Mahalo to all you followers. I added my Oahu and Maui Food List to my blog. It is a little sampling from around the islands. Sometime in the Mid-90’s I started keeping track of all the interesting places I dined at with my wife, family or friends. You may note some of the places have since closed their doors, but reading about them may bring back some fond memories. If you have a memory you’d like to share, please feel free to reach out.

 

Now before talkin’ shop, let me highlight some favorite food places of mine where you can create lifelong memories with your family and friends. Check out the video below!

 

. . . and if you’re still hungry for more information, check out these most recent stats or contact me directly. CLICK HERE FOR STATS

 

Please enjoy my list of Oahu & Maui recommendations! Do you have a favorite you want to share Let me know! In the meantime, good eating!

 

 

99-115 Aiea Height Dr., Suite 310

Aiea HI

Phone: 808.486.3499

Food: 808.488.6854

Kini Say’s: Tons of younger people and families. This place will become your go to pick when everyone wants something different, and you don’t want to spend a ton of dough. Great ox tail soup with boiled peanuts. The Korean Chicken is worth the drive from Waikiki. Order multiple desserts . . . not kidding . . . I have not had one I didn’t love! Kid friendly menu with lots of cool stuff.

 

Ono Hawaiian Foods (Sadly Closed)

726 Kapahulu Ave

Honolulu, HI 96815 

Phone: 808-737-2275

Kini Say’s: Cannot miss this one. This is the Lau Lau you will compare all others to. The thing is enormous, and the pork just falls apart. Make sure you ask for the raw onions. Seems strange, but it goes great with each other. Pipikalau is also good. If you wear nice shorts you are overdressed. If you don’t want to wait, order to go.

 

760 Palani Ave.

Kapahulu, HI 96815

Phone: 808.735.8019

Kini Say’s: Nice selection of fun and authentic Hawaiian food. This might not be for the faint of heart. They dry various sea foods along with pipikaula. Traditional plate lunches are served as well as beef stew and wraps. Dried Aku is pretty cool to see in a restaurant as well as Opihi (sweet tasting muscle). 

 

1240 North School St.

Honolulu, HI

Phone: 808.845.8044

Kini Say’s: Broke da mouth good. The Pipikaula Kalbi is fantastic. You’ll find that you’ll continue to order this every time you come. The Luau Chicken is not too strong, but just the right amount of coconut milk to make it savory. The Lomi Lomi Salmon is salty and delicious, oddly not “lomi-lomi”-ied, but I guess health standards prevail. Order as much variety as you can. You’ll be shocked at what you’ll like. Just make sure you are NOT in a rush as getting parking and a seat are a bit of a challenge.

 

1133 N. Nimitz Hwy.

Honolulu, HI 96817

Phone: 808-540-1377

Kini Say’s: Without exception, this is some of the best fish I’ve had. Hard to say that everything is good at most places, but this one is true. The sandwiches are great. The sauces and spreads are fantastic. The fish is so fresh, I think the fish I ate was eating another fish a couple minutes ago. If you feel the need, order the Locco Mocco (What? At a fish place?), the chef is French trained so the gravy is . . . well, actual gravy. I’m sure he uses the drippings from his pork roast, cause after all: there ain’t no kinda fat like the good pork fat. In fact, after careful consideration, order it no matter what. You can share. This is a Mt. Rushmore Loco Moco for me . . . not traditional in the strictest sense, but good golly it is good. Much more of a “meat loaf” style patty with gravy from heaven, but it doesn’t stray so far from the conventional to be considered odd. 

 

Sam Choy’s Breakfast, Lunch, and Crab (Sadly Closed)

580 N. Nimitz Hwy.

Honolulu, HI 96817 

Phone: 808-545-7979

Kini Say’s: Frickin’ ribs are to die for. 6 months living near this restaurant, and I’d look like Sam. Crab is excellent and the beer taster is a great deal. Nice because this place is casual. Had the Locco Mocco and it rocked as well.

 

515 N. Kuakini St.

Honolulu, HI 96817

Kini Says: Two words . . . ”Coco Puffs”. Your life will neva’ be da same, Brah. To be fair they are an accomplished bakery and have a location in the Ala Moana Macys as well as the Original on Kuakini about ½ mile North of the Pali. Nice snack before or after visiting the Punchbowl. Maybe even before AND after! These are iconic pastries on Oahu. Stop at least once on your stay.

 

Alan Wong’s Restaurant (Sadly Closed Due to Pandemic)

1857 South King Street, 5th Floor

Honolulu, HI 96826 

Phone: 808-949-2526

Kini Say’s: Great food, great presentation, huge price. I had a rib eye here and they had to run a credit check. You’ll need a reservation.

 

Orchids (Halekulani Hotel)

2199 Kalia Rd.

Honolulu, HI 96815

Phone: 808-923-2311

Kini Say’s: Amongst the best restaurants I’ve ever eaten. Very expensive, but is cheap compared to La Mer. Everything is fantastic. Try the Prixe Fixe dinner if available. You must, and I really mean must have dessert. The Coconut Cake is frickin’ amazing. I had a party catered here and many of the guests commented that the dessert table had some of the best desserts they had ever eaten. Feeling frisky . . . eat out on the lanai and make reservations to watch the sunset . . . anybody would get lucky.

 

3308 Kanaina Ave.

Honolulu, HI

Phone: 808-737-0177

Kini Say’s: Great food at a low price. Plate lunch specials are the best around. Chili Plate is great, get it with a hot dog and order a Loco Moco side and you got all the bases covered. The fried chicken will bring tears to your eyes. Best bet is to order your own meal and a chicken plate to share amongst everybody. Let’s face it, they’d just be bogarting chicken off you anyway. For breakfast, try the fried rice . . . seriously, order it now, cause if you wait any more they gonna be sold out. Brah, they just sold 4 more plates while you read dis, just do it. I’ve never seen it last longer than 9:30 am. I suggest the roast pork plate if you miss the fried rice. Aw heck, just order the roast pork anyway. Don’t hate yourself later. There is no amount of words to adequately describe this place’s impact on the local food scene. It is just awesome.

 

Hawaii's Favorite Kitchens (Part of Rainbow Drive-in)

3111 Castle St

Honolulu, HI 96815

Kini Says: First off . . . it’s OK to park at Rainbow and eat here . . . same owner, yeah. When I first walked into this place is was skeptical. I said KC Drive-in used to make a waffle dog that was really tasty. I used to eat it with a mayo dipping sauce if that sounds nuts. When she said this IS the KC Drive-in waffle dog, they gave them the recipe I wept. Well OK, I ordered two and then I wept. Talk about time warp! In addition to that waffly-gift from heaven HFK also provides shrimp, chicken, ribs, poke and stuff from Rainbow! But, the kicker is Shimazu Shaved Ice. My eldest says this place makes his Mt. Rushmore of shaved ice. Since he has probably put away over a metric ton of shaved ice in his limited life span, I will have to support that claim. The softness of the ice is very nice, but not the softest. What makes this amongst the best is the care that is taken over the quality of the syrups. One afternoon we dropped by for our 2:00 shaved ice break and they were out of one of his favorite flavors . . . he asked if they might have it when we came back for our 5:00 shaved ice break. The owner said that it takes 3 days to make the syrup he wanted and it wasn’t ready yet! I was told that Rome wasn’t built in a day, but goodness gracious, 3 days to make syrup? This place is NOT to be missed.

 

Hula Dog’s (aka Puka Dog) - Hotdogs (At the Open Air Dining Area)

206 Kapuni St

Honolulu, HI 96815 

Phone: (808) 924-7887

Kini Says: Seriously, don’t you always have enough room for just one hotdog? I think it’s a great way to finish off any meal . . . right before dessert. This place is a hot dog gone local. They hollow out a bun then you just follow their simple 3 step order process: Polish or Regular dog, Mild to pretty hot, and add an island inspired relish. I was super reluctant the first 3 or 4 times I ate one thinking, “I don’t like sweet dogs”, but the next 2 were just as good as the first ones so this place makes my list. 

 

1225 Hopaka St

Honolulu, HI 96814

(808) 591-0253

Easier Location in Kaimuki

614 Kapahulu Ave #100

Honolulu, HI 96815

Kini Say’s: I was a rock when my kids were born, but I cried after tasting the food here. Special Kalbi is great but a little sweet, Regular Kalbi is better. Order some Kim Chee Rice, it’s not hot, it’s perfect. Fried Pork chops might make you leave your wife. The steaks are wonderful and should be ordered with every meal. The best thing is that both locations make the food broke da mouth good. It’s so close you have to debate who makes one dish better than the other. I brought an order of Kalbi back to the valets at my hotel, and I never had to wait for my car again. 

 

119 Hekili Street

Kailua, Oahu, HI 96734-2804

Phone: (808) 263-7929

Kini Say’s: MacNut Banana Pancakes will rule the world. Dracula had nothing over the power of these babies to bend people to their succulent sweet will. No BS. Look around. See all the tables? They all got pancakes on them. Sometimes you count more orders than people at a table. Well, ok that was my table, but that counts. Plate lunches and breakfasts are solid too, but those “crack” pancakes is what you’ll always remember.

 

315 Uluniu Street

Kailua, Hawai'i 96734

Phone: (808) 261-8724

Kini Says: This is a great place for breakfast. The menu is huge and has great variety. The Luau Omelette is great and the Benedict’s are ono ono. A little crazy because it’s stuffed into a small office complex, but it’s well worth sticking around.

 

3113 Moklihana St., 

Honolulu Hawai'i 96816

Phone: 808.735.8886

Kini Says: One of the best shaved ice anywhere near this area. Although portions are small by most other shaved ice places the quality shines through. It’s easily a match for Matsumoto’s. The fact that it is super clean just makes it that much more enjoyable.

 

1095 Dillingham Blvd # 109

Honolulu Hawai'i 96817

Phone: (808) 847-1244

Kini Says: You like manju, I like manju, we all like manju…especially chichi dango. It’s way in the back of the strip mall near the canal. Keep looking you’ll find it. It’s made fresh daily.

 

Dean’s Drive-in (Sadly Closed)

45-270 William Henry Rd, Kaneohe, HI 96744

Kini Says: Plate lunch awesomeness.

 

45-1151 Kamehameha Hwy #2

Kaneohe, HI 96744

Kini Says: If you are lucky, you will hear an angelic voice calling out orders to be picked up by customers that lets you know you’ve passed into the gates of plate lunch heaven. There are a number of basic plate lunch offerings including kalbi and Loco Moco, but where this place really shines in the option to choose your noodles, sauce, and toppings. Taro or Sweet potato noodles are pretty safe. Add Lechon or shrimp and you got yourself an incredible dish that will haunt your taste buds forever. But wait, just when you think it could not get any better you get to choose from a variety of cheesecakes, taro bread pudding or sweet bread. COVID restrictions would not allow seating, but even if you have to eat in your car this place is a winner.

 

54-316 Kamehameha Hwy Ste 9

Hauula, HI 96717

Phone: (808) 293-2292

Kini Says: Cruising up to the North Sore from Kailua? You would be wise to grab a bite at this plate lunch oasis. I hesitate to say this, but it may be possible for you to share a plate…not mine, of course, but just saying. The portions of this place would make you think that quantity is their schtick, but oh no. When it comes to taste, this place brings mad flavor. Pulehu ribs and garlic chicken are mouth wateringly good. The Loco Moco is very solid and mammoth in proportion. I suggest a trifecta of plates for 4 people or just be prepared to take stuff back home.

 

56-565 Kamehameha Hwy

Kahuku, HI 96731

Phone: (808) 852-0040

Kini Says: Yes. This is a chain. But it wasn’t when I ate here. There are several locations including a planned Provo, UT spot. These burgers rank at the top of my best of all time burgers. I am a cheeseburger guy so if you are not, maybe this will not impress you as much. The burgers start with fresh ingredients and passion for burgers that really shines through. Smashed style patties allow for caramelization of the edges and intense beef flavor. The proportion of beef to cheese to bun is just about perfect. When I was there they were trying a pastrami burger so I ordered one of those to share and though it did not make the full-time menu I was impressed that they used a very high quality pastrami which could stand by itself on a sandwich. Give this place a try at any location and see what you think.

 

59-024 Kamehameha, State Rte

Haleiwa, HI 96712

Kini Says: Yes they serve lovely little breakfast sandwiches and lunch sandwiches, but quit kidding yourself, you pulled over for the pie. I must admit I’m a pie guy . . . cream pie for sure and this is place makes good ones. You really can’t go wrong with the chocolate or berry varieties, but the chocolate and haupia is just a showstopper.

 

 

 

134 W. Kaahumanu Ave.

Kahalui, HI 96732

Phone: 808-877-3055

Kini Say’s: It’s like Rainbow Drive-in in Kahalui! Plate lunches are great and fun to get when you are on the run. Terri Beef Plate rocks. Fried chicken is good, but not quite Tasty Crust good.

 

177 Mill Street, Wailuku, HI

Phone: 808-244-0845

Kini Say’s: Fried chicken is better than finger lickin’ good. This place looks like what every great old local place should look like. Fried Rice is excellent (they use bacon fat!). No trip there is complete without a pancake or two.

 

Wharf Cinema Center

658 Front St. #160

Lahaina, HI 96761

Phone: 808-667-0908

Kini Says: If you are like me, then sometimes you like it plain and simple. Burgers and Fries fit the bill. They cook the patty how you want it and offer a huge combination of toppings on burgers with fancy names. Be careful, it’s easy to order the kitchen sink on a burger and lose what you came here for . . . a simple American Burger.

 

Archie’s (Sadly Closed)

1440 Lower Main Street

Wailuku, HI 96793
Phone: (808) 244-9401

Kini Say’s: Awesome Japanese fare with deep flavors and huge portions. Get the tempura - the batter is crisp without being crunchy, and the udon – the noodles have a great chew and don’t breakdown. Tom is the owner and a retired registered nurse, so if you eat too much and pass out, he got you covered.

 

210 Imi Kala St Ste 201
Wailuku, HI 96793 

Phone: (808) 242-7928

Kini Say’s: Not much to look at but, everything is pretty good. The Locco Moco is solid, the Chow Fun uses thinner noodles than mainland style, but still tastes like it should, the fried chicken is “ono” good, the fact that they have duck and char sui plates make this a top notch food fest.

 

1750 Wili Pa Loop

Wailuku, HI 96793
Phone: (808) 244-7124

Kini Says: You go to da place for the dry noodles. Hey, dey solid so order big and share. Beef stew is good with rice, but order beef sticks so you can taste the teriyaki. Solid advice is go early (11:00) or late (1:00) to reduce the wait.

 

15 Hookele Street Kahului, HI 96732
Phone: (808) 856-7599

Kini Says: Yes, that Zippy’s. No it’s not like putting Denny’s on the list. It’s the first one on the Valley Ile, and frankly, when you got dat chilli or fried chicken-itch…it’s pretty good to scratch here. Open 24 hours on da weekend, this place is like the Costco of Plate Lunches. Lanai’i could fit in this restaurant. 

 

Makawao Steakhouse (Sadly Closed)

3612 Baldwin Avenue

Makawao, HI 96768
Phone: (808) 572-8711

Kini Says: Hitch yur pony to da post outside an mosie on in for a good grub steak, pardner. Don’t let the casual rustic feel fool you, dey rock da steak here. American grown Kobe is the call, not as big as the t-bone on the menu, but the richness makes it eat like a steak twice as big. You’ll be tempted to order the onion soup, so go ahead and give in . . . it is really nice treatment and speaks to the thought process of the owners (Café ‘o Lei Group).

 

310 West Kaahumanu Avenue

Kahului, HI 

Phone: (808) 984-3500

Kini Says: My mom always told me I should have gone to more school . . . so I did and the food is great! Make sure you enter from the Kahalui Beach Road side and drive right up to the middle building. Inside you will find a cafeteria filled with aspiring chefs in white coats presenting well thought out interpretations of various dishes. Curry is transformed into Ground Turkey Curry with a Mochico Chicken side, a Ruben becomes roasted corned beef on fresh foccacia bread. On Fridays, the sushi chef makes ramen, and I got to tell you…the shoyu version is broke da mouth good. I had to order 2. Da second was also dat good. Should of ordered 3. Da bowls are huge, but you’ll finish. I think I’ll get a Masters.

  

Da Kitchen (Sadly Closed)

425 Koloa St. #104

Kahalui, HI

Phone: 808-871-7782

Kini Say’s: When a restaurant brags that they got the “biggest food on the island” they make my list everyday of the week. Get the meat jun / kalbi plate and hope they don’t laugh at you when you only finish a quarter. Loco Moco’s are insane. 

 

Maalaea Harbor

Maalaea, HI 96793

Phone: (808) 244-5426

Kini Say’s: Solid food. Great price for the quality, quantity, and view. The steaks are good, but the seafood is better.

 

3600D L. Honoapiilani Rd.

Honokowai, HI

Phone: 808-665-0512

Kini Says: If you are near Kaanipali and you want a quick plate lunch to head back home, this is your place.

 

At “The Kapalua Shops” or Kihei, Maui, HI

Phone: 808-669-6286 (Kihei: 879-0004)

Kini Say’s: Reservations recommended even if just stopping by for happy hour. Some of the best sushi I’ve had.  Let your server make recommendations. I tried some of the more elaborate rolls and thought they had great sauces. The lady next to me owns a sushi place in North Beach SF and even she was impressed.

 

95 E Lipoa St #101

Kihei, HI 96753 

Kini Say’s: Family style Italian food in the heart of Kihei. Da tin crust pizza is ono, but you really should back dat up wit raviolis, spaghetti, and linguini con vongole. Authentic Italian deserts are a nice finish.

 

Napili Plaza

Maui, HI

Phone: 808-665-6262

Kini Say’s: Pulled pork sandwich is served on Hawaiian Sweet Bread. If you are in the mood it’s hard to beat . . . you might want to order two. Chili plate and bean soup is very good. This place is idea as a change of pace from the Honokowai Okazuya.

 

Paia

Maui HI

Phone: 808-579-8488

Kini Say’s: Reservations required. Let’s work backwards: Get the black pearl dessert. Don’t try to imagine it, just order it. Do it now so they don’t sell out. Just like the name says order fish. It’s no secret . . . I only sorta like fish, and I’d eat here everyday. Someone needs to order the special, they don’t call it that cause they have a lot of it . . . it’s really special. Order at least one appetizer, you’ll be pissed later if you don’t. Lastly, show up early. Hopefully for the sunset, it’s worth it. You’ll thank me later. You might even end up having a kid named Mama’s. The place looks like every Hollywood beach scene from the 50’s. 

 

333 Dairy Road

Kahului, HI

61 South Kihei Road

Kihei, HI

819 Front Street

Lahaina, HI

790 Front Street

Lahaina, HI

Phone: None

Kini Says: Dis place sets a high bar fo shave ice. Order fruit flavors. They start with real fruit puree. You can see puree in the bottles.

 

1941 South Kihei Road,

Kihei, HI

Phone: (808) 344-9779

624 Front Street

Lahaina, HI

Phone: (808) 344-9779

Kini Says: Great texture to the ice. Flavors jump out at you. Can’t go wrong with this combination.