Best Restaurants for Birthdays in Waimānalo

There’s a reason this place has won awards for best Italian restaurant in Hawaii. They’ve taken simple Italian dishes and elevated them to something really special, without charging obscene prices. The Caprese salad was the most flavorful one I’ve ever had in my life — and I eat that dish A LOT! The Parmesan risotto was outstanding (in addition to being prepared tableside in a very cool way); and the “deconstructed” tiramisu was perfection. Best of all, my server, Diego, was lovely and attentive but never overbearing, which helped put me at ease as I dined alone. Do not miss the special place!

Food was delicious, and loved the ambiance with the live music, dim lighting, and the restaurant being right next to the ocean. Me and my wife went on Valentine’s Day and we were able to get in right at our reservation time. She had the margarita pizza and I had the ribeye with jalapeño mashed potatoes and Swiss chard. The jalapeño mashed potatoes were incredible and so was the rib eye, which was cooked perfectly medium and tasted better than most nice steak houses I’ve been to. I would always recommend monkey pod to people looking for a good place to eat with a nice environment and setting.

Excellent service. The food was exactly how we ordered it. Oysters were fresh and beautifully presented. A must is the Wolfgang salad - juicy tomatoes, sweet onions, roasted red bell peppers, bite sized shrimp, hearty blocks of bacon, all nestled on a bed of iceberg lettuce. The ribeye was tender and juicy. We enjoyed our dinning experience. Parking is validated.

A friend was in town for only two days and we had missed getting together on her prior visits. I chose Hau Tree lanai for brunch and it was perfect. She liked the choices on the menu and the ocean just outside. The food, service and ambiance were their usual best. My favorite restaurant for 20 or more years and am always impressed.

Noise level higher due to fabulous live music so not noise at all.