“Excellent food”
"We visited as a party of eight with a young child. Must say we weren't sure what to expect and like many restaurants in the area the menu had a fishy theme. However, we like fish and must say the food was the best we have had so far. Slightly more delicate than your usual American pile the plate high with fries places. All food was cooked to perfection and accompanied by varieties of mash including lobster mash and garlic mash. Also served with beautiful vegetables (something we often crave on holiday in the States). Large selection of beer and also sushi if you fancy and a lovely kids menu. Excellent." ~ TripAdvisor.com; September 2011
Yelp 4-star review
"Yummy! Pretty outside and inside. Edamame was a little over salted, but everything else was really good, as was the service. Would recommend this place to anyone visiting Islamorada or another nearby key" . ~ Yelp.com; August 2011
“Mount Fuji Hogfish........YUM!”
"First-time visitor to Kaiyo, and can't wait to go back! Very flavorful Miso soup, amazing Hogfish topped with a scallop and shrimp stuffing over jasmine rice (they can do any of their fresh fish this way), and a home-made dessert list that was so appealing it was almost stressful to pick just one! (White chocolate macadamia nut pie!) Decor and design all great, beautiful place. On a final note, the person I was dining with has some dietary restrictions, and our server, Danielle, was most helpful and patient. Excellent experience." ~ TripAdvisor.com; August 2011
Yelp 5-star review
"We've been going to Kaiyo for years. It was our 10th anniversary so my wife made a reservation to celebrate. Kaiyo recently changed their name and adjusted their menu somewhat. I was prepared to be less than happy. Luckily the change is in the addition of some items while leaving the things that keep bringing us back....We started with the conch fritters and grouper cheeks. Both were excellent. The conch fritters had a good amount of conch and a slight sweetness to them which set them apart from your standard conch fritters. They came with a nice dipping sauce with a hint of heat. The grouper cheeks were excellent and were served with a tangy smoky sauce which was similar to a hoi-sin sauce. For our entrees I had hogfish done Cubana grilled style with a light crust and a tangy sweet sauce.
The portion was generous and the fish was outstanding. It came with broccolini and jasmine rice. Hogfish isn't an easy fish to find on most menus and Kaiyo has it just about every day. If you haven't tried it do yourself a favor and do so. It's one of the best eating fish out there. My wife had the chardonnay chicken which was very tasty.
No one said a word about our anniversary so I asked for the check. Our waiter reappeared with a flaming candle sparkling like daylight atop a slice of their macadamia pie. It was heavenly. Sort of peacan pie like but much better. The crust was exceltionally crunchy, nutty and carmely in flavor. Kaiyo isn't cheap but there's a reason it's one of our special upper Keys dining spots. Excellent service and delicious food make it a winner!" ~Yelp.com; August 2011
“Great sushi and surf & turf”
"Nice place on the Overseas Highway in Islamorada and excellent for eating sushi. Remember to try Bubba's boat if you are really into sushi's. The cheff will treat you with a great "chef's selection" of sushi and sashimi on a boat like plateau all filled up with goodies you will enjoy. Also OK for seafood and steak, the surf and turg we had one night was excellent also. Recommended!!" ~ TripAdvisor.com; August 2011
“More than Sushi”
"This place has it all! From the moment we walked up I could smell the wood burning oven, which I love! The restaurant was nicely decorated and the lighting was very dim which is another plus for me! Our server Danielle was excellent. She made great recommendations and gave us some helpful insider tips about Islamorada and Key West. We started off with Conch Fritters with a yummy lemongrass sauce, Shrimp Tahi Yakitori was has excellent flavor and the Hogfish Roll (sort of an expensive roll in my opinion). All were really really good! For dinner we ordered the fish sandwich, the KG burger, Woodgrilled Chicken and the special of Braised shortribs.
Everything was excellent, we had no complaints at all! We squeezed in dessert of a Key-Lime White Chocolate Cheescake :) Check out the bathroom floors ;) " ~ TripAdvisor.com; July 2011
Yelp 4-star review
"This was our favorite dinner on our trip hands down.
While the restaurant is not seated on the water, it does sit far enough off the road that the front porch is very nice. Its a very relaxing atmosphere. The service is wonderful and inviting. They are attentive, but not overly. The food is delicious. For starters, calamari and pork and ginger dumplings, both were delicious. There was one non-sushi eater in our party, but he thoroughly enjoyed his teriyaki chicken. The fish was very fresh and the rolls very creative. Our favorite was the matecumbe roll. The wine list was lovely and very affordable. Great experience and would return in a heartbeat!" ~ Yelp.com; July 2011
“Truly Amazing!!!”
"This is the best restaurant we ate at the week we spent in Islamorada. For those of you that are not sushi eaters they have a full menu of non sushi entrees. The ribeye steak is huge, tender and mouthwatering. The sushi was also delicious. They have some amazing maki rolls and nigiri. The staff was on top of everything and very helpful with recommendations." ~ TripAdvisor.com; July 2011
“Simply Amazing..”
"I live in NYC and have been to many Sushi places but this one is really special, I can't forget it! The food is just so good, it melts into your mouth and you and it feels divine.. I reviewed the food only because I can't remember anything else in the restaurant, I was too taken." ~ TripAdvisor.com; July 2011
“Amazing sushi rolls, very good seafood entrees”
My wife and I went Saturday night of 4th of July weekend. Started with the Kaiyo roll (fantastic!). I ordered the Lighthouse Hogfish entree, which was very good and a nice sized portion. My wife had the macadamia tuna which was not as good. The piece was a little fishy tasting and we wish the server had recommended rare instead of medium rare as it came out overdone. Service was ok but not great. ...We enjoyed the roll so much that we ordered takeout rolls the next night! Kaiyo roll was again fantastic, and the Mount Fugi multi layer roll was amazing. Highly recommend Kaiyo Grill for their rolls! ~ TripAdvisor.com; July 2011
5 Stars!
"Definitely a 5 star....I don't understand how people could rate this below a 4 star. Service was incredibly fast, prices were reasonable for what you get and the food was great. We are going back tomorrow." ~Yelp.com; June 2011
"Kaiyo never disappoints."
"We have been fans of Kaiyo since the old days of Dawn Sieber. Some things have changed, some have not. Kaiyo remains a dinner destination for our Miami family. There is always something for everyone, always a new surprise. This visit's new favorites were the macadamia hogfish roll and a lovely alsation riesling. Relax, take your time, and enjoy." ~TripAdvisor.com; May 2011
4 Stars!
"Local fish for sushi was straight from the sea and would melt in your mouth. Combination keylime pie chesecake and creme brulee must have been invented by a chef on drugs but worked ! Pricey but worth it." ~ Yelp.com; May 2011
"So delicious!"
"Salads, edamame, giant shrimp, and sushi was the best meal we had on vacation. Awesome." ~UrbanSpoon.com; May 2011
"Good Service, Great Steak!"
"I can honestly say that my experience was excellent. I ordered a Filet from the new grill and it was the best tasting steak I have ever enjoyed!, My friend ordered the Delmonico and it was wonderful and also-and so big two people could have eaten it! BTW the Dragon Rools are perfect too!" ~ UrbanSpoon.com; May 2011
"Very Good deserves its rating."
"Having read your reviews before we travelled on holiday we thought we would give this a try and we are very glad we did. On my return I see it is lower in the rankings - if this has slipped on the list as a result of a review by eppikureeus then that is a disgrace. In fact we didn't even consider the sushi menu as the main menu had such great choices. The food here is excellent, the service good...We enjoyed Kaiyo Grill so much first time we returned with 2 friends on our last night - I suggest diners allow for $60 -$75 per head...The dishes we liked Tuna Tataki and Baby Back Ribs on starters. Main courses can be as high as $35 each but that is for very large portion entrees. A friend had the 24oz Rib Eye - only order if you are hungry!! Alligator light hogfish was excellent. Catch of the day very good and can be cooked so many ways. Comparing this to many good restaurants I have visited (not just in USA) it is good value all beautifully cooked. We will return on our next visit to the Keys." ~ TripAdvisor.com; April 2011
"Wow what terrific food"
"Ok, based upon the previous reviews I brought my children and parents here while vacationing in Islamorada. The sushi was fresh and excellent and the entrees were just huge! We ordered several different rolls, and a variety of the entrees. My 9 year old order the rib eye. Her statement was "Wow this is big enough to feed all of us!" Beware when ordering that you don't over order we did, the portions are huge!!! I would recommend going to Kaiyo it has a nice atmosphere and friendly efficient staff and great food." ~TripAdvisor.com; April 2011
"Yummy Food"
"Yummy food, creative dishes, cool artwork and atmosphere. A must try." ~UrbanSpoon.com; March 2011
"Outstanding w/ four kids under 10"
"great food, great service and a perfect family spot. sushi was fresh...try the hogfish...excellent...and save room for the fried banana dessert which the chef provided complimentary. a must stop on your visit to the Keys."
~TripAdvisor.com; Feb. 2011
"Comfortable and low key place for terrific food"
"Innovate and refreshing fish and seafood. (The) sushi was excellent as well." ~TripAdvisor.com; Feb. 2011
"Great sushi and fresh fish."
"Went here for a "lighter" dinner of sushi but the food was so good and the portions were so larger that we left stuffed anyway. It was a little dark in the restaurant, but good decor and atmosphere...We had the pork pot stickers, they were very good. Then ordered the black fin tuna nigiri that was fresh that night and it was sooo good! We also ordered two rolls, the Kaiyo roll and the crunchy roll. Both were great and huge. We were too full for dessert, but the choices sounded good." ~TripAdvisor.com; Feb. 2011
