The 5 Best Traditional Hawaiian Restaurants on Oʻahu
Here’s a list of must-try restaurants that serve authentic Hawaiian food on Oʻahu, according to our 2024 Readers‘ Choice Awards.
If you’re craving traditional Hawaiian food fare—we’re talking kālua pig, lau lau and poi—stop at these reader-endorsed restaurants.
Read More: What’s in a Hawaiian Plate, Anyway?
1. Helena’s Hawaiian Food
A Hawaiian feast from Helena’s Hawaiian Food in Kalihi.
Photo: Catherine Toth Fox
This humble restaurant in Kalihi has topped our list multiple times. It opened in 1946, serving traditional, local Hawaiian food, including its popular version of pipi kaula (seasoned, dried, and pan-fried short ribs) and squid lūʻau (a savory dish of octopus and taro leaves in coconut milk). Helena’s earned the James Beard America’s Classics award in 2000, which has made getting a table here even more difficult. But the wait is worth it, especially if you’re craving authentic Hawaiian fare. (Our advice: Order online!) 1240 N. School St., Kalihi, (808) 845-8044, helenashawaiianfood.com
2. Waiāhole Poi Factory
Food from Waiāhole Poi Factory.
Photo: Catherine Toth Fox
The freshly pounded poi at this Windward Oʻahu spot is the big draw—but everything else, from the kālua pig to beef lūʻau, are delicious. Don’t skip dessert: The Sweet Lady of Waiāhole combines warm kūlolo (a taro and coconut dessert) topped with a scoop of haupia (coconut) ice cream. It’s divine. In 2023 it opened a second location at Windward Mall. 48-140 Kamehameha Highway, Waiahole, (808) 239-2222, waiaholepoifactory.com
3. Highway Inn
The kālua pig combo from Highway Inn.
Photo: Courtesy of Highway Inn
Highway Inn first opened in 1947 in Waipahu, serving Hawaiian food and American diner fare. Today, it has two locations—it also runs the café at Bishop Museum—with an extensive menu that boasts everything from buttermilk pancakes topped with haupia sauce to a classic loco moco. But the star of the menu has always been its Hawaiian food offerings, the recipes of which have remained unchanged over the decades. If you don’t know what to get, order the Tasting Plate, a sampling of some of its best and most popular dishes including kālua pig, chicken long rice, lomi salmon and squid lūʻau. Multiple locations on Oahu, myhighwayinn.com
4. Yama’s Fish Market
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Open since 1980, Yama’s Fish Market is a favorite among locals and known for its high-quality poke and lau lau. But it also serves local-style plate lunches with entrées like pork adobo, mochiko chicken and pasteles. Its specialty haupia desserts and kūlolo are made from scratch. 2332 Young St., Honolulu, (808) 941-9994, yamasfishmarket.com
5. Haili’s Hawaiian Food—closing soon!
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June 30 is the last day Haili’s Hawaiian Food will be open, so there’s not much time to get your kālua pig, lau lau and haupia fix from this Kapahulu gem. Everything here is made from recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation since it first opened in 1958. 760 Palani Ave., Kapahulu, (808) 735-8019, hailishawaiianfood.com
