(Dined 05/12/23 FR @ 12:30pm): it was like a ray of sunlight that beamed me into this tiki bar to lounge for a bit!
My Southwest Airlines flight from Los Angeles had a rather long layover in Lihue before I eventually landed in Honolulu, so I found Stinger Ray's Tiki Bar & Lounge for a relaxing lunch, my first travel alcohol drink of the day, and simply a way to kill time while I waited for my next flight. I honestly couldn't remember the last time I flew through this airport, so basically any exploration of businesses were new to me. Stinger Ray's was the only true restaurant I saw, so by default they received my business. Would I get stung by the lack of options, or would I be hooraying this tropical tavern!?
PURCHASE
Maui Brewing Co. Bikini Blonde Lager Beer 22floz Draft ($11.29): Bright amber color, citrusy malty tropical aroma, light body, citrusy malty flavor, crisp finish, and citrusy malty aftertaste - a truly refreshing beer https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=BG_t3Bb6MwkCoELFtBKPaw&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw!
Beyond Burger w/Fries ($21.99): Due to my no-meat Fridays habit and the lack of options that fit my needs, this meal was my only tangible decision. Built with a plant-based patty, lettuce, tomato, pub sauce, and cheese all between a lightly toasted bun, it surprisingly was pretty good albeit there really wasn't any meat-like taste to it. The burger was sizable and quite filling, and their pub sauce kind of reminded me of In-N-Out's sauce. The fries were a decent portion size, they had a nice crisp when you bit into them, and the golden brown color was lovely. There wasn't any need for catsup. Not bad but a bit pricey https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=GtdlZzTmq3kiI2mAvtUf7g&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw.
SERVICE
I was lucky to grab a lone chair at a corner table while others in groups waited for more seats/tables to open. There appeared to be a solo woman who handled the entire restaurant as I never saw anyone else for the nearly one hour I spent there. I made my way to the bar, patiently waited for her before I ordered and paid, she quickly pulled my beer, and about fifteen minutes later she brought the food out to my table. After that, I was left to my own devices. I truly felt bad for her, but she handled everything professionally with a calm and confident demeanor as the place was constantly busy - bravo!
PARKING (Varied; N/A this instance)
I was traveling through and had no need to park. However, the airport offered onsite parking structures with rates that ranged from FREE to $15.00/daily maximum. Because this was located within the main terminal of departing flights, you had to already be an outgoing or incoming passenger to even get here, so parking would be a moot point.
ATMOSPHERE, DÉCOR, AMBIENCE
Located inside the main terminal near Gates 5-6, this easily visible eatery had the feel and look of an easy-breezy beach bar diner with a large counter bar sitting area surrounded by several chairs/tables, plenty of ceiling fans to cool things down a bit, and generally a clean and uncluttered restaurant with a smattering of items hung on the walls https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=xob-IjlBJVxgmPgy3tdnGA&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw. Plenty of natural lighting came in through the nearby large glass windows https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=oOuksRVgSinxPryRkZvYSw&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw while standard electric hanging ceiling lights filled in the rest. There were no TVs while the buzzing of travelers and overhead announcements acted as your background music. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=xUfiPQjEc70_fPMDY8r_mg&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw
ATTIRE
Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops.
OVERALL
Stinger Ray's Tiki Bar & Lounge LIH's main terminal Gates 5-6 location was definitely popular with travelers which included me, and I would love to return preferably but not on a Friday. The space was very inviting with its open format. The drinks menu was surprisingly varied https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=RWf22OCjIu23xO0OSAzkaA&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw, while the food menu was more limited https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=Hz8dsCi1McRDa4LGqBe86A&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw. The pricing was somewhat elevated as expected of any airport eatery, the service admirably held up well (hire more staffing, please), and the location was centralized to the surrounding gates (bathroom nearby). I found very good value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was around $35.00 BEFORE any discounts and/or tip). And, they accepted my credit card of choice... AMEX! 4.0 STARS read more