The worst buffet I’ve been to! The Snow Crab was OK. But for some reason the used salted butter for what you dipped the crab into. As your eating the crab you just get an overly salty taste. Crème brûlée wasn’t even set on top and was all liquid. This place basically missed every little detail. You realize this when you show up and it’s like a ghost town. This place wouldn’t last a week in Portland. They literally feed off the tourist market, definitely no locals go here. Ild be ashamed of if I was the manager of this place. It truly is an embarrassment. I always thought Hyatt’s were of quality, I definitely wouldn’t stay in this hotel after seeing how bad the buffet was.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 4
Hilal Aslan
너무 맛 없고 너무 짰어요, 한국인 남편도 추천안한다고 했어요. We had dinner here about 1.5 hours ago, and drinks are not included—you have to pay extra, which makes it even less worth the price. unfortunately, it was the worst meal we had in Hawaii.
It’s $90 per person with a 90-minute time limit, which is not worth it at all. We came mainly because my mother-in-law wanted to try different kinds of food, but there actually weren’t many options. I personally don’t like buffets, and this one did nothing to change my mind. Most of the food was disappointing. The crab and LA galbi were extremely salty, and the ribeye was not good. The sushi didn’t even taste like sushi. What you see in the photos and videos is basically everything they offer, and it’s not worth the price. Around 6:30 pm, loud music started on the other side of the divider, and it became so noisy that we couldn’t hear each other at the table. I would rather spend the same amount of money at another restaurant and have one good meal with a much better experience. Definitely not recommended.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 2
Ian Peterson
Dont bother with reservations its never that busy. 72 hour cancelation or a cancelation fee!!! Lol what a joke.
Henry Tsang
Price is not bad, though I note that this buffet can feel small compared to buffet at Vegas.
crab legs are good. sashimi is not very fresh.
I like the Korean beef options and prime rib. The Korean style carbonara was surprisingly good.
Lala duncan (Lala)
Not sure why many people say this place great? From the moment I walked in, I was greeted by an unwelcoming and rude front receptionist who told me I couldn’t dine in without a reservation. So I made one for the next day, hoping for a better experience. Unfortunately, things only got worse.
When I finally sat down for dinner, the first bite of food was absolutely horrifying. My friend got sick from here.
Very disappointed ☹️
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Jeffrey Henderson
Very pleasant host and the atmosphere was great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kelii Abordo
Made reservations for my brother's birthday. 6 top, server was very attentive. She gave a great recommendation for a hand roll that wasn't on the menu. The separate stations helped with the flow of traffic. Appreciate the option of hot or cold crab legs. The dessert station was better than I expected. A chocolate fountain and the kind of chocolate that hardens, went very well with the juicy strawberrys 🍓 will definitely return
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dinos D.
Second Thanjsgiving meal at the Hyatt Buffet in Waikiki. Last year, 2024. was really good. Decided to return this year. Unfortunately in was a complete 180 experience this time. Food was highly salted especially the prime rib. Hot foods cold. This isn't a reflection of our waitress who was very good. Food didn't go down well. Within 1/2 leaving our stomachs got quite upset. Diarrhea for the rest of the evening and part of the night. Quite an expensive meal and a night of sticking around our hotel room to access the bathroom..
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 3
Matthew
It’s November 27, 2025, Thanksgiving Day and we had reservations for three at 3:30 pm. We were looking forward to our Thanksgiving Dinner since we had dined here before and had a decent experience.
Today sucked.
When we arrived we were seated on the sundeck which is usually okay except we were seated right in the sun next to the gentleman playing live music at much too loud of a volume. Our table along with two others next to us asked to be moved because it was too loud and too hot. To their credit, the server asked a manager.
We were told the place is very busy and if we don’t like the sun or music, we can leave. We were also informed we had only 90 minutes to stay. We hadn’t taken a bite of food and were already looking for the door.
I counted at least twenty open four tops that were out of the sun and away from the speakers at the time we complained and none of them had reserved signs on them. What we realized is we just happened to the first to arrive in our time slot as the place quickly filled up turning the restaurant into a glorified Golden Corral (but 5x’s the price).
Management were cramming tables and seats into every possible floor spot.
All of this we could have overlooked if the food was good. It was not. The crab legs were soggy, and hard to crack. A lot of the food on the buffet was slightly warmer than room temperature and for it being advertised as a Thanksgiving Day Dinner, it was a big disappointment. A turkey loaf and mashed potatoes was about the only traditional food offered and neither were very good.
We ate and literally hunted down our server in another part of the restaurant to pay our bill. We were miserable, hot and sweaty and we were done.
Turns out we didn’t need 90 minutes, just 25. My money would have been better spent at Golden Corral or Denny’s. At least there I would have been able to get pumpkin pie.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Shane Hill
The customer service at this establishment is appalling. They sit you in direct sunlight and if you request to sit at a different table, they refuse to accommodate you. It’s not the waiters or waitresses fault, we watched them go and ask the manager who was walking around and the manager refused and said if we don’t like the sun, we can leave…. Pack you in like sardines too with zero room
Large variety of tasty food. Make reservations to ensure you get a table. Don't eat anything the whole day prior to going there.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
audrey chanez
My mom and I went there for our last dinner in Hawaii. We arrived at 8:20 pm, so we still had a good hour to enjoy the buffet. We got our food and sat on the balcony. By 8:30 pm, they had already started cleaning and organising all the tables, setting everything up for breakfast, so we felt rushed while eating. It was really noisy and we couldn’t enjoy our dinner. There were only a few people left in the restaurant.
I understand that the staff want to finish on time, but the buffet ends at 9:30 pm and we paid full price for it. We ended up leaving at 9:10 pm. Even our server asked why we were finishing so early, and we explained that we had felt rushed the whole time.
It’s unfortunate for a four-star hotel to offer that kind of service, especially at $90 per person.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
elise felix
The food was very good and fresh. Crab was tasty and came out of the shell so easily. Our server was amazing and so helpful, and every staff member we encountered were so sweet and friendly. Our drinks (Mai tai and lava flow) were great as well. I will deffinetly come back again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Иван Хмельницкий
When we entered the restaurant, we were told the price would be $89. However, when we were leaving, I was charged $109. They added extra fees that I did not order and was not informed about. I believe the final price should be clearly explained before charging the customer. This was disappointing, and I hope the restaurant improves its transparency in the future.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
Travel with Kokoleka
4.7⭐️
It’s The Hyatt Regency Waikiki Buffet and you can be confident that this high-end dining will be to your highest expectations. Right? Well not quite. The hotel itself is impressive and the location is prime real estate on Waikiki Beach where you can see the sun going down over the water and a big plus is the luau happening on the same terrace so you hear the soft Hawaiian music right next to you while you dine. The service is excellent too, and the wait staff is very polite and attentive with a warm courtesy.
Now the food… when you think of all you can eat buffet what’s the star of the show? For me, it’s the prime rib and all you can eat crab. I love cooking steak at home and can make it juicy and very flavorful but when you come to a buffet, the prime rib is especially slow baked in the oven with an expert chef to season it and make it extremely tender and juicy. It wasn’t quite as I wished it would be. I arrived in the very beginning of dinner service at 5:30 for the prime rib. When I came to the station and asked for a “rare” cut the chef gave me a piece close to the Chubb’s end and put it on my plate which was looking more like “medium well” and it was cold to the touch. I insisted on receiving a “rare”piece from the middle of the chub, but the chef refused and told me to wait and come back. I find that attitude, poor customer service, and I didn’t even want to eat this piece so I actually talked to the manager who was very polite and courteous and brought me a rare piece from the back of the kitchen to make sure I was satisfied. The meat itself didn’t taste like prime grade USDA beef. It was OK, but wasn’t the most tender and it lacked seasoning. I wish the head chef had higher standards and would make the prime rib crusty on the outside with great flavors, using garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper or whatever signature seasoning they choose but it’s was pretty bland the way it was prepared tonight. The chilled Snow crab was enjoyable, and the fried fish was also flavorful. There were a variety of Hawaiian, Japanese Korean dishes, such as pork Lau Lau, Kalbi beef ribs, seafood pasta, sushi, sashimi. Pretty much everything you can think of but nothing jumped out as “ Oh my God, that was the best thing I’ve ever had!” Overall, it was a great experience and I got to chat with some of the chefs that were really cool locals and gave me plenty of Aloha 🌸as another local.🤙🏽 Would I recommend this place? I’d say that if you’re having a special occasion gathering or a party then absolutely yes it’s a great environment and a festive atmosphere. If you are looking for an exceptional dining experience and enjoy fine dining restaurants and have high standards, then I recommend going to other restaurants in Waikiki and Honolulu that really care about flavor, presentation and experience.
The worst buffet I’ve been to! The Snow Crab was OK. But for some reason the used salted butter for what you dipped the crab into. As your eating the crab you just get an overly salty taste. Crème brûlée wasn’t even set on top and was all liquid. This place basically missed every little detail. You realize this when you show up and it’s like a ghost town. This place wouldn’t last a week in Portland. They literally feed off the tourist market, definitely no locals go here. Ild be ashamed of if I was the manager of this place. It truly is an embarrassment. I always thought Hyatt’s were of quality, I definitely wouldn’t stay in this hotel after seeing how bad the buffet was.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 4
너무 맛 없고 너무 짰어요, 한국인 남편도 추천안한다고 했어요. We had dinner here about 1.5 hours ago, and drinks are not included—you have to pay extra, which makes it even less worth the price. unfortunately, it was the worst meal we had in Hawaii.
It’s $90 per person with a 90-minute time limit, which is not worth it at all. We came mainly because my mother-in-law wanted to try different kinds of food, but there actually weren’t many options. I personally don’t like buffets, and this one did nothing to change my mind.
Most of the food was disappointing. The crab and LA galbi were extremely salty, and the ribeye was not good. The sushi didn’t even taste like sushi. What you see in the photos and videos is basically everything they offer, and it’s not worth the price.
Around 6:30 pm, loud music started on the other side of the divider, and it became so noisy that we couldn’t hear each other at the table.
I would rather spend the same amount of money at another restaurant and have one good meal with a much better experience.
Definitely not recommended.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 2
Dont bother with reservations its never that busy. 72 hour cancelation or a cancelation fee!!! Lol what a joke.
Price is not bad, though I note that this buffet can feel small compared to buffet at Vegas.
crab legs are good. sashimi is not very fresh.
I like the Korean beef options and prime rib. The Korean style carbonara was surprisingly good.
Not sure why many people say this place great?
From the moment I walked in, I was greeted by an unwelcoming and rude front receptionist who told me I couldn’t dine in without a reservation. So I made one for the next day, hoping for a better experience. Unfortunately, things only got worse.
When I finally sat down for dinner, the first bite of food was absolutely horrifying.
My friend got sick from here.
Very disappointed ☹️
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Very pleasant host and the atmosphere was great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Made reservations for my brother's birthday. 6 top, server was very attentive. She gave a great recommendation for a hand roll that wasn't on the menu. The separate stations helped with the flow of traffic. Appreciate the option of hot or cold crab legs. The dessert station was better than I expected. A chocolate fountain and the kind of chocolate that hardens, went very well with the juicy strawberrys 🍓 will definitely return
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Second Thanjsgiving meal at the Hyatt Buffet in Waikiki. Last year, 2024. was really good. Decided to return this year. Unfortunately in was a complete 180 experience this time. Food was highly salted especially the prime rib. Hot foods cold. This isn't a reflection of our waitress who was very good. Food didn't go down well. Within 1/2 leaving our stomachs got quite upset. Diarrhea for the rest of the evening and part of the night. Quite an expensive meal and a night of sticking around our hotel room to access the bathroom..
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 3
It’s November 27, 2025, Thanksgiving Day and we had reservations for three at 3:30 pm. We were looking forward to our Thanksgiving Dinner since we had dined here before and had a decent experience.
Today sucked.
When we arrived we were seated on the sundeck which is usually okay except we were seated right in the sun next to the gentleman playing live music at much too loud of a volume. Our table along with two others next to us asked to be moved because it was too loud and too hot. To their credit, the server asked a manager.
We were told the place is very busy and if we don’t like the sun or music, we can leave. We were also informed we had only 90 minutes to stay. We hadn’t taken a bite of food and were already looking for the door.
I counted at least twenty open four tops that were out of the sun and away from the speakers at the time we complained and none of them had reserved signs on them. What we realized is we just happened to the first to arrive in our time slot as the place quickly filled up turning the restaurant into a glorified Golden Corral (but 5x’s the price).
Management were cramming tables and seats into every possible floor spot.
All of this we could have overlooked if the food was good. It was not. The crab legs were soggy, and hard to crack. A lot of the food on the buffet was slightly warmer than room temperature and for it being advertised as a Thanksgiving Day Dinner, it was a big disappointment. A turkey loaf and mashed potatoes was about the only traditional food offered and neither were very good.
We ate and literally hunted down our server in another part of the restaurant to pay our bill. We were miserable, hot and sweaty and we were done.
Turns out we didn’t need 90 minutes, just 25. My money would have been better spent at Golden Corral or Denny’s. At least there I would have been able to get pumpkin pie.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
The customer service at this establishment is appalling. They sit you in direct sunlight and if you request to sit at a different table, they refuse to accommodate you. It’s not the waiters or waitresses fault, we watched them go and ask the manager who was walking around and the manager refused and said if we don’t like the sun, we can leave…. Pack you in like sardines too with zero room
Restaurantji Recommends
Large variety of tasty food. Make reservations to ensure you get a table. Don't eat anything the whole day prior to going there.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My mom and I went there for our last dinner in Hawaii. We arrived at 8:20 pm, so we still had a good hour to enjoy the buffet. We got our food and sat on the balcony. By 8:30 pm, they had already started cleaning and organising all the tables, setting everything up for breakfast, so we felt rushed while eating. It was really noisy and we couldn’t enjoy our dinner. There were only a few people left in the restaurant.
I understand that the staff want to finish on time, but the buffet ends at 9:30 pm and we paid full price for it. We ended up leaving at 9:10 pm. Even our server asked why we were finishing so early, and we explained that we had felt rushed the whole time.
It’s unfortunate for a four-star hotel to offer that kind of service, especially at $90 per person.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
The food was very good and fresh. Crab was tasty and came out of the shell so easily. Our server was amazing and so helpful, and every staff member we encountered were so sweet and friendly. Our drinks (Mai tai and lava flow) were great as well. I will deffinetly come back again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
When we entered the restaurant, we were told the price would be $89. However, when we were leaving, I was charged $109. They added extra fees that I did not order and was not informed about. I believe the final price should be clearly explained before charging the customer. This was disappointing, and I hope the restaurant improves its transparency in the future.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
4.7⭐️
It’s The Hyatt Regency Waikiki Buffet and you can be confident that this high-end dining will be to your highest expectations. Right? Well not quite.
The hotel itself is impressive and the location is prime real estate on Waikiki Beach where you can see the sun going down over the water and a big plus is the luau happening on the same terrace so you hear the soft Hawaiian music right next to you while you dine.
The service is excellent too, and the wait staff is very polite and attentive with a warm courtesy.
Now the food… when you think of all you can eat buffet what’s the star of the show? For me, it’s the prime rib and all you can eat crab.
I love cooking steak at home and can make it juicy and very flavorful but when you come to a buffet, the prime rib is especially slow baked in the oven with an expert chef to season it and make it extremely tender and juicy.
It wasn’t quite as I wished it would be. I arrived in the very beginning of dinner service at 5:30 for the prime rib. When I came to the station and asked for a “rare” cut the chef gave me a piece close to the Chubb’s end and put it on my plate which was looking more like “medium well”
and it was cold to the touch. I insisted on receiving a “rare”piece from the middle of the chub, but the chef refused and told me to wait and come back.
I find that attitude, poor customer service, and I didn’t even want to eat this piece so I actually talked to the manager who was very polite and courteous and brought me a rare piece from the back of the kitchen to make sure I was satisfied. The meat itself didn’t taste like prime grade USDA beef. It was OK, but wasn’t the most tender and it lacked seasoning. I wish the head chef had higher standards and would make the prime rib crusty on the outside with great flavors, using garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper or whatever signature seasoning they choose but it’s was pretty bland the way it was prepared tonight.
The chilled Snow crab was enjoyable, and the fried fish was also flavorful. There were a variety of Hawaiian, Japanese Korean dishes, such as pork Lau Lau, Kalbi beef ribs, seafood pasta, sushi, sashimi. Pretty much everything you can think of but nothing jumped out as “ Oh my God, that was the best thing I’ve ever had!”
Overall, it was a great experience and I got to chat with some of the chefs that were really cool locals and gave me plenty of Aloha 🌸as another local.🤙🏽
Would I recommend this place?
I’d say that if you’re having a special occasion gathering or a party then absolutely yes it’s a great environment and a festive atmosphere.
If you are looking for an exceptional dining experience and enjoy fine dining restaurants and have high standards, then I recommend going to other restaurants in Waikiki and Honolulu that really care about flavor, presentation and experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
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