A Foodie’s Guide to Waikiki

I am a major foodie and Instagram worthy delicious tasting treats are my favorite! Here are my fave spots in Waikiki Beach for delicious and photo worthy food, in no particular order. For more info on each restaurant, just click on the name and it will take you directly to their website!

Duke’s Hula Grill Waikiki
2335 Kalakaua Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815

Duke’s has a fantastic location directly on Waikiki beach. Dine in this fun setting on a break from the beach, or swing by just for dessert and drinks. First item to grab is their signature Mai Tai. It comes in a tiki cup and is sweet to the taste. For lunch I grabbed the pulled pork sandwich and Travis got the Hawaiian Pineapple Bacon Burger. My sandwich was delicious and very juicy (also messy). Travis ate his up before I could taste a bite and also said it was great.

For dessert grab a slice of Hula Pie. This is basically a mountain of vanilla ice cream topped with fudge, macadamia nuts, and an oreo crust. We honestly couldn’t finish it between the three of us, it is huge.

Sky Waikiki
2270 Kalakaua Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815

Okay I’ll be honest, this spot is more about the view versus the food. Sky Waikiki is a rooftop restaurant, bar, and nightclub located in the heart of Waikiki. Dinner hours are open to all ages and reservations are highly recommended. We weren’t very hungry since we ate a huge lunch so we got the Slider Trio to share. It comes with a Lobster Salad Slider, Teriyaki Pork Slider, and Garlic Chicken Slider. My favorite was the Teriyaki Pork coming close in second was the Lobster.

Surf Lanai at the Royal Hawaiian
2259 Kalakaua Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815

This gorgeous beach side restaurant is located inside one of the most historic resorts on Waikiki, The Royal Hawaiian. We chose to check it out for breakfast (only open breakfast and lunch). We did not make reservations and we were able to walk in. They have some indoor seating as well as outdoor seating which all include a fantastic view of the ocean. Two popular breakfast dishes are the Pink Palace Pancakes and the Royal Bake Shop Banana Bread French Toast. I decided on the pancakes and they did not disspaoint. They were also the perfect size for me topped with cream and fresh fruit. Travis decided on “The Works” Omelette.

Honolulu Coffee Company
Multiple Locations on Oahu
www.honolulucoffee.com

This is one of my favorite quick eats in Waikiki, and I’ll usually swing by for breakfast or an afternoon pick up. Honolulu Coffee Company has my favorite Acai’i Bowls. I grab the classic and add honey on top. If you’ve never had an Acai’i Bowl, its basically a cross between a yogurt parfait and a fruit smoothie. It is made of blended dragonfruit and topped with strawberries, bananas, blueberrries, and house made granola. My favorite coffee here is the Peaberry blend. Hawaii is the only place I have ever seen it and its my favorite!

Honolulu Cookie Co
18 Locations on Oahu
www.honolulucookie.com

Honolulu Cookie Co is a great place to grab gifts for your friends and family back home. Their cookies are my favorite to snack on and they make better gifts than those tacky souvenir items. Each location has a sample bar where you can try each flavor to determine your favorite before you buy. There are all kinds of different boxes and combinations, even a make your own. My personal favorite are the chocolate chip macadamia nut.

Aloha Table
2238 Lauula Street
Honolulu, HI 96815

This place may look like a hole in the wall but trust me, its a hidden gem. This was my favorite meal for Hawaiian food (Travis’ 2nd Favorite) and it was very reasonably priced compared to the other restaurants we ate at. This place is the spot for local Hawaiian food. I grabbed the Kaua’i Shrimp and Sweet Corn Mac & Cheese while Travis got the famous Loco Moco. Loco Moco is a kobe style beef patty on a bed of rice with gravy and topped with an egg. I absolutely LOVED mine and am going to try to re-create it after we get home. Travis’ was pretty tasty as well. WE split the Mango Custard for dessert and it was so creamy. I’m a fan of mango and loved it but Travis is not and did not.

Kokoro Cafe inside Royal Hawaiian Center
2233 Kalakaua Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96815

Kokoro Cafe is the best spot to grab a sweet treat to eat while you’re walking the bustling streets of Waikiki. We grabbed the most popular item on the menu, the Shaka-Boom. This is a Shaka shaped waffle cone with your choice of filling, ice cream, and toppings. We went with coconut cream filling, Dole Whip ice cream, and fruity pebble topping. SO good! Instead of cone its more like a waffle, which makes it even more delicious in my eyes. We also got a Mochi-Pop which is a sweet waffle doused in sugar and whatever toppings you’d like, there are different flavors to choose from.

McDonalds
Multiple Locations on Oahu

Okay, I know you may be thinking why I’m putting McDonalds on this list, but its a cheap place to get a local favorite. You can often find local specialties at McDonalds around the country (and world) and Hawaii is no different. Swing by for breakfast and grab an order of Spam and eggs. It will also come with white sticky rice and we enjoy it so much we make it at home sometimes! Plus you cant beat $4.

Mac 24/7 inside Hilton Waikiki Beach
2500 Kuhio Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96815

Mac 24/7 is located inside the Hilton which is actually where we stayed on our most recent trip to the island. As you could’ve guessed, it is open 24 hours per day, 7 days a week. There is a bar/diner section as well as a nice sit down dinner table area overlooking the beautiful garden. I ordered the Surf N Turf and Travis got the Aloha Mac. My dish was absolutely delicious! Some of the best shrimp I’ve ever had and my steak was cooked perfect. Travis’ dish was basically a Hawaiian BBQ extravaganza with ribs, chicken, and ahi tuna. we also enjoyed the large drinks, I ordered a Blue Hawaiian and Travis grabbed the Lava Lava Rocks. We had plenty of leftovers to take back to the room as they were generous sized portions. If you’re feeling extra hungry try one of the challenges! The Mac Daddy Pancake Challenge is a 5 lb stack of pancakes you need to finish in under 90 minutes and it’s free! The MAC Momma Cheeseburger Challenge is a 5 lb cheeseburger you’ll need to finish in under 45 minutes. Complete either of these and your photo will be hung up in the hall of fame!

Eggs n’ Things
Multiple Locations on Oahu
www.eggsnthings.com

Here is one of the best spots to grab Breakfast on the island! I’m the type of person that likes sweet stuff for breakfast and Eggs n Things pancakes are unbeatable! There are tons of flavors to choose from but this trip we enjoyed the Fresh Fruit Rainbow Pancakes. This giant serving filled all three of us! Also make sure you try their specialty pancakes syrup flavors including guava and coconut.

Uncle Tetsu inside Royal Hawaiian Center
2233 Kalakaua Avenue
Honolulu, HI 98615

Uncle Tetsu is located inside the food court close to Kokoro Cafe so you can hit both of these at the same time! They’ve got mochi donuts and they are so yummy! I grabbed a strawberry flavored one but they’ve got other unique flavors like coconut, matcha, taro, and honeydew. These donuts are only $2 or 4 for $6.

Island Vintage Coffee
Multiple Locations on Oahu
www.islandvintagecoffee.com

Another favorite spot of mine to grab an Acai bowl is Island Vintage Coffee! They’ve also got good coffee and sandwiches. Plus, their french macaroons are giant and delicious. The one we grabbed was Birthday Cake Flavored.

Leonard’s Bakery
933 Kapahulu Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96816

No matter what time you visit Leonard’s Bakery, there is going to be a line out the door waiting to order these Portuguese Donuts called Malasadas. They are open 5:30 am to 11:00 pm daily. These donuts basically look like a giant fluffy dinner roll doused in sugar. The original (sugar) are the most popular though they have many flavors. We tried the coconut filled, guava filled, original, and cinnamon sugar. I will say my favorite was the original. They also have other bakery items that were equally as scrumptious, we got the blueberry mango cheesecake and guava muffin.

The Beach Bar at the Moana Surfrider
2365 Kalakaua Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96815

Here’s another restaurant located on Waikiki Beach with fantastic views! This is the poolside restaurant located inside the very first resort built on Waikiki, the Moana Surfrider. Over this area is a Banyan tree hundreds of years old that provides a shady atmosphere perfect for the hot weather. They also had a live band playing the night we went. The menu changes seasonally and when we visited I ordered a Lobster Roll sandwich, it was delicious!

Moana Terrace Bar & Grill
Located by the Pool at the Marriott
2552 Kalakaua Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96815

I’m pretty convinced that you cant go wrong with food in Hawaii. We honestly did not eat a bad meal our entire trip. We stopped by the Marriott Waikiki Beach and ate lunch at their poolside restaurant, the Moana Terrace. I ate the Marriott Burger and it was giant, juicy, and delicious. The crinkle cut fries were a favorite of ours too. Since its located on top of the building by the pool it overlooks Waikiki Beach.

Waikiki Grass Shack Bistro
2453 Kalakaua Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96815

I had been craving a drink inside a full size pineapple since we arrived on the island and while there are a few options, the Island Surfer was my favorite! It is a blended icee type juice drink (non-alcoholic) that comes in a pineapple with a skewer of oranges and a cherry on top. It was the perfect cool down for a day at the beach and only $14.95.

Banan Acai
Multiple Locations on Oahu
www.bananbowls.com

If you haven’t noticed by now, I’m obsessed with Acai bowls. I get as many as I can because they are one of my favorite foods on the islands. I have to say that Banan is my favorite. Thier bowls are actually made with a dairy free ice cream made from bananas (hence the name). I got the banana/acai twist in a mango boat and it was to die for!

Lulu’s Waikiki
2586 Kalakaua Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96815

Lulu’s is at the far end of Waikiki and right next to the Honolulu Zoo! It’s got overlooking beach views and more good food. I got the Grilled Mahi Mahi sandwich and Travis ordered the fish tacos. Both were fantastic!

Bank of Hawaii Farmer’s Market
Mon, Tues, & Thurs 4-8pm
2155 Kalakaua Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96815

This is the best spot to try a variety of good foods for cheap, the Farmer’s Market! We went for dinner one night and splurged on quite a few different options and shared them. There are also lots of local food items here.