Roy's Kaanapali — Restaurant in Maui

We're Roy's junkies and have been for years so when I was planning a trip to Maui it was the one thing I knew had to be on the list, especially since the bulk of the mainland locations had been sold off to Applebee's by the Outback group. I knew that the Hawaiian locations had been kept by the original Roy's so I didn't want to miss out! Being in the golf course resort spot is a step up in location and view, for sure, but you're looking at golf course scenery, no water... The decor is, for my taste, a little blingy and silvery compared to my favorite Roy's locations more rustic wood tones and darker fabrics. But the promise of Roy's fusion food make the decor a secondary concern! LOL some of the familiar standards were offered as well as very fresh island fish.

I seriously had been looking forward to the Hawaiian martini that takes about a week to properly marinade the pineapple in vodka... They didn't have it here but the bartender whipped up the instant version of it for me. It was a valiant attempt but not the drink of been dreaming about since getting my plane tickets purchased months ago...

The seared blackened ahi was fantastic on my Duo main course but my opah was well past medium and had to be replaced. They were quick to bring a portion back to me that was cooked to the medium temperature that they suggest you choose. Crisis averted!

Beet salad was good but not great... The consistency of the multi colored beet chunks ran from very firm to almost collapsing.

My dining partner had the Caesar salad which had actual filets of anchovies on the salad instead of in the dressing so she was surprised and simply moved them aside without sampling them. I thought they looked like they were probably fresh anchovy rather than the pungent canned sort that gets used in Cesar dressing but I'm not really sure. She had the crab cake small plate as her entree and noted that it was pretty zippy on her palate.

We ended with the macadamia nut tart since chocolate in the evening was an issue for my dining partner otherwise I'd have ordered the chocolate souffle. It was VERY sweet and rich.

The staff made the dual birthdays we were celebrating special with lilikoi cake, complete with candle and birthday hats!

One thing that I have to say disappoints me about restaurants that are THE eating spot for a venue and serve breakfast, lunch and dinner to guests on that property is that there tends to be an impact on the ambience and this location suffers from that as well. There were about a half dozen children within my peripheral vision. Some were a little older and very well behaved and you wouldn't even have known they were there. Others.... Not so much. This is a high end restaurant and children shouldn't be expected to sit still or quietly as long as it takes for an excellent, adult - style meal to be ordered, served and enjoyed by their parents and other diners . We always chose Roy's because it was predictably intimate in the dining room and more bustling nearer the kitchen if you like that sort of thing. A child running around from table to table lessens the experience from my perspective and, yes, I have a child but I would never have taken him to a high end restaurant where he could have been uncomfortable and the focus of another table's less than desirable dining experience. Just my opinion but had I known ahead of time I might have made different plans for spending the most on any meal during my vacation.

If you don't have a Roy's near you, I still say go...

UPDATE: Though our experience was still disappointing, I am pleased to report that after posting this review I was contacted by a manager, “Kristen”who went out of her way to understand my complaint and to make the situation better. She was extremely kind and helpful, and I do now plan to return to enjoy the best that Roy’s can offer. I hope that it will be like my first fine experience.

Huge disappointment! For a long time Roy's had carried the reputation of being a must upon visiting the Ka'anapali area. Upon reviews and the recommendations of good friends we first tried Roy’s in 2019. Food was great and service was impeccable. Our second visit in July 2021 was not quite as impressive but wonderful nonetheless.

So when we planned a very special family dinner to celebrate milestone birthdays the three of us who had previously visited along with 4 more guests really looked forward to a special night.unfortunately it was a big letdown to the degree that two members of our party left in tears. There were many missteps mostly due to our server. We were seated in a dark corner. Our server pushed her opinions when asked for input on menu choices rather than listening to our wishes. she was very unprofessional bordering on rude and shared inappropriate comments about her life, she cleared/grabbed unfinished beverages in an attempt to get us to order more. Two of our guests order non alcoholic drinks but when she brought them she asked oh do you taste alcohol in there? Then ran back to the bar to confirm. If there had been alcohol it could've caused health issues for the guest and instead the server was flippant. There was no toilet paper in the filthy bathroom and when we told the the hostess she laughed and said oh I guess I forgot to put more there. Two of us ordered the short ribs which were not at all the way the menu described ( nor the way we had enjoyed on our previous visit) It was Under-seasoned and it was dry with over half of on piece served being fat. It may have been an off night but upon this experience I can no longer recommend this travesty. I have great respect for Roy Yamaguchi but this staff is not carrying...

Roy's Kaanapali served us hostility masked by politeness.

Arriving 15 minutes early for our reservation, we found the waiting area sparse but adequate for us all to sit once another party was seated. The restroom was clean and stocked. However, the hostess—a dismissive blonde woman with a bun—tried seating us, including our minor children, in the bar. When we requested another table, she curtly insisted none were available by the window. After clarifying that we hadn’t requested one by a window, she led us to a table near the kitchen—a few feet from a four-top table by the window sitting empty. That set the tone for the night.

Service remained unwelcoming and rude. Our waiter, Michael, was mostly absent and brusque when present, cutting us off mid-sentence. Only one server, Sarah, showed any warmth and responded to us when we requested something.

The food was mostly good but flawed. The mai tais came garnished with limes that were brown. My husband enjoyed his steak, though they were out of the lobster tail he wanted to add to it. My grilled au and shrimp duo arrived lukewarm, the fish dried out. Our daughter found her honey mustard short rib just "okay," while our son's ribeye was well-prepared but the plate presentation was clunky and lazy. The calamari was a hit, but the Caesar salad wasn’t worth the price, nor was the beet salad, which seemed to feature canned, diced beets.

Service was slow—our entrées took over 20 minutes. Empty dishes and glasses gathered on the table because Michael was too busy standing at the pass to bother checking on us. In the open kitchen, cooks lacked proper equipment like a salamander, resorting to makeshift methods like holding food up to the broiler, leading to unevenly/improperly cooked dishes like my au.

The final straw? Watching a party of two get seated at the once "unavailable" window table. We paid over $400 for average food and inhospitable service, spending the meal pointing out disparities in how we were treated. Lesson learned: we won’t return and I don't...