Ocean Views and Big Plates at Lulu’s Waikiki

At Lulu’s Waikiki, a table near the railing can put Waikiki Beach and the ocean right beyond the open windows. Breezes move through the second-floor dining room, shade softens the midday sun, and the changing light gives breakfast, lunch and dinner distinctly different moods.

The menu is built for appetites that do not want to choose between a beach-day burger, a seafood plate, breakfast comfort food and a colorful tropical drink. It runs from French toast and burritos to steak and potatoes, pasta, salads, fish and chips, burgers, local-style dishes and dessert. Portions tend toward generous, sometimes generous enough to become a later hotel-room meal.

Lulu’s has the useful flexibility of a place that can work early in the day or late into the evening. Breakfast is comparatively calm, with coffee, morning plates and an ocean-facing setting that does not require the full nighttime buzz.

By dinner, the room can be busy, energetic and noisy in the unmistakable Waikiki way. Live performers may add familiar songs to the mix, while the open-window layout keeps the beach-facing location present even when the dining room is full.

Sunset is an especially appealing time to be seated along the ocean side, though the outlook depends on the table. Railing seats are worth requesting when making a reservation; they have been a sought-after choice for family celebrations.

Poke nachos are a strong opening move here, and a dish that has inspired repeat orders and server recommendations. They make sense for a group: something casual to share before people go in several menu directions.

Seafood continues through garlic poke and garlic shrimp plates. There is also fish treated with miso butter and served alongside mashed potatoes, a combination that brings a little richness to an ocean-side dinner.

The sweet-chili crispy cauliflower offers another good table option, with a crisp exterior and a sauce that gives it more than the usual side-dish role. It is one of those items that helps a mixed group avoid the predictable pattern of everyone ordering the same thing.

The Lulu Moco is one of the menu’s more substantial local-style plates, available in combinations including Wagyu beef and pork. It is the sort of meal that can turn breakfast into a serious undertaking, or satisfy someone who has spent the day swimming, walking and browsing Waikiki.

Mac and Cheehoo has its own loyal following among returning diners. The name alone signals a comfort-food detour, and it is the dish to notice if a straight-ahead bowl of mac and cheese sounds too restrained.

There are plenty of familiar fallback choices, but they are not afterthoughts: jalapeño burgers, regular burgers and fries, chicken tenders, pasta, steak and potatoes, fish and chips, and a Caesar salad with prawns all appear in the broad lineup. A blackened salmon Caesar offers a seafood-forward variation on the classic salad, while salmon is also available as a main-course direction.

Morning gives Lulu’s a different personality. With fewer evening crowds and no need to build a meal around the sunset, breakfast can be an easiergoing way to use the ocean-facing dining room.

French toast and breakfast burritos sit alongside heavier plates such as the Lulu Moco. The coffee has been noted for being notably strong, with volcanic flavor notes—useful information on a morning when the day’s plans begin with a long walk along the beach rather than another hour in bed.

The drinks list has the tropical standards people expect in Waikiki, including Mai Tais and Blue Hawaiians, plus spicy margaritas, coffee and both alcoholic and nonalcoholic options. A cold drink and an open window do a lot of work here, particularly as afternoon slips toward evening.

Dessert has enough personality to save room for it. Ube cheesecake gives the meal a distinctly local-color finish, while chocolate fudge dessert and a brownie have also stood out. The brownie, in particular, has been singled out as a meal’s best final bite.

Birthday meals have received small celebratory touches, including gelato or dessert and a congratulatory sign. It is a pleasant possibility rather than something to count on, but Lulu’s clearly sees plenty of family dinners and occasion meals alongside couples and larger groups.

A large menu can become unwieldy when people at the table have different needs. Lulu’s helps by clearly labeling vegetarian dishes and maintaining a dedicated vegetarian section.

Gluten-free dining has more structure than a lone modified salad: the restaurant has a substantial gluten-free section, and adaptable dishes are marked on the regular menu. Diners have found gluten-free options across several parts of the day, including a gluten-free Loco Moco and desserts.

That organization makes shared meals easier, though individual preparations and specials can change. Anyone with an allergy or a strict dietary requirement should discuss the current dish directly with the restaurant.

Lulu’s is on the second floor and reached by stairs. Dinner, especially during busy evenings and weekends, can be crowded and loud; breakfast or an earlier meal better suits a quieter visit.

Reservations are a sensible move for dinner, particularly for diners hoping for a table with an ocean or railing outlook. Parking around the restaurant can be difficult, in keeping with Waikiki’s general parking constraints.

Specials, live music, menu pricing and particular dietary preparations can change, so the evening’s details are best confirmed when reserving or ordering.