Why Polynesian Fire Luau Is A Myrtle Beach Must-See

At the Polynesian Fire Luau, you eat and see a performance. It’s not the only place in Myrtle Beach where you can do this. Check out our list of Top 10 Dinner Shows In Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for more options, like Medieval Times, Pirates Voyage Dinner Show, and others.

Polynesian Fire Luau Review

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There are three iterations of the Polynesian Fire Luau: Myrtle Beach, SC and Daytona Beach and Orlando, Florida. It’s the same production company, but we’ve only been to the Myrtle Beach version at St. John’s Inn (6803 N Ocean Blvd), so this review is based on that location and performers (from 2018).

We booked our tickets online ahead of time because there is a capacity limit of roughly 200 and the show does sell out. So, if you have a specific date you want to go, book early. I did print out the voucher that we received with our tickets, but I didn’t actually need it. My name was on the list one of the performers had to check us in, then there was another list to help us find our seats.

The venue did have assigned seats, which made sense since there is a premium seating option (for an extra $10). We went just the two of us, but there were also large groups of over 10 at the show. So it’s a lot easier for them to seat you than letting people seat themselves.

Once you walk inside, there’s a lei greeting (so, of course, I had to tell Pete that he got lei’d for his birthday). You’re brought to your seats and then you get to serve yourself a delicious buffet dinner, which is included in your ticket price. Non-alcoholic drinks are included as well, but there’s a cash bar on site if you want a beer (and you’re 21+).

I kept asking Pete if he was excited to eat Polynesian food, but I’m honestly not actually sure how authentic it was. The majority of the performers are from the same Samoan family, so they are authentic, but I don’t know if the pasta salad is really a Samoan delicacy or just something that is easy for St. John’s Inn to cook in bulk.

The Polynesian meatballs (which don’t seem to be on the menu anymore) were my favorite. And the vegetable medley were excellent. Pete really liked the grilled grouper. It had a glaze on top that hardened that he really enjoyed.

The rest of the Polynesian Fire menu was pretty good. There was Kalua pulled pork and dinner rolls (so Pete made himself a pulled pork sandwich), sticky rice, potatoes, and an amazing fruit salad (that I don’t see on the menu anymore, but if it’s there when you’re there, eat it. The fruit was delicious. I can’t even remember how many slices of kiwi I ate).

The only thing I wasn’t crazy about was the Huli Huli chicken (because it tasted more like a pork to me), so I made Pete eat mine.

While we were eating, there was live music by a trio on guitar, ukulele, and drums. They performed traditional songs and pop favorites (like Magic’s Rude and an Over The Rainbow/What A Wonderful World medley).

When dinner was done, the real show began.

And what an amazing show it was!

The show was put on by six talented performers: Malakai Lavata’i, his son Seanoa Lavata’i (who was born on the island of Tutuila in American Samoa), Dallin Keil and his wife Estefani, Pua, and Keisha. There is a sister related to the Lavata’i brothers, her husband, and another brother who are involved with Polynesian Fire Productions, although I’m not sure exactly in what capacity. The performers can vary by show, but these were who we saw perform.

So let’s focus on the six main performers from our show.

Through dancing, chants, and performances, the cast took the audience through many of the Polynesian territories: Tahiti, New Zealand, Hawaii, and, of course, Samoa.

Seanoa was the MC and was absolutely hysterical. He joked the entire time, educating us about Polynesian culture while we laughed. He was really, really funny — and great at describing what was happening on stage.

Seanoa, Pua, and Dallin did the heavy lifting — literally — sometimes using sticks when emulating warriors. The women — Estefani and Keisha — danced traditional dances, including the hula (which, if you didn’t know, is a Polynesian dance). The genders rotated, so there was a performance by the men, then the women, then back to the men, making it very balanced.

The dancing and chanting were really eye catching. And Seanoa’s jokes between it all kept the audience’s attention the entire tire.

At one point, Seanoa asked all the men to come on stage. Of course, with a little encouragement, Pete ended up on stage. The men were then taught a traditional battle stance and chant.

I was smiling and taking photos of Pete having a good time on stage. I think all the women were enjoying it from the safety of their seats.

When the men came back to their seats, the MC then asked all the women to come on stage. I sunk a little in my seat and tried to avoid eye contact with the performers, trying to not get pulled on to stage.

It didn’t work.

So there I was, up on stage, learning how to dance the hula. It was a little embarrassing to be shaking my hips up on stage, and the entire group was not filled with the most talented dancers, but what’s life without a few uncomfortable moments that turn into good memories?

Ask Keith from Atlanta. See, after the women were on stage shaking their moneymakers, Keith from Atlanta — who had just a bit earlier been enjoying himself in the back of the room — came out on stage in a coconut bra and grass skirt. And, with the help of one of the female cast members, he learned to do the hula in front of the entire audience, including his daughter and her cell phone camera.

He was a great sport about it, did such a great job, and it was a great way to really involve the crowd.

Then, it was time to go outdoors for the grand finale.

We were worried it would be a bit of a headache to get the 200 audience members outside. But, it was so easy because the exit doors are behind the stage on both sides where the audience has been staring the entire time. You go out those doors and that’s when the Polynesian fire knife dancing starts.

Now, when I was reading about the show online and saw fire knife, I imagined that it would actually be knives. We got outside, though, to find that it was a fire club.

It’s not poi, either, if you’re familiar with that. I actually learned how to do poi once upon a time. Okay, scratch that. I actually attempted to learn how to do poi once upon a time — and was terrible at it. I didn’t do it with fire because that really would have been a disaster because I kept hitting myself with the balls on the end of the stick. And really, setting myself on fire isn’t on my bucket list.

So this isn’t poi and it isn’t knives. It’s a Samoan warrior club, which was used before the Samoan warriors had been introduced to metals. Spinning, throwing, and catching these displayed a warrior’s courage.

And at the Luau, we watched two courageous warriors do the same — while the fire knife was on fire.

The buffet started at 6 pm and the show ended around 8:30 pm, which is a bit before sunset in July (when we went). It was amazing to see the fire spinning, but I can only imagine the amazing performance it becomes earlier or later in the season when it gets darker sooner.

When I mentioned on Facebook that we got the last two tickets to the sold out Polynesian Fire Luau & Fire Show, Melissa, one of our Facebook friends, was surprised that the show was charging. She said she had seen it at various hotels up and down the Myrtle Beach strip for free. That was just the show, though, not the buffet. She mentioned that it was advertised that way on her most recent trip to Myrtle Beach.

The show was a great experience, we enjoyed the buffet, and the performers deserve all the money they earn from the show, so the cost is justified. However, if you’re on a budget vacation, check for the signs Melissa was mentioning.

Polynesian Fire Luau: Frequently Asked Questions

Myrtle Beach Travel Guide:

Myrtle Beach is such a popular vacation destination because there’s so much to do there. But from the boardwalk to Broadway at the Beach, it can get super overwhelming trying to do it all.

For help planning, check out our Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Travel Guide. There are attraction listings, places to eat, and even day trips from Myrtle Beach.