Salvation Army Waiʻoli Tea Room, Historic tea room in Manoa Valley, Honolulu, United States
The Salvation Army Waioli Tea Room is a single-story bungalow with French doors, a wide lanai, and thick gardens surrounding the structure on Manoa Road. The property also includes a reconstructed traditional Hawaiian grass house that preserves historical connections to earlier residents.
This tea room opened in 1922 as part of the Salvation Army Girls' Home program, which trained young women in professional hospitality work. It closed in 2014 but reopened four years later under a new name, continuing its role of serving the community.
The tea room shows how Hawaiian architectural styles blended with influences from tea-serving traditions of the Pacific Northwest in the early 1900s. Local residents and visitors could experience both cultures reflected in the building and its purpose.
The location sits in Manoa Valley at the Manoa Road intersection, accessible by local bus or car with parking available on the grounds. Visitors should allow time to explore both the restaurant building and the reconstructed grass house in the surrounding gardens.
The property has a connection to author Robert Louis Stevenson, who stayed in the traditional grass house during his 1889 visit with Princess Kaiulani and her father. This link to a famous writer and Hawaii's royal family adds an unexpected dimension to the site's history.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
