From Kona poke bowls to Hilo hole-in-the-walls, here are the best restaurants on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi. Local picks, addresses, hours, and tips for every budget.
Skip the resort restaurants. Years of eating across Kauaʻi, plus the saimin, poke, and family-run spots locals actually love, from Līhuʻe to Hanalei.
Ten years of eating on Maui, distilled into the plate lunches, fish markets, and old-school spots we keep going back to.
Oʻahu’s vegan scene grew up fast. Here are the tofu poke bowls, acai counters, and plant-based plate lunches worth actually showing up for.
Great steak on an island? Yes. An honest list of Oʻahu steakhouses worth the splurge, from Waikīkī classics to Kakaʻako newcomers.
Warm malasadas, fresh pandesal, flaky pineapple turnovers. The Oʻahu bakeries locals line up for before the sun is up.
Walk Honolulu’s Chinatown like a local. Dim sum at dawn, lei shops, bubble tea, dive bars, and the stops no guided tour bothers to show you.
Free things to do on Oʻahu that are actually fun. Hikes, lookouts, markets, and spots that beat most paid attractions on the island.
Hungry past 10pm in Honolulu? Ramen counters, Korean BBQ, diners, and food trucks still open when the rest of Oʻahu is dark.
PCS to Hawaiʻi? A military spouse and local shares the discounts, commissary hacks, and free base perks most families never hear about.
Island-by-island guide to the farmers markets locals actually shop at. Fresh poi, tropical fruit, just-caught fish, and the best Saturday mornings in Hawaiʻi.
Most people see the Arizona and leave. Five Pearl Harbor sites tour buses skip, and why they are worth your day.
Honolulu does not have to be expensive. Plate lunches, saimin counters, and food trucks serving real food for under fifteen bucks.
Not every luau is worth your money. The luaus on each island that actually honor the culture, plus the ones we tell friends to skip.