Kuleana Rum Shack

Food was amazing and on point. Ordered the kahlua pork nachos and one fish tacos, then asked the server to surprise me with complimenting rum cocktail and she returned with a rum based margarita and it was on point. The kahlua pork nachos especially was amazing, featuring sweet seaweed mixed in and it was amazing. The chips were double fried, I think, and tasted delicious. However, they don't hold up to scooping so use a fork. Also ordered a side of white rice and it went perfectly together. The fish taco had a good green salsa with a zing of lime and was a perfect pair with the rum margarita. Shown is the lilikoi iced tea, which is very refreshing. Also, wanted a taste of straight rum and ordered the Hokulei. It was flavorful, smooth, and strong. Absolutely delicious. Service was fast, friendly, and insightful. Ambience was relaxed and classy. Highly recommend.

We had catch our flight and as vegetarians we ordered yellow curry with tofu, it came with small portion of rice. There were literally 3 pieces of tofu, the whole box of tofu doesn’t cost 5$ at the max on the island and we were charged 8$ for the tofu addition alone. The curry was tangy and no spice at all. No where near Thai yellow curry!! We also got corn ribs which were decent. The portion size of the curry with rice doesn’t justify the price!! Wouldn’t recommend it for their price! Note that we have ordered food in the same queens & kings market place and the portions justified the price!!

Cristy and I did the Kuleana distillery tour yesterday, and it was one of the highlights of our trip. The tour started in the sugar cane fields, moved to the distillery, and ended at the Rum Shack for tastings, so we truly got to experience the process from field to glass. We were lucky enough to end up with a private tour, just the two of us, and because the usual tour guide was unexpectedly unavailable, Steve, the founder and CEO, personally gave us the tour. He did a fantastic job explaining every step of the process, answering all of our questions and demonstrating the meaning of Kuleana throughout the entire experience. The tour was educational, entertaining, and genuinely memorable. The rums were exceptional, unique, and clearly made with care and purpose. We highly recommend both the distillery tour and the Rum Shack. We already plan to return with friends, and when we do, we will happily take the tour again.

We went for dinner. We had reservations, so we were seated immediately. We were not having drinks so straight away ordered burger to share. Service was good and quick. Burger was ok, nothing extra ordinary. Ambience is good and I think they have good drinks on menu. Will revisit sometime.

Fun place to have a drink with good bar food and appetizers. Service is great, friendly and attentive. The drinks shine here with their local rum selections. Laid back place to eat some comfort dishes and have a nice cocktail. Happy hour is $8.08 for select items.

Highly recommend Kuleana Rum Shack for lunch & Rum tasting/mai tai class. We had the Mochiko chicken & kalua pork nachos. The rum tasting was an hour and included four rums plus we made our own 1944 Trader Vic's mai tai.

Our last dinner on the Big Island. We had the kalbi ribs, steak, ahi, rum cake and rum flight. We loved our dinner! It’s a nice restaurant. Appreciate they were family friendly as well! Staff was also knowledgeable about and rum flight. Definitely try the rum flight if you’re into rum. It was SMOOTH!

We stopped here to get some rum and have a bite to eat. It was between breakfast and lunch so it was quiet. I'd never had a rum bloody Mary and I can say it was delicious (I had two).

Honestly we were so Pleasantly surprised by how wonderful it all was! Incredible auntie for a hostess and some of the best food we’ve had on the island! Their rum manhattan will change your life! So the rum tasting too, if only because it’s fun!

This restaurant is shockingly poorly managed, and it shows at every level. We called ahead to ask if we could arrive early and sit at the bar for drinks while waiting for our table and were told yes, only to be told upon arrival that we were not allowed at the bar, despite multiple empty bar seats, because they were “saving them for reservations.” The restaurant was nearly empty, yet service was nonexistent. The hostess, an older woman working the host stand, was rude and dismissive, repeatedly claiming they were “too busy” while surrounded by empty tables. At 6:30 PM, we were told there was only one crab rangoon left because they were “so busy,” which was laughable given how empty the place was. The wine was spoiled, so bad it burned going down, and when this was mentioned to the busser, the server returned and silently dropped off a replacement glass with no apology, no explanation, and no follow-up. To be fair, some of the food was okay, but much of it was not, including burnt meatballs, the smallest pasta portion imaginable, and a “butterfish” dish that turned out to be a thick, cloudy ramen-style soup that bore no resemblance to its description. Our group of 12 was squeezed into two small tables pushed together, and despite being told no additional tables could be added because they were “full,” every table next to us was empty, forcing one person to sit with their knees wedged between two poles. The experience was so bad we left and went to the grocery store to buy dinner. Photos are attached showing empty tables, the seating situation, burnt meatballs, and the pasta portion. This wasn’t just an off night, it was poor leadership, poor training, and zero accountability. If management is reading this, serious changes are needed. Spend your money elsewhere.