The Kona Grill is one of the new flagship restaurants that has come to the greater Short Pump area of late. Flanked next to grocer Whole Foods, the Kona went up quickly and gave off airs of being a chain restaurant with a little prestige. From the understated yet modern look of the place, to the valet parking, it promised us an invitation each time I drove by. We recently visited for dinner.

To start, we ordered their avocado spring rolls. These fried rolls, stuffed with avocado, came with a green, sweet dipping sauce and the pepper confetti on the plate gave it the same vibe as the similar appetizer available from the Cheesecake Factory. While the flavor profile was fine, it missed the more sophisticated taste the CF’s offering gives. The CF’s appetizer has a very clear flavor profile with more spice and more flavor. It screams: “southwest.” This offering was bland in comparison.

Second, we ordered two fish entrées and two orders of the beef Pan-Asian noodles.

The fish dishes seemed to go over well. The pan asian noodles, not as much. The beef on the dish was dry, stringy, and cooked way too long. The noodles chosen were Udon. These noodles are primarily found in soup-based dishes in Japanese cuisine. I have no problem with new interpretations on things like this, but the texture here of soft, squishy noodles against large chunks of second-class beef you had to cut with a knife wasn’t ideal (I’m not opposed to cutting meat with a knife, but the essence of many Asian dishes is the already bite-sized pieces of protein). The dish was bathing in a sauce which gave it the global flair, but flair took the night off. This dish was one of the sweetest, most carb-loaded dishes I’ve ever eaten. Granted, I didn’t burn the thing off in a calorimeter, but I’m guessing a triple stack of pancakes with blueberry syrup and whipped cream at I-Hop may have had fewer carbs than this dish. It was simply too sickening sweet.

We ate semi-outdoors on the “patio.” It was a nice breezy space, but one that was fraught with loud noises, loud conversation, and smoke from the bar. Service, from drink orders through the entire meal, was disappointing. I ordered a cocktail after the waitress’ third trip to our table, only to watch her spill it all the way from the bar to the table. It left a puddle on the table, and the entire glass, from rim to stem, was covered in the sweet drink. No napkin, no offer to wipe it off, etc.

Food service to the table was very lacking. Food is just plopped on the table. For me, it was put on top of my silverware. The look on faces when they put it down is like they don’t know what to do… no one says, “Enjoy,” or announces what the dish is. One of our diners didn’t get served his dish: they forgot to put the order in. The waitress came by to apologize 20 minutes later, 5 minutes after the dish actually arrived.

The Kona’s menu takes cues from the sushi bar which is a fixture in the main dining room. The decor certainly is interesting and has invitation to it, but I found the menu a little limited.

The prices here are typical for a chain restaurant that’s trying to aim for a more creative dining experience. The noodle dish went was between $13-14, and fish entrées were in the $20-25 range.

Sadly, this is one meal that left me disappointed. I’ve resisted going until they had some experience under their belt, but the experience gained so far is lacking. You can eat far better in Richmond at some of our great local establishments, and I’m certain better service is to be found almost anywhere. I have to say I don’t think this service issue was any one person’s fault, but rather poor training or management across the board.

But, alas, I hear people like the happy hour. Your mileage may vary.