67 Best Restaurants in USA

This reliable spot for tasty Hawaiian barbecue also serves plenty of pork and other meaty fare, plus Chinese, Korean, and fusion dishes. Breakfast is served all day, and delivery is available.

Come hungry: there’s a reason the line is usually out the door at this popular hole-in-the-wall eatery in a shopping center downtown. Not only does the Hawaiian comfort food hit the spot, it’s affordable and served in sizable portions. The heavily “local” menu items include fresh fish specials, poke bowls, and kalua pork hash served with fried rice and eggs.

Started by Helen Chock and now run by her grandson, this casual, unassuming spot is an iconic stop for classic Hawaiian food. You can skip the hotel luau and come here for authentic kalua pig, lomi lomi salmon, poi, pipikaula (salted and dried) beef short ribs, haupia (a Jell-O-like coconut pudding), and more. Order at the counter and sit down, but you won't wait long, as Helena's is known for its efficency

This place focuses on what it does best: local favorites like kalbi ribs (Korean barbecue beef short ribs), kalua (roasted in an underground oven) pork sliders, beef stew, and old-fashioned hamburger steaks. It's also a great spot to try poi (the pudding-like dish made of pounded taro). The restaurant can gets crowded, so expect to wait for a table.

A Kona icon since 1969, family-owned Huggo's is one of the few restaurants in town with prices and atmosphere comparable to the splurge restaurants at the Kohala Coast resorts. Dinner offerings sometimes fall short, considering the prices, but the pupus (appetizers) and small plates are usually a good bet. If you're on a budget or just want lunch, Huggo's on the Rocks, next door, is a popular outdoor bar in the sand, and the burgers are pretty darn good, too. It's also Kailua-Kona's hot spot for cocktails and live music nightly.

The placid younger sibling of boisterous Duke's, downstairs, resembles an open-air, plantation-period summer home with kitschy decor, stone-flagged floors, warm wood, and floral prints. The food is carefully prepared and familiar—with the occasional intriguing Asian touch—and dishes include steaks, locally caught grilled fish, and a few island-inspired options, such as loco moco and tropical pancakes. Request a lanai or window table to enjoy the fabulous views of Diamond Head and the beach. Sometimes the music from Duke's resonates from below, allowing diners to enjoy it without the chaos of the bar.

Recharge for more adventure with coffee, chocolate, shave ice, and boba drinks at this family-owned and operated spot in an old sugar mill garage. The owner crafts the all-natural syrups with organically grown mango, papaya, pineapple, and passion fruit.

Unassuming from the outside, this small, local-style plate-lunch eatery serves top-quality, genuine Hawaiian specialties in Hilo. All the staples are here, from kalua pork (slow-cooked and pulled) to shoyu chicken (cooked in a sauce including fermented soy sauce), loco moco (meat, rice, and eggs smothered in gravy), and pork adobo. Order at the takeout window and grab a seat at one of the picnic tables outside.

Pahoa Town isn't known for gourmet dining choices, but Kaleo's is pretty sophisticated for a small-town restaurant and remains a local favorite. Hawaiian-inspired fare blends the gamut of the island's international influences with tempura ahi rolls, grilled burgers, and catch of the day. Nightly entertainment makes this the place to be on a laid-back Pahoa evening. Sit on the porch and watch the goings-on in Pahoa Town.

This is a popular local hangout, and not just because the kava drink makes you mellow. The Hawaiian proprietors, who have a certified organic farm in Hamakua, also serve traditional Hawaiian food, including fresh poke, bowls of healthy organic greens, opihi (limpets), and traditional Hawaiian laulau (pork or chicken wrapped in taro leaves and steamed). Organic kava root, used for relaxation, is harvested on the Hamakua Coast and transformed into a traditional, slightly bitter brew. Seating is at a premium, but don't be afraid to share a table and make friends. 

Part of a huge working cattle ranch—McCandless Ranch, founded in 1915—this homey country store offers bargain-priced shave ice delectably made with a traditional machine. You can order it with a variety of syrups and even add ice cream at the bottom of your cup. Portions are so large you will be challenged to finish it all before it melts. Fortunately, there's outdoor seating and abundant napkins. They carry lots of locally made crafts and souvenirs. 

Order freshly prepared Hawaiian and American meals—breakfast, lunch, and dinner—snacks, beer, and wine at the counter at this casual contemporary restaurant, coffee bar, and beer and wine bar in an upscale grocery store. The extensive and eclectic menus include something for everyone, from loco moco (white rice topped with a hamburger patty, brown gravy, and fried egg), plate lunches, and fresh-catch fish-and-chips to pizzas, burgers, salads, and sandwiches. The café closes at 4 pm, so pick up to-go dinners beforehand.

There's no atmosphere to speak of at this diner, and water is served in unbreakable plastic tumblers, but if you're searching for local fare—that undefinable fusion of ethnic cuisines—this is the place. Choose from "grindz" that include loco moco (meat, rice, and eggs smothered in gravy), oxtail soup, plate lunches, pork chops, steaks, saimin, stir-fry, and daily specials.

This chain of zero-ambience fast-food eateries serves Hawaiian-style barbecue to a heavily Hawaiian clientele (Las Vegas is known as the "ninth island" to Hawaiians). The plate lunch is the draw here, and considering that it comes with two scoops of rice and one of macaroni salad (along with whatever protein you'd like; the choices naturally include Spam), it's no surprise that there are so many guys walking around calling themselves the Big Kahuna. The former Taco Bell on Maryland was one of the first of now many locations in the Valley.

Locals and visitors in the know are hip to Lanai’s best-kept food secret, namely, the tasty bowls, smoothies, and juices from the Lanai Wai pop-up. Sometimes it serves from a food truck, sometimes it appears along a walking route near Sensei Resort, and sometimes you have to text to find out where to pick up your order (contactless options are available). Aςai-bowl lovers won’t want to miss the fresh, vibrant options made here.

In a vintage building dating from 1965, Magics offers an exhilarating oceanfront location overlooking the famous Disappearing Sands Beach, also known as Magic Sands. From fried ulu (breadfruit) wedges in umami truffle oil aioli to firecracker fish tacos and mushroom pasta, the eclectic menu features intriguing choices using locally sourced ingredients with contemporary island flair. The same owners operate the Beach Shack right on-site, which has limited hours but serves drinks and local takeout favorites such as Spam musubi (Spam "sushi") and poke bowls. Come for cocktails at sunset: the setting simply does not get better.

The main restaurant at Disney's Aulani resort offers three-course breakfast and dinner menus with a wide variety of locally produced items, as well as familiar dishes from stateside and the rest of the world. You'll find sustainable Hawaiian seafood, Asian selections, familiar grilled meats and vegetables. Arrive early for dinner and have a drink at the adjacent Olelo Room, where the staff are fluent in Hawaiian; you can get a language lesson along with your libation.

The best place to grab a snack or picnic supplies is this store, 16 miles east of Kaunakakai. It's the only place on the east end where you can find essentials such as ice and bread, and not-so-essentials such as seafood plate lunches, bentos, burgers, shakes, and refreshing smoothies. It can get hopping at lunch; call ahead to place an order if you can.  

Yes, the popovers and the wee cups of bouillon are available at lunch, but in every other regard, the menu at this Neiman Marcus restaurant departs from the classic model, incorporating a clear sense of Pacific place. The breezy, open-air veranda, with a view of Ala Moana Regional Park, the twirling ceiling fans, and the life-size hula-girl murals say "Hawaii." It's still a spot for ladies who lunch, but it also welcomes a more casual crowd.

The garlic chicken may haunt your dreams, so it's worth the trek to a downscale neighborhood to find this unprepossessing takeout joint. Line up, order the plate lunch with rice and salad, and sink your teeth into the profoundly garlicky masterpiece drizzled with a sweet glaze. Obsessed locals line up at dawn to get takeout for lunch.  To avoid the wait, call in your order ahead of time.

In the hip SALT complex, Moku appeals to both foodies and families with authentic farm-to-table cuisine and a laid-back, urban setting. It's one of legendary chef Peter Merriman's restaurants (he's one of the founding chefs of Hawaii regional cuisine) and focuses on upcountry farm fare cooked in the on-site rotisserie; pizzas, salads, and sandwiches; and craft cocktails. Happy hour and evening music can sometimes get really loud, so if you want to chat, ask to be seated away from the entertainment.

The name of this casual, homey restaurant is the English translation of waialae (meaning a gathering spot around a watering hole). Renowned chef Ed Kenney explores modern interpretations of the Hawaiian foods he remembers from his childhood with an ever-changing locavore menu. Besides the dining room, you can sit at the bar or on the lanai. Spread out and talk story with your neighbor. That's what inspired Kenney to open the place, after all.

The signature restaurant of the Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas has casual open-air seating that perfectly complements an island-style menu sure to please a wide range of diners. Grilled rib eye is served with bacon-and-sour cream mashed potatoes, while the chicken—smoked kalua style—is accompanied by Molokai sweet potatoes. Lunch options include a plate lunch. The food is well executed and service is friendly. 

A local favorite, this lunchroom-style café has picnic tables in the landscaped front yard where you can watch the town drive by, plus a few more tables in the no-frills interior. The menu includes local favorites like kimchi fried rice, as well as massive plate lunches and daily specials.

Named after a seasonal local fish, Opakapaka is the only oceanside restaurant on Kauai's North Shore and is a great place to stop for a meal or a quick bite on the way to or from Haena State Park and Kee Beach. The longtime community gathering hub serves local fish and seafood, burgers, steaks (try the rib eye), and pasta; add shrimp to your salads and fried rice sides.

This low-key, no-frills café offers local plate lunch options and classics such as loco moco (meat, rice, and eggs smothered in gravy), alongside new inventions like crab curry bisque. The prices are very affordable, and the portions are huge. The fresh-fish plate is decent, and all meals are served with fries or rice and macaroni salad. It's a good place to stop for a last-minute bite—breakfast, lunch, or dinner—before catching your flight back to the mainland.

Puka means a small space in Hawaiian, and this little takeout eatery certainly fits the bill. This is where you can experience authentic local fare such as lunch plates, a chicken katsu plate, or onolicious (delicious) fish-and-chips. It's within walking distance of the Hilo Farmers Market.

This fine-dining restaurant overlooks the rim of Kilauea Caldera and the expansive Halemaumau Crater. Featuring two bars (one of which is adjacent to a lounge) and live entertainment nightly, the restaurant highlights island-inspired cuisine and locally sourced ingredients. Families will appreciate the gourmet pizza on the lunch menu, or the daily breakfast buffet featuring omelets and waffles. To-go meals are also an option. Before dinner, you can sit in front of the fireplace in the lobby or peruse the gift store in search of volcano-themed souvenirs. The hot buttered rum recipe was created by a bartender at Volcano House in the 1950s. It's the perfect cocktail on a cool Volcano evening.

Locals know the seafood counter at Sack N Save Kona is the place to get delicious, affordable poke. Sample and then choose from a variety of freshly made poke salad selections. You can order 1/3-pound with a warm rice bowl for only $7.99. It's the best poke deal in town.

It may sound strange, but the takeout seafood counter tucked in the back of this grocery store serves some of the finest poke in Hilo. For $13 a bowl, you get enough seafood on a steaming pile of rice to feed two people. This place offers premium poke at an affordable price, along with an array of seasonings and homemade sauces.