Ribs so dry that they were crunchy Service was slow and waitress disappeared for extended time Ambiance was nice so 2 stars Will not be coming back read more

I write a lot of reviews but don't leave many bad ones because everyone has different taste and standards. I write bad ones only if I think people should know and not waste there money and this is one of them. While staying at the Hilo Hawaiian hotel for a week, one night we went to the lounge and had dessert which as a chocolate brownie. It was delicious and the waitress told us it came from WSW. So although the reviews on WSW wasn't great, we decide to have a last dinner there. I also remember the front desk telling us since we stayed in the hotel, if we ate at the restaurant, we could get $10 off our bill. Location: In the lobby of Hilo Hawaiian Hotel. Atmosphere: they try to give off the ambiance as a high end restaurant displaying wine bottles and high end whisky everywhere . View: probably the best part of the dining ..over looks Hilo bay. Service: Considering they call themselves a steakhouse I'd give it 2. Serve asked if we wanted coffee, soda or ice tea cause it comes with the Buffett. I said ice tea, server came back and said sorry we don't have ice tea. As a serve you should know your menu. Buffett: (Thursday, Friday, Saturday) Prime rib. We were the first seating, when we walked in there was only 2 other parties so you'd figure the prime rib would be really fresh. It was over cooked and dry. The server at the station had no personality. French onion soup was good but no croutons or cheese in it like a French onion soup should. I heard another customer as for crackers which they did not have. Poke is not fresh and used previously frozen cubes. Butter fish was one of the best things on the Buffett. The crab is always my favorite on any Buffett I go and the one on this buffet was the worst. It was super dry and no flavor at. The butter they serve with it says garlic butter but there was no garlic taste. I could barely finish I set of legs cause it was so dry. Decided I need to eat salad to fill me up, which I never do at a Buffett since I can get it at home. Salad was super soggy as if they washed it and didn't dry it. The dessert which is usually my second fav on a Buffett,was mediocre. The pies were not cut good so everyone was having problems getting it out and it looked like a mess. The soft we've had vanilla and a mix but no other flavor so what was the mix ‍. When the check came and I asked about the $10 for being a guest at the hotel, they told me it doesn't apply on Buffett nights. All in all this was one of the worst Buffett we've been to. I'm writing this review to 1) save others money ..it's not worth the price and there are way better places in Hilo to eat 2) in hopes that the hotel brings in a better restaurant in its place read more

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Three stars is generous. The prime Rib is tough, the salad bar is mediocre, the music is too loud. Basically not a place I enjoy eating. Staff is very friendly and accommodating but that doesn't make up for the poor quality of food. read more

We had a reservation for 14 last night. The place was less than half occupied. It took over 2.5 hours to get our dinner. They were out of multiple options of beer and appetizers that were on the menu. We had to go and find our waitress twice. The manager avoided us the entire night. And everyone in our party that had steak said it was the worst steak they ever had! The rib eye was rubbery and lukewarm! The entire experience was tragic and we will never have a company party there again. read more

Everything was great. They did run out if a few things in the menu, but the friendly service & food was worth it. The location is beautiful to where you can see Hilo Bay in the huge panel window ( beautiful surrounding scenery). Parking is a plus; lots of free parking, unlike Waikiki. read more

Food was very good. Prime rib not always consistent but still very good. The service is great. All friendly patient and kind. A bit noisy but just made it seem festive rather than a quiet fine dining. Will go again read more

The view is very nice. The staff is pleasant. The food is not good. We had the steak and lobster hoping to enjoy the "steakhouse" experience but even though the bill was $$$ the meal was lack luster at best. The ambience and furniture is not what you would expect from a steak house. read more

Don't understand why they don't have more stars. Food is great and had a buffet with crab legs and prime rib i mean what else do you need? Drinks are also awesome and customer seevice was on point. Very nice restaurant came here on our last visit too and their dinner menu was awesome! Wish I took pics. read more

I'm not judging why you're in a steakhouse while on an island surrounded by fish but here I am too. Don't think Loud! What?!? I said it's LOUD. There are great tricks for absorbing sound but unfortunately those are not utilized here. Between the laughs, plates clanging, children being children and the Casual Dark Soft Rock/Yacht Rock/Singer Songwriter tubes seems to play from just one speaker way across the room. If I can hear it where I'm seated, I'm glad I'm not closer. Must be blasting those tables. Was odd but I'm not here for the play list. Huge $10 (free) truffle fries were warm and meh. Loads of Parmesan cheese and some truffle oil. 18 oz. RIBEYE $45 cooked perfectly medium-rare. Requested Himalayan pink salt in a bullet on the side for a little help but otherwise great job! read more

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Ate breakfast here 3 times during our stay, ordered the same dish, steak and eggs 3 times, they got it perfectly the way I liked it every single time, one of the few places that had great coffee and always hot, unlike the other 3 dedicated coffee shops I've tried in the big Island who can't get the temperature right. Staff was great. read more

Extremely disappointed with the $85 Christmas Day buffet. For a premium holiday price, the quality was unacceptable. The 'catch of the day' was overcooked to the point of being hard as a hockey puck, and the crab legs were rubbery and inedible. Several other dishes were brought out undercooked. It felt like there was zero quality control or attention to taste. We felt completely robbed of both our money and our holiday dinner. read more

Walked in at 6:36pm on a Monday. Place was half empty. They refused to seat me without a reservation. lol. Horrible. Honolulu steakhouses would never do this. read more

Great location and ambiance. Very pleasant and staff with quick service. Unfortunately, the food was subpar. We did come in with a big party, but advance reservations were made. Some of the food that came out, came out cold and some with very little seasoning. The lobster Mac n cheese was missing the lobster. The Maine lobster tail was seasoned perfectly and was delicious! The loaded baked potato was slightly undercooked and under seasoned. We did opt for the soup and salad bar add on. That was pretty good for the price point. The clam chowder was loaded with clams. The crème brûlée was delicious! All in all, for the price point, given the quality of the food itself, it was disappointing. The staff, excellent! read more

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We went here for breakfast so the review speaks only to that experience. We did not make a reservation so we did not get a window seat, which was fine. Our server brought waters immediately after we were seated. We placed our coffee and juice order, and then she disappeared. 10-15 minutes passed until I physically intercepted her as she scurried about and asked for our drinks. She said ok and then another 5 minutes passed before the wife got her coffee. Our food was served and we started eating before the little one got her orange juice. The explanation was that the bar was "backed up". Really? At 9:30am? How long does it take to pour a glass of orange juice? My food was ok, nothing great, nothing terrible. The wife's loco moco was almost inedible because every bite of burger had gristle. She tried to eat the spam but it was very salty, as spam always is. The gravy was good. The fruit bowl ($8) was just average. The pineapple was great. The cantaloupe was bitter. The blue berries were ok. There was not watermelon as mentioned in the description. There was one strawberry that was not sweet. Everyone around us was getting their drinks and food very fast, except us. The prices are surprisingly reasonable, actually less than what we paid at other restaurants for breakfast. Much to my surprise, after I flagged down our waitress for the bill, there was a note that our meal had been comped. I left her a tip but the service needs considerable improvement. read more

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I'm writing this review for 2 reasons 1 because the food that I've had there is amazing and2 my experience has been enhanced by a bartender who knows what I like and is someone that treats customers as they should be treated. She's the best bartender hands down that the Hilo Hawaiian has. The food is incredible and I've had the pleasure of having my meal bro to me by the executive chef. He's always kind and he's a perfectionist a wanted trait in your chef. Overall I've made this restaurant a favorite of mine and hope that you enjoy it as well. read more

Since it was the last evening in Hilo, we wanted the dinner to be special. So our expectation was high. And while some dishes were good, a few didn't meet the expectations. The service was great. Appetizers: The Truffle Parmesan Fries and Clam Pan (we asked to change from mussels to clams) were excellent. Salads: The WSW was okay but I wouldn't order again. My partner had the Caesar and he liked it. Entrees: The Misoyaki Butterfish was on the sweet side but delicious. The white rice was too soft and grains were sort of mashed. The Ali'i Mushroom & Watermelon Radish Melange was tasteless. The grilled asparagus was over cooked. My friend had the Lobster Tail & Fillet Steak and liked them. read more

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WSW The Steakhouse is much more than a typical hotel restaurant. It is in the lobby of the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel; guests at the hotel receive a $5 coupon for each day of your stay. We figured we'd try it the first morning for breakfast and ended up eating here every day. The restaurant has a beautiful view of Coconut Island and Hilo Bay, but is enclosed with large windows and AC. Tables are spread out in a large room; it's spacious and comfortable. In the center is a glass walled wine cellar also with liquor and other alcohols for the evening crowd. It has both a formal and casual vibe at the same time. This review is solely for breakfast/brunch, we ate here three times. The food was great, we tried the classic benedict, breakfast sandwich, and classic breakfast plate. All the food was plated well and delivered quickly. I do not recommend the iced tea, it was basically a tea bag over ice. The coffee is locally roasted beans - a great addition and way to start the day. With the coupon, prices are still a little high but worthwhile for the convenience and the view. Service here is extremely mixed, we had equal parts wonderful service and downright horrible service on our visit. With consistency, the host stand was rude or unhelpful; one morning we were told there were no tables for the entire day, but were eventually given one. Our servers were consistently good; the one day our food did not arrive for over an hour and it was quickly made right by a server and the manager. Being relaxed and not in a rush on vacation made these issues okay. I would definitely recommend eating here if you're staying at the hotel or one nearby and want a pretty view with consistently good food. read more

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Decent menu, Decent price, Excellent service. Looked for a place too celebrate the birthday of my sister and nephew. Also in the mix of occasions is a belated Mother's Day aloha for my sister. Located in the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, WSW The Steakhouse is located on the lobby level and overlooks Hilo Bay and Coconut Island. Parking plentiful in the hotel's basement area parking lot. Once you park your car, take the elevator to the lobby level and you will be looking at WSW. The idea and concept of the menu is good. The execution and presentation of the meals are okay. The service is excellent. Personally, I'd order the fish or the burger on my next visit. The steak, while prepared properly as I ordered is a lesser quality of meat and was cut so thin it lost is integrity as a steak Reservations recommended in Post Covid Era. You can call the restaurant directly or they are listed on Open Table. read more

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*This review is for breakfast only* While staying at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel we decided to just eat in and then venture out for the day. WSW Steakhouse is located in the of the hotel. Large dining room with views of Hilo Bay. You'll find it relaxing checking out the view along with the music playing. It feels like a high end restaurant, but with a local feel to it. Yeah shorts and slipper attire for me this morning. There is a dress code for dinner, so no slippers, tank tops or shorts for evening dining. Being it was a Friday morning I couldn't order the Oxtail Soup which is only served on weekends, inser sad face . So I ordered the Meat Lovers Frittata. The Frittata was souffle like, light, fluffy and the size of a six inch Chicago style pizza. It was filled with an assortment of meat and cheese, delicious. Bring your appetite, it's filling. We came back for the Oxtail soup on Saturday morning after a night of drinking. Nice portion of oxtails in the flavorful broth, it comes with a side of rice. The $17 price is on point for the bowl size, but the only disappointment was that they ran out of grated ginger and could have given more cilantro. Reasonable menu prices for a restaurant located in a Hotel. Compared to Waikiki, this is cheap! read more

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The food is awesome. The prime rib was one of the best I've had in Hawaii and everyone in our party of four ordered and thoroughly enjoyed it. The salads are of a decent size and great quality. The pupus are excellent as well. We always enjoy ulu hummus, so we might be biased. the escargot had a great texture to it as well. But the true standout for the pupus we ordered was the bone marrow - we all had to restrain ourselves, so each of us could have a taste - but then just gave in and ordered a second helping. definitely a must try if you enjoy bone marrow. The reason I could not give this restaurant five stars was the hostess that was taking reservations. She did not allow us to make a reservation for 8 - and asked instead that we come down to speak to her in person. She told us there was no room for a "large party" of 8 -- we are okay with that. could you give us two tables of four? they do NOT have to be close to each other. "im sorry, we cant accommodate that either." She then sat the next three parties of two AT FOUR TOP TABLES. She disappeared when she saw that we were upset - and the manager came out of now where and sat us at two four top tables almost immediately. A frustrating start to an otherwise excellent experience at this restaurant. read more

Beautiful scenery. So tranquil. Delish food. Amazing service. Awesome menu. I'm a repeat customer for sure. read more

WSW Steakhouse - Steak and eggs - Steakhouses Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Prior to coming to Hilo I had heard a very good review of WSW Steakhouse on the Doug Stanhope Podcast. He gave WSW a great review and I knew I needed to come in. We dressed up for our dinner out with friends. Clearly you don't have to because we saw some other people come in who looked like they just got off the beach. There isn't a dress code but please don't wear flip flops. At least try not to do that. There was a point were we felt like we were in black tie compared to some of the other diners. The restaurant is massive. Its like a banquet room you'd have a wedding reception in. Our service was great. It wasn't busy and we were ok patrons. I had to have the prime rib. One our friends also had prime rib and hers was pretty much raw. She had to send it back. Mine was great. Perfectly, simply cooked. I got a little mixed side salad that was lovely. My husband got the rib eye that was so good. It tasted like my memory of when my grandpa barbequed steak out doors. The char was perfection on this steak. Our friends got a wine recommendation to go with their meal. They were very happy with the recommendation. We had a nice experience. Its not five stars. This is a very middle of the road steak house. read more

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Came here for breakfast and we LOVED the bloody mary. Someone gave our bloody mary love bc it was very flavorful. Breakfast was large portions and large enough to share (bc we were stuffed with our drinks). Staff was friendly and we had a great view of the bay and coconut island. It was beautifully decorated with a wine bar and artwork. read more

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WSW is similar to the steak houses you can find in Honolulu, like Little Joe's or Signature and Morton's. I would say the prices are in line with Little Joe's or maybe Morton's from over 20 years ago. The prices are actually fair with an 18 oz ribeye costing $50. That's a pretty good price. A side of lobster tail is ~$24. I found the caesar ok. Not that much flavor overall. The oysters were good but some had bits of shells. The hummus was ok but didn't have enough chips for the amount of hummus. I ordered a shot of Laphroaig and I was surprised to see them smoke it. It's already one of the most peated whiskeys out there. Maybe smoke something a little lighter! LOL. In any case it made for good show! 2 bottles of wine in and I forgot to take pictures of my 18oz ribeye with side of lobster and baked potato! I found the steak to be under temp and it was fine but there was tough gristle in the center which I just cut out. The lobster was fine and tasty! To finish off, green tea cake. The service was fine and everyone had a good time. Although the food was average for a steak house, it was a nice night!. It is nice to have a place like this in Hilo! read more

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It's good. It's Hilo good. That's the best way I could describe it. I made a reservation on the same day, come to find out there were a lot of open tables that night. We were seated promptly and ordered drinks. Ordered the prime rib with lobster and the WSW burger with truffle fries. The food was good. Asked for medium rare got medium instead. Which is okay, in my experience that usually happens at steakhouses (especially the less established ones). The truffle fries were meh, full of cheese and barely any truffle oil. Service was good. Our server checked up on us multiple times. Would I go back? Yeah but I would try out other things on the menu. read more

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The food and service was amazing here. One of the fancier restaurants we got to eat at on a Hawaii trip. We did not get to eat in Waikiki bc it was so busy and packed. The servers here were very good and faced paced. We really enjoyed our filet mignon, truffle fries, ahi tuna and chips, and bone marrow. I think he ordered 2 bone marrows. I didn't love the wine selection but the cocktails were good. In the evening it's difficult to see the water view but i love that it's right next to it! Would definitely recommend! read more

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Service wasn't terrible, view was nice. Steak was way overcooked from what I asked. More of a convenient spot for breakfast if you're staying at the Hilo Hawaiian. read more

WSW Steakhouse - Breakfast steak and eggs with hashbrowns. - Steakhouses Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Review is for the prime rib and service. It was excellent!!! Baked potato was a little overdone, but who cares when the meat is so good!!! Lol Service was great too, on top of everything! read more

WSW Steakhouse - Huge and tender!!! - Steakhouses Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Located on the first floor of the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel the best thing going for this restaurant is the view. The makai end looks out onto Hilo Bay and Maunakea in the foreground. I ate brunch here with a party of three. The menu is short, service okay and pancakes dry. read more

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My wife and I were told by locals how we needed to try WSW steakhouse. We went on a Saturday night, we were really happy we did. The food was top notch, snow crab, poke, steak, amazing food options especially for the price. I want to say that everyone there was so nice and welcoming. The view of coconut island is amazing while you eat. read more

Server Rick is the best. Treated me to an awesome dinner service again. The entire staff all 5 Stars, Love the whisky selections. Very few places stock Stranahans. Thank you all. read more

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A great place to start the day. My wife and I have staying at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel for most of a week, and have eaten breakfast at WSW every morning. The service, at least in the morning, has been outstanding. All the staff have been very friendly, a reminder that the Aloha Spirit survives in Hilo, and their service has been attentive. For example: Coffee needs a refill? Someone came by to fill the cup before we had to ask. Water? Ditto. We haven't tried any of the more ambitious breakfasts, sticking with the fresh fruit plate, or eggs, potatoes, breakfast meat and toast. These offerings have been well done. No complaints. Oh, one small observation. An order of toast consists of one toasted piece of bread, cut in two. That seems like an odd place for the kitchen to try to save a few pennies. I would give it four stars for the food and service, but the view! The sweeping view of Hilo Bay adds another star! In any case, I wholeheartedly recommend WSW for breakfast. read more

WSW Steakhouse - Fresh Fruit plate, with a view across Hilo Bay. - Steakhouses Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Portions were small for the price. Several of us has misoyaki butterfish which was tender but lacking miso! Salad bar very limited in choices and virtually no condiments (for$20), although there was soup included. Disappointing. Brownie dessert was chocolate cake - or at least texture. Attentive service but server looked unhappy. Automatic 20pct service charge added to bill ( because we had party of6?). read more

We have been patrons of WSW Steakhouse for a couple of years and have always had a great time. The food is excellent, but even better is the service. Sarah in the lounge is so vivacious and creative. We had different drinks all around for our group and all were delicious! We will be back for more! A shout out to Erik, who always remembers us - we were just having drinks, but he came over from restaurant to say hello to us. The beautiful view from the restaurant looks out over the bay and coconut island, lovely. read more

We visited WSW for breakfast today and as locals were very disappointed. Service was slow, even though it wasn't busy. The table we were taken to needed to be wiped down and after ordering and served we had to request silverware. The food is sub par, the drinks were good but slow to refill. Very disappointed in this dining experience...but hey, the view is 10/10. Do better Hilo. read more

Waiter was nice and food was decent (probably skip pork chop) but not impressed beyond that. The dining room has no shades whatsoever, so if you come before sunset you will have the sun blazing in your eyes. Additionally, I asked if they could substitute a baked potato for mashed potatoes (same price) and even offered to pay an upcharge but was told no--cook won't do it-- and so instead of paying a little extra, I paid the full $8 for a baked potato and still had to get mashed potatoes. That's weird. Again, waiter was nice enough and food was good, but I'd probably not recommend. read more

Went for breakfast, the food was good but service was slow and the food was cold by the time it reached the table. The view was amazing from our table. read more

The service was great! It was the food that was not good. Honestly, I just ate as much crab legs as I can just to make sure I ate my moneys worth. The fresh catch was dry and desserts fell apart and was gummy. Honestly, the best thing I ate at the buffet was the tofu salad. Everything else was not good. Most likely won't go back. read more

The buffet here was very disappointing. For $60 a person the food was terrible. Some food was very salty and other was just plain bland. Expensive for no reason. Service was ok. Dumplings were cold and seamed like something you'd just buy from Costco. Poke was just sitting out and was very bland and unappetizing. Dessert was plain. Soft served ice cream was very icy. Not much variety. read more

Sweet Jesus, Let this review help someone to NOT waste there money on this experience! We had a table of 6. Overall poor service on a busy day and never a mention anywhere of the mandatory 20% gratuity added on. That's $69 + $13.08 tip = $82.80 per person. Acceptable products: Prime Rib (the only EXCELLENT item there), turkey meat, omelette (though very few ingredients to add in), Poke (about as good as local grocery store), Pork meat from huge pig. Vegetables all below average. Except for Poke, the Hawaiian salad concoctions were actually nasty looking! Maybe some little old Hawaiian lady makes these at home, but they aren't as sad as these. Very little else to add to salad greens. What can you do with fake mashed potatoes? Bread hard as a rock. So looking forward to snow crab and shrimp, but both were boiled to death (obviously frozen) and had absolutely NO FLAVOR! Desserts were downright pitiful, nothing better than a grocery store bakery items, plus a sad looking soft-serve ice cream machine, with a few sprinkles to add. And not even good coffee. Additionally they refused to serve alcohol, other than their $10 glasses of Champagne. MY BEST ADVICE: GO 4 BLOCKS AWAY THE KENS HOUSE OF PANCAKES (open 24 hours) and have the Turkey/Dressing dinner and a nice parfait or sundae for $25 TOTAL and feel good about your choices and just as satisfied. PLEASE READ THIS REVIEW-----SAD THANKSGIVING BUFFET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more