We Just had a party there and it was beautiful, Miranda and her staff was awesome and helpful all night, chose the $43/head package and food was good, view was beautiful, some things are charged separately if chosen(linen/outside dishes/desert table/juice station), so be financially ready for that, they set up and clean up but most importantly you need Military access to get onto the base but passes are available for the non Mil' guest, other den that...it was a beautiful turn out. Ty Sunset Lanai for having us!... Brb read more

The food is delicious and you can't find many better views on the island. The service is quick and responsive, I have never had to wait more than a minute or two for someone to check in and make sure everything is going well. Absolutely recommend for dine-in or carry out. read more

See all

Made a reservation on Yelp for my husband's birthday only to arrive and for them not to be open. The system even confirmed our reservation and sent us a reminder. They hardly ever answer their phone. And my most recent gripe is that they charged my 1 year old for the buffet. He's 1! read more

Update to a 2022 review to prevent confusion. The old Sunset Lanai closed but a new company took over. The new setup is a traditional restaurant while the old one was an "open 2 days a week" hangout spot with pub food. The food is good but the service can be a bit slow. It's still a solid place to have a beer and have a nice view. read more

If you want to see some of the best views of Pearl Harbor & Ford Island visit Sunset Lanai during sunset, amazing views. They are located on Camp Smith home of HQ for Pacific Military Forces so you will need a military I.D. government CAC to gain access or a sponsor. Love going on Wednesday night for Mongolian BBQ spread. The price is by weight so watch how much food you pile on before they weigh your bowl. .50 for the egg. White Rice, egg drop soup and cake & pie is all part of the price. The service is awesome! The ladies working are so friendly and helpful. If you are not sure what sauces to add, just ask and they will give you great recommendations so you don't mess up the flavor of your food. Great tasty food, amazing views and outstanding hospitality is what you get at Sunset Lanai. read more

See all

Best party venue ever! THANK YOU YELP, for introducing me to this hidden gem...although, it's really so good, I almost don't want to spread the word around too much. 0=) I really hope they're not booked up, the next time I need to plan an event! As long as you have a military friend or family member attending your event, who's willing to sponsor you (or you're military yourself), I'd say Sunset Lanai is probably my new #1 choice for party venues. Here's all the reasons I love it: #1: AWESOME STAFF Planning and communication was so easy! Their event coordinator is not in every day, but her voicemail greeting is very clear about her hours, and she's super responsive both on email and voicemail, within 24 hours. She was also great about working with us to design the exact menu that we wanted (with one small exception, & she called ASAP with multiple options to sub for something else), and was flexible enough to make small adjustments (in timing, etc), even at the last-minute. During the event itself, all of our food was served on-time, and we didn't feel pressured to be out exactly at our ending time (though we were out within minutes after). #2: GREAT FOOD: Their set buffet menus are very reasonably priced, on-par with (or in most cases cheaper than) the other venues that I contacted. We opted to do "pupu party" style, but we were on a very tight budget, so we couldn't afford most of the "fancier" dishes (e.g. crab cakes, bacon wrapped shrimp, prime rib). That said, we were very happy with the 8 dishes/platters that we selected: - Crab & artichoke dip (with tortilla chips) - Shoyu ahi poke (with cut avocado, tortilla chips & furikake rice on the side) - Jalapeno poppers - Crispy won tons - Swedish meatballs - BBQ pulled pork sliders - Assorted fruit platter - Asorted veggie platter (with pesto ranch dressing) . . . and many of our guests specifically commented on how good the food was! #3: AMAZING VIEW The venue itself is very well-maintained, spotlessly clean, and we especially loved that they have both indoor & outdoor seating (i.e. in keeping with COVID precautions). Other conveniences were the dedicated restrooms (lots of stalls, never any wait), free mic & sound system, and a very affordable add-on option for no-host bar. But the nicest surprise-and true to its name--was the beautiful almost-180-degreee view! Throughout the evening, we saw people taking panoramic shots, or group photos with the lovely view in the background...and that was true during daylight, sunset & after dark (with the city lights)! While I'm giving the full rundown about Sunset Lanai, I should probably mention that there were two things about our experience that were slightly less than perfect. The first was that there's only limited parking in the lot adjacent to the venue. Overflow parking is a short walk up or down the hill, which is less than ideal if you have a lot of guests wearing high heels, elderly, very young, etc. Also, the bar (which we paid to have manned for 3 hours) opened about 20 minutes late...so there was a long line/wait initially, for everyone who wanted to purchase drinks (or maybe we just have an unusual number of over-eager drinkers, lol). Aside from these 2 things, everything else was smooth sailing, so these weren't even really issues for us. All in all, I can't say enough about Sunset Lanai...and I'm so grateful to Yelp for pointing the way! Between the great (& delicious) menu options, easy communication, super reasonable prices and minimums--and I forgot to mention, very convenient / central location!!--this is really one of the best party venue options around. So if you're looking for a great party venue, definitely call this place ASAP...you can't go wrong! read more

Sunset Lanai is located inside Camp Smith. To get in you need to have a paper pass and Military I.D. The other option is to get sppnsored. I've been here for the Wednesday night mongolian bbq. While looking for possible venues for our wedding reception, we chose Sunset Lanai over the others. Why? The million dollar view of the place is worth it! You can see Honolulu, Pearl Harbor all the way to the Leeward coast. Looking to stick to your event budget? You can definitely work it here. They have lunch amd dinner options to fit any budget. Need a venue with a stage? They got it! I chose Sunset Lanai mainly because the view. It really is breathtaking. We worked with Maribel to help get all our guests passes and approved to come in. Maribel also communicated with us several times about menu options, table setup and even decorating/prepping time. When our wedding finally happened, everything went smoothly! Our vendors and guests had no trouble getting in. We were allowed to bring ethnic appetizers. Our guests enjoyed the buffet spread and drinks too. They were really amazed by the beautiful sunset right before dinner. CONS: You need to have military access to get in. All guests over 16 will need to go through a background check before getting a pass and be put on the guest list. I actually thought this gave me an advantage to keep away uninvited wedding crashers. It also made it easier to keep an accurate guest count. Overall, we loved working with Maribel and the Sunset Lanai staff. They were very helpful in making our special day a success! read more

See all

The best thing about this place is obviously the view! We came here for a military function, which I'm sure most events here usually are since it's located on a base. The food was buffet style in the main dining area, which was directly adjacent to a nice little bar. The sunset on the balcony is gorgeous and the patio is a nice place to chill and eat. My only complaint is that this place is extremely hard to find, the parking lot is beyond tiny, and the gate guards aren't great at directing you how to get there. The place is located on Camp Smith after an assortment of windy turns around the hills. It's easy drive right past it if you don't know where you're going. Even your maps phone GPS has trouble getting to the location. Luckily we had a friend who knew to put the location into Waze which led us there without issue, but if we didn't have that, I don't think we ever would have found it. read more

I don't know why it took me so long to review this place. I absolutely love Sunset Lanai! Only down side is that you need to be military or have proper credentials to access it. So, since my hubby has gotten out of the military back in 2014 it's been a while since we've been here. But lo and behold they allow civilian contractors with a CAC in, which is why we were to reserve the facility for my son's first birthday party back in June this year. Let me take it back 7 years ago because this is where my husband and I had our wedding reception. We were first introduced to this hidden gem by my friend. She knew we were desperately looking for a reception venue so she told me "you have to come have dinner with me on Wednesday I have the perfect venue for you". Turns out Wednesday is Mongolian BBQ night (yes even back 7 years ago). We were having dinner, the sun was setting, the view was gorgeous! I ended up booking that place for my wedding reception that very night. You really can't beat the view here. At night it is just gorgeous with the city lights twinkling. To say it was the highlight of our wedding reception is an understatement. When the sun set most of my guests were out on the lanai taking photos, hence the name Sunset Lanai. Since then up until my husband got out of the military, we would go at least one Wednesday a month for Mongolian BBQ. For Mongolian BBQ they set out different meats (beef, pork, chicken, shrimp, imitation crab), vegetables, noodles, different spices and seasoning and you just put it on your plate. When you're done they weigh it, you pay, and they cook it for you. Your own custom made dinner. The dinner also comes with soup and rice, several desserts and tea or fruit punch. You can call ahead to reserve a table for however many people in your party. Pro tip: as much as possible try to sit outside but they do have a bar area if that's more of your style. Fast forward to 2017, we had our son's first birthday. We planned his birthday really last minute, so when I found out Sunset Lanai was open, I gladly booked the place. Originally I was just planning to book the room and do outside catering, but their prices per head are so affordable that we ended up catering through them, more on that later. What worried us the most was getting a military sponsor for the event. It really wasn't a problem since we have lots of military friends and family that were willing to sponsor us in. But as I mentioned, they allow for civilian contractors to book the place as long as they have proper credentials, which my hubby has. They have a variety of catering options to choose from depending on your budget. Buffet menus range from about $18 to $40 depending on how many people in your party and the how many food choices in the buffet. Also they have platters if you want to add anything to the buffet menu. Seriously, I've searched many catering places and Sunset Lanai has THE BEST value for the food and service. We ended up getting the lunch buffet for $25 + tax per person (half off for kids 4-12, free 4 and below). The buffet included 3 appetizers choices (we chose Tri-color pasta salad, Chinese chicken salad, rainbow jello), bread rolls (with butter), rice, steamed veggies, chow mein, 3 entrees (we chose kalbi, lemon and caper mahi-mahi fish, and teriyaki chicken), 3 desserts (cakes or pies, hot tea/coffee, iced tea/fruit punch, and water. Seriously it was a lot of food. You can also bring your own "ethnic foods". For a Filipino family such as mine, that included the lechon (whole roast pig), the different varieties of Filipino pastries, and you can't have a local party without poke, and lots of it. Only down side is you have to bring your own paper goods for what you bring. No outside drinks allowed but you can open the bar, for a minimum for 2 hours. You can also choose to pick up the tab for the bar, or have your guests pay for their own drinks. Maribel and staff are also very helpful! Maribel communicated with me throughout the entire planning process, sending reminders through email and phone. Even when we're setting up and we were running late, she and her staff were there to lend a hand and help decorate. The only minor problem I encountered is with the guest list. Anyone 16 years old and over needs to provide a date of birth and a ID#/SSN# for background checks prior to the event passes being released. It's difficult to do when some of your guests question why. For me I just told my guests that it is a military installation, and it's the facility policy, so if they don't comply they might not be able to get on base, which put an end to the questions really quick. But to be honest it really was no problem for my husband and me. It helped us get an accurate head count and lessen the chances of party crashers. So if you're looking for a place with great food, awesome views, and a helpful staff Sunset Lanai is the place! read more

See all

You'll need base access for this spot but what an incredible view and hidden dinner location! Came here for a group dinner and had Mongolian BBQ stir fry. Would be an amazing event venue. read more

Sunset Lanai - View from Sunset Lanai - New American Near Me - Camp H M Smith, Hawaii

This establishment is named "Sunset Lanai" for one obvious reason - it has a lanai with a picturesque view of the sunset. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/sunset-lanai-camp-h-m-smith?select=fhu-1SLVepuRlPJxa2FUQQ#a05-3UuARrx9r1bHDe9GHw Unfortunately you can only enjoy the sunsets from here on Wednesday and Friday evenings. That's the only time they're open, other than during special events. Wednesday nights they feature Mongolian BBQ, which is excellent. It's $.85 per ounce, and your meal comes with complimentary white rice, iced tea, egg drop soup, and dessert. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/sunset-lanai-camp-h-m-smith?select=fhu-1SLVepuRlPJxa2FUQQ#8YljP3frakgA6oPus-6RPw They also have a lounge that is open on Wednesday nights and Friday nights. They have a nice selection of draft and bottled beers and other wonderful alcoholic beverages that will put you in that happy state of mind. My friend's daughter got married on the lanai, followed by a reception, and it was wonderful. Can't beat the panoramic view and privacy. If you have the credentials to get onto the Camp Smith base, consider dining here on a Wednesday night. Reservations are recommended but not required. read more

See all

This restaurant is amazing, friendly staff and outrageously tasty food. They are open Wednesdays and Thursdays. Everything is a must try. But the Crabby patty takes the show. It's light and fluffy. Not overpowering with breading or fishy flavor. read more

Sunset Lanai - Crabby patty is the show stopper. A must try - New American Near Me - Camp H M Smith, Hawaii

See all

My mom announced in August that she would be retiring the end of October. My dad then told my sisters and I to look for a venue for November....not next year this year. Talk about stress! I was calling the golf courses and hotels and the prices per person was expensive just for a lunch event. My dad then suggested I contact Sunset Lanai. I was seven years old when I went there. A very long time ago. Anyhow, I contacted Maribel and asked about available dates in November. We chose the first Saturday in November. Maribel then provided us with menus for my parents to review and choose. The price per person was so reasonable we chose to have my mom's event in the evening and my parents added the prime rib to their menu. The food was also delicious! I did not get a single complaint from my parents or our guests. They thoroughly enjoyed the food. That's a biggie for my family and me. You can also bring your own "ethnic foods" which was a great plus. You also have to bring in your own paper goods and serving utensils. Ethnic foods are stationed away from the buffet line. Oh, and don't forget the Ziploc bags in the event if you have to bring home any left over ethnic food! We chose to have a no host bar and the bar area has darts and a pool table. I mention this because if you have teenagers who are bored they can go in there instead of roaming outside the building. Maribel and her team of four did an OUTSTANDING job! They were warm, hospitable, fast and efficient! My communication (email and phone) with Maribel throughout the entire planning process was seamless. She and her team helped make this event very special for my mom. Now the only way to get this place is to be in the military, have a CAC card, or get sponsored by someone in the military. The next hurdle is dealing with your guests when you have to ask for their date of birth and driver's license number or SSN. This includes children, too. I felt squeamish asking for this info from our guests and assured them that this was needed for background checks prior to the event passes being released. I further explained that it's a military installation and its their policy. The outcome of my mom's retirement celebration was a happy one. So, if you're looking around for a venue to hold a special event - I highly recommend Sunset Lanai and its beautiful views, outstanding staff and ONO food! It is truly a gem worth considering. read more

Lovely ambiance and quite impressive views of Pearl Harbor, Diamond head, and the Ewa coast. Attended several functions here, the most recent being a pre-COVID 50th wedding anniversary dinner, but scouted out this venue again a couple of weeks ago in planning for a big upcoming event and remained impressed with the staff and support. One of the few places in the current COVID climate to crack the code on how to pull off executing a major celebration whilst keeping the preventive measures in place. They have a system to safely execute buffets and the spread of tables between the lanai and insider dining areas can effectively handle medium sized crowds safely snd with ease. Parking is rather limited to the 40 spaces immediately around the building/lot, and two additional overflow parking lots; one 300m uphill of the facility and the other one 300m down the hill in a grass lot. Staff and supervision are wonderful to work with and you can tell everyone takes tremendous pride in their work and attention to detail. Definitely consider them for your next event. DoD ID card holders and sponsored guests only. Call them for details. Mahalo for reading my review. read more

Certainly can't beat the view. Love unwinding there late afternoon on Fridays! The bartender/owner is very pleasant. Highly recommend!

We enjoy coming here for the Wednesday Mongolian. It is located at Camp Smith, where my hubby works, so it's very easy to meet him here pau hana. The Mongolian is all right, when they don't run out of items. The staff seems overworked at times, and it can be a wait for your Mongolian to arrive. But the real reason to come here is for the view. From this location there is an incredible 180 degree vista of the southern half of O'ahu. The setting sun is spectacular over the Waianae Mountains, followed by the city lights coming on and bringing the night alive. We often bring visitors here to get a perspective on points of interest they will be visiting. This is the reason for the 4 stars. Parking can be an issue, but there is more parking down the hill. Of course, then you have to hike UP the hill to the restaurant. They also hold special events here, which can be organized with the staff. read more

Think, "Ride of the Valkyries" (from Apocalypse Now). Just about the time the sun is setting, our dinner was inundated with flying termites! The safest room in the restaurant was in the bar, somewhat. At one point, all the lights were either dimmed or turned off in order to combat the nuisances, with the only lighting coming from the Tiki torches on the lanai. Imagine trying to eat your dinner and picking out termites, to avoid the extra 'crunch'. Not sure if it's just a Hawaii-thing or geographical location of Camp Smith & the restaurant. In any event, management needs to address the issue. Dinner menu wasn't spectacular. I had read that on Fridays there are Hot Wings served, but none were to be found. Instead, the buffet line had some kind of Asian (?) noodles & a myriad of other side dishes that left much to be desired. The setting sun provided spectacular views, as did the city lights, but all too often flying termites were all that were captured on cell phone photos. Wine was the saving grace. The pour was generous & prices the best in town. read more

This place is one of the hardest to get to locations I've ever been to! You think I'm joking? I felt like I was going through an unexplored jungle with a machete. Well I am kidding but it was really difficult to get to this place. If you use GPS just keep going. You will go down a road that looks diserted but trust me you will end up by a football field and that's where you need to be!!! The food here was very good. I do wish they had more healthy options for people like me that's on a diet. Their meat they was very fatty. But they had other options like roasted veggies and lots of salad. They also had a dessert bar at the event that I was at. Of course I did not partake. The best part of this place is the view. You have a panoramic view of the west side. Which is super cool. read more

Its unfortunate that this place is limited to DoD personnel and spouses. The view is uber amazing, and worth the whole drive (coming from Aina Haina #eastsidaz!). What made the experience even better for my wife and I, is that they had our fav CoCo Brown Beer!! It's not the usual, but left untouched from a previous graduation party they hosted - good to know that they can host parties. Wednesday evening is Mangolian BBQ and Friday evenings are your typical Bar/Lounge food. Let me tell you about their wings....that first bite was perfect. It's like they double fried the wings. Crispy outside, tender in the middle, and the sauce wasn't too watery just right in between a dry and wet rub - perfect. At least for my pallet. The Frickles was another amazing choice! Fried pickles with the right amount of breaded furikake seasoning. Other yelpers are better at describing the view. Well I'm here to let you know that you must see it for yourselves. A place you won't regret visiting, if you get the chance. DUDE, I'll take you! Hit me up if you want some beer, wings, and a view to remember. read more

You know, every now and again, my husband's job finds us a rare gem. Sometimes it is directly, but in the case of Sunset Lanai, it was indirectly. My husband played in a football game held at Camp Smith and remarked upon the amazing view and saying he would love to have a drink while enjoying it. A ref remarked that it was possible as there is an Officer's Club at Camp Smith that has a bar and has a Mongolian BBQ night on Wednesdays. Well, when my best friend came back for a second visit, with very expensive camera equipement in tow. we decided it was time to see have dinner at Camp Smith's O Club. Reservations are a definite must as the Sunset Lanai is not very large, maybe seating about 100 people, and you really want to be out ON the Lanai for sunset. The Mongolian BBQ is pretty good, not amazing and slightly pricey, but you aren't really paying for the food. You are paying for the view. You can see Diamond Head, Ko'olina, and even parts of Kunia from the Lanai, it is the most amazing view that you can get to without a hike. If you have base privileges and can get on to Camp Smith, I highly recommend you take advantage of Mongolian BBQ Wednesdays and Happy Hour Fridays, the only two days food is served. Be warned, Mongolian BBQ is cash only !!! read more

The view is amazing here!!! I was lucky be able to tag-along with a friend who was invited by another friend. We came for dinner and were able to enjoy the beautiful sunset. The food is decent Mongolian grill style fare, nothing special. I liked the sauce/spice station, there was plenty to choose from. For dessert, there were two pies available. I didn't care for the custard pie, but the apple pie was decent. read more

Kellie McNamara is by far the best manager I have ever seen. I had an issue with seating and she promptly rectified the issue and got us a seat close to the bar where Sam gave us exceptional service!!! read more

Went here to celebrate my husband's promotion and the view is phenomenal. We enjoyed the Mongolian Grill, which is much better than the one at the Hale Koa. It can be expensive since it's priced by weight, but if you season it right and include the right ingredients, it's truly delicious. The staff was very friendly and helped us to recommend what things to put in ours. The selection is awesome. Also, drinks over at the bar were very cheap. We really enjoyed it and had a great time. This is a nice, casual place to go for a good meal with a great view. read more

Awesome views and setting for dinner w the family. Food and drinks were great - Mongolian BBQ night! Great place for our military/veterans and their family's to relax and enjoy the great views of Pearl. read more

Thank you YELP for leading us to Sunset Lanai! We were looking for a dinner spot close to Aiea. This is located on Camp Smith - so access is limited to those who can get onto base. We came on a Wednesday night for Mangolian BBQ. So much fun to create your own dish. Many different choices to add to the Mangolian BBQ - best of all so many nicely cut veggies! It's easy to go a over board - try not to fill your bowl too high - cost is by weight and I definitely over indulged this first time. For sauces I asked the waitress and some repeat customers what they do - most just use a little of all - it's a crap shoot (especially for first timers). They even had custard and apple pie for dessert! One of the best parts is the view. Wow you can see Waianae to Diamond Head - it's like the end of a beautiful hike! I'll definitely try again one day - they're open Wed and Fri nights. read more

Located on Camp Smith this place is a real gem on Wednesday nights. I bring a lot of family out for Wed Mongolian. Reasonably priced food and drinks, it isn't gourmet, but the view is world class. We have yet to be disappointed. Remember you pay by the ounce, so make sure your eyes aren't bigger than your stomach or your wallet will feel it! read more

It was hard for me to find Camp Smith, but Sunset Lanai was easy to find once on base. Nice party atmosphere and nice scenery on the lanai. Good food. read more

I recently came here for an event. The venue is actually pretty nice for just about any type of event. They call it Sunset Lanai for a reason because there is a huge one right across from the stage and front area of the ballroom overlooking Aiea, Halawa, H3 freeway, H1 Freeway, Aloha Stadium, Moanalua, Pearl Harbor, Salt Lake, etc. If you don't have a lot of guests coming to your event then this venue is perfect. Getting to the venue and parking may be a bit of an obstacle since it is in the Marine Corps. Base of Camp Smith but other than that it's pretty good. They have catered food from the site which is pretty good. They have different types of menus depending on the package with your typical buffet style lunch/dinner with even a Kid's station which includes some hot wings, spring rolls, etc. The stage area is decent sized and the area can make up for a pretty darn good dance floor. I wouldn't invite no more than 100 people coming here because in actuality it is a pretty smaller type of recreation room than you would imagine. Near the Sunset lanai is a huge football field which is pretty random but cool anyway. One time they had some all women flag football action going on which was pretty beastly to see and watch. Overall, a pretty unique place to have an event. read more