Staycation at the Hilton Waikiki Beach: Mac 24-7

Restaurant entrance (image credit: PHOTOlulu)

Counter and booth dining (image credit: hapahale)

Dining room with view of garden (image credit: Kathleen Walling Fry)

Many hotel restaurants in Waikiki cater to both the visitor and local crowds such as the Mac 24-7 Bar + Restaurant. The fact that it serves simple comfort food 24 hours a day in a stylized setting adds to the attraction. The restaurant is the main and actually the only dining option at the Hilton Waikiki Beach. Mac 24-7 also provides the food for the hotel's lobby bar and operates the Mac 2-Go counter.

The menu is updated to keep regular patrons interested for return visits. But some favorites remain. One of the restaurant's claim to fame is the multiple layer mac daddy pancake the "size of manholes" featured in a segment of the popular "Man Vs. Food" television series on the Travel Channel. Host Adam Richman attempts to add his name to the Hall of Fame for those with the appetite to consume the behemoth dish in 90 minutes. Click here to view a video preview of the episode.

Mac Daddy pancake (image credit: akueats)

Mac 2-Go (image credit: jtbhawaii)

The restaurant is divided into two sections: a long dining room with counter seating and a larger dining room with views of the hotel's gazebo garden. Both sections have dining booths. I've dined here on several occasions and I have no complaints about the service. The menu offers local favorites (loco moco, saimin) to more standard fare (chicken parmesan). Yes, the restaurant offers a mac and cheese but made with white cheddar and peas.

The Mac 2-Go counter is catered towards the on-the-go visitor breakfast crowd just wanting to pick up a quick bite such as a pastry and coffee before a day of sightseeing or hours at the beach. The lobby bar offers comfortable seating in a quiet setting. The lobby bar and Mac 24-7 are available for special events. More info at mac247waikiki.com.

Above and below: Lobby Bar (top image credit: Hilton)

Note: This is one in a series of posts about the hotel based on a stay from 2008. The look of the hotel has not changed but quality or service can change within that time. The hotel was formerly known as the Hilton Prince Kuhio.