Restaurants in Hawaii
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A
Eggs 'n Things
Never empty, this bustling diner specializes in hearty breakfast fare, from thick pancakes done up with whip cream to steak and eggs. The odd hours reflect its clientele, early morning tourists, graveyard shift workers and post-clubbers.
reviewed
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Grandma's Coffee House
- Maui, USA
- Restaurants › Café
This downhome café has homemade pastries, sandwiches and fresh dark-roasted Maui coffee. Grandma's family has been growing coffee beans in Keokea since 1918. Take your goodies out on the patio and you can eat right under the coffee trees. Grandma's is also a good place to pick up picnic fare if you're headed around the Pi'ilani Hwy to Hana.
reviewed
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Roy's
Chef Roy Yamaguchi's namesake restaurants are sometimes referred to as the Spago of the islands. The O'ahu-born enterprise was an early innovator of Hawaiian Regional Cuisine, which emphasizes fresh local ingredients and blends European, Asian and Polynesian flavors. Today, Roy's restaurants have populated the islands and mainland, but this Hawai'i Kai location, east of Waikiki, is one of the originals.
A more centrally located restaurant is slotted for the new Waikiki Beach Walk (corner of Kalia Rd and Lewers St).
reviewed
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B
Aloha Mixed Plate
Hands down, the best place on Maui to enjoy a Hawaiian-style meal in a beachside setting. Go local with the Hawaiian plate lunch brimming with kalua (traditional method of cooking in an underground pit) pig, lomilomi salmon (minced, salted salmon, diced tomato and green onion) and other taste treats. And then there are the award-winning coconut prawns - order them as a pupu (snack or appetizer) or as part of a mixed plate, but do try them.
reviewed
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C
Coffee Shack
The Shack has an amazing view from its intimate, open-air deck surrounded by tropical foliage. The place is perched precariously on the makai side of the highway and has very limited parking. The breakfasts, hearty salads, sandwiches and pizzas are consistently OK, while, ironically, the coffee gets bad reviews. Consider sliding in for a beer right before closing. It's between the 108- and 109-mile markers.
reviewed
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D
Diamond Head Market & Grill
Fast-food for an upscale neighborhood, this takeaway counter and deli market feeds families who don't want to heat up the kitchen as well as career bachelors with healthy versions of plate lunches. The salmon plate gets an approving nod from others in line and there are picnic tables beside the parking lot for immediate consumption. In the market, you can stock up on salads and picnic supplies.
reviewed
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E
Sam Choy's Breakfast, Lunch & Crab
Its menu offers huge portions of local specialties, such as fried noodles or loco moco (three hamburger patties and more, buried in gravy) for breakfast, along with mainland staples such as bacon and eggs, and fresh crab. The food is great, a high-quality change from overpriced hotel fare. The on-site Big Aloha Brewery pours some of the best microbrews in town.
reviewed
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F
Hawaiian Style Cafe
Join locals at the horseshoe-shaped counter that dominates the island's best greasy spoon: filling servings of loco moco, pancakes, laulau, poi fried rice, burgers and more will keep you going all day. As the sign says: 'Come early. When food is pau…there is no more!'
reviewed
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G
Stella Blues
You'll find a good meal here any time of the day. The jalapeño-laden Mexican omelet will jump-start your morning, or go Hawaiian with banana macnut pancakes. Lunch is built around specialty salads and sandwiches, while dinner leans into a seafood and steak menu.
reviewed
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H
Kilauea Fish Market
At last, yummy plate lunches that won't clog your arteries. One taste and you'll be addicted to the generous plates of seared-'ahi poke salad with organic greens, wraps stuffed with sautéed 'ahi, or tofu with brown rice and lots of veggies.
reviewed
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I
Down to Earth Natural Foods
Honolulu's largest natural-foods supermarket has a small sandwich and salad café with lots of vegetarian options. The grocery section has a decent selection of local and organic produce including Hawaii's tasty papaya and apple bananas.
reviewed
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J
Imanas Tei
At this top-rated izakaya (a Japanese pub serving food), enjoy world-class sake while grazing on delectable sushi and crowd-pleasing nabemono (do-it-yourself meat and vegetable soups).
reviewed
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K
Rainbow Drive-in
If nothing else, it's refreshing to have a president who appreciates plate lunches and shave ice. President Obama has enjoyed plate lunches at Waikiki's Rainbow Drive-In
reviewed
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L
Hula Grill & Barefoot Bar
Watch the swimsuit parade in Kaʻanapali as you dine under coconut-frond umbrellas on creative pupu and robust dinner mains, like kiawe wood-grilled steaks.
reviewed
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M
Mama's Fish House
This is Maui's most celebrated seafood restaurant, which pairs beachside romance with impeccably prepared fish. Reservations are essential.
reviewed
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N
Ono Hawaiian Food
A legendary destination for traditional Hawaiian dishes and local grinds - get a combo plate, but don't miss the kalua pig.
reviewed
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O
Café O'Lei
- Maui, USA
- Restaurants › Sushi
For superb Hawaii Regional cuisine at honest prices, no other Kihei dining spot comes close. It has fierce martinis too.
reviewed
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P
Matsumoto's
For many people, the circle-island drive isn't complete without lining up for shave ice at Matsumoto's tin-roofed general store. Often Honolulu families drive to the North Shore with one purpose: to stand in line here and walk out with a dripping, delicious shave ice cone, drenched with island flavors, such as liliko'i (passion fruit), banana, mango and pineapple.
Hawaiian shave ice is drenched with industrial-strength sweet syrup like the snow cones found on the US mainland, but it's much better because the ice is more finely shaved. A medium-sized cone with a combination of flavors usually costs about around US$2, a bit more if you add a local favorite, red azuki bean. …
reviewed
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Q
Helena's Hawaiian Food
Wedged between a radiator shop and the highway, this humble Honolulu institution dates back to 1946. The menu is mostly à la carte dishes, some smoky and salty, others sweet or spicy. You start with poi (fermented taro) or rice, then add a couple of small plates of lomilomi (minced and salted, with tomato and green onion) salmon, briny shortribs or kalua pig, and you've got a mini-luau for under $10.
In 2000 this modest storefront restaurant joined Honolulu's bigwigs when it was honored with a James Beard award. The restaurant is now run by Helen's grandson, Craig Katsuyoshi.
reviewed
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R
Hale'iwa Joe's
The Haiku Gardens is half the attraction here - a romantic, open-air setting overlooking a large lily pond tucked beneath the Ko'olau Range, and dating from the mid-1800s. The restaurant features excellent Pacific Rim fare, including ceviche and coconut shrimp tempura, along with hearty meat dishes and prime rib. You can also drop by the gardens during the day, or just before sunset when it closes for a happy-hour drink and a predinner stroll.
To get there from Kamehameha Hwy, turn west on Haiku Rd just past Windward Mall; after crossing Kahekili Hwy, continue on Haiku Rd a quarter of a mile.
reviewed
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S
Lucy's Grill & Bar
Nestled in windward Kailua at the end of the Pali Hwy, this contemporary bistro is one of the best dining and drinking options outside of Honolulu. The menu is a fusion of Hawaiian-Euro-Asian served among a breezy outdoor patio, full bar overlooking the dining area and open kitchen. And if you like exotic bar drinks, try local concoctions like the pineapple martini or Li Hing Mui margarita made from a famous sweet and sour 'crack-seed' candy.
Dishes range from salt-crusted rib-eye steak to a spinach and caramelized onion pizza with liliko'i (passion fruit) puree.
reviewed
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T
Bamboo
Bamboo is excellent value, so relax and get your tab started, which will be easy after you've had one of the bar's killer mai tais! Dinner here on a Friday or Saturday night, when down-home Hawaiian music (try to catch John Keawe) and hula are in full swing, may well be one of your best dining experiences on the island.
Friendly waitstaff bustle around in T-shirts, proving that there's no dress code here. Fresh, local food with vibrant flavor is the focus, and the menu's most exotic flavors are pulled off with ease. Reservations are recommended.
reviewed
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U
Alan Wong's Pineapple Room
Though Honolulu foodies may disagree, we prefer this dressed-down cafe inside a high-end department store to Alan Wong's eponymous dining room on King St. All the star chef's classics are made here in an open exhibition kitchen, plus the menu shows off some haute twists on island comfort food like the kalua-pig BLT sandwich and loco moco (rice, fried egg and hamburger patty) made with kiawe-grilled North Shore beef burgers. Desserts are killer, especially the five-sorbet sampler with knock-out pairings of fresh fruit and sweets.
reviewed
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V
Fujimamas
Fujimamas blends hip, eclectic ambience - something Kailua's restaurant scene sorely lacks - with chic presentation, making it a very exciting new addition. The heavily Japanese-influenced menu includes sushi, wok dishes and 'things that make you go ummm'. The handmade Chinese noodles with mushrooms and truffle oil get wide acclaim, as does the grilled pork chop on tempura sweet potato bread with apple chutney and miso sesame sauce.
Oh, and leave room for the insane desserts, such as banana tempura on tropical French toast.
reviewed
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W
Golden Palace Seafood Restaurant
It says seafood on the sign outside, but it is the dim sum around US$2 that brings in Chinatown's midmorning regulars. All the dim sum components are here: impatient wait staff, mystery meatballs, pink tablecloths and Asian kitschy art. You get only a quick peek inside the bamboo steamers and no accompanying explanation. Tasty requests include char siu bao (steamed pork buns), shrimp or chive dumplings and look funn (steamed rice noodles).
reviewed
