Best Places to Eat in Oahu

I love writing up food guides because I think it’s so helpful to have a list of places to eat that isn’t necessarily from a review website. I wouldn’t say one specific place has the best food in Oahu, though a few places come close. Each place I’ve listed has a specialty from the Oahu food trucks that serve up a mean shrimp plate to the health shops with the most gorgeous fruit bowls to strip mall restaurants that have delicious poke. The food on Oahu is varied and for the most part is quite healthy. I love that you can easily find fruit, açaí bowls, veggies and non-fatty foods to eat wherever you go.

Oahu restaurant guide

1. Noodles from Marukame Udon
This restaurant is one of the best places to eat on Oahu. The menu is limited but the noodles (the curry is a must) are absolutely amazing. They’re so homemade that you can literally watch the staff rolling them out as you stand in line.

And yes, that’s a line that you see outside the window. Expect a long wait unless you come mid-day when they open. No reservations but it’s Hawaii so at least the weather is amazing while you wait outside!

2. Shave ice from Island Vintage in the evening and a taro bagel in the morning
Five stars all around for Island Vintage. While the shave ice shop is located on ground level, the breakfast and coffee one is located on the second floor. The shave ice shop has no seating – it’s a grab and go kind of place. The shave ice was so good that I was annoyed we tried it on our last day because I would’ve begged to return every night. The coffee shop on the second floor has equally delicious food. The taro breakfast bagel was perfect and the açaí bowl came with a gorgeous flower on top.

3. Poke from Da Hawaiian Poke Co.
The only poke place I recommend because let’s be honest, this is the only one we tried…3x. The guys that run the place recognized us quickly by our third visit. The ahi here is fresh, not at all fishy tasting and is seasoned perfectly. It also comes with two sides: rice and your choice (pick the potat0-crab salad). Prices are extremely reasonable as well.

4. Beer and apps from Uncle Bo’s
Come here for a drink and appetizers. Uncle Bo’s whips up fancy (albeit a little greasy) bar food that everyone will love. The cheesy prime rib bread and spicy shrimp were the best.

5. Lunch at The Moana Surfrider’s Veranda
If you’re looking for an elegant experience with an amazing view, then head over to the Veranda restaurant at The Moana. The sweet potato fries, burger, poke and appetizers were all delicious as were the unique lemonades. It goes without saying that their carrot cake was divine. If you want oceanfront seating, book ahead of time!

6. Whole food from Nalu
One of the best places to eat on Oahu was Nalu in Kailua. It doesn’t seem like you can go wrong with whatever you choose but I can attest that the ahi sandwich was absolutely amazing and the açaí bowl was the best I tasted on the island.

7. Pork from Kono’s
Kalua pork is basically pulled pork but 100x better. I’m not even a pork fan and I couldn’t stop grabbing forkfuls. The bowl from Kono’s comes topped with a slaw. What complements a pork bowl? A milkshake of course. The chocolate shake was outstanding.

8. Bubble tea from Bee & Tea
Bee &  Tea in Kailua not only has the cutest plasticware to serve you their signature bubble teas in but their teas taste awesome too. The white chocolate coconut is to die for but make sure you get it frozen.

9. Breakfast at Bogart’s Cafe
Bogart’s Cafe is a tiny restaurant in Honolulu that serves a delicious array of breakfast items. They get slammed during the weekend so come prepared to wait.  The smoothie bowl and omelet were both a win.

10. North Shore Oahu Food Trucks: Giovanni’s
There are quite a few food trucks on Oahu, especially the North Shore. Most of them are colorful shrimp trucks with menu options like coconut shrimp and buttery garlic shrimp. Some come with sides, maybe corn on the cob or rice. Definitely a must-try if you’re visiting the North Shore!

Share: