Skip the Reservation Hassle: Enjoy O’hana Flavors at Tambu Lounge

If you enjoy the food at O’hana but can never get a reservation or don’t want to pay the O’hana prices, head over to the Tambu Lounge.  The Tambu Lounge is located right outside of the entrance to O’hana and serves all the appetizers that are offered in O’hana. The Tambu lounge is one our our favorite spots to stop for a drink and it’s a go to at the Polynesian when we can’t get into Trader Sam’s.

Ambiance

If there is one thing that Tambu Lounge lacks, it might be ambiance. Yes, its tiki themed but not much.   There are bamboo accents, tiki carvings and a few lush green plants.  The surrounding area of the Tambu Lounge can often be busy as people are coming and going from O’hana or they are waiting or their reservation.  The lounge is first come first serve on seating, and it’s easier to get in as a smaller party than a large group.  They do have a few large tables, so if you are in a group I’d still check it out.

Ambiance 2/5

Food

We started out both ordering the Mai Tai.  The Mai Tai is good, and I like to ask for it half as sweet. We have had them before so sweet that they were almost impossible to drink.  I forgot to ask for half as sweet this time, but the drink wasn’t as sweet as they have been in the past.

The food at Tambu Lounge is all small plates of the appitizers from O’hana.  We went with the Honey Coriander Wings, O’hana Noodles, and the Pot Stickers. My thoughts on each of them are below.

Honey Coriander Wings – Hawaiian style chicken wings. They come covered in a sticky glaze.  I added some siracha to them to compliment the sweetness. The wings are good and I would order them again with the siracha. They had to search for the siracha for a bit so if you like spicy food ask for it when you order.

O’hana Noodles –  The noodles come covered in a sauce that is a mixture of sweet, savory, and umami.  The sauce contains soy, garlic, ginger, and some sort of sweetness either from honey or brown sugar.  I also added the siracha to the noodles to round out the flavors. Without the siracha they were still better than I remember them being. With the siracha they were fantastic.

Pot Stickers – I doubt they are making these in house, but I’d like to think they are. The pot stickers are tasty and I made a mixture of soy sauce and siracha to dip them in.  The filling is a mixture of pork and minced vegetables. There is a nice contrast of textures here as the outside of the pot sticker is nice and crispy while the filling is tender and juicy.  Like the noodles, these were better than I remember them being.

Food 4/5

Service

The service at Tambu Lounge is something that could be improved upon. The lounge is usually busy and there is only one maybe two servers for the entire lounge.  I had to go up to the bar to pay my tab because we had waited so long for the server to come back.  To get around this issue, I’d recommend sitting at the bar if you can find open seats. I’ve always had great service at the bar versus sitting at the tables in the lounge.

Service 3/5

Overall

Tambu Lounge remains one of my go to spots on the monorail loop if I’m looking for food and drinks without a dining reservation. The food hits the spot and usually comes out quick so you can get on your way after dinner. If you time it right, you can watch the fireworks from the lounge with your dinner.  

Ambiance 2/5

Food 4/5

Service 3/5

Overall: 9/15

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/polynesian-resort/tambu-lounge/