Kona's — Restaurant in San Francisco

Wanted to love it — but left underwhelmed

I’ve been meaning to check out Kona’s ever since they reopened after the pandemic. A couple of friends and I finally went recently, wanting to support them and see what the vibe was like. The space is fine — nothing fancy, but decent enough for a casual happy hour spot.

Unfortunately, the experience just didn’t hit the mark.

It took about 15 minutes before anyone came by to take our order, and it wasn’t even busy. That set the tone. When the drinks came, they were okay — well-balanced — but really small. For $18, we expected a standard cocktail, not something served in what felt like a glorified shot glass. I get that costs are up in SF, but if prices are going up, the portion shouldn’t be shrinking at the same time. That just leaves people feeling shortchanged.

The music was another thing — way too loud for a space that’s not trying to be a club. It made it hard to have a conversation or settle in. We had one drink each and decided to move on.

I’m not writing this to bash the place — I really wanted to enjoy it. But it’s tough to justify coming back when the value just isn’t there. If Kona’s wants to attract a regular crowd beyond one-time convention traffic, I hope they’ll take a closer look at the guest experience. There’s still time to...

Fell in love with the bar! I went here with a friend for happy hour after grabbing food a few blocks north. She had it saved to her go to but couldn’t remember why. We had no regrets as soon as we sat down!

All the drinks had some inspiration to pets of the world: Asian, African, americas, etc…

You’d think it would’ve been the same cocktails that you’ve had elsewhere but here it’s different… the bartenders love to experiment and add/modify ingredients and methods for the drinks.

I’d go on to describe them but I would not do them justice as each one we ordered had a unique story and/or process in making them. You really can’t go wrong with any of them!

The bartenders were not only very knowledgeable but also very polite and passionate about what they do. We had two that brought our drinks to us (bartenders also served as the runners at the time) and each gave descriptions on each of our orders and also asked us questions to help make recommendations on our next order. Something rarely seen from other bars.

Go for the cocktails, stay for the people. The ambiance is great but what will bring me back is the passion that the bartenders have for their craft. It makes the cocktail drinking experience that...

I was able to stop in for some cocktails on two nights right after SF reopened for limited indoor dining. As such, you have to order food and parties of more than two cannot sit at the bar.

The menu is full of fantastic drinks: there’s something for everyone. I started with an Iran So Far Away that was bright and slightly sweet — perfect way to kick off the evening. I gave the Milk Was a Bad Choice a try and it was one of the best clarified milk punches I’ve had in a while.

There’s not a single drink on the menu that I didn’t like. The selection of spirits is fantastic and if you’re aching to sit again in Pacific Cocktail Haven (PCH) this is a pretty good approximation. The service was impeccable and it was a such a chill atmosphere.

If you’re looking for something refreshing, check out some of the highballs on the back...