Merriman's Kauai

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 ❤️

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 😍

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!

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.

Hands down, best meal we had. The service is exceptional, well paced and timed to give you a nice dinner without feeling rushed. The views on the water were gorgeous, and the open air around the restaurant is a vibe. We had a reunion dinner with friends at a conference, and when finding out, our waitress gave us a small sip of champagne to celebrate. On our last night, we didn’t make reservations but I called to see if there was last minute space and we were lucky enough to have a table just before our flight, where we ordered too much food, but left the island so happy. I just knew I wanted my last meal/memory of vacation there and were not disappointed. I rarely write reviews, but this place deserves 12 stars. For reference: we had the poke (amazing) octopus, oysters, salads and several entrees during our visits. I could eat them all again, and will dream of this meal, these people and this place for a long time. Thank you for making it such a special experience!

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.

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.

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.