Four Waikiki and Kahala buffets, and the days each one actually runs
There is a particular pleasure in a buffet: starting with a little of everything, discovering a favorite, and going back for one more serving. If that is your kind of dinner, Hawaii has several hotel buffets worth making room for in your itinerary.
They are especially convenient when everyone at the table has different tastes. Seafood lovers, meat eaters, and children can each find something to enjoy. Add a glowing sunset, a beautiful beach, or the lively streets of Waikiki, and dinner becomes part of the vacation itself.
A hotel buffet with a view may sound expensive, but the menu, setting, location, and variety all matter when weighing the value. These four options offer distinctly different evenings, from a yacht harbor at sunset to a relaxed Hawaiian barbecue.
Several of these restaurants serve their dinner buffet only on selected days. Check the schedule before you plan the evening.
100 Sails Restaurant & Bar
On the third floor of Prince Waikiki, 100 Sails feels spacious and modern. It works well for families and is particularly suited to groups, with a bar, private dining rooms, and additional event space for larger gatherings.
The view over Ala Wai Yacht Harbor offers a different side of Waikiki. Rows of yachts and slender masts lead the eye toward the ocean, creating a scene quite unlike the familiar beachfront panorama. With its westward outlook, sunset is a highlight: warm colors spread across the sky and water as the boats settle into silhouette.
The Seafood & Prime Buffet, served Thursday to Sunday, gives seafood lovers plenty to explore. Snow crab legs, shrimp cocktail, ahi, king salmon, and Kona kanpachi sashimi share the selection with Hawaiian ahi poke and spicy poke. Hand rolls feature fillings such as spicy tuna, scallop, and unagi.
Hot dishes include ika karaage, fried oysters, salt-and-pepper shrimp, garlic-butter ahi, seafood pesto pasta, and clam chowder. Kiawe-smoked prime rib and porchetta bring something hearty to the plate, while Prince bread pudding and chocolate macadamia nut pie round out the evening.
Chef’s Selection Buffet Monday to Wednesday, 5:00–9:00 p.m. / Adults $62 / Children ages 6–10 $31
Seafood & Prime Buffet Thursday to Sunday, 5:00–9:30 p.m. / Adults $89 / Children ages 6–10 $58.50
The two buffets have different menus. Choose Thursday to Sunday for the seafood and prime rib selection described above.
The Buffet at Hyatt
The Buffet at Hyatt, on the third floor of Hyatt Regency Waikiki, puts you close to the rhythm of the neighborhood. Below, travelers stroll along Kalakaua Avenue; beyond the street are the beach and ocean. The open-air layout connects indoor and outdoor spaces, giving dinner the easy feel of a terrace rather than an enclosed dining room.
This is not an endless procession of buffet counters. The selection is relatively compact, but the essentials are well covered, and seafood is a particular strength. Snow crab legs, oysters, shrimp cocktail, poke, sashimi, sushi, and made-to-order hand rolls give seafood lovers plenty of reasons to return for another plate.
Prime rib, garlic shrimp, and soy-glazed fried chicken add variety, while kalua pork, lau lau, and huli huli chicken introduce local flavors. Save a little room for haupia and butter mochi at the end.
On Friday and Saturday evenings, live music adds another layer to the atmosphere. With ocean breezes moving through the open-air space, it is an inviting place to slow down after a busy day. Arrive around sunset to enjoy the changing light, then watch Waikiki ease into its evening rhythm.
The central location is another advantage. Many Waikiki hotels are within walking distance, and it is easy to pair dinner with a little shopping along Kalakaua Avenue or a walk beside the beach. For families and groups staying nearby, that convenience makes the evening particularly easy to plan.
Dinner buffet Daily, 5:00–9:30 p.m. / Last seating 9:00 p.m. / 90 minutes at the table
Live music Friday and Saturday, 5:00–9:00 p.m.
Rates Adults $89.99 / Children ages 6–12 $44.99 / Ages 5 and under $14.99
Plumeria Beach House
Dinner at Plumeria Beach House is a reason to venture beyond Waikiki. At The Kahala Hotel & Resort, head down one level from the lobby toward the beach, where the gardens and ocean draw closer. The walk to and from the restaurant is part of the experience, with time to appreciate the lobby, lagoon, and outdoor spaces that give the resort its distinctive layout.
The restaurant flows naturally between its interior and outdoor terrace. A lawn, palms, sand, and sea create a quieter setting than central Waikiki. Arrive a little early to explore the resort and beach, and dinner can feel like a small excursion of its own.
The seafood buffet deserves as much attention as the surroundings. Sushi, sashimi, and poke anchor a selection that brings together chilled seafood, warm dishes, carved meats, and desserts. The presentation feels considered and polished, in keeping with the resort’s calm atmosphere.
Earlier published menus have featured ahi and salmon sashimi, ahi and octopus poke, nigiri and maki sushi, shrimp cocktail, steamed snow crab, and seafood paella. Other examples include smoked salmon, the fish of the day, and garlic-and-rosemary prime rib at the carving station. Desserts have included coconut tapioca, lilikoi cream puffs, fruit tarts, and the restaurant’s signature bread pudding. These are examples from an earlier menu; confirm the selection for your visit when you reserve.
The seafood dinner buffet runs on Friday and Saturday only.
Seafood dinner buffet Friday and Saturday, 5:00–8:30 p.m. / Adults $97 / Children ages 6–12 $49
Hawaiian BBQ Buffet at Queensbreak
At Waikiki Beach Marriott, the Hawaiian BBQ Buffet offers a different mood from a traditional hotel buffet. Queensbreak sits on the third floor beside the pool deck, and on buffet nights the barbecue and live music set the scene for a casual, lively Hawaiian evening.
The same space hosts the Paina Waikiki Luau on other nights, so the buffet runs on the days the luau does not. That is why the schedule matters here more than at the other three: come on the wrong evening and you will find a different event entirely.
Queensbreak does not put the ocean in front of your table. A few steps from the deck, however, and you are looking at Kalakaua Avenue and the water, with a fine view of the sunset.
The menu centers on kiawe-smoked brisket, teriyaki and sake-soy chicken preparations, and fish, accompanied by cornbread, grilled corn, and coleslaw. Mango cobbler, coconut cake, and guava cake bring a sweet finish.
Hawaiian BBQ Buffet Tuesday and Thursday, 5:00–10:00 p.m. / Ages 12 and over $44.95 / Children ages 4–11 $21.95
Live music accompanies dinner, but this is a separate dining experience from the luau show package.
Before You Reserve
For sunset and scenery, plan to arrive before the sun goes down. Views vary with the table, the weather, and the season. At 100 Sails, The Buffet at Hyatt, and Plumeria Beach House, request a table with a view and ask whether it can be guaranteed. At the Marriott, leave time to enjoy the nearby shoreline before or after your meal.
Each restaurant brings something different to the evening: harbor sunsets and a spacious dining room at 100 Sails, seafood and Waikiki’s lively surroundings at Hyatt, a leisurely resort outing at The Kahala, or barbecue and music at the Marriott. Choose the setting that suits your group, then let dinner become part of your Hawaii memories.
All prices are per person in U.S. dollars and exclude tax and gratuity. Hours and rates reflect information checked in October 2026 and may change. Confirm operating days, menus, taxes, service charges, children’s age policies, and holiday pricing before booking.
More on eating in Hawaii: our Hawaii restaurant guide / 8 Waikiki restaurants worth booking / Paina Waikiki Luau
