Helemano Plantation

We have gotten our Christmas tree from here for years but did not this year (rushed and on vacation part of the month). I was so disappointed. Never again!! See you all November 2025!!

This is a part training school to teach handi capable adults skills in food service. I find the hours vary and often find a closed restaurant like the Red Lantern - I took a pic of below. It's a nice drive and u can always drive to Dole Plantation next door if everything at Helemano Plantation is closed.

I used to be a good place to get lunch now it is all shut down with little to no signage. the signs on the door show hours but no one is there and it looks semi abandoned. hopefully it re opens I know they do good work for the special needs community and their pineapple pies were great!

Been coming here for several decades now since I was a small kid with my grandparents. The purpose behind Helemano Plantation is to provide training for the developmentally disabled. [FOOD] While certain foods may look salty it definitely is not, like the sweet sour spareribs which we found to be nice and soft with just the right amount of flavor. The food is made in small batches so things are usually nice and fresh. FAVORITES include the: STEAMED BUNS (in the brown basket) & MUSHU VEGETABLES, SPRING ROLLS. TIP: Again the food is made in small batches so if something runs out just ask if they are bringing out more.[SERVICE] Still great friendly service with no complaints here.[PARKING] Huge parking lot so we have never had a problem finding a spot. [HANDICAP] There are several handicap parking stalls available.

My niece is a single mom and needed somewhere affordable for her son's high school graduation party so she chose Helemano Plantation. The minute she saw the hall she decided immediately this is where the party should be. The hall is divided into 2 rooms, the main room is able to fit 250 people easily with a stage and a reception area and it has AC. The second room is where the food is set up and is also quite big and where the food and bar is with additional tables.The food is just okay, and they do serve a lot. there was a parking lot that could fit probably about 60 cars? and plenty of parking on the streets! plenty!

Nice to visit here to shop for unique pineapple theme souvenirs, and enjoy tasty pineapple ice cream whip. This place appears to be a must stop for tourists based all the tourist bus & vans parking on the parking lot. Glad to see the enhance done to the facility. Now, the place offers many appealing dishes, including sushi & spam musubi.

I am currently planning a family vacation next year with two of my little picky eaters and Dole plantation is in our list. But I want to take them to this little gem for lunch that I ate at years ago when I first visited Oahu and Dole Plantation. I just remembered asking our guide where he was going for lunch and he responded saying to the real buffet. As a tourist I wasn't quiet sure what buffet he was referring to as Dole Plantation didn't have a buffet. So my friend and I followed him and I'm so glad we did! Ok that was over 10 years ago and I still remember what I ate because it was that good: rice, chicken long rice, fried chicken and ice cream. I also remember lots of uniformed soldiers making a stop of lunch. I can't wait to support this wonderful cafe and planation on our future visit! And oh I don't remember paying so much to eat here either!

I was looking for an alternative to the super touristy Dole Plantation and decided to check out Helemano right next door. When I read that it is a training opportunity for people with developmental challenges I was even more intrigued. We pulled into the nearly empty parking lot and decided to check out the buffet first as we were ready for lunch. This was definitely the highlight of our visit. It is a large dining area and we were invited to choose a table to sit at. The buffet is not large but there were plenty of tasty options and everything was really good. They offer a green salad bar with all of the fixings and a few pre-made salad options. They had katsu chicken, sweet and sour pork, egg rolls, veggies, buns, and other items to choose from. Everything was fresh and tasty. The service was friendly and efficient and we enjoyed our lunch. After lunch, we wandered around through the buildings seeing what else they had to offer. They have a small gift shop with rather random items. Most of the things seemed pretty dated and sadly there was nothing we felt compelled to take home. I would have liked to have asked a few questions about the place but while everyone was polite, no one seemed super approachable so I didn't really get a good feel for what the plantation had to offer. We walked around a bit and the gardens are fairly sparse, no pineapples to be seen and several photo-op type displays that honestly looked pretty rickety and I'm not sure I would be comfortable standing near them.I wish there was more to see and do so I could bring more friends out to visit. The buffet was really nice but I can't see myself driving out there just for that. I would recommend it if you want to get away from the Dole crowd and get a good lunch! And support a great program of offering training opportunities.

Helemano Plantation is located right next to Dole Plantation, most people bypass it unless they see the little attractions from the parking lot. Helemano Plantation has there own small parking lot, most weekends parking is available unless there is a party at the banquet hall. The snack shop has Hot Dogs, Burgers, Cup Saimin, Chips, Bottles Juices, and Fountain Soda. The Ox Tail Soup is also available to order but expect to wait 20-30 minutes for it. There vegetables are from their own personal garden. There is a gift shop inside the snack shop that you can browse around. The restaurant is a buffet which is approx. $11/per person. You can order take-out with a starch and 2 choices for about $6 which isn't too bad either. I personally like the fried noodles, beef broccoli, stir fried vegetables, the char siu pork and orange chicken. Some days they have this egg omelette dish which is really tasty. The char siu pork is not oily and really juicy. The orange chicken is not overly tangy and a lot of chicken in each bite. It has a different taste to the one I like at Panda Express, and personally prefer their orange chicken from other Chinese restaurants I have eaten at. Menu changes day by day so it is always good to call in advance if you want to know what they are serving. They also cater! Heads up the snack shop and restaurant is open from 10A-3P. They are closed on Saturdays. At the snack shop, it is a $10 minimum if you plan to use card.

My favorite place to go for Christmas Norfolk greens--trees, wreaths, swags. Awesome helpful and friendly personnel and beautiful lasting Christmas trees and wreaths !! Highly recommend this Christmas Tree Farm!!!