Banyans Craft Kitchen and Lounge

A friend and I drove over from town and dined at Banyans last Saturday night and enjoyed a great evening. We shared the Caesar salad, fish tacos and the lobster "corndog" - everything was very good (although the lobster was a bit overcooked). The ambience is fun with live music and a Banyan tree overhead.Service couldn't have been better and appreciated the friendly smiles at the front desk.I would highly recommend Banyans to not only my Kailua/Kaneohe friends, but to people in town, too. The drive is beautiful and the food is worth it.

We really enjoyed the food! As a table we shared the patatas bravas and dip trio. Although one of the dips was made of olives and I'm not a fan but the rest of our table really enjoyed it. My favorite dip was chives and sour cream dip. Beer battered fish tacos was my main dish, comes with three and it was plenty. My partner ordered the oxtail as well as our friends each one of them really enjoyed it. It was fan favorite for all three of them. The place very beautifully decorated. It's quite the transformation from what the previous place looked like. Remodeled bathrooms.And lastly I'm giving four stars instead of five due to the long wait time for our drinks to arrive. And even then two drinks came out, waited a few more minutes and the last two drinks for our table came. We will definitely be returning for brunch. It was recommended by the manager. Brunch is Friday,Saturday, and Sunday's.

I still can't believe this used to be the old Porky's, they really turned this place UP! There's a handful of free parking along the side of their building, and street parking. Highly recommend making reservations because this place fills up quickly. The food is tapas style, so that you're able to try several things. For me, that venison tataki is it!! There's no gamey flavor at all, easily my favorite item on their menu. The dip flight trio was also a solid contender to which there's a little bit of everything for different palates. I felt that the Tako Taco is missing something, like maybe a little more acid to kick it up a notch. I was really looking forward to the lobster "corndog" but the batter was too soggy for my liking. I would've liked for the item to either be double fried or more crispy on the outside. And I know that being a bar, you're probably not known for your desserts, but I'm allergic to the one dessert item that you had on the menu (nuts), so I had to pass on that. Oh and don't forget to visit their restroom. I don't know about the men's but the women's ceiling is so esthetically pleasing! The vibe all around the restaurant is amazing. Our server was also great. Even when it got busy, she wasn't flustered and still took great care of us. Just a little tweak on some food items and it would definitely be 5-stars for sure!

Cute little restaurant. The food we ordered was delicious. Small parking lot on the side of the building that the restaurant is located in or metered stalls right in front.Reason for four stars is that there was just one dessert option today. I was looking forward to the smores that many posted about but it was not available.

The food is very good and very unexpected. The chef here has a clear vision and it's fun, fusion food. Our group got a bunch of apps to share and try out. My favorites were the oxtail, the venison tataki and beet salad. This place started out quiet but got very lively when the live music started. It's pretty intimate and would be a great spot for date night. The cocktails looked great, they got an extensive wine list BUT I live for the mocktails! Made me feel like I was sipping on an adult beverage like everyone else! Lol It seems very casual but you wouldn't be out of place if you dressed up a bit. Street parking and a short walk is to be expected. Very clean and the bathrooms are so cool! Definitely would recommend to a foodie who is open to try new foods.

Flies, flies, and more flies!!!We didn't have a reservation when we walked in, so it made sense that our only option was at the bar. However, during our dining experience there were four tables in our area that remained empty for the 40 minutes that were there. Perhaps it was due to lack of wait staff but it seems the front side of the restaurant was under-managed. Back to the bar experience, we had the POG and Guava juice and they were both unremarkable and small with loads of ice. At about 25 minutes in a waiter tried to deliver someone else's food to us, we refused it of course before they were able to put it in front of us. At about 30 minutes in then OUR food was delivered to someone else. Our food sat in front of others while they were talking/breathing over it for a few minutes. Then the waitress realized her error and tried to tell them it was our food, but we said that we rather have new food. So at 35 minutes we still didn't have our food. They had to reorder our food but at that point we were very frustrated with the whole experience, did not want to wait another 30 minutes, and decided to cancel our order. The bartender never talked with us and didn't check in at all, not even when the mistake happened. There needs to be better communication between the bar and wait staff. The systems in place are lacking management. Very disappointing service. If I were the management I would have at least comped our drinks. Upset that we didn't get to try the food but we saw what we were supposed to get and for mid-$20 meals they looked like appetizers. That isn't even the worst of it. The biggest complaint are the flies, OMG, there are so many house flies and fruit flies all over flying into our drinks and around our faces. People on both sides of us at the bar said the flies were annoying and we were all waving at the flies regularly. It is a very disturbing environment and we probably won't come back.

Amazing Brunch spot in Kailua town. Tried a variety of dishes and enough to share. Biscuits and gravy; Kalua Pork Hash; Hot honey chicken malasadas; smoked Gouda grits with Oxtail; Assorted Pastry Board. All were excellent choices. We wil return to try the dinner menu.Service: Excellent attentive service Ambiance: Great vibe with the Banyan tree in the center of dining area. Free parking on side of building

One of the newest eateries in Kailua...Big Banyan tree adding to the aesthetic and lively dimly lit atmosphere. Great for dates, friends, and groups. Most people don't want to drive from town to the windward side, so give em a reason! We mainly came to see TAVANA! He gave an amazing performance as usual. Hopefully they can bring more musicians like him, then I think they can flourish and get more business.Easy to make reservations on OpenTable. We were seated immediately after check in. Hostess was friendly and our server was attentive even with being a full house. Food:MAUI NUI VENISON TATAKI* 20 Venison Tenderloin | Cheddar Cheese Crisps| Kewpie | Green Chilis | Herb OilPATATAS BRAVAS 10 Twice-Fried Potatoes | Whipped Goat Cheese |Bacon | Green Onion | PaprikaTAKO TACO 22Charred Local Octopus | Spanish Chorizo |Cilantro Lime Crema | Romesco FoamJOEY'S CHICKEN PARM 22Crispy Sous Vide Chicken Roulade | Basil Marinara | Onda's Handmade Spaghetti | ParmesanFood was overall good, with room for improvement. Some food was cold or overcooked, but some other dishes were really spot on. Being a newer restaurant, I'd give them grace. I'll definitely come back when they get their groove on in a few months!

Just popped in for a drink at the bar last week. The remodel is nice and welcoming. I ordered the smoked old fashioned and it was definitely smoked!!! It was served to me on a clear smoke filled box. I should have taken a video but was so surprised that I just took my drink out of the box. lol. It was a really good old fashioned and I enjoyed the smokiness. My friend had the Banyan Margarita, which she enjoyed. Service was prompt and friendly. Would definitely go back for more drinks and to try the food.

I have never posted a review for anything before! Last January 2025, I vacationed in Kailua with my wife and we will return to Banyans in 2026. Today I began thinking about our experience at Banyans Craft Kitchen, spending over an hour enjoying food, drinks, and music on our 1st visit. The entrance was enjoyable and fascinating with a realistic formed Banyan tree encompassing the entire ceiling (two rooms and trees). We started with small plates of food trying to experience as many different varieties as possible (you got to bring friends to share all the dishes). After we finished 3 different types (Sauteed Vegetable Medley, Fish Tacos, Beet & Orange Salad [my wife's choice]) I was getting full, but wanted to try other items on the menu and needed to rest by listening to the music. I ordered an "Expresso Martini" and it was amazing. I had ordered 2 more throughout the dining time and was wired [expresso] the rest of the evening enjoying music. Later we had 2 more items to sample "Fish Ceviche and Lobster Corndog" (it's not a corndog only has a similar look) FANTASTIC!!... I wish I had ordered it first. We enjoyed live music with a talented guitarist/singer playing songs from the late 60s, 70s, and occasionally 80s in an expanded area. We were so impressed with the food and drinks we dined 1 more evening (different musician also excellent) and chose to have our brunch at Banyans. We shared the "Breakfast Sliders and French Toast" and found them to be exceptional, with a distinctive flavor. I was too full to order the Bread Pudding, but I will... upon my return next January.