




The Old Spaghetti Factory
About
A Trip Back in Time on the Honolulu Waterfront
Stepping into The Old Spaghetti Factory near the historic Aloha Tower Marketplace feels like entering a living room from a bygone era. The dining room is anchored by the iconic, full-sized trolley car—a centerpiece that keeps children enchanted while parents enjoy a rare moment of quiet. Polished wood, ornate stained glass, and antique lighting create a warmth that contrasts sharply with the breezy, salt-kissed air of the harbor outside.
Classic Comforts for Every Generation
This is a destination built for large groups and families who value consistency. The menu leans heavily into Italian-American comfort food, with the Mizithra Cheese and Browned Butter pasta serving as the undisputed house favorite. The sharp, salty profile of the aged sheep’s milk cheese paired with nutty, golden butter is a flavor memory for many locals who grew up visiting this downtown Honolulu landmark. Every entree arrives as a complete experience, starting with freshly baked sourdough bread, crisp salad, and ending with a signature spumoni ice cream.
Local Observations
While the aesthetic is charmingly cluttered with historical memorabilia, be prepared for a bit of a wait on busy Friday nights; the popularity of the harbor area can make parking in nearby structures feel like a minor puzzle. The bustling environment can get loud, making it more suited for lively family celebrations than an intimate, hushed conversation. If you are exploring the Honolulu waterfront, this spot offers a dependable, nostalgic slice of traditional dining that remains a fixture of the city’s casual culinary scene.
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Amenities & Features
Location
3 Aloha Tower Dr, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96813-4807
More to Explore
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Reviews
Showing 3 of 59 community reviewsKira NakasonoGoogle Maps
Recently
Made reservations online, got in easy, outside seating is nice, comfy outdoor seating. Waiter was great. Food was delicious, the complete 3 course meal with soup or salad, entree and signature spumoni dessert. Would definitely come back
Noodle SoupGoogle Maps
Recently
Stopped by for a quick lunch. This is the first time I've been to this location at Aloha Tower, used to go to the Ward center location years ago. The decor was the same as the old location, and probably some of the furniture was brought over to this location. Lunch service was good thank you to our server Adam, though I think they are slightly understaffed for this time of day. Today I had the meat lovers which had two meatballs, Italian sausage, in a meaty marinara sauce, which also came with a small side salad and ice cream. Here's a hack. Order the vanilla ice cream and ask for a small portion of Browned butter for a delicious topping. Meal was delicious just like I remembered it in the 1980s, but could use some updating. Overall, would I come back again on a normal basis like I used to back in the 80s and 90s? probably not, Feel free to follow me as I tour the world looking for delicious food experiences. Insta: @noodlesoupr
Fusako PGoogle Maps
Recently
Spaghetti is our go to food of choice prior to a distance race and so we stopped by here for our spaghetti fix before the marathon and man, it was a perfect choice. They have a relatively small parking lot, as they share it with the rest of the aloha tower businesses, and make sure you ask your server to validate your parking ticket too! They were quite busy, as everyone else probably had the same idea as us and we waited a good 25-30 minutes before we were able to get seated. Upon being seated we were greeted promptly and ordered our meals in a timely manner. Each dish comes with complementary bread, a salad or minestrone soup, your pasta dish of choice, and then dessert, vanilla or spumoni ice cream. I opted for the pot pourri, as it had a nice variety of sauces so I could sample each one. I usually get the mizithra cheese and browned butter pasta, as I have been before, and that sauce ultimately my favorite. The butter is flavorful, perfectly salted with a perfect blend of the aromatic mizithra cheese. The broccoli with this blend is equally as delicious too. The clam sauce was surprisingly subtle, but the clams itself remained flavorful. And the meat and marinara sauces were nothing to brag at home about, but they were still delicious as my son enjoyed his meat sauce spaghetti. The spumoni ice cream is their classic flavor that I recommend everyone try. It’s a blend of pistachio, cherry, and chocolate ice cream and delicious when paired all together. You can get vanilla elsewhere easily, but spumoni is definitely a specialty flavor they offer and you don’t want to miss. Will definitely be back!
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