Oahu for Foodies: 9 Best Island Restaurants
Where to Eat in Oahu and What to Try?
Our guide of the best restaurants in Oahu presents top picks from the island’s excellent array of city and beachside eateries serving Hawaiian cuisine. Whether you choose to dine at a relaxed space or a restaurant that’s a little bit fancier, all the dishes are prepared using locally grown ingredients and mostly age-old recipes.
Menus feature fresh seafood, kalua pig, squid laulau, Lomi-Lomi salmon and chicken long rice. Even so, you’ll find plenty more delicious Hawaiian specialties on offer. Check our list below to discover some of Oahu‘s most popular restaurants and their great dishes available.
1. Duke’s Waikiki
Pacific-inspired food and cocktails with panoramas
Good for: Food, Nightlife, Photo
Duke’s Waikiki is a laidback restaurant overlooking the famous Waikiki Beach, with Diamond Head as the backdrop. Named after Hawaiian surfing legend Duke Kahanamoku, the restaurant highlights the best of locally grown ingredients and Hawaii-inspired dishes.
The most popular eats include the Cajun fish tacos, fish and chips, and the mango BBQ baby back ribs. But you can’t go wrong with the fresh island ahi poke or Kimo’s original hula pie. The best time to arrive is just before sunset. Order a freshly made Mai Tai, sit back, and take in the gorgeous scenery.
Location: 2335 Kalakaua Ave #116, Honolulu, HI 96815, USA
Open: Daily from 7 am to midnight
Phone: +1 808-922-2268
Duke’s Waikiki
2. Monkeypod Kitchen by Merriman
A trendy place that unites Hawaiian dishes, beverages, and live music
Good for: Families, Food, Nightlife
Monkeypod Kitchen by Merriman is a farm-to-table restaurant in Ko Olina on Hawaii’s west coast. If you’re looking for a place to sip on culinary cocktails and tuck into homemade food prepared with locally sourced ingredients (all while having fun), then this is it. The menu here is extensive. Choose from wood-fired pizzas, fresh fish and chips, creative salads, burgers or makai.
Love music? Monkeypod Kitchen hosts live entertainment 3 times daily, every day of the week. Time your visit during happy hour from 3.30 pm to 5.30 pm and enjoy half-price appetizers and discounted cocktails.
Location: 92-1048 Olani St, Kapolei, HI 96707, USA
Open: Daily from 11 am to 10 pm
Phone: +1 808-380-4086
Monkeypod Kitchen by Merriman
3. Haleiwa Joe’s
A fun and eclectic dining experience in North Shore
Good for: Food, Nightlife, Photo
Haleiwa Joe’s has been serving Hawaiian specialties since 1998 and is a favorite among locals and visitors. Located on Hawaii’s North Shore overlooking Small Boat Harbor, you can enjoy stellar views while savoring fresh seafood, steaks, and locally grown produce. The menu includes crunchy coconut shrimp, ginger peanut chicken salad, and aged hand-cut New York steak.
Portions are hearty, so save room if you want to try their burnt caramel macadamia and paradise pie. The restaurant often has happy hours, so phone beforehand to find out.
Location: 66-011 Kamehameha Hwy, Haleiwa, HI 96712, USA
Open: Monday–Thursday from 4.30 pm to 9 pm, Friday–Sunday from 11 am to 9 pm
Phone: +1 808-637-8005
Haleiwa Joe’s
4. Helena’s Hawaiian Food
A no-frills spot serving traditional Hawaiian food since 1946
Good for: Couples, Families, Food
Helena’s Hawaiian Food is an unassuming restaurant tucked away in a humble Honolulu neighborhood. It’s one of the best restaurants in Oahu that serves traditional Hawaiian food prepared the way that Hawaiian food should taste.
If you can’t decide what to order, Helena’s “Menu D” comes with a little bit of everything. You’ll get to try an authentic kalua pig, Lomi-Lomi salmon, appetizing pipikaula (dried beef) short ribs, and tasty luau squid. This is a cash-only place, so be prepared.
Location: 1240 N School St, Honolulu, HI 96817, USA
Open: Tuesday–Friday from 10 am to 7.30 pm (closed Saturday–Monday)
Phone: +1 808-845-8044
Helena’s Hawaiian Food
5. Hy’s Steak House
A longstanding traditional Honolulu steakhouse
Good for: Couples, Food, Luxury
Hy’s Steak House at the Waikiki Park Heights Hotel has been a preferred special-occasion dining spot for locals and travelers since 1976. While the refined ambience and dark wood-and-leather decor are appealing, patrons come here for just 1 thing: USDA Prime, dry-aged steaks cooked over native Hawaiian Kiawe wood.
The T-bone, prime rib, or Kiawe-broiled New York strip are excellent choices. But the veal chops, rack of lamb, chicken marsala, and lobster tails are also great main courses. Reservations are essential. And leave your beachwear at home as this is a rather fancy place.
Location: 2440 Kūhiō Ave., Honolulu, HI 96815, USA
Open: Daily from 5 pm to 9 pm
Phone: +1 808-922-5555
Hy’s Steak House
6. Waiahole Poi Factory
A family-owned Hawaiian restaurant in East Oahu
Good for: Families, Food, Budget
Waiahole Poi Factory is a great lunch spot after a morning exploring the white-sand beaches of East Oahu. The Hawaiian food joint is laidback and prepares simple yet ‘ono (delicious) traditional dishes. The restaurant is famous for serving the hard-to-find poi, which is pounded taro root. Taro is a root vegetable and a staple food on the island.
Other dishes you should try are the kalua pig, squid, beef laulau, Lomi-Lomi salmon, and chicken long rice. Dishes come in large or small sizes. While you are there, pick up a couple of local souvenirs from the onsite craft shop and choose from traditional Hawaiian arts and crafts and musical instruments.
Location: 48-140 Kamehameha Hwy, Kaneohe, HI 96744, USA
Open: Daily from 10 am to 6 pm
Phone: +1 808-239-2222
Waiahole Poi Factory
7. Uncle Bo’s Haleiwa
A North Shore family-friendly joint
Good for: Couples, Food, Luxury
Uncle Bo’s Haleiwa in the heart of Haleiwa is an outpost of Uncle Bo’s flagship restaurant in Honolulu. The menu offers an array of Asian and Hawaiian cuisine, including its signature kalua-pig fried rice, pupu (assorted meats), and fish dishes.
After a day of sightseeing on the North Shore, the handcrafted cocktails are the perfect accompaniment to your Hawaiian meal. Besides the delicious food and beverages, Uncle Bo’s prides itself on its Aloha hospitality, so customer service here is top-notch. If you’re driving, consider parking at the Haleiwa Town Center shopping mall.
Location: 66-111 Kamehameha Hwy #101, Haleiwa, HI 96712, USA
Open: Tuesday–Thursday from 2 pm to 9 pm, Friday from 2 pm to 9 pm and from 9.30 pm to 1.30 am, Saturday from 11 am to 9 pm and from 10 pm to 1.30 am, Sunday from 11 am to 9 pm (closed on Mondays)
Phone: +1 808-797-9649
Uncle Bo's Haleiwa
8. The Original Roy’s in Hawaii Kai
Hawaiian-inspired Euro-Asian cuisine overlooking Maunalua Bay
Good for: Couples, Food, Luxury
The Original Roy’s in Hawaii Kai in East Honolulu is a fine-dining waterfront classic on Oahu offering stunning views. The restaurant is owned by Roy Yamaguchi, an internationally known chef who brought Hawaiian fusion cuisine to the world 25 years ago.
Begin your culinary experience with some sushi or Roy’s dim sum-style canoe of shrimp sticks, mini crab cakes, miso salmon tempura roll, Szechuan pork ribs, and chicken spring rolls. The fresh local fish or grass-fed beef makes for the perfect gluten-free meal. Reserve your table in advance.
Location: 6600 Kalanianaʻole Hwy Suite 110, Honolulu, HI 96825, USA
Open: Sunday–Thursday from 4.30 pm to 9 pm, Friday and Saturday from 4.30 to 9.30 pm
Phone: +1 808-396-7697
The Original Roy's in Hawaii Kai
9. Senia
One of the hottest restaurants on Oahu
Good for: Food, Luxury
Senia is a buzzing eatery in Honolulu’s Chinatown that has garnered rave reviews and several awards since it opened in 2016. As dishes depend on the availability of seasonal ingredients, the creative modern Hawaiian menu is constantly changing. Therefore, no 2 visits to Senia are ever the same.
The restaurant’s ambience is sophisticated yet relaxed. Prices are affordable, but if you want to splurge on a unique culinary experience, book a seat at the coveted chef’s table. Watch the talented chefs’ creativity in action as they prepare modern, elevated Hawaiian and New American dishes.
Location: 75 N King St, Honolulu, HI 96817, USA
Open: Monday–Saturday from 5.30 pm to 9.30 pm (closed on Sundays)
Phone: +1 808-200-5412
Senia
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