We made the unfortunate decision to try the restaurant, Kocomo's in Old Lyme last Saturday night (3/27/2021). A bad exhausting choice. I have to say that out of all my dining experiences this was absolutely the worst I've ever experienced. It started when we arrived and waited at the hostess stand unacknowledged for 15 minutes. After waiting in the plexiglass greenhouse tent they have set up for another 15 minutes a waitress, or so we thought, finally came over to our table and took a drink order. 15 minutes after that she brought our drinks. (We are now at 45m into the experience.) We ordered our food, a simple bowl of clam chowder, a burger and some tacos. The waitress had come over while we were waiting for the chowder and told us that she was not a waitress but rather "the front house manager" and was only waiting tables because the scheduled waitress had called out. She seemed to be saying she was above waitressing. She hung out with us for quite a while, as if she had a lot of time to spare. Finally the chowder arrived, some 10 to 15 minutes after that! That was the last we saw of the "waitress" and after 45 MORE minutes, I realized we had been forgotten. I asked about our food and when I didn't get an answer I asked for our food to be put in to-go containers so we could go eat at home where it was warmer. The waitress still not coming over to explain things, and another 15 MORE minutes I asked a busboy to tell our waitress to give us the check for what we had and to cancel our food. He promptly went in and got our non existent "waitress/front house manger". She came out with our check and repeatedly said "there's no excuse, there's no excuse" and then informed us that she would not be charging us for the food! What!!!? I told her that we never got our food! Yikes! Do not fall for the fancy workmanship of their website. This place is a joke. A bad joke. Apparently whoever is running this place has no idea what they are doing and I would suggest to NOT go to Kocomo's if you care about service. Another lowering of the bar for Connecticut restaurants. read more

A little hair in your lobster mac keeps the customers back! My family went to Kokomos after a nice day at the beach, as it was right next to us. We sat in the sandy area, getting drinks first: two beers + a virgin piña colada. The drinks were good, and the service was alright. Our waiter wasn't the best listener. It comes time to order our food. Fish and chips shared between two, steamed veggies, side lobster mac, and a side salad. The food looked pretty good, so we dug in. As I ate my lobster mac, I realized that the lobster was not fresh, probably frozen for a while. I ignore it. The steamed vegtables, however, were decided to be Jolly Green Giant veggies. That was dissapointing, but we move on. The fish and chips were alright tasting, nothing special. Same story with the ceasar side salad. I'm trying to finish off my mac (which was very watery and obviously the small containered craft mac and cheese) and i see something thin and stringy. It was a hair. I was disgusted. I had eaten this! A hair usually wouldnt be such a huge deal, but the food was honestly so gross and packaged that this was my final straw. We left as soon as possible with a crazy 20% tip already added to our tab. We grabbed some delicious gelato down the street to end our night. Do not trust the good reviews or nice beachfront. The food is gross and we will be avoiding this place from now on. read more

The pros: Has outdoor dining at the shore, leading to a nice view. The cons: Slow and clearly inexperienced service/bar staff, mediocre (my friend's was just plain bad) and overpriced food, pitiable wine selection, dingy/unclean/old looking tableware, dirty bathroom, rude management. Overall, this was a zero star experience which is sad because I was really excited to eat at the new spot on the Sound...I was especially excited about the raw bar. Of course, once I saw the place I thought better of this option as I only eat raw at impeccably clean and well managed restaurants and this place did not fit that bill. The good news is there are dozens and dozens of tried and true excellent restaurants in the area that offer outdoor dining, some near the water, with excellent service, food, and atmosphere. I love spending money on a great meal out and I know I will do plenty of that this summer near the shoreline...just never again at this place. I'd encourage anyone that's interested to spend their money elsewhere. If this is how they are running things at the very start of their first season, I'll be shocked if they make it to summer 2020. What a disappointment. read more

My husband and I have been here three times now and had fabulous meals, great beer and perfect service by Melissa each time. We've had the filet mignon, scallops, steak sandwich, little necks, calamari. The atmosphere is great - right on the beach. You feel like you're on vacation and not at home in CT! Each time we've gone the restaurant has been very busy with wait times for seating. However, when we go out for dinner we're not looking to run in and out. We like to take our time, maybe enjoy a drink at the bar before sitting, then have an appetizer and maybe then order dinner. If you're looking for in and out, maybe you should go to a fast food restaurant. The negative reviews are just down right wrong...the restaurant is NOT dirty or dingy. The food prices are comparable to than any other upscale shoreline restaurant. And the food IS upscale....not typical fried seafood or hamburgers and wings. Don't listen to the negative reviews....if you do, you're missing out on a great meal and experience!! Update: wanted to mention that I work in the restaurant business (in an upscale setting) so I write this review with a keen eye for good food and service. read more

My experience at Kokomo's started off a bit shaky. I had a reservation for 1:30pm and was going to be running 10mins late due to traffic from construction and tried to Call to inform the restaurant but had no answer and called 5 times. For our server we had Troy which he was excellent! He was very attentive and continuously came around to ask if we needed anything. Constantly would see when our cups were empty and if we needed them refilled as well as food. For the food most of our party ordered burgers, the jerk chicken and the fish and chips. Burgers were cooked to the right temperature not too hard or overcooked, jerk chicken was a 10/10 especially for the flavoring, also the fish and chips were decent for cod and the fries were great texture and flavor. Only downfall coming to food was with it being so hot and being on the beach you'd think they'd give out water for free but you had to pay for cups of water. The ambiance was very quiet at first and the music wasn't loud enough for guest to hear but will say they didn't have a problem with the speaker we brought. Overall Kokomo's was a 8.5. read more

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New place that we decided to try on Memorial Day weekend. Hostess was welcoming and sat us within minutes after we started with a cocktail at the bar. Overall, the energy and vibe was upbeat and fun allowing for a relaxed lunch/dinner experience. Our server was pleasant and attentive throughout the two hours we were there. Management and personnel were welcoming and even stopped by several times to have conversations about their new location which was cool. Food was excellent, typical beach cuisine but the prices were very affordable. Typically I would expect to pay 10-15% higher on a dinner dish at a beach location but their affordable menu prices were an unexpected surprise. Their fish sandwich as well as skirt steak was excellent, you can tell even with the high volume of the day they took care in their presentation. Their bar area was a fun place to sit and their cold beers were welcomed on a hot day on the patio. We will be coming back soon! read more

We finally had a chance to visit Kokomo's on the Sound and it did not disappoint. The food was delicious! We had tacos, sea scallops, shrimp and turf and surf with lobster tails. The pina coladas were fantastic. The wait staff was prompt and courteous. The portions were adequate with two of our party of four boxing up food to take home. The menu provided many choices and every time another order was delivered to adjacent tables, we couldn't resist the temptation to sneak a peek at what others were ordering. Everything we saw looked great, but we can only state with certainty that our food and drinks were delicious and the wait staff was fantastic! The view of the ocean and its breeze provided a very relaxed and entertaining setting. We will definitely return to try something different! Keep up the good work and try to play that Beach Boys tune with your name in it from time to time!! read more

Perfect location, great food and great service! I've visited twice since they opened and both times were excellent. The lobster roll was fresh and plentiful. The shrimp cocktail was excellent and the fries were done perfect. The cocktails are generous and delicious. Second time, I ordered the lobster bisque and was pleasantly surprised by the big chunks of lobster meat served in the soup. Also tried the shrimp taco which was fresh and delicious. The staff are friendly and attentive. They continue to add to the ambiance. They just added palm trees outside to give you that tropical feel. They also opened their outside seating to the full service menu. Can't wait to go back and try something new. The seafood tower looks amazing! I'm sure they will have quite the crowd once the summer season kicks off and look forward to visiting again soon! Great job!!! read more

A group of 6 of us just left here and it was phenomenal! I had the filet which was cooked to perfection, as well as my husbands rib eye. I should mention I also have a shellfish allergy (I know I was at a terrible place for) and they were able to accommodate me no questions asked. The staff was friendly and quick, my server Melissa was fantastic! The drinks were right on point, we order all but 2 of their signature drinks and not a single person had a complaint (the frozen mudslide and rum punch were our personal favorites between the bunch)! We also brought our 4 and 6 year old kids which were able to happily play on their beach front, it really was a perfect place to spend the evening with family and friends. Not to mention they have palm trees and the place has been redone so well! read more

If i could leave less than one star i would. I made a reservation and still had to wait 5 minutes for a hostess to even show up. I was told to wait by more than one person. Then finally seated, i ordered the most overpriced and under whelming calamari, cod sandwich, and clam strip roll. The only, and i mean only, shining star was that the over priced mixed drinks were poured heavy handed. In general, Kokomo's is a crowded, dirty, overpriced hovel that resembles a crappy outdoor long john silvers. I would expect fresher and nicer seafood in a gas station in Iowa. $112 for one appetizer, two entrees (must pay extra for sides), and two mixed drinks, with 20% mandatory gratuity. Oh, and a $25 hold on my debit card to even order a water that i was supposed to get back. read more

My recent visit to Kokomo's was disappointing despite its prime beachfront location with sand underfoot. The food was subpar--my salad had cold, pre-cooked chicken (not grilled as promised) and insufficient dressing, while my husband's wrap was mediocre. A few menu items were unavailable. Service was poor; we waited long for our order, and the waiter never checked back until the bill, which shockingly a table of two, with an automatic 20% tip added. I've never encountered a mandatory gratuity for such a small party. The ambiance suffered from dirty (moldy) beach chairs spoiling the beautiful waterfront view. Management needs to address food quality, service, and upkeep to match the location's potential. I wouldn't recommend it until improvements are made. read more

Excellent food and beautiful presentation. Great location, attentive staff and even entertainment on a Thursday night. My husband, who is a wing connoisseur, said they were excellent. I had a Caprese Salad which was spectacular, our friends had two different burgers with fries. The burgers were definitely hand crafted and looked delicious, our friends confirmed that they were yummy. We got an extra order of fries that were served in a nice looking cone shaped, paper lined, stainless steel basket, which added to their enjoyment. We wish this new restaurant well! We will definately be back and will recommend to our friends. Loved the private beach in front!. read more

Enjoyed the Wednesday special (prime rib) so much a few weeks ago we decided to return and try the Thursday night Lobster deal. Came with amazing chowder, mixed greens salad to start then corn on the cob and mashed potatoes with the main course. Time well spent and of course, the view was spectacular. Service was friendly as always and the owner came by personally to insure everything was as we hoped. With any hiccup he was all attention to correct the problem. Hmm, forgot to ask him, could we have a lobster bib next time? I'm awful messy. read more

Hamilton is the best server We had such a wonderful experience here\! The food was absolutely delicious, fresh, and beautifully presented The atmosphere was relaxing, and the view was gorgeous, which made our meal even more enjoyabl a special thank you to Hamilton, who took great care of usHe was very friendly, attentive, and made sure we had everything we needed throughout our meal His excellent service made our experience even betterWe truly enjoyed our time here and would definitely recommend this restaurant to others\! read more

I loved my experience at Kokomo's. I was there with a party of 4, we had the taco's, wings, wedge salad, and soup. We all agreed that the portions were great and everything was delicious. It's an amazing location with a beautiful patio on the beach. The menu has a good variety of food. I can't speak to the beer selection but the guests I was with thought that the beer was good as was the bar drink selection. I would highly recommend that people check this restaurant out. read more

We had an amazing experience at Kosmos! The food was absolutely delicious, the atmosphere was warm and welcoming, and the service was outstanding. A special thank you to Hamilton, who made our evening even more enjoyable with his kindness, professionalism, and attention to every detail. He went above and beyond to make sure we had a great experience. We will definitely be back and highly recommend this restaurant. Thank you, Hamilton! read more

STAY AWAY - They add hidden Surchage onto you bill. My wife and her mom went to Kokomos and got one drink each and got a bill with a surcharge of over $5 and this was not for a tip. Drink prices were $13 and $15 each and then the added a $5 surcharge. This was about 3 pm in afternoon and the place was empty but the pavilion was packed. The food has always not been good, but now they are adding hidden charges. Never going back. read more

I visited kokomos with my boyfriend for some drinks and a quick bite to eat. Great experience!! We were promptly serviced with our food. We ordered calamari, cheeseburger and steak tacos. All were cooked well and tasted great!! Loved the beachy vibe feeling. Prices were very accurate for what you are getting. We will definitely be back! So happy there is a nice restaurant option at sound view now. Thank you for moving in! read more