Had dinner and pupus with 2 friends the other night. Our experience was great. Not only was the food excellent, our server, Jackie was out of this world! Thanks Formaggio! read more

My husband and I enjoyed a beautiful lunch here! I ordered fish tacos which were very fresh and had a little kick to them. (herbed aioli, carrots, cabbage, radish and Mahi in freshly made tortillas.) The plate came with 3 tacos and a generous portion of fresh Nalo greens salad on the side. I can just imagine the soft Hawaiian rains watering these little lettuce greens that are so tender and soft. My husband ordered the pulled Lamb Tacos. He really enjoyed them! I loved being able to order a local amber ale from Hilo, while my husband was happy to have a Boddington's. We also had sweet potato fries along with our meals. They were prepared well and had a spicy aioli to dip in. Our server took time out to talk with us about our meal and was able to answer any questions we had about the menu. There was another man (chef?) who circulated around the restaurant checking in with all the guests. I loved the atmosphere and look forward to dining there again! Cheers! read more

The food was excellent! My husband had the delmonico ribeye and I had the chicken--- so good!!! Our server was very personable and helpful with menu choices. My only complaint is that the times of operation are different all over the place. For instance, Yelp and Google say they open at 4pm. Their website says they open at 5pm. They have a banner in front of their restaurant advertising a happy hour that starts at 4:30pm. Turns out they open at 4:30pm (just so you know). read more

A HUGE disappointment! I ordered the Lobster Bisque and if I could have found the lobster, I would tell you how it tasted. What was served was a very thick tomato soup with a few green onions for garnish. Next I tried the muscles, which were supposed to be served in a delicate garlic butter and wine sauce. The muscles were sooo over seasoned that it was impossible to taste the muscles. They could have been shoe soles for all I knew. Worse yet - one of the muscles had failed to open during the cooking and yet - it was served, as if it was edible. If I hadn't known better - and gone ahead an pried it open - and eaten it, I would be so sick now I wouldn't be able to write this. When I pointed out the bad muscle to the waiter - he laughed. I didn't get the joke. I still don't get it. I thought a sincere apology would have been the proper response. Am I wrong? AND I paid thirty five dollars for this? Terrible! How do I rate them with ZERO STARS? read more

Wow. Worst service I have ever experienced. We had a 615 reservation. Walked in and no one greeted us for 20 minutes. When we asked the bartender what was going on, he acted annoyed. Few minutes later, the supposed host walks in toting shopping bags from Pier One. Crazy. He proceeds to ignore us as well and goes to help a party that arrived well after us. No aloha spirit here. Too bad there food is supposed to be good but good service is also part of the restaurant experience. Would never go back!!! read more

Like eating in a bus station! Very noisy. Couldn't talk without practically shouting. When we got the bill there was an extra drink charged that we didn't order -- $9.50, and also they charged 26.99 for a half rack of rib dinner that was listed as 24.99 on the menu! NOT at all what we expected for the price we paid! read more

The only reason I am giving this restaurant a 2 star rating instead of a 1 star rating is because we had an extremely nice waitress, unfortunately she said it was her last night at this establishment. My husband and I came here to celebrate his birthday and did not have a great experience. For starters, the AC is broke and the thermostat read that the indoor temperate was 84 degrees Fahrenheit, way too hot! The music was also very inconsistent and did not match the atmosphere at all. Moving on to our meal which totaled out to be $107 dollars for two which in my opinion lacked the food lacked in quality for that price. I ordered a single lobster tail and it was extremely tough, over cooked, and rubbery. I needed a steak knife to cut through it---not worth $36 for a single tail to be so poorly cooked. My husband order filet mignon and it was not evenly cooked whatsoever. Parts were well done, parts were rare but he ordered it medium rare. He also said that it tasted more like a sirloin steak. We were not impressed and will not be coming back. read more

I'd been eyeing Formaggio since it opened, avoided it based on its seemingly overpriced menu and long waits, but finaly said what the heck - I've been to just about every restaurant in Kailua several times, might as well give it a chance. First, unlike several others, I had no problem at all with the service. My waitress was very attentive and prompt and friendly. My one issue with her was I asked her whether the ribs were particularly good, or if I ought to just choose something else; at $30, ribs should be exceptional. She said they were great. They were not. I've had worse more than once, but these were not great ribs. I'd be surprised if their tenderness didn't come from being parboiled, rather than long slow barbeque. Big portion, though, just not what I expect from a place with pretensions of serving better than average food. The onion soup was decent, with a nice layer of cheese over the whole crock, but a little bland, without much carmelized onion; mostly a vaguely flavored broth. Again, nothing special, but not bad. My partner enjoyed her ahi; I tasted it and my reaction was more of the same - perfectly edible but nothing to go out of one's way for. The problem was, of course, the prices for this just-OK food. Formaggio is easily the priciest place in Kailua, and in town there are dozens of restaurants with better food for less money. We sat at the plank/bench/bar, and I'm not fussy about that kind of thing; if the food is great, or it's a bargain, I'll eat standing up. But Formaggio offers neither, so sharing the skinny plank with your neighbors is just another instance of paying too much for what you get. Another example is the no-reservations policy. What's up with that? If I want to show everyone how I'm willing to sit outside for an hour and wait for the privilege of eating mediocre food just because, I can go to Boots 'n Kimo's. At half the price, I'd go back, for decent but unimpressive food at a good price. At its current prices, I won't be back. read more

I needed to use my Play Hawaii coupon, so we took a nice scenic drive out to Kailua Town. We arrived around 4:45 p.m. and found out that they were having Happy Hour for food until 5 p.m. and drinks until 6 p.m.. Wine is $5 and beer is $3 a glass, so we got there at a good time, especially since I had my $30 coupon. We had the margarita pizza and prime rib pannini which were both great. Would have liked some parmesan cheese and red pepper for my pizza and horse radish for the sandwich. That would have made it perfect. The waitress was nice and cheerful and the waiter was very accommodating. Would go back again after a nice day in Kailua for cocktails and pizza or pannini's. read more

Dining at the Formaggio in Kailua was a complete disappointment. The quality of food was much lower than what I'm used to when dining at the Formaggio in Kaimuki and the service needs work to say the least. We ordered the escargot which was served to us luke-warm. We returned it to be cooked to a hot temperature. The taste of it was also less than desirable. I would describe it as dirty/not cleaned property. While dining we could also hear the cooks from the kitchen yelling "bitches" repeatedly and our server was hard to track down as she was on her iPhone and leaving the floor with the rest of the wait staff to go into a back room located near the restrooms. I used to work in the food industry and always tip 20% unless the service is horrible. Let's just say our 10% tip was very generous! If you are looking for a date night spot and enjoy great food and great service Formaggio Kailua is not it! read more

Our server seemed like she did not want to be there. Totally unenthused & monotone. They overcooked one of our meals & forgot to bring the side that it came with & our waitress says, "aw i wish you said something earlier." After being MIA for 20minutes. read more

Been here many times in the past make it a point to come here when in town. Wine is great but second place to the food. Service people know their stuff and prices a fair. Don't miss this either read more

Well where do i start this place is unlike i have ever eaten at before. Waitress Mary is a star the bald head guy at the front he leaves little to desire. We have been here in Kailua for 19 days and we are gonna spend another 10 days maybe more we love Wine my son drinks Pinot i drink chardonnay. The waitress Cassini is friendly until you want something! Our bill for 6 people was 450.00 she was a real piece of work. BUT THE KICKER WAS WE ORDERED A BOTTLE OF WINE AND THEY CHARGED US 40.00 FOR CORKAGE ON ANOTHER BOTTLE AND REFUSED TO WAIVE IT. i have eaten at Assagios 3 times and Baci twice and have never encountered attitudes like this place when i order there most expensive chardonnay they were out of it and substituted a cheap brand and charged the same. Bait and switch they take advantage of the tourists because they think they never come back i just bought a home in Lanikai and plan to spend 3 months a year here but i can tell you this shit bag place will never see a dime of my money and any chance i get i will bad mouth this place. The problem is someone bought some really crappy wine and they need to get rid of it and so they really push the crap they have. Food was good though not better than assagios or Baci so save your money and go elsewhere these types of practices at restaurants will get around and will surely effect their business FORMAGGIOS SUCKS STAY AWAY! read more

Since I have Celiac Disease and can no longer have anything with gluten, eating out has become a land mine of dangerous dishes. The last two times I have dined at Formaggio, I have had wonderful experiences. The wait staff has been incredible about asking me all about my dietary needs, and the chef has made a fabulous version of the Chicken Rollatini. It is honestly the most delicious gluten free meal that I have had in a restaurant since me diagnosis. Kudos to the awesome staff for a wonderful evening out. read more

I ordered a full rack of Zinfandel Ribs for takeout last night, it cost $35 (with tax). My wife and I ate one of the rack of ribs, saving the other for tonight. Tonight's was horrible. It was full of gristle and hard to cut. I called Formaggio, but they "blew" me off. I thought that they were hiding the junk cut under the good cut (it was takeout). If it had occurred in their restaurant, problem would have been taken care of. Stay away! read more

Planned an engagement party for 9 and had horrible service. I guess since tip is already included for parties this large, they feel they can treat you poorly. 30 minutes before closing, they decided to crank the music up so we couldnt hear each other talking Im assuming as a hint to get rid of us. Then the waitress sits down for her shift meal 10 ft. from our table while we are just getting our meals and not even coming by to get more drink orders. For a $400 ticket, I was surprised by the blatant disregard to service. Will never take a group here again, though I have enjoyed it when just 2 of us in the past. read more

After landing and checking into our vacation rental, the husband and I were in the mood for a HH. I pulled out my trusty Yelp app to lead me in the right direction. Lo and behold popped up Formaggion grill. We got there at the start of HH and the place was pretty dead. The bartender showed us what drinks and food items had the discounts. I had the raspberry lemon drop martini and the mister had whiskey (not on the HH list) and we split the BLT pizza. My cocktail was good and he enjoyed the whiskey. As for the pizza, it definitely wasn't the greatest and just satisfied the munchies. And as we sat at the bar I noticed a slew of gnats circling the open garnishment case. Blerg! And the bartender shared a concoction he made using OJ and the whipped vodka. That was good but I did notice he let a couple taste the drink with straws and the couple put the straws back in the drink that was to be served out. Definitely not good hygiene practice. Other than that come here to have it keep it simple HH of just drinks and forgo the bites. read more

Just OK, for what you're paying.... the truffle fries are good, but a $13 margherita pizza is TINY and mediocre. Pretty good beet salad, but overall just a meh (for the prices). If the prices were halved it would've gotten a much better review. read more

I just can't understand why Formaggio doesn't have a higher rating on Yelp. From what I've read, most of the negatives have to do with service. Well, a week ago my wife and I looked across the street from Starbucks and saw the Formaggio sign. Being curious, we decided to try it out. The dining room was attractive and comfortable. We had their "Sunset Special", a 3-course meal for $19.99. We chose the barbecue ribs with soup or salad and dessert. The food was outrageously delicious. The ribs were fall-off-the-bone with a fantastic barbecue sauce. We had the mashed broccoli potatoes, which were so good we ordered another one for take-out. I had the mushroom soup and my wife had the salad, and both were great. Dessert for us was vanilla gelato, and it was also delicious. Equally as important, our service was wonderful. Our experience was so good that we returned tonight, just a week later. We had the ribs again, this time with a healthy side of fries, which disappeared quickly :-) Once again, our server was excellent and very personable. Don't let any negative reviews keep you from Formaggio. It will probably become a favorite of yours, as it has ours. read more

A big disappointment. Huge. Mediocre food in a horribly loud environment with terrible service. We witnessed a table of 6 get up and leave because they were completely ignored once seated. None of the restaurant staff even seemed to notice. Cocktails that we ordered (wine) took at least 15 minutes to arrive. Our server was a mess. She did not introduce herself, appeared frazzled, rushed, stressed and completely disorganized. She did not tell us about any specials of the day until we asked. She proceeded to read those specials to us from a piece of scrap of paper she pulled out of her pocket. She also couldn't explain much of anything about any of the dishes on the regular menu when we asked. Food was so completely unremarkable that I can't remember what I ordered but I'm thinking it was pasta? It came with a couple slices of toasted bread and I do remember telling my dining companions that the bread was the best tasting thing on my plate. Dessert was served while we were in the middle of eating our entrees and placed in the center of our table. Awkward. I wouldn't willingly come back to give this place another try. Once, was more than enough when there are so many other choices! read more

A decent place but the food does not match the cost. Service was excellent just a little disappointed on the value.

we had a great dinner. there is an awesome fonduey thing with crab & spinach. yum! our server Olivia was very nice. we'd definitely go back.

It's a great location and the main room/bar area can be lively on weekends. It's unfortunate that our lunch was a disappointment. The vegetable lasagne was dry and tasted old. It's understandable most Italian restaurants would make lasagne ahead of time but the dish is usually served moist; with extra sauce and melted cheese on top so it's served hot and bubbly. We also had the shrimp arrabiata served with linguine. The linguine was old; it's texture was as if it was leftover and reheated in boiling water. The shrimp was tasteless and over cooked; one can tell it was frozen and reheated leftover shrimp. The restaurant is in lack of kitchen staff and management. Hopefully the owner can turn it around very soon. One good note to mention is the kale salad served with roasted beets and carrots in a balsamic vignegrette with fresh herbs. This dish was prepared pretty well and wholesome. read more

Despite passing this place almost daily, I finally bit the bullet and decided to go here with the boyfriend. Lovely atmosphere and prompt service. Good for a first day or a wine night. We quickly looked to the yelp reviews which kept us from ordering any entrees off the bat, as the reviews really didn't treat this place well. So we started with the sausage appetizer and didn't get past that. Overly salty sauce, lackluster pile of sliced bell peppers and a few pieces of crisped bread for $16. Sausage had the taste and consistency of meatballs. I really wanted to enjoy this place, and have a good Italian restaurant in kailua to go to. However, definitely going to pass on this one next dinner night out. read more

I'm taking back one star... I still like Formaggio's but it is not the same. A while back I was told there was a change of ownership. We still continue to go. On one early Friday night, after taking our order, our nice server informed us that the escargot was not available. On another dinner visit, we ordered the calamari and upon asking the manager, who had stopped to check on our table, what had changed in the calamari appetizer, he looked and declared that there were ingredients missing, namely the peppers and mushrooms. He did apologize, but we still kept and paid for the incomplete dish. Of the last six meals at Formaggio Grill, we always seem to come up short on our fav's - it's disappointing since we don't reside in Kailua and it is a significant commute for us. We still go... We haven't given up quite yet as we've always had servers that work so very hard to make guests like us comfortable. Mahalo, AT. read more

Meh. For the price you could do better. The restaurant has this trendy industrial look to it with a high ceiling and exposed air conditioning vents. Music was too loud and too edgy; not the place for quiet conversation. We asked for bread while we waited for dinner and it was dry and bland. Clearly not fresh. Our dinners consisted of meat and starch. My fries were cool, bland and flavorless. Pairing ribs with fries seemed odd; the sweet dressing of the ribs didn't sit well with the ketchup the fries were served with. Two people, $100 seemed like much to pay for food that tasted cheap. Sorry guys, maybe next time. read more

We had the special holiday menu ($75/55/45) for an app and an entree. For those prices I expect to be at least impressed if not wowed. I was neither. The food was uniformly underseasoned. The mash was "spiced up" with shredded bits of broccoli. Not good. The prime rib was cooked perfectly but the horseradish cream sauce tasted like they forgot the horseradish. The lobster tasted like it had been previously frozen. The Caesar salad was ok, but not a traditional Caesar. The wine list tilts heavily toward overly alcoholic Californian and Australian offerings at high prices. We didn't risk desert. Felt gauged. Maybe the everyday menu is better but considering that we ordered heavily from their "most popular" dishes, I can't imagine it gets much better. There's a good Indian place right across the street and you can feed the whole family well for $40. read more

We went to formaggios after purchasing a half off coupon on play hawaii. Ambiance was hip and fun. It's a bit noisy but that's part of this place's vibe. We ordered the bruchetta, clams, ribs, and onion soup. The clams were really good. It had chorizo which added a nice and bold flavor. The bruchetta was decent- it comes with 3 different types. The portabello mushroom one was the BEST! We wished they were all mushroom. The French onion soup was also delicious. The flavor was very good although there was a unique herb/flavor that took a bit getting used to; but after a few bites it was great. The ribs (appetizer) were definitely our least favorite. The quality of the meat was not too good and the flavor was just ordinary. They were pretty tender, however, but would not order it again. They have a great wine selection. Overall, a bit pricey but we will go back again. read more

Had a lovely dinner with my husband here last weekend for my birthday. First, he made a reservation online a couple days in advance so we figured we wouldn't have any issues. When we walked in the restaurant, someone was already waiting for a table. A waitress came up to the gentleman in front of us and asked if he has been helped, and he responded that he hadn't and she proceeded to tell him he would have to wait for a table. The waitress then carried on, without acknowledging us standing right behind him. Someone again came over and asked the gentleman if he had been helped and he responded "yes" and she walked away. Once the gentleman in front of us was seated at a table, the waitress proceeded to ask us if we would like a table. Odd. Anyway, my husband explained the online reservation and the waitress proceeded to look through her book, iPad and then computer and found his reservation. But she let us know that "this happens all the time" and they "forgot" to write his reservation down and we would have to wait (so much for convenience). They did let us know they would be able to seat us at the kitchen bar (regular bar was full) until they could find a table. The waitress came to get our drink orders and appetizers. After that, I feel like we were forgotten about. I watched several tables of 2 get up and leave and groups of 2 sit down. We were never sent to a table for dinner, we ate at the kitchen bar. The customer service was disappointing. Then the food came. Wow! It was amazing!! And made me forget that the customer service was so poor. Luckily it's right around the corner from my house, so I will be coming back. Just need to call to make my reservation next time... read more

Had high hopes of this restaurant from hearing that's it's one of the nicer ones in Kailua , unfortunately I left disappointed . My favorite part and only reason why I'm giving it 2 stars is the sangria , but my ribs were very dry and my husbands Chicago style sandwich had no flavor. Very unhappy with my meal and paying $85 and not even wanting to eat what I ordered is a huge let down . read more

I ordered the garlic ahi, and was highly disappointed.. It was still cold in the middle and lacking flavor. For the amount they charge, they should be more detail oriented with what they're giving their customers. The only reason I'm giving them 3 stars is because the service wasn't bad and because the rest of the party seemed to enjoy their meals. read more

I agree with the person that said it would have to be drop dead amazing to get 5 stars. I thought the place was very good. Probably a 5 for the wine list because there were many choices from all over. We went on a weeknight and they were busy and we didn't have a reservation. We sat at the bar for about 15 min then got to sit at the ilttle area by the kitchen. It was nice seeing what they were cooking while we were eating. I will go back for sure. read more

I ate here for the first time and was very satisfied with my meal. I ordered the petite fillet which was cook to perfection. Our server was a little less to be desired. The restaurant is in the process of changing its wine list so many of Spanish wines I was inquiring about were no longer. I asked her about another suggestion and she said the bartender would know better. Within a few minutes a half filled glass of red was set in front of me. However, she told me nothing about the wine. I drank it anyway because I was thirsty and it was actually very good. I realize I could have easily asked her but instead I started to mentally subtract her tip instead. Also, the restaurant is freezing!! I was slightly uncomfortable throughout the dinner. Luckily for me the combination of steak and wine I started to warm up. The portions are really great for someone like me (small build) but one the guys I was with finished his meal in record time and still looked famished. I would defiantly go back. Next time, I want to try the truffle fries and creme brulee. The food made up for the poor service. It is a little expensive but with good company it is worth a try. read more

We moved to Kailua in January and have been trying all of the local restaurants and this restaurant by far is the worst. We thankfully started slow and only ordered the mussels. We have had mussels all over the world but never have we ordered a bowl of mussels for $14.50 and only had 6 puny mussels show up with more tomatoes than actual mussel meat. There was literally less than $1.00 worth of mussels in this pathetic attempt at a dish. We understandably didn't order any more food and left. We will never return and recommend that anyone who wants to get ripped off should definitely frequent this establishment! I will be absolutely shocked if this restaurant is still open for business in 6 months! C'EST LA VIE! read more

That was the WORST meal I've ever had. Orange juice soured, Warm kale salad had old yellowed and black pieces of kale, some of the beets underblanched and chewy, onion soup was so salty it burned your mouth, chicken rollatini served on soggy vegetables with way over salted potatoes, no marscapone cheese visable. The only positive to the meal was our server leilani. I would not recommend this place to anyone. read more

I was optimistic about trying this restaurant, most of the reviews were very good. However, the food was very mediocre and on top of that, unfriendly service. We were a party of 5 and no one enjoyed it. I don't recommend this place and will not be back. read more

Mediocre at best! The service and food offered do not reflect the image that Formaggio's is selling. We were terribly disappointed and will not be returning. read more

Just good. Being from the Boston area, I thought that it could barely be called Italian. Maybe Italian fusion. I had the seared tuna - had more of an Asian influence it seemed and not a dish that I would have ordered from home. However, we had 3 kids with us, and there were minimal kid friendly options. (For kids who wanted a hearty meal without buying a filet or strip steak which we went ahead and did) One of them eats like an adult, but the prices can really set you back, especially when you factor in a Martini and some wine for the table. 4 Adults and 3 kids came to about $500.00. Again, the food was good, but more options would have been nice. read more

I've been a patron of this establishment for many years. I spend about $500 a month here. Tonight, a new, unseasoned 28 year old bartender thought he would flex his bartender muscles (Collin) and not serve me wine - because he thought I was "slurring" - I wasn't. Several friends of mine were sitting at the bar and we were all shocked. I had done nothing wrong...said nothing rude and his opinion was unfounded. They used to have great bartenders: Big Dave and Rick, especially. Wes had a few eateries and is now down to Formaggio. There is that "feel" this place is going out of business and without the support of locals, certainly will. I will not spend another dollar there from the way I was treated tonight. If your looking for a place to eat in Kailua - don't go here - it is way over-priced, the menu is extremely boring, the food is lacking in many ways and the bartenders and wait staff are rude. I only spent time and money there because it's a fun atmosphere, close to home and I used to be treated with respect. Will NEVER set foot in the place again. BUM-BYE Formaggio. read more

I've been going here since the day it opened, so despite liking a few things on the menu and the location/decor a lot, I have to accept reality....this place kinda sucks. The service is is mediocre at best. The food is hit and miss (and hey, if you find a clump of hair in your food, don't bother saying anything apparently that's normal and you're the jerk for mentioning it quietly). Any restaurant that describes a piece of meat by comparing it to eating Jessica Alba, well that's just gross and should give a huge indication of what you're dealing with. I've tried, tried and tried again with this place because for some unknown reason I wanted it to be everything I hoped but I just give up already. Every time we have guests from the mainland I have wanted to bring them there, but it just ends up to be a disappointment. If you still want to go, for your best welcome walking in the door, make sure you book one of the many empty tables on OpenTable from the parking lot. They'll ask you if you have a reservation and if you don't, you'll get an attitude, even though the place is mostly empty and won't fill up the entire time you are there. read more