Reviews of Kona Grill - Kansas City (Restaurant)

Kyriana Foster

When I was here last weekend, I would have rated 5 stars. Delicious sushi and AMAZING happy hour menu. However, after my experience this most recent weekend, my opinion has changed. I made a reservation online for 5 people. We arrived 20 minutes early and waited, which was fine, we were early. We were taken to the dining area ten minutes after my reservation time, and then we were told to stand and wait while tables were put together for us. Once we sat down, the table smelled like bad body odor; it was really strong. We were sitting for ten minutes before a server came over. We asked for the happy hour menu, and were informed that happy hour doesn't apply to the entire restaurant, just the bar area. The server asked the hostess to move us over to the bar for happy hour. After 15 minutes with no word from the hostess, we got up and left. The food is great and happy hour makes it completely worth it, but it seems ridiculous to a) only honor happy hour in the bar, b) only allow reservations for the dining area, and c) not inform guests of those things. We were there for almost an hour from start to finish, and we walked out without eating anything (or spending a penny, for that matter).

Melissa Palmer

I normally try to avoid this place when I want sushi because the service is horrible & in the past we've had issues with the manager being racist. We were kinda in a bind because we planned to go to happy hour but, were running late & because they offered it until 7 we opted for there. We were promptly seated which, I'll admit, happens rarely but, the host couldn't clean off the table properly. After asking him to clean it again, he dropped it on the ground (we were outside on the patio) & attempted to wipe the table with the same one. I stopped him & told him to get another. When he finally came back I had to clean the table myself because he still couldn't do it right & I refuse to eat at a dirty table. I'm not sure what issues they were having with servers but, in the 1 hour we were there we had 4 people helping us, 1 of which was the manager. It still took forever to get just water... I unfortunately was not very disappointed because this seems to be a trend with them. After this I definitely won't be back. I am disappointed with myself because the over 80.00 we spent there could've been spent somewhere with better service & people that know how to clean tables for their customers.

Brock Foley

Good enough food. Service not great. Restaurant a little, dated. Also I feel like it is a little bit over priced. The food is good but. I don't know that I would recommend Kona grill. It is fine. Sushi is pretty good but. Again. Service was not great and the food is not good enough to make up for it.

Rachael Robinson

Good food service not so great

Antwian Harvey

Good food and service

Nathan Gourley

20 minutes late tonight for online order. At least give me a good estimate so I'm not standing around in your waiting area.

Tamara Pitts

There happy hour is the bomb! The food selection for happy hour is the best I've seen in a long time! Our server, Halie, was awesome!

Sean Foley

We really enjoyed the food. The service was friendly but the attention to details was particularly lacking. From the restrooms to a wobbly table to an add-on order for takeout that had multiple mistakes, it was a rough and very slow experience.

Steve Highlander

This was great food. The sushi was good and the jambalaya was adsolutely the best I've ever had. We'll Definitely go back. Highly recommended.

Chris Ortega

Great waiter! I did not have suchi in years and didn't like it then. But I tried it here and it was great! Great atmosphere for a date night with my wife! Also, good food.

David Kaestner

John the manager took really good care of us. Truely cared about our visit

Marcos kosgei

It was a good place for me until a couple of weeks ago when our waiter misplaced out card then for some reason thought he brought it to me. The manager did not bother to offer any apologies whatsoever, instead she came looked at us from far and left. I assume she thought we took the card from the waiter and pretended not to see it. As a courteous manager, I would have loved to see her approach me and apologize for their mistake. Nothing happened, the waiter later found out card, apparently he gave it to a different customer. They wasted my 25 minutes searching for my card and the manager did not have 2 minuted come come and say sorry!!

Christine Murphy

The fish was well prepared

Othella Morris

Exceedingly slow service, only brought some of our drinks, neglected to wait for the orders for the children in our group both for drinks and food. Only brought 5 pieces of our pricey rolls. Never came back after making sure our food came out to the table. No refills. Had to flag down another waitress to get our bill.

Gibran Brewer

Excellent every time we go.

George Cochran

smh at the number of vegetarian options on the menu, but it was good and the staff rocked

John Argo

You won't be disappointed with Kona Grill... steak or sushi, both are outstanding.

Misha Carney

Hi. I am a regular and i came in yesterday and ordered in and enjoyed my dinner as well as took one spicy crunchy tuna roll to go. When i brought it home there was no tuna in the roll but there's no way I can bring it back because I won't be able to make it out that way until after Saturday 6/29 so I gave it to my dog. I don't like to be difficult but is there anything that can be done? Thank you

Shannon Johnson

HAPPY HOUR IS THE BEST EVER!

James Symmonds

I've never ever had service here. And now they want to charge more? No thank you. And before their minder tries to chime in with "we're so sorry....", No, no you aren't. This has been a consistent ongoing issue. It's the same every single time I've been there. Every. Single. Time. Over many years. It never improves.

charms Mosby

Las Vegas roll were awsome

Greg Dean

We’ve been at our table outside for 30 minutes and still no drinks. We sat at our table and had to asked 2 people who our waiter was. 20 minutes later he shows up. Refills on cocktails and water were nearly non existent. Food was still good though. This place has been getting worse every time we go. Use to be a favorite of ours...

LaTasha Woolridge

The Philadelphia roll was good and the margaritas on happy hour were so so. I've had better but I enjoyed myself and the food.

Ted Anderson

Great food, a little loud for my taste.

Ronnie Wood

Sushi was good but not the best I've had for the price. Good choice if you are on the Plaza. Also-Cocktails were really good!

Perry Boatswain

Whenever I'm in Kansas City I like to visit this place. They have a good happy hour. The food is good and the price point is even better... The bartenders are cool.

kelcie manuel

love love love the sushi here. Can't say enough positives about this establishment

Stephen Simpson

My first time dining here and it was superb. That menu was on fire but the food was even more fire. Affordable and great atmosphere. You gotta try it out.

Tony Stricklin

Great food with a great staff

Trazell Patterson

SERVICE WAS EXCEPTIONAL, WE ENTERED LATE AND IT WAS AROUND THE TIME THE KITCHEN WAS CLOSING, YET THE SERVICERS DIDNT RUSH US, THEY TOOK REALLY GOOD CARE OF US AND EVEN STAYED PAST CLOSING TO MAKE SURE WE ARE SERVED WITH EXCEPTIONAL RESTAURANT QUALITY SERVICE. THANKS TO ZACH P. AND SEAN W. FOR MAKING OUR NITE THAT MUCH MORE BETTER AND TENDING TO OUR EVERY REQUEST! GREAT SERVICE!

Brandi Berry

Happy hour starts at 2 pm Monday through Friday. $5 margaritas & half price appetizers. The food is consistently good the service just isn't.

Sally McIlvaine

Delish food & great service! Should be noted: the happy hour is only at the bar/bar area...if you're seated in the dining room you're automatically on the regular dining menu. Open Table only lets you make reservations in the dining room. There's a separate wait list for the bar area for happy hour. Maybe this is something you're just supposed to know (bc it wasn't on their website or Open Table)?

denise johnson

Celebrating my Son's bday. With friends and family.

Hunt Walker

They have an excellent happy hour!

Chien Nguyen

Love the Sunday ALL-DAY happy hour.. can't go wrong.

V M

Excellent service, food is great. Friendly staff.

Chrissy b

First time eating here. And I must say the food is amazing. From the chicken satay (pictured) to the Caribbean Crab sliders. The atmosphere was so relaxed and chill. Kona grill is my new go to spot for high flavor and quality meals and drinks.

April Giles

Happy hourrrr

Jeilyn Mackey-Baker

This is a great spot for some sushi

David Nevarez

The sushi is the best in Kansas City. Awesome deals during happy hour! I love it!

Kaba Kafe

We had to reserve seats for happy hour, which I thought was unusual. We had a group of about twenty, the manager and staff seemed bothered, not willing to accommodate us. We spent a lot of $ so I was confused. I have worked in food service and restaurants for 8 years.

Timothy Baumbach

Food and service are beyond expectations

Niluja Singh

Not the best sushi .but enjoyed their seaweed salad, noodles.. loved the margarita

Leah Butz

The food was delicious. However, although our waitress was sweet and doing the best she could, it took over 30 minutes for our food and that was after having to flag her down to get our food order. I ordered my daughter's right away, she's 4, with our drinks and her food and our drinks took at least 15 minutes. The bathroom was fairly gross. It just seemed like they were very short staffed and after reading other reviews, it seems like a normal thing.

Makenzie Covitz

Yes the food and drinks are great, but the service is amazing here. I had gone out to eat with a couple friends, and had noticed in the morning my card was charged 3 different transactions. The manager whom I spoke with, Brandon, is awesome! He was super sweet & kind, and fixed my problem right away, he even sent a gift card to my house! Thank you so much Brandon you rock!!

Alayna Collins

Courteous, quick service and delicious food! Highly recommend!

Ashley Manlove

Food is ok, they have a gnat issue

Forrest Clopton

The Butter Cake was the redemption here. We had the macadamia chicken which was delish and the Pad Thai which was a little too Al dente for me. The avacado egg rolls were great too.

Torrie Navarre

Friendly staff, our waiter was on top of his duties. Food and drinks were delicious.

Laura McDonald

I love the chef's specials and the angry edamame! A new thing to try is the cucumber wrapped sushi instead of rice! Different, but delicious.

Brand Elverston

Excellent ambience and sushi. Surprisingly, even crowded, it is still low volume enough to hold a conversation without having to yell. Attentive wait staff and our waiter fully understood the menu to provide great recommendations. Very nice!

LaRon Nolden

I have ate at kona grill maybe 3 times so when I was able to interview with them I was really amp...I am not sure if I got the job or not but even if I didn't I must say the people that work there are beyond nice...I was greeted and checked on and even giving a ice cold drink...By far the nicest people here in Kansas city...I cannot pin point anyone directly because the whole staff was really nice

William Chen

Slow service , horrible! Will never be back

K. Broadus

I really enjoy the all-day Happy Hour prices on Sundays. During my visit on 12/09/18, the atmosphere was relaxing, Chiefs fans were able to watch the game, enjoy a meal, and spend time with others, all at the same time. Our server, Jackie, was very nice, she engaged in casual conversation, and was able to provide food suggestions to my friend who has never eaten at Kona before. The food was delicious, the drinks are always great, and the service was fast. My favorite dish is the BBQ chicken flatbread paired with a Moscow Mule. We also tried the Kona Calamari (new favorite) and Wave Roll. We will definitely be returning!

Jarod Washmon

Not a single complaint!! Everything was amazing!!

Andrew Muccino

Great happy hour, duh.

Keely Hill

Service was on point, the attentive wait staff took care of us from start to finish. The sushi was delicious and generously portioned. However, there were gnats that kept flying around our table on a cold December day and there was food residue on multiple menus. Both of those things grossed me out and bothered me because they are preventable with regular cleaning.

Linda Arnold

WOW!!! Dining at the Kona Grill with Rai for one of her graduation gifts! Our server Earl has been so attentive to our every need andl the visit with Dana the manager was extra special!! Thanks for the college advice you gave Rai!!! The food is excellent too!!!

Iskander Akhmadullin

My first time in this restaurant. Great selections, very tasty. Good service.

jim kisner

Love this place for sunday's.... Love the kale salad with a protein on it... Usually salmon.. Met my date there tonight first date, so it is definitely my new favorite place. Always great service in awesomely prepared food..

Michael Dulle

Sat at the bar for 15 minutes didn't even get a glass of water while I watched the bartender serve everyone but me.

carissa horne

Loved the food !! Enviornement was entertaining and i loved the employees , very nice and well kept.

Lynda Payton

I like the hapoy hou here. Great deals

Justin Kealiinohomoku

Very busy evening. About a 20 minute wait. It.was worth it however, we placed our drink order. 3 minutes later, drinks on the table. Impressed. Never told them it was my birthday, didn't want bother them. BUSY. I'll be returning.

Colette Chandler

Happy Hour: Raspberry Mojito, Philadelphia , California rolls and cheeseburger sliders were all good.

Emily Marroquin

The atmosphere was very inviting. I highly recommend this place for lunch or dinner. Can't wait to visit the place again. Food and service was great!!

Lisa Wolf

I have had several business and personal lunch meetings here. We have never had bad service or food. I highly recommend them.

Returnof TheMack

Being a frequent & usually very satisfied patron of Kona Grill it pains me not to leave a 5 star rating. .. I visited today and was not so impressed with the service being that I was solo (as usual). I felt I was low maintenance & un-demanding, therefore wouldn't impede on the servers ability to provide good service to her larger parties. I waited a while to even be greeted & once my food was delivered, i had no chop sticks or soy sauce. Big deal right? What REALLY tipped the scales for me was touching my plate & feeling that it was dirty on the bottom. I tried to ignore it but then felt a greasy residue on it. When I picked it up, there was literally wasabi and other substances dried on. I touched my plate to move it & felt dried on food on the face of the plate too! I literally had my food served on an ill-washed plate. I asked my server to have another roll. She didn't even apologize. I don't see how the man who ran my plate didn't feel the residue on the bottom of the plate. I later had to ask for my server TWICE more. I would've tipped the hostesses had I brought cash with me. I told the manager at the end about the plate. He apologized profusely and asked me if my service and food were at least ok and i told him yes, hoping to provide a level of indemnity for my server because I know working in the service industry, we have busy and sometimes not so good days. However, A combination of mishaps together can create an unpleasant experience for the guest and unfortunately it did for me. Since I understand how things can get in the service industry and since I frequent and typically enjoy Kona Grill, I'll continue to patronize this establishment. But the dirty plate is NOT ok. Ending on a positive note, I typically like to visit the bar on Mondays and be served by Malorie, who is an excellent bartender. Thank you

James R

Really good food, I had Jambalaya my coworker had sushi sampler, we enjoyed it. Good price.

Kip Stephenson

Great food and great drinks. Happy hour is awesome.

Anne Cuffe

Happy hour food and prices were great! The staff was super efficient and checked on us several times!

Robert South

Overpriced for the quality of food. Service was pretentious and put out because our party was 15 minutes late for reservation. Fruit flies flying around our food. Dirty bathrooms. If this were a 10.95 buffet it might be accepatble. Maybe my expectations for plaza dining are too high. We only spent 250.00 for our party so i guess theyvare used to bigger tickets. Party of 9. Hyvee market grill blows this place put of the water. Take my advice go to your local sushi place your pallet and pallet will be happier.

Ahmed

Good food, good atmosphere, good service, happy hour is awesome!

Amber Kresha

The food wasn't bad, I just felt rushed at dinner. The server checked in frequently and asked us if we wanted dessert while we still had our food. Otherwise it was okay.

Youlana Washington

Can’t complain. Good prices. Good food period.

Jose Murillo

Hadn't been here in a while, felt good being back so she was on point everything was fresh the place was clean as well customer service at hand everything was promptly served. Perfect for my date night!

Godwin Iloka

Delicious food, great atmosphere!! Get there early for happy hour, usually busy!!

Sherrie LEE

One of my favorite places to eat out at

Jas theflower

Atmosphere chilled. Good place to hang with girlfriends or watch game.

Jo Povall

The kids menu in this place is amazing. First of all instead of crayons they give kids Wikki Stiks to entertain themselves. Then the kids menu is a you build it yourself bento box suitable for the adventurous and picky eater. My daughter had sushi, fried rice and endanme beans. Downside no greater at the door. Was waiting 5 mins before we were even welcomed. Took another 7 mins table wait staff to come. Sunday all day happy hour is only at the bar not in the main area (not advertised that way). When we ordered two beers again they took a while to appear. Food though was really nice. I got the sushi combo salad. Great price and variety.

Steven Courtney

One of our go to restaurants! Great sushi! Almost always great service. Great location on the Country Club Plaza. Give it a try

Seth Smith

The wave roll is very good.

Spencer

The service was exceptional even during the dinner rush, the sushi was the best of the three restaurants we visited and reasonably portioned per roll. The prices are more than fair during happy hour.

Levi Vanzant

My wife ate the chicken bbq flat bead it was very good and I ate the bbq ribs and very satisfied the service was fast and it wasn't too expensive

Lamont High

Friendly, attentive staff and excellent food. Thanks!

Chris Kutensky

Great food, good crowd. Busy, so plan early.

Mark Ellsworth

Exceptional service, wonderful atmosphere, delicious appetizers (avocado egg rolls), and the sushi is phenomenal! The Manager (Brandon) was extremely outgoing and accomodating! Thanks for a great experience!

Glen Poole

It was my first time to eat ere yet they exceeded my expectations. Not only they great food but also they great service. Will definitely come again

Raymundo Rivera

Awesome Happy Hour and Amazing Sushi!

LeVone Aaron

Great Sushi. Vegas Rolls

Quinn Aggro

Happy Hour is nice for budget fancy eating and the food is pretty fresh.

Valerie Okwara

I had ordered the garlic spicy chicken with sweet potato fries. The chicken was not cooked well, but the sweet potato fries were good. But the only reason I would go again is because the waiter we had was awesome. I felt sorry for him he was helping my family and then was helping a huge party of 20+. But he was so attentive to us. Need to train the other help to be friendly like him.

Dane Cunningham

The food was okay; but the service was extremely slow. I saw my waiter 3 times in one hour. Couldn’t get more drinks or check until he decided to come by. Very disappointed.

Christina Lawson

Great food and great atmosphere

Paul Quick

Good food. Good atmosphere. GREAT SERVICE.!!! Drinks were just ok.

Otto Nunn

Great place staff is friendly

ds r

Great Japanese steak House great show

Valaree Taylor

Great happy hour spot. Food was great and so were the drinks

James Stumme

Great small plates and sandwiches

Timothy Washington

I Love this freakin’ place!! The atmosphere is always contagiously electric, because of the patrons but more so because of the people that work there! All of the food here is great.

Lara Carter

Good Sunday happy hour

Joseph Yeow

Great happy hours with $5 sushi and appetizers. Way better quality and bigger portion than RA Sushi if you have to pick one. The only downside to our order was that the calamari was burnt. Came back for all day Sunday happy hour. The menu shrunk but quality is still there. Great meal.

Mohamed Bataineh

Great atmosphere. Very nice cocktails. Tasty bar snacks . I love it .

Albert Villalovos

awesome food great service.

shuron Hodge

It was good. Good service

Mari Gallegos

Terrible service- we had a large reservation that they didn't plan for I guess. Our drinks came out with our food. Never recieved plates for our 8 appetizer. Two meals came out about 15 min after everyone else and they said they would take one meal off, which didn't happen. It was a terrible experience unfortunately

Michael Babbitt

Sushi was great! Good service, long wine selection and we'll lit for a fancy evening. Enjoy :)

Ashley Hall

Good food. Great drinks. Just a bit chilly. Went during a good time (weekday afternoon for happy hour). Service was decent. If you go during a busier time, very different results.

A M

Good food and service

Chris Goudeau

Always great food & good drinks! Great service too, based on the servers I've had & whenever I sat at the bar. Definitely a go to for a nice happy hour to start your night.

Valar Morghulis

This is a review based off of one visit, keep that in mind: cocktails were surprisingly bad. I didn't return any of them but I definitely wouldn't reorder the few I tried. Sushi was pretty mediocre (I can be a bit picky about sushi to be fair) but the cooked food is amazing and the service is premium! Prices are EXTREMELY high but the happy hour is a great deal. I'd come back if someone else was paying, but I wouldn't get sushi again.

A Meunier

I always love Kona Grill, no matter what city I'm in! From sushi to sea bass, the food never disappoints!

Adriahna Gillis

The manager of Kona Grill on the day of March 27th 2019 justified a classic case of white privilege and told my fiancé " well I'm sorry you feel like that, if that's the case you may want to go somewhere else because I'm done here", never acknowledging the wrong doing of his employee nor provided any reason why we were served after a couple who had been sat before us. The manager never once tried to make us feel comfortable nor welcome when he approached us. When my fiancé tried to express how he felt in a calm and respectful manor, the manager rudely interrupted him and told us to get out because my fiancé respectfully disagreed with him. After we were about 30 feet already out of the door, he runs outside yelling "yea you just keep walking" and threatens to call the cops and accused us of knocking over the business sign which we never touched and their cameras can agree. I loved Kona and I come here very often patronizing this business and to be treated with such little care and respect is very disappointing and hurtful. No human being should ever be treated like that, ESPECIALLY because of the color of their skin.

Brian Snyder

Great food and service!! Offer military discount as well!

Josh Johnson

Food and Service were great. We just did Happy Hour apps and we were not disappointed with anything. Best fish Taco I have had. Nice sear on the fish, and that sauce. The lettuce wraps were outta sight (better then PF Changs). But the Pork Dumplings are the Show stopper for me. Packed with meat and the burnt edges were super tasty. We also did some rolls with The Vegas being the best. The Bama was also very tasty. The Vodoo roll and Rainbow were the other 2 we tried and no complaints with either. Two big thumbs up. No doubt we will be back.

Jacob Meek

Terriblely slow service. It's was clear shift change was more important them service today! I set here almost an hour waiting on 2 rolls! Waited 20 mins for a beer! Will never come back!

Shao Thao

Waitress was nice, but the food we ordered was cooked wrong. Medium tuna was rare, medium steak was rare, and another steak was medium done and salty. Tea was not served prepared but given from a plastic packet. Not what I expected from a restaurant of this price for their food. Will not visit this place again.

Philomina Lawson

Happy hour on Sunday is wonderful!

Tammie Jordan

Great food and drinks. Staff is wonderful, it's truly a great place.

Emily U.

Excellent customer service and great food!! One of my favorite places to go to.

toni renee

Food was great and service was decent

Daniel Murtha

The Bar has always had interesting drinks for us and, during happy hour, the sushi is a good price. However, outside of happy hour, I much prefer sushi from Prime Sushi or Bob Wasabi for price and quality.

Nicole Drakes

I had to use another account to post another review. Lol I came in Sunday and Dana, one of the managers served me in lieu of the mistake on my last 2-go order and she took EXTRA special care of me. . Thank you for always making me want to come back and stuff my face with sushi and margaritas. I left very happy

melvin spoerre

Great fresh food

Lana Hudson

Great place for Happy Hour

Ray Condray

Great food and atmosphere!

Nicholas Koatsvaar

Great food and atmosphere. The waitress was awesome and attentive. My only gripe is having the doors open at 11:30 in the afternoon, WITH NATS flying around our food. I get it, it's nice outside. Do that later on in the evening not during lunch hours. I couldn't believe they opened the doors. It's about your customers, not how comfortable your boss and workers are. We won't be back due to all of the nats, very unfortunate.

John Smithhisler

Waitress was very friendly and helpful. We ordered several different sushi rolls and greatly enjoyed all of them.