Help With Food at Aulani and on Oahu!

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Hi everyone. I am just wanting to get some insight if any of these offerings are great, or if I should just skip it all together. Here is what I have planned:

Day 1:
- flying and landing in the morning. Not sure about lunch or dinner yet.
- Lunch:
- Dinner:

Day 2:
- Lunch: Ama Ama - 12:00 p.m.
- Dinner: Makahiki - 6:30 p.m.

Day 3:
- Lunch: Not sure yet, but planning on going to Pearl Harbor in the morning.
- Dinner: Ruth Chris Steakhouse (request from my Dad since it is his favorite steak house)

Day 4:
- Breakfast: Makahiki (character breakfast)
- Lunch: Not sure yet. Maybe Beach House?
- Dinner: Ama Ama - 6:30 p.m. We wanted to make sure we got to enjoy Ama Ama with the sunset, so hopefully that is a good time to experience the sunset while eating.

Day 5:
- Lunch: Not sure yet.
- Dinner: Looking at doing the Paradise Cove Luau?

Day 1 we are flying in. Does anyone have any recommendations for lunch from the airport to Aulani or at Aulani? We will have a rental car. Maybe go to the North Shore on day 1 and go to the Beach House for dinner on this day?

I am wondering about Makahiki on day 2. I was recently on a Disney Cruise and someone told me to skip it altogether. I’m wondering what other people think.

Day 3 will most likely be our Waikiki/Pearl Harbor day. Does anyone have any recommendations for lunch on Waikiki?

Day 4 we will probably go up and travel the North Shore after breakfast. Does anyone have any good recommendations for lunch/snack on the North Shore? I say snack, because it might depend on how hungry we are around lunch time. I know Kevin on the DisUnplugged Podcast has recommended the Beach House several times. Maybe do the Beach House for dinner on Day 1?

Day 5 we are looking at doing the Paradise Cove Luau. Any reviews from anyone that has done it? Any good ideas for lunch?

Thanks!

 

[cgattis]

What are you planning on doing in between all these meals? I ask that because on the days we were out and exploring, we were too grubby to go sit down anywhere remotely nice. And we wouldn't usually go clean up to go back out--we'd eat someplace casual or at the pool bar.

Makahiki was quite possibly the best meal (at least in the top three) we had in two weeks. I'm sure it depends on what you like, but the seafood was great and the ham was amazing. We all loved it. Breakfast is fine if you need a big meal (we wanted to not have to stop for lunch).

We had a blast at Paradise Cove, and although the food was fine and we had plenty, it was nothing special. The show was fabulous IMO though.

Most of the stuff on the north shore is very casual, like food trucks, so if you have any clean freaks in your party, they might be a little wigged out by the places (speaking from experience).

We cancelled our AMA AMA res because there was just nothing that appealed to DD and it was pricey, so we enjoyed other things in the area. It's a beautiful space, though!!

 

[Gorechick]

My DD and I were happy to split a turkey wrap and chips from Ulu cafe for lunch on a few days. On our arrival day we enjoyed apps and drinks during sunset hour from the Olelo room as a dinner. We also ate at Monkey pod across the street which was excellent and the Mexican place which was good too. The Menehune Mischief dinner at Makahiki was only ok to us. The food was good but following the story was difficult and the parade of kids around the restaurant was chaotic trying to get back to the buffet.

 

[DisneyWorldbuff]

Highly recommend Monkey Pod, across the street from Aulani. It's very good food and drinks and their happy hour specials were quite reasonable. Try Open Table for reservations. It's an easy walk from Aulani.

 

[anabelle]

We liked the food trucks for quick meals. We looked on yelp when we were ready to eat to look for places with good reviews wherever we were. We ate at Monkey Pod on our arrival day. They have a great burger at lunch. We ate our anniversary dinner at AMA AMA and it was good. I think the fish was mahi mahi that day. We enjoyed Off the hook for poolside sit down meals. I forgot the name of the grab and go place, But the breakfast wrap was enough for hubby and I to split.

 

[Jemwillow]

We are still here and I really wanted to eat local when we have been out.this is what we did:

DAY 1 arrived late afternoon. Ate at the Makahiki. Regret it because it was an expensive buffet and felt I need to get my money's worth to just go to sleep was tired and coming from an eastern time zone.

Day 2 did character breakfast and enjoyed it very much. Food was a good selection for breakfast
Later went to target for lunch meat and sandwich stuff for snacks. Snacks at resort are not very healthy and I can only take so much fried food.

day 3 headed to North shore had Korean BBQ from a food truck. The best meal so far. Next to it was a Mexican food truck and my daughter had the best nachos ever. Not on the menu but they prepared it for me with whatever we wanted on it.

Evening enjoyed AMA AMA with hubby at sunset. Was beautiful meal was just good, expensive. I have had better at home for less $$$ but the night out was nice. Dessert was too die for.

Day 4 had a bagel in room. Headed out to Honolulu ate at a place called Rainbow Drive in near Waikiki. Local food all the way. Had to find a park to eat at because there was no available picnic tables. Food was great!

Later had the chicken fingers from the pool side snack bar which were good.

From airport to Aulani you are on the highway. But you can get off and eat off the beaten path. You don't see any restaurants from the highway. So best to do a search for what type of food you want first.

We did Paradise cove since Aulani luau was sold out until July 4th. We enjoyed it the show was fantastic. Food was good. But we love pork and the other option was a teriyaki BBQ chicken was delicious too.

All in all you won't go hungry at Aulani. But if you are looking for amazing dinner plates go elsewhere. Maybe plan some dinners near Waikiki where there are lots of options. I have hear that people go over to the resort next door for nicer dinners

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

What are you planning on doing in between all these meals? I ask that because on the days we were out and exploring, we were too grubby to go sit down anywhere remotely nice. And we wouldn't usually go clean up to go back out--we'd eat someplace casual or at the pool bar.

Makahiki was quite possibly the best meal (at least in the top three) we had in two weeks. I'm sure it depends on what you like, but the seafood was great and the ham was amazing. We all loved it. Breakfast is fine if you need a big meal (we wanted to not have to stop for lunch).

We had a blast at Paradise Cove, and although the food was fine and we had plenty, it was nothing special. The show was fabulous IMO though.

Most of the stuff on the north shore is very casual, like food trucks, so if you have any clean freaks in your party, they might be a little wigged out by the places (speaking from experience).

We cancelled our AMA AMA res because there was just nothing that appealed to DD and it was pricey, so we enjoyed other things in the area. It's a beautiful space, though!!

On Day 1: Land late morning I believe. Find lunch on the way (maybe) or eat at Aulani after we arrive for lunch. Dinner no idea. I have no idea what we are doing on this day either. I'm sure we will be tired after flying.

On Day 2: The plan is just to stay at Aulani and see what it has to offer. Probably a pool and beach day. We also could go somewhere nearby which is why I was looking for possible places to eat. We have Makahiki planned for that evening (can change) and Ama Ama for lunch.

On Day 3: Pearl Harbor at 11 a.m. Find somewhere to eat lunch, walk around waikiki, eat at Chuck's Steakhouse, go back to Aulani.

On Day 4: Character breakfast at Makahiki, Drive to the North Shore (looking for someplace for lunch which is why I thought of the Beach House.)

On Day 5: Probably stay around the resort (maybe eat lunch at the pool restaurant), and possible Paradise Cove Luau at night.

Day 6: Fly home early.

My DD and I were happy to split a turkey wrap and chips from Ulu cafe for lunch on a few days. On our arrival day we enjoyed apps and drinks during sunset hour from the Olelo room as a dinner. We also ate at Monkey pod across the street which was excellent and the Mexican place which was good too. The Menehune Mischief dinner at Makahiki was only ok to us. The food was good but following the story was difficult and the parade of kids around the restaurant was chaotic trying to get back to the buffet.

Thanks for your review. I'll look into these. Was the parade of kids kinda like the Ohana thing at the Poly Resort at WDW? That is sometimes chaotic. I'm an adult and traveling with my Dad. So, we are interested in quiet places to eat as well.

Highly recommend Monkey Pod, across the street from Aulani. It's very good food and drinks and their happy hour specials were quite reasonable. Try Open Table for reservations. It's an easy walk from Aulani.

Thank you very much! It looks like Monkey Pod is getting some good reviews. I will look into it.

We liked the food trucks for quick meals. We looked on yelp when we were ready to eat to look for places with good reviews wherever we were. We ate at Monkey Pod on our arrival day. They have a great burger at lunch. We ate our anniversary dinner at AMA AMA and it was good. I think the fish was mahi mahi that day. We enjoyed Off the hook for poolside sit down meals. I forgot the name of the grab and go place, But the breakfast wrap was enough for hubby and I to split.

Thanks. Glad to hear you had a good experience at Ama Ama. That is the only restaurant I have heard mixed reviews about.

We are still here and I really wanted to eat local when we have been out.this is what we did:

DAY 1 arrived late afternoon. Ate at the Makahiki. Regret it because it was an expensive buffet and felt I need to get my money's worth to just go to sleep was tired and coming from an eastern time zone.

Day 2 did character breakfast and enjoyed it very much. Food was a good selection for breakfast
Later went to target for lunch meat and sandwich stuff for snacks. Snacks at resort are not very healthy and I can only take so much fried food.

day 3 headed to North shore had Korean BBQ from a food truck. The best meal so far. Next to it was a Mexican food truck and my daughter had the best nachos ever. Not on the menu but they prepared it for me with whatever we wanted on it.

Evening enjoyed AMA AMA with hubby at sunset. Was beautiful meal was just good, expensive. I have had better at home for less $$$ but the night out was nice. Dessert was too die for.

Day 4 had a bagel in room. Headed out to Honolulu ate at a place called Rainbow Drive in near Waikiki. Local food all the way. Had to find a park to eat at because there was no available picnic tables. Food was great!

Later had the chicken fingers from the pool side snack bar which were good.

From airport to Aulani you are on the highway. But you can get off and eat off the beaten path. You don't see any restaurants from the highway. So best to do a search for what type of food you want first.

We did Paradise cove since Aulani luau was sold out until July 4th. We enjoyed it the show was fantastic. Food was good. But we love pork and the other option was a teriyaki BBQ chicken was delicious too.

All in all you won't go hungry at Aulani. But if you are looking for amazing dinner plates go elsewhere. Maybe plan some dinners near Waikiki where there are lots of options. I have hear that people go over to the resort next door for nicer dinners

Thanks for your review about Paradise Cove and the North Shore. We aren't really food truck people though. Thanks for your review of Ama Ama as well. We got it for sunset for that reason. Hopefully 6:30 p.m. is late enough for that. We will definitely look at restaurants from the airport to Aulani.

 

[crystal1313]

I second monkey pod. We loved it there!! One night we weren't terribly hungry and ate apps at oleo room. Super yummy. There's also a Roys nearby that usually gets rave reviews. I wanted to try but we never made it. I'd also look into AMA AMA for breakfast. To die for macadamia nut pancakes. Have fun!!

 

[cgattis]

We aren't really food truck people though.

Neither is my husband. Haleiwa Joes is up there and gets good reviews. We would've given it a shot if we weren't so dirty, but if youre just driving around mostly--not swimming and stuff--that might be a good stop. There are a couple other places right in Haleiwa but can't remember the names. We ate at Fatboys, which is a plate lunch place; it was tasty.

 

[amym2]

Monkeypod has 1/2 price appetizers and $9 pizzas from 3:00-5:30 every day. Love their pumpkin ravioli app!

We love the coconut shrimp from the snack shack place (next to the shave ice) at Aulani. It's only open until 5.

Since you'll have a car, there are some good places in Kapolei (near Target, Costco). Aloha Salads is great, and we love the pancakes at Koa Pancake House (try the coconut syrup).

We enjoyed the Makahiki breakfast, but for a family of 4 with two teens, it's expensive. It's good but no Boma. DH and I had an outstanding dinner at AMA AMA (scallops were SO good). Our reservation was for 6:30 a couple of weeks ago, and it was good timing. Check the sunset time online.

 

[amym2]

Oh and on our PH day, we ate at Nico's Pier 38 and it was good counter service (has been on DDD). Another day we ate in the same area at Uncle's, and it was delicious but pricier (table service).

 

[Gorechick]

Yes, the Menehune Mischief Makahiki dinner is a lot like Ohana. There were at least 2 songs and parades around the restaurant during our dinner there. The Menehune dinner is only on certain nights so you'll have to check the schedule if you want to dine there on a regular night. We didn't go on a regular night so I can't speak to the noise level or ease of getting to the buffet.

 

[imaginiff]

I second Nico's Pier for your PH day. Great food, casual. We also did the Target run for deli meats and stuff to put on the grill. Everything there is prepackaged (it was a few years ago), but good nonetheless. There is also a great farmer's market type place in the same parking lot, but I forget it's name.

We also liked the ABC market across the street, behind Monkey Pods. They have a really great deli/prepared food department....they will make a big salad for you with whatever you want in it....I did chicken ceasar a couple of times and it lasted for two lunches. Their alcohol is pretty reasonable too. We did burgers on the grill a couple of times and steaks too. They are gas grills and you get the tools from community hall. Loved Giovanni's shrimp truck at the North Shore but definitely not the place for you if you don't like flies. Our last trip for the two of us we managed to not spend one dime on food or drinks at the resort. We also had a one-bedroom which helped a lot, although I didn't feel like cooking was a chore.

Enjoy your time there.....it is amazing.

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Monkeypod has 1/2 price appetizers and $9 pizzas from 3:00-5:30 every day. Love their pumpkin ravioli app!

We love the coconut shrimp from the snack shack place (next to the shave ice) at Aulani. It's only open until 5.

Since you'll have a car, there are some good places in Kapolei (near Target, Costco). Aloha Salads is great, and we love the pancakes at Koa Pancake House (try the coconut syrup).

We enjoyed the Makahiki breakfast, but for a family of 4 with two teens, it's expensive. It's good but no Boma. DH and I had an outstanding dinner at AMA AMA (scallops were SO good). Our reservation was for 6:30 a couple of weeks ago, and it was good timing. Check the sunset time online.

Oh and on our PH day, we ate at Nico's Pier 38 and it was good counter service (has been on DDD). Another day we ate in the same area at Uncle's, and it was delicious but pricier (table service).

Thank you for this! Have you tried the Monkeypod for a dinner time. I'm thinking of doing this on the day we fly in around 5 or 6 p.m. So, are the appetizers filling or did you need to get a couple? Also, thanks for the PH day suggestion. I will look into it.

Yes, the Menehune Mischief Makahiki dinner is a lot like Ohana. There were at least 2 songs and parades around the restaurant during our dinner there. The Menehune dinner is only on certain nights so you'll have to check the schedule if you want to dine there on a regular night. We didn't go on a regular night so I can't speak to the noise level or ease of getting to the buffet.

Thank you for this review of Makahiki. I am still not sure if I want to cancel it or not.

I second Nico's Pier for your PH day. Great food, casual. We also did the Target run for deli meats and stuff to put on the grill. Everything there is prepackaged (it was a few years ago), but good nonetheless. There is also a great farmer's market type place in the same parking lot, but I forget it's name.

We also liked the ABC market across the street, behind Monkey Pods. They have a really great deli/prepared food department....they will make a big salad for you with whatever you want in it....I did chicken ceasar a couple of times and it lasted for two lunches. Their alcohol is pretty reasonable too. We did burgers on the grill a couple of times and steaks too. They are gas grills and you get the tools from community hall. Loved Giovanni's shrimp truck at the North Shore but definitely not the place for you if you don't like flies. Our last trip for the two of us we managed to not spend one dime on food or drinks at the resort. We also had a one-bedroom which helped a lot, although I didn't feel like cooking was a chore.

Enjoy your time there.....it is amazing.

Thank you. We are in a deluxe studio so cooking might be difficult lol. If we want to microwave stuff, I'm sure it will work. I'm sure we will have a lot of fun.

 

[alohamom]

Thank you for this! Have you tried the Monkeypod for a dinner time. I'm thinking of doing this on the day we fly in around 5 or 6 p.m. So, are the appetizers filling or did you need to get a couple? Also, thanks for the PH day suggestion. I will look into it.

We did and it was great!
The fun thing about it was we all kind of shared a bunch of apps and for us I think our bill was about $65 for two adults and two teens including alcohol.
The very best item we had was the ravioli but the Babghanoush with taro chips came a very close second. The pizzas were good and the truffle oil fries were too.

 

[buffettgirl]

My family likes Uncles over Nicos.

Close to the airport I'd suggest Guava Smoked Or head to kaka'ako and get hanks haute dogs or for authentic Hawaiian go to highway inn

Beach house is good. Haven't had a bad meal there (eaten much and dinner)

Near Pearl Harbor you can try Big City Diner in aiea. Or 604 which is right near the Arizona

Monkeypod is good too as is their sister site , Moku, in
Kaka'ako

In Waikiki we like steak shack on the beach - takeout basically a good truck but my absolute favorite.

 

[DieHardJoe]

We were there in May and stayed the first night at the Royal Hawaiian. Going out the back of the hotel is the Mai Tai Bar which sits right on the beach. The food was good and it was so relaxing just chillin looking out over the beach with Diamond Head in the distance. The day we went to PH we had 2:00 tickets. We drove from Aulani and stopped for lunch at Anna Miller's (about a mile or so from PH) and we both loved it. It's comfort food, not gourmet dining, but the menu is extensive, decently priced, and if you go you have to get some pie. We ended up splitting a huge piece.

 

[nkereina]

Another recommendation for Monkeypod. I also recommend Pizza Corner across the street for something quick and easy. We leftovers for lunch the next day too.

Day 3:
- Lunch: Not sure yet, but planning on going to Pearl Harbor in the morning.
- Dinner: Ruth Chris Steakhouse (request from my Dad since it is his favorite steak house)

Day 4:
- Breakfast: Makahiki (character breakfast)
- Lunch: Not sure yet. Maybe Beach House?
- Dinner: Ama Ama - 6:30 p.m. We wanted to make sure we got to enjoy Ama Ama with the sunset, so hopefully that is a good time to experience the sunset while eating.

Near Pearl Harbor is Anna Miller's, which is a quaint and inexpensive diner. Kevin and John recommend this on the podcasts as well. We ate there for dinner one night and enjoyed it. Very casual. For Day 4, I would only go to Beach House if you plan to be in the North Shore. Not worth the drive just for lunch.

Day 1 we are flying in. Does anyone have any recommendations for lunch from the airport to Aulani or at Aulani?

We stopped at Target on the way to Aulani from the airport to pick up some groceries. We had a quick lunch at Kua Aina Burgers at the front of the Target plaza. It was pretty good and very easy/convenient.

Day 3 will most likely be our Waikiki/Pearl Harbor day. Does anyone have any recommendations for lunch on Waikiki?

House Without a Key at Halekulani or Duke's at Outrigger would be my picks!

Day 4 we will probably go up and travel the North Shore after breakfast. Does anyone have any good recommendations for lunch/snack on the North Shore? I say snack, because it might depend on how hungry we are around lunch time. I know Kevin on the DisUnplugged Podcast has recommended the Beach House several times. Maybe do the Beach House for dinner on Day 1?

KONO'S!!!!! Easily our favorite lunch of our trip. The pork bomber was amazing. It's a hole in the wall place right in Haleiwa and you'll sit on an old picnic table, but it was to die for. Beach House is more upscale table service dining and would make for a nice dinner when you're ready to relax.