Kimmy L.
Yelp
My family and I came here for the first time while on vacation in Waikiki to meet up with family friends. I wasn't sure what to expect, but thought the food might be similar to Cheesecake Factory. However, after eating here, I think that Tommy Bahama is another level above Cheesecake Factory.
You can either take the stairs or elevator inside of the Tommy Bahama retail store up to the third floor where the restaurant is located.
The restaurant has a very tropical and casual summery vibe (basically Tommy Bahama in a nutshell). There's a bar on the third floor and a rooftop bar on the top floor.
We had reservations for 5:45pm on a weekday and were seated promptly upon arrival.
Their menu has soups, salads, fish, steak, burgers, lobster Mac and cheese, and a variety of cocktails and drinks. They also have a special seasonal menu which had battered Mahi Mahi, ahi tuna salad, and beets.
After perusing through other Yelp reviews, I decided to order the LUMP BLUE CRAB CAKES. My companions ordered the battered MAHI MAHI and the GUAVA PORK RIBS. We also ordered the FRIED ASPARAGUS and AHI POKE appetizers to share. For dessert, we ordered their famous PIÑA COLADA CAKE, the CHOCOLATE CAKE, and the KEY LIME PIE.
The FRIED ASPARAGUS was unique. They were crispy and had a zesty/slightly spicy kick to them. The AHI POKE was mixed in guacamole and came with a side of TARO CHIPS for dipping. This was my favorite of the two appetizers and something I would order again as an avocado and poke lover.
The LUMP BLUE CRAB CAKES came with three cakes on top of a tartar sauce aioli, grilled asparagus, and slaw. The crab cakes were super moist and flavorful and were excellent even without the tartar sauce aioli. Even though I love sauces, I thought the amount of tartar sauce served with it was way too much. A small dab of it goes a long way. The slaw was refreshing and the asparagus was tender and grilled to perfection.
I also tried a bite of my brother's MAHI MAHi. The Mahi was flaky and tender and had a delicate battered crust. It came with almond rice (rice with sliced almonds in it). It was definitely fancier than your average chips and dip.
Lastly, dessert presentation was on point. The KEY LIME PIE was rich, tangy, and creamy and was my favorite of the desserts. It had a macadamia nut crust that was buttery and flaky. The CHOCOLATE CAKE (our waitress' favorite and recommendation) was rich and had strong note of dark chocolate- think death by chocolate mud pie). This was a favorite across the table. The PIÑA COLADA cake was also decent, but could use stronger coconut flavor. It was moist and had lots of whipped cream. You honestly can't go wrong with dessert here.
Service was fantastic and our waitress was very friendly and knowledgeable of the menu.
Bring a lightweight jacket if you're sitting near the windows though because you can get hit with the ocean breeze if the windows are open.
Overall: 5/5 for food, 5/5 for service, 5/5 for atmosphere