Wolfgang's Steakhouse by Wolfgang Zwiener

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

The Story Behind the Steak

After five decades in the business — much of it spent mastering his craft at one of New York's most storied dining institutions — Wolfgang Zwiener struck out on his own in 2004, opening Wolfgang's Steakhouse in Manhattan. The concept was straightforward: take everything he had learned about quality beef, proper aging, and high-heat broiling, and improve upon it. The result was a steakhouse that quickly became a destination for serious eaters. The brand has since expanded to locations across the world, with the Wailea outpost on Maui bringing that same New York standard to the shores of Hawaii.

Quality, Aging, and Broiling

Those three words are the philosophy that drives every plate at Wolfgang's. The kitchen works exclusively with USDA Prime beef — the top grade assigned by the U.S. Department of Agriculture — which is then dry-aged in an in-house aging room. The process allows the meat's natural enzymes to tenderize the muscle fibers while concentrating amino acids that deepen the flavor. The beef is then cut thick and fired in a broiler at 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit, arriving at the table on a sizzling hot plate: crust crackling, juices running.

The menu at the Waikiki Beach and Wailea locations spans New York sirloin, rib eye, filet, and the signature Prime Steak formatted for sharing — available for two, three, four, or more guests. Alongside the steaks, the kitchen offers serious seafood, thickly sliced Sizzling Bacon, Creamed Spinach, Mashed Potatoes, German Potatoes, and Lobster Mac and Cheese. Lunch brings a Classic Burger made with USDA Prime beef and a dry-aged Steak Sandwich, alongside salads, daily pasta, and fish dishes.

The wine program is equally considered. More than 1,000 bottles from producers around the world are available, a list that earned Wolfgang's Steakhouse the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2024 — a recognition that reflects the depth and curation guests can expect when pairing with their meal.

The Room

The dining room is designed to match the food's ambition. Custom mosaic ceilings, walnut bar, suede-wrapped walls, and alabaster light fixtures create what the restaurant describes as "new age elegance" — formal enough to feel like an occasion, comfortable enough to linger. A glass-enclosed walk-in wine cellar stocked with those 1,000-plus bottles is part of the visual landscape. Private rooms are available for parties booked in advance, and catering options extend the experience beyond the restaurant itself.

A Steakhouse That Travels Well

Wolfgang's has proven that its formula — rigorous sourcing, disciplined aging, precise cooking — translates across cities and continents. At Wailea, that means a full steakhouse experience, complete with an award-winning wine list, in one of Hawaii's most sought-after resort destinations.