Honolulu is filled with some of the best places to eat. Whether it was spam musubi from the ABC store, happy hour at the Tommy Bahama Restaurant, or splurging on a 5 course meal at Miro Kaimuki, every spot served it’s greater purpose of feeding us meal after incredible meal. Sarah and I tried our fare share of spots, and took note of our favorites to share where to eat in Honolulu. In almost no particular order, but the places we liked least are on the bottom, so in a general particular order, but also starting with breakfast, here is where to eat in Honolulu.
Island Vintage Coffee
Island Vintage Coffee – The eggs in Island Vintage Coffee’s breakfast sandwiches are out of this world. They open at 6am (kitchen opens at 7am). We arrived at 7:45am and the line was around a 20 min wait, with another 20 mins for food to be ready. If you have time to chill, it’s worth it. We went to the Royal Hawaiian Center location, a minute walk from the hotel, so maybe other locations have shorter lines. As long as the line doesn’t go past a few stores, it’s worth the wait.
What we ordered :
- Mushroom Brioche: We shared the Mushroom Brioche Egg Breakfast Sandwich, which was 3 fluffy eggs, mixed with perfectly seasoned mushrooms and topped with pesto and cheese. It’s all you could want out of a breakfast sandwich. This came with a slice of papaya that was out of this world. We didn’t get a picture because we always ate it as soon as we laid eyes on it. Very 10/10
- Iced Lava Mocha – Coffee meets hot chocolate meets a lava cake, very sweet, but fun in the morning.
- Tropical Sensation Tea – Think a tea version of a light, refreshing, guava, peach fruit juice. Very 10/10
Tommy Bahama Restaurant
Tommy Bahama Restaurant – We went to Tommy Bahama for happy hour on our first night in Honolulu. Make reservations a few nights during happy hour (2-5pm every day) if you think you’re going to go, and cancel if you change your mind. Better to have a seat than to wait. This restaurant is on the third story of the Tommy Bahama store, so you get the views, and delicious farm to table food for a little less. We recommend getting drinks and apps at the Tommy Bahama Restaurant before heading to Rum Fire for the searhed ahi. We tried the below over two night’s of happy hours.
What we ordered:
- Mai Tai, $10 – What this Mai Tai lacks in pizaz, it makes up for in booze.
- Titos Soda, $12 – Simple, no fuss, lots of alcohol.
- Blackened Mahi Mahi Tacos, Brussel Sprouts, Coconut Shrimp, $12 each – all flavorful and worth the price.
- Ahi Sashimi, $24 – Not on happy hour, great but a little overpriced.
- We also got a slice of pineapple cake for my birthday, on the house, and delicious
Rum Fire
Rum Fire – Rum Fire doesn’t take reservations, but they are on the beach so it’s a great place to watch the sunset. The most impressive item on the menu is a colorful salad of various sprouts and onions, surrounded by 12 incredible slices of searhed ahi tatakhe. The price was $33. It could have been $45 and I wouldn’t have minded. *Pro tip: add a side of $3 rice to easily share this with another person.
What we ordered:
- Rum Fire Mai Tai, $18 – I really liked the pineapple, but are all Mai Tais like this? Losing hope on loving Mai Tais.
- Seared Ahi Tataki, $33 – A steal, between the portion, the flavors and the view.
- Steamed White Rice, $3 – Simple, delicious with the ahi, and….$3.
Sky Waikiki Raw & Bar
Sky Waikiki Raw & Bar – Happy hour is daily until 5pm, so we showed up promptly at 4pm when they opened. It had been raining on and off so we took a table under an umbrella, sacrificing the perfect view overlooking all of Honolulu. Fear not, people left, and we got sun and the good view table. It was beautiful, or so my wife tells me. We had happy hour oysters, sashimi and drinks until 5.
What we ordered:
- Mai Tai – They’re lucky I liked canned pineapple juice – great view though.
- Oysters – amazing, all of them.
- Sashimi – fun but can skip.
- Poke bowls – yes!
Miro Kaimuki
Miro Kaimuki – If you’re looking for a cheap eat, this is not the place to go. If you’re looking for a flavorful excursion through an $88 (very reasonably priced) five course meal that changes seasonally, highly recommend. We were delighted with their drinks, Sarah had a lilikoi and lavendar concoction, and I asked for a Mai Tai which they didn’t make, but did make me something they said was similar and better; they were correct.
The food was out of this world, specifically every. single. thing. we. ate. From the first course of Kanpachi with pineapple and turnips, to the sourdough bread, and the mahi, to the pork belly and finally the hibiscus sorbet in a sweet cream, each bite was perfectly light, with each flavor somehow more epic than the last. They’ll have something else by the time you get there, and it should be just as great. This is a place we plan to go back to each time we’re in Honolulu. Make reservations as soon as you know you’re going to Honolulu, they’re always booked and there’s a reason why.
*Pro tip, if there’s an option to add bread, take it. The bread is fluffy, flavorful and comes with the best butter.
Sam’s Kitchen
Sam’s Kitchen – This is where you eat in Honolulu if you want really good garlic shrimp over rice and classic macaroni salad. At $14 a plate, this was easily one of the most delicious, best valued meals we had on the trip. They also had fish, poke, tofu and chicken options, but we heard this is where you go for shrimp, so this is where we went for shrimp.
Maguro Brothers Hawaii
Maguro Brothers Hawaii – Sarah read this was THE place to get amazing poke in Honolulu without the heavy price tag. Maguro Brothers did not disappoint. This is a walk in, order, and take your food to go type of place, located down a side street off of Kalākaua Ave. They’re open from 5-8pm Mon-Sat. We arrived at 5ish and waited for maybe 15-20 minutes. Once you order, you get the food pretty quickly. We got the XL Tuna (Maguro Donburi) which was fresh and heavenly. We went to Maguro Brothers have a Tommy Bahama happy hour, but wish we had eaten less at happy hour and more of this tuna.
Herringbone
Herringbone – From 4-6pm, daily, Herringbone has an “oyster hour” where kimchi oysters, buffalo octopus and hamachi crudo are among the discounted, delicious bites. We sat outside under the clouds, drinks were flavorful, and both our stomachs and wallets left feeling happily full, ie the bill should have been more. Make a reservation for happy hour so you can walk right in.
What we ordered:
- Three buck shucks, $3 – We ordered 6 and we’d do it again. The kimchi sauce and chili pepper water made the perfect pair for the oysters.
- Buffalo Octopus, $13 – We ordered 2 – very delicious, not too chewy, could have eaten even more, but the portion was nice so we really couldn’t have.
- Yellowtail Crudo, $15 – One of the smaller dishes, but worth every bite.
- Brussels Sprouts & Macadamia Nuts, $8 – A great way to add some extra greens to the meal, and loved the crunch from the macadamia nuts.
- Berry Good Time drink, $8 – We ordered 2 because the price was right and the flavor was even better. Berries, with a hint of lemon and orange.
- Lilikoi Mojito, $16 – not on happy hour but Sarah couldn’t resist. Delicious.
Royal Lobster
Royal Lobster – Was it $29.99 each for a lobster roll and a lobster salad? Yes, but they don’t mess around. Each roll and salad includes a full tail, claw, and knuckle. The sandwich is simply buttered, and the salad’s house balsamic is light and herby, letting the lobster really shine. They bring the lobster in from Maine daily so if you like lobster, you’re in Honolulu, and you want to treat yourself, this is a top contender.
The last three places we could take or leave, but we went, so we’ll tell you about it.
Hawaiian Aroma Caffe
Hawaiian Aroma Caffe – We came here one morning when the line at Island Vintage Coffee was too long, but we were not disappointed. We got a strawberry smoothie, and a turkey panini. If you’re looking for simple, reasonably priced food you can get quickly, this is it. They have a cool vibe, lots of colorful furniture, painted surfboards, and a section of artwork for sale. *They’re also a bar so you can order a drink any time.
What we ordered:
- Turkey Panini, $11.75 – It’s hard to mess up a turkey panini, and they did not.
- Strawberry Smoothie with peanut butter, $9.95 – This could have been a dollar or two cheaper but all in all, good smoothie.
- Cookie, $2 – You don’t need this cookie, it’s fine.
Cuckoo Coconuts
Cuckoo Coconuts – You don’t need to go here, but it can be fun if you’re into live music, loud patrons, and sweet, crummy drinks. There’s a line to get in and this place is packed so people definitely like it, we just weren’t necessarily two of those people.
Mai Tai Bar at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel
Mai Tai Bar at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel – Full disclosure, we initially came here for the complimentary glass of champagne, but then we needed a snack. I got a Mai Tai, and we shared a Thai Beef Salad. The salad was good enough, the Mai Tai was expensive but came with some nice snacking fruits, and the ocean view was great.
What we ordered:
- Mai Tai, $20 – It did come with a pineapple slice, a cherry, and a lime so we considered it a small fruit salad.
- Thai Beef Salad, $27 – Would not buy again, but was not mad that I got it once.
Thanks!