Going to Aulani -- Let's list places to eat

[Dean]

You are correct, and they're also good at Fleming's and a couple of other chains. Another possibility would be to use the bonus gift card for a pre-dinner drink at the bar, and then the main card for dinner.

Roy's, Bonefish, Carrabba's, Outback and Flemings at least. Their bonus cards are also good at all locations. Our experience is that the one's we've used are very strict on the restrictions with the exception of outback, ate least locally. They'll allow multiple at one time and to be used after expired.

ETA: those who have access to benefits-plus.org can get them for a 7% discount and no shipping.

 

[Anal Annie]

I usually pick up a $25 Disney gift card every week either with my groceries or at Target with the 5% off (except lately my Target has only had $50 ones). My plan is to have at least $100 / night to bring for our 11 nights at VGC and Aulani. Anyway, every once-in-awhile I will buy a $25 Outback/Roy's card instead and I plan to bring a few of those too to use at Roy's. The closest Roy's to us is in Baltimore but we've never been there because we just never go up there. I've looked at the Roy's website to see their menu but there were no prices online. I am assuming it will cost more than the Outback but less than Ama Ama...can anybody tell me about how much their entree's run on average? Do they average more like in the mid-$20's or closer to $30? Trying to estimate how much a meal for 2 adults & a 16 yr. old would run there so I can bring plenty of gift cards (in case we want to eat there 2x)? Thx

 

[mom2aidanNpiper]

Roys has a totally different website for their Hawaii locations we never made it over there but wool next time!

Anyway, here is their menu (with prices)

http://royshawaii.com/locations/roys-ko-olina/menu/

 

[WDW_Diane]

We were fortunate to have a friend who is a local give us some great tips on places to eat. Here are my reviews....

NEAR AULANI:
Just Tacos - across the street from Aulani, decent Mexican food at touristy prices; we were put off by the loud music inside, would request to be seated outside
Zippy's - these are all over the place and the nearest one is in Kapolei (by Safeway); I kind of think of as the Hawaiian equivalent of Denny's, they serve the classic plate lunches at decent prices
Hapa Grill - haven't seen this place mentioned on this thread yet, it's also in Kapolei near Safeway; they serve great breakfast and dinner here at reasonable prices http://hapagrill.net/
Costco - if you're a member, you really can't go wrong with a dirt cheap Costco meal also lots of souveniers and Hawaiian foods available here
Roy's - didn't get a chance to eat here as they had a fire during our visit
Paradise Cove - it's a decent luau, and apparently the one the locals prefer; I though it was a bit touristy and the food just OK; drink lines get horrendous, get in line early!!

WAIKIKI:
Rainbow Drive-In - probably my favorite meal of the trip; the best plate lunch on the island!
Leonard's Bakery - you absolutely must go for a hot malasada! there is also a Leonard's truck you'll see parked at a shopping mall near Aulani on the north side of H1 (I think near the Home Depot)
International Market - a bit touristy but lots of fantastic cheap meals at the food court; you can get a Dole Whip here!
Cheesecake Factory - didn't eat here but hadn't seen in mentioned yet on this thread but there is one near Waikiki Beach; always a safe bet

NORTH SHORE:
Giovanni's Shrimp Truck - this is where we stopped due to the reviews and it was pretty good; apparently the shrimp comes from Asia; don't miss the BBQ corn from the stand behind it!
Ted's Bakery - stop here on your drive along North Shore; they are famous for the chocolate haupia pie...get one to take back to Aulani with you!
Aoki Shave Ice - Matsumoto's next door is more popular but this is where the locals go! very friendly and delicious shave ice! get vanilla ice cream and beans with it!

Thanks for this info..... We are going to Ko Olina in a month. We couldn't get Aulani, but are staying next door and will visit daily!

I am concerned about my SHELLFISH ALLERGY and eating in places where my health/life could be at risk. Any suggestions appreciated on places in the area that have proven to be good at this. I have had good experiences at WDW on how they handle food allergies. We will have a large kitchen and will make most of our breakfasts and dinners. I wanted to go to a luau, concerned about exposure there. We will likely eat lunches out while touring.

 

[WDW_Diane]

I can give an enthusiatic thumbs up for Leonard's malasadas! If I remember correctly, you take exit 7 on H1 and head north for about a block or so (depending on whether you're getting off of H1 east or west), turn right and go to the shopping center that has Lowe's and Kmart in it. Their truck/trailer is at the far end of the parking lot near Lowe's. (You can actually see it if you are driving H1 west.)

I agree that they are better hot. The chocolate filled ones and the coconut filled ones are to die for. I stopped by there twice.

And at Costco I got my best food bargain of the trip - a 1/4 lb hotdog and drink for $1.50 - just like on the mainland! And boy was that place packed around lunchtime. They had 3 of the 4 cash registers open, and I'd guess 8 to 10 people in each line. It does move fast. I've never seen the food counter at a Costco with this many registers and this many customers. Looked like mostly locals, too.

I forget to find out exactly where Matsumoto's shave ice place is on the North Shore the day I was driving around the island, so I never did try it. Later I happened to be talking with one of the bellmen at Aulani, and he told me that the syrup they use at the shave ice stand at Aulani is the same as what is used at Masumoto's. I don't know if that's true or not, but it did make me feel a little better.

Can you get a short term membership to Costco? We don't have them in Oklahoma, so we are not members. I'd like to go while at Ko Olina next month.

 

[royal.kate]

We live in Hawaii on the Windward side of the island, so a lot of my favorites are located in the Kailua area, but some of them have locations all around the island. Also, some of the ones below have already been mentioned, but I'd like to give them the thumbs up too!

Nico's at Pier 38 - This is our current go-to dinner spot. Why? Excellent, extremely fresh fish served up at half the price you will pay in Waikiki. Featured on DDD. Bonus: The sunset here is fabulous! Must try: Deep Fried Ahi Tuna Ribs appetizer

Lanikai Juice - Perfect local spot to grab a smoothie or smoothie bowl. The fresh fruit is so refreshing after a day at the beach. They are located a few places on the island, but I frequent the one here in Kailua. So, if you're on this side of the island to visit Kailua or Lanikai beach, try to stop in! Bonus: They even have 'decadent' flavors (try the Monkey Bowl) if you're not into fruity drinks. Must try: Acai Bowl or Monkey Bowl

Cinnamon's - Still over on the Windward side (Kailua/Lanikai)? Stop in for breakfast at Cinnamon's to order their famous red velvet pancakes. Delish!

Aloha Salads - Already mentioned multiple times here on the boards. Locations all around Oahu, but one near Aulani. They have fresh salads, wraps, and sandwiches. Must try: My fav is the Island Ahi salad w/mango vinaigrette dressing

Crepes No Ka ** - Crepes! This small ma & pa joint serves sweet and savory crepes. Just typing this out is making my mouth water. Must try: Ultimate Breakfast Crepe & Lover's Delight

Kalapawai Market - Going to Kailua Beach or Lanikai Beach? Stop in here, walk to the back of the market to the counter for GREAT (and huge) sandwiches!! This is the location on Kalaheo Ave, not Kailua Rd. There's a few stalls in the front, but go down the alley right next to the Market and it leads to the Kailua Beach parking lot. Must try: Kailua Club

I would also like to add a quick thumbs up to Dukes (lunch buffet is cheap & good!), Roy's ($$$ and worth it), Doraku Sushi (Waikiki/happy hour), Rumfire (for drinks & sunset only as the food was terrible! cucumber lavender mojito is my fav), Motsumoto's, and Giovanni's shrimp truck.

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

Subscribing, plans are for Aluani in February 2014!

 

[Anal Annie]

Roys has a totally different website for their Hawaii locations we never made it over there but wool next time!

Anyway, here is their menu (with prices)

http://royshawaii.com/locations/roys-ko-olina/menu/

Thank you so much!! I bookmarked it!! Looks like we'll need a couple more gift cards than what we would use at Outback!! There's one in Ka'anapali too which we may have to hit while we're on Maui if we like the one at Ko Olina...the menus are different too!!

 

[aclov]

Roys has a totally different website for their Hawaii locations we never made it over there but wool next time!

Anyway, here is their menu (with prices)

http://royshawaii.com/locations/roys-ko-olina/menu/

Thank you for this, we are planning to eat here next month! I heard it was pricey but didn't realize how much so we will also be needing more gift cards! This is a spurlge trip for us

 

[MinnieInMI]

Thanks for the suggestions. We will look forward to enjoying meals at these locations during our February 2014 visit!

 

[MinnesotaChill]

I know I mentioned this before, but it's been awhile... if you like food. I'd suggest Hawaiifoodtours.com. They have a downtown tour that hits a lot of local favs and a new North Shore tour. It's a great way to go to a few different restaurants and then decide if you want to go back later in the week. We had so much fun that it was the highlight of our trip!

Here's a link to a review that I wrote about it for our website: http://ontheroadwithlewisandclark.com/traveling/hawaii-food-tour

They were rated the #1 Activity on Oahu by Trip Advisor.

 

[blondietink]

I have heard Roy's has some Happy Hour specials.. Is this true?

 

[shrinkydinky]

i can't seem to find on the Hawaii menu if they do have a Happy Hour. i may call there today to find out. i did find out, however, that the bonus gift card you get now when buying a $100 gift card online cannot be used at any of their Hawaii locations. Would be nice if they stated that on the website. We have no Roy's near where we live now, so i guess we will use that at Outback back home.

 

[shrinkydinky]

Oh wait, i spoke too soon. It does look like they have a happy hour. It's listed under locations.

Aloha Hourz:

3:00 -5:00pm Daily

Roy’s Specialty Cocktails & Martinis $8

Glass Wine $8

All Draft Beer $4

Select pupus $3.50 – $7

Call For Reservations:
(808) 676-7697

 

[aclov]

i can't seem to find on the Hawaii menu if they do have a Happy Hour. i may call there today to find out. i did find out, however, that the bonus gift card you get now when buying a $100 gift card online cannot be used at any of their Hawaii locations. Would be nice if they stated that on the website. We have no Roy's near where we live now, so i guess we will use that at Outback back home.

Can you use the bonus and gc's together? I have $100 currently saved in gc's but after looking at the menu was going to buy more to make sure I have enough to cover 3 people.

Also can you use Roy's specific gc's at Outback than?

 

[Dean]

Can you use the bonus and gc's together? I have $100 currently saved in gc's but after looking at the menu was going to buy more to make sure I have enough to cover 3 people.

Also can you use Roy's specific gc's at Outback than?

I seem to recall reading on the latest bonus cards that they exclude Roy's in HI as well as Franchise Carrabba's locations.

 

[SuperPreparo]

Just back from Waikiki and Aulani, and I'd like to thank everyone for the great food tips! While in Waikiki we ate at Jimmy Buffett's at the Beachcomber (definitely recommend if you are a Jimmy Buffett fan like me!), California Pizza Kitchen, and had a really delicious lunch at a little hole in the wall place on the beach called Steak Shack. For $6.95 you get steak or chicken, rice, and salad, and there were plenty of tables along the beach. On our way from Waikiki to Aulani we stopped at Leonard's Bakery to try the malasadas.

At Aulani we bought food and ate breakfast and most of our lunches in the room, but we had wonderful dinners at Roys, Just Tacos (huge portions), and MonkeyPod Kitchen (be sure to save room for the strawberry creme pie). Would definitely recommend any of these. We had Dole Whips at the Dole Plantation and continued up to the North Shore where we had a delicious lunch of coconut shrimp at Kahuku Grill.

Since the general consensus seemed to be that the luaus were not worth the money we skipped that and attended the Starlit Hui which was lots of fun. I am so glad I subscribed to this thread before we went!!

 

[WDW_Diane]

hey Gang,

Thought I'd start this thread for DVCers so we can share ideas of places to go for a meal on the Island and for DISers to share their experiences.

I'll start with a list of a few places to check out:

Anna Miller's Restaurant
Roy's Restaurant
Giovanni's Shrimp Truck

Has anyone been to House Without a Key for the sunset cocktails and hula?
How about Duke's, also on Waikiki Beach?

 

[Anal Annie]

Has anyone been to House Without a Key for the sunset cocktails and hula?
How about Duke's, also on Waikiki Beach?

Don't know about the first one but have been to Duke's before (stayed at the hotel where Duke's is located the last time we went to HI). Decent food, average (for HI) pricing and good location on the beach. I'd look up reviews on Trip Advisor for the other one...

 

[aclov]

Has anyone been to House Without a Key for the sunset cocktails and hula?
How about Duke's, also on Waikiki Beach?

Breakfast at Dukes was good and very reasonable. I didn't have a chance to go to House without a Key last time but hoping I will next month!