Related: What to Get Your Husband for Father’s Day | Where to Eat on Oʻahu: 50 Best Food Spots | Best Date Night Restaurants on Oʻahu
Father’s Day on Oʻahu falls on the third Sunday in June, and if there is one thing we have learned hosting our own dads, it is that the good tables go fast every year. Whether your dad is a steak-and-scotch guy, a pile-the-plate-high brunch buffet guy, or a give-me-a-cold-beer-and-some-pūpū guy, the island has a spot that fits. We rounded up our favorites across every style and every part of the island, with the brunch buffets worth the splurge, the old-school steakhouses, the oceanfront tables, and the local joints where you can just be comfortable.
One thing before we dive in. Father’s Day is one of the busiest restaurant days of the year, right up there with Mother’s Day, so reservations are your friend. The big hotel brunches sell out days ahead, and the popular dinner spots fill their prime evening seatings first. If you are reading this with the holiday almost here, do not panic, because we flagged the walk-in-friendly options too. Prices and special menus shift year to year, so treat the numbers below as a guide and confirm when you book.
Quick Reference
When: Father’s Day is the third Sunday in June.
Best splurge brunch: Orchids at Halekulani or 100 Sails at Prince Waikīkī.
Best for a steak dad: Hy’s Steak House in Waikīkī.
Best oceanfront: Duke’s Waikiki, toes-in-the-sand and live Hawaiian music.
Best local vibe: Side Street Inn for family-style pūpū and cold beer.
Local tip: Reserve now. The big brunches and prime dinner seatings book up first.
The Big Father’s Day Brunch Buffets
If your dad’s love language is going back for thirds, a hotel brunch buffet is the move, and Waikīkī does them better than just about anywhere. Here are the four we would happily send family to.
Orchids at Halekulani
Orchids at Halekulani · Waikīkī, oceanfront · Sparkling Sunday Brunch · around $105 adult / $55 kids · Reserve
The gold standard, and the special-occasion brunch on Oʻahu for decades. It runs roughly 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with carving stations, a seafood spread, a Halekulani Bakery table, and a couple of glasses of prosecco or a mimosa included. It is dressy, it is generous, and the Diamond Head view does not hurt. Reserve as early as you can, because the Father’s Day seatings are the first to fill.
100 Sails at Prince Waikīkī
100 Sails · Prince Waikīkī, harbor view · Sunday brunch buffet · around $111 adult / $55.50 kids · Reserve
The other heavyweight, piling on prime rib, snow crab legs, ahi poke, sashimi, sushi, and a big dessert table from about 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. If Dad would rather do a Father’s Day dinner, 100 Sails also runs an evening seafood-and-prime buffet later in the week, so you have options.
Quiora
Quiora · Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikīkī · Italian and Mediterranean brunch · See the menu
For a high-end Waikīkī brunch with a twist, Quiora leans Italian and Mediterranean and has done a Father’s Day buffet with sweeping Waikīkī views and a build-your-own Old Fashioned or Bloody Mary bar for the grown-ups.
The Buffet at Hyatt Waikiki
The Buffet at Hyatt Waikiki · Waikīkī · Father’s Day brunch buffet · around $110 adult / $55 kids 6 to 12 · See the menu
Hyatt goes big for Father’s Day too, with carving stations, oysters, snow crab, sushi, and island favorites. These brunches are splurges, no question, but for a once-a-year all-out family meal, they earn it.
For the Steak-and-Scotch Dad
Hy’s Steak House · Waikīkī · old-school steakhouse, dinner only · reservations recommended · Reserve
Some dads just want a great steak, a good pour, and a little old-school atmosphere. Hy’s is the classic Honolulu steakhouse, all dark wood and white tablecloths, with kiawe-broiled steaks finished tableside and live music in the evenings Wednesday through Sunday. It is the kind of room that makes Dad feel like the man of the hour. They open at 5 p.m. with later last-seatings on the weekend, so a Sunday Father’s Day dinner here is a perfect plan, and there is complimentary valet. 📍 2440 Kūhiō Ave, Honolulu. For more rooms in this spirit, see our guide to the best special-occasion restaurants on Oʻahu.
Oceanfront, With a Mai Tai in Hand
Duke’s Waikiki · Outrigger Waikīkī, on the sand · casual, live Hawaiian music · walk-in Barefoot Bar · Website
If your idea of a perfect Father’s Day is the sound of the waves and nobody in a rush, take Dad to the beach. Duke’s is right on the sand with Diamond Head in view, a salad bar Dad can attack, big plates of prime rib and fresh fish, and the legendary Hula Pie for dessert. Sunday afternoons bring live Hawaiian music to the Barefoot Bar, which is walk-in only and a great backup if you did not snag a dining-room reservation. 📍 2335 Kalākaua Ave, Honolulu. Make a beach day of it with our best beaches on Oʻahu roundup.
A Windward Garden Dinner
Haleʻiwa Joe’s at Haiku Gardens · Kāneʻohe · garden setting, famous prime rib · no reservations, arrive early · Website
To get out of Waikīkī and give Dad something a little more special, drive over the pali to Haleʻiwa Joe’s at Haiku Gardens. It sits at the foot of the Koʻolau range surrounded by lush botanical gardens you are welcome to wander while you wait. It is where local families go for milestone dinners, and the prime rib is so popular it regularly sells out, so order it early. This location does not take reservations, so arrive right when they open in the afternoon, put your name in, and stroll the gardens until your table is ready. The drive and the setting make it feel like an event. 📍 46-336 Haiku Rd, Kāneʻohe.
Take Dad Local
Side Street Inn · Honolulu · family-style local pūpū and cold beer · built for big groups · Website
Not every dad wants a fancy room, and honestly, some of the best Father’s Day meals we have had were the most low-key. Side Street Inn is the beloved local institution famous for family-style pūpū, the fried pork chops, kim chee fried rice, and pan-fried noodles that local chefs themselves eat on their nights off. It is loud, comfortable, and made for big family groups, which makes it ideal for a multi-generation Father’s Day. Hours and locations can shift, so check their current info before you head out. For more in this vein, see our best plate lunch on Oʻahu and 50 best food spots guides.
West Side and Country Options
Bird of Paradise · ʻEwa Beach, west side · Father’s Day brunch buffet · around $98 adult / $49 kids 6 to 12
If you are out toward Kapolei or the west side, you do not have to drive all the way into town. Bird of Paradise in ʻEwa Beach has put on a well-regarded Father’s Day brunch buffet, a convenient option for families on that side of the island. And if your plans involve a day up north, plenty of the spots in our North Shore guide, from the shrimp trucks to the Haleʻiwa sit-down restaurants, make an easy, no-stress meal after a morning at the beach.
If You Would Rather Skip the Crowds
Here is our honest take: some dads genuinely do not want to fight a holiday crowd for a table, and that is completely fair. If that is your guy, lean into it. Grab a stack of plate lunches, a tub of poke, and his favorite drinks, and set up a picnic at the beach or a park with a good view. Or fire up the grill at home and let him do what he loves while you handle everything else. A backyard barbecue with the people he cares about, no reservation and no rush, is a perfectly great Father’s Day, and it is usually the kind of afternoon dads remember most. If you go this route and still want to spoil him a little, our companion Father’s Day gift guide has plenty of ideas, from a new cooler to a bag of Kona coffee to a whole experience.
Brunch or Dinner: Which Should You Pick?
If you cannot decide, think about your dad and your day. Brunch is the move for families with little keiki, for groups who want one big abundant spread, and for anyone who likes to start the celebration early and keep the afternoon open for the beach or a nap. The hotel brunches are also the splurgiest option, so they fit when you want to go all out. Dinner suits the dad who likes a proper sit-down meal, a good steak, and a quieter, grown-up pace, and it leaves the daytime free for a hike, a round of golf, or a slow morning. An oceanfront lunch or an early dinner somewhere like Duke’s splits the difference nicely, with a festive feel and a view but less of the holiday-morning rush. There is no wrong answer here, only the version that best matches the guy you are celebrating.
A Few Tips to Make the Day Easy
A little planning goes a long way on a day this busy. Book as early as you can, since the prime late-morning brunch and early-evening dinner seatings are the first to disappear, and ask about a Father’s Day menu when you call, because many spots run a special prix-fixe or add-ons that day. If you are bringing the whole crew, mention the group size and ask about high chairs and stroller space so nobody is scrambling at the door. Parking in Waikīkī can be its own adventure, so factor in valet, which most of the hotel restaurants offer, or budget extra time to find a spot. For the dressier rooms like Orchids and Hy’s, a collared shirt keeps things easy, though the islands stay relaxed and a nice aloha shirt is always right. Build in a cushion of time so the meal does not feel rushed, especially at the no-reservation spots where you may wait for a table. And be generous with the staff, who are working a packed holiday so your family does not have to lift a finger.
Make the Reservation
However you decide to celebrate, the single best thing you can do right now is lock in the plan. Call the brunch, book the table, or put the picnic on the calendar so it actually happens instead of turning into a last-minute scramble on Sunday morning. The dads in our lives spend all year showing up for everybody else, so a little planning to make their day easy is the least we can do. Pick the spot that fits your guy, get the reservation in, and then just be present with him. That, more than any menu, is the whole point. Happy Father’s Day from our ʻohana to yours, and we hope it is a good one.
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