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My take on the main Prime Steakhouses - went to Wolfgang's for the first time tonight.....
I'll exclude d.k as some posts above reference it - but it isn't prime steak and I can tell the difference in quality.
Wolfgang's. Right in Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, center of Waikiki. This is a restaurant of hits and misses. Ambiance Grade F. This is easily the worst part of Wolfgang's. Unless seeing people walk thru Royal Hawaiian Center is your thing. And there is no way they could possibly get the tables closer to each other. They pack you in and turnover of the table is evident of wanting you in/out as quickly as possible. Food - some parts knocked out of the park - some not. We split the crab cake. It was huge. It comes with a substantial good salad. We agreed probably the best crab cake we ever had. We would stop in again, sit at the bar, just to have this again. Salad. I didn't order since they weren't doing Caesar. Apparently some e coli thing happening, but salad from crab cake was fine. Steak. This is the Cheesecake factory serving side of steakhouses. They are huge, even the filet. Far larger prime cuts than any other steak place. The steaks are very good/excellent. We got loaded baked potato. It was not good at all. The "bacon" was large chunks of fatty pork. The cheese looked microwaved. We got asparagus. Huge portion. Was good, but looked/presentation looked like they got it from the supermarket down the street. Uninspiring. They asked if a special occasion - we said birthday (it was), and they sang happy bday and provided cheesecake and slice of some sort of chocolate dessert, both good. This part is important, if you are not Asian, be prepared to be the only non-Asian in the restaurant (except the servers) - I know some in the mainland will not be comfortable with that.
Ruth Cris. I'll keep this short. Don't like it. Here or on the mainland. I just feel like they are ruining the steaks with them sitting in a plate full of butter. Some love that - I don't. Easy location on Lewers in Waikiki or near downtown.
Morton's. I like Morton's. If you've been to Morton's on the mainland, it'll be exactly the same in Honolulu. I feel everything food wise is a bit higher quality compared to other prime steakhouses in Honolulu. But, not ideal if you are a visitor and have access to a Morton's. The opened up bar is an improvement and I recommend for happy hour. If you live here, I recommend. Visiting, I'd probably check something else out but you can't go wrong.
Hy's. Hy's is cool. Very old school. Great food. This is my issue with Hy's - it is really expensive for what you get. It isn't better than Morton's in my opinion but you'll definitely pay more....
Signature Steak - like this place. You come here for the view and the view is killer. For a visitor wanting steak - I'd go here.
Whtviper, if you had to pick just one of these to return to, which would it be ? Also, have you tried BLT Steak Waikiki ? I've not tried but Wolfgang's was the one I've been most interested to try so I'm glad you took the time to provide your review of it.
Whtviper, if you had to pick just one of these to return to, which would it be ? Also, have you tried BLT Steak Waikiki ? I've not tried but Wolfgang's was the one I've been most interested to try so I'm glad you took the time to provide your review of it.
That is a tough one - my preference in order is Morton's, Signature, Hy's, Wolfgang's. For a tourist, I'd recommend Signature or Hy's - followed by Morton's then Wolfgang's. If I'm a Japanese tourist, I'd recommend Wolfgang's.
I have been to BLT Waikiki - but not in a few years. They went thru a weird history of prime steaks, then took prime off the menu (for the same price), then put them back on. I should probably go back.
The best steak I've ever had, by far, and not a close second place, was BLT Tokyo in the Ginza District.
For those who have not been to Hy's - one can check out the interior on tonight's episode of Hawaii Five O (Dec 6 Season 10 Episode 10) around the 50 minute mark
Went to Morton's last night. They have seriously stepped up their game. Service was perfect and food, always good/great - was off the charts.
I urge anyone who likes steak to get to Morton's for the $45 menu deal happening until Jan 25. You have to ask for it when you sit down, it is not on the menu.
It is a limited menu but a bargain. Choice of Salad (I had Caesar), entree (I had the 8 ounce Fliet, which is $57 by itself on the menu), a side (I got Asparagus - mashed potato's was also an option) and dessert (got the cheesecake, which was huge and awesome).
I also tried the $70 worldwide red wine tasting which was completely worth it - 3 reds, retail price of the bottles presented were from $75 to $150 so figure double at a restaurant - generous pours excellent wines.
You need a reservations - walk ins were turned away if they weren't willing to eat in the bar.
Not the best steak on Oahu, but a real gem that I think went unmentioned is The Chart House. I travel to Oahu a lot for business and I hate eating alone in fancy places and the bar at The Chart House is very comfortable with very good food and a nice view.
In a similar, but completely different way, I love Chuck's Cellar for reasons of old school nostalgia.
PS I can't imagine Halekulani selling leftover buffet food to anyone, BUT the bad, dive buffet on Lewers St was Peggy's Smorgy. It closed many years ago, the result of which was undoubtedly many lives saved.
Not the best steak on Oahu, but a real gem that I think went unmentioned is The Chart House. I travel to Oahu a lot for business and I hate eating alone in fancy places and the bar at The Chart House is very comfortable with very good food and a nice view.
In a similar, but completely different way, I love Chuck's Cellar for reasons of old school nostalgia.
PS I can't imagine Halekulani selling leftover buffet food to anyone, BUT the bad, dive buffet on Lewers St was Peggy's Smorgy. It closed many years ago, the result of which was undoubtedly many lives saved.
I remember eating at Perry Boys Smorgy in the early 1970s. It was located in the Reef (or Reef Towers?) Hotel. Amazingly cheap and correspondingly crappy. (Think; gallon cans of fruit cocktail) There was a second location somewhere in Honolulu.
BTW: You can Google it and find pictures!
I remember eating at Perry Boys Smorgy in the early 1970s. It was located in the Reef (or Reef Towers?) Hotel. Amazingly cheap and correspondingly crappy. (Think; gallon cans of fruit cocktail) There was a second location somewhere in Honolulu.
BTW: You can Google it and find pictures!
The second Perry's was on Kuhio, not far from where Keo's used to be. Keo's I miss, Perry's, not so much.
The second Perry's was on Kuhio, not far from where Keo's used to be. Keo's I miss, Perry's, not so much.
Remember Coco's just outside of Waikiki near the Ala Wai Canal? We used to go there for happy hour. Really good free pupus. Well drinks were around 50 cents. Their steaks were not memorable though.
The building later became the Hard Rock Cafe. Not sure what is there now.
Remember Coco's just outside of Waikiki near the Ala Wai Canal? We used to go there for happy hour. Really good free pupus. Well drinks were around 50 cents. Their steaks were not memorable though.
The building later became the Hard Rock Cafe. Not sure what is there now.
It is the Honolulu Coffee Experience Center - although we seemed to have deviated to not good steak places or places out of business - or places that aren't steak places.
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) There was a second location somewhere in Honolulu. 
