Citizen Irish Publik House

Nice little surprise on Ali’i Dr… Found this as we were walking by. Cody was super friendly and atmosphere clean and themed… LOVE the bar… Comfortable arm rest and pennies… Lovely touch with the whiskey barrels as tables. Food was wonderful as was the beer and whiskey selection… Had the avocado blt which was super fresh and very filling. Only recommendation … Have some food like corned beef or bangers and mash… Great afternoon … Mahalo

Disappointing. I waited a couple months to let them get settled in before trying one of the newest restaurant/​bar venues along Ali’i Drive. I ordered off their specialty drink menu something called the «La Floridita». We busted the bartender looking at the menu to see what was in it. Totally lackluster… just tasted like alcohol. One of my dinner partners ordered a Malibu and pineapple. Waitress came back saying they don’t have Malibu and she didn’t seem to know what it was. My other dinner partner safely opted for a simple vodka and soda water on the rocks.
For dinner we decided we weren’t thrilled with the menu options which was sad because from the other Unilocal reviews we had expected some tasty options. Instead we decided we’d be safer with an appetizer… and if that was good then we’d order dinner. Needless to say, we quietly grumbled amongst ourselves while paying over $ 40 for 3 drinks and a so-​so appetizer… then headed to Humpys.
This waitstaff (2 people) were nice enough but the service was lackluster and awkward. Gonna be honest guys… this place had better pick it up quickly before it fails. I for one don’t plan to return unless I see major improvements. Sorry. I had higher hopes for a spot that has great potential.

They deserve five stars in my book. We walked in on black Friday, had yellow fin marlin catch of the day, and great service from from Kourtney. Good selection of local beers too. I enjoyed the ballast point Chile, lime, ginger quite a bit. I’d comeback without reservations. Live music after 8pm it looks like too.

Pretty decent place with good Irish style pub foods. Amazing HH, which became a primary source for Jameson shots and other Irish whisky.
Food wise, we only ate the fish and chip, sausage sandwich, and mussels. So good. The chef also came around and talked to the guests eating, trying to see what they say and how they liked the food. That’s always an excellent touch. It feels personal, like they care about guest experience.
Great views, live music, friendly service. The first night there they had a guitarist.
Parking in the back, walking distance to other resorts.
There’s a mix of locals and tourists. Restroom is shared with the other businesses in the complex. Interesting considering, but hey, when in Hawaii right?

Nice place, great customer server Nathan!
Food is good, live music, relaxed atmosphere. Would come again! Atleast for a beer :)

Four words «do not do it». This Resturant deserves lower than 1 star, but there’s no option for this on Unilocal!Out of cabbage, how is that possible? As far as I know there is no shortage on the island and the store is a couple of miles from the Resturant. Menu very little options. Kale salad very plain. We waited an additional 25 minutes for our food after the rest of the table was served. I got steak. It was a horrible cut (very cheap) and overcooked to well done (ordered medium). It had NO flavor or seasoning on it. The mushrooms were burnt. It was not edible! Husband got fish and chips. The fish was definitely frozen, thin pieces and overcooked (tasted like rubber). The fried breaded portion was also cooked to long and tasted like the oil used was very old.
Please don’t spend your money here, I promise you will regret it.

First of all, service was great!
Okay. The food… We waited after our order was taken for 50+ minutes. We didn’t order anything outrageous: two burgers, a corned beef sandwich, and a corned beef entrée. The burgers both smelled of fish, and tasted awful. The corned beef sandwich was pretty good (although the loaded tater tots sucked), however, the corned beef entrée tasted like a salt block. It was so terrible I had to send it back — which is something I’ve only ever done one other time in my life! I kept asking how the corned beef in the sandwich could taste so much different than the one in the entrée, but was not given a direct response. After the manager came and dealt with our situation, he came back and let us know that he had tried the entrée, and agreed that it was as salty as anything he had tasted. I had a corned beef sandwich instead, but at that point we had been there for nearly an hour and a half.
Maybe they were just having a terrible night, or maybe it’s like this all the time… Regardless — and unfortunately — we won’t be back.

An Irish Pub… on Hawaii?! Seriously?!
Hell yeah… and it’s pretty dope.
It has the Ali’i Drive kailua-​kona ocean views, has savory/​crispy wings, and a great happy hour (options and prices are redic).
I’ll be back.
Mahalo

The food is good. I would probably give it 3.5 actually but it was solid. Just a little weird to do Irish pub in Hawaii. It is great that they are open late and serve food.
I had the fish and chips. Live the potatoe wedges. Nice change. Fish was super fresh and lightly battered. Very tasty!
We also tried the Scotch egg and wings. Both were good. Great whiskey selection!

Amazing food and amazing service! We were so happy to find this Irish Pub in Kona – the beef stew and shepherds pie was sooooo good that I want to go back again tonight and get the same meal! Not only was the food delicious, but Tim our bartender, helped us pick out new drinks to try! Overall, this was unexpectedly the best eating and drinking experience so far on Big Island. So good that I’m sure we will have to go again before we leave! :) #welovecitizens #teamtimthebartender

Great venue, crew and food, but in desperate need of a little temperate variety in the menu, which is good but standard Irish fair. We were here when the temperature was well over 85 °F at 7:30 at night and it would have been great to have alternatives to beef stew, roast chicken, boxty pancakes, etc.
They’ve only been open since June (2015) so need time to adapt and learn, but we will definitely be back the next time we’re on the big island.
Staff could not be nicer and there’s few things better in life than watching the sun set over the Pacific while quaffing (yeah, I’m old) a nice local IPA in a great venue.

An Irish pub in Kona Hawaii. Well, why not? Excellent food, fantastic view right on Kailua Bay. I had the steamed mussels, wife had a fish sandwich. Her fish was probably caught a few hours ago. They have been open about two months, and are on the south end of the Kailua shopping district. Extensive beer and spirits menu. We’ll be back for sure.

Pleasantly surprised!
We do need something different in Kona, and this restaurant is a great new addition. It’s only been open for 2 months. The first time I went in was mid week in the afternoon and it was fairly empty and I also experienced what one of the other reviewers mentioned… Slow service. In fact, even though there was no one there and I sat at the bar, the waitress kept her back to us after acknowledging that we were sitting there, and instead of serving us she counted money. That was our first experience. However, we went back last night and had an absolutely amazing experience, hence the five star review. First of all it was a Friday night, and every Friday night they have live Irish music. It was an amazing band playing all of the Irish favorites plus some original tunes. They were excellent! The waitress we do need something different in kona, and is restaurant is a great new addition. It’s only been opened for 2 months. The first time I went in was mid week in the afternoon and it was fairly empty and I also experienced what of 1 of the other review hours mentioned. Period. Slow service. In fact, even though there was no 1 there and I said at the bar, the waitress capture back to us after knowledge ing that we were sitting there, instead of serving a she counted money. That was our first experience. However, we went back last night and had an absolutely amazing experience hence the 5 star review. First of all ready night, and friday night live irish music it was an amazing band playing all of the irish favorites original tunes. They were excellent! The waitress was extremely friendly and attentive, and the manager came up to say hello as well and she was also very attentive. I ordered the honey salmon and it was absolutely amazing! You definitely need to try it because it was moist and juicy and the honey glaze made it so good. If you’re into whiskeys, this place has more whiskeys than I’ve ever seen, and that includes all of the Irish whiskeys as well as a huge plethora of American whiskeys. All in all it was a wonderful experience and a complete turnaround from my first visit there. After last night’s experience I highly recommend trying this new Irish pub and restaurant on Allii drive in Kona.

Good Irish food, the Scotch egg was perfectly prepared. My wife had the potato leek soup and said it was as good as she’s ever had. I had the fish sandwich (I know not very Irish) but it was fantastic. My girls had the grilled cheese sandwich and Mac and cheese respectively. Not much response from them concerning their food. The staff was excellent and friendly.
I would definitely come here for drinks and will attempt to do so sans kids.

I really really want to like this place more. I love the idea, the look, the service, the music– everything but the prices. Since there are no halfs, I have to round it down to 2 than up to 3. It pains me to, as I don’t often rate this low.
Before anyone says «well, this is Kona, it’s a tourist spot, everything is expensive», this is not true. Every other bar in this area is noticeably cheaper. And by quite a bit.
I can walk next door and get the same pint of Guinness that I got here, for almost HALF the price! Nowhere on this planet have I paid $ 10 for a pint of Guinness, and I have had my fair share in more than a few handfuls of countries. Arthur Guinness would be rolling in his grave if he knew the extortion taking place here at an «Irish» pub. (Just fyi, Guinness is $ 5 in Dublin, $ 5 – 7 almost everywhere else on Earth)
Don’t get me wrong, the pint was lovely, poured properly and was a good temperature with the proper head (I saw the other reviewers picture, he should have returned that). I just can’t fathom how the owner (Pat Kashani, I truly hope you read reviews for constructive criticism) thinks these prices will sustain a new business, when 3 of your 4 direct neighbors are bars! I highly suggest doing your research and checking out the neighboring bars– check their menus, their beer selections, and most importantly their prices. These are your competitors and will eat you alive if you maintain your exorbitant pricing.
I am most definitely going to give Citizens another shot, I will never write off a location after one try, especially when they are only two weeks old. Like any other new establishment, there are kinks to work out. I just really hope they re-​think their game plan, because I really would like them to make it and stick around. I love everything else about the place, and would for sure make it a regular stop, as Guinness is my drink of choice.
I have to say the menu was underwhelming, very short and printed on the cheapest flourescent paper Office Max had. With all the time and effort they spent making the rest of the pub look as good as it does, a little more effort would go a long way on a menu.
As they are JUST opening, I can hope and expect the menu will improve in size and offerings. Naturally, this being an Irish pub, everything on the menu plays to that tune. However, this being a tourist town, that alone will not suffice. You are going to need to incorporate some local food and local ingredients on the menu. Tourists will ask, and locals will want at least some local pupu options.
I had already eaten before coming, but I had been wanting to stop by. There’s always room for a pint, and I chose the Scotch egg to nibble on.
I have to say the same thing about the egg as I did the beer. Too pricey. For a pupu that comes with ONE egg, $ 9 is simply too much. It was very good, but it was $ 6 good. $ 9 shows either ignorance, arrogance or greed. Once again, I hope these things are reconsidered when looking at every business around. These prices cannot compete.
The service was outstanding, the music fun. There was football (soccer) on TV, so the Irish pub feel was very genuine and enjoyable.
I really hope the owner reads these and takes suggestions from the feedback us reviewers are giving. It’s only to hopefully make the business better so they stick around longer. I would hate to see a for lease sign up in a years time.
Also, as the owner is a restaurateur who owns a bar in Waikoloa, one in Oahu and some restaurants in the mainland, it will be really nice to see you come up with specials and happy hour menus and pricing like you do with your other places. And come to think of it, your other bars charge much less for beer than Citizens!
Can’t wait to give it some time and come back and try this place again. I really want to make it a regular thing. Right now my wallet is taking precedence over my heart though. As much as I want to love it, it just isn’t worth it yet.

I would like to give this place four stars, simply because it is nice to have something besides another thai or japanese restaurant open. There is a lot of potential here, and they’re still working things out.
We first tried sitting in a booth, but at 6:45 this close to solstice with absolutely no on shore breeze, well it was stifling. As other reviewers have noted, they need to put in ceiling fans asap. You can see the ceiling mounts where fans once were, so hopefully they’ll jump on that.
I started off wanting a Guinness draft; but they were all out. Second choice; once again all out. On a friday night? I had another draft that was not memorable. Then one in our party had a black and tan, which wasn’t exactly black and tan because «the bartender mixed them together». Disappointing as one of the reasons we came was Irish brews; I’d have had been happier with a Longboard then what I was served. Sigh.
My salmon was delicious; shepherds pie was ok, the bacon and mash a little salty for my taste. Didn’t try the corned beef but it looked quite good. I thought the salmon was the best choice, with crisp vegetables and those delicious potatoes.
Also the sage fries were quite good, although because «there was some printer failure that didn’t get the order in correct» it wasn’t served as an appetizer, but arrived with the first dinner. We were asked if we wanted it served «Irish Style», as it came from the kitchen, which I’m not sure I’d do again, as I was completely finished before anyone else had gotten their dinner.
So yeah, new restaurant, still figuring things out, having problems getting the correct stuff out, and desperately needing ceiling fans. Live music made conversation an effort. We may try this place again in a few months, but if there aren’t fans, well, it’s a short walk to alternatives. Mahalo.

Shocking!!!
Location is great, décor is great, cocktails are a amazing.
Now the shocking part. Service is absolutely slow, 10 minutes for a round of drinks when it’s not even busy.
There are no ceiling fans and it’s always so hot!
The biggest insult is the Guinness, and they call themselves an Irish pub! Served warmer than the required temperature, and the bar staff done even know how to pour a proper pint: two inches of head, absolute insult to the beer (see picture)

I really really wanted to like this place, but…
We were greet nicely, and seated promptly.
We had an awesome server, and the atmosphere can’t be beat. You have the bar hopping on one side with the TVs, and the Pacific Ocean on the other. I settled on the Cornish Game Hen as it was served with colcannon and stuffing. I was all about the colcannon though. I also was hoping for soda bread, but that wasn’t an option.
However, they had a tarragon oat bread made fresh in house. Our wait time wasn’t too long made 20 minutes, and the food arrived it looked like it had been sitting for a few minutes, but it was still hot.
The game hen was soft and tender, and quite flavorful. However, the mint sauce that was used on the plate did not go well with the gravy. It was a little confusing to the palette. The colcannon was very odd, it seemed to use a very liberal colcannon recipe. It wasn’t what I expected when I ordered colcannon. It wasn’t bad, just not what I expect when I order colcannon.
The stuffing was good.
The tarragon wheat bread was interesting, but would definitely benefit with a side of
whipped butter when served. I probably should have asked.
I can see going back if the menu changes a little or if they have pub quiz. They do have Guinness on tap if that’s your thing, and a large drink menu.

I just happened to walk by and see this place on my weeks stay in Kona. It’s on the second floor so it could be missed.
It’s a really cool open air Irish Pub with an ocean view and a good atmosphere with classic rock as their playlist.
Irish beers on tap and Irish food on the menu. I ordered Southern Cross beer which is a double red and it was good, although I prefer it to be just a little colder. Maybe they mean to serve it at the Irish or British temperature? My bartender Keo was a good dude though.
Also ordered the Bacon Mash which was delicious!
I’ll go back and try the Shepherd’s Pie and the beer again and may bump his up to five stars!
Definitely nice to see a real Irish pub!

Grande opening tonight and couldnt be more satisfied! The perfect addition to Alii drive!
Outstanding service, presentation, food, and atmosphere. Must check it out (:
We have a new local favorite!