hawaiian local restaurants
 

Hi. Looking for recommendations for affordable/moderately priced restaurants on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island, preferrably frequently by the locals, not the in big fancy hotels.

Thank you.

there is a recent post about Maui restaurants

On Oahu, Aiea Chop Suey is a great place for chinese: chicken salad, Lemon chicken and noodle dishes are all great. In a strip mall in Aiea above teh Pearl Harbor tour location, great for lunch or dinner (have old time lazy susan tables for sharing.)

Plate lunches (meat, mac salad sticky rice) are really the way to go to eat like a local. Eat Street (iphone app) canhelp you locate teh best Food trucks...Opal Thai is one of my favorites on Oahu.

If you can go to a Festival (they have lots) you will get a taste of Hawaii flavor at a reasonable price..

On the Big Island, I can recommend Jackie Rey's in Kaua Kona, Mi's Italian and Keei Cafe. The latter two are over by Captain Cook.

Bill

The Wailana Coffee House is across the street from Hilton Hawaiian Village, and we like Sam Choy's out by Hilo Hattie's main store. I'm not sure how they are considered by locals, but they are not big or fancy or expensive.

We take the free Hilo Hattie's tram out to the shop, buy some souvenirs, eat at Sam Choy's, and then take the tram back to Waikiki.

On the Big Island in Kona, we always like to eat on the fantastic patio overlooking the ocean, at the Kona Inn restaurant. Great daily fresh fish sandwiches, burgers, cole slaw, etc. The restaurant inside is more expensive, and we prefer the outdoor seating better.

http://www.windandsearestaurants.com/konainn/home.htm

Sorry, forgot to say they are on Oahu.

Thanks, folks.

Here are some restaurants we like
Sam Choy’s--http://www.samchoy.com/ good Hawaiian regional cuisine
Patz at Paparoni’s—good pizza—on hwy 11 just south of where Napoopoo Road t’s into the highway
Super J’s—Mamalahoa Hwy (highway 11) http://hawaii-big-island.eventseekr....s/venue/703318 small menu – only Hawaiian food--the most wonderful woman runs this place—get the laulau plate which will give you a chance to try poi—she makes the best!
Kona Coffeehouse & Café at Honounou—breakfast and lunch only—if you’re visiting Place of Refuge (Pu’uhonua o Honounou) as you leave the Refuge go straight up the road to the highway—the restaurant is right at the top of the road http://konahomesteadcoffee.com/?page_id=44
Coffee Shack—Mamalahoa Hwy bt mile markers 109-108 http://www.coffeeshack.com/
Manago Hotel dining room in south Kona—you’ll be eating with the locals—inexpensive—usually have good fresh fish

Kona Brewing Company—in Kailua--http://www.konabrewingco.com/ a little hard to find (if you’re going south on highway 19 toward Kailua Kona—turn right on Kaiwi (before you get to the main intersection at Palani) then, in a few blocks, turn left on Pawai and follow it to the end which is the Kona Brewing Company parking lot—good pizza
http://konabrewingco.com/
Rapanui Island Café in Kailua http://www.yelp.com/biz/rapanui-isla...-kona?start=80
Ken’s House of Pancakes http://kenshouseofpancakes-hilohi.com/ extensive menu—good place to try loco moco, a local dish
Hilo Bay Café http://www.hilobaycafe.com/index.html- nice place for lunch in Hilo—a little pricy
Hana Hou in Naalehu http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hana-H.../276086541853- if you’re driving Volcano-to Kailua via the southern route
Village Burger—in Parker Ranch country in Waimea http://www.villageburgerwaimea.com/ I love the red veal burger

Great suggestions - and I love the poke at Sam Choy's. You can also get good plate lunces in a number of places - and just ask some of the locals where they like to eat. If you like Sushi - you can also get takeout from several different places - and they are not that expensive.

Also - go to Chinatown in Hono for some good chow.

Oh my recs are all on the BI

In Waikiki- Rainbow Drive-In, Ono Hawaiian Foods, ME Korean BBQ, Blue Water Shrimp (IMP & truck on Kuhio), any of the food courts (IMP, Ala Moana, Royal Hawaiian). Anywhere that serves "plate lunch".

Quite honestly though where I notice more "locals" frequenting is just as likely the fast food places, the ABC and grocery stores, rather than sit-down restaurants.

Another place that's great in Kona and is also frequented by locals is Huggo's on The Rocks. It reqlly is right on the rocks at the shore. Good for lunch, and in the evenings they have live music. This is NOT the Huggo's Restaurant next door, which is open only for dinner, is expensive and, we thought, not worth the price.

For Japanese food, go to Kenichi Pacific in the Keauhou Shopping Center. Not inexpensive, but quite good and not outrageous prices. Avoid Drysdale's. Miserable food.

In Hawi, although it is a tourist place, Bamboo is not expensive, has excellent Asian-Hawaiin-Pacific food and is a fun, funky place. They have Hawaiian music on weekends at dinner, but you have to reserve for that.

If you go up the hill from Kona to Holualoa, an artsy village, try the Haluakoa Cafe. Good food for lunch in a covered outdoor setting.

charnees, is Kenichi Pacific related to Kenichi in Aspen? My DH loves that restaurant. Very pricey, though, at least in Aspen.

We just drove by the Kenichi in Keauhou today and in the window it listed Aspen as one of its other locations.

Yes, Kenichi has several restaurants. I agree it is not inexpensive. We regard it as a place to go for a treat, although compared to the places in the resorts, it is not that expensive.

As I suggested on another thread,forget Kona Brewing, go to Huggo's on the Rocks; much better food, Kona Brewing Beer available, and KILLER view.

Also, fewer flies!