Food · Honolulu · United States
What to eat in Honolulu
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Honolulu, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Poke, Plate lunch and Loco moco. A lūʻau combines a Hawaiian feast of kalua pig, poi, lomi salmon and haupia with hula and Polynesian dance, often ending with a fire-knife performance. Hawaiʻi's general excise tax is added to restaurant bills, and a tip of 18–20% is expected on top.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Poke
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 4
- Tipping
- Tip 18–20% at sit-down restaurants, $1–$2 per drink at bars, 15–20% for taxis and…
- Food experiences
- 4
12 foods to try
Dish
1.Poke
Cubed raw fish, usually ʻahi (yellowfin tuna) or octopus, dressed with shoyu, sesame oil, onion, limu seaweed or roasted kukui nut, and sold by the pound or over rice as a bowl.
Where: Supermarket poke counters such as Foodland, which locals swear by, and specialists such as Ono Seafood on Kapahulu Avenue.
Dish
2.Plate lunch
The local lunch: two scoops of white rice, a scoop of macaroni salad and a main such as chicken katsu, teriyaki beef, kalbi ribs or garlic shrimp, served in a takeaway box.
Where: Rainbow Drive-In in Kapahulu, open since 1961, and plate-lunch counters and food trucks across the island.
Breakfast
3.Loco moco
White rice topped with a hamburger patty, a fried egg and brown gravy, created in Hilo in the late 1940s and now a breakfast and lunch staple across Hawaiʻi.
Where: Diners, drive-ins and local chains such as Zippy's, and on most plate-lunch menus.
Snack
4.Spam musubi
A slice of grilled, teriyaki-glazed Spam on a block of rice, wrapped in nori; Hawaiʻi's favourite grab-and-go snack, a legacy of wartime and plantation-era food.
Where: Convenience stores such as 7-Eleven and ABC Stores in Waikīkī, and local delis and musubi shops.
Dessert · Vegetarian
5.Shave ice
Ice shaved as fine as snow, soaked in tropical syrups such as lilikoʻi (passion fruit), guava and li hing mui, often over a scoop of ice cream or sweet azuki beans.
Where: Matsumoto Shave Ice in Haleʻiwa on the North Shore, open since 1951, and Waiola Shave Ice in Honolulu.
Dessert · Vegetarian
6.Malasadas
Portuguese-style yeast doughnuts without a hole, fried and rolled in sugar, brought by Madeiran plantation workers; some are filled with custard or haupia (coconut cream).
Where: Leonard's Bakery on Kapahulu Avenue, frying them since 1952, a short ride from Waikīkī.
Dish
7.Laulau and kalua pig
Traditional Hawaiian food: laulau is pork and butterfish wrapped in taro leaves and steamed in ti leaves, and kalua pig is pork slow-cooked in an underground oven (imu). They are served with poi (pounded taro), lomi salmon and haupia.
Where: Helena's Hawaiian Food in Kalihi, a long-running family restaurant, and at lūʻau across the island.
Dish
8.Saimin
A noodle soup born on the sugar plantations, mixing Japanese, Chinese and Filipino influences: soft wheat-and-egg noodles in a light dashi broth with green onion, fishcake and char siu.
Where: Local diners and Zippy's restaurants across Honolulu; also served at some stadiums and drive-ins.
Street food
9.Garlic shrimp
Shrimp sautéed in shells with plenty of garlic and butter, served with two scoops of rice; the signature lunch of the North Shore.
Where: Shrimp trucks around Kahuku and Haleʻiwa on the North Shore, such as Giovanni's.
Dessert · Vegetarian
10.Haupia
A firm, silky coconut-milk pudding cut into squares, served at lūʻau and in pies and malasadas.
Where: Hawaiian restaurants, lūʻau, bakeries and local supermarkets.
Snack
11.Manapua
Hawaiʻi's take on Chinese char siu bao: big steamed or baked buns filled with sweet roast pork, a favourite local snack.
Where: Chinatown bakeries and dim sum restaurants, plus convenience stores across the island.
Drink · Vegetarian
12.Kona coffee
Coffee grown on the volcanic slopes of the Big Island's Kona district, smooth and low in acidity; look for '100% Kona' on the label rather than 'Kona blend'.
Where: Cafés across Honolulu and Waikīkī, and roasters' shops selling beans to take home.
Food experiences
Lūʻau
A lūʻau combines a Hawaiian feast of kalua pig, poi, lomi salmon and haupia with hula and Polynesian dance, often ending with a fire-knife performance. Shows are held at resorts in Waikīkī, Ko Olina and at the Polynesian Cultural Center.
KCC Farmers Market
On Saturday mornings, the farmers' market at Kapiʻolani Community College near Diamond Head has local fruit, abalone, grilled corn, pastries and plate-lunch stalls.
Poke counter picnic
Buy a selection of poke and musubi from a supermarket counter and eat at Ala Moana Beach Park or Magic Island at sunset, as locals do.
North Shore food-truck lunch
On a day trip, follow garlic shrimp from a Kahuku truck with shave ice in Haleʻiwa.
Quick bites and street food
- Loco moco — Diners, drive-ins and local chains such as Zippy's, and on most plate-lunch menus.
- Spam musubi — Convenience stores such as 7-Eleven and ABC Stores in Waikīkī, and local delis and musubi shops.
- Garlic shrimp — Shrimp trucks around Kahuku and Haleʻiwa on the North Shore, such as Giovanni's.
- Manapua — Chinatown bakeries and dim sum restaurants, plus convenience stores across the island.
Vegetarian options
Of the 12 foods in this guide, 4 are usually vegetarian: Shave ice, Malasadas, Haupia and Kona coffee. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Hawaiʻi's general excise tax is added to restaurant bills, and a tip of 18–20% is expected on top.
- Many local favourites are counter-service: order and pay at the window, then find a table outside.
- Happy hours, often with discounted pupu (appetisers), are a good-value way to eat at Waikīkī restaurants.
- Book popular Waikīkī and Kaimukī restaurants ahead, especially in the December–March high season.
- Restaurant opening times are often earlier than on the mainland; many kitchens close relatively early in the evening.
Tipping
Tip 18–20% at sit-down restaurants, $1–$2 per drink at bars, 15–20% for taxis and ride-hailing, and a few dollars a day for hotel housekeeping; surf instructors and tour guides also appreciate tips.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Aloha | Hello, goodbye, love and goodwill |
| Mahalo | Thank you |
| ʻOno | Delicious |
| Pau | Finished, done |
| Mauka / makai | Towards the mountains / towards the sea (used in directions) |
| Keiki | Children |
| Pupu | Appetisers, snacks |
| Howzit | Hi, how's it going? (pidgin) |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Honolulu famous for?
Poke, Plate lunch, Loco moco and Spam musubi. Cubed raw fish, usually ʻahi (yellowfin tuna) or octopus, dressed with shoyu, sesame oil, onion, limu seaweed or roasted kukui nut, and sold by the pound or over rice as a bowl.
+Is Honolulu good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Shave ice, Malasadas and Haupia.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Honolulu?
Tip 18–20% at sit-down restaurants, $1–$2 per drink at bars, 15–20% for taxis and ride-hailing, and a few dollars a day for hotel housekeeping; surf instructors and tour guides also appreciate tips.