Billfish Poolside Bar & Grille

John and Keahi totally saved me last night! I can usually handle some heat, but these were hands-down the hottest Buffalo wings I’ve ever had. I was staying at the King Kamehameha Hotel and decided to grab some happy hour apps by the pool at Billfish Bar & Grill. I started with the coconut shrimp — absolutely delicious. A couple hours later, I ordered the Buffalo wings, not realizing I was about to meet my match. When I mentioned the heat to John and Keahi, they didn’t hesitate — they insisted on bringing me a new batch with the sauce on the side. It might sound simple, but their kindness and attention really stood out. Thanks, guys, for going the extra mile and turning my spicy disaster into a great experience. You two are awesome!

This place has great drinks and very mediocre food for too high a price. In short, they do not season anything. There is literally no salt on their food. I don't mind overpriced food but it better taste good. Their edamame hummus is a crime against real hummus. It tastes like watery shredded vegetation. Their house taro chips taste like failed drywall. The raw carrots have been cut too thick and are not pleasant to bite. The chefs special tonight was tempura mahi mahi with island mushrooms and shishito pepper. Instead of salting the food they lay a strip of salt for you to self salt. This does not work well and it felt like a waste of fish. It shouldve been served on a smaller plate as the large plate just leaves you feeling like someone took half of your dish. The fried banana was ok. I wish there was more banana. I feel they could give me the whole banana for $10. It's more like ice cream with a banana topping. Service was kind and the atmosphere is chill. I will not come back though for the food, go eat somewhere more local. I've had fried fish musubi more tasty than the tempura mahi mahi down the street.

Fantastic service. The Ahi Reuben was wonderful. Mai Tai was amazing.

First, They make terrible pina coladas! They serve our drinks I plastic and they didn’t taste good either. Overpriced too. Wouldn’t recommend - unless you’re going for food.

Stopped by for the complimentary Mai Tais and decided to stick around for dinner. Bartender was incredibly proactive and anticipated our requests. Decided on trying the smash burgers on the menu and they were solid. Worth at least one meal if you’re staying nearby.

Edame dish was blan, but the cesar salad had the most delicious fresh lettuce in my life! Service was friendly, and a little slow. Overall, its a nice option for a quick bite by the pool and beach.

We stayed at the hotel and ate here once in a week. The sesame-soy wings were okay but $18 for six small wings was a terrible deal. The caesar salad was basic, the fries were tasty. Slow service but getting food and drinks without leaving our poolside chairs was nice. I wouldn’t advise getting lunch here but the drinks were good.

We waited for over an hour for our server to take our order. Despite repeatedly asking and being told they’d be right back, no one ever came. Even after speaking with the manager, the server got distracted chatting with other staff. We eventually gave up. Then another manager came and offered a welcome drink. We ate there and the food is okay but very expensive for the quality they provide.

This is the poolside restaurant/bar at the King Kamehameha Hotel. They have live music at sunset and happy hour 3-5pm. Happy hour includes some appetizers. I decided to opt for the poke nachos. At first it looked like a big serving but I was a little disappointed to discover that they were mostly chips with a very small serving of poke. The flavor was great though and the service was friendly. Also huge plus for happy hours with food options!

Another reason I look forward to staying at the Courtyard King Kamehameha is making our stop here, after we get settled in at our room. Our tradition always is to get our Mai Tai & hang out, relax at the pool. "Cheers" & enjoying our drink, the views, pool and jacuzzi time, " This is the life", Carpe Diem. I am not sure why the low ratings but during the times I am here, I observed that they are short staff. Poor thing, sometimes the one bartender has to do it all, she didn't have a food runner for the day. The ratings could be for service. The Mai Tai(s) are nice & strong, I've not tried other alcoholic beverages, can't speak for the rest of the drinks. On Sundays we usually order off the all day menu, to enjoy at our room before checking out. We enjoyed the volcano fries, margherita or meat lovers, flatbread , but not a fan of the fish & chips, I just don't like the corn bread like batter on the fish. I was surprised that the volcano came with sweet potato fries & all of the toppings. What a treat! Recommend. I like the margherita flatbread more than the meat lovers. All in all, I loved visiting Billfish, sure enjoyed the drinks, food & what a bonus stunning poolside views, killed 3 birds with one stone during all my visits. hehe. (drinks, pool, food,fun!) & FYI.- the food comes from Honu's kitchen, next door.

The food was fine, but the service here was awful. We were staying at the hotel, so were here a few times due to convenience and because we had vouchers for free Mai Tais, but had we not been staying here, I would not have been back. One afternoon, a server never came to our table, so we had to go flag him down to ask if we could order food. He said no, that they were switching shifts and we'd just have to wait. Someone came over about 10 minutes later, took our order, and asked us to close out right away because his shift was ending. There was no change in server and no one ever followed up after we ordered food (it was just delivered by a food runner) so we didn't have plates, silverware, or the ability to order any drinks or anything else. It was honestly the worst service I've had in a long time. Two stars and not one because the food was okay and the atmosphere is nice. The crab cakes were the best thing I tried.

Ordered the ceviche and it was pico with exactly 4 pieces of shrimps. ($14) The reason I gave it 2 stars is because of the view and the drinks (beer our of the can) was good

Over all not a bad place. Been here twice. The poke nachos are really good and I would definitely get them again. People are nice and it's got a nice view for the most part. I've also had the loaded Tots. They are good as well along with the Kalbi beer tacos. My only complaints are during happy hour you can only order off that menu and not the regular. Kinda weird. Also I ordered a non alcoholic beer that costed $13. A bit steep considering the regular stuff is cheaper. I know better now.

A convenient food spot with amazing views at night! Big shout out to Lehua! She was an amazing server to us and was so kind and sweet. Made our night wonderful. Overall a huge bonus is the ambience of this place. At night it gives you an amazing atmosphere as you're right by the water and so close to the hotel if you're staying there. Food wise we did the Caesar salad which was really interesting because it stayed in a wedge. We also had the sampler which was pretty good! Calamari was so so but the crab cake and coconut shrimp made up for it! But yes overall, it was an amazing experience at night and if you're lucky you can hear and glimpse the luau nearby! Not totally amazing food to come back for but a great place to eat at for the location.

Leaves a lot of improvement. Like why do I have i have to go into the actual Honus to order my food. I should be able to order it at the pool bar. I appreciate nick as my bartender as he's super personable. He needs a raise. I miss Karen. She was one of my favorite tenders. I wish she would come back. The Poke nachos are great going fast. Hopefully things will get situated soon. I love This place but the management needs to figure a direction and roll with it.

Pass .... "Are you local? Do you know we tip here? That's how we make a living." Sheesh... this was after we decided to get our complimentary cocktail, but we ordered an appetizer and a paid drink also so that at least the bar gets *something*. Food came without utensils, waited 15 min for the paid cocktail and only when we asked another server, the explanation was, " it was made but forgot to bring it to you." When it came time to clear the tab, my son gave the server cash, and when the change was brought back, he intended to leave the tip before leaving. But the server hovered over him and then asked the questions and made the remarks at the top of this review. So sheesh, I am sorry to say, but such a downer of an experience...

Don do it! I know it's convenient to the hotel and you're poolside but it's a ripoff. Extremely slow service and short Mai Tais costing over $17. Find a nice spot with an ocean view (not a chlorine pond) and spend your cash there.

Good food selection and drink options I went for local brewed beer (Kona Brewery is just around the corner) and for the burger. Nothing wrong there.. :) The hamburger was juicy and filling. Even fish tacos looked pretty good The service is attentive and relatively quick Due to the amazing location, poolside and being part of the Courtyard by Marriott Kamehameha's the prices aren't definitely cheap .. only negative point

A super solid poolside bar featuring tons of cocktails, beer and food! We made a visit everyday while we were in Kona since we were staying at the hotel. The staff was super friendly and kind even giving us a free mistake order one day. I was a fan of their mai tai's and my partner liked the seltzers they had on tap. We ordered their chicken tacos, meat lover's flatbread and cheeseburger throughout our stay and everything was banging, great quality and came out super quick!

Freda needs to go. She is rude, disrespectful, not helpful and a terrible representative of this hotel. She is here for her tips, and if you don't order enough, or just want water, she will then ignore you the rest of the time... even other days during your vacation. Come , Marriott, pay attention to how your employees treat people and represent your brand!

I think they were a bit short staffed when we visited, but once we got the menu and ordered the food came out quickly. After a long day of sightseeing, not that many places open late in Kona either. Billfish Poolside bar is opened til 9am and it worked out perfect. We ordered: Poke Nachos - love it with wonton chips Kalua pork Flatbread - delicious with the pineapple Seafood cobb salad - so we can pretend we ate healthy on this trip We got some complimentary mocktails for being Marriott Bonvoy members and they were refreshing. It was nice to sit by the pool and enjoy dinner for our last night in Kona.

Located in the Courtyard King Kamehameha Kona Beach hotel by Marriott. The bar and grille is situated by the pool. We only drank and listened to live music one evening. We did not try the food (which by my estimation seemed pretty expensive--$25 for a cheeseburger for example). We had a perfectly good time. The live music was pleasant, the weather perfect, and the pool water was warm. Nice way to spend a few hours.

This is a casual poolside bar and grille at the Courtyard King Kam hotel. It is nice with views of the beach and waves. They have reasonable prices for appetizers and different food options. They seem popular with their poke and hamburgers. Many people ask for their Mai Tais. The service is friendly and it's a relaxing place to visit for a casual meal. I would recommend this venue.

If you stay at the King Kamehameha hotel, and you have, say, credit on your hotel tab, then the Billfish is worth a shot. They have decent drinks, including Mai Tai's. We also ate breakfast here once. The Kalua pork eggs Benedict are solid and filling, as are the omelet and loco moco. You won't be disappointed by the experience, though the price is a bit steep.

Nice pool side bar with amazing drinks and good food to enjoy but it can be busy because it's by the pool so there is lots of people

We just recently landed in Hawaii and decided to give Billfish a try since it's connected to our hotel. Atmosphere: The atmosphere here is great! It's outside of course and right next to the pool. Just further out you'll see the actual beach which is amazing. They also have music playing in the background to set the tone. Customer Service: the customer service was great. The staff was friendly and very informative. We love how quick the food was bought. Food ordered: The food I ordered was Fish Tacos. This food was amazing. It in fact was so good that I ordered another round! I will be back to get more fish tacos soon. Thank you Billfish!

This was the only options for drinks at the pool area at the Courtyard Marriott Kona. Why did they get two stars, service is not their thing there apparently. There's no server that takes your orders while you are chillin on your lounger, you have to get up and go to the bar. Sometimes you'll hang out at the bar for a minute until they even greet you. Their well drinks for crap liquor was expensive of course I'll still drink it but come on, you fill the glass more than half way with ice and pouring some cheap no name brand liquor and charging me $14, come on! Food was expensive, not something super special but pricey. Totally not worth the price but i guess I'm paying for convenience.

We were staying at the King Kamehameha hotel, so we decided to have dinner at Billfish on a Friday night. The hotel can be somewhat confusing to navigate, but Billfish is located at the pool, right next to the Kamakahonu Beach. We grabbed an open table with covering, since we thought it was going to rain. The light wasn't working at the table, but our server tried his best to get it to work. I forget his name, but he was a super friendly Brazilian guy who lived in Boston! He couldn't figure it out and called a few other people over before getting it fixed. He explained that they couldn't serve a few things on the menu because they had just updated it. We ordered a couple things to share, which included the: Ahi poke nachos - So ONO! I didn't care for poke before coming to the Big Island, where the fish is so fresh and delicious. The sauce on the nachos were flavorful. I loved that won ton chips were used - it adds the perfect crispness to the poke. Kalbi short rib - Another ONO dish! Super flavorful and tender meat. Kalua jackfruit tacos - ONO x 3. My dad, who hates eating vegetarian stuff that could easily be made with fish or meat, couldn't even tell that it was vegetarian. The toppings in it were so delicious. The avocado made these tacos delicious. I also had the ice cream. Nothing too special, but I can never leave without having dessert. Overall, super delicious food, friendly service, and a convenient place to eat if staying at the hotel.

Ok for bar quality food by a pool. We also ordered to eat in room when other spots close by were closed. Food was just ok. Staff was nice. Best thing we had was banana splits.

This restaurant is downstairs the Courtyard Marriott so it's really convenient if you're lodging there. My hubby and I would come here almost nightly for their drinks and was welcomed by a friendly bartender for our Mai Tai's. I wouldn't say the drinks are super strong compared to the other cocktails we had in the area but they are still really good! I think you can also use the pool if you're a customer or lay out in the sun and just sun tan.

It seems to be the case that the food here is not so popular, but I didn't get the food, so this review is just for the drinks. They were delicious and the bartender was friendly and accommodating. 5 stars!

Great little pool bar located in the Courtyard Hotel pool area. Received 2 welcome Mai Tai's when we checked in at the hotel which were great. Bar has good happy hour food specials a couple time a day. Good views of the pool and beach. Bartenders were very friendly and attentive. Looking forward to returning! Thanks.

I love this place! It's right by the pool at the King Kam Kona Beach Hotel. They have had live music every time I've visited. The food is a 10/10! My favorite item is the poke nachos. They give a generous amount of fresh ahi and the sauce is sweet and spicy. I'm drooling just thinking of it. Their cocktails are great here too. There's a fun vibe bc I was a hotel guest but I think o noticed locals dining there too. The service was a 10/10 every time I've been there.

Take this review with a grain of salt, because I probably wouldn't have come here to eat had I not had a $50 credit for food while staying at the hotel. That being said, food was not bad, drinks were okay, and the lady at the bar was super nice. Prices may have been on the high side, but such is the case with pretty much every hotel restaurant / bar under the sun. Pool area is gorgeous, so it seems like a great place to just lay back and relax under a nice umbrella. Wednesdays through Sundays (check with the hotel, this is probably subject to change) there was also live music, which was a nice touch.

Staying at the Courtyard. View is nice with good service but food was overpriced and mediocre with undressed Tostada Salad with 4 pieces of chicken that were dried up and a few lettuce leaves. Would not recommend if you are looking for quality food.

Great place to grab food and relax. The bartender was by far the friendliest and most helpful. Jackfruit as a meat substitute on this island has been great! The jackfruit tacos here were seasoned well and packed full. They have live music too!

Billfish gets 5 star because Danielle is amazing and been there for 37 years I spoke to him and he's a gem to meet on this trip. Food here is good especially the child menu is enough for an adult but priced reasonably at $8 we had Loco Moco they have their patties on fried rice it was 3/5 stars but the location next to the pool and ocean makes it convenient. We stayed here 6 days and ate here at least once a day. Island Folks are relaxed and I realized the service here and everywhere are just that, relaxed so if your in a hurry just remember why you chose to vacation here on the islands.

The food was delish and very fresh, full of flavor. I had the grilled fish tacos and my husband had the fish and chips. Both were excellent! The service was very slow - assuming they were short staffed since one waitress was waiting on every table. And she did a great job!

The woman at the counter was so friendly. She's courteous and fast.. awesome worker. There's a live music and not much customers. When you check in they'll give a 2 free drinks per room and I ordered the billfish mai tai and it's delicious! I rarely drink mai tais but when I do, I only drink at the Marriott!

I dabbled at Billfish twice on my stay at the King Kame. The service really is quite attentive. I had glasses of water practically waiting on the table for me. And honestly a view of the ocean and beach doesn't hurt for putting you in a good mood. I was pretty happy with the quality of the food. I ordered an açaí bowl, served in a carved out papaya. It came with strawberries, granola, bananas, and grape. I was disappointed with the quantity of fruit served for the $14 price tag.

Way overpriced for the quality of food. Fish sandwich consisted of a large fish stick on a bun. Twenty dollars worth of boring.

Honestly, the food here is great. Super delicious and the drinks too! Darcy, Karen, Lani and the rest of the staff was super kind and just really pleasant to meet! The ladies are so cheerful, welcoming and I loved sitting around the bar or at Honu's. However, one server's service (his name is Nead) was just awful. We sat at 2:05p, and when he finally approached us until 10-15mins later we didn't even get a hi, hello, or a pleasant greeting and when we asked for our waters, that took forever to come and and didn't get our food until 2:43. When I said thank you when he'd bring the food and drinks, no response. Literally silence. I was just like ok? I understand if you're not having the greatest day but during my stay at Courtyard, that's pretty much how I've noticed he's interacted with myself and guest. I've worked in the food industry for years in the past and customer service as well in Waikiki and there was nothing aloha about him or his service. I just want to leave an honest review and maybe he can learn from his peers. Oh the only pro in his service is that I did ask for crispy fish tacos and he notified the cooks so that was great. Definitely can't complain about that...

I have been here for breakfast several times. The food and service was always good. Tonight I came for pupus and drinks. We waited 30 minutes for an order of fries and a scoop of ice cream. Our water was never refilled so we ended up leaving and having bottled water in our room

Just no. The burger just tastes like ground meat, no flavor. The kalua pork was salty and then they sprinkled more salt on top. It cost too much money to be this bad.

Very very very slow service - great view and great place if you want to look at the water w/o a drink or food.

The worst customer service. Food is just ok....go somewhere else They blame lack of courtesy and pleasant waitresses on COVID.....they're simply rude and treat guest as a inconvenience

Food is good, service is good, very convenient when you have been out exploring all day to just take the elevator down from your room and eat, menu is kinda small but the food is good, ate dinner while the kids swam...

What a horrible experience we had at this bar. The drinks are overpriced and the server was rude and condescending. I ordered a pineapple cider ($14) I could barely taste any pineapple or cider.the worst and most expensive drink I've ever had.We had a voucher for two complimentary Mai Tais, I tore it up and we went to Hoggo's On the Rocks instead and had an awesome experience.

Karen is super and there seems to be more service now, though it might just be less guests. Heavy VOG but it's still a great place to stay.

Minimal menu and maximum prices. How long do you have to wait to get service? 30 minutes? Third time a charm? Probably not going to try.

Having stayed at the Marriott many times, and ALWAYS doing happy hour at the Billfish, I'm surprised I haven't done a review. Great little poolside bar with exceptional service (even during Ironman), convenient location, good food, and nice views. They've narrowed down their happy hour bites, and don't offer my favorite, the Korean Chicken Wings (still on the menu, just not happy hour price.). THE WINGS ARE FANTASTIC, and I still recommend them even at regular price. I feel bad for the folks that experienced bad service and/or food. Please give the Billfish another try, I think it may just have been an "off moment".

Literally the worst service I've ever had! It took 10 minutes to get a menu, 15 minutes to order, and 15 minutes to get my food. It was only me, not a large party of people. The women working were rude, lacked personality, and provided poor service. It's convenient, so you gotta do what you gotta do. Do yourself a favor and walk into the Kona strip and choose any other restaurant!

Pros: Wonderful service. Great pours. Near the pool. Cons: Not open all the time. Must try: Honu's Kiss (with a shot of vodka, if you so please) Oh goodness, they had this tempura ahi dish that solved all my problems. During your stay, try the backscratcher drink at least once. Feel free to order it without the backscratcher.

If I could give zero or negative stars, I would. Food orders, when we finally got them, were wrong. The service is right up there with the worst I've had. After we were very obviously done eating, a server could not be found for almost a half hour to bring us our check. We were ready to just walk out when someone finally came by to take our money. Even with food credits from the hotel, I will not eat there again

We usually stay here for work all the time. I never get a chance to go hang out at the pool. I love the ambiance of the pool and having the bar near by is even better. The staff is friendly and service is fast. The TV is the great too... showing sports games and all that. I ordered the Pulehu Steak Pupu Style and the Wedge Salad. Needless to say it was very ONO. The sunset was beautiful from there. You could hear the music from the Luau near by. It was perfect and relaxing. The pool is really different and like the way it looks. Overall, I was very happy with the service, food, and atmosphere. Mahalo!

This is in the Marriott hotel right next to the pool. If you are looking for a casual spot for some good food and don't mind listening to a few people having a good time in the pool, it is a good spot. I had a Mai-Tini, very good drink with rum but less sweet than a MaiTai. I also had the ahi poke nachos, which are served on wonton chips. Super delicious. We were a large group, and the service was very good.

Really good food coming out of this kitchen, nice server that goes above and beyond... adjacent restaurant was closed due to covid but they were still putting out good food for the poolside bar. The bar side is so-so since you could never get a really good drink here.. just poolside pre-mix junk w substandard alcohol.