So, overall this was a very pleasant evening. The location was absolutely the best part of the Luau. Overlooking the sea, watching the sunset was amazing. The dancers, while there are only 6 of them, were talented and very enjoyable. The location was festive and the musicians were great. However, the value for this event is quite low. The food is mediocre at best. Plain white rice. Plain iceberg lettuce (not salad….just lettuce….and not even good lettuce!), undercooked and un-seasoned steamed vegetables, cold rolls, macaroni salad with so much Mayo it was inedible. All of this food was the cheapest food you could feed an army. The meats were tasty….fish, pork, and beef, all very tasty. No complaints there. Dessert was tasteless tiny square of cake topped with whipped cream. This was all served on plastic school-cafeteria type plates with plastic utensils. Drinks were gross. Very limited drink selection and the “mai tais”? Were brown. Basically orange juice and a little very dark rum, no garnish. You cannot order Virgin drinks at all. Bright red kool-aid was your option, or water, or wait in the bar line for soda.
Additionally, they had only one guy bussing the tables with his bare hands…no tray to carry plates or anything. Just carrying stacks of dirty plates. Our table never got cleared, we watched the whole show with cups, trash and piled up plates.
For over $500 for our family of four, I expected a nice meal. It really was not nice or fancy or anything you would expect for the price. The show was brief, and the imu ceremony totally didn’t happen (which is why we drove 45 to this Luau vs. the one at our resort.)
Anyway, my kids loved it. My husband thought it was fine. I’m not typically picky, but when I spend that much money, I expect a better value. I would still attend a luau if you are in Hawaii….and if the others available aren’t seaside, I would choose this one again for that reason alone. There is so very little Polynesian culture left in Hawaii, pay what it costs to see some.