The Royal Hawaiian

1st time here. Really nice atmosphere- tiki bar. Food was fantastic. Bartenders were also the servers. They knew it was my birthday so they sang happy birthday and was going to give me a free desert but I was to full. I got there at happy hour. ordered the Spring veg rolls- they were delicious took some home along with the main entree which was Pineapple Curry Rice. It had a type of pork/shrimp, peas, and scallions cut into a pineapple. Very tasty. Would go back when Im back in Laguna Beach, CA.

Would be 5/5 stars if the drinks were not $19. Would have been 4/5 without the weirdly predatory photo experince. After tax and tip included its ~22 a drink. I would not recommend visiting off happy hour - when the prices are more reasonable. Only the Mai Thai is on the happy hour for drinks tho. The happy hour food was good, but with 3 drinks total, 2 appetizers, and 1 meal off happy hour we still spent over $110. Further, they asked us to take a picture at the front which was cute then brought it in frames to our table and pushed it really hard on us. $20 for a per photo in a cheap frame… then they asked for a tip on the checkout of the photo starting at 20%! It felt gross and ruined the whole vibe of the place. Great esthetic and the drinks tasted great, but the price and photo experience were a big turn off. If you are a tiki bar person like me, worth a single visit but be warned on cost

Top place in laguna. Food, service and ambience are incredible. It had been amazed by each dish. After visit this place I’ll be frustrated because we don’t have this place in Spain.

I really wanted to love this place. The menu looked great and the vibe was super fun and kitschy—I was totally feeling it when we walked in. Unfortunately, the experience didn’t live up to the expectations. The service wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t friendly either, and it was oddly slow given how empty the restaurant was. I ordered the ribeye steak with macaroni salad and a green salad. The steak was a big letdown—tough, not great quality, and the teriyaki sauce didn’t help. The macaroni salad also lacked flavor. My wife and kids weren’t thrilled with their meals either. We tried to salvage the night with dessert and ordered the coconut cake, but even that fell flat—it tasted old, and between the four of us, we didn’t finish it. The atmosphere had potential, but the food and overall experience just didn’t deliver. Disappointing.

Very few places get a triple 5 star rating, and this is one of them. The food is fantastic, the service staff is great from the bartenders, wait staff, management, and the cook! The atmosphere is quintessential classic tiki bar and it delivers on all other points too. Definitely worth a visit, and you're likely to get hooked!

Incredibly lovely space. Jenna and Victoria (sincere apologies if I misremembered their names) were so friendly and made our night. The space has been beautifully remodeled and the drinks were excellent. The poke bowl was delicious. Thank you for making my night.

The Royal Hawaiian restaurant and pub is one of the best experiences that anyone can have in Laguna Beach, CA. The staff is amazing, the food is exceptional, lots of options when it comes to drinks especially their extended "happy hour" times. I had the "Poke won-ton nachos" which if you've never tried, it is highly recommended, paired with Long Board beer.

This restaurant is beautiful great job on layout and design. The bar is huge with great lighting . The drinks were perfect and pretty. Now the food was the best . Try the ribs , fall off the bone just the way I like them . I had the hamburger everyone is raving about, didn't disappoint. Also the coconut cake was delicious. Definitely going back .

I came to a marketplace event here a few weeks ago. I love the decor and the staff was on top of things despite the fact we packed the place to the gills. I enjoyed the lumpia and the pineapple rice. They also have amazing teriyaki sauce. Loved the drinks and am a big fan of the flaming Willie. My only issue was that a vodka soda cost almost 13 bucks.

They make authentic tiki drinks Great decor friendly staff Clean And good food ! Worth a try

The Huli Huli Chicken was an absolute disgrace to the heritage of this main course. It was absolutely horrible. Their Fried Onion Blossom was disgusting.

This place was an unexpected but delightful surprise. The tiki bar is amazing. The ambiance and decor is a whole vibe. We had the mochiko chicken and ribeye for dinner. Lava cake and coconut cake for dessert. All of it was excellent. Not to mention live entertainment on Saturday evening. We will be back again!

This is a review for the happy hour, which is three to 6 o'clock on weekdays. Really enjoyed the ambience, service and the food / drinks! Mai Tai: only $10 on the happy hour menu. Very well-made - not overly sweet, was clearly made with high-end liquors rather than a premade mix like they do at some of these happy hours. 5/5 Egg rolls: tasty!! Very good for the price, although not transformative. Just came on a little straight plate so although it was absolutely solid/decent option it's hard to give it five out of five ...so 4/5 Awesome blossom: this was so tasty! The sauce complemented it very well. Came out hot, the breading was a little different in terms of this evening and the content. 5/5 Draft beers were only five dollars, but we did not partake in this. House wine for the glass was 10 bucks, and was a very generous poor and the wine was really good! I only had the red, but I would definitely recommend. Service was excellent, we sat near the bars, so the bartender was who served us, he was really friendly and helpful with us navigating the menu. The dining area and the entrance are so cute with a nice fish tank and an interesting shell bench. Highly recommend! Chicken dumplings: very good Shu-mai with an excellent complementary sauce. I liked the presentation in the dish as well. Period

Went to celebrate my birthday we had Norma as our server, she is the best!!! Her energy is so beautiful and fun! I love the tiki decor it puts you in the feel good tropical vibe! The coconut shrimp app is my favorite and so good!!! The ribs are delicious and of course all their tropical drinks are great!! I am definitely going back!!!

Whatever you do, if you come here on a weekend for dinner, expect a circle around for parking. Even the parking lot located a few doors down was full. I was really happy that the parking attendant took pity on me and let me park there with six minutes to spare on my 6:45 PM reservation The inside is lively, and the staff is decent. The prices for the food is well, pretty pricey, for what you get. If you go on the website, You can pay your bill using this app and you'll get $50 off if you buy $150 worth of food on your first visit. Unfortunately, I didn't check the bill and overpaid by one drink. Oh well, it was already over $200 so what's another $17 ? We spent over three hours eating and drinking so I don't know if we got validated for the parking lot, but my amount was $20 for parking. Not sure if I would consider this the best tiki bar, but considering the parking sucks I'll give it 3-1/2 stars

Went on a Friday at 12:30 pm. Note that only the bar is open - no food service until 4 pm. Super dark in here but I think it's bc the restaurant seating area is closed. Decor: 5 stars. Bar: I think new guy is on the bar. Pleasant. Drinks: I got a diet coke, it was disgusting. I don't know if it's mix or dirty pipes. I also got a Pina colada Nada. ( I don't drink). They do not have a blender so it was crushed ice with pineapple and coconut. It was OK. Everyone else ordered the main drinks and liked them. They are out of the $70 rum drink. Bathroom: 2 stars - messy and almost out of TP. I think it wasn't cleaned from last night Parking: near by valet parking , free first 90 minutes

I tried here, had their poke bowl (tuna, rice, salad, and kimchi), and while it doesn't beat out my local poke place - I gotta say, it was a close call! If you get an appetizer, might I suggest the egg rolls? Delicious! The place is a tiki bar, but not so tiki that they beat you over the head with it. More tropical and hawaiian (duh...the name lol) Everyone there is so kind and lovely. Prompt service. Seated without reservations (though, helpful if you have them lol). Just an overall good place with good food and good people. Highly reccomend this place!

Grabbed some drinks and apps here on Wednesday evening with friends. We basically had the whole place to ourselves. The decor is AMAZING! Really good cocktails, yes pricey, but well done. The spam musubi and cucumber salad were stand outs of everything we tried. I would absolutely order those again. The waiter kindly brought us a bowl of clam chowder on the house that the chef had just prepared which was super nice! I can't have clams, but my friends said it was very tasty. I'd come back here for the ambiance and to try more of the menu.

Royal Hawaiian was a lot of fun! Delicious drinks, good food, pleasant staff. Loved the Chief Lapu Lapu and the chicken wings.

Best time to come here is during happy hour, from 3-6 when we went on July 4th! Half off apps including the pupu platter! $10 Mai tais! I got a nonalcoholic Mata Hari mocktail with a smokey cinnamon stick finish! The drinks weren't amazing, could be a little more refined. But the food was pretty delicious! We loved the lumpia, musubi, blooming onion and fried chicken! The furikake ranch sauce (I think that's what it was) for the onion?! was SOOO good!! Beautifully designed space! FUN FACT: I was curious to see the picture of a vintage Asian couple framed by the entrance. Looked 'em up on their IG page. Turns out the owner was Filipino from the 1940s! So cool!! When the Anaheim location was still open back in the day, Walt Disney used to frequent & was inspired by their tiki bar to create the Enchanted Tiki room at DISNEYLAND!

A Polynesian theme dream! I wasn't expecting such grandeur and was overjoyed with the decor, food, and cocktails. My Royal Hawaiian cocktail was the best I'd ever had. Our server was so accommodating to our group of 13 comprised of members of the Aloha Caftan Society Orange County Chapter and Coastal Carolinas Chapter. The trophy skull collection created by Tiki artist Matt "Reesenik" Reese was astounding and really became a show unto itself with lighting and fog. My fish dish was outstanding! Big chef's kiss! The coconut cake was the star of the show. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect Sunday brunch experience.

My friend and I went out for dinner and drinks at Royal Hawaiian but there was also a large birthday group, so good for any occasion! It was a little dark for my preference so I had to bring out my glasses to read lol. The Bali Bali and lumpia (not pictured) were excellent starters before our meal, definitely enough for 2! I ordered the short rib with rice and Mac. The meat was a bit dry but the mac was the star of the show. My friend got the curry pineapple rice (not pictured but served in an actual pineapple, fun) and it was not only tasty but gave plenty of leftovers!

First time visiting! My parents said that this was a MUST! We went early afternoon, midweek so it wasn't busy at all. The interior was so cute, you truly feel like you're at a local spot on a Hawaiian island. The service was friendly, she suggested some of her favorite dishes and cocktails, which helped. We decided on appetizers and SEVERAL different cocktails-not one was disappointing! We will definitely return!

Wasn't impressed when we met friends here. Service was inattentive at best. Tiki drinks were fun and well presented. Fish dishes looked okay, but the Korean short rib I had was stringy, greasy, and barely edible. I've had much better macaroni salad from chain restaurants. I enjoyed the atmosphere so might give one more chance, but I wouldn't go out of my way to return.

As far as Tiki Bars go - the Royal Hawaiian is great. It's themed, newly renovated, has tons of seating and a huge bar. It's lacking in its menu offerings, but I don't think that's what you should be coming here for.. The Royal Hawaiians website states it was first opened in 1947 and continues on to say "The Royal Hawaiian has been painstakingly reconstructed, inch by inch. Hand built, and custom pieces throughout, the inspiration was the glory days of Francis' Cabang's restaurant and bringing you back in time." This is what you should be coming in for, the thought and time put into the decor and ambiance of the tiki themed bar. This is a historic place for Laguna Beach, which should be taken into consideration if you choose to dine here. Their menu is themed with Hawaiian inspired dishes, so it is not going to be an extravagant as some of the other restaurants found in downtown Laguna Beach.. another thing to consider is the location, the prices of the food and drink are a little high but you're at a themed tiki bar in the middle of Laguna.. there is also no parking lot, so plan on spending some time looking for parking in surrounding neighborhoods for a good bit of time before making the walk over to the restaurant, there is a valet only parking lot pretty close to the restaurant. We enjoyed our experience because we had never been, now that we have it's not a place I would continue to frequent from Anaheim to Laguna, but if I was in the area again I may stop in for a drink if I was with someone who has never been.

Very big drink menu, it has a back side to it. I love the fact that it shows you what the drinks look like on the menu. Very strong drinks. We just got appetizers and they were really good. The best one was the steamed chicken dumplings and cucumber salad. Definitely a must get. Loved the ambience in here, low lighting and cute lights on the table

So we decided to check out the remodeled Royal Hawaiian in Laguna Beach... it's cute, it's kitschy, it's Hawaiianish We had a great time. The bartender came over and introduced us to a handcrafted cocktail, which I thought was very interesting. The service was good until it was time to take the dirty plates away from our appetizers. We just couldn't get anybody to do it . So I walked the dishes up to the bar myself. not my favorite moment of the evening. But it was a good thing. I did that because they quickly brought the food out and there was no room on the table for any thing else. Hawaiian food is fun . This restaurant is located in North Laguna Beach. Street parking. ( I highly recommend an Uber.)

Stumbled upon this place while killing time before my sisters wedding. Loved the ambiance, & drinks. Come to find out my sister reserved the seating section near where we were sitting for the reception, so after the ceremony we went back for food & more drinks! Everything was great. Food was delicious. Drinks were yummy. Customer service was great.

I was really looking forward to trying Royal Hawaiian for my birthday! My partner called to make a reservation about a month in advance, and was essentially told by the person who answered the phone that it was entirely unnecessary ... and it pretty much was! Granted, we came on a Monday evening but there was no host at the host stand so we finally just walked up to the bar and were told "sit anywhere". We chose a small booth in the back of the restaurant and ordered drinks: The Purple Haze and The Royal Hawaiian. Drinks were expensive (around $20) but incredibly strong. We just had the one round. For appetizer, we had the spam musubi (can't recommend enough!). Followed by entrees: I got the Korean short ribs and my partner got the Royal Ribs. My short ribs were almost all fat, which was disappointing...but my sides, the salad and the Hawaiian mac salad, were excellent. My partner loved the Royal Ribs. After dinner, we were asked if we wanted coconut cake or an ice cream sundae. My partner had told the staff it was my birthday so we assumed it was complimentary. We went with the coconut cake, which was delicious! Highly recommend! But, it was indeed on our bill afterwards. Not a huge issue, but just something to keep in mind if you are coming for a birthday. Overall, we enjoyed our time but the main course was the least impressive part. We also felt as if our server kind of pushed us along a bit to get us out quickly, which was weird in an almost empty restaurant. We probably won't be returning for dinner, but we really enjoyed our drinks and the escapism that comes with the immersive Hawaiian theme. Royal Hawaiian is great about playing Hawaiian music and is themed to a T. I hope that the emptiness was just a Monday thing and not a Royal Hawaiian thing. Despite not loving the food, it is a really neat place and I do hope to return one day for drinks at the bar!

The creative ambience of the restaurant was undoubtedly its highlight. We dropped in for their Tiki Thursday Happy Hour. The potstickers and coconut shrimp were good but our fav was the spam musubi! If you're looking for a fun vibe I'd recommend stopping in.

Solid drinks and tiki atmosphere, but it's more of a dinner and drinks place than a tiki bar. I consider myself a connoisseur of the tiki bars in socal, and while the drinks were delicious here, strong pours and high quality rum, the food was just okay and the vibes were pretty quiet. We came at 6pm on a Sunday, so not the most busy time but the restaurant was fairly busy until 7:30ish when it was pretty much deadly quiet. Now on to a more specific review: Hurricane: very good not too strong 7.5/10 Deep sea diver: strong, slightly sweet but mostly an alcohol taste 7.2/10 Royal Hawaiian: deserving of being their signature drink. It was strong, smooth, and absolutely delicious. I could have easily downed four of these 10/10 Pupu platter with onions, chicken, spam musubi and egg rolls was pretty good, but the fried chicken wasn't very crispy and the spam musubis desperately needed sauce to give them flavor Spam and kimchi fried rice was good (8/10) if a little greasy. Overall, I would come back for dinner and drinks in a fun restaurant as the decor is great and parking was easy, it's just not the upbeat tiki bar vibe I was looking for, I would recommend the lost inferno in San Clemente if you're looking to party a little more

Oh what a disappointment... my husband and I frequent tiki bars and love when we find new ones locally and during our travels. When we found out the Royal Hawaiian reopened we were eager to check it out. Finally made it down there on Friday for my husband's birthday dinner... except we didn't make it to the dinner portion. For a Friday night at 6:30, it's clear we aren't the only ones who have been disappointed because while we had a reservation there was no wait and plenty of tables available. Ambiance - Cute and hits some of the great tiki vibes but could use a little work. If the drinks and food were great I probably would let this part slide lol Drinks - We went with the classics to start because that's a good judge of a tiki bar. We had a Mai Tai and a Zombie. As a cocktail, the Mai tai was okay it just didn't taste like a Mai tai. And the zombie was undrinkable... for $22 just pure disappointment. One of the best things about tiki bars is presentation, these drinks had no special cups/mugs with garnishes, etc. Food - I can only comment on a couple apps we got because that's as far as we got before deciding to not have dinner and leave. Little too be desired, all felt like frozen items that were just heated up. Nothing special about the coconut shrimp or wings. When our wings came out in a red plastic basket with that red and white checkered paper liner I was so confused. Felt like wings from your local burger joint rather than a restaurant in Laguna Beach. Lastly the service, our waitress didn't have much of a desire to be there or to help. Would ask if we needed anything numerous times while walking away and to not even properly get an answer. Because of one just negative mark after another, we opted to just get the check and go somewhere else for dinner. No desire to come back, especially when Orange County has a few great tiki bars with good food.

We've been coming down to Laguna Beach for many years, and have seen this place go through many iterations/owners. This most recent redo was supposed to try to recapture the vision of original owners Francis Cabang and Harold Hanna circa 1947. The remodel is very nice in terms of tiki décor, but the food was just okay and service is spotty. The restaurant is full of nice tiki touches. The bar area is a bit smaller and darker than before because they expanded the outdoor area, even adding sidewalk tables. There's also a small patio inside with a fountain. When I went, the bar area was busier than the dining area. I had a reservation at 4 pm, but there was no host at the outdoor stand, so I had to ask a server inside and she said just to sit anywhere. The menu had brunch items served until 3 pm and an all-day section of pupu's, salads, mains and grilled items. The cocktail menu is pretty extensive with both "original" and "modern" selections. My Hurricane was nice, set aflame tableside. I started with the pupu platter, 4 pupu's of your choice. I got the mochiko chicken, lumpia eggroll, coconut shrimp and Spam musubi. Everything was decent, but not exceptional. My main was the curry pineapple fried rice, served in a pineapple. It had Portuguese sausage and shrimp, quite tasty. I had a side of Hawaiian mac salad which also had potatoes and was more vinegary than I like. Service was on the slow side, although friendly, and they seemed to be short staffed. It seems more staff came on duty around 5 pm. The kicker was the stall in the men's room was out of order, I had to scurry into the ladies room when it was unoccupied. Far from an exceptional experience but I may give it another try when I'm down, since I can easily walk here.

The Royal Hawaiian has a special place in our hearts. We started going here shortly after the big reopening and one day decided that the Royal Hawaiian would be the perfect place to host our wedding dinner. So we did! The manager Jen was wonderful from the start! She helped us plan our dinner and made us feel at home. The staff were very accommodating and went out of their way for our special night. Our guests loved their dinner and enjoyed the fine crafted tiki cocktails. The Royal Hawaiian also had a Hawaiian style acoustic band performing during our dinner which offered fun entertainment. We are very grateful and thankful that the Royal Hawaiian made our night a perfect memory! I highly recommend this place, especially for group celebrations. Great atmosphere and beach vibes. There are also plenty of gorgeous hotels and airBnBs in the area to make it a fun weekend. Aloha!

Yummmmmmmm! The food here was so good! The menu is not that large which makes it easy to decide what you want. Beer selections are slim but the selection will satisfy all beer drinkers. The mixed cocktails are fun. They light some of them on fire which makes it great for the flare. However, if you consume too many they will bring you a drink that isn't on fire as a hint you've had enough hahahaha! The restaurant is casual. It's clean, it is busy, it is dark! So be prepared to busy out the lights to see your menus. But it makes it fun for the ambiance. I ordered the Pineapple rice. It was served in a huge pineapple slice, with tons of scallops and sausage. It also had 4 very large fried shrimps. So good! My 1 empowerment friend ordered the oyster spaghetti. There were about a dozen oysters the size of my palm in there. Safe to say they were very pleased with it. My other empowerment friend ordered the tofu Masala. And she cleaned her plate. I had a taste. The spices and texture were perfect! We were all very pleased with our food and found it to all be very good. We all shared the popcorn chicken appetizer. Little over cooked but served but still eatable and decent. The dipping sauce it's served with is very good! Job well done with this food and experience. I will say the new owners nailed it!

Food was mid but cocktails were really good. Definitely a little bit on the pricier side but it's a good ambiance. You can tell that owners put a lot of effort and time into creating a tiki atmosphere. The tiki bar is well-decorated and they've got an extensive rum collection. The cocktails were delicious! Food: Not a fan of the poke appetizer. It definitely could be an entree too since it comes with a salad and rice. My boyfriend ordered the Korean galbi plate and enjoyed it.

Welcoming right up till closing time. Honestly top 5 tiki in the US, especially for events!!

I had not been back here since the renovation and it was a fantastic time! I came here for my birthday with my husband, and we had a really great server and the staff was really nice and friendly and the food and drink was excellent. You definitely want to get the coconut shrimp as an appetizer because it is the best coconut shrimp I have had since North shore in Hawaii, I mean maybe as good or just better in its own way. If you love, coconut flavor, this has a lot of coconut flavor and the breading is not to fried and I think that's why I like that so much! My husband ordered the burger and he said it's the best burger he has had! I also don't drink so our server made me a surprise Mocktail and it was so delicious and so pretty ! The ambience is super fun, super cool, and just rad. Love the vibe. Since it was my birthday, the server got me the coconut cream cake, and it was so good! It's huge though, so we definitely took some home as leftovers. But wow delicious Cute photo opps, and just overall a great time! We can't wait to come back here soon!

First time visit for myself and I was very impressed. My friends were here for a tiki mug release and we had reservations for lunch. We were seated promptly and the decor is very cool yet not in an over the top obnoxious way. The waitress was very attentive to our table and our food was brought out in a timely manner. I ordered the mahi mahi with fries and Mac salad. The flavors were on point and the portions were perfect! Parking in Laguna is a pain so plan ahead!

I stopped by Royal Hawaiian on Friday (9/28) evening around 8pm and took a seat at the bar. The bartender was James and he was just outstanding all night. I first had a Mai Tai which was good but, I've had better. Next I ordered dinner, I selected the Salmon which came with a side salad and white rice. The Salmon was outstanding and the seasonings were just perfect. The rice was white sticky rice with zero flavor and the salad I just didn't care for. For the next 2 drinks, I had their Royal Hawaiian which was great. Here is the part I can't figure out, all the websites the speak to their hours note they are open until 11pm ~ 1am on Friday evening. At 10pm, they called last call and I asked how late they were open until, one of the young ladies advised they were closing early because it was slow. I will never understand that... All in all, thank you James, you were a Rockstar.

This is a quiet Polynesian themed bar. It's newly renovated and quite pretty. We did not try any food just a couple of drinks that were delicious. I only wish they had some tiki mugs for sale.

I've been for drinks once before - but chose to come here to celebrate my birthday! The bartenders were super fun and nice. They made great drink recommendations. The hostess/waitress was great as well! She made some great food recs and she was very sweet. The bartender came over with a birthday shot. The drinks are so yummy and the food was too. I ordered the chicken with Mac salad and the chicken was so flavorful. Such a fun place to celebrate, definitely will be back - thank you!!

Ask for a booth by the bar. Tiki drinks are elevated art works. I've had tiki drinks at many a tiki establishment up and down the coast. The bartender here had their craft down! The garnishes are beautifully presented. The drinks tell a story. For example, the 3 Dots and a Dash, is from WW II, Morse Code, the garnish has to have 3 cherries for the Dot, for example. As with any Tiki bar, it's fun to walk around and see what the owner has collected on the walls, tikis, art, ceramic etc. The food however is an unnecessary accessory. It will fill the belly, but it's not elevated bar food, nor necessary. A must stop for tiki enthusiasts.

Went here unexpectedly on a Friday night and this place has a cool fun ambiance. Sat at the bar and the bartenders were extremely friendly. We tried the Royal Hawaiian and Mai Tai drinks and they were both great. The food was also great, everything came out warm or hot. The lumpia and Korean galbi with Hawaiian Mac salad and rice were some of my favorites among the menu. Would go again. A fun date night or friends dinner!

I recommendation to go see the bartender Mateo. He has a passion for the nostalgia this historic restaurant and embodies the new tiki culture revival in the US. His drinks were well balanced and delicious. It's seem hard to find good service nowadays but his age and experience was refreshing!

We really enjoy coming here with our toddler for brunch on the weekends. Norma is almost always our server and is so sweet, we love her! We also recently had Rebecca as our bartender on a Friday for lunch and she was awesome! Food is usually good and our son loves the popcorn chicken kids meal. The only issue we have is the inconsistency. The menu is slightly different almost every time we come and last time the actual food quality was noticeably different as well. The price point should guarantee high quality dishes but we've had mixed experiences.

I'd never been to any of the prior iterations of Royal Hawaiian so I can't speak to how it compares, but I was really impressed with the interior decor, which like like ours been there forever (even though it's from a new renovation) . We didn't have reservations, but even though inside seating was full we got a table for 3 on the sidewalk (which is nice under the umbrellas and with the overhead music piped in). Out waitress was young and seemed inexperienced, kept forgetting to bring my water and my friend's take-home box. She was also confused when I asked her to ring the alcohol up separately. (we were on a business dinner and can't be reimbursed for booze.) For drinks I ordered the Royal Hawaiian in hopes of purchasing the glass it comes in, but they were sold out. The drink itself was great, 5 stars. (Royal Hawaiian is famous for its Lapu Lapu but I didn't feel like having that.) My ahi tuna sandwich was good - I loved the slightly spicy sauce, although the time was overcooked for my taste ( and I was not asked how I wanted it cooked). After my dining companions left I sidled up to the bar by myself and got one last drink, a Three Dots and a Dash. I could tell the bartenders were knowledgeable and took a lot of care with the drinks. Is fun to watch them make them. 5 stars for ambiance. Seriously it's mesmerizing.

Everything food, service, and ambiance. Come to a new experience. All smiles and good times.

Decided to hit up this local gem last night with my friend and I'm so happy we did! Right as we walked in our jaws hit the floor when we saw the giant clam shell. We both looked at each other and knew we made the right choice. We went straight to the bar because that's where all the excitement was. The whole restaurant was under the sea/ tiki themed. We both took a minute to look at the drink menu. Omar and Carlos were the two guys behind the bar helping us out. My friend got a banana flavored drink and I got a drink called the hurricane. Both drinks tasted amazing and were priced at $18 each. After we caught up a little over the drinks we were ready to order our food. We both decided to get the Royal burger which we decided to get the impossible patty. The meal was amazing and we will definitely plan to come back to try other items on the menu.

Today, the Royal Hawaiian officially opened. The Tiki theme is tastefully done. Overall, we had a good meal. Ambiance - A Coconut shrimp - A+ $18 Popcorn chicken - B $16 Mai Tai - A $18 Royal Burger with French fries - B- $21 They have a huge bar with tables for four people close by. The tables were too close together. The prices were higher than they should be for the items we ordered. Use the parking lot three doors down from the Royal Hawaiian and you will be given two hours of free parking.

I am basing my review on my first visit to Royal Hawaiian with my mom (who is Hawaiian so her standards are a little high). We were greeted by Piper who was adorable. Super friendly and kept apologizing because we had to wait a little bit even tho we had reservations. No worries, my mom loved the music so we didn't mind the wait. The decor is vintage Hawaiian and we loved it. From what I saw I don't think you need to change anything. We enjoyed that it has the Hawaiian vibe and you didn't try to get too fancy. Not only was Piper fantastic but so was Jamie. Jamie was our second server after our first one left for the day. If you go, ask for her. The drinks were great BUT...... kinda missed the boat on presentation. I saw some awesome drinks in the photos and my moms looked nothing like that. Sticking a ton of mint on top was not pleasant to the eye. However, the drinks were very good. Yes they are $18 but isn't that the norm? Please add a pretty flower or something in alllll the drinks. The food- it was good. Great?? No, but it was good. I enjoyed the coconut shrimp. The blooming onion on the appetizer platter was unnecessary and didn't quite go with the rest of the meal. Leave it out.... Dumplings, good. Korean chicken, good. Again, presentation could be a little better- just to give the experience something extra to talk about. So close to having that wow factor. Jamie, Piper and the rest of the staff that helped us definitely helped keep my review at five stars! Will I be back? Definetly. Fun spot that I'd like to be a regular at. They do have a band on weekends. We missed it but I'd like to go when the band is there.

We absolutely love the Royal Hawaiian Rest in Laguna. Food, atmosphere and drinks are great!

A little slice of paradise on the Pacific Coast Highway, the Royal Hawaiian transports customers on an island dining experience in a unique Laguna Beach setting. Upon strolling through the entrance doors, a wooden den adorned with jungle elements and tiki items greets customers. Nearby, a giant clamshell with a luxurious sofa seat, emanates a cascading blue topaz light, evoking a fantastical feeling that you have entered into another realm, perfect for mermaids. The dining booths are replete with tropical leis, soft candlelight, and there is a window display with skulls on posts eerily adding to the dimly lit mystique of this place. The servers are very kind, did an excellent job taking care of our party for our birthday dinner group, and the bartenders are excellent at mixology. Every drink on the menu boasts a symphony of flavors that cannot be beat! The Lapu Lapu arrives flaming, with a sugar cube on fire; the Dragon's Milk was lusciously adorned with an orchid, and contained a delicious splash of pandan. The pupu platter was not portioned to the scale expected from the description on the menu, with only one vegetable skewer, three shrimp, and three egg rolls; the best aspect of it was the blooming onion. The Mauna Loa Ahi Tuna platter was perfect to pair with these drinks, offering a savory blend of flavors that really pleases the palette. Overall, this restaurant is a treasure, and if I may offer a pearl of wisdom, take a chance and try this place for a royal experience!

We absolutely love the Royal Hawaiian. This most recent remodel is more incredible than all the previous iterations before it. The elaborate tiki decor is amazing. The Lapu-Lapu is better than it's ever been and Mateo is the best Tiki Bartender in orange county. The food is fantastic. We had the coconut shrimp and grilled ribeye. We live in San Diego and it's worth the drive every time.

Great ambience and vibes here in Laguna. My cocktails were fantastic, you can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Mai tais to a bowl, you're gonna enjoy every sip. The decor is so cool, true Tiki bar in here. Sit at the bar for a good time. My issue was the food was mediocre and the table service was slow. I came here for my birthday dinner and left feeling conflicted. Drinks and vibes were great. Food was not even close to Hawaiian, it was American with a splash of island here and there. I thought of it as a more bland version of Dukes in Huntington. I would come back for drinks and skip food entirely. Then the table service was SLOOOOOW. Our server was non existent before and after ordering. I think I saw her 3 times in the span of 2 hours. Far and few between too. If you want good drinks, fun decor, and a good space for drinks with friends come here! It's a gem in Laguna. Food however, eat down the street at Las Brisas first.

Keenn was an absolute rock star. Short staffed as he was he kept all the customers happy including us. I know I couldn't handle the stress of running the entire restaurant by yourself, but he definitely did. Well come back for more.

My husband and I are used to smaller close quarter tiki bars (smuggler cove, strong water, and false idol) so we loved the openness of The Royal Hawaiian upon walking in. There are booths, high top tables and bar seating. There is also an outside area. Food: 5/5 We had the spam musubi, curry pineapple fried rice, and mahi mahi. The Musubi took me back to my memories of childhood with close Hawaiian friends making musubi for the swim team. Salty spam with sticky rice and a sweet tangy sauce. The fried rice was delicious. The curry spice added to the traditional pineapple rice is a flavorful addition. Mahi mahi was fresh and grilled. Mac salad creamy and paired well with fish. Drinks 5/5: chief Lapu Lapu, banana smuggler, and dragons milk Lapu Lapu was their signature with a flaming lime half. Fun presentation. Like a boozy Hawaiian Punch with notes of orange and passion fruit Banana smuggler was creamy due to banana puree. The unique ingredient that made this stand out from other banana tiki drinks we've had was the wine reduction. Dragons milk another creamy and refreshing drink with notes of green tea vodka and pandan leaf syrup. We like to order drinks with ingredients we don't have at home so this stood out. Some what dessert-y Wait staff was attentive, friendly and timely. Excellent service and experience ! Can't wait to come back