Helena's is a non-negotiable when visiting Oahu! This is one of my fiance and I's favorite…read morerestaurant on the island. Everyone we visit this is the first place we go before checking into our stay! It's conveniently close to the airport and on the way to Waikiki. Our favorite that we must order everyone is the pipikuala ribs! Between two people I think the large is a perfect size. It comes with 8 pieces and perfect to share. They're so flavorful with the perfect amount of fat and not dry at all. You must eat it with the raw onion on the side dipped in Hawaiian salt! Soooo so good My other favorite item is the butterfish collar. So buttery and crisp to perfection. Super juicy as well! Squad lau and Kaula pork is a must too. Can't go wrong with anything tbh. The service is attentive and friendly. They were constantly refilling our waters and asking if we're good. Food always came out really quick too. 100/10 recommend Helena's to anyone looking to try real authentic Hawaiian food.

We really enjoyed our visit to Helena's Hawaiian Food; especially since we were able to find…read moreparking right in front. We arrived after the lunch rush, so we didn't have to wait for a table. The restaurant is located in a vintage strip mall right off the main highway. The interior is clean and very basic. We ordered several items and enjoyed them all. Helena's is a great spot to enjoy classic Hawaiian food; especially when you can easily find a parking spot.

If you want authentic Hawaiian food please come here…read more I got the plantation plate with the short ribs the chicken and grilled marlin with rice and a side salad. 10/10 everything. I was seated right away at the bar, the lady working the bar was so funny and sweet she made my day today. You can tell a lot of locals come here definitely worth going here for food and trying local Hawaiian cuisine.

We've visited this restaurant before and did enjoy the food and the atmosphere. It's a great place…read morefor family and always enjoyed the desserts. Also, the people truly resonate the aloha spirit. However, this morning's visit was very disappointing. We brought our family from Guam to try this place and experience authentic Hawaiian cuisine. But at the very beginning of the visit it was already turned sour. It was packed and there were tons of people waiting outside; therefore, my parents who were elderly sat outside to wait for our table. The lobby was packed with people waiting-understandable coz the place is popular. As people get seated, the waiting area has more vacant seat and I wanted my parents to come in. However, the hostess raised her voice and said demandingly to shut the door. I told her I'm letting my parents in. She just kept on saying to shut the door. I repeated myself that I'm making my parents come in and wait inside rather than baking outside the entrance. She just kept on mumbling until my parents sat with me at the waiting area. I tried to explain to her that I was not trying to keep the door open, I was waiting for my parents to get in. They're old so they move slow. She did not apologize she just kept saying the door needs to be closed. THIS IS TRULY DISAPPOINTING AND DISRESPECTFUL! The aloha spirit was not there. In addition, the whole experience was so sour that my family did not enjoy the food. We did not finish, we packed the food but was not able to eat them. It went to the trash! I'm hoping that a better host can help bring back the ALOHA!

The rain didn't dampen our mood nor did it stop us from getting a meal at one of our favorite plate…read morelunch spots in Honolulu. Rainbow has been a regular stop, sometimes more than once, every time we come to Oahu. There are regular plates I always order and the roast pork with gravy is one of them. This is not served everyday but my go-to when they have it. I also really like their loco moco. The lines are usually long but move quick. There are plenty of tables outside to eat at. I saw that they offer online ordering on Toast so placed an order on our drive over. It was packed and ready when we got there. This meal hit the spot and was plenty for me to make two meals out of. I heart Rainbow!

Food is decent and the portions are good too. Priced fair and probably better than most of the…read moreplaces around.. We went twice and both times the service was just blah. It is very busy and obviously tough to keep clean at times but overall, I would suggest anyone to try it if in the area.

Side Street Inn's Beach Walk location in Waikīkī was fantastic for a family meal with my mom, dad,…read moreand fiancée. We were seated quickly, and our server consistently checked on us throughout the night. The family-style portions were perfect for our group--the Chinese chicken salad, tender kalbi, pan-fried pork chops, garlic chicken, and 'Works' fried rice were all incredible. Beyond the stellar food and hospitality, the kamaʻāina discount and free validated parking in the Bank of Hawaii garage make this an unbeatable spot in town.

Incredible Happy Hour & Fantastic Local Bites!…read more If you are in Waikiki, do not miss the Happy Hour at Side Street Inn on Beach Walk! We stopped in during their Happy Hour and ordered a spread of their small plates to try a bit of everything--and every single dish knocked it out of the park. We loved being able to sample so many iconic Hawaii flavors in smaller portions. Highlights for our table: Garlic Fries: Generous portion, crispy, and packed with savory garlic flavor. Pork Chops & Garlic Chicken: Golden, crispy, perfectly seasoned, and incredibly flavorful. Teri Beef: Tender, juicy, and perfectly grilled. The service was friendly, fast, and warm, and the relaxed vibe makes it the perfect place to unwind after a day out. Side Street Inn continues to set the standard for local comfort food--we'll definitely be back next time we're in Honolulu!

Best Hawaiian food on Oahu. PERIOD!…read more Helena's lost my vote last time I came home from their mediocre taste, texture, and TINY portions. Take the drive to Waiahole, grab yourself some ono Hawaiian food, and don't forget to save room for dessert! Sweet Lady of Waiahole is a MUST and definitely does not disappoint! Service is always great, food is consistently tasty, and can't beat the outdoor dining!

We enjoyed our stop at the Waiahole Poi Factory on our round island trip with an out of town…read morefriend. Heard that this is the place for warm kulolo with haupia ice cream. I've never had kulolo before and it was a warm fudge-like sweet treat made from taro. the sweet lady of waiahole was topped off with yummy haupia ice cream! What a delight on our journey. We also tried the 4oz poi which was served cold and was more gelatinous than I am used to poi being. Great find and worth the stop if you're in the area. They also serve Hawaiian food plates which we didn't order. Large parking lot, tables to enjoy your food at, a bathroom, and a small souvenir shop.

Deliciously delectable! The freshest and most flavorful poke nachos! My life has been enhanced by…read moreKehau's Kitchen and my palate has been dazzled! I will come back for more next time I'm in O'ahu!

Everything about Kehau's Kitchen is AMAZING! The service, the food, and the family atmosphere. It…read moreis always so welcoming when I come here! The Lau Lau Combo is my absolute FAVORITE!!!! Gloria at the front definitely makes you feel like your with family!

This is my go-to whenever I'm in Hawaii! There's multiple different locations throughout but this…read morespecific one is usually close to our hotel. No seats at this establishment. It's a grab and go type place. There's normally always a line but it moves quickly. We usually would go at least twice during our trip. One time to grab breakfast or snacks for the beach and we would always grab a bunch before flying home. It would last us a few days even after coming home to Cali. There are many different type of selections but my fave is the classic teriyaki spam musubi. You cannot go wrong! I also really enjoy the spicy cod roe rice ball. They also sell some cute bags and other spam related items. Definitely worth checking out when on the island!

With over 5k Yelp reviews I of course had to try it. I'm not a Musubi expert but it was indeed…read moresatisfying. I also got their $12 poke bowl just to go off the beaten path. Very simple. $12 is what it was worth. The salmon egg ball had very few eggs. The eel, spam, egg Musubi was an awesome breakfast. Took a while even with only 7 or 8 people in line about 15+ min to get to the cashier but they are quick to finish your order in about a couple minutes once you order. All things considered I'm going to go out on a limb from most other reviewers and go 4.4 stars. 5 stars for my non-expert opinion on the Musubi but the ball and poke bowl were not 5-star worthy and the fact it's a hole in the wall doesn't earn bonus stars in my book.

A bit too saucy for my liking, but still fresh good quality fish…read more They charge extra for rice and side seaweed Not lots of parking if you come during lunch hours

Parking is pretty tight, and the service wasn't very kind. The food overall was okay. The best…read morething I ordered was the pastele fries. They had so much flavor from the brisket, sauce, and toppings. The fish didn't taste very fresh, although we did come near closing. The fried chicken was also disappointing. It didn't really taste like fried chicken and reminded me more of pork rinds because of the texture and flavor.

My husband and I came here because we were around the area for the swap meet. We were hungry and…read morefound this gem. Let me tell you, the service and food did not disappoint! I ordered the smoked chicken with rice and Mac salad and my husband ordered the smoked mix plate with salmon belly and short ribs. Everything was delicious and flavorful! Food came out fast and the ambiance was chill. Owner was very friendly too. Parking was limited but there is side parking. Needless to say, we will be coming back here! Ps: we didn't get to take pictures, too hungry lol

We found this place by accident when we were in Oahu during spring break. We had a little while…read morebefore our Airbnb was ready, and we were starving. This happened to be on the way to our destination. All of us got the smoked pork plate, with rice and mac salad. Yummy!! It's one of their most popular dishes/plates, and I can taste why. Service was quick and friendly. Seating was great too, as you could look out over the street, ask the windows are open to let in the nice breeze. It was hard to find at first (based on our map), but found that the entrance is at the back of the building, and it's located on the second floor. Definitely recommend this place if you're near Waikiki

Da Ono is a great local spot for Hawaiian (and Korean!) food…read more The shop itself is small and unassuming, with only a few tables. It's located next to Overlord Chicken in Kapahulu; Parking is so difficult to find in this neighborhood. I had low expectations going into it, as it was dead empty when we went for dinner, and because of their AI-generated menu.... However, they nailed all the things we ordered: Poke, Kalbi, Pork Laulau, and Chicken Long Rice. Perhaps not the best ___ on the island, but they were all decent.

Good local Hawaiian food restaurant. Street parking only. Small restaurant I believe it was Ono…read moreHawaii on Kapahulu before. Now it is named the Da Ono Hawaiian Foods. Either the owner or the manager seemed like a one man show. He was the server, bus boy, and chef. Husband got the pipikalua short ribs/he enjoyed. Sisters got the pork lau lau which came with sweet potato, rice or poi, lomi lomi salmon (more onion and tomato than salmon). i got the chicken lau lau, again stuffed with chicken, not enough taro leaves. The Haupia was smoky, so either burnt or something- inedible! Only six tables in the entire restaurant. The gentleman that was serving us I believe was also the bus boy, cook, server and cashier! Place is a hole in the wall with missing ceiling tiles and exposed panels above our table (gross!!). Sis loves this dive so we keep coming back!