We stopped at the Big Island Steak House for lunch the third day of our visit to the Kohala Coast. We were staying at the Marriot across the street from the King’s Shops, where the Big Island Steak House is located, and after two days of having lunch there we wanted something different. It was an OK, though not great, choice.
The Big Island Steak House is a pretty informal eatery, with all inside seating, though some tables overlook the lagoon. It’s a pleasant place, though the informality, which is not reflected in the prices, seems to colour both the service and the kitchen. Our appetizers, for example, came way after we’d finished our main course. Still, everyone was very nice (and tolerant with Michaela), so it was easy to forgive.
The menu includes standard diner/steakhouse fare, concentrating on seafood (of course) and burgers and sandwiches for lunch. Most sandwiches/burgers were about $8-12.
Mike and I decided on the appetizer platter, and Mike had a pulled pork sandwich while I had a burger with blue cheese and mushrooms. Mike liked his sandwich, the meat was of much better quality than what we’d had at the Nalu’s pool-side restaurant at the Marriot. My burger was a disappointment, however. I had asked for it medium-rare but it came well-done, which of course meant it was dry. It was served in a Portuguese bun, just like the pork sandwich, and the sweetness of the roll didn’t work at all with either the burger or the blue cheese. Indeed, I can’t imagine what they were thinking in putting that burger in that bun. The burger’s alleged toppings were also quite scant. The accompanying fries were of the large, thick variety, and they were OK.
We were actually pretty full by the time our appetizer plate came, which wasn’t a bad thing as none of its offerings were that great. The baby-back ribs were covered by a very spicy sauce that was too pungent for my taste. The buffalo wings were too thickly floured and were otherwise tasteless, the dipping sauce was OK though too messy. The egg rolls were also a failure, they were filled with very bland veggies. The coconut shrimp, however, was (in Mike’s words) awesome, very tasty. You may be better off just ordering that as an appetizer.
Big Island Steak House
King’s Shops
250 Waikoloa Beach Drive
Waikoloa
(808) 886-8805
Just got back from the Big Island. We tried this place last year, and the food was so bad I’ll never go back. The appetizers were still frozen. The meat was not cooked properly. The food was, in general, inedible. And it wasn’t even very busy that night.
The waitress was so embarrassed that when we told her how bad the food was and that we didn’t want it, after about 1 bite, she apologized and didn’t even charge us for the drinks. She was so embarrassed….
Big Island Steak House
Marga’s Foodblog… Lunch review of Big Island Steak House…
We visited BIS the first time in 2005 and had a moderate experience; certainly good enough that we were willing to return in 2006. At that time, however, the service was absolutely atrocious. The server disappeared after delivering the food and failed to return with the check – pointedly ignoring our requests relayed by other staff members. (Yes, multiple requests and we saw the other staff tell her we wanted our check.) No food is worth this lack of service and we have vowed never to return to this establishment. (My salad was mediocre but my wife’s hamburger was overcooked. She didn’t return it because it took us long enough to get our food and she just wanted to get out of there. By the way, we were on the front end of the lunch curve and still received such poor service. Furthermore, everyone in this wait person’s section of the restaurant had the same experience.)
If you’re staying at the Hilton Waikoloa Village you can get a great hamburger at the Lagoon Grill next to Dolphin Quest. It’s pricey and served in a plastic basket, but it’s out in the open with a great view of the dolphins or the lagoon with the honu (green sea turtles). The hamburger at Boat Landing Pavilion in Ocean Tower is cheaper but it is served with chips instead of fries. Neither offers the kinds of meals that Marga has reviewed, but I’d recommend either for an inexpensive meal over Big Island Steakhouse or Merriman’s Market Cafe.