Excellent martinis. Real, fresh, quality ingredients. People who care about food and ingredients created this menu. Good, relaxed service. Wonderful, calm, warm, inviting and comfortable atmosphere. Great location with a view away from the hustle and bustle.
Great little restaurant, family owned and operated. Enjoyed a wonderful meal prepared by and served by lovely people. Reasonable prices for the Island.
If you ask locals where to eat that's NOT part of a corporate chain, most will say Keei Cafe. Why? Because the food and service are so good. From the minute we walked in and all throughout our meal, the entire waitstaff could not have...been nicer or friendlier. We ordered the Caprese Salad, Swordfish Special, Seafood Pasta, and then finished the night with their 'Oh My Lilikoi Cheescake'. Everything was delicious! If you want good food and to be treated warmly as if you were a friend, go to Keei Cafe. If you prefer the identical bland food-like substances served worldwide by faceless corporate entities, go elsewhere.More
the parking lot is small but the restaurant is super good. service is superior and the food choices are good. Be sure to make a reservation for it does not seat many
Nice small family run restaurant. We have gone here several times and had the number one and four of the fish specials and each time it has been excellent.
Located in Captain Cook about 10 miles South of Kailua-Kona, this is a gem of a restaurant. A wonderful change o pace from the more tourist oriented restaurants along Alii Drive. The food selection is eclectic with dishes ranging from fresh seafood, to lamb, to...Italian (pasta primavera) and they even had a rabbit special when. we were there. A menu small enough that the food comes out in a reasonable time. For dinner I had a duck breast that was one of the best I've ever had, and I eat duck a lot. It was cooked perfectly and seasoned just right. Too often duck is under seasoned or drowned out with a heavy sauce. My wife enjoyed her pasta which had fresh vegetables and a basil pesto sauce. They also had some wonderful live music while we were there which made for a very relaxing attitude. Highest compliment I can pay is that we immediately made reservations to go back wanting to make it a repeat location during our visit. The only complaint is that parking is very limited. For those accessibility impaired, there is one handicap space by the entrance, another right off the road that has a very steep climb to get up to the restaurant. Otherwise this restaurant was everything that I could ask for.More
The Keei Café is a restaurant we discovered on our honeymoon in 1996 and to which we returned from our home in MI in 2001 and 2005. Unfortunately, our Valentine’s Day dinner in 2022 was deeply disappointing. First, when I made our reservation via Open...Table, the full menu was shown, along with a special Valentine’s menu. When we arrived after an hour drive, however, we were told the prix fixe menu of 4 courses for $69 per person was the only option. Despite the fact that I let the server know I have some dietary restrictions (no garlic, onions or hot spice), she failed to inform me that the ahi poke appetizer I ordered came with spicy garlic aoli. My husband’s chicken with peanut sauce was o.k., but a bit dry and uninspired. The small salads weren’t objectionable, but consisted of just lettuce, grape tomatoes and a little feta cheese. For the entrée, we both chose the fresh catch which was mahi-mahi, and that was definitely the best dish we had. The fish was cooked well, served over whipped potatoes. I had ordered mine without the carmelized onions, however, and it came with them regardless. The accompanying vegetable medley also included onions even though the server had assured me that my plate would be onion-free. Dessert was a strawberry cheesecake with chocolate ganache. My husband doesn’t like cheesecake, and I can’t eat chocolate, so ultimately, spending about $180 after the tip (my husband had a glass of wine with the meal) was astronomically pricey given the limited choices. Additionally, the server was only present to take our order and bring the check; otherwise, we were served by a very young busboy whose mask was below his nose the entire time, and who never cleared the appetizers. Compared to the superb meals we have had at the Keei Cafe in the past, this dinner was mediocre and exceptionally overpriced. The goal of the restaurant for Valentine’s Day seemed to be to make as much money as possible as quickly as possible with scant regard for service or quality. Paying $69 for my dinner when all I could eat was the small salad and entrée was ridiculous, and my husband was quite disappointed as well. We will not return.More
6:30 on a Saturday nite- 17 tables 1 exemplary waiter, 1 bartender, 1 -12 year old busboy ( family), and someone in the back who is a sublime chef. Unassuming building but Bernice ambience. We ate on the patio for Birthday dinner. The ahi Katsu...is a divine appetizer. Hubby had the swordfish curry -was delicious- cooked perfectly. I had the ahi with capers and lemon sauce . Yum. Coconut Lili koi flan and Lili koi martinis topped it off. A perfect dinner out. How one guy pleases 17 tables is beyond me, but everyone was smiling!!!! Incredible.More
We loved our meal at the Keei Cafe! Locally owned, friendly service, great food. We tried the seasonal ahi tuna katsu appetizer, as well as prawns in a Thai chili sauce. Delish! We shared the pork chop entree, which they graciously split for us. A...very generous portion! Don’t miss the homemade macadamia nut pie. It’s superb. The restaurant has a very good wine selection for a small cafe. Noticed a few lovely bottles listed on a blackboard by the bar. Would definitely return here!More
This place nails it with a beautiful interior with balcony seating and excellent food. The manager checked on us during our meal and the service was friendly and helpful. Relaxing live music many nights. We LOVED the eggplant appetizer. We also had the ribeye and...rabbit which were perfect. The coconut flan blew me away. Just all around a great meal to revel in our time in paradise.More
We met friends here for dinner. It’s a small and bustling place so best to make a reservation. The fresh catch can be prepared 3 ways. It was very nice. Our friends ordered seafood pasta which was good but but didn’t have much seafood in...it. The service was nice.More
Four of us had dinner at Keei last night. The food was fantastic, and the service by Bob and Mika outstanding. And they make a fabulous martini!
I still like the dining experience here, but I was really disappointed that the menu and prices listed online were completely out of line with the reality of the menu in person. Some of the meal prices had literally nearly doubled in price! It would...be better to have no online presence at all than to have a site that isn’t maintained at all.More
What a wonderful little find! We each had a craft cocktail, I enjoyed a delicious soup of the day ( ube and bacon) and my husband had fresh green with feta to start. We both had fish for dinner. I had the mahi on salad...with peanut miso sauce and my husband had mahi with a yellow curry. (Fish of the day can be prepared any of four ways, these are the two we chose.) Both were delicious and perfectly cooked! The yellow curry sauce was especially tasty! Had a bottle of Chardonnay and we shared two desserts: a macadamia nut pie which comes à la mode and a coconut flan with lilikoi sauce. Elena took great care of us in our comfortable spot on the front balcony overlooking the ocean and the sunset. Busy on a Friday night which is a great but know we did see a couple of folks turned away who clearly did not have reservations. It is not a huge place. So Mahalo Elena and crew at the Keei Cafe! Make a reservation and plan on having dinner here. You’ll be happy you did! Leisurely dinner and a great memory at the end of our stay on the Big Island.More
The food was excellent and the views of the sunset, along with live music and a great wine list, made for a perfect final evening on the big island. It was very busy so definitely make a reservation. Parking is behind the building. We sat...on the patio which was lovely. This did not feel like a tourist trap like some of the restaurants in downtown Kona. Very romantic and family run-we highly recommend!More
