My wife wanted to see a Luau. We had both been to Germaine's Luau on Oahu many years ago. I personally did not want to go but was determined to select the best Kauai Luau (out of the 5 or so there are to choose from). Our hotel had an arrangement with Smiths Family Luau, but some of the negative reviews on here turned me off. When I called Smiths twice, they were rude. After checking elsewhere I decided on the Sheraton's Surf to Sunset Luau because:

*They were very pleasant on the phone.
*It is the ONLY oceanfront luau on the island.
*The show takes place during dinner (unlike Smiths where this was a separate event).

Here is a breakdown of our experience at this luau:

LOCATION/GROUNDS: The luau is held in a garden area mere feet from the ocean water. The hotel and pool area are on two sides and the beach on the other two sides. Keep in mind that all beaches are public here, so people are swimming in the water and walking along the beach during the luau. You can stand on the beach (or on some of the room balconies) and watch the show for free. The Sheraton staff did not seem to mind this at all, so long as only those who paid were eating the food or sitting at the tables. It did not bother me in the least, and the M.C. even was joking about the freeloaders during the show.

There are five very long tables set up for general seating and many small round tables at the front for "Gold Circle" seating. The stage is in front of the round tables. The food is served next to the pool in what looks like the area they normally serve a buffet lunch or breakfast in. There are two buffet tables and there were never crowds.

All in all, there are lots of palm trees and you are sitting along one of the most picturesque beaches in the world, so it is a great location.

SHOW: When arriving, they take the standard picture with a hula girl. These can be bought at the end of the night for $20. We would have bought ours bit it did not come out well.

Before the show, there were four or five craftspeople selling goods. I forget what most were selling, but one was selling baskets woven out of leaves (they were fresh and still green) and another was selling very nice hand carved tiki type idols. He was even carving them on site and would inscribe names on them for free. One of my regrets of the trip is that I did not buy one of these.

You are given drinks as soon as you arrive. The MC comes out and engages in some idol chit chat with people. Guests are then invited up on stage to be taught the luau and then others are welcomed up to learn how to twirl poi balls.

As dinner begins, there is your standard Hawaiian music being played by 3 musicians. The show continues with a fashion show. This progresses into various styles of native dances as the sun goes down. Once the sun has gone down, the evening is finished off with a traditional fire dance.

I do not know how traditional the dancers were, but it seemed comparable to the other luau I attended. The dancers were nice looking, slender asian gals (there were male dancers too). They danced with smiles on and seemed enthusiastic.

The M.C. for the evening was surprisingly good. He had an incredible knowledge of the U.S. and sports teams. If someone said they were from Livonia Michigan, he would talk about their local college team, their mascot and life in their town. He must have traveled to some obscure places because he was never stumped. The jokes were good, which is saying something because most of these hosts really are corny. My wife and I laughed throughout the evening in part because he was such a character.

FOOD: Being at the Sheraton, I expected the food to be good. It exceeded my expectations. I liked that they did not add in a whole bunch of non-native foods. All of it appeared pretty authentic. There was Kahlua Pork, a Mahi-Mahi with mac nut dish, lomi salmon, Hawaiian sweet potatoes, fresh fruits and fresh baked taro rolls with mango butter. Oh, and let's not forget they had a grill set up and someone was grilling teriyaki steaks.

The food was awesome! I lost track of how much I ate. My wife actually ate the Kahlua Pork (she rarely tries anything new) and loved it.

For dessert, there was guava chiffon cake, chocolate mac nut cake, coconut covered haupia. and a pineapple upside down cake that was so good, I had 4 pieces.

There were two full bars which were open during the whole show. They were able to fulfill any drink request I had.

GOLD CIRCLE SEATING: There is an option to pay $12 more and get "gold circle" seating. You get a real lei (the green leaf kind) with real plumerias in it, seating at the front, waitress service for drinks, first in buffet line and a assortment of appetizers served family style. For $24 it was well worth it.

SHORTCOMINGS: Not much wrong with everything overall, but a couple things to note. First they could really use a new backdrop on the stage. It looks like something they bought at the Walmart. Next, they should more permanently install their stage lights so there are not cords and light stands along the sides. I would also add a Hawaiian Steel Guitar player to the band.

The only disappointment is that there is no Imu (pig in the ground) ceremony. I knew this when I booked. I like watching them bring the pig out of the ground after being cooked the old fashioned way. They do theirs in an oven. Still, the Kahlua Pork was moist and tasty.

OVERALL: My wife and I both agreed that this night exceeded our expectations. The beach front location was beautiful, the food was excellent and the entertainment was great. Skip the luaus that cater to hundreds of cruise ship passengers and come here instead. When we return to Kauai, we will do this luau again.