Kind of fun with all the ponds and gardens. Food was OK. Just stay away from the hotel.
(3)
S D.
Have stayed here many times in both the Tower and the Terrace. Long story short - don't stay in the Terrace. For repeat visitors to HI though, the Tower is very convenient, especially if you don't plan on renting a car. It avoids all the crowds in Waikiki but is within walking distance of many stores and restaurants that the locals go to - Walmart, Kozo's, Likelike Drive Inn, Don Quijote, Ross, etc are a block or less away. Ala Moana Shopping Center is two blocks away. The Tower is not fancy, but clean & comfy enough. And you get 10% off you bill at the Pagoda Restaurant where you can get Kalua pig hash for breakfast!
(3)
Pule N.
Worst restaurant ever. Overall Buffet restaurants out here in Hawaii are the most expensive n worst tasting...
(1)
Noelani L.
Our server for the night was spot on. Very friendly service and he made our celebration a success. As we celebrated my Father in Law 1 year passing, we felt his presence with us in the tea house. The environment is calm and relaxing. Food is good.
(5)
Melvin S.
Senior citizen discount available.
(4)
Wade V.
We come here every year for the snow crab buffet and prime rib the main items, oh and poke. Besides the buffet chef Philip also designed the ala carte menu. Great atmosphere for semi-fine dining or casual dining and banquets. I would recommend it for all families and friends and groups.
(5)
MikiElle A.
FYI - THEY CLOSE THEIR (ala carte menu) KITCHEN AT 8P. Buffet ($38.95 per person) remains open til 930p. So if you can grind that much worth of food with 30 minutes before they close... you're set!
(2)
Kimo S.
On a whim, we decided to have a nice casual dinner. We wanted casual and comfort. My mom randomly suggested we try Pagoda because we haven't been in years. In short, it's nice and low key. The menu has been updated from the old days, but it sticks to local favorites. I had the oxtail soup because I like to compare it to others. I was pleasantly surprised. Tasty and a good value. I prefer their oxtail over Asahi grill by far. Asahi Grill has neglected this staple for a while (watery, chewy, skimpy). Pagoda gets it right by doing the simple things well! My mom commented that her poke salad was tasty and her house Chardonnay pour was a great value for $5.
(4)
Dibella M.
This was my highlight to staying at the Pagoda Hotel. I love how they have all the fish around the restaurant. Food was ok and affordable.
(3)
Leikela P.
A week before our dinner date, my sister made a reservation for us & we wanted to sit in the tea house. A couple days after they called back & said they overbooked the tea house & so we got kicked out of the tea house & sat in the dining area. My family just came from our dinner & the girl at the desk (Cara) was simply rude to my sister when she was just checking in just to notify that we were here & lastly our waiter took forever to check up on us & refill our drinks. Other than that, the food was satisfying.
(2)
Slur P.
At 11am they were still serving breakfast which is awesome for me because I usually get off to a late start with a baby in tow. I usually miss breakfast everywhere else because most places stop serving breakfast at 1030am. Today we tried the kalbi steak and eggs, cornbeef hash, but the ULTIMATE MUST-HAVE is the peanut butter stuffed French toast...WOW!!! Broke-da-mout food fabulousness. I've been to five star and even five diamond hotels that cannot compare to both the food and service here. I've been back six times in the past few months and am just so pleasantly surprised each time. Definite compliments to the chef. Maika'i loa 'oe!
(5)
Jolene K.
I was very disappointed. We went for brunch and most items was either cold or empty. My prime rib was laying already cut on another roast. He gave me that piece and I had to tell him, I can tell its cold because I can see the natural Oils solidify. The French toast was so hard that I couldn't bite it lol. But as always a fresh omelet station never fails, that item was a 5 star. Did not want to post pictures because I wasted a lot of food. Sorry
(2)
Sharon Y.
I absolutely love coming to Pagoda for breakfast! My son and I have been coming here for breakfast almost every Sunday. My favorites is the Peanut butter filled French toast with a side order of Portuguese sausage, the Kalua pork eggs benedict and the blueberry scones. I recently had tried the Kalua pork hash with roasted potatoes. Most Kalua pork dishes is usually oily, but this dish was prepared just right. Yummy!!!! Excellent customer service. Everyone are always so friendly, inviting and definitely accommodating. The servers are always on the ball to refill my cup of coffee. We never experienced feeling rushed out the door once we're done eating our meal. Ample parking, either at the restaurant parking structure which is free from 6am-4pm, at least I think it's til 4pm (just look at the sign) or the parking garage at Ross. This is such an awesome place to bring your kids. You can have a great breakfast, feed the Koi fishes for 50¢ , which is not a big deal peep and maybe take photographs with yr family & friends, etc in the beautiful garden. I LOVE it!
(5)
Brianna I.
If I could give zero stars; I would. I don't even know where to begin. First off, the restaurant was empty. We had a party of about 14 people (mostly elderly), we ordered our food by 7:15PM and our food didn't arrive until 8:30PM. That is just COMPLETELY ridiculous and just unacceptable! My grandfather and father's food DIDN'T EVEN COME! We sat there for almost TWO HOURS and they didn't even get their food! My grandfather ordered ramen, which in my mind shouldn't take more than 20 minutes at the most. My aunty ordered the exact same thing, but she got her food. My father ordered the steak, and yet the other customers who arrived AFTER us, was served their steak. Every time we would try to ask the waitress where our food was, she and they ignored us and were EXTREMELY rude. Only refilled our water once, and never ever checked up on us as they brought out our food. We complained to the manager and yet NOTHING was done about it. The table had a small party next to us and the same exact thing was happening to them; but at least they got all of their food. They were talking to us and warning us to look at our bill carefully because they had charged them for things that they didn't even receive! I felt bad for my aunty who paid for dinner because our tip was already included in the bill. Their service didn't even feel like it was anything. The food is so over priced too. Mine tasted like it came from the microwave, and I'm not the only one who felt that way. Don't go to Pagoda unless you want EXTREMELY SLOW AND UNPROFESSIONAL service.
(1)
Natasha G.
This was my second time going to this restaurant, the first time we went for lunch, they were sold out of the first thing my boyfriend asked for and then the second! We shrugged it off considering that it was close to the time they close to prepare for dinner so we thought maybe it was just that, the waiter was great and friendly and we sincerely enjoyed our time there. Now the second time! We had problems BEFORE I even stepped in the door. The hostess seemed like she had ZERO clue what she was doing, I bet a customer could be served us better than her. We told her 2 adults, 1 child and we need a high chair. She stumbled on her words and didn't know where to sit us, she asked if we wanted to sit by the window so of course we said sure, then she brought us to the middle table and said "you should sit here so you have more room for the stroller" .....okay....why'd you ask us in the first place. But before that while we were entering and discussing getting seated, she kept looking around like she had no clue what to do and we told her we wanted the menu - not the buffet and she told us we could help ourselves to the buffet, so we had to repeat ourselves (not good!) Then she just stood there staring at us like she had absolutely no clue what to do with us and as if she was waiting for us to do something and then that's when she offered the window only to sit us elsewhere. Then when finally got to the table she was playing around with the dishes, constantly moving them around and my boyfriend mentioned the high chair and she still stood there so I 'nudged' her a bit and said she could take anyway chair she wanted to make room for the high chair (the first time we ate here the waiter was smart enough to remove a chair and he was quick with the high chair) but even after those two hints and initially already telling her, we still had to ask someone else for a high chair!!! Then the actual person serving us came, he was quick, we did not have to wait for him, he was very nice, attentive and personal, I don't like personal, but that's just me and at this point we were seriously discussing walking out especially after our water came, my boyfriend sipped it and said "it's flavored! I tried it and it had a weird strong taste to it, I didn't want to drink it and when my boyfriend got a water refill, the water tasted like water, so we realized our original water was dirty!!!When we ordered, the first thing we ask for was sold out (but dinner just opened!, by the way when we ordered the bread pudding, they were sold out of ice cream that goes with it) the waiters should start put by saying what's sold out when you get your menus so you don't waste time expecting to order something that's sold out. I got the loco moco, boyfriend got the catch of the day and my son got the grilled cheese. And while ordering, the waiter tried to tell us what we wanted and when we didn't order it, he seemed disappointed and when I tried to order a side of rice for my son, he told me my son wouldn't finish it so don't get it, just let him have some rice off my plate.... -_-. So we called a manager. I don't remember her name but she was nice and apologized for our experience and offered drinks on the house and the food was good, boyfriend really loved the fish and while eating another manager came to check on us. After dinner we got dessert, this time the bread pudding was smaller and of course it didn't have ice cream hut the manager was nice enough to com that for us too and when we got out bill, she had given us 15% off. I really appreciate the managers help and will try again next time.
(2)
Allyson H.
I haven't been to the Pagoda in over 15 years but I do remember liking it. Well, things have changed. I had a work function and it was decided that we would go there for their lunch buffet. We were seated in the area where the food is and there wasn't any air conditioning. This is hurricane season in Hawaii and temperatures are at record highs so can you imagine how hot it was in there. Although the AC was working on the other side so at least the other patrons were comfortable. I'm on a diet and decided that this would be my cheat day there was nothing on the buffet that was worth cheating I tasted a little bit of just about everything and it was mediocre at best although I must say this service was good. Bottom line, not worth the time or money.
(2)
DP N.
Well, I was expecting the "Triple D" experience but ended up, "disappointed, disappointed and disappointed!" The two stars were for the service, the tuna and salmon poke. Before I decided to have our brunch there, I studied the Sunday brunch menu. Clearly it stated "sushi." But, there were none. I asked our server why they didn't have sushi, he just said, "sometimes we do and sometimes we don't." No fault of his. Oh, well. Sometimes you win, sometimes you pay too much for being disappointed.
(2)
Sherill Y.
This is a buffet style restaurant. Excellent food choices... Food was outstanding! They have really good fresh fried tempura veggies, shrimp, and many other assorted meats. They have great prime rib, crab legs and salmon along with other good food variety. I went for Sunday brunch with my small family. It was pricey but well worth the experience. The staff was attentive and afterwards feeding the koi fish along with other crazy fish was very fun and entertaining. Take the kids and have fun at this "floating" restaurant. Beautiful walk through the patio/pond. This was a first time visit, but it will not be the last. * Sunday Brunch Buffet 10:00 AM- 2:00 PM * Adults: $35.95, Children (5-8 years): $17.95 * Prices for buffet is pricey, but if you enjoy their ala carte menu - then you'll enjoy your time here.
(5)
Paul Y.
I haven't been here in a while so decided to come and have breakfast. First thing we walk in and see Jon the original owner of Eagle Cafe. He manage the restaurant and has done a great job. Redid the menu and added a breakfast (12.95)and a lunch (16.95) buffet! The food was good definitely be back again!
(4)
Clifton C.
I was excited to read that the Pagoda had brought back a new $12.95 Breakfast Buffet with popular favorites from 6:30 to 9:00am. I remember their old early breakfast buffet, having a few salad items, fresh fruit, eggs, breakfast meats, rice, fish, everything for a loco Moco, Miso soup, juices & coffee for around the same price. Times have changed and the new Breakfast Buffet is very limited in Menu selection. But with coffee included and perhaps the best tasting fried rice with absolutely just rice and a few chopped onions in it and perfectly cooked bacon & Portuguese sausage, it was worth it!
(3)
Nadia K.
I love breakfast foods and am always trying to find new places to brunch. Pagoda has been serving breakfast for 3 years now, but I didn't know until I read a recent article about it in the Dining Out Section of the Advertiser. They serve breakfast daily from 6:30am until 1:00pm (!!!) and 10am - 2pm for their Sunday brunch buffet. I had a three egg omelet ($9) and my sister had the Fresh Big Island Homemade Corned Beef Hash ($9). For the kids, we ordered off the kids' menu and was happy to find offerings like saimin as well as silver dollar pancakes and mini waffles. But the real reason we chose Pagoda for breakfast was for their Peanut Butter and Banana Stuffed French Toast ($11.50). It's peanut butter and bananas sandwiched between slices of French toast, served with a butterscotch banana sauce. *swoon* AND, it comes with a choice of meat. OMG, my very favorite dish. Another highlight was feeding the koi. The kids just love to feed the fish. It makes having breakfast a really fun time. If you park in the 2 level lot connected to the hotel, parking is free for patrons of the restaurant. Reservations were a cinch to make using Open Table. Really excited there is another breakfast option that is open late, affordable and DELICIOUS!
(4)
Brianne A.
I love the rib eye and crab legs, but most importantly I loved our waitress Anne! She is always friendly, smiles, and is very attentive. She even remembered that we visited during Mother's Day!
(5)
Sarah M.
We went for breakfast and had quite a nice experience. I had the Belgian waffle. It was pretty good. Exactly what one would expect from a Belgian waffle. My husband had the oxtail fried rice, which he LOVED. My son had the kids' egg breakfast. It was a lot of food for a little kid, but he ate about two thirds and said it was yummy. Others in our party had corned beef hash and the apple bake, which also had positive reviews. The apple bake takes a little longer than the other food, but not too long. The restaurant has windows all around and had a very nice garden area with a waterfall and a Koi pond encircling the restaurant. The also sell fish food to feed the Koi. My 2 year old had a great time waking around outside and feeding the fish after we ate. This place has pretty good food and is a great place to bring kids!
(4)
Kelly W.
My husband and i went here for our aniversary tonite. It was the best buffet ive ever eaten! Delicious fresh food! Amazing selection! IVE NEVER HAD BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE AT A RESTAURANT!!! FUN FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY!!! To top it off the drinks were reasonably priced $5 glass of wine and quality mixed drinks for $7. This is our new favorite place to eat here on Oahu.
(5)
Crystal B.
At this place you're paying for the restaurant view and not really for the food. Everything we had tasted pretty bland and was average. Not much of a selection if you're vegetarian. And the menu is a little overpriced for how little and ordinary you're getting. I was pretty underwhelmed by food but happy with the view and the service. Maybe just go for drinks on a date night. Skip the food.
(2)
Lari J.
I wanted to personally thank Darlene, Catering Mgr, for her incredible service and everything she did to help us with our company event. She did such an amazing job! The set-up was beautiful. The food was outstanding. It truly was the best buffet food we have had and received raving reviews from everyone that attended. The Seafood Crusted Salmon was the biggest hit. Also, the service was absolutely wonderful. Christian did a great job and was jumping to help us with everything we needed. We will most definitely be back to Pagoda and would recommend the catering services there to everyone. Mahalo nui loa for helping us have such a successful event!
(5)
Ed K.
couple sundays ago, was hungry so i look on yelp for where is good breakfast. egg's and things (too busy), prince buffet (denied), aha! pagoda. it is sorta ghetto in the way how theres 70's retro furniture and only metered parking or parking in the complex @ Ross, but it is a good tasting buffet and the atmosphere is great. there is an omelette chef, waffles, french toast, portugese sausage, salad bar, poke, lau lau, kalua pig, desert island, and many other island flavors to name a few. there is a koi pond underneath the restaurant and in between your meal, u can either go feed the fish with pellets for sale or take picture next to the waterfall. on our most recent visit, a white pidgen had gotten stuck inside the room with the guests. and we were all like 'oh no' because it was flapping right over everybody who was dining's head and banging against the windowsill trying to get out. then one of the servers use a chair to keep the door open and funnels the bird out. then everybody start cheering and clapping yaaaay! it was a moment i won't forget. 5 stars for pagoda and aloooha!
(5)
Ashley M.
I personally love Pagoda. I've been coming here all the time with my family ever since I was a little girl & years of coming here, means I got all the lessons needed to know how to open/crack crab legs without any of the crackers they give you. (whoop whoop!) We came here last Saturday for my grandma's birthday. She loves coming here for the prime rib and crab legs, so we've kinda made it a tradition where I would bring her here for her birthday. This year was different though...with things that came up, she hasn't had much time to see the whole family cause she's always tending to my brother who got into an accident, so I decided to invite the family to accompany us to celebrate her birthday as a surprise. Making reservations for a party of 41 of us wasn't so bad. Tried to do it online, but noticed that I could only reserve for up to 20 people so I figured that I'd just call them, which I did on Monday. I figure that I call early so their reservations don't fill up. I called them on Monday, which I didn't know they were closed and ended up waiting til the next morning to do so & they took it down. Finally, Saturday comes and we were seated right next to the buffet line which could be a good and bad thing. Good cause we're RIGHT there & I like the fact that we were able to see when they brought out a new batch of crab legs, and bad cause of course...everyone else in the restaurant gets a chance to see you with your mouth full. But the buffet line has a variety of poke, sea food, asian food, a sushi bar where its made when you order it, prime rib and CRAB LEGS! *DROOL* The two guys that were our waiters were very attentive by always refilling our drinks, and taking away our plates. One of the guys has been working there forever and he always takes care! I can never remember his name, but he seems to always be working whenever we go there. If I'm ever craving for tons of crab legs, this will be the first place I'd think of. The only thing that bummed me out was the fact that they didn't have their ice cream anymore! I always looked forward to eating some ice cream with sprinkles after my dinner...they need to bring that back!
(5)
Tracy Y.
Hidden oasis in the city. Great food and service while surrounded by a waterfall garden setting. Unique salt water spring water from the waterfall which they have colorful koi and large salt water fishes like Ulua, Baracuda, Moi and bunch of other fishes. Awesome buffet serving Prime Rib, Crab Legs and much more. Also great breakfast and lunch ala carte and buffet.
(5)
Char K.
It's been several years since I've been to the Pagoda Restaurant. And, as far as the building structure/maintenance not much visibly has changed. My 2 stars are not so much for the food, but more for the inside decor which could use some sprucing up. New carpeting or flooring would be nice to welcome guests with a "fresh," "clean" look, rather than a dated one. Another suggestion ... little children should not be allowed to run and scream throughout the restaurant while customers are trying to enjoy their meal. No one took charge to mention to these kids that it was a "safety" issue as they crossed paths with other patrons. This was once "the place" to hold graduation parties and weddings. Why not spend the money and refurbish the facility? It could be so much more!
(2)
Hope Y.
We visited Pagoda for lunch on Thanksgiving. I'm all about AYCE places, and when you add crab legs to that, I'm in heaven. Because it was Thanksgiving, it was a bit more expensive than the normal buffet, but they had some Thanksgiving items added to the spread. We were promptly seated, and encouraged to dig in, and our server brought us water for when we returned. There was prime rib and an omelet station, ono poke and sashimi, but for me, it's all about the crab. When crab is cooked right, and not overdone, I go into crab-ninja mode--pulling out all the meat with no problems. That is exactly what happened, so I ninja'd all that crab and had a second round of crab. (so thankful I don't get gout) What's really cool about Pagoda is that it's a "floating" restaurant. After your meal, take the time to walk around and feed the fish. It's a very serene setting when 6 year olds aren't running around screaming about the "huge fish". Luckily for me, there were no screaming kids, so we had a beautiful walk around the koi pond and fed the massive ulua.
(4)
Lisa O.
Have not been to the Pagoda for at least 20 yrs and for some odd reason kind of forgot they were even there. A co-worker invited my husband and I to breakfast last week Sunday morning. Needless to say, the food was awesome. I had the homemade corned beef hash and eggs. The hash was crispy and yummy. OMG it rocked. Then I realized my husband had been silent and that meant only one thing. The peanut butter and banana french toast he was having must have been delicious. Sure enough, I look over and his plate was clean -- totally clean. He inhaled it. At this point and I don't know why I did this, I said would you like to try the corned beef hash and he goes okay. Next thing I knew, he moved my plate in front of him and his empty was sitting in front of me lol Sometimes the best thing about eating with my husband is watching him enjoy his food. He's so cute and silent. We had breakfast there at 8:30am on a Sunday and it wasn't crowded but as we were leaving more people were coming in As we were leaving my husband told me if he had to rate what we had for breakfast, he would give his Peanut Butter & Banana French Toast 5 stars (best) and my corned beef hash 4.5. I never got to sample his breakfast because it was gone in a flash so I would give my corned beef hash 5 stars We both want to come back here again and hopefully soon!
(5)
Pamela L.
A last minute choice, we decided to come here. I've never been to the restaurant but I've been to Pagoda for numerous events. Buffet was great especially with the assortment of poke, omelette station, and crab legs. However I think it's time for a face lift since it's been forever since they renovated this place. But overall service and food was excellent.
(4)
Selaina D.
The food wasn't great :( we ordered onionrings garlic chkn & hamburgersteak. The onion ring was fried in old oil, the rice was dry & hard. The garnish on chkn was old. There was a bird in the restaurant & the employee said to leave it when we were trying to get it out because it eats the food on the ground! Ewe!! Never will eat here again! The fishes swimming around outside are cool! That's why we gave them 2 stars!!
(2)
David M.
Last minute Christmas Day choice was a great one. Wanted to celebrate the holiday with a buffet. Literally made the reservation one hour before dinner. They were able to accommodate us due to an additional buffet set up in their main ballroom. It was perfect! The room was very spacious with seating surrounding a large buffet setup in the center. The selections were endless! Appetizers were highlighted with an amazing poke bar, oysters on the half shell, salad bar with over 10 different types, clam chowder, sashimi, and sushi. As overwhelming as the appetizer selection was, the entree selection was even bigger! Over 15 different hot entrees including a prime rib carving station, snow crab legs, Chinese style steamed fish, crab stuffed salmon, shrimp and veggie tempura, black bean clams and mussels, teriyaki grilled chicken, braised short ribs, roasted turkey w giblet gravy, and I can't even remember the others but they were all delicious! The desert selection was not as great but I'm sure few had room after the buffet. Their bread pudding headlined the table with a selection of different pies and scones that were hard as a rock from the ac. Overall the extra room we were in was a treat after walking past the crowded restaurant. No lines at the buffet and courteous service was enough to add the cherry on this sundae for an amazing experience. We will be back for another holiday celebration!
(4)
Ivy Lou H.
Same service, FAST! Great food and friendly staff. The waitress we had this morning seems little off, she was nervous while taking our orders, she took my teaspoon even she saw me putting sugar on my coffee, but maybe she's new as I haven't seen her before so I'm giving her a chance! Lol! We always feel good if we get what we expect! Mahalo nui Loa Pagoda Floating Restaurant for being consistent!
(4)
Kim S.
3.5 stars. We went for breakfast & the March free pancake promo. I booked a table but it wasn't needed despite it being a Saturday. The host was friendly & accommodated my request to sit near the window so we may enjoy the waterfall view. Our waitress was friendly & attentive. She checked in with me while I waited for my friends & never rushed us. We ordered: Eggs Benedict $12.00 - Two English muffins topped with grilled Canadian ham (it was a nice slice of ham, not the cold cut type) and two poached eggs, laced with Hollandaise sauce. Selected hash browns instead of paniolo potatoes, rice or toast. It was good - the Hollandaise was a little weak but I hardly use it anyway. Fresh Big Island Homemade Corned Beef Hash $9.00 - Served with two eggs any style. Selected brown rice instead of paniolo potatoes, hash browns, or toast. The hash was tasty, would definitely order again. The 2 free pancakes (we each got 2 pancakes) were thick & fluffy. Simple & good. We enjoyed watching the koi & turtles. Plus took some photos in front of the waterfall & pagoda. BTW parking in their garage is free 6am-4pm! Or you can get it validated for the garage for Ross ($1/hour - I think).
(3)
Eric Robert R.
GOSH! I really want to love this place, but... The service here is absolutely PA-GHETTO! Yup, probably all local families living in a 100-miles radius have visited the magical floating restaurant. I've probably been here two dozen times, from keikihood to adulthood, and quite frankly, the service fluctuates from a ZERO - to a 5. It really depends on the mood of the day and the company you keep! Here's what I mean... On the occasions when I visited with local Ohana the service was always warm. Smiles everywhere and let's "talk story" attitude. On the few occasions I brought my "haole" mainlander friends/Ohana here, it usually starts of nice, but if the haole asks too many questions... Give 'um Stink-eye! It's plain weird. I hope I am wrong, but hmmm. To be fair this is directed to the one "native" waiter! I'm 110% local! To admit this is SAD! This review is based on my morning visit with one of my Hapa cousins and her "very southern non-local" boyfriend. Again, you really don't know what you'll get until you physically sit down. It's that inconsistent! AMBIANCE: It's fun! It's like being 10-years old again and entering one of those Japanese fairytale pagodas floating on a magical pond. The LARGE Koi, Humu, Baracuda and other fish steal the show here. Yes, oddly the pond is actually brackish which allows some Salties to live peacefully here too. The restaurant itself is clean and has that "tiki in koniki" vibe to it. Bamboo, Wicker, Hawaiiana decor, and Aloha-Print staff. Patrons are prob more local tourists than mainlanders, since Pagoda is still a popular spot for Ohana from the neighbor islands. Nice & relaxed vibe. GRADE: A GRUB: The grub is very local & Hawaiian, wannabe pacific-rim influenced dishes. Of course, the standard breakfast from pancakes to bacon & eggs to omelets available too. The cinnamon sweet bread french toast is actually really good and on the last visit here I had the "big island" loco moco- I was really surprised how good it was... Grass-fed big island beef, Eggs cooked to my liking and smothered with a rich brown mushroom gravy. Pagoda offers a breakfast, Sunday brunch buffet, lunch & dinner menu. Pretty intense. Hawaiian coffee, plantation ice tea, big island "Pava" (from KTA), etc are some drinks to enjoy. BONUS POINT: Pagoda offers a Kids Menu. Mini Waffles, Keiki Saimin, Burger & Fries, etc. Easy on the wallet. Overall a pretty good menu. GRADE: B- STAFF: This is where PA-GHETTO absolutely FAILS! Sadly, it's directed to one waiter, who ironically treated me and my Hapa cousin, Tiffany, very well, BUT treated her boyfriend like KAKA... I'm not clairvoyant, but I read body language and tone of voice very clearly. The waiter was incredibly insensitive to my cousins "non-local" boyfriend. To be civil here... I'll just say very "snappy". Maybe he was just jealous, idk. Just weird. The rest of the staff was okay, definitely not over and beyond, but at least decent. Lot's of side chitter-chatter and not paying attention. Be careful with mixed orders and because you order first doesn't mean you'll get it first. Watch-out for these inconsistencies. Still, that one BULLY dulls everything! GRADE: F OVERALL GRADE: 3.0-STARS! I was on the verge of giving PA-GHETTO a single star on that day, but instead let the days and months pass by as I reflect on the experience. I considered two-stars just thinking of the staff and Mr. Mean, BUT this place is such a local landmark I just couldn't pull the trigger! I would still recommend this place mainly because of the Koi, the pretty good menu, and that feeling of being 10-years old again and floating on a Japanese lake. Just avoid the OGRE!!! LIVE ALOHA... YELP REVIEW #221
(3)
Brannon T.
The rules of a buffet: 1) Get a plate. No plate, no food. Unless you want to be that guy who thinks his hands are his plate....gross. 2) Wait in line patiently. Everyone wants to get to the food. Just calm down and wait your turn. 3) Start collecting your bacon. By that I mean get whatever food you want. Sample everything you think you'd like. Round 2 is for the things you really liked. 4) Get your drinks and go back to your table. 5) Repeat until your hearts desire. This place has a great buffet. I love breakfast buffet. If you ever ask me to go to a buffet, it had better be in the morning. Pagoda has great service. I mean there's only so much to do during a buffet session outside of the kitchen. That's refilling water/drinks, serving the food that needs to be cooked or cut (omelets and prime rib) and making kids wonder what happened to their plate when they left to get seconds. I would recommend this place to tourist. I think they'd really enjoy this addition to their vacation.
Been coming here for ages and usually the food is awesome but not Easter. The prime rib was over cooked, fried rice was hard and old. Fried noodles wasn't worth even trying. Maybe it was because we went in the evening? Whatever the case I expected better. On the positive side, shrimp tempura was very good, shoyu steak a ok, and poke good. Really pigged out on the crab legs, although it tasted water logged. Very friendly staff and attentive. Love the garden and waterfall. Of course the Koi fish makes this place special. No matter, I will return because most times the buffet is awesome!!
(3)
Hoku T.
I've only eaten at Pagoda for family parties and get togethers for meetings. Always for dinner. The best part of eating here is having a nicely spread buffet from salads to poke, from hot fish to prime rib and king crab legs! The waterfall is always nice to enjoy before going into the restaurant and watching the different Koi fishes swim brings a nice tranquility to the restaurant. The staff are friendly and service is great when you have a good waiter or waitress! Parking seems to be the only humbug about this restaurant, because you have various places to choose from: Ross across the street, parking ramp and special parking by the hotel side. Prices for buffet is pricey, but if you enjoy their ala carte menu - then you'll enjoy your time here.
(4)
Kimo K.
This place is looking a little run down, but that is to be expected since it has been running for a long, long time. But I like the ambiance of the "floating restaurant" and the koi and the ulua swimming around. And I also like the casual, somewhat tropical nature of the restaurant's environment. Last year we had a good time and experience here so last Friday, we went for dinner again when I went home to Honolulu for a visit. I took the family, about 7 of us to eat at the buffet. I tried calling and emailing the restaurant to find out if steamed kampachi was still on the menu but I got no response to my email and whomever answered the telephone did not know. But we took a chance and went anyway. Well, I was immediately disappointed since steamed kampachi was not on the menu, and I was kinda ticked off. But we were already seated so we ate there anyway. Let me begin by saying that they replaced the kampachi with some kind of fish filets steamed the Chinese way -- very good IMO. I ate a lot. I don't know what kind of fish it was, although it sorta seemed like butterfish but with slightly firmer flesh. My son guessed basa or swai, but I couldn't tell. Anyway it was good. Poke bar was excellent again!! Even had a type of tofu poke which I loved. The salad bar is typical, except that they have tofu and watercress salad on it, which I loved (I am a tofu lover). All the tempura types were excellent. They added a chef making temaki sushi (hand rolls) which I thought was a nice addition. And we had some desserts which were pretty darn good too, especially the island varieties like coconut and guava chiffon cakes. They have some chicken dishes which looked good, but I did not want to waste my stomach on chicken. I tried some chow mein which tasted OK but the noodles were slightly over cooked. And of course they have prime rib, which I again did not try since I was not there to eat beef. All in all, I still think Pagoda is great and a good value. Cheaper than other major buffets but some of their dishes are more to my liking. Oh yeah, Their bar still has Kona Brewing Fire Rock Ale, which I love. And they had Kettle One vodka for my son and his wife. The prices for the beer and drinks are very fair for an establishment like this -- $5 per drink which is cheaper than other similar establishments. A good value IMO.
(4)
Dons A.
Good customer service. No refills on my tea so don't waste your money on drinks. Local menu with reasonable prices. I enjoyed the peanut butter stuffed french toast with bananas. Skimpy bananas...7 slim slices. Outdated atmosphere. Nice koi and other fish. Tranquil waterfall. It was deadsville for lunch. Us and 2 other tables. They serve breakfast and lunch until 2pm. Bathroom is basic and outside the restaurant. Limited parking. I have had their buffet dinner. It was quite busy and good. I would not entertain guests here. Close to our home so convenient. Overall, okay. Left much to be desired.
(3)
Shana L.
It's good food! I like it just wish it was a little more food then what they gave! Anyways yes I love the food it's amazing
(5)
Jack B.
Solid dinner. We came here with a groupon on a Thursday night for dinner around 8:15. The place was pretty empty, and we debated turning around and letting the groupon go to waste. I can confidently say that I am super happy we stayed. For dinner, I had the avocado & ahi poke and an order of the pork short rib buns. My wife had the short rib dinner. Everything was amazing. Ahi was super fresh, my wife ate her entire meal (a rarity), and the pork buns rivaled the best I have ever had. Our server was amazing, I am only deducting 1 star because the place was very empty when we went there and because yelp won't let me give this place 4.5 stars, which is what I would rate it.
(4)
Mark M.
I went to Pagoda the first time last week, and was pleasantly suprised. We went on a Thursday night and sat quickly and food came up quickly. The specials were good, the drinks were good, and the food was all very good. We had smoked tako (super tasty but a little bit on the small side - had to get another!), sizzling garlic ahi belly, as well as a keiki burger and the salmon special. The service from Marty was great - he's polite, attentive, energetic, and made great mixed drinks. In addition to that, their fish exhibit is really cool - theyve got plenty koi, a few omilu, and even a nice sized ulua! We got to see the staff feed the ulua, which I can say I haven't seen elsewhere on island. We'll be going back again soon!
(5)
Jessica E.
My boyfriend and I had 2 Groupon certificates gifted to us to dine here during our trip to Oahu. There was a 2pm lunch cut-off time specified in the Groupon small print so we made time in the middle of the day to go. We walked two miles to have lunch here and were turned away. Why were we turned away? Because they were slow and decided to close down early. I felt like it was super unprofessional and indicative of poor service, especially because the doors were still open and people were still working. I would not bother trying to go here again.
(1)
Ashlyn C.
No offense, but I've always viewed the pagoda hotel as, well, sort of a ghetto hotel. I've not been inside a hotel room, but, I mean look at the location it's in. I've been to a couple of my aunty's weddings in their ballroom, but I have to honestly say I don't remember much. I was in elementary school at the time. Anyway, because I've always thought of the hotel as "ghetto", it never ever occurred to me to eat at the restaurant. My dad bought a groupon for the restaurant & wanted me to go with him on Tuesday (7-9) to use it because it was gonna expire on like Wednesday or Thursday. First off, I'd like to mention the parking. You do not need to park on the street. You can park in their structure for free from I think 8a-4p. So do not pay the parking meter. Just walk right past it if you know you're coming back to your car before 4pm. If you pay the machine & it's before 4pm, you will have paid it for nothing. The inside of the restaurant is nothing spectacular, but it is definitely not ghetto. It's clean & decent looking. The service is excellent. First off, our waiter, Kyle is the one who told us that the structure was free from 8a-4p. We were brought water & menus right away. Kyle acknowledged our groupon when he saw my dad put it on the table. He made recommendations. We ordered. I was hungry & wanted to order everything, but decided on garlic chicken. My dad ordered the spring rolls for us to share & a kalbi plate for himself. Prices are reasonable. My chicken was $9. My dads kalbi was $11 or $12. Nothing on the breakfast/lunch menu is more than $12. They serve breakfast till 1pm & their lunch service starts at 11am. My garlic chicken was awesome. I'm not gonna start comparing it to mitsuken or anything, but it was really good. My dads kalbi was good, but I didn't think it was as good as my garlic chicken. I wouldn't order the kalbi if I went again. Our water glasses were constantly refilled by all of the waitstaff. We never once had to ask for water. There were absolutely no problems redeeming our groupon. I have to say I was pretty impressed with the food & service. I would definitely come here again, groupon or no groupon. Think I'll try the corned beef hash (they say it's homemade!) & eggs or their loco moco next time... I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. I would like to note, that if you're going to eat at the restaurant around 12:30 specifically to watch the kois & ulua get fed, don't bother. Kyle said that, yes, it does say that on the website, but they ONLY feed the fish at 8am everyday.
(4)
Hoku A.
Food selection and quality is good for the price! Prolly one of the best priced buffets in the area! It was not busy and Service by the old Filipino waiter was nails: he didn't check up on us until we were almost finished with our meal; I asked him to ask the bar to make a special drink he replies they didn't so that however when I went to the bar to ask they happily made my request and when he brought it to the table he tried to pass it off as if he'd convinced the barkeep to make it! He didn't refill our fountain drinks until the end and with the wrong soft drink; he did not clear our table of used plates nor offer the hot towels After eating crab legs. Not the service I'm used to in this establishment so I didn't give him a good tip; i rather give it to the barkeep.
(3)
Patty R.
Not appealing at all. Dirty surroundings, at least clean the windows.
(1)
Walle S.
As a frequent visitor here ive noticed the quality of the food seems to be slowly going downhill. Its seems that everything it just heavily soaked in seasame oil. I usually go on the weekends for the diner buffet. It does get pretty busy thus making reserbations is highly recommended especially with big parties. The Food isnt bad but is just average. The food is like something you would get at the mall. If eating at a buffet is going to cost about 40 per adult to include taxes etc. Then the food better be atleast above average. But this place was just AVERAGE. The upon paying for our checks since it was just 6 of us. We were then told that we could not split the checks. We then spoke to the manager about getting the check split and he said no. He was very rude and inconsiderate. He said it was store policy but yet they have always split our checks below
(1)
Kate P.
Never thought I'd leave a buffet hungry, but most dishes were not even worth a second bite. I had to pick up 5 plates before I found one without dried food left on it, and the one guy who was manning the handroll/prime rib station had visibly dirty hands and black fingernails with no gloves and served with his fingers and sneezed without covering his mouth right over the food. I'm incredibley surprised this place hasn't been shut down. The service was just as bad, the hostes greeted us with a rude "what?" when we entered, we had to wait despite having a reservation and half the tables being empty. We had to flag down someone each time we needed anything, water, a drink menu etc. despite the fact that there seemed to be more staff there than most restaurants. Nearly everyone was rude and acted like we were a huge inconvenience, and seemed to be only friendly with the regulars and big parties. $90 for two people to leave feeling hungry, angry and like we need to shower is ridiculous.
(1)
Y M.
Food is just okay. Nice Poke station, but I don't eat poke. Thought they recently renovated, but it looks the same, maybe brighter/cleaner. We couldn't tell what was renovated. Gotta pay for parking now - $1/hour if you park in the lot closest to the hotel. If you park in the Ross lot on the other street, it is cheaper with validation!! Place wasn't very crowded at all...Wait service was attentive and nice.
(2)
Debra L.
I ate at Pagoda restaurant the buffet on August 10, 2013 about 7:00 pm. I started to have a yummy dinner crab legs and prime rib and more. Then it happen I was disgusted and could not eat no more. As I was waiting by the prime rib serving area for more crab legs I heard a meow meow and I looked around then I realize the sound was coming from behind the counter. As I looked on the side of the counter where they serve the prime rib and crab leg and sushi there was a real live CAT meowing and trying to come out. OMG I told the waiter and he laughed and said oh yah we been trying to catch that one before we open we never know where went. The cook also agreed and I was disgusted and told them that cats have disease and this is a restaurant. I went back to my table told my husband then I asked for the manager quietly. I was being nice to pagoda and the other patrons by being on the quite side. I waited for the manager name Tracy Yadao who took about 10-12 minutes before coming out from the kitchen. I told him about the CAT and he tells me oh yah we were trying to catch the cat before we open but I had to open the doors so we will try again after and was wondering where it went. I repeated my self and said how disgusting that was that the cat had been in the restaurant for that long and who knows what food the cat came in contact with. And all he could say was we were wondering where it went. I told the manager I lost my appetite and is disgusted of knowing that the cat was in the food area since they open at 5:00 and now it was like 8:00 already. He did not even offer to accommodate my check in any way all he did was say oh sorry about that yah we will try catch um. OMG again what kind of manager lets his customer walk out being disgusted. I went back to my table and told my husband. I then spoke wit the waitress who didn't know what was going on as I explained to her about the CAT she was like oh my gosh. Don't even ask what the so called manager did for me NOTHING. Beware when u eat there for the CATS it's not someone's ring tone it is a real one. Disgusting very disgusting in a restaurant. I am so surprise that a popular restaurant did not take its customers health in consideration before opening it's doors.
(1)
H. H.
A few months ago, we started having breakfast at Pagoda and thought the food and ambience were great. But for the last couple of times, it seems like its going down hill. First there was the no-like-smile-deal-with-public-hostess; haven't seen her, so maybe she's gone. The current hostess with the feather tattoo, however, is great, greets you with a smile! One star for her! Then there's the food, which seems to be coming out of the kitchen slooooowwwww and lukewarm. We waited a good 1/2 hour before we asked one of the waiters (since our waitress was MIA) about our breakfast. It finally came to us served by a new face on the floor -- perhaps a Runner that had just arrived to work before the buffet opened at 10:00 a.m. Eggs on eggs benedict have been almost rock solid the last 2 times - probably after sitting under a heating lamp or cook doesn't know how to poach eggs. The newest sensation after eating their breakfast is our stomachs start to gurgle as if something was wrong with the food preparation or bad mix, or is it that cat I've been reading about. Yikes! Don't know what's going on, but I hope Pagoda will take these comments seriously. Come on, people, you have such a tradition going -- don't blow it. My second star will always be for the ambience and all the nostalgia that goes with it.
(2)
H N.
Yes, we two ate at the Pagoda with a Groupon. I also was a bit hesitant to buy the Groupon as I had eaten at the ballroom upstairs a few times and the food was definitely mediocre. However, I love half off so I decided to go for it. We ate a very late breakfast (noonish) on a Saturday and I was pleasantly surprised and the restaurant. The eggs benedict was delicious and the baked apple pancake was divine. (Too bad there was only one!) It was so pretty to see the koi swimming past us while we dined (we had a windom table) and we fed them after eating which was fun watching them jump all over themselves to eat the fish pellets. My only complaint is that they validated at the Ross parking lot and I still had to pay $2.00 at the booth. Had I used the Ross stamp, I could have paid for free!! Ironically, I had gone into Ross after lunch and spent $50.00 but since I had the Pagoda stamp, they wouldn't let me get validation from Ross. Overall, a good experience and I have since bought another Groupon for the Pagoda.
(4)
Stevie T.
What a surprising delicious a la carte dinner at a reasonable price. We had the Sake Soy Braised Beef Short Ribs, Seafood Linguini and the Roasted Salmon. To our surprise the short ribs were perfectly done, tender and flavorful and the seafood linguini had a light lobster cream sauce with plenty of seafood (mussels, shrimps and local catch). The roasted salmon came with a buttered sauce. In addition, we had three appetizers, the garlic edamame, sizzling garlic ahi belly and the seafood artichoke dip. Recommended by our waiter, the ahi belly was fantastic. It was a large piece of ahi belly, crispy and a wonderful sizzling sauce. For dessert, we had the brownie sundae; a warm brownie with chocolate sauce and ice cream. That was so good. Service was excellent. We will definitely have dinner there again.
(5)
Mo W.
Great food & friendly staff! Food on buffet line was constantly replenished. Nice casual atmosphere. Not too crowded & didn't have to fight the traffic to get here. I recommend everyone to try it. Yummie!
(5)
Iris J.
Surprisingly great straw/lihing margaritas at a cheap price... great service, Awesome tempura & to-die-for braised short ribs!!! I did have to request the chef to turn up the heat on the warmer since meat was somewhat room-temperature. He was kind to oblige... The atmosphere is welcoming and I always have an enjoyable experience.
(4)
Motorx X.
Used to go to their buffet for family get togethers at least twice a year, and enjoy the food. Tle last time i went the pond was empty, so i'm glad to see in other reviews that they're back. What keeps me from going back or going back more often us a house keeping issue. When i'm seated against the wall there was so much old food splatter dried on the wall and on the pictures hanging there, it was gross. Costs them a regular customer, but easily fixable so i hope they will.
(2)
Liz K.
Awesome! We have stayed, unfortunately, at the pagoda inn for 8 days due to surgery, and I am so impressed with the service and outstanding food!!!! Great service joy!!! Thank you so much for the infinite amounts of catering to my broth needs!!! The miso was the bomb!!!
(4)
Ka'awaloa K.
A great place. It had a wonderful ambiance and the food was pretty good. The service was top notch. Their is a good variety buffet from salads to poke not to mention fish , prime rib and king crab legs! The waterfall is pretty cool and watching the different Koi fishes swim brings a nice feel to the evening. We went on Valentines day and enjoyed a great show by Frank DeLima (always a riot)
(4)
Scott S.
This is my favorite restaurant in Honolulu. It's not the fanciest restaurant in the world but it's just a great place to eat with great ambiance. Before you even go in to eat, you can view the koi fish in the pond. For 50 cents, you can buy fish food to feed the fish. My kids love that. The food is excellent and reasonably priced. The buffet and the weekend is equally good. I highly recommend this restaurant for families. Every time I come to Honolulu, this restaurant is on the top of my places to eat.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Breakfast, Brunch Parking : Garage, Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Travis V.
Kind of fun with all the ponds and gardens. Food was OK. Just stay away from the hotel.
(3)S D.
Have stayed here many times in both the Tower and the Terrace. Long story short - don't stay in the Terrace. For repeat visitors to HI though, the Tower is very convenient, especially if you don't plan on renting a car. It avoids all the crowds in Waikiki but is within walking distance of many stores and restaurants that the locals go to - Walmart, Kozo's, Likelike Drive Inn, Don Quijote, Ross, etc are a block or less away. Ala Moana Shopping Center is two blocks away. The Tower is not fancy, but clean & comfy enough. And you get 10% off you bill at the Pagoda Restaurant where you can get Kalua pig hash for breakfast!
(3)Pule N.
Worst restaurant ever. Overall Buffet restaurants out here in Hawaii are the most expensive n worst tasting...
(1)Noelani L.
Our server for the night was spot on. Very friendly service and he made our celebration a success. As we celebrated my Father in Law 1 year passing, we felt his presence with us in the tea house. The environment is calm and relaxing. Food is good.
(5)Melvin S.
Senior citizen discount available.
(4)Wade V.
We come here every year for the snow crab buffet and prime rib the main items, oh and poke. Besides the buffet chef Philip also designed the ala carte menu. Great atmosphere for semi-fine dining or casual dining and banquets. I would recommend it for all families and friends and groups.
(5)MikiElle A.
FYI - THEY CLOSE THEIR (ala carte menu) KITCHEN AT 8P. Buffet ($38.95 per person) remains open til 930p. So if you can grind that much worth of food with 30 minutes before they close... you're set!
(2)Kimo S.
On a whim, we decided to have a nice casual dinner. We wanted casual and comfort. My mom randomly suggested we try Pagoda because we haven't been in years. In short, it's nice and low key. The menu has been updated from the old days, but it sticks to local favorites. I had the oxtail soup because I like to compare it to others. I was pleasantly surprised. Tasty and a good value. I prefer their oxtail over Asahi grill by far. Asahi Grill has neglected this staple for a while (watery, chewy, skimpy). Pagoda gets it right by doing the simple things well! My mom commented that her poke salad was tasty and her house Chardonnay pour was a great value for $5.
(4)Dibella M.
This was my highlight to staying at the Pagoda Hotel. I love how they have all the fish around the restaurant. Food was ok and affordable.
(3)Leikela P.
A week before our dinner date, my sister made a reservation for us & we wanted to sit in the tea house. A couple days after they called back & said they overbooked the tea house & so we got kicked out of the tea house & sat in the dining area. My family just came from our dinner & the girl at the desk (Cara) was simply rude to my sister when she was just checking in just to notify that we were here & lastly our waiter took forever to check up on us & refill our drinks. Other than that, the food was satisfying.
(2)Slur P.
At 11am they were still serving breakfast which is awesome for me because I usually get off to a late start with a baby in tow. I usually miss breakfast everywhere else because most places stop serving breakfast at 1030am. Today we tried the kalbi steak and eggs, cornbeef hash, but the ULTIMATE MUST-HAVE is the peanut butter stuffed French toast...WOW!!! Broke-da-mout food fabulousness. I've been to five star and even five diamond hotels that cannot compare to both the food and service here. I've been back six times in the past few months and am just so pleasantly surprised each time. Definite compliments to the chef. Maika'i loa 'oe!
(5)Jolene K.
I was very disappointed. We went for brunch and most items was either cold or empty. My prime rib was laying already cut on another roast. He gave me that piece and I had to tell him, I can tell its cold because I can see the natural Oils solidify. The French toast was so hard that I couldn't bite it lol. But as always a fresh omelet station never fails, that item was a 5 star. Did not want to post pictures because I wasted a lot of food. Sorry
(2)Sharon Y.
I absolutely love coming to Pagoda for breakfast! My son and I have been coming here for breakfast almost every Sunday. My favorites is the Peanut butter filled French toast with a side order of Portuguese sausage, the Kalua pork eggs benedict and the blueberry scones. I recently had tried the Kalua pork hash with roasted potatoes. Most Kalua pork dishes is usually oily, but this dish was prepared just right. Yummy!!!! Excellent customer service. Everyone are always so friendly, inviting and definitely accommodating. The servers are always on the ball to refill my cup of coffee. We never experienced feeling rushed out the door once we're done eating our meal. Ample parking, either at the restaurant parking structure which is free from 6am-4pm, at least I think it's til 4pm (just look at the sign) or the parking garage at Ross. This is such an awesome place to bring your kids. You can have a great breakfast, feed the Koi fishes for 50¢ , which is not a big deal peep and maybe take photographs with yr family & friends, etc in the beautiful garden. I LOVE it!
(5)Brianna I.
If I could give zero stars; I would. I don't even know where to begin. First off, the restaurant was empty. We had a party of about 14 people (mostly elderly), we ordered our food by 7:15PM and our food didn't arrive until 8:30PM. That is just COMPLETELY ridiculous and just unacceptable! My grandfather and father's food DIDN'T EVEN COME! We sat there for almost TWO HOURS and they didn't even get their food! My grandfather ordered ramen, which in my mind shouldn't take more than 20 minutes at the most. My aunty ordered the exact same thing, but she got her food. My father ordered the steak, and yet the other customers who arrived AFTER us, was served their steak. Every time we would try to ask the waitress where our food was, she and they ignored us and were EXTREMELY rude. Only refilled our water once, and never ever checked up on us as they brought out our food. We complained to the manager and yet NOTHING was done about it. The table had a small party next to us and the same exact thing was happening to them; but at least they got all of their food. They were talking to us and warning us to look at our bill carefully because they had charged them for things that they didn't even receive! I felt bad for my aunty who paid for dinner because our tip was already included in the bill. Their service didn't even feel like it was anything. The food is so over priced too. Mine tasted like it came from the microwave, and I'm not the only one who felt that way. Don't go to Pagoda unless you want EXTREMELY SLOW AND UNPROFESSIONAL service.
(1)Natasha G.
This was my second time going to this restaurant, the first time we went for lunch, they were sold out of the first thing my boyfriend asked for and then the second! We shrugged it off considering that it was close to the time they close to prepare for dinner so we thought maybe it was just that, the waiter was great and friendly and we sincerely enjoyed our time there. Now the second time! We had problems BEFORE I even stepped in the door. The hostess seemed like she had ZERO clue what she was doing, I bet a customer could be served us better than her. We told her 2 adults, 1 child and we need a high chair. She stumbled on her words and didn't know where to sit us, she asked if we wanted to sit by the window so of course we said sure, then she brought us to the middle table and said "you should sit here so you have more room for the stroller" .....okay....why'd you ask us in the first place. But before that while we were entering and discussing getting seated, she kept looking around like she had no clue what to do and we told her we wanted the menu - not the buffet and she told us we could help ourselves to the buffet, so we had to repeat ourselves (not good!) Then she just stood there staring at us like she had absolutely no clue what to do with us and as if she was waiting for us to do something and then that's when she offered the window only to sit us elsewhere. Then when finally got to the table she was playing around with the dishes, constantly moving them around and my boyfriend mentioned the high chair and she still stood there so I 'nudged' her a bit and said she could take anyway chair she wanted to make room for the high chair (the first time we ate here the waiter was smart enough to remove a chair and he was quick with the high chair) but even after those two hints and initially already telling her, we still had to ask someone else for a high chair!!! Then the actual person serving us came, he was quick, we did not have to wait for him, he was very nice, attentive and personal, I don't like personal, but that's just me and at this point we were seriously discussing walking out especially after our water came, my boyfriend sipped it and said "it's flavored! I tried it and it had a weird strong taste to it, I didn't want to drink it and when my boyfriend got a water refill, the water tasted like water, so we realized our original water was dirty!!!When we ordered, the first thing we ask for was sold out (but dinner just opened!, by the way when we ordered the bread pudding, they were sold out of ice cream that goes with it) the waiters should start put by saying what's sold out when you get your menus so you don't waste time expecting to order something that's sold out. I got the loco moco, boyfriend got the catch of the day and my son got the grilled cheese. And while ordering, the waiter tried to tell us what we wanted and when we didn't order it, he seemed disappointed and when I tried to order a side of rice for my son, he told me my son wouldn't finish it so don't get it, just let him have some rice off my plate.... -_-. So we called a manager. I don't remember her name but she was nice and apologized for our experience and offered drinks on the house and the food was good, boyfriend really loved the fish and while eating another manager came to check on us. After dinner we got dessert, this time the bread pudding was smaller and of course it didn't have ice cream hut the manager was nice enough to com that for us too and when we got out bill, she had given us 15% off. I really appreciate the managers help and will try again next time.
(2)Allyson H.
I haven't been to the Pagoda in over 15 years but I do remember liking it. Well, things have changed. I had a work function and it was decided that we would go there for their lunch buffet. We were seated in the area where the food is and there wasn't any air conditioning. This is hurricane season in Hawaii and temperatures are at record highs so can you imagine how hot it was in there. Although the AC was working on the other side so at least the other patrons were comfortable. I'm on a diet and decided that this would be my cheat day there was nothing on the buffet that was worth cheating I tasted a little bit of just about everything and it was mediocre at best although I must say this service was good. Bottom line, not worth the time or money.
(2)DP N.
Well, I was expecting the "Triple D" experience but ended up, "disappointed, disappointed and disappointed!" The two stars were for the service, the tuna and salmon poke. Before I decided to have our brunch there, I studied the Sunday brunch menu. Clearly it stated "sushi." But, there were none. I asked our server why they didn't have sushi, he just said, "sometimes we do and sometimes we don't." No fault of his. Oh, well. Sometimes you win, sometimes you pay too much for being disappointed.
(2)Sherill Y.
This is a buffet style restaurant. Excellent food choices... Food was outstanding! They have really good fresh fried tempura veggies, shrimp, and many other assorted meats. They have great prime rib, crab legs and salmon along with other good food variety. I went for Sunday brunch with my small family. It was pricey but well worth the experience. The staff was attentive and afterwards feeding the koi fish along with other crazy fish was very fun and entertaining. Take the kids and have fun at this "floating" restaurant. Beautiful walk through the patio/pond. This was a first time visit, but it will not be the last. * Sunday Brunch Buffet 10:00 AM- 2:00 PM * Adults: $35.95, Children (5-8 years): $17.95 * Prices for buffet is pricey, but if you enjoy their ala carte menu - then you'll enjoy your time here.
(5)Paul Y.
I haven't been here in a while so decided to come and have breakfast. First thing we walk in and see Jon the original owner of Eagle Cafe. He manage the restaurant and has done a great job. Redid the menu and added a breakfast (12.95)and a lunch (16.95) buffet! The food was good definitely be back again!
(4)Clifton C.
I was excited to read that the Pagoda had brought back a new $12.95 Breakfast Buffet with popular favorites from 6:30 to 9:00am. I remember their old early breakfast buffet, having a few salad items, fresh fruit, eggs, breakfast meats, rice, fish, everything for a loco Moco, Miso soup, juices & coffee for around the same price. Times have changed and the new Breakfast Buffet is very limited in Menu selection. But with coffee included and perhaps the best tasting fried rice with absolutely just rice and a few chopped onions in it and perfectly cooked bacon & Portuguese sausage, it was worth it!
(3)Nadia K.
I love breakfast foods and am always trying to find new places to brunch. Pagoda has been serving breakfast for 3 years now, but I didn't know until I read a recent article about it in the Dining Out Section of the Advertiser. They serve breakfast daily from 6:30am until 1:00pm (!!!) and 10am - 2pm for their Sunday brunch buffet. I had a three egg omelet ($9) and my sister had the Fresh Big Island Homemade Corned Beef Hash ($9). For the kids, we ordered off the kids' menu and was happy to find offerings like saimin as well as silver dollar pancakes and mini waffles. But the real reason we chose Pagoda for breakfast was for their Peanut Butter and Banana Stuffed French Toast ($11.50). It's peanut butter and bananas sandwiched between slices of French toast, served with a butterscotch banana sauce. *swoon* AND, it comes with a choice of meat. OMG, my very favorite dish. Another highlight was feeding the koi. The kids just love to feed the fish. It makes having breakfast a really fun time. If you park in the 2 level lot connected to the hotel, parking is free for patrons of the restaurant. Reservations were a cinch to make using Open Table. Really excited there is another breakfast option that is open late, affordable and DELICIOUS!
(4)Brianne A.
I love the rib eye and crab legs, but most importantly I loved our waitress Anne! She is always friendly, smiles, and is very attentive. She even remembered that we visited during Mother's Day!
(5)Sarah M.
We went for breakfast and had quite a nice experience. I had the Belgian waffle. It was pretty good. Exactly what one would expect from a Belgian waffle. My husband had the oxtail fried rice, which he LOVED. My son had the kids' egg breakfast. It was a lot of food for a little kid, but he ate about two thirds and said it was yummy. Others in our party had corned beef hash and the apple bake, which also had positive reviews. The apple bake takes a little longer than the other food, but not too long. The restaurant has windows all around and had a very nice garden area with a waterfall and a Koi pond encircling the restaurant. The also sell fish food to feed the Koi. My 2 year old had a great time waking around outside and feeding the fish after we ate. This place has pretty good food and is a great place to bring kids!
(4)Kelly W.
My husband and i went here for our aniversary tonite. It was the best buffet ive ever eaten! Delicious fresh food! Amazing selection! IVE NEVER HAD BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE AT A RESTAURANT!!! FUN FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY!!! To top it off the drinks were reasonably priced $5 glass of wine and quality mixed drinks for $7. This is our new favorite place to eat here on Oahu.
(5)Crystal B.
At this place you're paying for the restaurant view and not really for the food. Everything we had tasted pretty bland and was average. Not much of a selection if you're vegetarian. And the menu is a little overpriced for how little and ordinary you're getting. I was pretty underwhelmed by food but happy with the view and the service. Maybe just go for drinks on a date night. Skip the food.
(2)Lari J.
I wanted to personally thank Darlene, Catering Mgr, for her incredible service and everything she did to help us with our company event. She did such an amazing job! The set-up was beautiful. The food was outstanding. It truly was the best buffet food we have had and received raving reviews from everyone that attended. The Seafood Crusted Salmon was the biggest hit. Also, the service was absolutely wonderful. Christian did a great job and was jumping to help us with everything we needed. We will most definitely be back to Pagoda and would recommend the catering services there to everyone. Mahalo nui loa for helping us have such a successful event!
(5)Ed K.
couple sundays ago, was hungry so i look on yelp for where is good breakfast. egg's and things (too busy), prince buffet (denied), aha! pagoda. it is sorta ghetto in the way how theres 70's retro furniture and only metered parking or parking in the complex @ Ross, but it is a good tasting buffet and the atmosphere is great. there is an omelette chef, waffles, french toast, portugese sausage, salad bar, poke, lau lau, kalua pig, desert island, and many other island flavors to name a few. there is a koi pond underneath the restaurant and in between your meal, u can either go feed the fish with pellets for sale or take picture next to the waterfall. on our most recent visit, a white pidgen had gotten stuck inside the room with the guests. and we were all like 'oh no' because it was flapping right over everybody who was dining's head and banging against the windowsill trying to get out. then one of the servers use a chair to keep the door open and funnels the bird out. then everybody start cheering and clapping yaaaay! it was a moment i won't forget. 5 stars for pagoda and aloooha!
(5)Ashley M.
I personally love Pagoda. I've been coming here all the time with my family ever since I was a little girl & years of coming here, means I got all the lessons needed to know how to open/crack crab legs without any of the crackers they give you. (whoop whoop!) We came here last Saturday for my grandma's birthday. She loves coming here for the prime rib and crab legs, so we've kinda made it a tradition where I would bring her here for her birthday. This year was different though...with things that came up, she hasn't had much time to see the whole family cause she's always tending to my brother who got into an accident, so I decided to invite the family to accompany us to celebrate her birthday as a surprise. Making reservations for a party of 41 of us wasn't so bad. Tried to do it online, but noticed that I could only reserve for up to 20 people so I figured that I'd just call them, which I did on Monday. I figure that I call early so their reservations don't fill up. I called them on Monday, which I didn't know they were closed and ended up waiting til the next morning to do so & they took it down. Finally, Saturday comes and we were seated right next to the buffet line which could be a good and bad thing. Good cause we're RIGHT there & I like the fact that we were able to see when they brought out a new batch of crab legs, and bad cause of course...everyone else in the restaurant gets a chance to see you with your mouth full. But the buffet line has a variety of poke, sea food, asian food, a sushi bar where its made when you order it, prime rib and CRAB LEGS! *DROOL* The two guys that were our waiters were very attentive by always refilling our drinks, and taking away our plates. One of the guys has been working there forever and he always takes care! I can never remember his name, but he seems to always be working whenever we go there. If I'm ever craving for tons of crab legs, this will be the first place I'd think of. The only thing that bummed me out was the fact that they didn't have their ice cream anymore! I always looked forward to eating some ice cream with sprinkles after my dinner...they need to bring that back!
(5)Tracy Y.
Hidden oasis in the city. Great food and service while surrounded by a waterfall garden setting. Unique salt water spring water from the waterfall which they have colorful koi and large salt water fishes like Ulua, Baracuda, Moi and bunch of other fishes. Awesome buffet serving Prime Rib, Crab Legs and much more. Also great breakfast and lunch ala carte and buffet.
(5)Char K.
It's been several years since I've been to the Pagoda Restaurant. And, as far as the building structure/maintenance not much visibly has changed. My 2 stars are not so much for the food, but more for the inside decor which could use some sprucing up. New carpeting or flooring would be nice to welcome guests with a "fresh," "clean" look, rather than a dated one. Another suggestion ... little children should not be allowed to run and scream throughout the restaurant while customers are trying to enjoy their meal. No one took charge to mention to these kids that it was a "safety" issue as they crossed paths with other patrons. This was once "the place" to hold graduation parties and weddings. Why not spend the money and refurbish the facility? It could be so much more!
(2)Hope Y.
We visited Pagoda for lunch on Thanksgiving. I'm all about AYCE places, and when you add crab legs to that, I'm in heaven. Because it was Thanksgiving, it was a bit more expensive than the normal buffet, but they had some Thanksgiving items added to the spread. We were promptly seated, and encouraged to dig in, and our server brought us water for when we returned. There was prime rib and an omelet station, ono poke and sashimi, but for me, it's all about the crab. When crab is cooked right, and not overdone, I go into crab-ninja mode--pulling out all the meat with no problems. That is exactly what happened, so I ninja'd all that crab and had a second round of crab. (so thankful I don't get gout) What's really cool about Pagoda is that it's a "floating" restaurant. After your meal, take the time to walk around and feed the fish. It's a very serene setting when 6 year olds aren't running around screaming about the "huge fish". Luckily for me, there were no screaming kids, so we had a beautiful walk around the koi pond and fed the massive ulua.
(4)Lisa O.
Have not been to the Pagoda for at least 20 yrs and for some odd reason kind of forgot they were even there. A co-worker invited my husband and I to breakfast last week Sunday morning. Needless to say, the food was awesome. I had the homemade corned beef hash and eggs. The hash was crispy and yummy. OMG it rocked. Then I realized my husband had been silent and that meant only one thing. The peanut butter and banana french toast he was having must have been delicious. Sure enough, I look over and his plate was clean -- totally clean. He inhaled it. At this point and I don't know why I did this, I said would you like to try the corned beef hash and he goes okay. Next thing I knew, he moved my plate in front of him and his empty was sitting in front of me lol Sometimes the best thing about eating with my husband is watching him enjoy his food. He's so cute and silent. We had breakfast there at 8:30am on a Sunday and it wasn't crowded but as we were leaving more people were coming in As we were leaving my husband told me if he had to rate what we had for breakfast, he would give his Peanut Butter & Banana French Toast 5 stars (best) and my corned beef hash 4.5. I never got to sample his breakfast because it was gone in a flash so I would give my corned beef hash 5 stars We both want to come back here again and hopefully soon!
(5)Pamela L.
A last minute choice, we decided to come here. I've never been to the restaurant but I've been to Pagoda for numerous events. Buffet was great especially with the assortment of poke, omelette station, and crab legs. However I think it's time for a face lift since it's been forever since they renovated this place. But overall service and food was excellent.
(4)Selaina D.
The food wasn't great :( we ordered onionrings garlic chkn & hamburgersteak. The onion ring was fried in old oil, the rice was dry & hard. The garnish on chkn was old. There was a bird in the restaurant & the employee said to leave it when we were trying to get it out because it eats the food on the ground! Ewe!! Never will eat here again! The fishes swimming around outside are cool! That's why we gave them 2 stars!!
(2)David M.
Last minute Christmas Day choice was a great one. Wanted to celebrate the holiday with a buffet. Literally made the reservation one hour before dinner. They were able to accommodate us due to an additional buffet set up in their main ballroom. It was perfect! The room was very spacious with seating surrounding a large buffet setup in the center. The selections were endless! Appetizers were highlighted with an amazing poke bar, oysters on the half shell, salad bar with over 10 different types, clam chowder, sashimi, and sushi. As overwhelming as the appetizer selection was, the entree selection was even bigger! Over 15 different hot entrees including a prime rib carving station, snow crab legs, Chinese style steamed fish, crab stuffed salmon, shrimp and veggie tempura, black bean clams and mussels, teriyaki grilled chicken, braised short ribs, roasted turkey w giblet gravy, and I can't even remember the others but they were all delicious! The desert selection was not as great but I'm sure few had room after the buffet. Their bread pudding headlined the table with a selection of different pies and scones that were hard as a rock from the ac. Overall the extra room we were in was a treat after walking past the crowded restaurant. No lines at the buffet and courteous service was enough to add the cherry on this sundae for an amazing experience. We will be back for another holiday celebration!
(4)Ivy Lou H.
Same service, FAST! Great food and friendly staff. The waitress we had this morning seems little off, she was nervous while taking our orders, she took my teaspoon even she saw me putting sugar on my coffee, but maybe she's new as I haven't seen her before so I'm giving her a chance! Lol! We always feel good if we get what we expect! Mahalo nui Loa Pagoda Floating Restaurant for being consistent!
(4)Kim S.
3.5 stars. We went for breakfast & the March free pancake promo. I booked a table but it wasn't needed despite it being a Saturday. The host was friendly & accommodated my request to sit near the window so we may enjoy the waterfall view. Our waitress was friendly & attentive. She checked in with me while I waited for my friends & never rushed us. We ordered: Eggs Benedict $12.00 - Two English muffins topped with grilled Canadian ham (it was a nice slice of ham, not the cold cut type) and two poached eggs, laced with Hollandaise sauce. Selected hash browns instead of paniolo potatoes, rice or toast. It was good - the Hollandaise was a little weak but I hardly use it anyway. Fresh Big Island Homemade Corned Beef Hash $9.00 - Served with two eggs any style. Selected brown rice instead of paniolo potatoes, hash browns, or toast. The hash was tasty, would definitely order again. The 2 free pancakes (we each got 2 pancakes) were thick & fluffy. Simple & good. We enjoyed watching the koi & turtles. Plus took some photos in front of the waterfall & pagoda. BTW parking in their garage is free 6am-4pm! Or you can get it validated for the garage for Ross ($1/hour - I think).
(3)Eric Robert R.
GOSH! I really want to love this place, but... The service here is absolutely PA-GHETTO! Yup, probably all local families living in a 100-miles radius have visited the magical floating restaurant. I've probably been here two dozen times, from keikihood to adulthood, and quite frankly, the service fluctuates from a ZERO - to a 5. It really depends on the mood of the day and the company you keep! Here's what I mean... On the occasions when I visited with local Ohana the service was always warm. Smiles everywhere and let's "talk story" attitude. On the few occasions I brought my "haole" mainlander friends/Ohana here, it usually starts of nice, but if the haole asks too many questions... Give 'um Stink-eye! It's plain weird. I hope I am wrong, but hmmm. To be fair this is directed to the one "native" waiter! I'm 110% local! To admit this is SAD! This review is based on my morning visit with one of my Hapa cousins and her "very southern non-local" boyfriend. Again, you really don't know what you'll get until you physically sit down. It's that inconsistent! AMBIANCE: It's fun! It's like being 10-years old again and entering one of those Japanese fairytale pagodas floating on a magical pond. The LARGE Koi, Humu, Baracuda and other fish steal the show here. Yes, oddly the pond is actually brackish which allows some Salties to live peacefully here too. The restaurant itself is clean and has that "tiki in koniki" vibe to it. Bamboo, Wicker, Hawaiiana decor, and Aloha-Print staff. Patrons are prob more local tourists than mainlanders, since Pagoda is still a popular spot for Ohana from the neighbor islands. Nice & relaxed vibe. GRADE: A GRUB: The grub is very local & Hawaiian, wannabe pacific-rim influenced dishes. Of course, the standard breakfast from pancakes to bacon & eggs to omelets available too. The cinnamon sweet bread french toast is actually really good and on the last visit here I had the "big island" loco moco- I was really surprised how good it was... Grass-fed big island beef, Eggs cooked to my liking and smothered with a rich brown mushroom gravy. Pagoda offers a breakfast, Sunday brunch buffet, lunch & dinner menu. Pretty intense. Hawaiian coffee, plantation ice tea, big island "Pava" (from KTA), etc are some drinks to enjoy. BONUS POINT: Pagoda offers a Kids Menu. Mini Waffles, Keiki Saimin, Burger & Fries, etc. Easy on the wallet. Overall a pretty good menu. GRADE: B- STAFF: This is where PA-GHETTO absolutely FAILS! Sadly, it's directed to one waiter, who ironically treated me and my Hapa cousin, Tiffany, very well, BUT treated her boyfriend like KAKA... I'm not clairvoyant, but I read body language and tone of voice very clearly. The waiter was incredibly insensitive to my cousins "non-local" boyfriend. To be civil here... I'll just say very "snappy". Maybe he was just jealous, idk. Just weird. The rest of the staff was okay, definitely not over and beyond, but at least decent. Lot's of side chitter-chatter and not paying attention. Be careful with mixed orders and because you order first doesn't mean you'll get it first. Watch-out for these inconsistencies. Still, that one BULLY dulls everything! GRADE: F OVERALL GRADE: 3.0-STARS! I was on the verge of giving PA-GHETTO a single star on that day, but instead let the days and months pass by as I reflect on the experience. I considered two-stars just thinking of the staff and Mr. Mean, BUT this place is such a local landmark I just couldn't pull the trigger! I would still recommend this place mainly because of the Koi, the pretty good menu, and that feeling of being 10-years old again and floating on a Japanese lake. Just avoid the OGRE!!! LIVE ALOHA... YELP REVIEW #221
(3)Brannon T.
The rules of a buffet: 1) Get a plate. No plate, no food. Unless you want to be that guy who thinks his hands are his plate....gross. 2) Wait in line patiently. Everyone wants to get to the food. Just calm down and wait your turn. 3) Start collecting your bacon. By that I mean get whatever food you want. Sample everything you think you'd like. Round 2 is for the things you really liked. 4) Get your drinks and go back to your table. 5) Repeat until your hearts desire. This place has a great buffet. I love breakfast buffet. If you ever ask me to go to a buffet, it had better be in the morning. Pagoda has great service. I mean there's only so much to do during a buffet session outside of the kitchen. That's refilling water/drinks, serving the food that needs to be cooked or cut (omelets and prime rib) and making kids wonder what happened to their plate when they left to get seconds. I would recommend this place to tourist. I think they'd really enjoy this addition to their vacation.
(5)Angel A.
First I want to say I gave up seafood for lent. Ok the night before Easter my fiancé and I spent an hour or more looking for a place we could fine for brunch that would celebrate my sacrifice, and not clean us out! We almost gave up until we came across this place. It was reasonably priced And we could get a reservation! So we get there and still had to wait, but the beautiful waterfall and the Huge koi fish kept us busy with pictures. When we got seated I went straight for the crab legs! They were great! But the surprise was the salmon that had crab on the top! It was sooooo good. And the kicker was they have $4 mimosas! Chile please! I can't comment on the other food cause that's all I had and it was more than enough. My fiancé said the prime rib and French toast was great! Service 18% tip! Thanks Joy. We will be back'!
(4)Elizabeth D.
Been coming here for ages and usually the food is awesome but not Easter. The prime rib was over cooked, fried rice was hard and old. Fried noodles wasn't worth even trying. Maybe it was because we went in the evening? Whatever the case I expected better. On the positive side, shrimp tempura was very good, shoyu steak a ok, and poke good. Really pigged out on the crab legs, although it tasted water logged. Very friendly staff and attentive. Love the garden and waterfall. Of course the Koi fish makes this place special. No matter, I will return because most times the buffet is awesome!!
(3)Hoku T.
I've only eaten at Pagoda for family parties and get togethers for meetings. Always for dinner. The best part of eating here is having a nicely spread buffet from salads to poke, from hot fish to prime rib and king crab legs! The waterfall is always nice to enjoy before going into the restaurant and watching the different Koi fishes swim brings a nice tranquility to the restaurant. The staff are friendly and service is great when you have a good waiter or waitress! Parking seems to be the only humbug about this restaurant, because you have various places to choose from: Ross across the street, parking ramp and special parking by the hotel side. Prices for buffet is pricey, but if you enjoy their ala carte menu - then you'll enjoy your time here.
(4)Kimo K.
This place is looking a little run down, but that is to be expected since it has been running for a long, long time. But I like the ambiance of the "floating restaurant" and the koi and the ulua swimming around. And I also like the casual, somewhat tropical nature of the restaurant's environment. Last year we had a good time and experience here so last Friday, we went for dinner again when I went home to Honolulu for a visit. I took the family, about 7 of us to eat at the buffet. I tried calling and emailing the restaurant to find out if steamed kampachi was still on the menu but I got no response to my email and whomever answered the telephone did not know. But we took a chance and went anyway. Well, I was immediately disappointed since steamed kampachi was not on the menu, and I was kinda ticked off. But we were already seated so we ate there anyway. Let me begin by saying that they replaced the kampachi with some kind of fish filets steamed the Chinese way -- very good IMO. I ate a lot. I don't know what kind of fish it was, although it sorta seemed like butterfish but with slightly firmer flesh. My son guessed basa or swai, but I couldn't tell. Anyway it was good. Poke bar was excellent again!! Even had a type of tofu poke which I loved. The salad bar is typical, except that they have tofu and watercress salad on it, which I loved (I am a tofu lover). All the tempura types were excellent. They added a chef making temaki sushi (hand rolls) which I thought was a nice addition. And we had some desserts which were pretty darn good too, especially the island varieties like coconut and guava chiffon cakes. They have some chicken dishes which looked good, but I did not want to waste my stomach on chicken. I tried some chow mein which tasted OK but the noodles were slightly over cooked. And of course they have prime rib, which I again did not try since I was not there to eat beef. All in all, I still think Pagoda is great and a good value. Cheaper than other major buffets but some of their dishes are more to my liking. Oh yeah, Their bar still has Kona Brewing Fire Rock Ale, which I love. And they had Kettle One vodka for my son and his wife. The prices for the beer and drinks are very fair for an establishment like this -- $5 per drink which is cheaper than other similar establishments. A good value IMO.
(4)Dons A.
Good customer service. No refills on my tea so don't waste your money on drinks. Local menu with reasonable prices. I enjoyed the peanut butter stuffed french toast with bananas. Skimpy bananas...7 slim slices. Outdated atmosphere. Nice koi and other fish. Tranquil waterfall. It was deadsville for lunch. Us and 2 other tables. They serve breakfast and lunch until 2pm. Bathroom is basic and outside the restaurant. Limited parking. I have had their buffet dinner. It was quite busy and good. I would not entertain guests here. Close to our home so convenient. Overall, okay. Left much to be desired.
(3)Shana L.
It's good food! I like it just wish it was a little more food then what they gave! Anyways yes I love the food it's amazing
(5)Jack B.
Solid dinner. We came here with a groupon on a Thursday night for dinner around 8:15. The place was pretty empty, and we debated turning around and letting the groupon go to waste. I can confidently say that I am super happy we stayed. For dinner, I had the avocado & ahi poke and an order of the pork short rib buns. My wife had the short rib dinner. Everything was amazing. Ahi was super fresh, my wife ate her entire meal (a rarity), and the pork buns rivaled the best I have ever had. Our server was amazing, I am only deducting 1 star because the place was very empty when we went there and because yelp won't let me give this place 4.5 stars, which is what I would rate it.
(4)Mark M.
I went to Pagoda the first time last week, and was pleasantly suprised. We went on a Thursday night and sat quickly and food came up quickly. The specials were good, the drinks were good, and the food was all very good. We had smoked tako (super tasty but a little bit on the small side - had to get another!), sizzling garlic ahi belly, as well as a keiki burger and the salmon special. The service from Marty was great - he's polite, attentive, energetic, and made great mixed drinks. In addition to that, their fish exhibit is really cool - theyve got plenty koi, a few omilu, and even a nice sized ulua! We got to see the staff feed the ulua, which I can say I haven't seen elsewhere on island. We'll be going back again soon!
(5)Jessica E.
My boyfriend and I had 2 Groupon certificates gifted to us to dine here during our trip to Oahu. There was a 2pm lunch cut-off time specified in the Groupon small print so we made time in the middle of the day to go. We walked two miles to have lunch here and were turned away. Why were we turned away? Because they were slow and decided to close down early. I felt like it was super unprofessional and indicative of poor service, especially because the doors were still open and people were still working. I would not bother trying to go here again.
(1)Ashlyn C.
No offense, but I've always viewed the pagoda hotel as, well, sort of a ghetto hotel. I've not been inside a hotel room, but, I mean look at the location it's in. I've been to a couple of my aunty's weddings in their ballroom, but I have to honestly say I don't remember much. I was in elementary school at the time. Anyway, because I've always thought of the hotel as "ghetto", it never ever occurred to me to eat at the restaurant. My dad bought a groupon for the restaurant & wanted me to go with him on Tuesday (7-9) to use it because it was gonna expire on like Wednesday or Thursday. First off, I'd like to mention the parking. You do not need to park on the street. You can park in their structure for free from I think 8a-4p. So do not pay the parking meter. Just walk right past it if you know you're coming back to your car before 4pm. If you pay the machine & it's before 4pm, you will have paid it for nothing. The inside of the restaurant is nothing spectacular, but it is definitely not ghetto. It's clean & decent looking. The service is excellent. First off, our waiter, Kyle is the one who told us that the structure was free from 8a-4p. We were brought water & menus right away. Kyle acknowledged our groupon when he saw my dad put it on the table. He made recommendations. We ordered. I was hungry & wanted to order everything, but decided on garlic chicken. My dad ordered the spring rolls for us to share & a kalbi plate for himself. Prices are reasonable. My chicken was $9. My dads kalbi was $11 or $12. Nothing on the breakfast/lunch menu is more than $12. They serve breakfast till 1pm & their lunch service starts at 11am. My garlic chicken was awesome. I'm not gonna start comparing it to mitsuken or anything, but it was really good. My dads kalbi was good, but I didn't think it was as good as my garlic chicken. I wouldn't order the kalbi if I went again. Our water glasses were constantly refilled by all of the waitstaff. We never once had to ask for water. There were absolutely no problems redeeming our groupon. I have to say I was pretty impressed with the food & service. I would definitely come here again, groupon or no groupon. Think I'll try the corned beef hash (they say it's homemade!) & eggs or their loco moco next time... I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. I would like to note, that if you're going to eat at the restaurant around 12:30 specifically to watch the kois & ulua get fed, don't bother. Kyle said that, yes, it does say that on the website, but they ONLY feed the fish at 8am everyday.
(4)Hoku A.
Food selection and quality is good for the price! Prolly one of the best priced buffets in the area! It was not busy and Service by the old Filipino waiter was nails: he didn't check up on us until we were almost finished with our meal; I asked him to ask the bar to make a special drink he replies they didn't so that however when I went to the bar to ask they happily made my request and when he brought it to the table he tried to pass it off as if he'd convinced the barkeep to make it! He didn't refill our fountain drinks until the end and with the wrong soft drink; he did not clear our table of used plates nor offer the hot towels After eating crab legs. Not the service I'm used to in this establishment so I didn't give him a good tip; i rather give it to the barkeep.
(3)Patty R.
Not appealing at all. Dirty surroundings, at least clean the windows.
(1)Walle S.
As a frequent visitor here ive noticed the quality of the food seems to be slowly going downhill. Its seems that everything it just heavily soaked in seasame oil. I usually go on the weekends for the diner buffet. It does get pretty busy thus making reserbations is highly recommended especially with big parties. The Food isnt bad but is just average. The food is like something you would get at the mall. If eating at a buffet is going to cost about 40 per adult to include taxes etc. Then the food better be atleast above average. But this place was just AVERAGE. The upon paying for our checks since it was just 6 of us. We were then told that we could not split the checks. We then spoke to the manager about getting the check split and he said no. He was very rude and inconsiderate. He said it was store policy but yet they have always split our checks below
(1)Kate P.
Never thought I'd leave a buffet hungry, but most dishes were not even worth a second bite. I had to pick up 5 plates before I found one without dried food left on it, and the one guy who was manning the handroll/prime rib station had visibly dirty hands and black fingernails with no gloves and served with his fingers and sneezed without covering his mouth right over the food. I'm incredibley surprised this place hasn't been shut down. The service was just as bad, the hostes greeted us with a rude "what?" when we entered, we had to wait despite having a reservation and half the tables being empty. We had to flag down someone each time we needed anything, water, a drink menu etc. despite the fact that there seemed to be more staff there than most restaurants. Nearly everyone was rude and acted like we were a huge inconvenience, and seemed to be only friendly with the regulars and big parties. $90 for two people to leave feeling hungry, angry and like we need to shower is ridiculous.
(1)Y M.
Food is just okay. Nice Poke station, but I don't eat poke. Thought they recently renovated, but it looks the same, maybe brighter/cleaner. We couldn't tell what was renovated. Gotta pay for parking now - $1/hour if you park in the lot closest to the hotel. If you park in the Ross lot on the other street, it is cheaper with validation!! Place wasn't very crowded at all...Wait service was attentive and nice.
(2)Debra L.
I ate at Pagoda restaurant the buffet on August 10, 2013 about 7:00 pm. I started to have a yummy dinner crab legs and prime rib and more. Then it happen I was disgusted and could not eat no more. As I was waiting by the prime rib serving area for more crab legs I heard a meow meow and I looked around then I realize the sound was coming from behind the counter. As I looked on the side of the counter where they serve the prime rib and crab leg and sushi there was a real live CAT meowing and trying to come out. OMG I told the waiter and he laughed and said oh yah we been trying to catch that one before we open we never know where went. The cook also agreed and I was disgusted and told them that cats have disease and this is a restaurant. I went back to my table told my husband then I asked for the manager quietly. I was being nice to pagoda and the other patrons by being on the quite side. I waited for the manager name Tracy Yadao who took about 10-12 minutes before coming out from the kitchen. I told him about the CAT and he tells me oh yah we were trying to catch the cat before we open but I had to open the doors so we will try again after and was wondering where it went. I repeated my self and said how disgusting that was that the cat had been in the restaurant for that long and who knows what food the cat came in contact with. And all he could say was we were wondering where it went. I told the manager I lost my appetite and is disgusted of knowing that the cat was in the food area since they open at 5:00 and now it was like 8:00 already. He did not even offer to accommodate my check in any way all he did was say oh sorry about that yah we will try catch um. OMG again what kind of manager lets his customer walk out being disgusted. I went back to my table and told my husband. I then spoke wit the waitress who didn't know what was going on as I explained to her about the CAT she was like oh my gosh. Don't even ask what the so called manager did for me NOTHING. Beware when u eat there for the CATS it's not someone's ring tone it is a real one. Disgusting very disgusting in a restaurant. I am so surprise that a popular restaurant did not take its customers health in consideration before opening it's doors.
(1)H. H.
A few months ago, we started having breakfast at Pagoda and thought the food and ambience were great. But for the last couple of times, it seems like its going down hill. First there was the no-like-smile-deal-with-public-hostess; haven't seen her, so maybe she's gone. The current hostess with the feather tattoo, however, is great, greets you with a smile! One star for her! Then there's the food, which seems to be coming out of the kitchen slooooowwwww and lukewarm. We waited a good 1/2 hour before we asked one of the waiters (since our waitress was MIA) about our breakfast. It finally came to us served by a new face on the floor -- perhaps a Runner that had just arrived to work before the buffet opened at 10:00 a.m. Eggs on eggs benedict have been almost rock solid the last 2 times - probably after sitting under a heating lamp or cook doesn't know how to poach eggs. The newest sensation after eating their breakfast is our stomachs start to gurgle as if something was wrong with the food preparation or bad mix, or is it that cat I've been reading about. Yikes! Don't know what's going on, but I hope Pagoda will take these comments seriously. Come on, people, you have such a tradition going -- don't blow it. My second star will always be for the ambience and all the nostalgia that goes with it.
(2)H N.
Yes, we two ate at the Pagoda with a Groupon. I also was a bit hesitant to buy the Groupon as I had eaten at the ballroom upstairs a few times and the food was definitely mediocre. However, I love half off so I decided to go for it. We ate a very late breakfast (noonish) on a Saturday and I was pleasantly surprised and the restaurant. The eggs benedict was delicious and the baked apple pancake was divine. (Too bad there was only one!) It was so pretty to see the koi swimming past us while we dined (we had a windom table) and we fed them after eating which was fun watching them jump all over themselves to eat the fish pellets. My only complaint is that they validated at the Ross parking lot and I still had to pay $2.00 at the booth. Had I used the Ross stamp, I could have paid for free!! Ironically, I had gone into Ross after lunch and spent $50.00 but since I had the Pagoda stamp, they wouldn't let me get validation from Ross. Overall, a good experience and I have since bought another Groupon for the Pagoda.
(4)Stevie T.
What a surprising delicious a la carte dinner at a reasonable price. We had the Sake Soy Braised Beef Short Ribs, Seafood Linguini and the Roasted Salmon. To our surprise the short ribs were perfectly done, tender and flavorful and the seafood linguini had a light lobster cream sauce with plenty of seafood (mussels, shrimps and local catch). The roasted salmon came with a buttered sauce. In addition, we had three appetizers, the garlic edamame, sizzling garlic ahi belly and the seafood artichoke dip. Recommended by our waiter, the ahi belly was fantastic. It was a large piece of ahi belly, crispy and a wonderful sizzling sauce. For dessert, we had the brownie sundae; a warm brownie with chocolate sauce and ice cream. That was so good. Service was excellent. We will definitely have dinner there again.
(5)Mo W.
Great food & friendly staff! Food on buffet line was constantly replenished. Nice casual atmosphere. Not too crowded & didn't have to fight the traffic to get here. I recommend everyone to try it. Yummie!
(5)Iris J.
Surprisingly great straw/lihing margaritas at a cheap price... great service, Awesome tempura & to-die-for braised short ribs!!! I did have to request the chef to turn up the heat on the warmer since meat was somewhat room-temperature. He was kind to oblige... The atmosphere is welcoming and I always have an enjoyable experience.
(4)Motorx X.
Used to go to their buffet for family get togethers at least twice a year, and enjoy the food. Tle last time i went the pond was empty, so i'm glad to see in other reviews that they're back. What keeps me from going back or going back more often us a house keeping issue. When i'm seated against the wall there was so much old food splatter dried on the wall and on the pictures hanging there, it was gross. Costs them a regular customer, but easily fixable so i hope they will.
(2)Liz K.
Awesome! We have stayed, unfortunately, at the pagoda inn for 8 days due to surgery, and I am so impressed with the service and outstanding food!!!! Great service joy!!! Thank you so much for the infinite amounts of catering to my broth needs!!! The miso was the bomb!!!
(4)Ka'awaloa K.
A great place. It had a wonderful ambiance and the food was pretty good. The service was top notch. Their is a good variety buffet from salads to poke not to mention fish , prime rib and king crab legs! The waterfall is pretty cool and watching the different Koi fishes swim brings a nice feel to the evening. We went on Valentines day and enjoyed a great show by Frank DeLima (always a riot)
(4)Scott S.
This is my favorite restaurant in Honolulu. It's not the fanciest restaurant in the world but it's just a great place to eat with great ambiance. Before you even go in to eat, you can view the koi fish in the pond. For 50 cents, you can buy fish food to feed the fish. My kids love that. The food is excellent and reasonably priced. The buffet and the weekend is equally good. I highly recommend this restaurant for families. Every time I come to Honolulu, this restaurant is on the top of my places to eat.
(4)