REVIEW: Ulu Cafe at Disney's Aulani Resort

We are THRILLED to be able to bring you some brand new full reviews from Disney’s Aulani Resort, located on the beautiful island of O’ahu in Hawaii.

There’s no theme park in Hawaii, so families and guests come here to truly relax, take in the gorgeous views all around, and recharge. We couldn’t wait to check out everything the resort had to offer, including the dining spots. One of our first stops was Ulu Cafe, one of the quick service locations available, and we’re here to tell you what on the menu is worth your hard-earned money.

Watch our full tour of Aulani below!

Atmosphere

You’ll find Ulu Cafe in the center of the resort, near the main pool. There’s not a lot of seating in the area, as the idea really is that you take your food back to wherever it is you’re hanging out around the resort.

We really loved the variety of the menu here, as it had some classic favorites as well as well-known Hawaiian dishes. Now, these prices are HIGH, but it didn’t catch us off guard because we knew traveling to Hawaii prices are high all around the islands.

When you go to order, there are some items (like pastries) that are grab-and-go, but there’s also a counter where you can order different bowls. If you want hot food, you’ll order it at the register, and your name will be called when your food is ready. Mobile order is also available here if you’re interested!

You’ll find an area inside to refill your coffee as well as soda machines if you’d like to refill your Resort Refill Mug.

We waited a bit for our food, and when we had it all in hand, headed to eat at a table right outside!

Food

We got a little bit of everything to truly get a taste of it all, starting out with a drink refill using our Resort Refill Mug. Now, this will cost you $25, but then any refills you’d like throughout your stay are free, which could very much be worth it if you drink lots of coffee, soda, or tea.

Let’s start with the Hawaiian Dinner Plate, which costs $29. This had a little bit of everything on it, including Kalua Pork, Ahi Tuna, and then your choice of two sides (we chose the Tropical Salad and Macaroni Salad).

The pork was simple but delicious, almost like barbeque pulled pork, and if you’re looking to be a little more adventurous by eating the Ahi Tuna, this is a great way to do it since you’re only getting a taste and there’s plenty of other more familiar eats to enjoy.

The macaroni salad was so light and creamy and helped balance out the heavier plate. The salad on the dressing was so deliciously citrusy, and it was another MASSIVE portion. Overall, we were so impressed by everything and would get it multiple times over.

Now, was it expensive? For sure, but honestly, three people could easily share it and it was all SO high quality, so we say totally worth it.

We also tried the Spicy Poke Bowl for $22. This was delicious and it was one of the better poke bowls we’ve had. They loaded us up with tons of toppings and even seasoned our rice in front of us. The tuna was so tender and flavorful, as well as perfectly cooked. It all blended together so well, but we will say that it wasn’t spicy at all — classic “Disney” spicy. We’d totally get it again, and even though it’s expensive, it was very high quality and was easily shareable!

For dessert, we grabbed the Pineapple Mango Cream Puff for $10, and this was one of the better bakery case Disney items we’ve had. It was a perfect cream puff dough (which was totally surprising considering the size) — so flaky and airy, and then the delicious whipped cream inside was so fresh. While we didn’t taste much pineapple, there were frozen mango pieces inside the garnish and the middle of the cream puff!

Quincy with the Pineapple Mango Cream Puff

We had one person who loved that the mango was frozen, as it gave almost like an ice cream consistency, but others may disagree. It was MASSIVE, about the size of our head, and while there were coconut shavings on the outside, it wasn’t very noticeable in the treat, so if you’re usually averse to that texture, no need to fear! Overall, if you’re a fan of tropical flavors and you love flaky pastries, this is a must-get.

We also tried one of their classic Olu Mel Cupcakes. This was a Pineapple Macadamia Nut cupcake with vanilla frosting and white chocolate and sugar decoration pieces. There’s pineapple preserve in the middle of the cupcake, but we personally didn’t feel there was enough.

The cake was a bit on the dry side, but we didn’t mind it too much, and we do wish we could have tasted a bit more of the macadamia nut. It’s HUGE though, so we don’t recommend buying it for your kid and expecting them to eat it all — in fact, WE couldn’t even eat it all, so we say it’s definitely shareable.

Overall, we think this is a great spot if you’re looking for something that will please the whole family, AND if you’re looking to actually save some money by splitting items. We’d certainly go here again, especially if we were lounging by the pool and wanted a hearty dish to keep us going.