Can Merrimans save The Beach House Restaurant Kauai? We welcome the news that Merrimans is among two recent buyers of the iconic Poipu Beach establishment. Known for a drop dead oceanfront location, The Beach House in our opinion has excelled in apathetic treatment of guests while serving mediocre food at top prices.
They recently reached an even lower point when they roped off their grassy oceanfront area that was popular with visitors who must now stay on the paved path (see photo above).
Problems at The Beach House Restaurant
The restaurant gets 3 1/2 stars on Yelp and even otherwise enthusiastic visitors have a hard time seeing past a dirty restroom in addition to the issues we raised and the big one you’re about to read….
Recently your editors both became ill after eating at The Beach House with Beat of Hawaii fans Allan and Judy, which put the kibosh on any likelihood of returning again soon until today’s news.
The Beach House has suffered for years from inconsistent service, poor quality food and a lack of value. Making up for its shortcomings has been a very lively bar and lounge and the most spectacular Kauai sunsets possible from its incomparable oceanfront location at Lawai Beach.
Competition with Merriman’s Fish House Poipu
One is left to wonder if the ownership of three restaurants within walking distance of one another will in part cannibalize profits. Merriman’s has two other locations at The Shops at Kukuiula. If anyone can make this work, however, it’s Peter Merriman.
The good news at The Beach House Restaurant
As you can see from our photo above, the views are for us, the best you’ll find at any Kauai restaurant. We suggest taking some time before or after a meal to take advantage of the Kauai photography opportunities.
We plan to give the reincarnation of The Beach House a try soon and let you know how it goes. With Peter at the helm it can’t get worse, and there will likely be a big improvement.
Do you have any experiences at The Beach House Restaurant you’d like to share?
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I have been going to the Beach House for years and found the food to be good. I have always enjoyed the service provided. While I will agree it is expensive it is a better value than what you get from Merriman’s.
Merriman’s offers small portions and the most expensive on the island. I think the Beach House is in trouble if they end up like Merriman’s.
Kind of having a mild panic attack right now. While the service at the Beach House was not five star, I will say, I was a huge fan of the macadamia nut carrot cake for dessert. Could never finish it…but the few bites I had were always tasty. We are headed to Poipu in two weeks and I think I have mentioned this dessert to my family…say 50 times in the past 18 months.. that I am going to “eat the whole thing.” Dear Lord…or in this case, Dear Beat of Hawaii…where am I going to find a comparable piece!? HELP! Mahalo!
Been going to Kauai every year now for twenty one years. The Beach House the worst tourist trap of all, but Merrimans not much better. Poipu tends to attract the LA crowd with California suburban overkill , bad taste and and/or excessive expense account excess which all foster nada bargains for the $$. North of the island is dominated by Princeville with nearly equal overpriced
environs, but at least far better views; sorry better sunsets than Beach House with Na pali in background-if only ther were some restaurants other than the stuffy hotel.
I hate to give away the true gems of the island , the “kick back” real Hawaii places, but Kintaro with real Japanese-Hawaiian faily run great food-and the best sushi is an annual must for us. Same chef and waiters,etc there every year, and real local patrons not just tourists. Many little Thai and other ethic and island food places are the real gems. Hell’s bells , we don;t go to Kauai to eat overpriced hotel or pompous Italian restaurants-kauai is not the Jersey shore!
We visit every January. Went for pupus and a Mai Tai two years ago and left after the Mai Tai. We are always “searching”for the perfect Mai Tai and we found one of the worst.
I do love the location and did breach the ropes this year!
You write that Merman’s is among two recent buyers. Who is the second buyer and how do they play into this? Would love to return to Beach House if things improve with reasonable pricing.
We just ate at the beach house recently, the week of June 10. We chose a lunch reservation since the prices are much better. This is our third year in a row choosing a lunch menu at the beach house and we have loved the experience all three years running. The prices are affordable for oceanfront dining the food, though in a limited menu, is quite good and we have no complaints. And we have always been seated at a window side table with eager and helpful staff.
I recall dining at Beach House in the early 2000s before it changed hands. So difficult to get a table at sunset because they only seated the tables they could actually serve. After it changed hands, it seemed they were more interested in a turn and burn with tourists, so except for an occassional lunch on the way to the airport, we stopped dining there. My dream would be more Merrimans to move their dining room to the Beach House location, and convert the K – center venue to a Monkeypod similar to the 2 floor facility at Ko’Olina.
The Beach House is within walking distance from our vacation home. We have only dined there twice over 20 years of coming to Kauai. The food was expensive and not great. When the ropes were installed along the lawn area, I refused to patronize the place. I hope the new owner takes the ropes down and is more amicable to surfers and beach goers. I’m not thrilled with Merrimans upstairs because of their prices. However, we dine at the downstairs venue and it’s decent. It would be great if the lawn ropes are removed, the downstairs Merriman’s food is served during the day for beach goers and the sunset watchers can have fine dining at night.
No matter who owns it or who is chef, great or terrible, tourists will continue to eat at Merriman’s and the Beach House as Americans continue to holiday in the islands, and Hawaii is the #1 tourist location that the greater %age of people, working or retiring, aspire to go. Just think how many baby-booming Americans are retiring each day now. Well placed advertising will always bring new tourists in to each and that basically goes for any place in Hawaii. Good food and great service is not necessary when new, unsuspecting vacationers are on each flight that lands with dollars to spend eating out. It is a very sad statement to make, but it is so true – you don’t have to rely on repeat business to stay in business like back home. I’ve been to each a few times…earlier experiences were not too bad…but even then neither warranted the $$$$ price, but with my last experiences, I do not intend to ever go again. A great steak &/or seafood from Costco put on a resort b’que has far greater appeal as at least I won’t be hungry at the end! (and for the places I frequent, they also come with a view and I can make my own drinks! LOL)
Aloha, interesting read about the Beach House. May be a bit off topic but, if there are new owners I would certainly be interested in renting out the end space there for my snorkel shop. 🙂
Years ago you had to make a reservation a week in advance to get into The Beach House. The view – still stunning, but the food back in the day was a star as well. Not so much these days and even visitors get tired of “paying for the view”. I agree that Merriman is a talented chef – but his restaurants at Kukuiula are over priced and frankly, not worth it. Kauai does have some Incredible food – JO2 for example – pricey but every bite is a symphony in your mouth. As far as a Great view – we Loved “Sam’s Ocean View” in Kapaa – right on the beach – wonderful service, delicious Fresh food at Very reasonable prices. We will try Merriman’s Beach House and let you know 🙂
It was so special to go to “The Beach House” when Jean-Marie Josselin was the chef at “The Beach House”. Fortunately, we didn’t experience the fiasco of what became a high price, bad food trap. I hope Mr Merriman can leave all the bad memories behind and hire the right chef and staff.
By the way, is this true? “Chef Jean-Marie Josselin, a key leader in the Hawaii regional cuisine movement, will take on a third restaurant on Kauai when the redeveloped Coco Palms Resort’s Seashell Restaurant opens by 2017.”.
Hi Nadege.
Always good to hear from you! Thanks for your comments and being a fan over all of these years.
Yes we have also heard that Jean-Marie will be at the helm of the Seashell Restaurant. We have not had good results eating at Jean-Marie’s current restaurant JO2 unfortunately as it has been extremely inconsistent.
Aloha.
The Beach House was one of the finest restos on Kauai 18 years ago until it was sold several years later. I have not eaten at the Beach House in years since the service and staff became so awful. The staff was poorly trained, inefficient, indifferent but not rude. The food was, at times, inedible–cardboard hamburgers, wilted salad with old browning lettuce, cold food that should have been hot, requests for condiments water and ice ignored or brought 30 minutes later. Cold salads served first while the hot food dried out under a lamp and was dry and inedible. All this at top dollar prices. I could go on and on. I a not a big fan of Peter Merriman either. His resto is also very expensive and the downstairs casual resto is nothing to rave about. He will have to work some real magic to restore this resto to its former glory. I am wondering if he can. The view is killer but not worth the exorbitant prices for terrible food.
The view is to die for. The food has indeed declined in quality in recent years. Last time we went it was just for drinks, applies and the sunset. But still had a wonderful time. Many memories there! Wish I could include a photo!