Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Pagoda Floating Restaurant

    3.4 (389 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 11:00 AM

    Pagoda Floating Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    PAGODA FLOATING RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

    You might also consider

    More like Pagoda Floating Restaurant

    Recommended Reviews - Pagoda Floating Restaurant

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Outside
    Patricia DeAnn W.

    The prime rib was amazing! The crab was sooo good! Service was great and the ambiance was very cool. Love the water outside with all the fish. It's a unique experience. I recommend this place. The bathrooms are outside discinnnected over a bridge. Experience it's one of a kind charm. Everything was clean.

    The $7.50 special- scrambled eggs, toast and a port. sausage. Coffee $3 extra.
    Ric C.

    "The best kept secret" Pagoda restaurant has gone through a lot of changes since the pandemic. Gone is the floating restaurant replaced by a Korean dining option. They primarily now do catering type offerings except that for breakfast, they offer dining service where the International ball room on the ground floor is located. They have been offering a great breakfast special to diners and appears to be on a month to month basis. Nothing fancy, but if you are in the area, the price can't be beat. $7.50 for 2eggs, rice or toast and port. Sausage. Served in a clean and friendly environment, this is a great deal. Limited offerings for the special but enough variety to satisfy most.

    Irene M.

    You know there is a first time for everything... When you're from Hawai'i everyone knows the Pagoda Floating Restaurant and Hotel. Stayed here during fumigations and has been a key roll in entertaining us and who hasn't taken visiting friends here at the buffet and celebrate that yakudoshi with photo ops back at the koi pond...but I've never attended a function at the banquet hall. That buffet space is now Sorabol Korean Restaurant though the layout is all still the same they found a home here from being displaced at their former location and I'm happy for both restaurant and hotel. All this reshuffling I was confused of where to park and apparently you still can park in the parking structure shared with Ross the sign has Pagoda crossed off so I thought the agreement was no longer valid and finding street parking here is next to impossible...or was it? It took a bit of touring the neighborhood but I got free parking woohoo!! I was given an extra ticket to the "Taste of Okinawa" event which was held at the East International Ballroom by WUB Hawai'i and with a bunch of vendors from Pagoda Hotel, Asato, Aloha Tofu, Kona Abalone, Highway Inn, Sun Noodle, Sunrise Restaurant, Potama serving up some amazing dishes! Everything from the classic Goya Champuru and Okinawa Soba to our beloved nishime and okara to current finds of Jimami Tofu which is an Okinawan Peanut Tofu served with a sweet soy sauce...omg yummy! We were given 10 tickets to redeem at any vendor for bites and gosh it went really fast! Many sold out Highway Inn and Potama thankfully I know the perfection they serve but what a night of celebration and I'm so blessed and thankful for the experience! Thank you!

    $30 platter of snow crabs
    Crystal R.

    This place seen better days for sure. Back in the day, this place to go for crabs and amazing food. I called the restaurant the day of to make a reservation around 7:00pm and was told it was set. Arrived at the reservation time to find out that there was no reservation listed. The restaurant was barely half full of patrons which set a really bad tone for the night. The food was just below average; at that time, staff would be the ones serving you on what you would like from the buffet lines. There wasn't much of a selection but given the pandemic situation, it was understandable that the restaurant was operating on a limited menu. It was so limited infact, that they don't offer snow crab; if you want snow crab, it is an additional cost to the buffet. For $30.00, you can get a "platter" of snow crab. Unfortunately, the platter was not worth the price (2-3 clusters). Service wasn't the greatest either. It took a while for us to get served for drinks and to flag them to order crab. Overall, this place definitely needs a makeover. The location is perfect but it definitely needs some TLC on everything.

    Gina C.

    This is regards to their Thanksgiving $300 takeout meal. Some places had just a turkey for around $100-$120. After deciding, I thought this was the best option for their 9 items. It was so disappointing when we saw the portion sizes of the stuffing and mashed potatoes. It was unbelievable. The stuffing and mashed wasn't even a small size pan! Lucky I had 3 boxes of Stove Top Stuffing. Thinking back basically, we paid about $180 for Stuffing, mashed potatoes, yams (not sure where the marshmallows were), a Costco pumpkin pie, 12 buns, cranberry relish (size of a 1/2 pd poke container), 8 half size corn-on-the-cobb and 2 tall size containers (which was way more then needed because didn't have enough stuffing to use it). We basically paid $180, see photo of the size portions. The stuffing, mashed potatoes, yams was in a low size container slightly larger than my small regular size iphone (it's not even a pro max). I was shocked to realize the small size for stuffing and mashed potatoes, which is in the inexpensive side to receive that portion that was NOT even for 6-8 ppl, maybe stretching it at 3 ppl. It really ruined the main traditional dishes. I had to apologize and announce after prayer to the family, saying sorry I didn't realize this meal was this small, so if we can be considerate and take a small portion so everyone can get a piece of the tradition and after that, they can go back and get more. Lucky in Hawaii, we have a lot of local main dishes...I will never do this again and be lazy and cook everything next year. I'm sure others felt the same when they opened the close box to see the sizes of the stuffing and mashed potatoes. Omg. This is so sad. Never again. Sad, sad, sad. So deceiving. I bet next year, they won't have returned customers. If the stuffing and mashed potatoes was at least un a small pan, I could see this being a better deal for it's price because no ways was this worth $300. Sorry rambling, but I needed to let ppl know.

    4 of each plus clam bake
    Gail U.

    10-17-2020 Hubs found the Pagoda ad in the newspaper. He asked if I was interested in having it for my birthday. Secretly I had another place in mind but consented so he called in the order yesterday for tonight's birthday meal. Our daughter helped him input the order on line for a 4 p.m. pick up and she also generously footed the bill. Big thanks!!! So generous. We ordered for 4 people and based on the choices we selected prime rib, garlic mashed and sautéed vegetables. There were 4 styrofoam containers each for the tossed salad, entree, and dessert. There were tiny containers for the horse radish and au jus. One smaller container had crab legs. A foiled pan contained the clam bake with corn on the cobb, clams, mussels, sausage and crab legs. The prime rib was SO yummingly tender and the mashed potatoes flavorful. The portion was just right. The crab claw meat was sweet and juicy. We didn't cut the Punaluu loaf and 2 of us need to take a breather before we try the bread pudding. Hubs already downed his and asked when are we having the cake. The one missing star was only based on whoever packed our feast. We were not given our crab legs. We also didn't get The deal advertised: for spending $100 you get additional Kalua pig and 2 pounds of additional prime rib. The employee had to go back inside. They also gave us stew although the receipt listed what was pre- ordered . Hubs decided to settle for the stew instead of another switch by the employee. Just have to reiterate the prime rib was super delicious in every way! You will be in for a treat. What a wonderful birthday dinner. Keep safe everyone. Take care.

    Perhaps the most interesting thing, an appetizer, but tiny.
    Ryan O.

    This review is of the new location inside the International Ballroom of the Pagoda Hotel. It pains me to write this, given the many golden memories I have of the Pagoda Floating Restaurant in its long-time historic and picturesque location next door. But I am soundly disappointed in the greatly diminished new operation. Maybe if they'd just called it "Fish Neighbor Cafe," they'd get a star back. It doesn't feel like a restaurant, because it's not -- it's tables in a former hotel ballroom supported with a catering kitchen. But that would be fine if the food was good. But it's not. You know how an attentive server comes by to ask how things are going, and you just nod and make affirmative noises because no one really cares? This time, my family regretfully shared its litany of complaints with the poor employee. The rice was dry and hard. How do you get white rice wrong in Hawaii? The mahi was tasteless and dry. The oxtail soup was not "fall off the bone," it was "gnaw off the bone." The basic breakfast plate was just okay. Nobody in our party of four finished what they were served, and nobody wanted to bring anything home. I greatly miss the Pagoda restaurant. The name probably should have died with the venue. Maybe the food wasn't that great in the old location, but the location made up for a lot.

    Bryan W.

    Beautiful surroundings and excellent service. We had the lunch buffet which included a build your own pho station, although I didn't get to try it. I would rate the quality of the food as three stars but there was a good variety. I liked the Chinese-style steamed fish the best. Dessert included a variety of cakes and pies and ice cream in wrappers, such as drumsticks and ice cream sandwiches. Good place for small parties and get-togethers.

    View from the exterior waterfall lookout
    Elizabeth N.

    Wow, yet another long standing place I've been frequenting for years that I've never left a review! Reopened and refreshed from a Covid-break, they've had time to take the stickiness off of everything coz the last time I came here- back in 2017,- tables, floors and windows had a nice film of time and grease on it. So everything is really clean feeling now which is a big thumbs up. What hasn't changed is the kitschy cuteness, old school vibe attentive service and tasty, affordable AYCE buffet that local families and senior citizens love. It's really a fabulous place to get your prime rib on for a great price. Food portions are served to you through a plexiglass barrier but it's no problem really and I actually prefer this than open air but it does limit the offerings....but the modest offerings are still very good. Although not changed but maybe because it's been over 3 years since I've been here is that it seems they either added more koi to the pond or those buggahs grew! It was unreal how many they had! Tip: if can- do not sit in the same room as the buffet food as that prime rib line can get long and snake around your table. So not cool. Also the outside gazebos are open for reservation as well. Social distancing at its finest!

    Hiromi M.

    I love this place. I had All You Can Eat Buffet for breakfast, not only good food but also excellent service. Very old fashion but their service is always the same as before, very very friendly and always cares about customers. No wonder always so many people come here to eat consistently. I was sitting by the window the lady came to me and asked me if the sun is too bright, then she closed the shade for me to cover. How nice of her!! I was so impressed by their services. I will definitely come back again. I love French toast here.

    Feeding the koi

    See all

    Photo of Gwen V.
    0
    31
    21

    12 days ago

    The food was great. The view was amazing! Get a window seat for sure! Would go again when in Vegas.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Jon
    0
    6
    2

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    We haven't been there for awhile now since the last time we did..the Food wasn't Hot and wasn't the same as before!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ric C.
    322
    582
    8154

    2 years ago

    Helpful 8
    Thanks 1
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 15
    Thanks 1
    Love this 15
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 2
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Manu K.
    19
    12
    12

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Gina C.
    25
    53
    35

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jarod H.
    397
    364
    20251

    5 years ago

    Helpful 10
    Thanks 1
    Love this 7
    Oh no 1

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    6 years ago

    Helpful 15
    Thanks 0
    Love this 15
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Rik H.
    89
    70
    15

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ryan O.
    2179
    134
    1245

    4 years ago

    Helpful 16
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of John T.

    John T.

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    7 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of John T.

    John T.

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Lily F.
    154
    564
    9131

    6 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of John T.

    John T.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Fenua I.
    280
    63
    129

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jackie T.
    303
    36
    13

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of John T.

    John T.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of John T.

    John T.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Miss going here for all the crabs we can eat. We would go here often. Been going here for years... over 30 years!!!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of John T.

    John T.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of John T.

    John T.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Val Y.
    419
    253
    2076

    4 years ago

    Helpful 16
    Thanks 1
    Love this 17
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Scott S.
    86
    24
    11

    4 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of John T.

    John T.

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Val D.
    270
    818
    6409

    8 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of John T.

    John T.

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Leah S.
    4985
    1189
    12593

    9 years ago

    Helpful 45
    Thanks 0
    Love this 44
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 10

    Pagoda Floating Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Pagoda Floating Restaurant

    Do they still have a buffet?

    My understanding is their buffet service will be moved to their former Cest Si Bon space when Yogurstory takes over their former buffet space, but I'm unsure if the new buffet space is open yet.

    What are the prices for the month of august 2021? Where can I find a list of current food offerings?

    as ac a W was a asAeseSea as s

    How much is for lunch buffet per person?

    $19.95 and 17.00 for seniors.

    How much are lunch and dinner buffet? Is there poke and crabs during dinner buffet?

    I haven't gone yet but based on the pictures, it looks like for weekday dinner buffet it's $20 excluding crab legs. If you want to have that included the price is $31. On weekends, the price is $36 for everything on weekday dinner buffet menu… Read more

    What type of credit cards do they take?

    I used my Costco Visa card so I could get extra restaurant points.

    Did you have a problem findind parking?

    Never had a problem. You just use street parking or a small paid parking lot associated with the hotel/restaurant.

    Is it hard to find parking on a Friday night?

    It's hit or miss depending on the time. The structure for the restaurant on the restaurant side usually has stalls available. If not, the Ross structure always has open stalls.

    Can we reserve one of the pods that extend in the pond, how many people are able to sit in them?

    You sure can. Im not sure about the number of people that can fit, but Ive personally been in there with 10 (total) and it was fine. To note, there is only a ceiling fan in there so if its a warm day, inside the restaurant might be more comfortable.

    View All 15 Questions

    You might also consider

    Ginza Sushi - Junior sets, lunch specials, drinks and dessert

    Ginza Sushi

    4.4(810 reviews)
    0.8 miKaka'ako
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Casual dining

    I eat here every chance I get, this place is absolutely the best, the service the food…read more The captain crunch and avenger rolls are the best, the hamachi with jalapeños is a must. Comfortable seating, very clean restaurant, food is always fresh.

    I love sushi but I never get the chance to try a lot of places. I honestly usually go to Genki if…read moreI'm not super hungry and Kan if I want AYCE. I decided to finally go out of my usual choices and try Ginza out. Ginza is located in the main ward building (the one with the theater), on the side, between Men's Warehouse and L&L. We got seated fairly quickly and was given water. Upon ordering we were also given edamame to nom on while we waited. We also decided to order two rolls, an AAB combo set to try a variety of things and fried calamari for food measure. We got: * Jen's Paradise: 9.7/10, heavily recommend. I was really craving sear salmon and it definitely helped to satisfy that craving. I didn't realize that the roll part itself ONLY has shrimp tempura within the nori (no crab salad, avo, etc). * Bomb: 8/10, clearly I lacked my reading comprehension skills this day because I didn't realize that this was baked... so when it came out and the entire roll was fully cooked I was heart broken. It tasted good, just not what I particular want at a sushi restaurant. * Chicken Karaage: 5/10. I do NOT recommend this. They remined me of mochiko chicken, but these were not very meaty or flavorful. * Fried Calamari: 10/10, fried to perfectly in my opinion, each piece was plump and delicious. * Miso Butterfish: 8.9/10, it was good, flaky and flavorful. Just not something I would order again, but it was good to try esp it is something they're supposedly known for. * Mixed Tempura: 10/10, yum I love mixed tempura, no notes, it was hot and crunchy. I would like to mention that our wait was quite long. I don't know why because they weren't like SUPER busy. It took 10-15 for us to get the miso soup and salad for the combo. +5 for the calamari, +5 for the first roll then a few minutes after for the rest. I feel like 15-20 minutes for our first actual item (calamari) to come is kind of crazy, it kept being brought to the wrong table (2-3 times). Our server apologized so its not a huge deal. Otherwise, I still enjoyed our experience. I would definitely come back again to try the rolls I would enjoy more (utilizing my reading skills a bit better LOL).

    Photos
    Ginza Sushi - Hoso maki, temaki, donburi  & noodles

    Hoso maki, temaki, donburi & noodles

    Ginza Sushi - Nigiri sushi and sashimi

    Nigiri sushi and sashimi

    Ginza Sushi - Sushi rolls! This is how we roll!

    See all

    Sushi rolls! This is how we roll!

    Nami Kaze - Dining area

    Nami Kaze

    4.5(801 reviews)
    2.9 mi
    $$

    It was so sad this business is closing down by Oct 31st. With rising food costs, inflation and…read morestaffing, it's understandable but I wish best endeavors for Chef Jason Peel and his staff. My fiance won a gift card actually 2 of them (from his coworker whom could not get a reservation secured), we knew we had to make the trip over before they officially close. We had multiple dishes, but staff made Kauai prawns and tomato miso black cod dishes on the house since they ran out the Hokkaido scallops. We ordered the short ribs, lobster appetizer, hamachi crudo and lastly sashimi moriawase to finish food palate. Lukki lemon dessert was great way to end to night. Ordered the Milk tea bouquet cocktail while my better half had water ( either way the food coma knock him out cold the rest of the night lol). To be honest, it was difficult to determine which dish was the best because the staff kept quality there despite it being busy every night since they announce the closure. Sashimi moriawase, fish was so fresh, reminded me of my time spent in Hokkaido and Sapporo. Short ribs was soft and rich in flavor. Both me and my fiance liked the lukki lemon dessert, like lemon meringue pie but broken down version. If you have a chance to dine here before closing and got a reservation, definitely will have a lovely dining experience and your stomach will be full by end of the night.

    Husband and I tried Nami Kaze in our recent trip to Hawaii. This place is huge! I was so glad to be…read moreseated in the side room because I found it to be a lot calmer, less people and no TV. The staff were friendly and very helpful with giving us recommendations. We ordered 3 appetizers and 2 entrees, and honestly it was too much food for us. We had leftovers for breakfast the next day! - For appetizers we got: Ulu Tots, Japanese Eggplant, and Corn Beignets. The Corn Beignets was the best. - For entree we got: Tomato Miso Black Cod and the Short Rib. Both were delicious and worth a try. Sad to see that this restaurant appears to be closing.

    Photos
    Nami Kaze - Nami bento

    Nami bento

    Nami Kaze
    Nami Kaze

    See all

    Sushi Ginza Onodera

    Sushi Ginza Onodera

    4.6(277 reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $$$$
    Luxury
    Free parking

    Did the lunch omakase with a friend. The service was very nice, very quiet space with subdued…read moreambiance. It was challenging to get through all of the courses, but I succeeded. There were standouts and overall we loved the meal. A local id gets the 10% service fee removed which was nice. I would recommend the $150 lunch omakase - I don't think the $50 abalone dish was worth the upgrade.

    Had an amazing omakase experience at Sushi Ginza Onodera. The staff were incredibly friendly and…read moreattentive, which made the whole experience feel welcoming rather than overly formal. Every piece of sushi was beautifully presented not overwhelming. You can really tell the chefs put a lot of thought into the balance of flavors and textures. One of my favorite bites was a sashimi piece topped with something that looked like finely grated cheese (not sure what it actually was), but it melted perfectly with the fish and added a really unique savory flavor. The chefs and staff also had a good sense of humor. At one point they served kinki fish and jokingly explained that the English translation sometimes gets called "idiot fish," which got everyone laughing at the counter. The omakase is definitely on the pricier side, but the quality, presentation, and overall experience made it very satisfying. If you're looking for a refined sushi experience with great service and beautifully crafted bites, this place is worth the splurge.

    Photos
    Sushi Ginza Onodera
    Sushi Ginza Onodera
    Sushi Ginza Onodera

    See all

    Pagoda Floating Restaurant - hawaiian - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...