Must-see restaurants in Hawaii

  • Keʻei Café

    South Kona Coast

    Keʻei Cafe has carved a name for itself as a solid outpost of haute Hawaiian cuisine. Cracking peanut miso salad sets the stage for powerful mains like…

  • Puka Puka Kitchen

    Hilo

    This little gem serves tasty Japanese-style mains, such as sautéed ahi (yellowfin tuna) and chicken katsu, with a fantastically fresh green salad. The…

  • Da Cove Health Bar & Cafe

    Waikiki

    This place specializes in acai bowls, fruit smoothies, healthy wraps, fresh poke and sashimi. Chill out with a coconut-husk dose of ʻawa (kava), Polynesia…

  • Nui's Thai

    North Shore & Central O‘ahu

    A Bangkok-born cook oversees the kitchen squeezed into this roadside lunch truck. Flavors tend toward the tame (ask for extra spicy), but the big plates…

  • Hamura Saimin

    Lihuʻe

    An island institution, Hamura’s is a hole-in-the-wall specializing in homemade saimin (local-style noodle soup). At lunchtime, expect crowds slurping…

  • Sweet Potato Kitchen

    North Kohala

    This cozy kitchen serves heaping plates of vegetarian, gluten free and vegan fare, from congee (rice porridge) cooked with black rice, garlic and local…

  • Seaside Restaurant

    Hilo

    Set on a natural Hawaiian fishpond, this multigenerational family-owned restaurant specializes in fresh fish, from locally caught mahimahi to pan-size…

  • Trucking Delicious

    Hanalei

    Amid a cluster of permanently parked food trucks, this one serves a tempting array of local-style plate lunches. The precise menu changes weekly, with ahi…

  • Maunakea Marketplace

    Honolulu

    In the food court of this marketplace, you’ll find over a dozen stalls dishing out hot and wok-fresh Asian fare. Chow down at tiny tables in the courtyard…

  • Maui Tacos

    West Maui

    The burritos are huge at Maui Tacos, where the Mexican fare is island-style healthy. The salsas and beans are prepared fresh daily, trans-fat-free oil…

  • Kauaʻi Culinary Market

    Poʻipu

    An upscale take on the traditional weekly market, featuring a couple dozen local farmers and food vendors, along with live music, cooking demonstrations…

  • Chicken in a Barrel

    Kapaʻa

    A smoky, salty hut a block off the beach, this is the original of its three locations on the island (the others are in Hanalei and Waimea). It is a…

  • Cronies Bar & Grill

    Hilo

    Cronies has long attracted a diverse crowd, including families, for decent food, ample seating, multiple TVs and a great downtown location. The menu…

  • Queen's Court

    Hilo

    Willing to blow your budget on one meal? If – and only if – you can do 'all you can eat' justice, dig in at this longstanding hotel buffet. Don't expect…

  • W & M Bar-B-Q Burger

    Honolulu

    This legendary burger spot has stood the test of time since Wilfred and May Kawamura (W & M) kicked it off in 1940 with their own secret sauce. These days…

  • Lahaina Fish Co

    Lahaina

    With an almost clichéd waterfront location, this long-running casual eatery offers healthy options including vegan and gluten-free choices. In a twist the…

  • Huelo Lookout

    The Road to Hana

    The fruit stand itself is tempting enough: drinking coconuts, pineapples, smoothies, acai bowls, banana bread and French crepes. But it doesn’t stop there…

  • South Kona Fruit Stand

    South Kona Coast

    Baskets overflow with everything from tart apple bananas to filling breadfruit, creamy abiu (sapote) and purple jaboticaba berries. Slurp a smoothie on…

  • Chaba

    North Kohala

    If you're in need of a Thai food fix in North Kohala, this roadside stall with outdoor bench seating is pretty much your only option. It's a good one as…

  • Uahi Island Grill

    Kailua

    Get your fresh and flavorful plate-lunch fix: furikake-crusted grilled tofu, red seafood curry, kalua pork with kale, garlic ahi (yellowfin tuna) and…

  • Kamehameha Bakery

    Honolulu

    Get to this beloved bakery well before noon or the long display cases will contain more air than bread. Get here by 2pm and all you might find will be the…

  • Art Cafe Hemingway

    Kapaʻa

    It does creative omelettes and scrambles for breakfast, veggie curries and beef bourguignon at lunch and dinner, and there is always a quiche du jour. But…

  • Bubba's Burgers

    Poʻipu

    As its sign makes clear – ‘Health Food Sucks’ – Bubba’s knows where it stands. Burgers are delightfully greasy, with crispy fries and grass-fed Kaua’i…

  • Romy's Kahuku Prawns & Shrimp

    Windward Coast

    A fire-engine-red hut with tables under an awning a tad north of town. Eat overlooking the aquaculture farm where your giant prawns are raised. Steamed…

  • Jackie Rey's Ohana Grill

    Kailua-Kona

    Jackie Rey's is a casual, family-owned grill with a delightfully retro-kitsch Hawaii vibe. Haute versions of local grinds include guava-glazed ribs,…

  • Trilogy

    Hanalei Bay & the North Shore

    Along with serving excellent coffee and snacks ranging from exquisite cakes and pastries to avocado with walnut pesto on sourdough toast, this smart…

  • Auntie Pasto’s

    North Shore & Central O‘ahu

    Have a large family in tow? The lively atmosphere, cheery red-checkered tablecloths and large variety of made-from-scratch Italian food such as pizza and…

  • Thai Lao

    Honolulu

    One of several good restaurants in the McCully Shopping Center, you'll recognize Thai Lao from the statues out front. Inside, the place is bright with…

  • Tropical Dreams

    Kapaʻa & the Eastside

    A tiny taste of ice-cream heaven, this Hawaii-born chain rotates through scores of premium flavors crafted almost entirely from Hawaii-harvested…

  • Island Cream Co

    Lahaina

    This creamy homemade delight is worth the short drive from downtown. Creative flavors show off the best of Hawaii, with tubs of macadamia nut, mango and…

  • Gina’s Anykine Grind Cafe

    Waimea Canyon & the Westside

    ‘Friendly, filling and reasonably priced’ sums up this local institution, formerly known as Yumi’s, where you can get a plate lunch with chicken katsu or…

  • Thailand Cuisine II

    Kahului

    Welcoming family-run eatery with Thai favorites, plus fun variations (such as the Thai Evil Prince with chicken, beef or pork sautéed in hot spices with…

  • Coffee Gallery

    Haleʻiwa

    Coffee-lovers rejoice over the house-roast beans and brews here at the back of the North Shore Marketplace. Be sure to poke your nose in for some…

  • Siam Square

    Waikiki

    In a town full of pan-Asian restaurants, this one brings you food from the furthest corner. You want your Thai meal spicy? You won’t have to work too hard…

  • Chicken in a Barrel

    Hanalei

    Hanalei’s outpost of this small BBQ chain occupies center stage – literally, its tables are on a little bandstand – in Ching Young Village. Cooking up…

  • Poke Market

    Hilo

    For the perfect lunch to go, customize a bowl of fresh poke on rice or greens, with two signature sides (mashed purple sweet potato is a winner). Healthy…

  • Cafe@LaPlage

    Kihei

    They stack the sandwiches high at this small cafe and coffee shop. At breakfast, choose from five different bagel sandwiches or simply get your bagel…

  • Shrimp Station

    Kapaʻa & the Eastside

    This offshoot of Waimea's original Shrimp Station serves the same family recipes. With seasonings such as garlic, Cajun and Thai on the shrimp tacos,…

  • Hilo Lunch Shop

    Hilo

    Don't be paralyzed by the vast selection at this busy okazu-ya (Japanese deli). Favorites include nori-wrapped chicken, corned beef hash patties,…

  • Pineapples

    Hilo

    On any given day, Pineapples' open-air dining room is hopping with a convivial crowd, predominantly tourists. The food features island-inspired…