We love to go there for lunch when we visit Honolulu. They have the BEST MaiTai's. The Joy crab sandwich is awesome as well as their margarita pizza. I highly recommend. read more

We had such a beautiful experience at House Without A Key while in waikiki. The view was absolutely amazing and created the perfect atmosphere for dinner. The live music was soft, relaxing, and uplifting without being overpowering, which made the whole experience feel special and peaceful. On top of that, the food was amazing. Everything together, the view, music, and meal, made it one of those memorable dining experiences you talk about long after the trip is over. read more

Update on House Without A Key this morning we celebrated my sister and Allen.N belated birthdays. Everyone enjoyed and their breakfast Buffett is outstanding. My favorite were the Japanese breakfast area along with the made to order omelette station . Service is always top notch and we sat on the same table when we were there last time along with the same waitress Kelly . What's the odds on that lol The view at this restaurant is amazing view of the Waikiki skyline along with Diamond in the distance . Support local read more

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Looking for upscale water view dining while in Hawaii ? Well here you go ! House Without a Key is an iconic, upscale American restaurant at the Halekulani hotel in Honolulu, known for its sunset cocktails, live Hawaiian music, and hula dancing under a historic Kiawe tree with views of Diamond Head and Waikiki Beach. It offers all-day dining with a menu featuring fresh seafood, steaks, and burgers, alongside popular items like its signature mai tai and coconut cake, and coconut old fashion cocktails , it's amazing all around ! The atmosphere is casual yet elegant, with both indoor and outdoor seating, and reservations are strongly recommended for dinner. While dining we saw a few A list celebrities and after wards browsed the Louis Vuitton boutique and the resort's shops as well. Fabulous is an understatement and it's not for the budget friendly. read more

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Overall take, nice vibes and atmosphere, especially with the ocean view, hula dance, and hawaiian music. Friendly service. Entrees are unfortunately underwhelming, but everything else does make up for it. It started off with these taro rolls that were really good! Really soft and a subtle flavor of taro that was really nice. We ordered the Hoisin Coconut Ribs, Pizza Arugla & Prosciutto, Signature Local Fresh Catch (which was a Chilean Sea Bass), Asian Braised Short Rib, and the Coconut Curry Chicken Breast. So it did take awhile for the entrees to arrives, but at least the drinks were quicker to be made. The drinks are pretty here and quite strong! I enjoyed the fruity cocktail but one was enough for me for the night haha. First came the Hoisin Coconut Ribs, which we all shared. This was pretty good since the rib fell apart quite nicely. The flavor wasn't that strong, but it was pretty good. The pizza came next and this was pretty standard. I wouldn't say it's anything too special, but it was pizza. Then the other short rib, which was pretty soft as well. Next was the Local Fresh Catch. Honestly this one was very underwhelming because this one basically just tasted like the steamed fish you can get at a Chinese Seafood Restaurant for a larger portion and more worth the price. Especially the ingredients that used to prepare this, it tasted very very similar. The Coconut Curry Chicken Breast was the most unique one of the entrees we ordered. It had a smoky aroma and I enjoyed it with the little garnishes that offered on the side for it! Overall, it does seem like the entree dishes revolve around Asian cuisine, except Americanized. Some are tasty, some don't taste worth it, but the presentation and the vibes of the restaurant are quite nice. Our waiter was also extremely kind and kept updating us when the food would come out. He did make a mistake on our coconut curry and ordered it as tofu curry, so they mistakenly made our dish twice with different things, and ended up getting the coconut curry right. He also covered it for us! Also the desserts, the coconut cake and the chocolate cake were both very nice! The coconut cake was oddly very light and fluffy, so this was pretty good! The chocolate cake was extremely rich as well. We were already so full by the end of the meal. read more

House Without A Key - Hoisin Ribs - Seafood Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Amazing food, beautiful cocktails, incredible ocean views and the perfect Hawaiian atmosphere. Highly recommend going around sunset for the full experience. read more

House Without A Key - Seafood Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Came here in a Thursday night with no reservations, unfortunately weren't able to get a table for dinner but was able to sit for cocktails. Would recommend making a reservation for dinner, they have live music and great view. My partner wasn't a fan of his old fashion and didn't think it had much banana or coconut flavors. Food was overall just on, here more for the live music and ambience. read more

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We came here to celebrate our wedding anniversary with a nice dinner. Our reservation was at 7:15pm so we just missed sunset. However they did have nice music playing but it only lasted until about 8pm. We ordered two drinks, ribeye and a pizza and the bill was about $200 including tip. While the ribeye was tasty, I feel that the experience fell short. For $200, not even an acknowledgment for our celebration just seemed very odd for such a high end place. Cocktails at $24 each just didn't seem worth it. Our waiter was kind but overall there wasn't much that was special about our experience there and I wouldn't be inclined to recommend or go back. read more

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Making reservations (several weeks out) was a breeze. We arrived early and wandered the stunning property of the Halekulani. We were asked for seating preferences (sun vs shade) but asked for the perfect view of sunset, which staff delivered! Music and Hawaiian dancing under the tree was magical. Our server Thomas was phenomenal! He made great recommendations and took very good care of us. Cocktails & mocktails were delicious to start our evening. Taro Hawaiian rolls with a tropical butter started our meal before the hoisin coconut ribs which was our appetizer. Entrees were a mahi-mahi (catch of the day) and the coconut chicken with tropical chutneys. I chose a sweet potatoes coconut mash as my side-divine! We shared a slice of the famous coconut cake for dessert. From start to finish, we had the best experience. read more

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The best food we ate on Waikiki the whole trip! Thry are location inside a hotel with valet parking They have covered seating, bar seating which is first come first serve, and outdoor seating with umbrellas that cover it. The sunset experience is for the outdoor tables and they do not take reservations. We did sit at a table in the bar area and had excellent service! We ordered the sea bass & mahi, both were exceptional. We also ordered the ahi tataki as an app and the dessert where delicious-coconut cake, chocolate cake & vanilla bean sorbet. Don't come to Waikiki without a visit to House Without a Key! read more

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We struck gold and got a last minute reservation here for our anniversary; prime time on a Saturday. It was the perfect ambiance for an anniversary in Hawaii. The area was perfectly Hawaiian, beautiful views, beautifully set up restaurant. There was a guitar player and singer and a hula dancer all night. The stage area was very scenic. The service was great! We had a leisurely dinner and drinks and dessert. We weren't hurried and were there about two hours. We had the poke trio appetizer, I am glad we got that one because there were items i liked, but i didn't are for the marlin. The regular poke, you had to pick one and i might have chosen wrong. The rolls that they served were really good, sweet and had ube in them so they were purple. They were served with a fruity butter. This was probably my single favorite think I ate there. I had the catch of the day and my husband had the mahi mahi. Unfortunately, they ran out of the sea bass and mine ended up being mahi mahi too. The fish was good, not great. The dessert we chose was a fruit tart which we really enjoyed. My drink was a gin drink and it was really tasty. My husband tried a couple of different drinks which were also good. Overall, food=good; ambiance and location=amazing We would certainly go back for a special occasion again. read more

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Never look a gift horse in the mouth Don't slap the hand that feeds you Wassa madda you??? Here is my story: Preface saying I've been here a number of occasions and ok, nothing to write home about but this visit deserves a talking to: Went for the breakfast buffet and I preface this by saying it was my first breakfast visit. They do not take reservations. I was a guest for this visit and my hostess was so kind to show me the process as she's been there for breakfast many times before. The food was okay. It was your regular western faire like scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, etc. They do have a hot omelette bar. My issue is we had the worst attitude Shift Manager you could shake a stick at. I will not forget the embarrassment he caused to my host who was kind enough, wanting for me to have a nice breakfast there. Won't get into details but will say I was upset such that I called the hotel and spoke to the Assistant Director of Food and Beverage who PROMISED ME SHE WILL LOOK INTO IT AND GET BACK TO ME! Of course, she didn't Nuff said. 3rd star for the property at large. 2nd star for the other workers, table bussers etc. 1st star for my host's tenacity in wanting to dine there... To House Without A Key! Shame on you for not following up on the matter as you said you would. As I said! Don't slap the hand that feeds you My final advice to anyone who reads this! Go to Orchids. Don't waste your time here at House Without A Key OR; Go here for your afternoon cocktail to watch the sunset. NOTHING MORE read more

Second time here, first time was during my first visit to Honolulu and went for dinner. Second time was during my second visit, had lunch. Unfortunately can't really reminder what I had first time except from pictures. Second time I had the ahi sashimi (delicious$ with pina colada (one of the best pina coladas I've ever had). Loved the view from this restaurant and the vibes of the hotel is what I wish I could afford read more

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This place was on my list for quite some time, and recently had a chance to experience it. Parking is FREE for 4hours with validation located across the street in a parking structure. The ambiance is outdoors and beautiful! Our server was so friendly and overall - wonderful. However - the food is where this all fell short. Honestly, the food seems like *overpriced* tourist hotel food. It was just OK. I ordered the short rib, and while it was tenderly cooked, the sauce was incredibly salty. My partner ordered the steak and it was just OK as well. Keiki ordered the Menehune. It was a good amount and great variety which they enjoyed, but also very expensive for what it was. Also - they were out of Govinda's juices. We were celebrating my out-of-town in-laws' wedding anniversary and there was no attempt at making the dinner special which seemed odd for such a "high end" establishment. The table next to us had their server greeting their patrons who were two very cute old ladies celebrating friendship. I'm glad I had the opportunity to try it myself, but TL;DR - it's all hype and there is better food on island for a reasonable price. Yelp 2026 Challenge: 08/30 read more

Food is very expensive. I got a salad with cheese and they gave me half an ounce of cheese. I was shocked. The pizza was good. The entertainment was average. The service was average. Ambience was OK. I probably won't be back. read more

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Lovely ambiance and great apps and drinks on the lawn. We also enjoyed dinner after the social hour. We have been numerous times. You won't be disappointed. read more

The coconut cake and the service save this from being a three star review.... I was stationed here from 1981 to 1984, so I remember the transformation from the original property, to what it is now. It is an absolutely beautiful property. I came in to have a drink, and my sister told me that I *HAD* to try a slice of the coconut cake. I sat in the outside seating area next to the pool, and the view just OK. I could see diamond head off to the side, but because of a fence and bushes, I couldn't really see the beach or the ocean. That was kind of a letdown. They had a decent sized menu, the prices are definitely on the higher end, but I get it. This is a premium property. My waiter came, and he was very nice I ordered a virgin mai tai, and a slice of the legendary coconut cake. The cake was amazing! I had heard stories, but this blew everything out of the water. Moist, tender, a wonderful coconut flavor. One of the best slices of cake I have had in an extremely long time..... Now, let's get to the drinks... the virgin Mai Tai was good, but the problem was, the glass was filled, almost totally with crushed ice. It was mostly crushed ice, and not that much drink. Plus, the ice started to water the drink down almost immediately. I looked at the menu, and I saw that they also have a mocktail called a creamsicle. I decided to give it another shot, no pun intended... He brings that, and again, the drink was very good, but there was once again the problem of the crushed ice. It definitely took away from the drink.... Two drinks, a slice of the coconut cake, and a tip, and I'm out the door $55 poorer. Again, I get it, it is a premium property but come on guys, at these prices, you can afford to use ice cubes, instead of crushed ice. At least they did validate my parking... I would definitely come back for a slice of the coconut cake and a soda, but from here on out, I'm staying away from the bar drinks... Thanks anyway. read more

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Oops got so busy with the holidays I didn't post till now! Had the privilege of dining here the day after Thanksgiving with the cousins and their twin babies. They chose this place for the spacious floor which made it comfortable for their double stroller. Relaxed, casual, atmosphere with 5 star service. The local staff throughout the hotel from the time you step out of your car offer polite and friendly service that seems genuinely full of aloha. At this semi covered outdoor restaurant you can feel relaxed in your t-shirt and slippers while dining on a lobster. 3 of us got the lobster salad which was both filling and light. Mom got the Captain's catch , and cousins got the "All occasions" arugula prosciutto pizza that looked fresh with an attractive presentation. Desserts were also beautifully presented and elegant.I shared the signature coconut cake served with crème anglaise and raspberry coulis. It was smooth and creamy and delish! Can't beat the Halekulani! read more

It's been a while since the last time that we came here. We went this past Saturday for their breakfast buffet. We thought the food was good, and the omelette station had no wait. They have a decent selection of food including some Japanese breakfast food. They do offer kamaaina discount. The only disappointment was our drinks never got refill or asked us if we wanted more coffee and juice. You can valet or self park. read more

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Incredibly friendly staff, great view just a few yards from the water. Was just here for a quick layover, but would've stayed longer if time allowed The purple bread was nice and soft, the Mai Tai was just great, one of the best I've had. Decent amount of alcohol. First time having Ahi Tataki, it did not disappoint. Will now order it more often, but nothing will beat this place! read more

House Without A Key - Mai Tai - Seafood Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Good, not great especially for the price. Got two apps (pictured, which were the best of the meal) and two entrees. Tell me how it was over 200$? Don't get me wrong, it was a good meal, even if the rib eye entree had more fat and no crust that once thought possible, lol. End of the day the waitress and service was great, with an awesome band performing on the sands of the beach with the sun dipping below the horizon. Its good, just not great, and as I mentioned, especially not for that price point. read more

House Without A Key - Baby Back Ribs - Seafood Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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We came for the drinks at sunset. Got there around 545 and were told 45-1 hour wait. Unfortunately we did not get seated in time to have our cocktails with the sunset which was a bummer. We got seated at 7, with just enough time to finish up our drinks and listen to the last set of the live band & hula dancer. The staff should be more up front and just say if you aren't seated by 5pm, no one is going to leave before sunset so no shot to get a table. The view was beautiful though, and cocktails were tasty. I liked my coconut old fashioned a lot but my husbands was a bit too sweet. Lesson learned: come here early for those sunset pics! read more

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Food amazing as always! That hasn't changed! Fresh poke! Fries are delish. Service was disgustingly bad. Honestly I hate when the ultra wealthy gets fineeeeeee service and then the rest of the peasants gets piss poor service. Okay we aren't wealthy and been coming here for years but people need to get attended to. I guess if the wealthy tips you more; it's okay to give piss poor service to everyone else, right? It was so obvious how the staff behaved. Customers notice this. We know who you giving 1:1 extra time to vs people that come and go. I go with the motto- treat everyone like you want to be treated. Not be a brown-noser and give everyone else crappy service. We honestly only like coming to this place for the vibes, food, and sunset views. After this, I have to rethink this because I don't want to wait around and look for my waiter all evening. Ya'll need to invest in iPads and take orders that go straight to kitchen instead of paper order where my waiter is still taking a million years. It took forever to first get the waiter's attention because again..wealthy and loyal customers get extra TLC. We kept trying to figure out who our waiter was because he never did come introduce himself to us. Once we finally figured it out and got his attention, we placed all our orders. The food didn't take that long. He did come back to check on us after we got the food. But then at the end, he like disappeared to the abyss! My husband was so annoyed that he got up to the register and ask for the check; however, instead of that guy helping us..we had to wait again for our own waiter! There were like 2-3 of them by the register and not one could give us a bill!!! Switch to iPad and computer ordering at this point! Your service will be saved! Yah never again. This needs so much improvement. Service by the pool was better. The sunset was beautiful. Get there on the dot to get better pics without getting photobombed. read more

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This beautiful outdoor space located in the Halekulani Hotel is the perfect way to spend an evening in Waikiki. Enjoy oceanfront views with a cocktail, pupus, the ocean breeze, and Hawaiian entertainment. Take a picture with Diamond Head in the background. We weren't able to stay for the sunset and fireworks. Next time we are in Oahu that will be on my list to do. read more

I had been wanting to come here for the longest time and finally made it for the Saturday lunch, and it was beyond my expectations. First of all, the scenery was amazing although it was a bit hot as this was an open air restaurant. And the service was great as expected, because you know, located at Halekulani Hotel ;) We had the famous Mai Tai - I actually came here for this, because I heard this was the original Mai Tai and I drink Mai Tai pretty much everywhere I go for a fun comparison. It was not overly sweet and refreshing. The complimentary taro rolls with mango butter were so good. It must be from the Halekulani Bakery? Then we had Fish Tacos for an appetizer and that was a perfect start. A big piece of broiled fish was inside of soft taco and that was delicious. After the appetizer, we had an Arugula & Prosciutto Pizza and immediately noticed how serious they were about pizzas! I also liked that there was not too much cheese on it. We also had Loco Moco, which had both a beef patty and Portuguese sausage layered over rice. The gravy was not too heavy and rice was cooked surprisingly well (I'm originally from Japan, so very picky about rice). Of course, I had to give five shiny stars for this place. I know I'm not easy to please, yet I was quite content :) read more

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Frunch... When friends gather for brunch it's definitely makes it a beautiful day and what a lovely place to enjoy it all at the House Without a Key a spot in the Halekulani where they only distraction from the views is the stunning tree decked out with lanterns itself as I understand that they also have some night time event as well and can just imagine as the sun goes down what a lovely sight it truly is. What better way to take in all this wonderful vibe then a table right at the end of the covered area that all I can see is the breathtaking unobstructed beach scenery something that I do take for granted but am so happy to enjoy on this beautiful Sunday morning along with an amazing brunch and can see why many recommend this location as I've never felt so taken care of and what a luxurious feeling. Each item offered is displayed perfectly as the hot is kept hot and covered while the salad items are chilled along with fun options like chia pudding and ramen there's nothing more I can ask for as I felt so relaxed and really enjoyed it all, thank you Nadine C for taking me on this adventure. Thank you! read more

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Although the view is nice, food is subpar. Expected crab cake to be breaded and fried which would have been better. It was a bit boring without the sauce. Roasted potatoes were under seasoned and kind of plain. Taro bread rolls were good but nothing crazy. Drinks were good. I made a reservation for my anniversary to come here and requested in the notes to be sat closer to the view but was seated at a table a bit in the middle back. Not sure how they arrange seating since there were some available closer to the edge but it wasn't a big deal. Besides my thoughts on food and seating, I love the live music and view. It was really nice during sunset and calming. Servers were nice and attentive. Overall, come here for some drinks and to enjoy the ambience, not recommended for the food. read more

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This was one of our favorite meals during our visit. While pricey it was so worth it & the ambiance and service were excellent as well. There was live music & a hula performance as well. We each had a different fresh catch of the day. One was mahi mahi prepared with a Parmesan cream sauce and the other was a seabass prepared in an Asian style. Every main dish came served with a side of rice or purple sweet potato. Our cocktails were strong & delicious as well. It's also worth noting everything we saw come out of the kitchen looked excellent as well. read more

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Go and thank me later. Everything was just perfect! Food delicious, and the chill vibe was even better.

Went here for a 40th birthday. Jan took care of us and had wonderful recommendations. I got a maitai. It was strong and tasty. The view of the ocean is hard to beat. It was amazing view and backdrop. I got the braised shortrib. It was soft and tender. Super flavorful and I enjoyed every bite. We shared the mushroom truffle pizza and every bite was truffle. Subtle and not strong but super addicting! My wife got the catch of the day and she devoured it. We don't remember if it was mahi mahi or sea bass? But it was soft and flavorful. Thank you Jan and House without a key. read more

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I saw a magazine article about this place, so I put it on our wish list for our visit to Waikiki. I'm glad I made a reservation more than a week before our arrival. We weren't staying at the hotel (wish it was within our budget). We had a 5:15pm arrival with a very short wait on a comfy couch outdoor. We were quickly seated and I was THRILLED that our table was outside (on a lovely night) where we would be able to hear the live music and see the stage. I wanted the coconut cake, so I ordered an appetizer of their ribs. Wow! They were so tender and delicious! My husband ordered the Fish of the Day. Oh, we ordered the MaiTai ($24.00) which was good-- but Duke's was better IMHO. The live Hawaiian music was delightful. A great trio with good singing. During their second set, a Hula dance arrived and she was really graceful. The view of Diamond Head is stunning, as was the golden sunset. As for the coconut cake, it was good ($16.00). However, I'm a baker and I like mine better, if I do say so myself! Our dinner table came to $200 and that's a big treat for our budget. However, it was worth every penny, as we had the Hawaiian experience in a luxurious surrounding. It's so worth it. read more

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This restaurant is a hidden gem in a quieter area of Waikiki. The atmosphere is lovely with live music in the evenings, a glimpse of the sunset, and beach front minus all the sand. Food was amazing, we enjoyed the hamachi collar, beet salad, catch of the day, and the ribs. The drinks were lovely as well. Waitress was very accommodating. Dinner is 5-9 PM. Recommend making a reservation but they do take walk-ins! Bar seating and open seating in front of the live musician. Parking is validated in the garage of the hotel for 4 hours. read more

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We came here over the holidays and we ate dinner around 5 PM which was perfect for the sunset and listening to the live music Overall, the food was four out of five stars and the service was 4.5 stars. One of the benefits you have of this place is seeing the sunset and listening to the live music which was great. read more

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Long overdue for a review. I used to work in Waikiki and I remembered dining for lunch at The House without a Key, before the renovation of the kitchen windows and area. This was in the early 1990s. I've been to Orchids for Saturday's breakfast and Sunday's brunch buffet many times. Little did I know there was a really nice daily breakfast buffet at the House without a Key. The buffet was half the price of Orchids' Sunday brunch buffet. The buffet offerings were extensive and of good quality: salads, pastries, breakfast meats, eggs, omelet station, Japanese sides, and breakfast items. It was nice to see miso soup, okayu, nishime, and salmon , saba, or one time had chicken! My favorite was the Saturday's salmon skin fried rice, fish, and the truffle mushroom salad! The restaurant does offer plastic plate covers if needed to protect your food from the birds. I've been here six times within the last seven months. I enjoyed the buffet but can't eat as much as the first time, but it's so nice to treat a friend on their special day. There are a variety of choices. When I came for the first time with a group of 8 Yelper friends for a birthday and then later for my friends' birthdays, including mine. It was a great choice, Nadine C! Everyone I brought here enjoyed the excellent service from our first waitress, Kelly, and the other waiters we had, such as Jack, Darren, Guy, and John! Some waiters recognized me since I've been coming a lot and welcomed me back. LOL! It's not too often they get too many local diners than the visitors from their hotel rooms. There are no reservations taken, so it's best to come early for breakfast since it ends at 10:30 a.m. Many come and go since they have their day all planned out, but for us, we are celebrating something special since we are making a trip to Waikiki for a nice buffet. I was impressed with the service received from Jason in May 2025 (the bussed help). He was so attentive to my mom to find a seat for me while I checked in since we came from the back pool area since she was using a walker at age 90 and can't go through the regular entrance with the little stairs to go down or even the long way over for the handicap. She was blessed as Jason helped her with her food. She hardly gets to dine out often, so she enjoyed her food, ambiance, and experience! The kindness shown made it a lasting one. Even the nice valet person (I think his name was Ross?) assisted my mom down the stairs to the valet area as we were leaving. I was even impressed when I forgot my phone in my car after the valet person just parked my car , so the valet person ran and got it for me. I was so grateful and tipped him, of course! On Sunday, 8/17/25, we were celebrating my friend Terry's birthday and asked the Relief Manager on duty, Sean McCloskey, first if they can give her a birthday cake slice for my friend's birthday, but he said it's a breakfast buffet and gave some reasoning even if I mentioned it was given before. I asked the waiter and later came back with a sorry. Basically, it's decided by the manager or relief manager on duty. We had no issues before getting a birthday coconut cake for the other 5 visits when we brought our friends here for their birthdays. When my friend Jo Y treated me here for my birthday and most recently like a couple of weeks prior to 08/17/25, she always contacted the manager Chris Wong about getting a birthday slice prior to her planned visit when she was celebrating her husband and another family member and had no problem getting the 2 slices of coconut cake for the two birthday people. She did mentioned when she first called when Chris wasn't working, the relief manager didn't returned her call. It's okay not getting a cake and we were enjoying our time together since Terri's hasn't been here in ages! We were celebrating her birthday until Sean, the relief manager, came by to tell us that other people are waiting for tables. I was shocked and disappointed to tell us at 10:08 a.m. when the buffet was ending in 20 minutes. There were several opened tables of 4 inside and many outside tables available, I was hoping he had a change of heart and he was going to tell us he would do something for her birthday after all. Despite our last visit, it's a really nice buffet with an awesome view of Waikiki Beach with great service from everyone else. Cake is just something extra, but it would have been a nice gesture for a wonderful birthday experience for the birthday person, since we made an extra effort to come into Waikiki to celebrate my friend's special day! I enjoyed it here so much and wanted my other friends who wouldn't normally come here to be treated here and experience the wonderful buffet on their special day! read more

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When I worked for a major Japanese tour agency during my breaks returning home from college back in the days, I had many inquiries of guests wanting to dine at Halekulani Hotel. Most of them wanted either dinner at La Mer or Orchids Sunday brunch but would also get requests for House Without a Key (HWK). Located on the 1F of Halekulai adjacent to the beachfront pool, HWK offers breakfast, lunch and dinner with indoors and outdoors dining options. One of our foodie friends specifically requested to dine at HWK for their breakfast buffet. To mirror my memory from my part time job, HWK does not accept reservations and are seated first come first serve. Was a little concerned for our party of eight but we had no issues when our group arrived at the agreed time of 8am on a Sunday morning. HWK has an amazing ambiance and scenery as you overlook the stunning view of Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head. Shortly after we sat down, staff came to take our drink orders. Our main server was Kelly and were informed we could start our buffet with the multiple stations. The food was outstanding. For a buffet the quality exceeded my expectations, especially the Japanese station (grilled saba, nishime, kobachi) and egg/omelet station. We really enjoyed the variety and the local flair offerings, such as lup cheong fried rice, kalua pork and cabbage. When we were asked what the occasion was for dining here, Kelly brought a slice of their famous coconut cake for our friend. Such a nice gesture. My experience was so great that I was determined to drag my family here. It's hard to coordinate our busy schedules so I ended up taking off on a weekday to dine with the family. We arrived at 830am to somewhat avoid the morning rush hour traffic. There were a handful of people already dining and we were immediately seated for our party of 6. I informed my family of my previous experience and we all surveyed the buffet line prior to getting our food. I immediately noticed the offerings were different. From my previous experience I had to get the popovers again and in this go around I found out that the strawberry preserves are not commercially made. Had nice pieces of strawberries that were non-mushy. I got another customized omelet again but switched protein from smoked salmon to Portuguese sausage this time. For the Japanese station I was deeply saddened not to see the grilled saba but this time they had karaage, which was replenished regularly so it was piping hot when I had some. I also had more baked goods of a croissant and pain au chocolat. Delicious. Service was good but there was a slight delay in getting drinks refills as orders were submitted but it took some time to get them. Overall, great breakfast experiences where I'm game to return. It may seem a bit pricey at $52 per person but definitely worthy for special occasions. 2025 #10 read more

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The service was amazing. Food for the price wasn't worth it . The view and live music and the back drop was spectacular. read more

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The venue is gorgeous, we loved the live band, the hula dancer, the drinks, food and service! We made reservations and originally we were seated in a not fun location, but they moved us to the best spot in the restaurant. read more

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A great spot in Waikiki inside of the Halekulani Hotel that features open-air indoor and outdoor seating with lovely views. While I wanted to go for sunset cocktails and hula show, I got there after sundown but was still able to enjoy the live music. I sat at in the bar area which was more towards the back of the restaurant and while they have a very good selection of cocktails, they are pricey at about $24. But then again this is pretty standard for a nice Waikiki hotel bar. The service at the bar was excellent, very friendly and personal bartenders and quick service. If you are looking for a picturesque bar with good cocktails and entertainment, this is the spot to check out! read more

House Without A Key - Hau blossom & coconut old fashioned - Seafood Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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House Without A Key was a beautiful celebratory conclusion to our special O'ahu vacation. Got there in time to catch a picturesque Pacific Ocean sunset near the lovely ancient Kiawe tree. Enjoyed beautiful live Hawaiian music and hula in the background while sipping their famous Mai Tai's. For dinner we enjoyed the unique scrumptious hoisin ribs covered with coconut and macadamia. Although positioned as an appetizer it is a generous portion and enough for an entree. Also loved the lawai' a roll which featured red king crab, salmon, tempura shrimp and roe. For dinner, we shared a brick oven margarita pizza which was quite good. Finally, for dessert we loved the coconut cake which is a long standing favorite on the menu. Overall an outstanding experience made even more special by the helpful and attentive service. read more

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Came here for Earl's for the "Sunset Cocktails in the lawn area at House Without A Key." I wanted to hear live Hawaiian music, and knowing that the backdrop was of the water and sunset, I had to come and just be surrounded by all things Hawaiian. I came a little before 5pm and was seated close to the front. I ordered two non-alcoholic drinks: The Tide Pool and Halekulani Creamsicle. Both were so yummy and refreshing! I loved that the Tide Pool had two Swedish fish gummies in it, and a sour strip on top. So creative. I also ordered the Hoisin Coconut BBQ Ribs. I enjoyed the macadamia nuts and scallions on top. The meat was so tender that it fell off the bone. The live Hawaiian music was good! Great voices and harmony. The hula dance was beautiful and so beautiful to watch. Overall, it was such an awesome experience. It was the perfect setting: live Hawaiian music, hula dancing, sunset in the background, being near the ocean, sitting outside, eating yummy food, and enjoying some tropical drinks. I couldn't ask for anything more. I loved being there absorbing everything in. read more

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