Hale Ikena

Nice venue for parties or just Sunday brunch with family or friends.
Once you reach the front entrance, you need to identify your reason for visiting the military base. Then the soldiers will tell you where to go next to get a visitor pass. You apparently need one to get to the Hale Ikena.
There is plenty of parking spaces. So choose wisely if you have elderly or pregnant passengers in the car with you. They will thank you later.
The reason why I came to the buffet and party venue was for my bf’s college graduation party. He completed a doctorate degree so the family wanted to celebrate with family and friends to remember his long journey. I’m proud of him :)
The ballroom is huge and there were at least 15 tables with seats of 10 per table. Nicely decorated with the centerpiece napkin holder (my bf made with his bare hands). The cookie bag per guest. Simple and effortless :)
The buffet had a variety of food like salad, fruit bar, main entrees such as fish, salmon, chicken pasta, ribeye steak, and much more. The buffet served breakfast food like waffles, sausage, bacon, make your own omelet, and fried rice.
When I returned to the buffet room for dessert, a long line gathered and moved so ever slowly. Majority of the desserts were gone as I was watching the hungry guests grabbed their share. I decided to give up and get a piece of waffle and some meat. His family provided mochi from Nisshodo store so I ended eating several pieces to make up for no dessert. But it was ok because I had another event to attend for dinner that day, baby shower at Pagoda restaurant.
The buffet room had cappuccino and juice machines if you don’t care for the beverages they serve in the ballroom (coffee, juice, and tea).
My bf presented his dissertation project once again for all those who could not make it to the final presentation day. The venue planner provided a big projector for all those especially in the back of the room to see. Microphone was a lil echoey when he spoke near it but presentation turned out fine.
The restrooms are located on the left side as you enter the venue. Plenty of stalls and sinks, which is a plus for multiple parties happening at the same day and time.
It was a nice and well put together party for a college grad. Now, he enters the real world– work and bills lol: P

The brunch at the Hale Ikena on a Sunday celebrating with my HTL women’s tennis league was delicious. We had 95 women celebrating the end of the season.
They have a huge selection in their buffet lines. If you want to eat breakfast, they have a made to order omelette line as well as strawberry waffles, sausage, Portuguese sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, and more. I went directly to the main courses and had a juicy cut of prime rib, Barbeque chicken, kalua pork, fish, Rice, steamed vegetables, potatoes, etc. Then I got a dish of the lox and bagels and built my bagel with cream cheese, capers, onions, and green onions. Next, I got some broccoli salad, tako salad, lomi lomi salad, and so on. Lastly, I went back for dessert and I had my plate filled with these selections chocolate mousse cake, chocolate éclair, chocolate cake, carrot cake, and tapioca pudding, sweet potato haupia pie, and haupia. It was a great way to end the meal.
They had six lines in the buffet section. A line for breakfast items, a line for the main courses, a line for the salads, a line for the desserts, a table for the lox and bagels, and a line for the omelette station and prime rib carving station. The buffet items were full at all times. The temperature of the food was perfect, the hot items were kept hot and the cold items were kept cold at all times. The staff got us coffee or iced tea regularly and cleared our dishes when we were done.
I had a wonderful time at the Hale Ikena. The buffet is $ 30.00 on Sunday’s. Since I’m a captain, the league paid for my meal. Of course, I would indeed come and visit Hale Ikena and pay for this brunch myself in the future. This is a great place to hold celebrations. When we were there, they had two other parties going on. They have ample parking outside of the facility. Since Hale Ikena is located in Fort Shafter, be prepared to show your registration and insurance along with your drivers license identification so you can zip through and get through to the Hale Ikena on time.

I’ve been here on two separate events. One event was an all day training held in all of the rooms. Water and coffee was provided. The second event was an evening event in one of the rooms. The dinner buffet had Chinese chicken salad, chow mein, Alfredo penne pasta, roast beef with mushroom sauce and fish with tartar sauce. I enjoyed the roast beef with mushroom sauce. The sauce was perfect for the roast beef. The buffet included water, coffee and iced tea.
There are 3 parking areas next to Hale Ikena. Bathrooms are clean with 4+ stalls in the women’s bathroom. This facility is in Fort Shafter Army Base so be prepared to have present you ID, registration and safety check to the gate guard. You will not be able to enter without any of the above paperwork.
Overall, the facility is nice and the food was good. I would love to check this place out on a special buffet event like Mother’s Day.

We had my son’s 1^st birthday here in 2012. One of the more «affordable» party venues. The food, staff and venue was all very nice!

Reasonably priced brunch buffet. Good service. This place is good for events. There is an omlette station. Decent selection of food items. And some tables give you a view of the golf course.

I’ve only been here once for brunch. The buffet is well stocked, with lots of options. They have an omelet station for make your own omelets. They’ll let you stuff a bowl of goodies for your omelet, so you can control how much veggies vs meat vs other things you want in the omelet. There is a carving station as well for prime rib. They had typical breakfast stuff, rice, eggs, sausages. Also had some fish and other meat options. There’s also a pupu station for poke and salads. Lots of coffee, with fresh pots coming out all the time.
Service was great, helpful and fast. Cleared our plates fast so that by the time you came back with a new place, it was ready to go. Decent prices as well.

I’ve been coming here for many years. It’s a good place to go to get full if you’re hungry. Sometimes the food is OK, although it can be kind of bland. I’d like to see more variety on there food served daily at lunch, because honestly I have not eaten breakfast or dinner. The rolls are not kept warm, which is not the end of the world, but it would be nice to have.
They use to offer an ice cream machine… that went away, and since then, my life is not worth living!!! Just end it all! I asked them and they sadi something about it being too hard to maintain the machine… what??? High School Kids working at McDonalds can do it… I don’t get it.
Price is good for a buffet. I mean, it’s really good considering you can feed your face for an hour… I’d like to see more variety though.

One of my very best friend’s daughter just graduated from high school… with a bink of an eye, 18 years have passed… where did all of that time go???
I was honored this past weekend to attend my friend’s daughter’s high school graduation party. It was held in Fort Shafter, and the ball room was called Hale Ikena.
I’ve been here a few times for a few family events, but it’s been quite sometime now.
I was very happy to see some old friends, and of course to get down with some good grindz!
It was a buffet style lunch. A few things that stood out for me were the Potato Salad, & the Teri Chicken! To here me say I «liked» the Potato Salad is saying a lot, as I just totally hate Mayonnaise! Never liked it as a kid, and still hate it as an adult.
Also the coffee that they served here was really STRONG… real strong! The kind of strong that will put hair on your chest! Lol!!! I like it like that…
A beautiful ballroom, very roomy, and the kids provided quite an entertaining program. There were a few dudes that sang, there was also a taiko drum show, and a slide show too.
A very fun event, and it was also great to reconnect with old friends again.

Worst service ever.
The catering department seems to be in a transition period. The original catering person quit. There is an interim person that is actually from another base «helping out» until they hire someone for this position.
I have been e-​mailing them nearly every day to get a response to questions/​concerns/​requests I have for my daughter’s 1^st birthday party. During this whole process, I only received a callback once with a variety of excuses. They either were off, or they had too much workload from the multitude of other duties, or they were helping the general with what he required. Ok. I understand that these are valid reasons. My mind says that I should be understanding, but my heart is about to jump out of my chest and I am FREAKING OUT that my function is going to be a total hot mess.
I can’t seem to get in touch with anyone. The only thing set is my menu and the color of napkins I want. I have had a variety of functions at a variety of venues, and this is NOT how it should be! Waiting for a floor plan for over a week is total insanity.
Emails should be responded to. Calls should not be deflected with excuses.
I strongly recommend that anyone considering having a function here ascertain whether or not they have a permanent employee to fill the caterer position before committing. The stress I’m going through is just not worth it.
The worst part about this is that I selected this place for the reasonable prices and excellent service from previous functions with our company. Just heed my warnings. As long as there is someone there to help you, the potential for a great party is there.

Came here to celebrate my friend’s daughter’s first birthday and though the party was awesome, I didn’t particularly care for the food. Sure it’s a buffet and one shouldn’t expect it to be a 5 star buffet line but after reading the Unilocal reviews, I was expecting more. Not in the choices of food but in the quality.
Before I talk about the food, the restaurant has a regular dining area and partitioned off rooms that open up into the buffet area. I believe there might be 2 private rooms but I’m not sure. The buffet area is small with the carving station outside. Most people didn’t know this until the host told us.
Food: Like most Unilocalers mentioned they serve breakfast items as well as lunch/​dinner items. I went straight for breakfast and had bacon, Portuguese sausage, regular sausage, small pancakes and waffles. Ok before you judge me as a little oinker. The pancakes are tiny and I only had 2 and the waffles were small too. I like my sausages to be crispy and they weren’t. The pancakes were tough — you could use it as that ninja weapon and the waffles were just ok. Did I mention they were cold as well? I didn’t want the scrambled eggs and later found out the omelet station was outside next to the carving station and yes I went for it.
Next I tried the garlic mash — had a hint taste of garlic but was cold. The roast pork tasted like turkey and was also cold.
The carving station only had prime roast so I passed on that and order a «baby omelet». I asked the cook for a small omelet and he handed me a small plate. I was perplexed as to why he was handing me the plate so I just stood there and stood there and stood there. Finally he mumbles & motions for me to pick what I wanted in my omelet from the array of ingredients on the table in front of me. I go for the mushrooms only. I think he could’ve been more friendlier and not so grumpy. It wasn’t like there was a long line. I was the lone person standing there. A smile goes a long way, ya know? The omelet was alright. No seasoning though, so I dumped ketchup on it. For dessert, I tried a couple of bites from my friend’s double chocolate cake but it was too dry. Now y’all now in a little oinker.
All in all, the restaurant is nice setting for a private party but the food lacks and for the most part was cold. Maybe we went there on an off day. I can’t talk about service because there were no servers. A couple of them did come and take away plates but for drinks, it’s all self service. Even getting utensils is self service.
Oh and the bathrooms do not flush. All the stalls were gross and when I found one, it wouldn’t flush. I had to repeatedly push the flush button until it finally flushed. My guy friend said the men’s was the same.
Side note: My friends had set up a caricature area and a photo booth with props. So I’m guessing it’s ok with the restaurant to do this.

The Sunday brunch here is awesome! Such a wide selection of food: lox and bagels, pastries, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, fish, etc. Did I forget to mention the prime rib and omelette station? Delicious! And to top it off you get your pick of pies or cakes.
This is a very nice area, where you sit by the golf course, hopefully on a beautiful sunny day. The total cost is about $ 30 per head, but worth it. And even better is that it’s open to civilians, you don’t have to have someone who is military reserve a spot for you.
The only downfall here would be the extra time getting a parking pass at the guard shack. Since you have to show you drivers license, registration, and proof of insurance its a little of a pain. Especially if the there is a line. But other then that this is a nice place to have a nice sunday morning.

Came here to celebrate my mother’s birthday. Not sure how she found such a random restaurant and place to eat, but she always seems to pull it off! The buffet here is actually a really awesome deal because for $ 25 you have access to a full spread of breakfast, lunch, and dinner foods. Kids eat for a cheaper price! There were so many options to choose from, i made at least 5 rounds through the tables before deciding what I wanted to eat. Then, i made the decision to just gorge myself and pay the consequences later.
ROUND ONE:
On my first plate and came back with my favorite breakfast foods — breakfast sausage, bacon, portuguese sausage, scrambled eggs, waffles with whipped cream and strawberries, and salmon & lox on bagel with onion, green onions, and capers. WHOOPS did i take too much food?
ROUND TWO:
Omelete. YES. I said it. They have an omelete stations! I put bacon and mushrooms in mine. Did not quite finish this because I was already on the verge of uncomfortably full but I just had to try it all!
ROUND THREE:
Fruits– Pineapple and canteloupe, and chocolate covered strawberries.
ROUND 3.5:
Picked off of my moms plate– she chose from their array of dinner foods. Pork w/​mushroom + gravy, potato salad, and prime rib. Yep, PRIME RIB.
Round 4:
Tiramisu and strawberry cheesecake.
And then I went home and pooped. (OVERSHARE)
Really though, although the food wasn’t the highest of quality, the variety of food and price was enough to more than satisfy my Unilocal belly and my parents wallet. This is a great casual place to have brunch with your extended family or a big party because the food option is so extensive and sure to satisfy every person on the table.
TIPS:
The restaurant is located on base at Fort Shafter, but if you tell the guard that you want to eat at Hale Ikena he will direct you to the road on the right that leads you to another secruity guard. You will be asked to provide Drivers LIcense, Registration, and Insurance information in exchange for a day pass to stay on base. Super easy, took me less than 5 minutes! And he was friendly enough to give me a map with instructions to the restaurant.
Again, i need to iterate that this place is worth it for the variety and price, If you want something upscale, i would choose elsewhere, but all in all my family and I had an awesome time here. Not to mention it wasn’t too crowded here because I don’t think many people know that you can eat here!
Definitely recommend!

Fabulous fabulous fabulous!
Went here for my uncles 60^th birthday which was golf themed, and the brunch buffet was AWESOME. From chocolate covered strawberries, to eggs, to lunch dishes with meat or seafood, there was so much food! I wanted to eat everything in sight, but my dang stomach wouldn’t fit that much food!
—and they have a prime rib carving station and a make your own omelette station! YUM.
The room that the party was in was directly adjacent to the buffet room. With lots of space!
Nice experience :)

Everytime Ive been here the staff has always been friendly and helpful. Every dish Ive tried have been delish. And the buffet is worth every penny Ive paid for.
I still have not tried the Sunday Brunch but best believe its on my to do list.

Located on Fort Shafter. You need a military sticker or if you have a party you’ll need to show proof of valid registration, insurance, safety check and drivers license.
I came here for my company Christmas party. The brunch buffet was awesome! Brunch is served from 10 a. m-​1 p.m. They had a lot of choices! The breakfast foods included: scrambled eggs, waffles, bacon, pork sausage links, french toast, an omelet station with choice of bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, portuguese sausage, cheese and many more. Lunch foods include: steamed rice, steamed veggies, mashed potatoes, roasted garlic potatoes, baked salmon, baked chicken, chicken with mushroom in crepes, and of course prime rib! The prime rib was so tasty! I loved it! There were also «pupus» like lomi salmon, poke, tossed salads and other stuff. They also have lots of desserts such as: strawberry cream cheese pie, pumpkin pie, custard pie, jello, pudding, lemon meringue pie, and even a self serve ice cream machine with toppings on the side!
Everything was really good. Service was awesome as well.

When I was planning my son’s first birthday, I considered here. It’s cheap and it has ample parking for all the guests. My only con was my mom didn’t like their food here. She’s very picky and since she could possibly be footing the bill, I must take her opinions into consideration.
I have come here before but most recently was here for my coworker’s baby’s first birthday. She knew from the very beginning she wanted it here… I think her main reason was because it was CHEAP. It’s honestly a good deal if you want a buffet and you have a lot of guests. I wanted it here because it was CHEAP. The Sunday brunch was good and for around $ 28 with tax and tip included it was a steal! There was an omelet station, prime rib, self service soft serve (my husband’s and I guess now my baby’s favorite), chocolate dipped strawberries, lox and bagels, and the list goes on. Basically for what you pay, you get a lot of delicious food that is sure to please even the pickiest eater that isn’t my momma!
The tables had water pitchers on every table but it was hard to get refills of the pitchers. They were fast about taking away the plates though. With so many parties going on, the lines were quite long and it was utter madness. Other than that, Hale Ikena is a good place to party it up!

I am usually here for either a farewell or a promotion ceremony and so far… the service has been awesome.
The buffet is pretty good considering they have a different menu per each day of the week, I believe.
The scenery, if you are sitting on the lanai side is looking out towards the mountain and golf course.
The area is pretty clean and spacious.
If you are Active Duty, Retired, or DoD Civilian – you are able to reserve for a function. As I shared previously about Enlisted or Officer’s clubs on base, when it comes to food… these places know how to cook and you’ll never go away unsatisfied.
My favorites for Hale Ikena is their pupu menu. Granted, the selection for a function is by the coordinator but their pupu items are ONO especially their stuff mushrooms and meatballs.

This place is located on Fort Shafter Army base. You need a military ID to access. I think if you are a civilian and have a party here, you must go through the security check which includes a check of your license, registration, inspection and vehicle check. Once you past the security check, you need to drive up to the golf course. There is a good amount of parking.
We came here for the KP first annual nursing gala. There was probably about 100 people here and the room they pick seem a bit small. Not enough leg room to walk without banging into chairs. They do have other banquet rooms.
It was suppose to be Hawaiian style with a Hawaiian luau buffet. Food was served outside. The menu included salad, poke, lomilomi, mac salad, rice, chicken long rice, kalua pig and mahi fish. The food was ok. Too me it did not have taste/​flavor. I was expecting salmon in the lomi and maybe laulau. Kalua was very watery.

Ok Unilocalies, it’s not too often i will do reviews of wedding food, but after attending a wedding here last Saturday Night, i have to say that the Hawaiian Food here at Hale Ikena in Fort Shafter was simply ONO. I really don’t know if you have to know someone in the military to have a wedding here, but the Ballroom is very spacious and a perfect place to have a Wedding or Birthday Celebration. The Hawaiian Food Buffet offered Ahi and Tako Poke, Lomi Salmon, Kalua Pig, Mahi Mahi, Roast Beef, Sweet Potatoes, Chicken Long Rice, Haupia, and other items to mention.
I was simply amazed how good the food really was at a military installation nonetheless. What also made me a very happy person was that the liquor here is cheap. Where else can you get Coronas and Heineken’s for $ 3.50??. The drinks kept on flowing all night even though the drinks were hosted for a few hours. This place is the perfect alternative if the Hale Koa Hotel is booked up. But i have to say i was thoroughly impressed with setup here at Hale Ikena in Fort Shafter. I hear that you can actually eat over here even you are not in the military as well. You just got to provide the basic registration, Insurance, etc and you can dine here. This place might just be my little secret go to place for a drink before a night on the town…

The $ 10 lunch buffets cannot be beat! For the public, you can still get onto base, just provide your ID, car registration, inspection, etc.
The buffet «[features] a salad bar, soup of the day, baked potatoes with all
the fixings, hot entrees, a dessert bar, and more!» The hot entrees is changed on a daily basis and is typically themed. For the day I visited, we came upon the taco day!
Everything was standard fare and there was plenty for everyone. They offer water and iced tea in pitchers for our large group. Had outdoor and indoor seating right next to the golf course.
Unfortunately no military discount, but not a bad price for a buffet! Come enjoy the cheap eats and later you can impress your friends when you say you had clearance to eat on base!