Top 5 Places to Eat on Oʻahu: Braddah Brand’s Food Guide for Your Hawaiʻi Trip

Aloha, friends. Braddah Brand here.

Everybody comes to Oʻahu for the beaches. The smart ones come back for the food. Problem is, a lot of visitors only eat where the big signs and the hotel lobby point them, and they fly home never knowing what real local grinds taste like.

So here’s my list. Five spots, no fluff. A couple you drive out of town for, a couple are no-frills counters, and one is a lunch wagon that’s done by 10 in the morning. Every single one is the kind of place locals actually line up for. Bring your appetite, and maybe some stretchy shorts.

1. Tanioka’s Seafoods & Catering (Waipahu)

Come for: poke. Stay for: everything else in the case.

Tanioka’s has been feeding Waipahu since 1978, when Mel Tanioka opened a little fish market and started mixing poke. Today it’s a family institution, and when Honolulu Magazine ranked the island’s best poke, Tanioka’s took the No. 1 spot.

Walk in and you’ll see a long case full of poke, around 30 kinds on a good day. Start with the ʻahi onion limu, the classic. If the spicy marlin is in the case, get some of that too. Then do what every local does and grab a few extras: ahi patties, a cone sushi, a couple pieces of mochiko chicken, and a Spam musubi for later. Trust me, later comes fast.

Braddah’s tip: Buy your poke by the pound, grab some rice, and take it to the beach. That’s a better picnic than any resort will sell you.

Read our full spotlight: Tanioka’s: Come for the Poke, Stay for Everything Else.

Where: 94-903 Farrington Hwy, Waipahu
When: Wednesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
Phone: (808) 671-3779

2. Nico’s Pier 38 (Honolulu waterfront)

Come for: fish that was swimming yesterday.

Here’s the thing about Nico’s: it sits right by the Honolulu Fish Auction, where the island’s commercial catch gets sold every morning. The restaurant has its own buyer there, so the fish doesn’t travel far. It started in 2004 as a small plate-lunch counter on the docks, run by Nico Chaize, a chef from Lyon, France, and grew into a big open-air restaurant with a full bar overlooking the harbor.

The dish everybody talks about is the furikake pan-seared ʻahi, the one that got Nico’s on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Order it. Then walk over to the fish market counter, where they sell fresh poke (spicy ʻahi, shoyu and more) and smoked fish to go.

Braddah’s tip: Nico’s does breakfast, lunch and dinner. Go for lunch, sit by the water, and watch the fishing boats come and go. Very Honolulu.

Where: 1129 N. Nimitz Hwy, Honolulu (Pier 38)
When: Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Check nicospier38.com for current hours.

3. Ululani’s Hawaiian Shave Ice (Kapahulu)

Come for: the softest shave ice you’ve ever had.

First thing: it’s shave ice, not shaved ice. Say it right and the aunties will smile at you.

Ululani’s started on Maui and built a cult following there before opening on Oʻahu in 2023, on Kapahulu Avenue right across from Leonard’s Bakery. What makes it special is the details. They make their ice from purified water, shave it super fine and fluffy, and poke holes in it with chopsticks so the syrup soaks all the way down instead of pooling on top. The purées use seasonal local fruit.

Go classic with strawberry, or try local flavors like li hing mui, Thai tea or habanero mango. Then load it up: a scoop of ice cream on the bottom, mochi balls, and a drizzle of haupia (coconut) cream on top. That’s how you do it.

Braddah’s tip: You’re right across the street from Leonard’s. Grab a box of malasadas for the ride home. You’re on vacation. Nobody’s counting.

Where: 909 Kapahulu Ave, Honolulu
When: Open daily, typically late morning into the evening. Check current hours before you go.

4. Lee’s Breakfast Wagon (Waipiʻo, Waipahu)

Come for: a real local breakfast. Come early.

This one is my secret weapon. Lee’s is a lunch wagon parked off Ka Uka Boulevard near the Waipiʻo Costco, and it serves the kind of breakfast that local workers line up for before their shift. No fancy menu, no Instagram wall. Just big portions, fair prices and food that hits.

People rave about the crispy Spam, the bacon and the corned beef hash. Get a plate with rice and eggs, or grab a Spam, egg and cheese sandwich to eat in the car. The crew is friendly, and regulars say they remember your order after a couple visits.

Braddah’s tip: Bring cash, and get there early. Popular items sell out, and the wagon wraps up around 10 a.m. Call ahead for pickup if you’re in a rush.

Where: 94-1231 Ka Uka Blvd, Waipahu (near the Waipiʻo Costco)
When: Monday to Friday, about 5 a.m. to 10 a.m.; Saturday, about 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Closed Sunday.
Phone: (808) 800-1630
Payment: Cash only

5. Soon’s Kal Bi Drive In (Salt Lake, Honolulu)

Come for: Korean barbecue plate lunch, local style.

Korean food is a huge part of Hawaiʻi’s local plate lunch scene, and Soon’s is a longtime Salt Lake favorite for it. It’s a no-frills, mostly takeout spot in a neighborhood shopping center, the kind of place you’d drive right past if nobody told you about it. Consider yourself told.

The move is the kalbi, sweet and savory marinated short ribs off the grill. Regulars also swear by the meat jun, thin slices of beef dipped in egg batter and fried, plus the BBQ chicken and mandoo (dumplings). Can’t decide? Get a combo plate and share.

Braddah’s tip: Soon’s is only a few minutes from the airport. Make it your first meal when you land or your last one before you fly home. Seating is limited, so plan on takeout, and bring some cash just in case.

Where: 898 Ala Lilikoi St, Honolulu (Salt Lake)
When: Open daily from 10 a.m. into the evening. Check current hours before you go.
Phone: (808) 836-7665

Eat all five in one day? Here’s how.

Ambitious? I respect that. Pick a Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday (that’s when both Lee’s and Tanioka’s are open), and follow this route:

1. Early morning: Breakfast at Lee’s in Waipiʻo. Get there before 9.
2. Mid-morning: Ten minutes down the road to Tanioka’s when it opens at 9. Poke and pūpū for later.
3. Lunch: Head into town for Nico’s at Pier 38 and that furikake ʻahi.
4. Afternoon: Beach time in Waikīkī, then up to Kapahulu for Ululani’s shave ice.
5. Dinner: Kalbi plates at Soon’s in Salt Lake. Take them back to your room and call it a win.

Hours change, so double-check each spot before you go. And whatever you do, don’t fill up at the first stop. Pace yourself, brah.

Hungry for more? Read more Best Of picks and stories from around the islands. Run a local spot that belongs on a list like this? Tell us about it.

Details in this guide draw on each business’s own website and on reporting from Honolulu Magazine, Hawaii Magazine and the Punahou Bulletin, plus public listings. Hours and payment options change, so confirm before you go. All photos are illustrative and were not taken at these businesses. Top photo: Carlo Carrasco, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.