Ponds staff were so accommodating when we came in close to closing time. We were able to order and eat without feeling rushed. Food was delicious. My husband and daughter both had salads. My son had the Alfredo and I ate the spinach dip from the appetizer menu. It was a perfect end to a long day of family and sightseeing. It was also in walking distance from our hotel.
Loved the food there, delicious and not too big portioned. They give you a complimentary appetiser but ours was so big we thought he accidentally sent out a dish to the wrong table. He could've said something like this is complimentary or something, we were so confused lol asked a lady what this was and that we didn't order it but she had no idea lol.So the server tries to up-sell their lobsters and stuff showing pictures - I don't like that lol.The dishes we got were escargot and marinara pasta. Both super delicious and very saucy pasta, loved them! Cocktails were very nice, the views were excellent although we went at night, big spacious area and beautiful live music. 4.5 stars! It was a great start to our stay in the Big Island.
We were excited to try take out and have a lunch picnic. Disappointing on several levels. The best part was the ordering! It was quick and the young man was friendly and fun on the phone. But, that couldn’t make up for the pretty ordinary veggie sandwich…and they forgot to pack the side of slaw! My pear brie spinach salad was generous and delicious but could have used more dressing…barely waved on….And, the sandwich was twenty bucks?? Seriously over priced!! I really couldn’t recommend…
This is our families go to when we have a special occasion. We have come to Ponds throughout the years, and we have always been served with great service and great tasting hot foods. Service is good by means of your water glass is never empty and they come to check on you if you need anything else or if everything is to your liking (That right there is goddam great service). Me and my fiancé have gone here several times, we have taken our visiting family here and they also fall in love with ponds. We will be back shortly to celebrate my Bachelors of Science degree in Environmental Sciences. Looking forward to our visit this month.
We had a great quick lunch at Ponds recently. The seared ahi tuna appetizer was delicious and came with lots of yummy accompaniments. The service and view were also very nice. Would go again for sure.
One of the worst lunches we've ever had. Absolutely nothing special about this place, but, fortunately, we followed it up with a visit to Pineapple Island that was outstanding!
Without going into too many details…the server/manager seemed annoyed that we had asked for vegetarian menu options and then when we got the bill -their fettuccine chicken alfredo (without the chicken) cost more than our seafood linguini ( which had hardly any seafood in it) and the seared ahi salad!!!! When i confronted him about it he said that we modified his menu and it’s not customary to change pricing for any reason ( even if it was without the protein which is the expense of the dish and less work). Even with him taking off a few dollars it was still $25 for some sauce over pasta. NOT OKAY!!! She felt penalized for being vegetarian. And he / the manager was a jerk. The cost should be confirmed when it’s custom, not included, or an item on the menu that is “market price” . Skip this outdated restaurant, especially if your vegetarian- there are too many other good places.
Great local place. The family fed the koi while we waited. The sweet tea was extremely sweet. The food was very good and the live music was good. Many other venues had the live music too loud, and it was appreciated it was just right here. Also enjoyed watching kids jump into the water next to the windows. Great people watching.
Reservations are recommended, and with enough notice you can reserve a table along the pond. Very pretty setting. The food was good/average, and we tried a nice variety with five of us in the group. I'm sure our experience was an anomaly, but our server forgot to put our order in. We sat at the table for about 40 minutes, enjoying conversation and the setting but finally asked. He didn't say anything, but within 5 minutes everything came out at once - salads, soups, entrees. So not a stellar customer or dining experience, but other reviews show it's worth going again next time.
Make a reservation! At 5:00 on Thursday they were booked. Staff was very nice. Looked at menu while we waited. Got a window table and dinner arrived very soon. We had the table for one hour, which was OK. No time for a cocktail or dessert, which kept the bill down. Mandarin Ribs were flavorful and tender and my Fish Fry was super delicious. Hawaiian guitar player was very good and not too loud. He took requests and was personable. Had plenty of time to eat and watch the local kids jump off the bridge into the pond. A very pleasant time.