In case you did not know, February 22nd is National Margarita Day, and Kona Grill in Woodbridge, New Jersey invited me to come to their restaurant to celebrate National Margarita Day & Week (which was from February 19th to 22nd) with them. I felt extremely welcomed by the staff, and the service from beginning to end was excellent. They had a pre-planned three-course menu prepared for me when I arrived, which let me know what I would be served for each course. Plus, the restaurant also gave me this cool margarita shaker below with a bunch of goodies and recipes for their delicious margaritas. I felt like royalty here and felt I was treated like a king with all the accommodations.
For my first course, I started with their 'Margarita Flight,' and one of their signature appetizers, the 'Ribeye Meatballs.' From left to right, the margaritas on the flight were 'Watermelon,' 'Strawberry,' and 'Passionfruit.' Out of all three, the 'Passionfruit' was my favorite, as I felt it was perfectly balanced between not being so sweet, and having the right amount of strength where you can taste the alcohol, but where it was not overkill. The 'Watermelon' had great flavoring, and you had a lot of watermelon in each sip. It was also very sugary, which is perfect for all you sugar lovers out there, lol. The 'Strawberry' one was kind of in-between both, where it had great strawberry flavor, a good balance between taste and alcohol, and had some sugar in it as well. I also forgot to mention that all three of these margaritas were frozen, and it does not get any better than that! Frozen margaritas?! I mean come on! Now, do not even get me started on those meatballs because they are probably the best I have had in my life, I am not even joking! The meatballs came with shallot and shiitake, macadamia nuts, and chili glaze in a creamy peppercorn sauce. Plus, I think there might have been mashed potatoes underneath them. I do not know what was in the seasoning or breadcrumbs, but whatever was in there, I HAVE to have that recipe because they were too good, lol!
Moving on to the second course, the next pairing was their 'Casamigos Margarita' and 'Watermelon Margarita.' The food pairing was their 'Crab Crunch Roll' and 'Potstickers.' In my opinion, I thought the 'Watermelon Margarita' complemented the sushi and potstickers perfectly! The 'Casamigos Margarita' was super refreshing, and was very clean, fresh, and strong. This is perfect if you are looking for a margarita that is low on sugar and calories. The 'Crab Crunch Roll' had crab salad, motoyaki mayo, cucumber, and tempura covered in eel sauce. Plus, I also had some spicy mayo on the side, which I definitely recommend if you are getting sushi, especially this particular roll. The sushi itself was delicious from the mayo and eel sauce, and the crab was super tasty and filling. As we all know, I love crab, so I could not get enough of this. The 'Potstickers' were seared chicken and vegetable dumplings with Asian slaw and traditional soy dipping sauce. These potstickers did not disappoint, as there was the perfect meat/filling to dough ratio. And in my world, you cannot go wrong with a dumpling, as they always hit the spot!
And last but definitely not least was the final course, which was two 'Passionfruit Margaritas.' I got one with a salt rim, and the second with a sugar rim. The food pairing for this course was their 'Surf & Turf - USDA Choice Filet with Shrimp Skewer' and their 'Lemon Garlic Penne.' The steak was perfect and cooked medium, just how I like it! It was absolutely juicy and tender, and every bite made my mouth water even more. The 'Lemon Chicken Penne' came with chicken, baby arugula, and cherry tomatoes in a lemon-garlic sauce with garlic bread. I was obsessed with this pasta, and how savory it was. The lemon garlic sauce was spectacular, the chicken was seasoned just right, and the cherry tomatoes and baby arugula went perfectly with this dish. And of course, we cannot forget about the garlic bread, which was unbelievable too! It had an outer-coating cheese crust on the top that was a chef's kiss.
At Kona Grill, you can order anything from appetizers, sandwiches, salads, burgers, entrees, sushi, desserts, drinks, and more. Besides National Margarita Week, Kona Grill also celebrates their own special occasions for all customers with their Bounty from the Seven Seas, Steak Night, Happy Hour, $9 Burger & Brew, Weekend Brunch, Power Lunch, Restaurant Week, and more. Make sure you check out their website to learn more about these exciting events. Pickup and delivery are offered here, including catering for events and any occasion. Kona Grill will host any private events and celebrations of your choice. Be sure to head to their website for information on what to know, where to book, and how to submit your party information. On the website, you can also book a reservation in advance for you and your guests. You can also order and buy gift cards for people too, and be careful now because the dining dollars are valid until March 31st, so be sure you get that in time! Now, in the New Jersey and New York area, there is only one location which is in Woodbridge. If you do travel out of both states, they have plenty of spots in many states. Those states are Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Texas, and Utah. Overall, make sure you celebrate National Margarita Day at Kona Grill if you can, or head there sometime because the food, drinks, and service are all incredible and worth it! Cheers!
Rate: 10/10