A “Refreshed” Look

Since opening its doors 31 years ago, Tony Roma’s in Waikiki recently “refreshed” its restaurant with an updated look and menu.

“This refresh has brought the dining room from the 1980s into the 21st century,” says general manager Grace Villagracia. “Over the years and with changing tastes, we knew that our flagship restaurant needed to appeal to a new generation yet still retain our original commitment to our Hawaiian heritage.”

Inside, customers will find new furniture, including tables, chairs, booths and lighting. The bar also has a new countertop and stools. And special to this Waikiki location is the Hawaiian decor, such as surrounding hibiscus-etched mirrors, as well as a large Diamond Head-etched mirror at the back. Also, the artwork throughout the restaurant has been changed from random paintings to photographs of old Hawaii.

“It used to be really dark inside,” adds Villagracia. “Now, it’s brighter. The walls have a lighter color paint. Also, we took a wall down that divided the restaurant, so it’s more open.”

The menu has been updated too, but, of course, Tony Roma’s signature dishes are still available, including the Original Baby Back Ribs ($28.99 full slab, $24.99 Roma rack, $18.59 half slab) featuring tender, lean pork loin meat, basted with Tony Roma’s Original or your choice of one of its other delicious sauces. Another signature dish is Shrimp Scampi Pasta (the most popular of the pasta dishes) featuring a generous portion of shrimp lightly sauteed with garlic, fresh basil, tomato pesto and a hint of spicy chipotle, served over linguine and topped with shaved Asiago cheese ($18.99).

And there’s the Grilled Mahi Mahi ($24.99) enhanced with one of four signature toppings (Sweet Thai Chili Sauce, Kickin’ Sauce, Garlic Scampi Butter, Tomato Pesto Salad) and served with rice pilaf and a fresh vegetable.

“Many people think we just have ribs,” says Villagracia. “But we also have seafood, steaks, pasta, even sandwiches and burgers. We also recently added flatbread and panini sandwiches.”

On Oahu, Tony Roma’s also has a location in Aiea, which has been open for 26 years and underwent renovations about four years ago.

Tony Roma’s