Rarely will you find a remotely located resort that has great restaurants. Turtle Bay Resort is that rare find. On a recent stay at Turtle Bay we tried most of the restaurants and overall we were very pleased. So pleased, in fact, that I need to log some extra miles on the treadmill. 🙂
We had actually made a list of some restaurants in Hale’iwa and Honolulu that we wanted to try, but after we got a taste for what Turtle Bay had to offer, we decided not to bother leaving the resort. Most of the restaurants emphasized their use of locally and organically grown ingredients, which was a nice touch. All the restaurants had very nice views and seating arrangements.
I’ll list each restaurant that we tried and provide some details and insight.
Ola
We went to Ola twice during our week long stay. The restaurant and bar is located on the beach and has an open air environment with tree trunk columns and teak wood tables and chairs. The service is efficient and relaxed. We chose a sampler appetizer plate to share. The sampler had crab cakes, ahi poke, and kalua pulled pork nachos with melted goat’s cheese. It was fabulous! For dinner entrees, we tried the miso butterfish with mushrooms and rice, fresh grilled ahi over mashed Hawaiian sweet potatoes. The only dish we ordered that was not very good was the bruchetta salad, which was awkward to eat and really not very good.
Ola appeared to be a favorite with both guests and locals. It serves lunch and dinner. For Dinner for two with drinks, appetizers, entrees, and gratuity expect to pay around $100 or more.
Lei Lei’s Bar and Grill
We also went to Lei Lei’s twice for dinner. Lei Lei’s is located by the golf course and offers indoor and outdoor seating. This restaurant had a nice “neighborhood” feel to it, as if it was your favorite hometown restaurant. We did see several local folks dining there as well.
Lei Lei’s serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We tried the coconut shrimp and the island fish of the day served with garlic mashed potatoes rice and fresh steamed vegetables.. Everything we had was delicious. One menu item that is not to be missed is their macadamia nut pie that is worth the trip alone! The prices at Lei Lei’s was similar to Ola’s, but perhaps just a tad less.
21 Degrees North
As you make your way from the resort lobby towards 21 Degrees North, you will find a pathway lined with lava rock walls and waterfalls. It really sets a pleasant tone for the dinner to come.
21 Degrees North is Turtle Bay’s fine dining restaurant. It is romantic and elegant without being snobby. The service is excellent. We had indicated to our waiter that we wanted a relaxed dinner pace and he perfectly accommodated.
The ocean view restaurant offers indoor and outdoor seating, though outdoor tables are very limited. We love eating outdoors, so we were able to book a table there. It was pleasant, however the noise from the nearby pool bar was sometimes distracting. I believe in the winter months, the restaurant has a direct sunset view, which would make for an added bonus.
This may sound strange, but the water they serve is really something special. The water has slices of pineapple lemon, orange, and lime which add a hint of flavor to the water. It was very nice and I think I may copy that idea sometime when entertaining. They also provided a nice selection of breads with tapanade and butter.
The diverse menu has something to please everyone. Here is their starter and entree menus. They also offer a five course set menu. For starters, I tried the salad with with tomatoes, caramelized Maui onions, macadamia nuts, and goat cheese. It was a light starter. My husband had the lobster bisque which actually had lobster pieces in it which was quite nice. For the main course, I chose Opakapaka with asparagus, clams and rice. My husband had the Kampachi with asparagus, rice, shitake mushrooms. Everything was cooked perfectly. I would have to say that the Opakapaka was some of the best fish I had on the island this time around.
The entree portions were quite generous, so we didn’t have room to share a dessert. We did have coffees that were served in mini-french press pots.
Starters at 21 Degrees North cost around $9 to $15 and entrees cost around $35 and up. Their five course set menu cost $76 without wine and $95 with wine.
21 Degrees North is an excellent restaurant and a particularly great place to have dinner to celebrate an anniversary, honeymoon, or just romance.
Hang Ten Bar & Grill
Hang Ten is the restaurant by the pool and it’s always a lively area. They serve lunch, drinks, and appetizers up until around 9:30 p.m. We tried this restaurant for lunch where we both ordered cheeseburgers and fries. They were big and good, though they were quite pricey at $15 a pop. This place offers standard pool bar and grill food, good food, but nothing that will knock your socks off.
Room Service
We ordered room service for breakfast a couple of times. The food was always pleasantly delivered when it was promised. The continental breakfast cost around $16 and is big enough for two to share. We tried the pancakes and they were fine.
Lobby Coffee Shop
In the lobby there was a coffee shop that also served pastries for breakfast. We only discovered it towards the end of our stay. This is a great place to pick up a relatively inexpensive breakfast to have on your lanai or on the go. In the afternoons they serve tea, wine, and sandwiches. This was really a convenient place to pick up a few nibbles.
Other Restaurants at Turtle Bay Resort
We did not try these restaurants during our stay:
Palm Terrace – Serves buffet style breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Bay Club – An upscale sports bar that serves salads, appetizers, and pizzas.
Sheila Beal
