With so many fabulous restaurants and local fare it’s tough to choose where to dine in Honolulu.  When you are traveling with family, you’ll be happy to know that Burger King, McDonald’s, Taco Bell, and all those favorites your kids enjoy are also available.  Eating where it’s familiar is nice and quick on a pinch, but we wanted good food that made us feel more like we were dining on an island while on vacation!

We were able to check out Tiki’s Grill and Bar one evening, a leisurely stroll down Kalakalua Avenue overlooking Waikiki Beach.  It was Open Mic night, where local and visiting artists can share their art with Waikiki, be it music, poetry, or what have you.  We were immediately invited in before we reached the reservation desk, but opted to eat dinner first!

The retro South Pacific-style Tiki’s Grill & Bar opened in October 2002 and was popular from the start. Located on the second floor of the ASTON Waikiki Beach Hotel and with breathtaking views of Waikiki Beach and its spectacular sunsets. The 272-seat restaurant serves lunch, dinner, a late night menu and weekend brunches.

An indoor/outdoor restaurant, like most, there were fans going and fresh breezes coming in from outside.  The atmosphere was relaxed, the lights dim, and the smell of the food was mouth-watering!  We were seated and drink orders were taken.  Their Blue Bikini was as gorgeous as it was tasty, I admit I had about 3 of those to enjoy the evening.  Kid’s menus are available, with drinks in plastic cups with lids to take with you if you desire.  My husband and I were famished and everything looked good on the menu.

After drinks were served, taro rolls were brought out with a sweet butter that everyone couldn’t get enough of.  We started with an appetizer, I’m a huge fan of Kalua pork and the Kalua Pig Quesadilla was exactly what we needed.  The pork is slow cooked and the flavor is phenomenal, sweet and salty at the same time.  Served in a purple taro tortilla, the pepper jack cheese made the dish a quesadilla and the corn gave it a great sweet bite!  With sour cream and quacamole on the side you cannot go wrong, we almost ordered a second! It’s one of those appetizers you eat with your eyes first then dive in with your mouth!

The 3 kids decided on beef sliders for dinner that was served with fries and carrot sticks.  The best part for them, the plate was served atop a Tiki’s frisbee, so they had their own souvenirs with dinner! Luckily for my oldest daughter, my youngest was done after one slider and gave the second to her sister, not quite enough food for a near teenager, but dessert was  still  a possibility!

I opted for the Parmesean Crusted Chicken, and was over-whelmed at the size of the portion.  It was literally enough for 2 people!  Presented beautifully over linguine and broccoli, the best part was the chardonnay/sun-dried tomato glaze that I dipped each crispy bite of chicken in.  This my friends, I could have eaten every night along with those Blue Bikinis.

My husband chose the Pulehu Ribeye that was as tender as can be and again enormous portions with garlic mashed potatoes that gave a nice kick in flavor.  My oldest is a steak fan and contemplated this meal, but was happy to take many bites off dad’s plate to satisfy her small kid’s meal portions.

Surprisingly the steak was gone after we all sampled it, but I had a whole lot of chicken left for lunch the next day, thank goodness for hotel refrigerators!

We hoped to get back to the restaurant on another night for just dessert, but for sure on our next trip to Oahu!  While there, don’t forget to take home a Tiki’s branded souvenir from their store at the entrance to the restaurant!

Tiki’s is a feel good restaurant, not fancy in the least, no need to dress to the nine’s and if come on different nights of the week, you’ll be entertained by live music each time.  Try Tiki’s and I guaranteed you’ll be hooked!

Our meal was compensated in exchange for honest review!