"Park in the yellow stalls" is my favorite late-night phrase. Why, you may ask? Because it means cheap, filling food at the right price even if it's two in the morning. Located along Ala Moana Boulevard in Waikiki, Wailana Coffee House is a safe haven for line cooks getting off of work at the stroke of midnight, late night club-goers, the occasional insomniac, night students, and of course the jet-lagged tourist. Being one of only a handful of restaurants here on Oahu that are open 'round-the-clock (there are so few that I actually count Zippy's as a late-night dining option) Wailana Coffee House is usually filled with people regardless of the hour of night you arrive (the location helps I presume).
The ambiance in Wailana Coffee House is spectacular to say the least. It's like taking a trip back in time to the 1970's. Floral print lined seats and carpet, well lit and spacious main room with a back room seating larger parties, it kind of reminds you of old Hawaii -- elegant and classy with it's beige colored rooms yet laid-back (which is classic 1970's Hawaiian architecture).
Being open 24-hours-a-day and serving both local and classic diner food, Wailana Coffee House's menu is hard to beat. A hamburger and milkshake at 8 AM, breakfast at 8 PM, what's not to like? Wailana Coffee House also always comes through with their specials. Be it fried ice cream or endless pancakes their specials always hit the spot.
Did I mention the salad bar? This is probably Wailana Coffee House's best kept secret. If you order an item that includes soup or salad I definitely recommend the salad bar. The salad bar includes your usual salad choices (leafy greens, various dressings, croutons, etc.) as well as a pasta salad, kim chee, potato salad, jello, and a few other choices. Did I also mention that it's endless? Think about it: endless. salad. bar. Not bad for ordering a ten-dollar entree. Just make sure you get there by 10 PM because the salad bar closes by 11.
Aside from the salad bar, breakfast, and endless pancakes, Wailana Coffee House also delivers on their local specialties. While the patty for Wailana's loco moco isn't the greatest (kind of tough) they make up for it with their amazing gravy and their heap of tasty mac-salad! Hungry? Then try Wailana's meatloaf which includes the endless salad bar (score!), butter-roll, and a chocolate-mac nut sundae all for around $12.
Wailana Coffee House also serves your classic diner foods such as burgers and fries, various sandwiches, and is probably one of the last places left on the island (that is NOT Quizno's) that serves a PROPER french-dip (note: I love my french dips).
Overall, Wailana Coffee House is a major contender in Waikiki's over-flooded restaurant scene. Open 24/7 (well, almost. They're closed from midnight to 6am on Wednesdays) and serving both local and classic diner fare as well as breakfast is hard to beat when you don't know what you're in the mood for. As for parking, take a right right after Todai and the garage should be on your left. Just remember, "Park in the yellow stalls."
Wailana Coffee House and Cocktail Lounge
Rating System: 1-2.5-5 (poor-average-excellent)
Service: 4.25 (friendly wait-staff!)
Food Quality: 2.5
Monetary Value: 3.25
Quality vs Quantity: Tie (huge menu selection)
Overall: 3.3
1860 Ala Moana Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96815
808-955-1764
Showing posts with label waikiki. Show all posts
Showing posts with label waikiki. Show all posts
March 16, 2010
March 6, 2009
Ruth's Chris Steakhouse
Recently I've been reviewing a lot of the higher-end food establishments here in Honolulu. I promise I'll start getting back to the basics (especially in these slow economic times) after this post. But what can I say? It's Ruth's Chris Steakhouse! One of O'ahu's premier steakhouses. How can I not be excited?
Pulling up to Restaurant Row, I could hardly contain my excitement. I knew exactly what I was going to have -- the thick juicy cowboy ribeye, shoestring and potatoes lyonnaise and to top off the experience a Disorono amaretto freeze. I could hardly wait. Parking is usually easy to find as the parking complex at Restaurant Row is spacious, however, on Friday nights it can get a bit congested due to the dollar theatre and night club.
We had reservations (I was eating out with the family) as Ruth's Chris is a very popular choice at dinner times. As we entered Ruth's Chris the only thought going through my mind is, "Why is it so dark?". I understand the meaning of ambiance and have been to other high class steakhouses such as Hy's but the lack of lighting was slightly ridiculous. They say that the pupils of your eyes become dilated and it is some how attractive -- who cares! I can't read the menu without squinting. Our waitress was very professional and well mannered (a plus as I can be very picky about how waiters act).
I'll fast forward to the food as the bread wasn't worth writing home for. The steaks are said to be seared at an extreme temperature to seal in flavor as well as dry aged to perfection. What they didn't tell you is that they like to serve the steak without FLAVOR. Don't get me wrong, the steak was of amazing quality and was cooked to perfection but it lacked flavor. That's right folks...salt. I've recently conversed with other foodies and an industry burn-out about Ruth's Chris's steaks. We all agree -- the steaks need salt. There's no hiding the truth. The potatoes on the other hand were perfectly cooked and well seasoned. The Disarono amaretto freeze was (sadly) the highlight of my meal (I definitely will be making these at home). It is in essence a Disarono milkshake. Simple and delicious.
I'm not sure if I'm approaching the whole under-seasoned steak thing correctly as some may say that it doesn't need salt and that the natural flavor of the meat should be enjoyed without additives but I still stand with the notion that the steak needs salt.
Ruth's Chris Steakhouse
Rating System: 1-2.5-5 (poor-average-excellent)
Service: 5
Food Quality: 2.25*
Monetary Value: 4.5
Quality vs Quantity: Quality
Overall: 3.9
226 Lewers Street
Waikiki, Hawaii 96815
808-440-7910
Open Daily 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM
*I would have rated this a 4.5 but the steaks just need salt. period. I'll stop mentioning it now. I'm done. I'm over it.
Pulling up to Restaurant Row, I could hardly contain my excitement. I knew exactly what I was going to have -- the thick juicy cowboy ribeye, shoestring and potatoes lyonnaise and to top off the experience a Disorono amaretto freeze. I could hardly wait. Parking is usually easy to find as the parking complex at Restaurant Row is spacious, however, on Friday nights it can get a bit congested due to the dollar theatre and night club.
We had reservations (I was eating out with the family) as Ruth's Chris is a very popular choice at dinner times. As we entered Ruth's Chris the only thought going through my mind is, "Why is it so dark?". I understand the meaning of ambiance and have been to other high class steakhouses such as Hy's but the lack of lighting was slightly ridiculous. They say that the pupils of your eyes become dilated and it is some how attractive -- who cares! I can't read the menu without squinting. Our waitress was very professional and well mannered (a plus as I can be very picky about how waiters act).
I'll fast forward to the food as the bread wasn't worth writing home for. The steaks are said to be seared at an extreme temperature to seal in flavor as well as dry aged to perfection. What they didn't tell you is that they like to serve the steak without FLAVOR. Don't get me wrong, the steak was of amazing quality and was cooked to perfection but it lacked flavor. That's right folks...salt. I've recently conversed with other foodies and an industry burn-out about Ruth's Chris's steaks. We all agree -- the steaks need salt. There's no hiding the truth. The potatoes on the other hand were perfectly cooked and well seasoned. The Disarono amaretto freeze was (sadly) the highlight of my meal (I definitely will be making these at home). It is in essence a Disarono milkshake. Simple and delicious.
I'm not sure if I'm approaching the whole under-seasoned steak thing correctly as some may say that it doesn't need salt and that the natural flavor of the meat should be enjoyed without additives but I still stand with the notion that the steak needs salt.
Ruth's Chris Steakhouse
Rating System: 1-2.5-5 (poor-average-excellent)
Service: 5
Food Quality: 2.25*
Monetary Value: 4.5
Quality vs Quantity: Quality
Overall: 3.9
226 Lewers Street
Waikiki, Hawaii 96815
808-440-7910
Open Daily 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM
*I would have rated this a 4.5 but the steaks just need salt. period. I'll stop mentioning it now. I'm done. I'm over it.
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