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  5. Kohala Coast
Binchotan, Waimea (Kamuela), HI

Binchotan

4.1
4.1
386 Reviews
$30 and under
Unspecified
Binchotan: Bar & Grill is a gathering place for friends and family to enjoy a fresh take on Asian cuisine. Our menu features the time-honored tradition of grilling meat, seafood and produce over an open flame. Shared plates, handcrafted sushi and grilled skewers are the hallmarks of this culinary experience. Our full service bar showcases artisan cocktails, premium sake and a vast collection of whiskey. We invite diners to indulge in a flavorful feast as they raise a glass of Muay Tai to toast the most glorious sunsets over the Kohala Coast!

Make a reservation

2 people

7:00 PM


Booked 12 times today

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Neighborhood

    Kohala Coast

  • Cross street

    Queen Ka' ahumaanu HWY

  • Parking details

    Free Parking for Binchotan Bar & Grill dining guests

  • Additional

    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Popular dishes

What 386 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.1
4.1 based on recent ratings
  • 4.1Food
  • 4Service
  • 4.3Ambience
  • 3.7Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Hawaii

    Great for outdoor dining

  • Hawaii / Big Island

    Innovative

  • Hawaii / Big Island

    Good for groups

  • Hawaii / Big Island

    Great for outdoor dining

Sort by

  1. OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    4 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on May 28, 2023

    overall5food5service4ambience4
    Great food. Great ambiance. Really loved the ramen and Hot Rock Wagyu
  2. Pammyh

    San Francisco

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on May 27, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    An excellent dinner. Service and ambiance were excellent.
  3. LauraT

    Cleveland

    18 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    18 reviews

    Dined on May 24, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    We loved this place so much we ate there twice! The experience was completely unexpected as we weren’t familiar with binchotan grilling. We shared the crab and corn fritters app and shared the seafood experience. Wow, is it delightful, and it’s the perfect amount of food for 2.
  4. JosephB

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 15, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Highly recommend it. Great food and worth the price.
  5. TomE

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 7, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Fantastic meal, friendly service, knowledgeable staff
  6. GaryC

    San Francisco

    8 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on May 2, 2023

    overall5food5service3ambience4
    Very good food! Pork belly rice is superb. Service was a little slow which was surprising because it was a quiet night. Cocktails are priced too high. Small plates are priced reasonably and can be shared easily. We will definitely return
  7. OpenTable Diner

    Hawaii

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on April 26, 2023

    overall5food4service5ambience5
    Great food and fast service. Hot rock wagyu was amazing and the traditional experience was tasty. The one thing was service was almost too fast. We had barely started our hot rock dish and the traditional robatayaki arrived at our table. Not a bad thing but could have been a brief pause in between.
  8. diamondelle

    New York Area

    9 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on April 24, 2023

    overall3food2service2ambience3
    Food served warm, not hot. One coal piece didn’t help raise the temperature.
  9. MICHAELS

    San Diego

    43 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    43 reviews

    Dined on April 23, 2023

    overall1food1service3ambience3
    The food tasted old and inedible. This place should be ashamed to serve food like that. Felt sorry for the wait staff as you could see they knew.
  10. HPuako

    London

    55 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    55 reviews

    Dined on April 19, 2023

    overall5food5service4ambience5
    It’s always a great restaurant for a small group. Lots of small-plate very tasty shareables.
  11. OpenTable Diner

    New England

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 12, 2023

    overall3food5service3ambience4
    We showed up at 7:52 for our 8pm reservation. We weren’t addressed by the hostess until after 8 and weren’t seated until 8:15. Our waiter didn’t greet us until 8:30. Once he arrived, he was pleasant and was great about showing us the features of the menu. He took our drinks and food order at the same time but our drinks took so long they were served with our food. It did feel a little bit like the restaurant was winding down for the night and they were a bit short of help. However, in such a nice hotel, and for the prices, I would think the customer experience would be top priority. The food was delicious and the presentation was great. I would try a different restaurant at the Orchid before going back to Binchotan.
  12. Michael

    Salt Lake City

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 11, 2023

    overall2food2service2ambience4
    Disappointing. Very expensive for very small portions. Nearly every dish was overly salted and sweet. Lazy cooking. The tempura cauliflower was soggy. The watercress salad was so sweet it tasted like dessert. The salt and pepper lobster was good (albeit overly salted).
  13. OpenTable Diner

    London

    3 reviews

    1.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on April 5, 2023

    overall1food1service4ambience3
    The food was absolutely below the standard expected. The ramen was terrible - tasteless broth and overcooked soggy noodles and unappealing pork. The only dish we had that was acceptable was the lobster-tail We had been looking forward to this and were very disappointed.
  14. JillS

    London

    8 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on April 4, 2023

    overall1food1service1ambience1
    How disappointing! Service was slow and inattentive - drink orders arrived wrong, and then the next set were forgotten and not followed-up on. Food was mediocre at best and hot items were barely warm. It was very noisy and we seemed to be seated on the fringe of the restaurant on a main walkway. A whole lot of money spent on a less-than-successful evening.
  15. OpenTableDiner1

    Denver

    42 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    42 reviews

    Dined on April 3, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience3
    Really good food. Service experience started off poorly, but a very nice waitress stepped in to help our table and was great.
  16. OpenTable Diner

    Jackson Hole

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 3, 2023

    overall5food5service3ambience5
    Wonderful food and ambience. Unfortunately towards the end of the meal the server disappeared and it took too long to receive our dessert.
  17. MattW

    Portland

    1 review

    vip
    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 2, 2023

    overall2food2service1ambience3
    We waited 25 minutes before anyone came to our table. No one had given us a wine and cocktail menu and we asked both the water boy and eventual waitress for one...both said, "I'll be right back" and never returned. We eventually flagged down the hostess to order drinks...and she never came back. The first waitress eventually brought my wife's drink and mine five minutes after that. This place honestly had the worst service I can remember at a restaurant in a long, long time. We ordered food, which came out before our extremely tardy drinks. We had order fried rice to go with our entrees and it only showed up ten minutes after we'd finished dining. The food itself was fair, at best, but the experience was admittedly tarnished by the, again, absolutely sub-par service. We were obviously annoyed and refused the fried rice when it finally arrived. To their credit, the restaurant struck both the rice and our first round of drinks off our bill. But that did very little to assuage our distaste for this terribly disorganized establishment. This can't be blamed on lack of staff as there were servers seemingly scurrying around everywhere, but we received only the least possible attention and follow through at every level. We are avid and regular restaurant diners, kind and courteous to our servers and appropriate and generous tippers...but we can't in good faith recommend this restaurant to anyone else. Nor will we ever dine there again.
  18. Anotherfoodie

    Seattle

    24 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    24 reviews

    Dined on April 2, 2023

    overall4food3service3ambience5
    It was spring break so the resort was busy. The restaurant itself wasn’t busy when we were there but service was slow. The food came out cooled down so it may have sat for a little while before getting to our table. The food tasted ok and I’m sure it could’ve been better if it wasn’t cold already. The restaurant has potential so we will try again on another trip.
  19. SarahB

    Hawaii

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on March 26, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Been meaning to eat here for awhile and finally did last night. Service was excellent as was the food. Didn’t feel rushed at all. The only suggestion is the music was elevator music and some quiet Hawaiian music might have been a better choice. I will definitely eat here again.
  20. ChrisJ

    St. Louis

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on March 21, 2023

    overall4food5service2ambience5
    The food was outstanding. We had a couple salads, the mushroom udon dish and the ribeye, salmon, tuna, shrimp and mushrooms off the robata. I had the Night Marcher cocktail and it was amazing. However, I ordered a second layer in the night and it came with cheap ice, was watered down and tasted nothing like the first. It was a disappointment because the first one I ordered was truly one of the best cocktails I’ve had in my life. The desserts were nice, but didn’t stand out. The service wasn’t great. Our server was very nice, I just think they were very understaffed and doing the best they could. They probably should have booked fewer guests to make sure the service could match the food quality and ambience, both of which were excellent.
  21. lefty

    Portland

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on March 20, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    This restaurant is located in a stunning part of the Fairmont Orchid with a wonderful view and a quiet atmosphere. Our server was so incredibly friendly and gracious, rarely have a I had a server as welcoming and helpful as he was. The food was, overall, incredible. My son and dad did say that the ramen was a little bland; however, everything else that we ordered was amazing. The hot rock Waygu is a must! I would definitely recommend Binchotan, whether you are a regular to the island and want to add more variety to your dining experience or whether it is your first time here. At least in my experience, you cannot go wrong with Binchotan.
  22. Luigi

    San Francisco

    18 reviews

    5.0

    18 reviews

    Dined on March 15, 2023

    overall5food4service4ambience5
    Atmosphere, Atmosphere, Atmosphere. What a lovely setting. Combine that with friendly staff and interesting food and you have a winner. You definitely get what you pay for here. Not inexpensive but fairly priced. Will go back again.
  23. Shaz

    Hawaii

    23 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    23 reviews

    Dined on March 15, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We live locally and love Binchotan for a special occasion with friends, or to dine at the bar if it's just the two of us. Very creative menu items with an Asian flair, and great service.
  24. HelenK

    Calgary

    16 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    16 reviews

    Dined on March 15, 2023

    overall3food3service4ambience4
    Food was just okay. Ramen was kind of bland. Fried rice was served warm. We had high hopes but unfortunately we’re disappointed. Cauliflower appetizer was good.
  25. Biketheboat

    Denver

    50 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    50 reviews

    Dined on March 12, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    I went for their happy hour which is a great deal but the staff is welcoming and I will continue to return, whether on or off happy hour.
  26. Elizabeth

    St. Louis

    8 reviews

    3.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on March 11, 2023

    overall3food3service3ambience3
    Very very disappointing. The servers were friendly but service was sporadic and overall slow. The food was ok but nothing special; the menu is odd and the server did not explain well. I left hungry. Salad had much too much dressing on it. Steak was tough. Our food was not hot by the time it came to the table. I had been looking forward to this for quite some time. Amazingly disappointed.
  27. MarianneD

    South Dakota

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 11, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience4
    An interesting style of food. Grilled skewers of seafood serve over a small charcoal grill with sauces and seasonings on the side. A better explanation by our server of the sauces and seasonings would have improved the meal. We had an unfortunate seating situation. Not much of a view and we could hear both our restaurant's music and that of the nearby lounge making for a dissonant listening experience.
  28. OpenTable Diner

    Tulsa

    5 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on March 11, 2023

    overall1food3service1ambience1
    We showed up early for our reservation and asked to be sat in the bar for happy hour. We waited 20 minutes with several servers walking by and chatting at the bar, and no one ever stopped to help us so we left. When we told the host stand no one had helped us, they stared at us blankly and did not apologize, just watched us leave.
  29. KerriG

    San Diego

    11 reviews

    5.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on March 11, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We really enjoy our meal!! The food was delish!! The setting was also lovely!!
  30. AmberK

    Denver

    8 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on March 7, 2023

    overall3food2service4ambience3
    Food was over buttered, too salty and cold. Our service was good though.
  31. PatriciaC

    Hawaii

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 5, 2023

    overall4food3service3ambience5
    Food was good, small portions for price. Atmosphere and wait staff were pleasant.
  32. OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 4, 2023

    overall4food5service4ambience3
    Best to get an early reservation to ensure a well prepared dinner and better service; recommend seating before 7 pm.
  33. stephanie

    New York Area

    13 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on February 26, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Went on a windy Saturday night - sat at the bar with the manager staff - they were wonderful. Food was excellent- we had a lot of fun! We would highly recommend!
  34. SeeverS

    San Diego

    13 reviews

    3.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on February 22, 2023

    overall3food3service3ambience3
    Food was ok. We showed up early but they told us to wait and later sat us at the same table that was available before.
  35. Goodeats

    Portland

    3 reviews

    1.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on February 19, 2023

    overall1food2service2ambience3
    My father in law’s 80th birthday. The food took over an hour, then was very cold upon arrival, also wasn’t served over a coal as they explained. It was disappointing on what should have been an awesome occasion. The appetizers were ok, the shrimp was the best. Everything else was below average. A real disappointment for the Fairmont hotel. The staff was understanding and did comp part of the meal.
  36. OpenTable Diner

    Portland

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 19, 2023

    overall2food2service1ambience2
    Service was terrible. Waited over an hour for the food. The “experience” was just the skewers on a wire rack, no coals. Food was cold. Had to get the manager to come and see what was going on. They were kind enough to comp some of the meal, but definitely wouldn’t go back
  37. Randall

    Atlanta Metro

    7 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on February 18, 2023

    overall3food3service3ambience4
    We had planned a birthday gathering but the wait staff did not even mention it. Food was slow, service was slow and we were not kept informed. Not an experience I expected at a resort.
  38. Jojo

    Los Angeles

    22 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    22 reviews

    Dined on February 15, 2023

    overall2food2service3ambience4
    Saw the other reviews and thought this could be a mistake. The other reviews were right. It was Really not good. Every dish was flavorless, small and expensive. Pacing was horrible. Probably the worst dining experience in the last year. So many better options nearby, please skip this one.
  39. SandraS

    Vancouver

    12 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on February 15, 2023

    overall2food3service3ambience2
    Extremely quiet and boring restaurant food is extremely overpriced and not worth it very impersonal
  40. OpenTable Diner

    Hawaii

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 14, 2023

    overall4food5service5ambience5
    The Temoura shrimp with macadamia nuts were soooo good we ordered a second helping! Skip the pork gyoza though.

FAQs

Binchotan is rated 4.1 stars by 386 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

7:00 PM


Booked 12 times today
Google Map for Binchotan

1 North Kaniku Drive, Waimea (Kamuela), HI 96743

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross street

    Queen Ka' ahumaanu HWY

  • Neighborhood

    Kohala Coast

  • Hours of operation

    Mon, Thu–Sun 5:30 pm–9:00 pm

  • Cuisines

    Unspecified

  • Dining style

    Casual Dining

  • Dress code

    Business Casual

  • Parking details

    Free Parking for Binchotan Bar & Grill dining guests

  • Payment options

    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, MasterCard, Visa

  • Executive chef

    Isabel Chung

  • Additional

    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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