About three years ago, the formal living room in the 16,000-square-foot three-bedroom mansion that once belonged to Gaylord Parke Wilcox became Mahiko Lounge — an old-time, cozy bar that takes you back to the olden days of Kauai. “Someone said
About three years ago, the formal living room in the 16,000-square-foot three-bedroom mansion that once belonged to Gaylord Parke Wilcox became Mahiko Lounge — an old-time, cozy bar that takes you back to the olden days of Kauai.
“Someone said we needed a bar,” said General Manager Eric Hanson.
Mahiko Lounge is part Kilohana’s Plantation Estate, which includes Gaylord’s Restaurant, Koloa Rum Company and Kauai Plantation Railway, which takes guests on a 40-minute train ride around the plantation.
For the lounge to be converted into a bar, teak wood was flown in from the Mainland to match the existing wood in the house, Hanson said.
A lot of the original furniture stayed and is part of the bar decor, he said.
Hanson said the lounge is unlike the rest of plantation in that it’s for a more relaxed crowd.
The inside of Mahiko Lounge has a rustic feel with antique furniture. Customers are a mix of younger and older generations, both mingling comfortably
Kauai town and prominent people prints on canvas decorate the walls and several couches in splashes of colors perch around tables for bar guests to enjoy.
Mahiko Lounge guests with the full lunch and dinner menu from Gaylord’s.
Popular food items for both the lounge and restaurant include Ahi Poke, which is avocado, sriracha aioli, and Molokai sweet potato chips served inside a coconut that sits atop a mountain of sea salt.
The Grilled Fresh Catch is another popular item. It is served with steamed white rice, enoki mushrooms, daikon sprouts, bell peppers, lemongrass butter and kabayaki sauce, he said.
Both items are guest favorites and Hanson said he is always receiving compliments about not just how they taste but also on their presentation and their “wow-factor.”
“Definitely Instagrammable,” Hanson said.
But Hanson said he doesn’t want to just serve his guests great food.
“I’m an old-school guy. A restaurant can have the greatest food in the world, but if it doesn’t have good service, it’s not good,” Hanson said.
“When I got here, Yelp reviews weren’t the greatest,” he admits.
But he’s been making strides in how his restaurant is seen to the outside world.
“The staff is the greatest,” Hanson said, “My top five girls and guys bring something unique to the table.”
Mahiko Lounge is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The lounge features a happy hour from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. with $5 menu items.
