our turn to be seated. So we patiently waited at least another ten minutes. My husband went inside to inquire and was told our party wasn’t here and they couldn’t seat us per policy- he said he was the final person and he was there when the error in calling my name was made. And the policy was never stated when we were sent to wait outside.

I got the scallops risotto and it was DELICIOUS. We also enjoyed the clams in wine (a couple had sand) and the pretzels with raspberry mustard. My older son’s cheeseburger kids meal was great. My younger son’s chicken fingers were super dark, but after re ordering he ate them and was pleasantly surprised at the tenderness. Sadly, the clams in the Thai curry were super sandy for my mom and husband. The coconut rice was al dente, much to my Asian mother’s dismay. My MIL’s stir fry didn’t state it was spicy yet it was riddled with tiny spicy pepper pieces.

Our server Nikki was an angel, it was a trying meal for some of my party given the above and she was so kind and patient.

Lastly, the women’s bathroom was out of paper towels before I walked in, I notified the staff and it wasn’t replenished by the time my mother and MIL stopped in… which just added more fuel to...

The food was delicious. I've been here a couple of times but last night, we were one of the last tables to be sat and our reservation time was 815. Our food didn't get served until close to 945, with no apology or explanation. This was a bit frustrating as you can guess we were waiting for a while. The server didn't even come back to check on us during the long wait. For example, one in my party had a soda and was never asked if they wanted a refill during the long wait. Normally, this place is great but we this was frustrating,like I mentioned, but also unexpected because by the time we left, we were the second to last table at the restaurant so you think that it wouldn't have taken so long.

Update: This place used to be amazing - albeit it there are sometimes hiccups. I lowered my rating from a 3 to 1 because last night we were served cold dishes. All of our food was less than mediocre. I ordered the Seared Ahi - the waiter said the chef recommended rare but I asked for it to be medium. No surprise with what I am about to say - it not only came out rare, it was cold in the middle. But fine, whatever. What really got me, was that one appetizer for the table was the coconut shrimp. This dish literally came out frozen. I wish I took a picture. This is not okay on so many levels. Even though this happened, we barely got an apology from the server - they just said okay, sorry, and took the dish. We weren't sure what they were going to do next - bring us another order? Not bring us another order? There was no acknowledgement from either the manager or chef or apologies from them that this happened. It's one thing to make a mistake but another to have a health code violation and it's just flat out unacceptable to not even offer an acknowledgement, let alone an apology. This is unexcusable to serve still frozen food and we will never visit here again and this story will be shared with...

We have been to Ohana Grill several times in the past years, with just my husband and I, or with guests from 4 to 12 total diners. The food is always excellent, as it was this past Sunday. We made a reservation for 12 people, but one begged out at the last minute. As parking is difficult in the summer, we arrived in 3 different groups. Although the table was ready, we were told to sit outside until the entire group arrived. This included my 89 year-old m-in-law. When I protested, they allowed us to sit at the table. Two people were late and we tried to order appetizers for the table and we were told that they would only take complete orders when everyone was seated. Now, I understand that entree orders are preferably taken when all the guests are present, but appetizers? In many better restaurants, it is not unusual to order appetizers, then while waiting for these to arrive, more leisurely peruse the menu to decide on an entree. Our server was very good and tried to accommodate us as well as she could within the restraints that the management put on her. We will come back because the food is good, but we probably will not bring too many guests...