Beautiful views, but unfortunately the food didn't quite rise to the occasion. We ordered the filet mignon, chicken parmigiana, lobster bisque, crab cake, Caesar salad, and several drinks. The drinks were solid, and the service kept things moving along nicely. The lobster bisque and crab cake held their own as well. The rest of the meal, however, felt like it missed the memo. The Caesar salad was less "Caesar" and more "lettuce with aspirations," dressed in what tasted suspiciously like something poured straight from a bottle, a bold move for a $20 salad. The filet mignon was a bit of a paradox: technically present, but so chewy it seemed determined to outlast the conversation. The chicken parmigiana followed suit, leaning more toward overcooked than comforting. All in all, while the view certainly knows how to make an impression, the food doesn't quite keep up with the scenery or the price tag. Not somewhere I'd rush back to, unless I was just there for the view. read more

Had a wonderful brunch at the Empire Steakhouse. Parked for $1 and hour at the parking stalls alongside the boats by the ilikai hotel. The elevator ride on this clear day was wonderful as I approached the 30th floor. Got seated by the window to see much of the Hilton Hawaiian Village property and the very blue ocean & sky. I posted pics of my sights. I ordered oysters, the steak and the vanilla lavender creme brulee. There is a lunch set that includes an appetizer, main and coffee or tea starting at 11:45 am. I was very hungry so I got there at 11:15am and ordered ala carte. Everything was well cooked to order and I loved my beautiful brunch. Service was polite and courteous. I would return again. read more

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Wait until you see this... JETRO is teaming up with 15 top Hawaii restaurants to bring you Epic Japan Seafood with a local twist--Come with me and check out Empire Steak House. Chef Kaiewa donayri , create these exclusive limit time specials. Empire Steak House is Honolulu's newest dining option. Located on the top of the @ilikaihotel (former Sarentos, Pesca space). The views are absolutely amazing from the restaurant. And the service to match the view. Pro tip : go there before sunset so you can really soak up that amazing view. One of their exclusive limit items is the Hokkaido Scallop & Shrimp Pasta--tossed in a luxurious creamy lobster sauce that's pure indulgence. Then, there's the Mentaiko & Ika Pasta with Yuzu kosho with Hokkaido Ikura caviar straight from Oarai Town, Ibaraki Prefecture. Both are exclusive, mouthwatering, and here for a limited time only! Hokkaido Scallop & Shrimp Pasta Indulge in succulent scallops and shrimp tossed in a luxurious creamy lobster sauce. Mentaiko & Ika Pasta with Ikura A decadent creation featuring mentaiko caviar from Oarai Town, Ibaraki Prefecture, paired with tender squid. But you know me, when coming to a steak house we just had to try the steak... and Yes it is expensive but don't confuse expensive with quality... because this was so worth it! I probably can't afford to eat here all the time but for a special occasion I think it is well worth it... you only live once, treat yourself we also enjoyed their lobster bisque and amazing cocktails. But hurry--these specials are only available until March 16th 2025. All in all, an amazing experience and worth the price for special occasion read more

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Lunch at Empire Steak House... in Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii was a fantastic experience! Donna O. did the research: The Power Lunch (special) starts at 11:45am and ends at 3pm. It's a great deal for $39.95 because of the stellar view, quality meals, and great service! Located on the 30th Floor of the Ilikai Hotel, Empire Steak House is part of a chain which has three locations in New York and one in Japan. This Honolulu location used to house Pesca Restaurant. PARKING: we used the valet service. It totaled just $6 with validation. Julia was our efficient, competent, professional server. She was very helpful, friendly, and patient! She made excellent suggestions and gave us a delicious complimentary Tiramisu birthday dessert! Thank you so much! I ordered the moist, tender Grilled Salmon. It was preceded by complimentary fresh focaccia bread. We used the bottle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar that was on our table (after we finished off the butter) - yummy! My meal came with Sautéed broccoli and mashed potatoes... everything was cooked to perfection! Power Lunch comes with coffee or tea and a starter - I got the Fresh Mozzarella with Beefsteak Tomatoes... very fresh and healthy! I highly recommend the Power Lunch! I'd go again and get the Beef Short Rib and Calamari that Donna ordered! Thank you for letting me taste your lunch, Donna... and thank you for a wonderful lunch! Note: there's a private room with a better view at the other end of the glass wall... I'm going to inquire and reserve it for our next gathering! read more

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It hadn't even been a week, but went back there for lunch this time. We both had the Power Lunch and shared. Complimentary Breads - They were kind of dry and okay. Meatballs - They were a little hard yet tasty. Calamari - Nice portion and delicious. Beef Short Ribs - The meat was big but a half of that was fat. Also there was too much rice. I'd have liked to have more gravy/sauce. NY Strip - Requested medium but it was almost well. This happened to the happy hour steak sliders as well. Disappointed. Mai Tai - It was as good as the last time. Margarita - Since I didn't like this last time, I asked to use the Cointreau instead of Triple Sec. It came out perfectly and yay without the crushed ice! I just can't believe how they cook the steak and this is a steak house. However, I might still come back here for the happy hour or even lunch, because it's at a convenient location for me, definitely not dinner. read more

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Such a pretty view and the food was phenomenal ! Me nd the wife came just for the seafood platter and bone marrow . Both were so good , mary and charlie killed it ! Thanks to them the service was excellent . Must try . read more

My husband and I dined here for a nice date night dinner. They sat us near the window that gave us a beautiful view of the city. We ordered the following: Octopus ,Calamari, American tomahawk steak, Steak fries, Mac and cheese ,Garlic rice Food: 4/5 I thought that everything was well seasoned and prepared. I enjoyed the octopus as it was nice and tender and was well complimented with spinach, olives and fried garlic and topped with a nice balsamic glaze. The calamari was well seasoned and came with a nice and spiced marinara sauce. The tomahawk was good, but could have honestly come with less butter. I wasn't too much of a fan of the fact that they had to tip the plate to keep the butter and fat oils being pooled on the bottom of the steak. However, the steak was cooked to a perfect medium rare. Steak fries and garlic rice were also well cooked. Unfortunately the mac and cheese was a huge flop. The macaroni was too over cooked and I hated that they cheaped out on the cheese and topped the dish with a literal slice of American plastic square cheese. Not fancy, and really ruined the dish for me. Service: 3/5 Was okay, our server Yuri was good but seemed to be a bit overwhelmed. I think the restaurant is still in an adjustment period when it comes to having enough staff. Our poor server was running around so much trying to help all of her tables, but really could have benefitted had there been more staff working. This led to slower serving times for putting our order in, getting water refills, the bill, etc. They also seem to have an issue with their HVAC system because the ceiling was leaking condensation and dropping water on my shoulder. It was so bad that we ended up requesting to change tables, and even after we changed tables, we could see the water pooling on the floor. (they only moved us over one table over). I was quite disappointed with this part of our experience and was not even offered any type of apology or compensation. Probably won't be back. read more

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I have been to this restaurant a handful of times since it converted to Empire, but after this experience, I will never return. The evening started poorly when valet service took far longer than it should have. I eventually had to get out of my car and seek assistance before anyone helped me. Upon entering, the hostess informed us that the restaurant was only offering a Father's Day prix fixe menu. I confirmed that the regular menu was not available, and she said it was not. I explained that I had reviewed the restaurant's website before making my reservation and found no mention of a prix fixe-only menu. She apologized. I also pointed out that this should have been disclosed when I made my reservation, and she apologized again. Although I was unhappy with the situation, I reluctantly agreed to stay and be seated. Our party consisted of four people, and one guest was not interested in any of the entrée options but was essentially forced into the prix fixe menu. The waitress and her assistant were attentive throughout the meal, but the food itself was inconsistent. Half of it was good, while the other half was mediocre at best. For appetizers, three of us ordered the bacon. It was prepared well, but only one guest enjoyed it; the other two found it far too fatty (could just be a prefence thing). The fourth guest ordered the mushroom soup, which needed to be microwaved and desperately needed salt. For entrées, the ribeye was excellent and cooked perfectly as ordered. I had the New York strip, which was overcooked and underseasoned. The other two guests ordered the salmon, which was prepared correctly and tasted good. The mashed potatoes and broccoli were excellent, but the "creamed spinach" tasted more like plain spinach and lacked the richness and flavor one would expect from that dish. Dessert was a chocolate mousse, which we only ordered because it was included in the prix fixe menu. One guest ate theirs at the restaurant (which was good), and we asked for the remaining three to be packed to go. Only one guest finished their entrée (the salmon), so we also requested that the leftovers from the ribeye, New York strip, and remaining salmon be boxed up. The dinner itself lasted about an hour and fifteen minutes, which I was pleased with. Unfortunately, the evening went downhill again when it was time to retrieve our car. The valet charged me $6 despite my ticket being validated. While the charge itself was not excessive, I was surprised because this fee was not disclosed on the restaurant's website. I checked before making my reservation. I paid the fee and moved on, only to encounter an even bigger issue. After waiting 45 minutes for my vehicle, I checked with the valet and discovered that my key had not even been pulled. Once he realized how long I had been waiting, he said he would "bump it to the front." When the waitress delivered the check, she included a QR code and asked us to leave a Yelp review. She mentioned that the restaurant had been open for a year and a half but that "nobody knows we're here." I chuckled to myself because that is not their problem. The final disappointment came when we got home. We discovered that while they packed the three chocolate mousses, none of our leftover entrées were included. No ribeye, no New York strip, and no salmon. Ugh. What a frustrating end to an already disappointing dining experience. read more

Overall feeling of dining at this restaurant was disappointing. I would not recommend anyone coming here. TLDR: Service was good, food was mediocre and overpriced, ambiance was meh. If you're coming here to watch the fireworks, don't. Good views are not guaranteed, even with prior request. Get take out and find a spot nearby the beach. Your wallet will thank you. Service: Was speedy and attentive. Food came out quick. Food: Ordered tomahawk steak. Almost half of it was fat. However, the parts that were edible, were cooked exactly how we wanted. Meat was underseasoned in some spots, so we asked for more salt. For more than $250, I'd expect better. Ambiance: Bright, overhead lighting was giving off a hospital-like atmosphere. Not very romantic. It was also pretty hot and humid, even with the loud AC units running. Lights weren't dimmed down until the fireworks started. Fireworks: We specifically asked for a table with good view of the fireworks on the reservation but were seated on the right side of the restaurant, at a table with opposite direction view. We were told that we can walk over and watch the fireworks in an adjacent small room. Not the dinner we were expecting. Later we realized that there is a whole other left section of the restaurant (side with bar and live music) that would have had good views. Good views are not guaranteed, so if that's the only reason you're coming here for, make sure ahead that that's what you're getting. read more

Empire Steak House - Uneaten fat parts of tomahawk steak. Which was basically half of the steak. - Steakhouses Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

A friend of mine asked if I would like to check out Empire Steakhouse. He saw somewhere that it recently opened, January 11th. I said yes, and I found us driving there ;) You can reserve on the website, OpenTable or by calling them directly at (808) 777-3100. We reserved our spot on their website. They are located at The Top of The Ilikai Hotel. Parking is valet only so make sure to get your ticket validated. We paid $6. If it's not validated, it's $29. As you enter The Ilikai Hotel, you'll find the elevator to your left. I promise you, you and miss it! This elevator is strictly for the restaurant only so it'll take you at the very top and then back down to lobby, when you're done. The view from the bottom is beautiful but once you get up to the 30th floor, it's even more spectacular! I went to wash my hands and came across an open door. I decided to check it out and found out they had a wedding hall. It's beautiful and so majestically simple! It's meant for 20 people. As soon as we exited the elevator, we were greeted with 3 ladies beaming with their friendly smiles. One of them took us to our table. As we sat, our friendly waiter came and said hello. He shared the specials of the day. He is Paul B. Super friendly and attentive. In fact, we were confused because it felt like we had more than 1 waiter. They were constantly checking in on us. He started his meal with the Lobster Bisque. It's creamy and delicious! I tried their French Onion soup. It's one of my favorite soup! They didn't disappoint me! For our main meal, he ordered the Bone-in Ribeye Steak. It was cooked to perfection and seasoned with simple flavors but so divinely crafted and so delicious! It melts in your mouth. He has sautéed asparagus for his sides. I got the Seafood Platter with lobster, crab, 2 oysters, and 2 jumbo shrimp. We ended our tastebuds with their New York Cheesecake with Fresh Berries for him. I had their Vanilla Lavender Crème Brûlée. Both are good except mine is so much more flavorful and creamy! We enjoyed our time dining with Empire Steakhouse. They delivered with spectacular service! I hope you get to experience it too! Thank you, Paul, Alfred & your t Thank you for taking the time to read my review. Have a great ALOHA Friday. read more

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We had the most amazing experience at Empire Steak House in Oahu. The food was absolutely delicious, and the setting was unforgettable. My brother in laws wedding dinner overlooking the ocean felt magical -- topped off with fireworks that made the evening pure perfection. Truly a night to remember! The staff were very accommodating and the food was amazing. read more

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Don't waste your Don't waste your time or money. Service was horrendous from start to finish. It took 30 minutes just to get a cocktail menu, and once we finally ordered, it was another 30 minutes before drinks came out (4 old fashioneds, 1 cosmopolitan, and 2 iced teas)--and this was with the bar completely empty. The details were sloppy all around: * Cherries had splinters sticking out of the bamboo skewers. * Only half our table received water. * Our mains didn't even come out together--we had to keep telling the server who wasn't our waiter what dishes were still missing. * Steak was unevenly seasoned (half properly salted, the other half with no seasoning at all). * My rack of lamb came with 3 double-bone chops--2 cooked correctly to medium rare, the third rare and cold in the middle--served with... brown gravy? * We ordered pappardelle Bolognese but were served rigatoni instead. The pasta was mushy, the sauce tasted like a frozen TV dinner, and when I questioned it the manager admitted the lamb was undercooked but then tried to tell me the rigatoni was "pappardelle." Meanwhile, our waiter was constantly "too busy." As we were leaving, he actually told us, "I was making coffees and desserts for other tables." At one point I even tried to help him by letting him know the table next to us was waving him down to pay their bill. Nothing was done to fix or even acknowledge the mistakes. We don't expect comps, but at the very least a simple apology would have gone a long way. Yes, we still tipped--but only out of principle, not satisfaction. Check the pictures. Don't go. read more

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Everything was top notch from the service to the delicious food. We had a booth overlooking the city, and the view was amazing! Hubby's lobster bisque, served with a huge chunk of lobster in the middle, was the best he's ever had. My hearts of lettuce salad was excellent. His salmon and my paparadelle bolognese were wonderful. To top off the meal, we ordered lava cake, which left us speechless. read more

Empire Steak House - Pappardelle bolognese. Absolutely delicious! - Steakhouses Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Connor and James are da boooooooomb making drinks! Very personable and crack the great jokes! Had excellent cuisine! Calamari is so FIIIIRE! You cannot go wrong with this option! Maitre D brought us a plate Sizzling Canadian Bacon, talk about broke da mouth! Next thing I knew, same Maitre D is bringing over a white linen covered cart with a platter of a very thick choice selection of Ribeye Steak - cooked to perfection in my humble opinion - apparently the table ordering was noooot happy on how it was cooked (I reserve all judgement just to say - THANK YOU STEAK SNOBBY FOLKS FOR GIFTING ME A SLICE OF MELT IN MY MOUTH HEAVEN!!!!) Next thing I see a salad being brought before us..... Ok - I was just being treated like royalty and it could NOT have come at a more perfect time! I was very grateful to have such a wonderful experience w/ these folks! Hands down will be back! read more

Empire Steak House - Steaaaaak! - Steakhouses Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Very disappointing. Very nice servers who performed poorly. Why? It was readily apparent they were undertrained, if they were ever even trained. How can management send out a server in an expensive steakhouse who doesn't know how to open a bottle of wine? We spent $300 on a dinner for two with a $110 bottle of wine and we even shared an entree. It was a waste of our time and money. read more

The staff and management handled today's situation perfectly!! My wife and I visited Empire while on a date night without our son. Drinks, food and music were great! Pianist was on point and we loved his classic childhood music throw ins! We had an awkward situation with another customer and we were comforted by the staffs support and care for us. read more

This place has changed names a couple of times more than a couple like maybe five times it was recently Pesca and now it's Empire steakhouse it is located on the top of the Ilikai Hotel in Waikiki. The views are absolutely stunning. They're happy our menu is delicious and the vibe is really relaxing. The servers and service is professional and if you need any recommendations, they are there to help you. I have not gone to dinner there as yet, but I have gone there for happy hour a few times and it has always been good with no complaints here. Please note that it is a really pricey steakhouse. read more

If you're not afraid of heights and don't mind spending a little bit, then this is your place. Empire is good for a date night, a celebratory moment , business meeting or hey- just to come get a sipper overlooking the Waikiki sunset. The wine list is legit and the food was pretty good. I had the special which was black cod and ordered a crab cake that was super plump and nothing but lump crab no filling which is the way I like it. Like I mentioned earlier, good for a date night but unless I was super balling I would prob make this an annual special occasion spot rather than a come often type of spot. Don't want it to lose its luster ya know. But it was cool. read more

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We came at lunch with a group of 7 and could easily make reservations! We were seated next to the window and the view from this space is always beautiful. We all ordered the power lunch which was $40. It comes with one starter and main. The starters were all great, we had the meatball, calamari and the soup. The main dishes there was short rib with rice, steak and pasta. The steak was $10 more and we had multiple people in the group ask for the meat rare through medium. Sadly all the meat came fully cooked. It was hard and not tender. Food was okay, service was on the slower side but atmosphere is great! read more

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It was completely empty for lunch which is a shame because this place is amazing in the day for lunch!! The power lunch option is fantastic and so reasonably priced. The clam chowder is delicious they were not cheaper with the clam or the potatoes. Steak was cooked medium rare PERFECTLY. and perfectly seasoned. Garlic with the broccoli and mashed potatoes were perfect sides. What an underrated place. This is honestly one of the better steak places around here and that's saying something because I'm from the mainland and food here generally speaking is mediocre at best. I wasn't going to get dessert but dad insisted and it was worth it. I ate the whole thing and I don't know eat a lot usually. If you're a local, go and keep them in business, please. Tourists - know you made a great decision to go. Parking is valet. $6 with validation although website says complimentary. Confirmed it is $6. Ambiance is great -- so quiet since we were the only ones but let's not keep it that way. the views are amazing in the day. read more

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Ambience and service was great . View amazing . We went during happy hour . Great prices!!! $6 martinis and $10 + appetizers. Their full dinner menu is very expensive. read more

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Waiters and customer service is absolutely amazing. Top notch! The food not so much. Expected better. The meat was very fatty and the mashed potatoes came out cold and practically had no seasoning. Mac and cheese, unexpected spice and the creamy spinach... wasn't even creamy lol!! Just tasted like basic spinach with nothing more. If you're looking for a nice and delicious restaurant to come to in Hawaii, this one isn't it. (If you have the higher tastes of course) read more

Empire Steak House - Fatty steak. - Steakhouses Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The Empire Steakhouse sits on the 30th Floor of the Ilikai Hotel and Luxury Suites. For those of you that remember the Hawaii 5-O television series, the hotel was featured in the open scene. Empire has a magnificent view of Waikiki and the surrounding area. Beside the view, the interior has a modern look with comfortable seating. The manager came to check on us and gave our group a tour of the restaurant after our lunch. .Although we couldn't get in to see the larger private room because it was being used for a wedding. Sevice was very good. There were 3 television stations filming while we were there. This could have been why our food order was slow in coming. Our group ordered from the lunch prefix menu. I ordered the Mozzarella cheese on Beef Steak Tomatoes as my starter. My entree was the Mushroom Risotto. The risotto was not as creamy as I would of liked.It did have good taste and texture. I like to thank Craig T for picking the venue and making the reservations. It was a great place to celebrate Deborah P's early birthday. Enjoy read more

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Thursday dinner to celebrate wife's birthday. It's a beautiful restaurant on the top floor of the old Ilikai Hotel. Similar to Signature Steakhouse in the Ala Moana Hotel, it has its own private elevator to take you directly to the 30th floor. It was a very enjoyable dinner and I highly recommended this restaurant. - Parking: Valet can be crowded, it's not a huge driveway. Be sure to tell the attendant that you are going to Empire. They give you a different ticket than others. $6 with Empire validation. - Service: Impeccable, professional, and efficient. Very accommodating. 5 stars. - Food: Wife had a mixed green salad ($13.95), Seafood Platter ($65.95), and a glass of Chardonnay ($17.50). Seafood Platter included two Oysters, Crab, Jumbo Shrimp, and Lobster. She really liked it. 4 stars. I ordered the Bone-in Ribeye Steak ($119.95), with a side dish of steamed Broccoli ($15.95), washed down with a glass of Merlot ($17.50). The steak is a stand-alone entree... it does not include anything veggies, so I ordered a side dish of Broccoli, which is easily shareable. The steak is huge and a very thick cut. I brought half of it home. Total bill with 20% gratuity ($50) came out to $312 and change. 4 stars. read more

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The ambiance was beautiful. The food was ok with an exception that the seared ahi tasted like it was previous frozen. Not worth the price. I feel like you're pretty much paying for the view. As for the service our waitress was amazing. She was attentive & that's why I gave this place a few more stars. read more

I made a reservation at Empire for my birthday January 18th, 2026. I made this reservation in advance and included that I was celebrating my birthday at the restaurant on my reservation. I called the restaurant about five hours before my reservation to confirm the celebration and the hostess I spoke with was really kind. After our call, she called me back to ask if I wouldn't mind moving my reservation to an earlier time and I obliged even though the other person in my party would miss that start time. It was late and only a few tables remained occupied once I arrived and service was great. Everyone who stopped by the table, they were all very helpful. Especially our waitress! I noticed a table that was behind mine being brought a birthday dessert for someone, and then once the end of my meal came I was disappointed to discover nothing was going to be brought out for me. This soured my experience at Empire. I came after a recommendation from my friend who dined here on her birthday just five days before mine and she was met with dessert as well. I have been here for sixteen years and haven't had this happen at a steakhouse on my birthday til this year. I had better expectations after the booking interface specifically asks about special occasions and after confirming with the hostess. I reached out regarding my experience and received a response equating to about a "my bad". No offer of correction or invite back. Surf & Turf - 7.5/10 Ribeye 8/10 Bartending 7/10 Lobster Bisque 10/10 Macaroni 4/10 View- Incredible If you have AMEX, a decent choice to spend your platinum Resy credit but NOT for a special occasion if you're expecting attention to detail to be paid at your celebration. Maybe for happy hour. They have valet $6 (4 hours) read more

Empire Steak House - Lobster Bisque - Steakhouses Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We had an amazing time at Empire. We were actually going to go to another steakhouse because we read the reviews about the service being so poor at Empire, but our experience was far from that. I have to say that the service was top notch from the moment we walked in. Our server Jun was kind, extremely attentive and had great recommendations for drinks and food throughout. The drinks, food and dessert were all delicious! This is one of the best views we had had for a meal on the island. The ambiance was perfect for one of our last evenings, there was even a live piano player that set the perfect mood. The new GM came by the clean up our dinner plates. He was open, kind and so welcoming. Overall a 5 star experience and Will come back next time we are in Oahu!! read more

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Went here for my anniversary and enjoyed every moment of it. Every dish was amazing and the meat is so tender you barely need the knife to cut it. The service from Mary was amazing and the views of the city and bay is perfect. read more

Finally, a true NYC steakhouse and one with the potential to become Hawaii's best. A classic steakhouse. No fancy starters rather the requisite raw bar staples, crab cake, fried calamari. Mains, animals. Traditional steakhouse sides. IMPORTANT NOTES: -- This is a mid tier steakhouse with major US city prices. Starters $30+. Steaks $100+ with Japanese A5 topping out at $450. -- The steak served at lunch is USDA Choice versus the USDA Prime for dinner. -- The restaurant is new. Lapses in service with zero ability to up sell will dampen the experience. To start, the calamari is very well made. Flash fried, so lightly crisp on the outside and very tender inside. The accompanying thick marinara sauce is flavorful but a simple squeeze of lemon is all that's needed. The crab cake, less successful. Mostly crab with little filler but it is plated with too much aioli resulting in an oily mouth feel. It is however well seasoned. The beef. USDA Prime dry aged in house. Opting for the king of steaks, the porterhouse for three. The steak is very well seared to a deep golden brown. It is well seasoned without being too salty. Guessing the steaks are dry aged for 30 - 40 days. No blue cheese funk or nuttiness. Very agreeable. Tip: Steaks are sat on a superheated plate in clarified butter. Order steaks one level below the desired doneness. Be sure to serve it all to individual plates as quickly as possible to prevent gross overcooking. Zero complaints on the simple, buttery mashed potato or the thicker than most but very rich and flavorful creamed spinach. Solid, well chosen wine list. Better still, their list of brown libations. Typical 300 - 500 percent markup above retail. Service is, putting it nicely, a work in progress. Interrupting a table conversation to ask how the food is, taking away one diner's plate before everyone has finished, holding a fork by the tines and placing it on the table. Little things that add up and make you question why you just dropped $400/pp. Hopefully it improves quickly with time. Note: sorry, no pics. Device free dining with visiting poker buds. Huge potential. Fingers crossed they make it. This could be the new regular spot for this steak lover. read more

My husband took me here for my birthday, and from start to finish the experience was great. Every staff member was so friendly and accommodating. The food was great too! I worried the food wouldn't be up to par with the ambiance, but everything was yummy! We had the oysters, surf and turf (lobster tail and filet mignon), bone in rib eye, white rice, sautéed asparagus, mushrooms, creamed spinach, and lavender crème brûlée. And, of course the view from the top of the Ilikai was amazing. Truly a great way to celebrate my 30th bday :) (p.s. for any locals wondering, they do not offer Kamaaina discount lol. I always check just in case whenever I'm in Waikīkī.) read more

Empire Steak House - Steakhouses Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I live with 2 philosophies and they are 1) try anything once and 2) quit being a glutton for punishment. So what happened? Tried this place once when I should have known to live by my 3rd philosophy and that is to wait until Establishment is seasoned. Second, my Yelp friends who I respect had some not so nice comments of this place so I should have known, rather I became a glutton for punishment as the same thing my Yelp friend spoke of happened to me. Here is my story: Go there with a couple friends for Happy Hour. We decide to try grab a seat at the bar and to my surprise: 1. the hostess did not acknowledge us when we got in to the Establishment 2. Now one helped us get seated (fortunately, 3 seats opened up at the bar so that helped us) 3. Now that we are seated; the bartender who initially served us had the personality of a rock 4. We rushed to order our appetizers as Happy Hour ended at 6 pm and we knew the HH prices would go away... (our bartender who had the personality of a rock was not happy with us ordering at 5:55 pm... reminded us that HH comes to an end at 6 pm.... (get the pricture?) 5. Our food order came out in no time flat and before we could get our second beverage.... Calamari- cold and we could tell it was sitting under a warmer. They didn't have the decency to change the dipping bowl which was crusted after sitting under the warmer. Oysters- shouldn't complain because we got 2 extra oysters... Our bartender with the rock personality could not could nor did he know what the appetizer plates consisted of. Burger sliders- the burger was good! best dish of the evening. 6. We got Bartender Alexander toward the end.... I guess Rock Bartender got tired of serving us. Alexander is a carry over from the old Pesca and has been there for 3.5 years and continues his journey over at Empire Steak House. Valet Parking available They serve lunch Gorgeous ocean and mountain views Food? Jury is still out Service? Definitely needs improvement Would I go back? Not sure. There are many other excellent steak houses in the city..... read more

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My boyfriend and I tried to steakhouse because we are on a hunt to finding one of the best steakhouse other than the signature and the cutlery. So we tried Empire and it was OK. My favorite was the crabcakes and the drinks. read more

We tried the happy hour here. They had decent prices for "classic cocktails" (please note this does NOT apply to their fancy cocktail menu) and draft beer. Only 3 beers were available on draft and only one local, which was very disappointing. In general, the menu listings didn't give much detail, though our server did go through it with us. I had the hamburger sliders (2), which happily have a side of fries. They were a little bland as they only came with some sauce and no other toppings or accompaniments. I liked the fries, but they were just a touch over-salted. There was light piano music playing and nice views from the top of the Ilikai. read more

Empire Steak House - Hamburger sliders with a view - Steakhouses Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

My friends and I were visiting from Big Island over the weekend and made this our last meal. What a fabulous establishment. It was absolutely spectacular from start to finish. The view is breathtaking, the food and wine are top notch and, Jun, our server, made our visit a stellar, 5 star experience. I highly recommend you book his section when you go; he was THE BEST!! Thank you so much, Jun, and we look forward to returning to see you soon!! My friends and I were visiting from Big Island over the weekend and made this our last meal. What a fabulous establishment. It was absolutely spectacular from start to finish. The view is breathtaking, the food and wine are top notch and, Jun, our server, made our visit a stellar, 5 star experience. I highly recommend you book his section when you go; he was THE BEST!! Thank you so much, Jun, and we look forward to returning to see you soon!! read more

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Just returned from Empire at the top of the "I". (Illikai Hotel 1777 Ala Moana Blvd.) It was excellent. The only thing better than the food was the service. The view is beyond description. Thank you to the entire team of Ken, Jun, and Kevin. Chris H. read more

We had the most wonderful pre elopement and dinner at the Empire! The team was hospitable, views were incredible, and the food was amazing!! I will have photos below. They can definitely accommodate larger parties even though ours was small. I highly recommend the macaroni and cheese, Empire Steak for 2, Calamari, French Onion Soup, and seafood options. It's a plus that they have a photogrpaher where for extra you can get printed photos. The highlight is the view of the Friday night fireworks which is a must to see! read more

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First of all the service was absolutely horrendous. It was not the waiters fault as he explained the "new management" had just fired several employees that left them shortstaffed. He did the best he could, however, when it takes. To get sorbet, that is never good. Our dinner took almost 4 hours which was completely unacceptable. He needed a second person to serve our party, which was 16. The bartender had a horrible attitude. He and the backup bartender did not seem to know how to handle the bar. We would walk up, because it was taking too long to get drinks at our table, to order a drink, and he would give us an attitude and a smart remark, including do you want cherries in that Manhattan? Well, yes cherries come with a Manhattan! Until they get their staff sorted out, I would not waste the time to go there. On a positive note, once the Food reached our tables after almost 2 hours, it was very good. read more

Excellent medium rare steak for two. (Empire signature?) Calamari and grilled octopus were great. Sides and service were good. Amazing view. Would highly recommend. read more

Happy hour on Sunday. Amazing views all around and great prices. Neat to take the ocean-side elevator up or down.

Million dollar view at this restaurant. Great service . We went day time during lunch not so many people and we got the best seat at house Amazing views Wife had miso butter fish which was divine I had $85 lunch special choose new york strip which was worse steak ever had in my life true disappointment I think Times super market has better steaks. If not for view and fish would leave 1 star review. Prices on menu super expensive true tourist trap not really for local people Still suggest if visiting for drinks and view read more