When Mrs. K and I first tried Happy Hour (HH) at Kona Grill back in December, we were impressed with the prices, the atmosphere, and the food. With a similar evening planned – a show at MSP in Westfield – we decided to give the place a second visit and try more things on the menu.
Just a reminder – Kona Grill is located in the Clay Terrace Shopping Center at 14395 Clay Terrace Blvd. in Carmel. A generous HH schedule: for Foods – All Day Monday (!) and 2 to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, plus Every Night from 9 p.m. to closing. HH for Drinks is listed at 2 to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday.
Also, the HH menu is filled with a variety of goodies priced at $3, $6, and $9. (It famously features a Cheeseburger and Fries for $6, which we saw at a neighboring table and it looked like a good bargain.) The drinks are also priced at $3, $6, and $9.
It was a cold night but heaters in the bar/lounge helped take the chill away. Our server, Hannah, was right with us, bringing water and menus. Mrs. K got her Chardonnay ($6 for a six-ounce pour) and I passed on any other beverage.
We wanted to try something different this time off the food side of the menu and decided on BBQ Chicken Flatbread and KG Sliders & Fries ($9 apiece). We liked the Chicken Fried Rice so much, we opted to repeat that item. As you can see in the picture, everything came out looking great and in generous portions. The KG Sliders were meaty and very tasty and Kona Grill’s Fries are especially good – crispy on the outside and soft inside with a very distinctive seasoning. The Flatbread features a softer crust than we have found elsewhere, and the BBQ sauce they used went well with the chicken, the veggies, and the generous portion of cheese atop it all.
Photo provided by Ken Klingenmeier
We arrived at about 4:30 and the lounge area was only partially full – it’s a large space on the front side of the restaurant with a view of the street. In the main dining area, full of booths and tables, quite a nice crowd had gathered by the time we were using the restrooms and preparing to leave.
Kona Grill is a very popular place and I can see why. It has excellent food and excellent service. We’ll be back – maybe for dinner next time.
Ken Klingenmeier offers this series of columns, called “A Seat at the Table,” wherein he reviews Indy-area restaurants – specifically their Happy Hour offers. Keep reading The Reporter for future restaurant reviews.