Monique L.
Yelp
I've been coming to Lava Java for over a decade. I love this place and I want it to succeed which is why I am compelled to write this review. This review is NOT about the service. I always eat at the bar 99% of the time when I come here so please keep that in mind. The bartenders, Jessie and Lizzy, are great.
For additional context, I also follow a keto lifestyle when I eat (low carb, high protein, moderate fat for satiety). My 'go to' bar meal at Lava Java is the guava BBQ rib appetizer. The best I've had in Kona so far. Today I decided to try LJ's Steak & Frites. The menu describes this as a 10oz sliced Angus NY strip steak w/fingerling potato "frites." sautéed broccolini, shiitake mushroom & smoked bacon Bordelaise sauce at $42.
I decided to order the LJ Steak & Frites w/the steak cooked medium (without the frites) and extra broccolini to see if this is something I would add to my Kona Keto dining-out options in the future.
Here are the results:
(1) The NY steak was well done (totally cooked through), not medium (mostly cooked with some pink). I decided to 'live with it' and ate the steak well-done steak. It was not tough, and the Bordelaise Sauce contributed to the taste which I appreciated.
(2) The item came with broccoli, not broccolini. The broccoli was plentiful but undercooked. I ate it anyway because I was trying to get my intake of cruciferous veggies. I like broccoli but I prefer broccolini with steak. I told the bartender that the veggie was broccoli, not broccolini. She looked up the difference on her phone and went to the kitchen to report the difference. She came back and said they were out of broccolini and hadn't updated the menu.
(3) I was a little skeptical about the Bordelaise sauce but I feel like it saved the steak, in part, given that it was overcooked.
The key question is whether I would order this again. The answer is no. I have ordered other steaks (ribeyes) at a couple of other restaurants in Kona that are comparably priced, not overcooked and with appropriately cooked Keto veggies.
I still love Lava Java, and I will continue to come here for the view and guava BBQ rib appetizers at $17.50 as of the date of this review. I love the bar, the ribs are good, it's chill, and it's a good place to eat and drink while watching the water, especially if you are a solo female traveler. I will return but won't order the NY strip again.