Oahu, Hawaii Map Anders Husa & Kaitlin Orr

If you’re like us, you like to eat well even when you’re on vacation. Although our trip to Hawaii was mostly about relaxing on the beach, we were blown away by the high level of food on the island of Oahu. Honolulu was our base for the majority of our stay, but we also traveled around the island in search of the best waves, the best poke, and, of course, the best shave ice.

In this foodie map, we have gathered all our favorite spots on Oahu, from the beaches of Waikiki to the North Shore. You’ll find everything from convenience store poke, to shave ice, to beachfront bars, to fine dining restaurants. Navigate the map easily either by scrolling through the list on the right or by clicking the points on the map. Places are listed in a geographical order.

It’s well worth the fifteen minute drive from Waikiki to visit Uncle Clay’s House of Pure Aloha – this was, by far, our favorite shave ice in Hawaii. They make all their own syrups from real fruit (all natural!), and you can really taste the difference from the artificial stuff. This was truly amazing! Anders got the “tropical delight” (passion fruit, strawberry, and pineapple) with vanilla ice cream, while I enjoyed the POG (pineapple, orange, and guava) and coconut, drizzled with condensed milk. This shave ice shop is in a league of its own.

Who would have guessed that we’d find the best poke on Oahu inside a liquor store? Tamura’s was, by far, our favorite poke provider in Hawaii. Come hungry – their hefty bowls come with two scoops of rice and two heaping scoops of fish. The Ahi Tuna Sunrise with spicy ahi, avocado, and unagi sauce was the crowd favorite, but we also really liked the fried garlic ahi, the Tamura sauce (shoyu and oyster sauce), and the shoyu with onions and scallions.

We had our favorite restaurant experience in Hawaii at Miro, a neighborhood restaurant in Kaimuki from chef Chris Kajioka. This is a must-visit restaurant! Their five-course tasting menu is a great value-for-money, priced at $88. They change the menu completely every month, so locals have a good reason to come back frequently. They also serve an exclusive late night à la carte menu on Fridays and Saturdays from 10pm until midnight. Don’t miss the signature buttermilk brioche with caviar, maple, and buttermilk gel.

The Curb is a specialty coffee shop in the Kaimuki neighborhood of Honolulu. Their award-winning baristas prepare excellent lattes with fun syrups like pandan and lavender, and they also brew excellent pour-overs. The Curb features small, independent roasters like Heart, Olympic, and Onyx. They serve house-made cookies (we tried the pumpkin spice snickerdoodle) and wine by the glass. The Curb also has a retail section in their café with bottles of natural wine, chocolate, and canned fish for sale.

While on Oahu, you have to try at least one malasada, a Portuguese doughnut that became extremely popular in Hawaii. Leonard’s is the original purveyor, open since 1952 serving fresh, fried-to-order doughnuts. Originally, these doughnuts were only made on Fat Tuesday, but now they’re so popular that they are served year-round. At Leonard’s, you can try malasadas with a variety of fillings – haupia (coconut), dobash (chocolate), or custard (our favorite). You can also decide which type of sugar you want the doughnuts rolled in – plain, cinnamon, or li hing (plum) sugar. They’re baked fresh to order, so eating them immediately is recommended! Leonard’s has a bakery in central Honolulu, as well as a few Malasada Mobiles (food trucks) frying hot doughnuts around the island.

Ono Seafood has been open since 1995, and currently has two locations in Honolulu. It’s evident that they source really high quality fish – we tried both the spicy and shoyu ahi poke, which were both very clean and fresh in flavor. We only wish they had served more fish and less rice in their bowl, especially since we didn’t think the quality of the white rice was very good. Still worth a visit – but we recommend asking for extra fish!

This Honolulu hot dog spot might look familiar – the brand was formerly called Puka Dog, but the owners divorced and split up their shops. Now, it’s Puka Dog on Kauai and Hula Dog in Honolulu. They have the same logo, the same branding, and the same insanely delicious hot dogs! Kaitlin’s order: taro bun, Polish sausage, garlic lemon mayo, pineapple relish, and coconut relish. Sweet and savory heaven! Anders’ order is a little spicier and more mustard-driven: Hawaiian sweet bun, Polish sausage, jalapeño garlic lemon mayo, lilikoi (passion fruit) mustard, and pineapple relish. Hula Dog is not to be missed in Hawaii – it’s our absolute favorite hot dog in the world.

The best açaí bowl we found in Oahu was at The Sunrise Shack, which has a few locations around the island, including two in Waikiki. They have a variety of different smoothie bowls featuring tropical fruits and optional superfood add-ons, but our favorite is the classic Açaí Bowl with banana, blueberries, pitaya, coconut flakes, granola, honey, and peanut butter.

Albeit a bit touristy, the Royal Hawaiian’s oceanfront Mai Tai Bar is a must visit in Waikiki – it’s a great place to watch the sunset on the beach. As the name implies, the bar specializes in Mai Tais – in fact, this was where the iconic cocktail was first served in Hawaii, back in 1953. Try one of their many Mai Tai variations, from classic to frozen, while enjoying live music. We didn’t eat a full meal here, but their French fries were surprisingly good!

Holey Grail started as a food truck in Kauai, and now they have several locations around Hawaii as well as two shops in Los Angeles. They serve taro donuts, which are fried in coconut oil and served hot. It’s a really unique style of donut, with much more of a baked feeling, and a small size – so you can easily have two. Holey Grail uses fresh, local ingredients as much as possible, so we tried the seasonal four-pack. Our favorite flavors were the “Miso Honey” with black lava sea salt, and the “Strawberry Fields” with green tea.

If you’re looking for good coffee and pastries in central Waikiki, check out Kona Coffee Purveyors, which also serves pastries from the award-winning bakery b. patisserie in San Francisco. Expect a long line (we waited an hour) and high prices ($10 for a pour-over), but good quality coffee and pastries. We tried the Mauna Loa coffee which had notes of tangerine, almond, and cocoa. We loved the cinnamon roll, which was ooey, gooey, and served fresh from the oven.

Marugame Udon is a high-quality Japanese udon noodle chain, with over 1,000 locations around the world. We hadn’t tried it before, so we tried it for the first time in Waikiki. We got the “Nikutama” – the rich and flavorful broth tastes like French onion soup with those caramelized onions. The broth is seafood-based but doesn’t taste like it, especially as it sits and absorbs the sweet beef, scallions, caramelized onions, and the egg that you mix in. The noodles are very thick and extremely slurpable, but the umami-filled broth was the star of the show here.

Opened in late 2022, Agaru is the newest restaurant from chef Chris Kajioka (Miro), located in the heart of Waikiki. Agaru is a Japanese-inspired izakaya restaurant with an à la carte menu as well as an omakase chef’s counter experience with a dedicated sushi chef. From the first bites (mochi donuts with apple banana butter and caviar, anyone?) to the nigiri to the A5 Miyazaki wagyu main course, this was a phenomenal meal from start to finish. We had some of the best bites of the year at Agaru!

When the late night cravings hit, we recommend a visit to Aloha Melt, an extremely solid grilled cheese sandwich shop that’s open until one in the morning. We loved their Classic Melt, which comes with four types of cheese, caramelized onions, bacon, and aioli. You can also order tomato soup on the side if you feel like dunking!

Beach club meets bungalow at this surfer chic hotel in the heart of Waikiki. The Surfjack is located just minutes from the ocean, and also has its own swimming pool where they host live music and nightly entertainment, as well as monthly events like silent disco and movie nights. This pet-friendly hotel has welcoming staff, a charming design, and super comfy rooms (with balconies!), as well as a top-notch lobby coffee shop (serving coconut, lavender, macadamia nut lattes, and pour-overs). Don’t leave without trying the seared ahi tuna at the poolside restaurant Mahina & Sun’s. Wish you were here!

Waiola Shave Ice has been open since 1940, and is still one of the most popular shave ice shops in Hawaii today. They have two locations in Honolulu, and a menu with over thirty different syrups, ice cream, and toppings like azuki beans, mochi, and condensed milk.

Bar Maze is the latest opening from the team behind Bar Leather Apron. Maze is a Japanese word that means “to mix and mingle,” and at this restaurant, they’re doing just that. They describe themselves as “an integrated culinary/cocktail experience,” with as much focus on the drinks as on the dishes. Each plate is served with an accompanying cocktail, meant to match the flavors of the dish. Chef Ki Chung and bartender Tom Park create the dishes and cocktails together; one is not designed for the other, they are created in harmony. This was a fun experience to try, with some really delicious dishes, enjoyable cocktails, friendly hospitality, and a good value (under $200 per person including drinks).

The best ice cream we found on Oahu was at Black Sheep Cream Co., which has a few locations around the island. They serve creative flavors including Kookie Cookie (cookie butter ice cream), Buttah Cake (butter cake), Honeycomb Cream, and Frosted Oatmeal. Try it in a chocolate waffle cone – it tastes like an Oreo cookie!

Podmore is the newest spot from chef Anthony Rush located in downtown Honolulu. Chef Rush works with the bartenders to create “chef-driven cocktails,” and they’re absolutely stunning – they even have a dedicated ice chef! Kaitlin's favorite was the Club Tropicana, a Rubik’s cube-inspired cocktail with an edible ice cube made from natural ingredients like mango, butterfly pea, pandan, and guava. Anders’ favorite was the Pimms-inspired cocktail (Chilly Chung Chow), with beautiful ice spheres. The seasonal variety of this drink played on Christmas flavors of cranberry, pomegranate, ginger, spices, Pimms, and brandy. To eat, they serve decadent bar snacks. We loved the “proper chips” – four huge fries served with house-made dips. The texture is extremely crispy on the outside, with a sticky, gooey center.

For the best cocktails in Honolulu, you’re going to want to make a reservation at Bar Leather Apron (no. 41 on North America’s 50 Best Bars 2023), a speakeasy hidden in an office building in the Financial District. The bar has a distinct Japanese vibe, a calm ambiance, and incredibly warm and friendly hospitality. We ordered quite a few drinks here and loved them all – the Yuzu Sour (with mandarin, hoji-cha, and angostura bitters), the Lilikoi Daiquiri, the Amaretto Sour (with stone fruit and Asato family li hing), and finally, the E Hoo Pau Mai Tai, which won the World’s Best Mai Tai in 2015. This signature drink is served in a smoking tiki face – what a show!

If the pizza cravings hit while you’re in Hawaii, Pizza Mamo is a good option. They serve both thick Detroit-style pies as well as thin New York-style slices. On our visit, we tried the sausage and pesto square pie, which was big and bready (like a thick focaccia), with a crispy cheese crust, Italian sausage, and a drizzle of pesto. For Detroit-style, we recommend ordering in advance, as it takes about 30 minutes to cook.

Husband-and-wife team Anthony Rush and Katherine Nomura met while working at Per Se in New York, and later moved to Hawaii where they opened their own restaurant. Senia is an upscale neighborhood restaurant serving both an à la carte menu as well as a tasting menu on the weekends. The two must-order dishes here are the cornbread madeleines with whipped brown butter and honey, and the signature bone marrow dish, which you assemble yourself. Fill buttery house-made Hawaiian rolls with oxtail marmalade, bone marrow, pickle relish, and sprinkle with local salts. Melt in your mouth deliciousness!

Helena’s is a simple strip mall restaurant serving traditional Hawaiian food. Our favorite dish here was the short ribs – they had great flavor and the meat was extremely tender. The fried butterfish collar was also very juicy. Other classic Hawaiian dishes here include kalua pig (shredded pork meat), lomi lomi salmon (a salmon and tomato salad that reminded us of pico de gallo), and poi (mashed and fermented taro root paste).

We drove to Kailua for brunch at Over Easy, and it was absolutely worth the drive. This was our favorite brunch in Hawaii! We loved the kalua pig hash, the potato ‘n’ eggs (their take on a benedict, with potato purée instead of hollandaise), the fried egg sandwich (with housemade sausage, avocado, caramelized onions, and spicy aioli), and the custard French toast with orange creme fraiche. Pro tip: they will add you to the waitlist within 30 minutes of your arrival, so call ahead!

While in Kailua, we visited Island Snow, which is allegedly Obama’s favorite shave ice joint on Oahu. (They even have a rainbow flavor, “Snobama,” named after him). Island Snow has both artificial syrups as well as natural flavors made from fruit. Their snow is super fluffy, like fresh powder, and they have a vast selection of flavors. We tried the coconut, guava, and lilikoi (passion fruit) syrups, with macadamia nut ice cream underneath the shave ice, and condensed milk drizzled on top.

While on the north of the island, Kahuku Superette is a good option for poke. It’s another convenience store with a seafood counter at the back doling out scoops of fresh fish by the pound. Our favorite was the shoyu ahi with sliced onions. We also tried the spicy ahi, which was cooked and served over rice like a tuna salad.

When driving around the North Shore, you’re bound to get a little nibbly. Why not pop in to Ted’s Bakery for some of their famous pie? Their menu boasts an impressive assortment of flavors, available whole or by the slice – our favorites were the chocolate haupia (coconut), chocolate peanut butter cream, and the macadamia nut pie.

Matsumoto is another one of the first shave ice shops in Hawaii, and has been open since 1951. This is the best place to get shave ice on the north of the island! Get a scoop of ice cream underneath your heaping pile of shave ice, pick your syrup flavors, and add toppings like mochi, azuki red beans, and condensed milk.