Merriman's Kauai

Last meal on the islands was one of the best! Top notch service and food was phenomenal

Man tonight's dinner was excellent!! Get the dish that is half catch of the day and half steak, it is so good!! Our waitress was amazing, she has been there about 6 years, black hair, deep red lipstick if that helps identify her, sorry I didn't catch her name, said she had been to Texas twice, but she was amazing as a server and waitress, excellent customer service!! Definitely recommend, two thumbs up, we will definitely be back!

Incredible flavor and fantastic Mai Tais. Beautiful presentation from the staff and we had 17 in our party.

This was probably one of the best meals we had while in Kauai! My husband and I stopped by without reservations and we were seated within 5 minutes. We told the hostess that we were on our honeymoon and they pulled out all the stops! The server Ashlyn was fantastic and so attentive the whole evening. She brought us a complimentary champagne toast to start us off. My husband ordered the pork and was absolutely thrilled at how tender and flavorful it was. I order the macadamia crusted fish which was also incredible. For dessert we were brought the Lilikoi Mousse which was divine! Not to mention the atmosphere was amazing, with a perfect view of the ocean and sunset. Highly recommend!

What a place with amazing service. Great views of the island. Macadamia curated mahi mahi amazing. Lobster and pork ramen delicious. Fresh catch of the day was snapper. All the meals are fresh and not too big. The Mai Thai was great!

My wife and I had a fantastic dinner on our last night in Kauai. Unfortunately we had to cut our trip short because we had found out that my wife's mother was not doing well and needed to head home. She was quite upset and it was a very emotional day for us for sure. The one thing she wanted to do before we left the island was to have a nice dinner at Merriman's. Our server, River, asked how our day was going when he first met us. My wife told him the story and broke down a bit, but he was very kind and compassionate listening to her. He also asked if he could give her a hug, which was exactly what she needed at the moment. River did an excellent job checking in on us and chatting with us during the evening to make sure our dinner went perfectly. We really appreciated his support during this time and could not have asked for a better server (or therapist at that moment!). Bravo, River for helping us out on one of the most difficult nights of our life! Unfortunately my wife's mother passed away that evening as we arrived at the airport to fly home. Our amazing dinner at Merriman's and River in particular really helped us on our last night in Kauai ❤️

Every time we go to a Merriman’s or sister restaurant the food and drinks are outstanding. They have a good N/A cocktail list too. We had two specials which were each amazing. Our server was really good too.

Macadamian Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi was very good. We all ordered it with extra sauce. It was a good call. I had the Chocolate Purse dessert and it was good. Very rich . A nice little treat. I would try one of the other desserts next time. My father had the crab cakes and octopus. I didn't care for the octopus but my father liked it better than crab cakes. My folks said the crab cakes were better with a little salt. Our server was outstanding.

Bobby did an excellent job taking care of us. Fabulous Mai Tai. Wonderful arugula salad. The fish special was Ono and shrimp and had delicious flavor. And the chocolate purse….well….it will change your life 😍

Very expensive but dang it was good. The fried steak and pork quesadilla are a must! Views are stunning. It did take a little while for anyone to come over to the table. But right now, every restaurant is like that. They're doing their best and the food was worth any wait. Reservations are a must. I think you may be able to sit at the bar without them. We had to make reservations 3 days in advance to get in so make sure to not wait to make them. Fresh fish was swordfish and marlin, both amazing. Best meal we've had this trip. Staff is very kind as well. Highly recommend.

Spent Thanksgiving in Hawaii, and it was also my boyfriend's birthday! My friend recommended this restaurant . Let's just say - that's why we're friends! The food, vibez, atmosphere, service and DRANKS were top notch!!! We will definitely be visiting again when we return! It was six of us. Some of them were picky eaters, but they were all expressed with everything! We ordered the steak, fish, crab cake and desserts. We all shared the meals. Small portions, but worth every bite! This place is perfect for large parties, date night or work besties. It's conveniently located upstairs a shopping plaza on the island. PS If you're unable to walk up the stairs, there's a elevator too! As always, I'll be back in my Arnold Schwarzenegger voice!

This restaurant is a MUST visit for everyone who comes to Kauai. The food, the atmosphere and the views are all BEAUTIFUL! We sat at a table that was open to the outdoors. It was serene, picturesque and exceptional! We ordered the Venison w/Shrimp, the soup of the day (Tomato Coconut Crème), Crab Cakes and Pork Quesadillas. For dessert we had a Citrus Mousse and Bread Pudding. 🥰 Our server, Susan is soooo personable, professional and pleasurable to speak with. 🥰 The bathroom is clean. I suggest you make your reservation for 6pm for the outdoor seating to catch the sunset. Thank me later!

My husband and I loved our experience here. It was recommended by a friend. We were seated at a window table with a great view. Our server was attentive, informative and had a great demeanor. He explained not only the specials but some of the dishes. Our food came out quickly and looked and smelled amazing. My husband had the ono and I the macadamia nut fresh catch, which was mahi mahi. So savory. Relaxed atmosphere. Would definitely recommend Merriman’s. Reservations recommended.

Ashlyn (I think that’s her name) provided incredibly good service and the food was excellent. I would highly recommend trying this place out while you’re in the Poipu area!

Last night was a meal we will talk about the rest of our lives!! Go for dinner around 6:45 to experience a beautiful sunset dinner. Robby our server was an absolute professional - it’s rare to have such flawless service and his knowledge and understanding of the restaurant immediately relaxes you. Food wise - every dish was lick the plate good. The best Mai Tai on the island, stellar smoked fish dip appetizer, gorgeous Caesar with not a hint of wilt to the leaves, and of course the Mac Nut fish main. If you love Marsala - you need to have that signature dish, it will have you see stars it’s so good. The Ma Kai was also incredible and if we didn’t have the Mac Nut would’ve sung it’s praises - perfectly balanced sauce that matched the fish. We ended with two desserts and while we were full I don’t regret a single bite. A must eat in Kauai. This restaurant group knows how to put on a performance.

They went above and beyond. Bobby our server took great care of us for our 20th wedding anniversary. It was great needing there and we could not have asked for the experience to be any better.

Ashlyn our server has to be by far the best waitress in all my years eating out for dinner she first asked is this a special occasion we said yes it’s our anniversary she gave us a glass of champagne to celebrate after dinner she gave us a wonderful thoughtful dessert see the pictures

Exceptional from start to finish from the food to the service. Merriman's was our best meal/dinner on our trip! VISIT: end of April 2021 RESERVATIONS: highly recommended all throughout Kauai, to guarantee a seat and that you're not waiting too long (some of our dinners took up to 1 hour and 45 minutes with reservations - not at Merriman's though!) Reserve through Open Table WHAT WE ORDERED: Merriman's Mai Tais, Truffle Fries, Fresh Catch Special (Ono), Lamb Chop, Lilikoi Mousse WHAT WE WOULD ORDER AGAIN: all of it! STAFF: 5 stars SPECIALS: check their site for their daily specials (the couple next to us asked about the next day's specials and decided to come back the next day!) HAPPY HOUR: 4-5pm DAILY We were seated promptly for our reservation. We ordered drinks, appetizers, entrees and got a nice dessert as it was our anniversary celebration! This whole meal took about 60 minutes, which baffled us as our entire week on the island had lunches and dinners sometimes running up to 1 hour and 45 minutes, even with reservations. All the food was prompt and absolutely delicious (see my pics) AND my water always filled and I drink at least 30 oz each meal 😁 SUPER shout out to all the waitstaff, not just our waiter, Justin, as everyone else assisted in our 5 star experience - always making sure plates were cleaned (especially since it was very windy on the balcony - which the staff noted was rare) it helped to not have our menus and the bag from the Truffle Fries not flying around us. Extra kudos to the hostess stand as well as they were the only restaurant that even acknowledged our anniversary celebration (Open Table asks if you are celebrating something special). Thank you again, Merriman's, you will be HIGHLY recommended by us and in all my reviews!

Absolutely delicious with a hefty price tag to go with. The ambiance was fantastic with someone singing Hawaiian songs. If you're used to large portion sizes, you may be disappointed based on what you order, but it will taste delicious nonetheless.

Delicious food, incredible service (thank you Camille for making our party’s birthday feel super celebrated!) and beautiful atmosphere. The crab cake was impeccable, the aguachile (a kind of ceviche) was wonderful—it was all incredible. Couldn’t recommend it more.

It was so refreshing to find out the Merriman's and our favorite Mai Tai were on Kauai. We went for happy hour and got our fix for sure. The appetizers were terrific as well. We had the smash burger, truffle fries and quesadilla. The hummus plate was also refreshing. Everything hit the spot and or bartender was fantastic. Definitely worth the trip and so happy we did it. We will be back again and again.

Shared a few plates. Everything was delicious! The trufle parmesan fries where amazing and the pork was so tender you didnt even need a knife. Try the lilikoi mousse!

Merriman’s in Kauai delivered one of the most memorable dining experiences we have had on the island. From the first course to dessert, everything was thoughtful, beautifully prepared, and full of flavor. I had the filet mignon, which was cooked perfectly and incredibly tender, while the mac nut mahi mahi was outstanding, fresh, rich, and balanced with just the right amount of indulgence. We ended the evening with two amazing desserts that were truly exceptional and felt like a celebration in themselves. What made the experience truly special, though, was our server, Susan. She was warm, knowledgeable, and genuinely fun, bringing an authentic Hawaiian spirit to the table that elevated the entire evening. Her energy, attention to detail, and engaging personality made the meal feel relaxed, exciting, and personal. It was the kind of service that turns a great dinner into a lasting memory. Merriman’s is a must visit in Kauai, and we will absolutely be back.

Third trip to Kauai and finally made it out to here. I recommend making reservation. Everything tasted very good especially the pork shank entree. My daughter isn’t a big meat and got their special: house made pasta with sausage. We ended the meal with chocolate purse cake. It was amazing ! Will come back the next time I visit Kauai.

Food tasted so fresh, service folks were smiling and helpful, laid back. Loved eating there. One star off atmosphere for all the flies that ended up landing on the food but hey it's the tropics and I didn't get sick or anything, so not that big a deal.

We dined at Merriman’s during our anniversary trip to Kauai, and it was hands down our favorite meal of the entire trip. From the moment we arrived, the service was warm, attentive, and truly top-notch without ever feeling rushed. I ordered the mac nut mahi, which was perfectly cooked and full of flavor, and my husband had the steak, which he said was one of the best he’s ever had—tender, well-seasoned, and cooked exactly as requested. Every detail, from the food to the atmosphere, made the evening feel special and memorable. Merriman’s was the perfect place to celebrate our anniversary, and it’s a restaurant we’ll absolutely return to on our next visit to Kauai. Highly recommend.

We had an incredible experience at Merriman’s Poipu! From start to finish, the service was outstanding. Our server, Eric, went above and beyond—he gave us thoughtful, honest recommendations from the menu and even shared great suggestions for other restaurants in the area. Every dish we tried was absolutely delicious, and you could tell how much care goes into the food here. The host also made us feel so welcome, acknowledging our anniversary right away, which added such a special touch to the evening. Between the warm hospitality and fantastic flavors, this was the perfect spot for our celebration. Merriman’s is truly a 5-star restaurant, and we’ll definitely be coming back!

Bravo - my wife and I ate at Merriman's last night to celebrate our 25th anniversary and both of our 50th birthdays and it did not disappoint! Bobby, our server, was fantastic and he gave us great recommendations on the menu and spent some time with us even talking about some of the history of the area, it was a great evening. The food was phenomenal as expected and you just can't go wrong sitting on the lanai with your wife, drinking a virgin mai tai and watching the sun go down right in front of you after eating one of the best steaks on the planet. an A+ experience for sure. thanks to the whole crew there. Had a reservation and would recommend making one.

Food was good but not as good as the Oahu and Big Island locations. Service was good. Sun can be blinding at sunset so bring your sunglasses!!! They sent out dessert for our anniversary which was appreciated.

It was ok. Crusted Mahi Mahi was good. Seared ahi was good as well. Drinks were pricey but well made. Small portions so you'll need plenty of apps if you are hungry. Pricey but it's the views you go for. Live local music was also nice.

Merriman’s is a classic Kaua’i dining experience - definitely a little bougie, a lot delicious, and great vibes. The upstairs location in Kukui’ula Shopping Village overlooks the ocean (pro tip, com here during sunset because it’s pure magic 🌅). I got their famous mai tai with lilikoi foam 🍹If you haven’t tried it, it’s a non-negotiable! My friend had the Hanalei Taro Falafel, and I went with the garlic roasted wild shrimp + bok choy. Both tasty, portions on the smaller side, and definitely a splurge! Do you have food allergies? We’ll know that Merrimans’s is great about double checking ingredients! Last note, we grabbed bar seats with no wait, but I’d recommend reservations if you want a table!

Our second time in the Island of Kauai so we had to come back to Merriman’s. The views are enchanting, the servers are EXCELLENT and the food is very good! Susan served us last year while Eric served us this year. They both are soooo personable. Makes you come back again and again. The eggplant ravioli was AWESOME!!! They could have put 5 more of those on my plate. The Korean Marinated Eggplant had great flavor. I’ll be making that at home. The bread pudding is always exquisite. The sorbet, mango strawberry blend was tart yet sweet, super satisfying. ✌🏽

Great place we had the red snapper it was amazing. The service was great.

Food and drinks were amazing and we would come back just based on those alone. However, the service was pretty slow throughout our dinner and the "kitchen surcharge" at the end (not disclosed anywhere) is a tacky move and leaves a bad impression at the end of an otherwise pretty good experience. Just raise the prices instead of sneaking it in when paying.

My whole fried snapper (daily special) was massive and delicious. Shared it with others bc it must have been 2lbs! Too much for one person! The garlic rice that accompanied it was also aromatic and yummy. Ordered a white wine by the glass that wasn’t cold enough. Ceiling fan was broken. Ordered a white wine bottle later that was also not chilled enough but we put it on ice. Service was a little pushy also. Not surly but not super friendly that one might expect at a high end dining place.

Drinks were very good, Bartender knows her trade well. The Ramen was very disappointing, very little protein, no egg, clams were the smallest I have ever encountered, meat was a out 1/4 " in size, 2 shrimp and 1" piece of fish. For the price is was a rip off. Our dining mates ordered the pasta, lacked flavor pasta was not done properly. Crab cakes were great. The salad was good but very small, again for the price a very poor choice. Service was very good, wine selection was good, deserts were very good. Overall a disappointment, I doubt we ever go back, 1849 next door was much better!

Food was very good, drinks were great, service was astounding - amazing server. Atmosphere wasn’t the best, but could definitely have been worse. I probably shouldn’t have gotten the steak, but i was still recovering from seafood food poisoning from the Eating House from the night before, next door.

Excellent service!! Staff is very attentive, friendly and welcoming. Unfortunately, the food just isn’t up to par with their review stars on Google. We had 2 appetizers: the crab cakes and the red beet salad. The beet salad was ok, the veggies were fresh and the beets had a nice bright flavor - the combination of ingredients was underwhelming and less than the sum of its parts, as were the crab cakes. Not only was the portion size literally two crab cakes but they were lukewarm, over-salted and yet still somehow bland. For mains, we had the special (ono with an herb bechamel sauce) and the macadamia crusted mahi mahi. Both were salty but otherwise bland and the bechamel sauce did nothing for the ono. The foo tastes like a badly home-cooked meal by an untrained cook. And all of this for a $200 price tag. The three stars are for the excellent service, the lovely Hawaiian dance a talented server was kind enough to perform for us and the nice view of the sunset. I would not return because the food just isn’t good.

Our server, Bo**y, decided our dinner was finished and dropped the bill halfway through our dessert—without saying a single word—and walked away. We did not ask for the bill. We were not asked if we wanted anything else. That alone would have been enough to sour the night, but unfortunately it was just the final chapter in an already miserable service experience. We waited over 15 minutes just to be acknowledged at the table. It got so awkward that another staff member had to come over to pour us water. When Bo**y finally arrived, he seemed irritated that we already knew what we wanted—because after being ignored, we’d had plenty of time to study the menu ourselves. After that, we saw him three more times total: once to drop off cocktails, once to ask if we wanted dessert (with no dessert menu in hand), and finally to silently dump the bill mid-bite. Because service was so slow, we had already pulled the dessert menu up online to figure it out ourselves. We also paid attention to his other tables. Some had marginally better service; others were treated even worse 45+ minutes without seeing this server. Going into the kitchen and coming out once every 10min to check one one table and the go back into the kitchen is unacceptable. What made it especially frustrating was that the neglect was masked by arrogance, and attitude—as if mailing it in was a deliberate choice rather than a failure of service. At a restaurant of this caliber and price point, that’s unacceptable. The food and setting deserve better than this level of service. One disengaged server can absolutely wreck an otherwise great restaurant—and tonight, that’s exactly what happened. We have dined at other Merriman establishments on Oahu and Maui, and even this establishment in prior visits. The experience this time did not live up to the Merriman brand.

We found a piece of metal in the lobster Mac n cheese. Almost swallowed it (picture added). Coughed it up and it was almost an inch long. Server told us it was from one of the cleaning brushes they used. Comped us just that item and charged us for everything else even though we did not finish all of our food except for 1 drink since we wanted to leave asap to see if we need to go to an urgent care. No manager came to talk to us. Super disappointing and this was first restaurant on first day. If this was swallowed it would have been thousands of dollars and probably a surgery required to remove it. I hate posting bad reviews about restaurants, especially since the food was good, service was very nice, drinks were good. But horrified to think what would have happened if this was swallowed and feels like a muted response from the restaurant.