10 Best Local Restaurants in Honolulu

Ken's Fresh Fish is a charming fish market and takeout establishment that serves fresh seafood. You can visit the market to pick up fish fillets, poke, dried aku, fish plates, and more, or bring home a meal for your family. Visiting the fish market is a great way to experience the local fare and try some traditional staples of Hawaiian culture such as poi and katsu. You’ll also find contemporary variations on local favorites, such as ahi katsu, a fried ahi tuna dish. Ken's is located on the northeast shore of Oahu, about an hour from downtown Honolulu.

The Waiahole Poi Factory is the place to go for authentic Hawaiian cuisine. This location has been in operation for over a century, serving as an authentic poi factory, an art gallery, a food-processing factory, and finally a restaurant serving local Hawaiian food. The atmosphere of the Waiahole Poi Factory is designed to invoke the feeling of a traditional luau, right down to the menu. You can try all the Hawaiian favorites, from Kalua pig to ho’io salad and chicken long rice. You can reach the restaurant with a 30-minute drive north from Honolulu.

Over Easy is a delicious breakfast restaurant that serves authentic Hawaiian foods. You’ll find all the flavors of the island, including papaya, pickled vegetables, rice, avocado, and banana, as well as fusion cuisine like kimchi and Portuguese sausage. The restaurant caters to health-conscious and indulgent tastes alike. You’ll find a wide range of light fare with superfoods such as bowls with eggs and avocado or sweet and decadent breakfast items like pancakes with fruit and powdered sugar and custard French toast with cinnamon. To reach Over Easy, take HI-61 north out of Honolulu for about 12 miles.

Mitsu-Ken is a delicious Japanese-style breakfast and brunch restaurant. You’ll find a wide array of breakfast and brunch options at Mitsu-Ken, whether you’re looking for the traditional or inventive, such as bento boxes and pupu platters. If you’re in the mood for internationally inspired foods for breakfast or brunch, you’ll have your choice of curry-based dishes, pork adobo, teriyaki beef or pork, and shoyu chicken. Mitsu-Ken also serves sushi, salads, and loco moco, a must-try Hawaiian staple. The a la carte menu has a lot of treats as well, such as Spam musubi, garlic chicken musubi, and Kalua pig. The restaurant is located about 4 miles north of downtown Honolulu.

Helena's Hawaiian Food is a family-owned restaurant that’s been in operation for over 60 years. The restaurant is a local favorite for both residents and tourists and has received numerous awards throughout the years. If you want to sample Hawaiian staple foods, Helena’s Hawaiian Food, located 2.5 miles from the heart of downtown, is the place to go. You’ll find everything from poi and rice to Kalua pig and luau squid. Also serves a lot of unique seafood dishes, such as butterfish collar, poke fish, and opihi.

Palace Saimin is an authentic Japanese saimin restaurant that serves the popular Hawaiian-style noodle dish. You can try a variety of saimin and wonton options, BBQ sticks, and soup made with green onion and sweet pork, known as char siu. Another popular dish at Palace Saimin is udon, a type of thick noodle. You can have a combination of saimin and udon with saidon, or have a full combination with saimin, udon, and wonton. Located 2 minutes from the center of downtown, Palace Saimin offers takeout and dine-in options and provides multiple portion sizes for single or family meals.

Liliha Bakery is a full-service bakery and diner that’s been open since 1950. The bakery serves fresh cakes and pastries prepared with local Hawaiian ingredients and traditional recipes. Liliha Bakery has multiple locations, and one of them is just 2 miles from downtown. You’ll find a little of everything at Liliha Bakery, from sweet breakfasts like hot cakes and waffles to classic egg dishes, loco moco, meatloaf, and hamburger. The menu offers a variety of seafood, such as mahi-mahi and tuna, and Spam dishes. You’ll also find baked goods like cupcakes, muffins, danishes, puffs, and premade and custom cakes.

Ethel's Grill is a charming Japanese restaurant that has been in operation since 1978. The restaurant specializes in Japanese-inspired comfort food like hamburger steak, furikake saba plates, and tataki sashimi. Some of the restaurant’s most popular dishes include mochiko chicken, a dish of battered and fried chicken cutlets with sweet dipping sauce, and oyakodon, a savory chicken and egg dish. If you prefer lighter fare, you can get ahi tataki or saimin with or without wontons. White rice and sweet potatoes are available as sides. Ethel's is located about a 10-minute drive from the center of downtown.

Maguro Brothers is a lovely restaurant in a fish market with self-seating and fresh seafood. Inspired by Japanese cuisine, Maguro Brothers serves fresh fish, seafood, plate lunches, and traditional Japanese meals. Some of the most popular items on the menu include grilled ahi belly, chu-toro donburi, Maguro donburi, and spicy mayo ahi. If you want to try poke on your trip, you can choose from a variety of dishes prepared with ahi or pork. Maguro Brothers also serves sushi. You'll find the restaurant about 15 minutes south from downtown Honolulu.

The Pig and the Lady is a Vietnamese restaurant that incorporates Hawaiian flavors into classic Vietnamese dishes. The restaurant, just a mile from the heart of downtown, offers takeout and catering menus, as well as dine-in options. You’ll find a variety of unique options at The Pig and the Lady, such as Vietnamese papaya salad, chicken leg curry, Buddha stew, turmeric and lemongrass chicken, and oxtail pho. The restaurant offers unique desserts as well, such as pineapple and lime malasada, macaron sandwiches, and avocado yuzu tarts.