The Willows

Incredible Oasis in the middle of Honolulu. Buffet was tasty. Great options. Service was awesome considering we came close to end of service. Valet parking across the street.

Food was delicious. They had a good selection of different local/ Hawaiian food. Great atmosphere. It was clean and nice. They have several private rooms which, we used one of them. The only thing that was disappointing was our waitress. She seemed irritable and as if she wasn't happy with her job. The other staff at the front desk and buffet room seemed very friendly and helpful. That's the reason for 1 less star.

The fact that Willows has been around since the 40's and is still in business tells you a lot about the establishment. I was last here for a project completion celebration and we had an air-conditioned room with 3 tables reserved for a very reasonable price. Included in the price was an all-you-can eat lunch buffet. The spread was quite impressive with Hawaiian, poke, prime rib, all kinds of desserts and much much more. Located in Mo‘ili‘ili, there's a sizable parking lot across from the restaurant. A beautiful garden setting with water features is revealed only after you've entered a modestly decorated facade. Alas it's been a while since the place has been upgraded and it's showing it's age. But if you like the old-fashioned style, this place offers great food, service and value. All around a good place with no particular specialty.

parking is very limited and the valet is there on certain days and times. If you can find parking around the neighborhood that would be better. the food selection for the buffet is great. They have a lot of locals favorites. I would stay away from the raw fish as they use a lot of sauce and it is a little spicy. But if you like that definitely give it a try it is not fishy at all. Best of all to have an all-you-can-eat dessert bar and you can make tons of soft serve cups or cones.

I am devastated this morning upon reading the news that this fabulous establishment will be closing their doors in January. While that news somewhat makes this review a waste of time, I feel a strong need to put it out there just the same. We found this wonderful restaurant on our recent visit to Hawaii. From the outside it doesn't look like much, but the instant you walk thru the doors you are transported to a whole other place, the heart of what you expect Hawaii to look like. Lovely gardens and ponds, open air seating. A phenomenal atmosphere. The food, where do I begin? Hands down the best tasting crab I've ever eaten, cooked to perfection. The prime rib, truly prime rib, not baron of beef like we find so many places at home advertise as prime rib, melted in my mouth like butter. Everything we tasted was delicious, but the one thing that stood out above all the rest, I can't even find words to describe it, was the kalbi short ribs. The flavor created a party in my mouth with every bite. Without a doubt the best buffet meal we've ever had the pleasure of eating, quite like the best meal of any type. The staff, fantastic! We were unaware that we would need a reservation on a Sunday but the lovely young lady at the front found us a table. Our server Michael was a 5 star server indeed. Fantastic service and wonderful conversation. I am very sad to hear they are closing their doors, but sure am grateful we got to experience this place when we did.