Empire Steak House Hawaii

A high end steak restaurant with amazing views across the harbour. We arrived during happy hour and enjoyed happy hour cocktails (“the best pina colada ever”) for only $9 each. The calamari was delicious - fresh and served with a slightly spicy marinara dip. The steaks were cooked perfectly, sides delicious and a good size. Wait staff all lovely and the space very comfortable. It is expensive (particularly when exchange rates weren’t in our favour) but similar prices to other steak restaurants in Waikiki which don’t have the excellent view and brilliant live pianist. Overall a perfect evening. Edited to add that I came back this evening to make the most of Happy Hour for my last night in Hawaii - pina colada (very fresh and fruity), calamari and steak kebabs for only $39USD plus service whilst watching the sunset over the harbour. You can’t beat that!

If you’re looking for an elegant steak experience in Honolulu, then Empire Steak House is a must. We ordered The Emperor’s Steak for Two and it was absolutely phenomenal. It comes with two different cuts, each perfectly cooked to a beautiful medium rare with a gorgeous sear and melt in your mouth texture. The ambiance is classy yet comfortable, with attentive service that made us feel genuinely welcome. Honolulu has plenty of great dining options, but Empire Steak House stands out as a must visit for anyone who appreciates top tier steakhouse. Highly recommend!

I made reservations to celebrate my spouse's birthday and the recommendation was to try the catch of the day chilean seabass. The recommendation was beyond our expectations. Tom, Brandon, Mahaleia and Julio made our evening extrodinarily memorable. We will be returning to enjoy the delicious food, drinks, deserts and the great hospitality. Julio topped our evening off with a lemon cello and a chocolate cake for my spouse.

Amazing ambiance. Food absolutely delicious. Ordered the octopus and calamari as the entrees. Main was seafood pasta and chicken parmigiana; both big servings and high quality food (even though we didn’t order steak). Paul, our waiter, was super friendly and really made us feel welcome. The pianist Keith was a fantastic addition to add to the atmosphere of the evening.

This was above and beyond exquisite! From the moment we sat down, the atmosphere felt refined yet welcoming. The service was attentive without being overbearing, and everything came out perfectly timed. The food itself was truly unforgettable. The filet mignon was cooked to absolute perfection—tender, flavorful, and beautifully plated with mushrooms. The French onion soup had a rich depth of flavor with the perfect melted cheese topping, and the creamed spinach was velvety and delicious. The sides of roasted mushrooms added an earthy balance, while the fresh salad and cherry tomatoes were crisp and refreshing. The cocktails and wine pairing elevated the whole experience—my lavender-hued martini was not only gorgeous with its orchid garnish but also smooth and well-balanced. Every bite and sip was a delight, and it’s clear Empire Steak House takes pride in delivering top-notch quality. This is a place that goes above and beyond, turning dinner into a true dining experience. Highly recommend for anyone looking for an elegant meal that exceeds expectations.

Happy hour, bar menu, daily specials, awesome service from everyone, great views, delicious food and cocktails setup for a perfect evening with friends

The views from the 30th floor were beautiful to watch the sunset while dining and the food was incredible! My husband and I both had steaks that were cooked perfectly! The staff were incredibly attentive, friendly, and went above and beyond to create a special experience to celebrate my husband's birthday!

It’s my review for happy hour visit. I will need to go visit again for dinner and/or steak. Visited there around 4:30pm and view from the restaurant was beautiful with 360 degree panoramic view. I had virgin mojito and sliders at the counter. The bartenders were friendly and welcoming. There was a live piano performance towards the night🤙🏽

We enjoyed our late lunch for the second day in a row at the Empire Steak House. If you're looking for unforgettable cuisine, superior service, and stunning views, then this is the place for you! Say, "Hello!" to Paul or Kevin when you dine -- they are two of the best and each ensures a seamless dining experience.

My other half and I came here for Valentine’s Day dinner. The food was incredible. The service was friendly and managed the Valentine’s Day rush very well. I recommend having a relaxed mindset and enjoy the pianist playing. We will be coming back!

Best steak house with one of the best views I've seen in the longest time. Thank you. Adam gave great service - very etiquette.

We are staying at the hotel and saw an ad in elevator. We looked up reviews and it was great. So we made reservations for our 37th anniversary. Amazing services from the moment we checked in. Friendly hostess took us to the best table in restaurant and best view. Table 46. Our waiter Tom is amazing and helpful recommendation. The food was exciuisit. He brought over a desert anniversary. After checking out the manager Julio came by and was asking our opinion on the food. Very friendly and thoughtful than offered us a complimentary after dinner drink. I would definitely come back to this restaurant. Super amazing. Thanks for making our anniversary memorable and fun.

The Empire Steak House has excellent food, good service, an elegant atmosphere and a great view, so what’s wrong? It’s hard to find. We found it online, booked a reservation on Open Table and had the address but, when we arrived, we saw no sign of the restaurant. It turns out it is atop the Ilikai Hotel but even when we entered the hotel, we couldn’t find it and had to ask at the hotel reception desk where it is. It has an elevator just for the restaurant that takes you directly to the top floor which has a view of downtown Honolulu and the harbor. On arrival, we were greeted by Julio, the attentive manager who asked us right off how we found the restaurant. We replied that we found it online but, on leaving, told him about our experience actually locating it. It’s worth the effort.

The views of the city, mountains, and the ocean are beautiful here. Servers are attentive and knowledgeable. If you come at sunset you can see the nightly Hilton fireworks right next to the window! My bone-in ribeye was cooked perfectly(medium rare) dry aged highly recommend! Justin and lance thanky you, your service was excellent!

My friend & I went for a last-minute dinner. We sat at the bar and James was the bartender. Our food was outstanding. We had two orders of the meatballs because they were that good! It was a slow Monday night in the restaurant so we talked to Pablo Who brought us our food and he was quite entertaining. We enjoyed our conversation about Argentina and soccer. The bartender was quite attentive. Make sure you order the chocolate lava cake for dessert. Overall - great staff, amazing food, fabulous service. I also saw my old friend Joe who was training - he’s awesome - good hire. ❤️, Mrs. Hawai’i

We came to Empire to celebrate a few things, including a birthday. Previously, this restaurant was PESCA, and we were all unsure about how the service and food would be. We were blown away. First, the host made sure to get us at a table we were happy with. Our server, Paul, was helpful and kind. We ordered the bone-in rib eye and it was cooked perfectly. Do know that the plates are not heated if that is your thing. Personally, it didn’t matter to me. The steak was tasty! The baked potato is huge, and the mashed potatoes could be shared between 2 people. We ordered the chocolate lava cake and the NY apple crumb cake. Both were a great ending. Our friend, whose birthday it was, received a free cake. We met the owner, who was having dinner by us, and him and his wife were so sweet. It makes you want to support his businesses. This tops it for steaks in this area. Plus, you can’t beat the views.

We had an amazing experience at Empire Steakhouse in Honolulu! We ordered the Emperor’s Steak for two, and it was more than enough for three of us — perfectly cooked and absolutely delicious. We also had the Caesar salad, oysters, and crème brûlée, and everything was fantastic from start to finish. The service was just as impressive as the food — Jun took great care of us and was incredibly kind and patient with our 2-year-old, which made the night even better. Can’t recommend this place enough!

5 Stars – A Memorable Lunch Thanks to Tom & the Empire Steakhouse Team I came in with a very specific craving for octopus and was originally directed to Pesca, only to find it had closed indefinitely. Luckily, that detour led me to Empire Steakhouse, which has taken over the space—and what a happy accident it turned out to be! From the moment I arrived, the service was warm and attentive. The food exceeded my expectations in every way—fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. But what truly made my late lunch memorable was Tom. He went above and beyond to ensure everything was just right, and his genuine hospitality really stood out. It’s rare to come across that level of care and professionalism. I left feeling not just satisfied, but genuinely grateful for the experience. Highly recommend Empire Steakhouse for anyone looking for excellent food, a great atmosphere, and service that makes you feel like a valued guest

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Five Stars! We had an incredible dining experience at Empire Steak House in Waikiki. The Father’s Day special was outstanding, and every dish we tried was delicious. The steak was cooked perfectly, the chicken parm was generously portioned, and the braised short ribs with risotto were melt-in-your-mouth good. The atmosphere was elegant but welcoming, with beautiful views and a live piano player adding to the charm. The cocktails were top-notch, and I can’t say enough about the attentive and friendly staff—they made the evening feel truly special. I highly recommend it for a memorable meal in Waikiki. We’ll be back!

Amazing! Worth every penny! Its so tasty and reasonable pricing for the portions. The view and atmosphere are an amazing add on. We loved it ✨

We had our En Blanc friendship celebration for the first time and it did not disappoint. Although there was a wedding party on the other side of the restaurant, the staff were very attentive. We had the best service, the steak was all worth it, over all the foods were excellent, good wine selection as well. Highly recommend, RSVP is a must. Mahalo Ken, Adam, Kev and the nice photographer lady, Ellaina. The reception ladies were professional and gave us the best table with the best ocean view! Mahalo Empire!

We dined in from the mainland celebrating our anniversary and we had the most amazing time. Our server Lisa provided the most attentive and impeccable service. We didn’t even have to choose our meals we explained what we were in the mood for and her suggestions did not disappoint. She was all smiles and personality. Thank you Lisa for not only making our dining experience fun and memorable but also providing top notch dining service. We will never forget dining at Empire steakhouse and we especially will not forget our server Lisa who brought amazing energy and knowledge.

Where has this place been my entire life?! Never had such a beautiful ocean view dinner, totallt speechless! I neverrr tasted steak so delicious, so soft that all we needed to cut into it was the fork. The Empire martini was delicious, and I had to order a second round of my sister’s delicious tiramisu martini… so good!!! Best sister date night ever! The service was so attentive, and even the manager checked on our meal. We felt so welcome and cozy. 10/10 no notes, highly recommend! 😍

I cannot rate the food or service as the restaurant appears to be different from the previous times we dined there in the past. However I can say without reservation the view and atmosphere is incredible. Whether it be the outside glass elevator that brings up to the top of the I, the piano bar overlooking Honolulu, or the tables with a prime 360 degree view, be it during the day or night. We will be headed there later this year, and expect to have a great dinner.

View is excellent! No complaints about that at all. Prices are extremely expensive & high, which is normally no problem when traveling to Vegas, NYC or extravagant cities...but this restaurant might have a hard time catering to locals. Since Empire is located at top of a condo type of building, the location might be hard to attract the clientele needed to survive! Food was tasty, but did come out a tad cold. Wait was over 45+min for the entrees. Our server was new, but she was nice & kind. Bar was busy & there was a great piano player for Entertainment. Not sure if we'll be back, as steaks are over $100-$120+ and we could honestly get more food at Morton's, Signature or Ruth Chris that could taste better & cost cheaper. (I do apologize for this comment but there was a party of 3 next us with a toddler. They brought in her ipad & had the volume HIGH. Parties that were 4 tables away could hear it! I'm a Mother & Aunt as well & understand that it entertains the children, but at this type of high class restaurant it was disturbing & hard to carry a convo when the ipad monies were loud! ☹️)

We brought our visiting family members to check out the views during its Happy Hour. Everyone enjoyed the views and service from everyone there. The food was okay, but the beer was cold and nice. The cocktail shrimps were a bit overcooked, the kabob was decent, the steak sliders were pretty good, and the burger sliders were just okay.

Came around 4:30pm for happy hour and it was pleasantly serene. The prawns were large and meaty but slightly overcooked, and the oysters were dry, as if shucked too early. The highlights were the friendly service and solid drinks. The view was nice, though dusty windows took away from it.

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: 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 quiet disappointed with this part of our experience and was not even offered any type of apology or compensation. Probably won’t be back.

We at here on December 8th, we have got to a lot of different steak houses (STK, Ruth’s Chris…) and this one was very upsetting compared to our other experiences. My husbands steak was sent back three times, first time due to being over cooked and then the other two it was extremely undercooked for what he ordered. The dessert we were served was a chocolate cake and it was very dry as well. I will say our servers were absolutely amazing though and they tried their best to turn our experience around. It was also pretty loud in the restaurant for it being so small.

Excellent views and overall a very nice atmosphere. Service was very good and waitstaff were very attentive and friendly. Unfortunately, we were very displeased with the quality of the food given the very high prices. I ordered the steak, which had very little flavor and was nothing remarkable. My wife ordered the short rib. I’ve cooked better at home. Overall, good view, disappointing food.

*New Owners... The new owners cut the staff. The steaks were amazing but the sides were good, but not the same caliber. Our server was great but they were under staffed!!! He was covering too many tables. It took 1 hour to get bar drinks. Hopefully they come around and provide the food and service they were known for. I expected better when considering their prices.

Not recommended... We were excited to go to the happy hour dinner at Empire Steakhouse and took the glass elevator up. On the elevator floor, there was brown sludge. I informed Jun,the manager, upon arrival, and he explained that when it rains, it can drip onto the floor. However, by the end of our dinner, there was even more sludge present, as if it wasn't even cleaned after our first complaint to management. The bartenders were pleasant and the cosmopolitan drinks were excellent, but the dinner experience itself was disappointing. I ordered the New York steak, which had an odor and, upon tasting, clearly was spoiled. I informed the staff, who said it was “dry-aged.” I asked to speak with Jun, the manager, and although he replaced the steak with a ribeye upgrade, there was no formal apology. As a graduate chef, I know dry aging does not result in rotten meat, so this excuse was unacceptable. The 'upgraded' ribeye itself was adequate, but it arrived 20 minutes after the rest of my party had finished eating. At the end of the meal, we were presented with a full priced check with no courtesies. When I brought this up, the manager explained that the upgrade was not charged, but I noted that there should have been no upcharge since the replacement was for a bad cut of meat. He then blamed the bartender for not communicating before presenting the check. He then took the check and gave us 25% off. Despite the staff attempts at being friendly, the experience was terribly mishandled. At no point was a formal apology offered, nor was any reasonable compensation provided—such as complimentary drinks for the inconvenience. Speaking with other owners in the area, I found this seems to be a recurring issue at this restaurant. In summary, while the staff were nice, the management’s handling of a serious issue was inadequate. I wish them luck, but sadly, I cannot recommend this restaurant based on our experience.

We booked 2 months in advance to make sure they had food options for the children in our party. Lo and behold they only had a set menu for $180 a head and none of the options were kid friendly. After talking to the staff we finally convinced them to prep kid friendly options but there was still more disappointment. The buratta option was just a half buratta instead of a whole... No heads up whatsoever. They don't even know how chefs prepare the food if you have questions. The weirdest part? They served dessert for 7 people on 3 plates and left us to fend off for ourselves. Really disappointed for such an expensive meal. Save your time and money and go elsewhere.

I had high hopes for this place and was looking forward to the lobster bisque. The restaurant is in one of only 3 locations in the world, Hawaii, New York, and Japan. It sits atop the Hilton hotel in Honolulu and is a lovely location. The hostesses are friendly and the water/bread servers are fantastic! There is live piano music, which is lovely, but if you're seated next to it, don't expect to be able to carry on a conversation. There is a man in a suit overseeing everything, however, as I learned throughout our experience, is useless; he does nothing. At the end of the evening, our waiter barely spent time seeing how things were going with us and we were unable to flag him down. No one asked us how our meals were and we spent a LOT of money. This was a special occasion for my son's birthday. We had planned this trip for 3 years. As I said, I was so looking forward to the lobster bisque and it was a huge disappointment. I could have gone to Safeway and bought tomato bisque in a box and it would have been more satisfying. The lobster was nowhere to be found, not any chunks and no lobster flavor, basically tomato soup. I reached out to the restaurant by email, sharing our concerns, and while I did get an email back, there was no offer to rectify the situation. I hate to do bad reviews but unless you just want to throw your money away, I had to say something so that you can make your choice. There are soooo many delicious restaurants in O'ahu, I wish we had gone somewhere else.

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)

Don’t waste your time or money. Service was awful. Took 30 minutes just to get a cocktail menu, then another 30 for drinks (4 old fashioneds, 1 cosmopolitan, 2 iced teas)—and the bar was empty. Our mains didn’t come out together, and we had to keep telling a random server (not even our waiter) what was missing. Food was just as bad: steak unevenly seasoned, lamb unevenly cooked and served with brown gravy, and mushy rigatoni passed off as “pappardelle” with a sauce that tasted like a frozen TV dinner. The manager admitted the lamb was undercooked but then tried to convince me the pasta was correct. Our waiter was nowhere to be found—too busy with “coffees and desserts” for other tables. Nothing was done to fix or even acknowledge the issues. We still tipped, but only out of principle. Check the photos. Don’t go! FYI, I emailed them right away after Empire replied to this review asking me to message them. I am still waiting for a response. It’s 10/14 as of today.

I visited on 11/11/2025. I am a veteran and decided to compliment myself. I had a reservation and did not get seated until 25 minutes after my scheduled reservation. Once seated I did not get a server for 32 minutes. Once I got a server, he took our order and we never saw him again, we got no refill of water or drinks, by the time he came back w/o even asking if we wanted something else, he just brought the check with him and again, never saw him again. The food was not good, steak and mashed potatoes were tasteless, it’s horrible for the price. GO TO THE SIGNATURE PRIME STEAKHOUSE.

Nominate for Worst Restaurant in Waikīkī. Reservation commitment and guest service were exceptionally poor, as with other reviews. Nearly a month ago, my spouse and I made a reservation for Christmas dinner at 7:15 p.m. On Christmas Day, although we arrived and checked in with the host at 6:45 p.m., we waited for 40 minutes past the reservation time without a table--or any explanation. Worse, during the long wait, I asked to speak with the manager. But either the staff ignored my request or the manager did. Once we were finally seated, at 7:55, the table wasn't set. Then the bad-service loop started again, this time waiting for a server. And waiting. We finally walked out. In over ten years of visiting Hawaii for the holidays, Empire Steak House is far and away the worst restaurant I've been to. It's a case study in overbooking, understaffing, and awful service.

While staying at the resort for a week, I attempted to visit the restaurant for a brief happy hour. Although the hostess confirmed availability until 7:00 PM and I assured her I would vacate the table by then (i just wanted some happy hour drinks and a couple bites), the manager intervened and refused the seating. It is disappointing that a premier Waikīkī establishment lacks the operational flexibility to accommodate a hotel guest for an hour, even when the table is physically available. A more guest-centric approach to management would be expected at this price point. Would not recommend.

We used the private room of this restaurant for a small celebration and the atmosphere and location both beautiful. However, there were a few concerns regarding the service on the day, and I hope sharing this will help improve future guest experiences. Regarding the bottle of wine we had confirmed in advance via email, we were addressed in a very strong tone by a staff member, Mr. Kastri, which made it difficult for us to calmly explain the prior confirmation. This led to a tense moment during what should have been a joyful occasion, and it affected the atmosphere of the reception, which was disappointing. There were also a few moments when the same staff appeared to look into our private room, under the table, quite multiple times, which made us feel uneasy. In addition, the wine service charge presented at the end was pretty higher than the amount we were informed of beforehand in the email, and there was no clear explanation at that time. The restaurant itself has many wonderful qualities, and I believe that with some improvements, even more guests will be able to enjoy their time with confidence. I hope this feedback contributes to future service enhancement.