Favorite local spots on da rock. < 3 I barely go to the North Shore since it's out of the way for me, therefore, you will not see any NS recommendations here.
Map
Sections
3
Poke Shops
Casual Eats
Fine Dining
Poke Shops
Great places to get poke!!
Really great flavors. Easy to find parking in the shopping center, and usually there's no wait.
Off the Hook Poke Market
They only have a few poke flavors but the the foodgasm never gets old. Probably one of my favorite poke spots.
Limited street parking - gotta find an open lot nearby.
Poke On Da Run - 909 Lehua Ave, Pearl City, Hawaii
Good for more than the poke. They even have an icee machine inside!
Fort Ruger Market
Highly recommend the Hawaiian Bowl !! I paired it with poi (Safeway) and chili peppa water (Hanapa‘a Market)… so ono.
Paradise Poke
I enjoy their cucumber kimchi and chili pepper water along with the poke.
HanaPa'a Market
You can get poke bowls with uni (sea urchin gonads) on top… worth it..
I'm mainly putting this here because so many OTHER people like Ono Seafood, and it deserves a chance, but my boyfriend and I did not like it. Maybe it was a one-time thing. Idk. Fish quality was REALLY good, but his flavors were underwhelming (wasabi) while mine were overpowering (miso). It could've been a one-time thing!
ONO SEAFOOD - Updated August 2025 - 6286 Photos & 4529 Reviews
Long lines for this place (with good reason) - I recommend calling ahead, otherwise your wait might be 45 minutes just to order.
QUEEN ST CAFE & GRILL - Updated August 2025
Ok, how could I not put Foodland? Love the variety! Some locations have white crab poke, which I recommend as well :)
Foodland Farms
There's a sushi section where I get poke bowls from. Occasionally they have a salmon uni bowl! So many other good bentos to choose from as well.
Marukai
YUUUMM
Helena's Hawaiian Food - Restaurant Reviews
i got hungry looking at the food online…double yum
Young's Fish Market
Casual Eats
A mix of SE/East Asian and local cuisines I love!
Highly recommend their oxtail pho, especially with the ginger and shoyu. Best pho on the island.
Ha Long Pho Noodle House
One of my dim sum favorites! I'd recommend parking at Ala Moana to walk over.
Yung Yee Kee Dim Sum (@yyk.dimsum) · Honolulu, HI
Best family style restaurant!!!
Jade Dynasty Seafood Restaurant
really amazing beef lookfun.. my favorite dish of all time so I judge dim sum restaurants off of their lookfun. :)
Kirin Restaurant
Nostalgic Korean food in town!
MILLION RESTAURANT - Updated August 2025 - 1888 Photos & 811 ...
Goodness. Stuffed myself here. The side dishes were the best I've ever had.
Hangang | Korean BBQ
Really amazing gluten-free options here. The menu is very transparent of dietary restrictions/food allergies. My family loves to get takeout from here ALL THE TIME.
Maile's Thai Bistro
Not a local chain by any means, but it does have pizza I can eat.
Pieology Pizzeria Aina Haina, Honolulu, HI
Not sure about the Waikīkī location, but the Hawai‘i Kai one is dog-friendly! Food is great. Sometimes I buy multiple appetizers as opposed to one entree for my full meal.
Heavenly Island Lifestyle Waikiki
YOU MUST go here. For gluten-free items, there's steak and frites (dine in only), oxtail soup, etc. Before my celiac diagnosis, my favorite menu item was the CHILI BURRITO with a Korean chicken salad. My boyfriend tried it last month and loved it.
Zippy's Koko Marina
i love how some meals are served in skillets. the luau and eggs was really good, but luau is an acquired taste tbh! it'll be more of a sweet dish, not savory.
Koko Head Cafe
There is also a location outside Ala Moana. the bowls are very reasonably priced for the amount of fresh seafood you get, as well as the quality.
Totoya とと家 Kaimuki
Amazing place for breakfast. I'd recommend trying as much as you can :)
Forty Niner Hawaii
They have a really good gluten-free ramen that's the closest I've ever eaten to the real kind.
Junpuu
Fine Dining
My boyfriend and I go to fine dining restaurants on our anniversaries, and we like to EACH plan a dinner every year, so take our advice! :)
Food was amazing, and had gluten-free accommodations. Solely as a dinner concept, this place was amazing and we felt tended to the entire night.
The one thing I'm not a fan of is that one of the workers said with a laugh and a smile on his face: the building used to be a condominium that was turned into a 8-penthouse property along with the restaurant. Laughing about displacing people for a l...
Mugen
Going here in a few days, actually. It sounds amazing and has great accommodations for me!
Pai Honolulu
Loved the oceanfront view and walking through the hotel at night when nobody was around!
Orchids Halekulani
A more budget-friendly restaurant than the others in the fine dining category. Native Hawaiian owned. We had the summer nights tasting menu and it was amazing! Also, the kalo hummus with ulu chips is TO DIE FOR. I tried it at a poke festival and that's what first got me interested in Kapa Hale!! Their kalo hummus is on the happy hour menu.
Kapa Hale
Self-explanatory, I'm sure. Great steak.
Morton's The Steakhouse
LOVE LOVE LOVE
The Pig and The Lady
Beautiful seating both indoors and outside. Oysters were great.
Merriman's Honolulu
Mochi-crusted fish is so unique!
MW Restaurant
Quiet restaurant hidden within the pier. Great rolls and fresh oysters!
Nami Kaze Hawaii
The first time I had omakase and tried amaebi was here. Fell in love with BOTH hahaha.
