Gaylord’s at Kilohana

This was our first time to dine at Gaylord’s Restaurant, even though we’ve been to the luau onsite in past years.
The food was fantastic, the service was impeccable, and you can’t beat the surroundings! Very pretty and serene with live music… pleasant, not loud.
They offer a Keiki menu as well for the kiddos. Our waiter asked if we wanted the kids’ meals to come out before the our appetizer and entrée… very thoughtful for hungry little ones.
It’s a little pricey, but you won’t be disappointed!
Oh…Be SURE to save room for the coconut/​banana pie or the Plantation pie!

This is some the best food I have wver had. Service was great. Ambiance was really nice. Highly recommended.
Chioppino was really spectacular.
Moonfish, best fish I tasted.
Filet mignon very tender.
Others at table all happy.
Mai Thai made from fresh ingredients.
This place is a must visit.
About try deserts, ordered 3 since they sounded so good.

This place is amazing! I highly recommend the chicken and beef short ribs. Plantation pie is to die for

This place is so quaint and pretty. We were sat at a table facing the «garden» area — very peaceful. We both enjoyed our drinks — I had the cucumber lavender mojito which I found to be perfectly refreshing after a long day in the sun. & to be honest, neither of us can remember what my husband had to drink, but he said he liked it.
We enjoyed their Italian Caprese & the Blue Crab dip to start! Italian Caprese was delicious, and blue crab dip wasn’t far behind! We shared their catch of the day, which was snapper, and enjoyed every bite.
The staff was top notch! Great place. :-)
** Be sure you’re going to the right address! There are two listed here on Unilocal and we went to the wrong place first!

With the spacious outdoor patio to admire over, this place is a wonderful restaurant to simply be!
Splendid dining and superbly pleasant with the layout.
I was loving the many entrees that was ordered up. Kudos to the prime rib, grilled scallops and plantation toffee pie! Those were the three highlights! Other dishes were made finely too! Crab dip, do order up as a starter! Risotto complimented well.
Staff was very nice with the accommodations on everything requested.

Serene location. Food, for us was above average, but nothing fantastic.
Steak was the highlight, will marbled and cooked spot on. Ahi was OK. Crab dip appetizer is good.

Just enchanting. The most wonderful place I have ever been to for dinner. A special thank you to Gino for making our evening special.
Almost in tears. Live pianist like I’ve never heard before playing one enchanted evening and Bali high from South Pacific.
I was truly lost in paradise.

We went to Gaylord’s today for Mothers Day brunch with our friends who live here on Kauai. We only had a short wait even though the place was very busy and we were seated outside in the middle area of the patio facing the live Hawaiian music band which was great. Since it was a brunch event we were treated to an amazing selections of meats, hot breakfast selections, side dishes and a variety of tasty desserts! The service was excellent and the food was terrific. We will come back on our next visit to Kauai!

Service was horrific. We waited 35 minutes for our lunch only to discover that they got our order wrong. The server wasn’t even apologetic about it. Waited another 10 minutes only to have the wrong meal delivered AGAIN.
Such a shame because the grounds are so pretty and the atmosphere was great. If you’re in the area, skip the restaurant and just tour the property and do the rum tasting.

The restaurant itself is gorgeous. Along with some shops, it’s set in the plantation house and has a very charming feel to it. The patio tables are gorgeous. Problem is that this is the kind of place where you expect busloads of geriatric tourist to descend upon. I believe our group was the only table under 65 in the restaurant.
The menu is not large, so choices are limited. Unfortunately, the food was mostly what I’d call forgettable and way overpriced. It wasn’t bad, but I wasn’t impressed at all. What did stand out was the berry mojito, the Mai Tai, and the steak fries. I really think the fries were the best I may have ever had — fluffy and salty.
While I think I might like to come to the grounds again to shop or go rum tasting, I would never return to this restaurant. Not even when I’m a senior citizen. Not even for the amazing fries.

What a ripoff!!! Tourist trap. Few if any locals for Easter brunch and I can see why. At $ 52 a head I expected at least some seafood like shrimp, crab or lobster but none of the above. Crab cake Benedict was dry and tasteless like every other offering for brunch. Scrambled eggs were dry and unappealing. The prime rib was good though. Food overall was very disappointing.
Hawaiian singer and hula dancer were OK. Nothing special. The outdoor seating was very nice though.
Cannot recommend and will not return.

We stopped by here for their Sunday brunch on Easter Sunday. That was a mistake. I placed a reservation here using the Opentable app through their website. I chose this place because their website said nothing about having Easter themed meals on that day and I wanted to go somewhere that was not celebrating that holiday to avoid large crowds. When we got there and checked in we were brought to our table and handed a menu that said they were having a special Easter brunch that day. The typical brunch buffet price is $ 29 per person and that is what I was expecting to pay. On this day though the menu was altered (and several items that I was looking forward to were taken off) and the price was cranked up to $ 52 per person. Seeing as it was 9am on Kauai on Easter Sunday and The Lady and I would not have been able to get breakfast anywhere else on the island, we decided just to stay. We figured there would be amazing food for the price.
I know good buffets. I live in Reno and The Lady and I lived in Las Vegas for five years and indulged on some pretty great buffets. This buffet here was not the worst but definitely not the best and not nearly worth the $ 120 price tag (after tax and tip) that came with it. The grounds were beautiful and the table we were sat at overlooked a clearing on the grounds of the once plantation-​now tourist attraction acreage, which was really nice. The service was great and I did get a chance to nosh on a pretty good Kauai pork omelette topped with pico de gallo. If it had been the normal price and/​or had I been warned that they were doing an Easter buffet at double the price, this would easily be a four star review. Seeing as I felt a little tricked by their lack of advertisement (although maybe I was a bit naïve to think they were not having an Easter celebration) and we dropped a sizable amount of money on mediocre buffet food, they just get the two stars.

Came here on Valentine’s day for the first time and loved it. Live music, wonderful ambiance, and great service. Food was excellent. Ordered the Blue crab dip and the Island Caprese for appetizers. Both were very tasty. The caprese came with mango and avocado which are two of my favorite foods, so I was very happy. I ordered the sesame seared ahi which was cooked perfectly and the sauce was to die for. One of the best I’ve had in a very long time. My husband ordered the Cioppino which he also loved and was full of flavor.
We had a wonderful server who was very sweet and attentive, which was a pleasant surprise considering it was valentine’s day in a very busy restaurant.
Be sure to get a slice of pie. The Kilohana plantation pie is heavenly. Roasted pineapple and macadamia made fresh daily. Incredible. I think the coconut cream is the popular one, but you’re seriously missing out. Glad our server recommended. This was our first real meal on our first day of vacation and was definitely one to remember. Wish we had more time to explore the plantation, but next time. Highly recommend!

Super cool spot with lots to do.
We happened upon this place and I’m sure glad we did. I’m still dreaming about the banana coconut cream pie, but I digress already. The Gaylord is an old sugar plantation that is inland so don’t expect ocean views. The original structure has been maintained beautifully. Did I mention the banana coconut cream pie? There are tons of cute gift shops inside the complex as well as a rum distillery, a luau, a ceramics shop and more! Ideal for couples or families. And don’t forget about the banana coconut cream pie. Entrees are delicious and the Mai tai is perfection, made with their own spiced rum. I’d highly recommend a stop at the Gaylord if you are in Kauai. Don’t forget about the pie!!!

We came back for a second visit after an awesome first visit several years ago. The experience was just as good as the first, and in fact we came back the next day for visit #3.
Again we started with the blue crab dip. Strong flavors, nice and warm, delicious.
I had the, fish special, a deep water red snapper — might have been onaga but they called it something starting with loo… Perfectly prepared, it was flaky, tender, and so moist!
Dessert was a tasty apple dish, nice but not outstanding.
Again we had great service in this terrific veranda atmosphere. It’s a special place that makes any night a special occasion.
We even came back for lunch two days later. They have a nice lunch menu, with good lunch size portions. I had chicken crepes with a mushroom sauce, with a «simple» salad. Plenty of mushroom sauce, nice tender chicken, and yes, a simple salad. Perfect lunch before a flight off Kauai Island.

Second Helping BRUNCH
We have done the Plantation Owners dinner and Luau, but we wanted to return and try the buffet brunch. They have an all you can drink Mimosa/​Champagne or the Bloody Mary Bar single round, for an additional $ 10. We passed but a nice addition. The buffet is pretty small, everything is very good and the standouts were the fried rice and the short rib in gravy. But go and get a solid spoon to dish that gravy on the rice! They serve it with a slotted spoon. :(
The service and the atmosphere is hard to beat. While it is a buffet, they do omelettes, eggs Benedict and the ahi Benedict from the kitchen no additional cost. I would have to say it’s a good one time visit. We liked it but not sure we would repeat.

Beautiful place. We didn’t come for lunch or dinner so cannot comment on the food. We read about Gaylords in one of the dinning magazines, but already had reservations for another restaurant. This was our last night on the island so decided to at least visit and browse through the shops.
This was an old sugar plantation built in 1935. Gaylord Wilcox was an early missionary before he transformed this picturesque place into a gorgeous restaurant. The atmosphere is perfect for any celebration. There’s an open center stage for entertainment… and a side room with a fireplace for hors d’oeuvres. Definitely elegant.
We stopped in every tucked away shop and encourage everyone to do the same! Beautiful mens silk Hawaiian shirts depicting prints from years gone by.
We’re looking forward to our next island visit so we can sample the scrumptious menu items! Aloha

Five star brunch.
Sundays only.
Reservations are a must.
Brunch is the ultimate way to encapsulate the full Gaylord’s experience.
Pro Tip: Come right at 9:00 am when they open. Everything has just been laid out. Get your pick of the litter.
$ 30 per person for adults. $ 10 more to add unlimited champagne or bloody Marys. The Bloody Mary bar was top notch. The champagne wasn’t the highest quality but they kept it flowing. Brunch also offers a large full service bar if you really wanna get your roll on.
Service was pristine and streamline. We had the pleasure of Nakai taking care of us. She was terrific! She never rushed us and made sure we were happy at all times.
My favorite buffet items were:
Crispy (not fatty) bacon
Large fresh cut fruit pyramid
Kalua pork roulade
Koloa rum bread pudding
Island fried rice
Build your own yogurt parfait
Everything from the buffet was tasty but one can only eat so much! This buffet supplies something for every taste — be it basic or exotic.
In addition to the unlimited brunch Gaylord’s includes an a la carte entrée. My husband and I both got the special which was a prime rib omelette with horseradish cream. Huge. Delicious. Too much food!
Gaylord’s is classy and doesn’t pack food hounds in for brunch. I never felt cramped in the buffet room or outdoor dining area. I greatly appreciate that.
Gaylord’s has a magical atmosphere. The interior is other worldly. Beautiful grounds for taking constitutionals in between eating. The entire estate inside and out is exquisite.

This is another one of my favorite restaurants in the Island of Kauai. My coworker kept telling me to come here while i was at work and this is one of the recommended restaurants by our hotel. If it is good food, i cant miss it right? Finally, I made a reservation via Open Table a week ago to check this place out. This restaurant was actually converted from giant house and the land used to be a plantation at one point. If you aren’t here for dining, you still can explore the plantation by a train for $ 5 per person. It gives u a complete tour guide of this huge plantation. They also have some retail stores on the first/​second level of the house while waiting. They sell local stuffs, sea salt, clothing, etc… it was fun checking them out.
As for food, we started out with crab cake for an appetizer and it was absolutely delicious. For entrée, we ordered Grilled chicken with asparagus and Cioppino. The chicken was so moist and tender that the meat falls off the bones. For dessert, I ordered a coconut cream pie and it has just the right amount of sweet. (Dessert is free when you check in via Unilocal).
The service is top notch. Each table has an assigned server and a busboy who cleans up the table/​give us constant refill. Also, local Hawaiian was playing relaxing/​live music 30 feet away from our table. If I travel to this island again, I’ll definitely come back here. Highly recommended.

Visited Gaylord’s based upon the NYT 36 hours in Kauai story and enjoyed ourselves. We dined outdoors in a lovely covered courtyard area. Parking was easy even with a luau taking place at the same time. We even heard distant drums at time throughout our meal making for perhaps a more authentic dining experience?
We arrived at 715pm to find a busy place. We were promptly seated though with no delay. Our server stopped by to introduce himself and take our drink order shortly thereafter. Service overall was good and attentive.
My wife ordered the spare ribs with pineapple fried rice while I opted for the pork tenderloin with wild rice and bok choy. To start things off we tried the Ahi Poke. Not in my normal wheelhouse of things to eat but we heard good things about it and enjoyed the dish.
The pork tenderloin was wonderful with just a bit of heat from the spices. The rice was light and flavorful with the demi-​glaze. Not a fan of bok choy but it was fine with the tenderloin. By checking into Unilocal here, we earned a free dessert and went with their banana coconut cream pie to split. I am a sucker for any desserts made with bananas and this one was a good choice and easy to share.