Buzz’s Original Steak House

Great lunch! Great service. Amazing food. I don’t mind the tourist feel… not to pricey. Will definitely go back. Would’ve gotten 5 stars, but the flies were buggin’ today.

Overall you get a plenty of good food here in a touristy old-​timey Hawaii setting.
I have had good fish here and I have had good steak, but sometimes their fish offerings are a little confusing. The salad bar has a lot of choices. It’s worth filling up your salad plate and keeping it around during dinner. Sometimes you need some veggies with your protein.
We got some decently strong cocktails here. They have a bar. But the bar is right on/​in the dining room.
My best experience here involved a steak lunch, outdoor seating and beautiful weather. My worst experience here was a confusing fish dinner and the air conditioning unit dripping down cold water on my head or napkin.
If you are staying in Lanikai for the first time you sort of have to go to this place.

We went to Buzz’s last night for my Mother-in-law’s birthday. I have to say I was a bit hesitant after reading some Unilocal reviews, but it was much better than I feared. Buzz’s is pretty small with some outdoor seating and a small dining area and bar inside. It’s a pretty casual eatery that seemed to be filled mainly with tourists.
Parking is limited. Be sure to arrive early! We had a reservation at 5:30 and were promptly seated, given waters and menus. Our server then told us the fish they had for the evening and explained that we should flip over our menu paddles when we were ready to order. So far, so good!
Much to my surprise, all entrees include their all-​you-​can-​eat salad bar. This was a plus! Most entrees however, do not include starch, so you have to order that on the side if you want any. Since the salad bar was included, I was fine going no-​carb. Once we ordered, we were free to go to the salad bar. They have several offerings like tossed greens, spinach, arugula, avocado, boiled egg, sprouts, tofu, green beans, ocean salad etc. I was quite impressed with their spread actually! However, the line for the small salad bar was quite long. It is cramped on one side of the restaurant and just doesn’t quite flow well. Unfortunately, when I bit into my tofu it was sour! I’m pretty sure it was spoiled! My MIL also mentioned that the green beans were very sour. Hence I had to take away a star from which otherwise would have been a 4 star review. I also think the price for just the salad bar ($ 13) is quite expensive considering all entrees include the salad bar. For just $ 6 more I got the Baby Top 6 o.z. sirloin.
Onto the entrees. I got the Baby Top ($ 19), hubby ordered seared ahi ($ 25), sister-​in-​law got soup and salad ($ 16), father-​in-​law got mahi mahi and mother-​in-​law got top sirloin and scampi ($ 28.25). I was pleasantly surprised with my Baby Top. I ordered medium-​rare and it was cooked just as requested. Meat was a bit fatty, but flavor was good. It also came with some broccoli and cauliflower. Hubby enjoyed his ahi though he said it was a little too salty for his taste. Both FIL and MIL seemed to enjoy their meals. My poor SIL did not seem to like her tomato soup very much.
I was happy that they brought out a chocolate cake with ice cream and a candle for my mother-in-law’s birthday! Unfortunately, we sang «happy birthday» and my MIL was just about to blow out her candle when another waiter interrupted to ask if we wanted to look at the dessert menu. Wah wah. Oh well, just bad timing I guess.
Overall, Buzz’s was just okay to me. It’s a casual eatery if you are in Kailua and want some steak… although I’m not sure how they handle walk-​ins. Be aware that this place gets loud! Maybe because it’s so small and crowded inside. Not really a good place to have conversations. Service was pretty quick and our waters were always refilled. Staff was pretty good, but our waiter was not as friendly as I hoped. I was satisified with my steak and most of the salad bar, but don’t need to return.

The atmosphere was great, the staff were friendly & fun and the food was INCREDIBLE.
I had the ribs (and will almost certainly never eat such great ribs ever again) my Dad had ‘the best steak of his entire life’ — and he’s in his fifties and likes steak!
We genuinely had a great evening and told several people we met whilst on our vacation that they must visit Buzz’s if they get the chance.
Also, a big thank you to Ashley who spoke to us at the end of our meal — she was incredibly friendly and gave us advice on what to do on the island. (Please tell her that we are more than happy to help her explore the island on our next trip!)
Many thanks!
Aloha!
Sam (and Tim!) x

Always a good stop when staying in Kailua. Can’t beat their BFRD! Good for kids, on the louder side and a lot of activity.

Had the pleasure of dining at this place on more than several occasions already and each time I am pleased beyond belief! Buzz’s rocks! From the pleasantly beautiful and Goddess like hostess in the very front (which has probably been working there for decades) down to the cheerful and knowledgeable bartenders and staff, awesome! The food is delicious! Hands down best place to be, and if you have any doubt, ask Obama! That’s right the president dines there annually while on his stay on Oahu. We had the privilege of staying nearby this year while he was there!
Have the Macadamia nut crusted paku paku (misspelled??)

I was extremely disappointed with my last experience at Buzz’s. This was my favorite restaurant. I was born and raised in Hawaii and always look forward to dining at Buzz’s. When I called for reservations for 12 people the hostess kept making a big deal about how they could only seat 11 comfortably outside. She went on and on so we made sure are party was no bigger than 11. When we arrived they sat us in the back lounge area. I couldn’t believe it. When I approached the hostess, Cher, she told me I did not request the outside. I explained to her what had happened and she did not offer any solution. My brother also talked to the manager, Mani, who just shook her head when he walked away. So we had dinner in the loud, dark, lounge area. The way we were treated was so rude. I will never go back.

What a fun and delicious experience! We arrived at 11:45am on Dec 29^th. The place was packed! We got the last seats at the bar. When we left, people were lining up outside. Bread and whipped butter are addictively tasty. I had a nice caesar baguette sandwich with great spicy fries. A side of artichokes hit the spot! Free refills on soda! Staff were local and kind! Definitely will tell my friends about Buzz’s!

Way too much fun. Pouring rain, no parking, no tables, booked solid, all made up for by cool bartenders, great drinks and pretty good food. What else do you need?

I stopped in here on a Wednesday afternoon to grab some drinks with my sister in law. We started with the BFRD. Its the big fucking rum drink. It’s like a mai tai but with lots of rum. The waitress sat the drinks down and I could smell the rum. It was strong and good. Probably not the first drink I should have had. Oh well. The next drink I had was the Lava Flow. I was a blended coconut drink with strawberry purée. It was really yummy. We also order some of the meat sticks. They are just 4 skewers with yummy meat on them. Delicious! I finished our afternoon drinks with Lanikai Lemonade. It came with orange vodka and lemonade. It was very lemonadey. If that’s even a word. the waitresses we had were really nice and helpful when it came to picking out drinks. This steakhouse it right across the street from a wonderful beach, so you have a wonderful beach.

Sadly the Kailua Buzz’s dinner experience has gone down hill and is very pricy. The question is are they trying to cash in on their popularity with tourist? Have they moved away from being our cool neighborhood restaurant where you can go for good times and tasty food? Everyone has a right to make a living… its the how that concerns me.
Do not bother with ordering steak or shrimp scampi. You will be disappointed. The steak portions are small, fatty and over cooked. The shrimp scampi is grilled dry and does not have any garlic or yummy sauce. They still do fish pretty well and the calamari steak is still the best I’ve ever had. The salad bar has a some unusual options that make it unique. You do pay a premium price for so so table service — you have to ask for things more than once.
The lunch menu overall is much better and of good value. And most importantly you still feel welcomed to relax and enjoy.

Awesome drinks!
I haven’t tried the food here, but my bf, friends and I stopped by here after hitting the beach for a couple of drinks.
I ended up getting the lava flow (essentially a piña colada with strawberry). It was really delicious.
The venue isn’t anything special but they do have outdoor seating which is nice especially for a breezy, sunny day.
The folks around us ordered some appetizers that looked pretty tasty. Maybe we’ll be back to try them out next time.

Today we arrived on Saturday around 2 pm and sat outside with our little girl (Dog) We had Pupa’s that were outstanding & service from Anna that exceeded five stars!
Plus the local pumpkin cheesecake was da BOMB!

BFRD = Big F***ing Rum Drink
If you can slurp your way through a couple of these killer Mai Tais and walk out of the restaurant, my hat is off to you.
The BFRD is probably why Buzz’s is full of bar flies. Old ones, new ones, tourists, and locals who make this their exclusive night on the town joint. Me? I prefer the lava flow. And a hearty meal to soak up the alcohol.
Fresh seafood, steak, salad bar, it’s super old school. The fact that the steak menu comes on a giant, 10 lb paddle or the waitresses forced to wear aloha shirts should have told you that already.
Surf and turf isn’t a bad idea at Buzz’s. For about $ 40 you can get a pretty solid meal… And by San Francisco standards, that’s a major deal pound for pound. The preparation isn’t fancy or trying to be, it’s the way steak and seafood restaurants used to be all over the U.S. and beyond.
But back to the bar… It’s the place to take friends and make new ones. There’s always someone drinking solo who’s more than willing to have a conversation. Consider Buzz’s to be the Cheers of Oahu. Even if you’re the only one singing «Everybody Knows Your Name» by the end of the night, you’re probably feeling pretty good.

Cute restaurant by the beach, perfect to grab drinks and grub after a day at the beach. I loved the steak salad with blue cheese and dried cranberries — very filling! My boyfriend loved the fish burger. We will be back to tackle the rest of the menu and try some drinks.

Whoa, when I said «stiff»,…I meant «STIFF»

Last night I went with some buddies to Lanikai to see a show only to get rained out. Being that we drove all the way to Kailua one of the guys suggested we come here for a bite as our plans were cancelled by Mother Nature.
Upon arrival after 715pm, this place was PACKED. I mean, there were no parking stalls open so we parked across the street to Kailua Beach Park.
It was pouring like crazy and our hostess guided us to a SEMI covered outdoor seating. I mention SEMI because although we were under a roof, there were leaks all over. We could see and feel the water drops!
Our waitress was very friendly and asked if we had dined here before. It was our first time here for DINNER service. We were alarmed by their dinner menu, which is on a sizable and quite heavy wooden paddle. Was she gonna spank us for being naughty??? :P
After listening to the waitress explain the daily specials, she gave us some time to review the menu and instructed us to flip over the menu board when we’re ready to order. We weren’t really that hungry so we decided to share an entrée with several appetizers:
1) Escargot (³⁄₅)
I have had this many, many times and enjoy eating escargot. However, it was standard with texture and taste. Served with lemon wedges and several slices of baguette to dip the garlic butter sauce. Nothing special in my opinion.
2) Calamari (³⁄₅)
On the menu the appetizers didn’t have any explanation on how they’re prepared. Perhaps it was wrong for us to expect your typical deep-​fried calamari rings with Marinara sauce and we were caught off-​guard when served a PANKO breaded calamari steak that was cut up in bite-​sized pieces topped with melted butter, some capers and lemon wedges. Flavor was okay but again, nothing special to me.
3) Hibachi Style Opah (moon fish) w/​Mashed Potatoes (²⁄₅)
This was one of the specials of the day. They offer several fish to choose from daily and then you select how it’s prepared. It was all of our first time so we asked the waitress for her suggestion.
It was prepared with an Asian flair of Japanese and Chinese. It had a subtle sweet Teriyaki sauce and was topped with deep-​fried won ton chips and LOTS of Chinese parsley. This dish was very attractive but didn’t have a «WOW» factor. Fish was slightly overcooked and the fusion didn’t really work for me — — Asian-​style fish with mashed potatoes just didn’t work.
Service was OUTSTANDING. When we first sat down our drink orders were taken and our beers came right away with glasses of ice water. The staff checked up with our food and drinks to make sure we were doing okay. Staff here are well-​trained.
Because it was raining hard, there were many leaks in our dining area and had water drops fall on me repeatedly. We were asked if it was okay to where we were seated and we didn’t let it bother us.
Overall, great service with so-​so food. Perhaps this place is known for beef, which we didn’t order. I definitely will try their steaks in my next visit here.
NOTES:
1) When you sit down a complimentary basket of warm bread and butter is served.
2) When ordering specials, it is a complete menu where you have starch with your main dish and it comes with one trip to their salad bar OR a bowl of their soup of the day. I was delighted they had avocado in their buffet line and it was really good — — texture was perfect and it was NOT discolored. When fruit/​starch discolors, the grayish/​brown color is unappetizing.

This place is so cute! After hiking up lanakai we needed a drink and this was the only place around but didn’t matter it was nice! Order the Mai tai and it is true… Anything over 4 of them will sit your on your butt!
We ordered some starters and got the stake calamari which is really good! It looked like a piece of breaded steak that was sliced in pieces. Wasn’t like any kind of calamari I’ve ever had, but they are known for this so you must try!
It’s nice to sit out in the front patio and just sit in the breeze and look out into the ocean. The staff were really friendly and even suggested another hike. We also had meat on sticks and the steak fries… Which was just a big potato sliced very large and then fried. But this is hawaii and the views are amazing!

What’s the buzz all about?
This homey old shack is very welcoming, so welcoming in fact, that it gets very crowded here. One of the few eating establishments within a stone’s throw of Lanikai and Kailua beaches, be prepared to wait.
Since we came at a dead hour of 3pm, we got seated right away, but the patio was full. I don’t know what it is when I’m in Hawaii, I always want fish! Or any kind of seafood. I asked for the ahi tuna wrap (without the wrap!) because the ingredients look like it would make for a good salad and it did! Lightly seared ahi on top of field greens & bean sprouts, it was healthy and filled me up. (Or was it the side of seasoned fries that did?!)
A little pricey because it’s located in Kailua and service definitely needed improvement.

Stumbled into Buzz’s after a beach afternoon at Kaliua. This restaurant is located in an old wooden house, very casual and laid back. Couple of tables, bar in the middle, tight space. Indoor and outdoor area, it’ll get crowded around peak times so expect a little bit of wait.
The food was decent — the wasabi added a very nice touch to the FISH BURGER ($ 12) and it came with a CHICKEN SOUP, plus FRIES as an additional side.
Service was just okay — not too friendly but they got the job done.
Okay food in the area with Hawaiian prices.