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Where to Eat and How to Move Around O'ahu?
Photo by Brandon Karaca| Unsplash
Aloha! Are you planning on making a trip to O'ahu in Hawaii? If you do you may legitimately wonder how you will care for basic and essential necessities like food or transportation there. That article is there just for that! Hopefully, it will be help you.
Updated: 5/18/2026
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Where to eat in Honolulu/O'ahu?
Food is often an essential part in traveling. It can be a whole part of tourism as well as a simple necessity for any normal human being. But often, people wonder where they can eat, or where can they eat on a budget? Here is a guide to food in Honolulu. We don’t have the presumption to say it has everything, but it can definitely help you.
Food Halls
If you like to have the choice, you will be glad to know that there is a lot of food halls available in Honolulu. These often features local and chain restaurants.
Stix Asia
“Stix” is a food court located in Waikiki. The food hall focuses on asian food from different countried including Korean, Vietnamese or Japanese food. Most of the restaurants are pretty small, but the general atmosphere of Stix is pleasant. The food hall is not too difficult to locate. You will need to find the Waikiki Shopping Plaza and an escalator can lead you to the food hall.
Our Comments
We ate there once and had a good time. The place was clean, prices fair (depends on the person, of course) and not too busy.
Address: 2250 Kalākaua Ave Lower Level 100, Honolulu, HI 96815
Royal Hawaiian Center’s Food Court
The Royal Hawaiian Center's food hall is another great food hall with a wide variety of restaurants. This include some well known restaurants chains as well as standalone restaurants. The food hall is located at the second flood or the building.
Address: 2201 Kalākaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815
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Makai Market Food Court (Ala Moana Center)
Located within the Ala Moana Center (10min drive from Waikiki), the Makai Market Food Court include dozens of restaurants of all type. If you look for diversity, this is your place. Most fast chain restaurants are located at the level 1 of the mall. Most of sit-down restaurants are found at the level 4.
Address: 1450 Ala Moana Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96814
International Market place
The Royal Hawaiian Center has a foodcourt, and so does the International Market Place. The mall has plenty of options to eat including restaurants on the first and third floor, or a little grocery store (mentioned a bit later) on the second floor. The center also has a Target. The choice offered by the store is limited though.
Address: 2330 Kalākaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815
Local Restaurants
If you are like us, you might like to discover a place's culture by trying the local food. What are the best restaurants in Honolulu? In the next section, we will introduce you to local chain and standalone restaurants.
L&L Hawaiian Barbecue
Hawaii does have its own fast foods, and L&L may be one of the most well known. The fast food offers several different options, the most popular probably being the plates. These plates can contain different types of meat with a side like rice or the famous Hawaiian macaroni salad. If you are in Waikiki, you can find one in the Royal Hawaiian Center’s food court. You should find other restaurants easily around Honolulu.
Duke’s Restaurant-Bar
This place named after the famous Hawaiian surfer is one of the must do in Waikiki. It features both a bar and restaurant with ocean view, live music (during specific times) and a pretty cool atmosphere. The food there contains classic dishes like hamburgers, and more local specialties. One of the restaurant's most famous items is the Hula Pie made of ice cream, cookie and macadamia nuts.
The Duke’s is in the price of Waikiki. Be aware that Duke’s Restaurant works on a first come first served system. More precisely, you shouldn’t expect a waitress to guide you to an available table. You will need to walk in and find your table on your own — that also implies that it is not because you were there for longer than you will be the first to get a table. Since the restaurant features a high capacity of seating, you should be able to find a table fairly quickly. Once successful at getting a table, you can just wait for a waitress to come to your table.
Our Comment
We tried the Dukes on a Sunday evening and it was very busy, but we were able to get a small table for our party pretty quickly. However, that system to get tables can be a bit annoying. That being said, we had a great experience enjoying the sunset, and the food and drinks tasted good. The team of the restaurant was also very nice and efficient.
Grocery Stores
Oahu does have the mainstream stores like Target, Walmart or Safeway . However, you will quickly notice that they are not numerous on the island. So here are local stores to buy everyday food.
Foodland
Foodland is a friendly and convenient supermarket. It has basic ingredients and food as well as other basic items. There is not much to say about it. If you know stores like Smith or Krogers, it is very similar.
Foodland Farms
If Foodland grocery stores are regular stores, Foodland Farms is a bigger version of the store. Although it features everyday food, it also sells artisanal products in a "Whole food" style. There is two Foodland farms in Honolulu.
Kahala Mkt.
Kahala is owned by Foodland and the lone of that name. But it is actually a great place if you seek fresh and quality food. The selection is of good quality, but limited and pricier.
Mitsuwa Marketplace
This chain of Japanese grocery stores has one location in Waikiki in the International Marketplace. As a grocery store, it sells all types of food imported from Asia, and notably, prepared meals which can be a great option to eat. Additionally, the location in Waikiki has what we could call a mini food court with tables and restaurants.
Don Quijote
Another Japanese store, Don Quijote is a convenience store that offers a wide selection of food and other items. A lot of their items are very specific and some people praise their often cheaper prices.
Others:
Here is a list of other stores that can be found in Honolulu, most of them are chains from the mainland.
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Costco
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Walmart
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Target
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Safeway
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Whole Foods
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Times Supermarkets
Coffee Shops
Who does not love coffee? Well, actually there are a lot of people who don’t, but happily most coffee shops offer more than just coffee, and Honolulu is no exception. In Hawaii, you will find plenty of coffee shops. Of course, you will easily find big brands like Coffee Bean or Starbuck there, but there are also several locally owned brands that are really good. What are the best coffee shops in Honolulu? Here is a nonexhaustive list of good coffee shops:
Vintage Island Coffee
Vintage Island Coffee was founded in 1996 and has about 4 locations on O’ahu. They offer all types of beverages as well as foods, and all their coffee and coffee based brews are made of Kona Coffee (a Hawaiian coffee growing on volcanic slopes). It can be a bit expensive for budget travelers, but if you are able to, we definitely recommend it.
The Curb Kaimuki
The Curb Kaimuki located in...Kaimuki is known to serve some of the best coffees in Honolulu. Their coffee shop is known to be pleasant and the service generous. If you are looking for a good coffee and pass in the area, why not give it a look?
Address: 3408 Waialae Ave Suite 103, Honolulu, HI 96816
The Morning Glass Coffee
The Morning Glass is a little mix of coffee shop and restaurants, and it is very good at what it does. If you have ever dreamed of a good coffee paired with a breakfast, the whole with a cute little view of the Hawaiian mountai, The Morning Glass Coffee is right for you!
Address: 2955 E Manoa Rd, Honolulu, HI 96822
More Coffee Shops
Perhaps because Hawaii is the only American state to grow coffee, it has so many great coffee shops. Obviously, the aim of this article is not to cover them all, but if you would like more recommendations, we encourage you to check out those:
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TRY Coffee
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Kona Coffee Purveyors
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Arvo
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Kai Coffee
How to move around O’ahu?
Usually the second most asked question in a trip after “When do we eat?” is “How to get around?”. Okay, maybe this statement is not true, but as you plan your trip, you might think about how you will move around the island. Well, the fact that O’ahu is an island does not mean that transportation methods are limited. It is even the opposite, there are a lot of options.
Photo by Cristofer Maximilian | Unsplash
Driving In O’ahu
Driving is probably the most obvious way of moving around, and in Hawaii it stays one of the best options. Roads can get you nearly everywhere on the island, and it stays your best shot to get to more remote places in the island. However, we do understand all the stress that comes with driving, or simply the price of renting a car. But know that if you plan to drive in O’ahu, people drive well. Nonetheless, roads are narrower than in the US mainland, parking spots can be expensive and difficult to find in some areas, and traffic near Honolulu can be a real pain. It will be up to you to choose between the freedom offered by a car, versus the disadvantages of driving one.
The Bus Of Honolulu
Like most places, O’ahu features a bus. This bus called “TheBus” has stops a bit everywhere around the Island, most being in Honolulu. There is nothing much to say about this bus. You can see the fares here.
Skyline
Honolulu rail system recently opened. The ongoing project (scheduled to be fully completed in 2031) currently has 13 stations that can take you from Kualaka’i to Kahauiki. In the future, the Skyline should be able to go toward the center of Honolulu. The fares of the Skyline are (for the moment), the same as for the bus (see below). However, Skyline needs to be paid with a valid HOLO card.
HOLO Card
The HOLO Card is a reloadable transit card allowing you to ride TheBus and the Skyline in O’ahu. It costs an initial fee of $2 to get the card, and then you will pay the amount you wish to add on your transit card. With that, you will be able to pay for all your rides with these two systems by simply tapping the farebox at the beginning of your trips. The HOLO card can also be loaded with different passes mentioned earlier. Getting a HOLO card is simple, you can get some at the HOLO vending machines located at the Skyline stations or the Transit Pass Office and some participating stores.
Fares for TheBus & Skyline
Happily, TheBus and Skyline share the same fares. Here they are:
Single (Includes 2.5hours of unlimited transfers if paid with HOLO card): $3.00
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Day Cap: $7.50
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3-Day Pass: $20.00
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7-Day Pass: $35.00
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Month Cap: $80.00
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Month Pass: $80.00
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Annual Pass: $880.00
Some reduced fare programs are also available. You can go here for more information.
Waikiki Trolley
If you don’t want to drive, to walk, and are looking to stay in Waikiki or around, that may be your best option. The Waikiki trolley is a trolley operating in Waikiki and the surrounding areas with 4 main lines and 35 stops. Some lines notably include stops to famous spots like Diamond Head Craters or Iolani Palace. In fact, each of their lines has a dedicated “theme” like history, shopping and exploration.
The Waikiki Trolley is hop-on, hope-off. You can either buy a multiday pass allowing you to ride unlimited on all rides for a specified amount of time, or a single line day pass allowing you to ride unlimited on just one line for one day.
Fares
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1 Day, Multi Line Pass: Adult $62.00 and Children $34.00
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Four Day Pass: Adults $74.00 and Children $45.00
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Full Week Pass (7 Day): Adult $85.00 and Children $56.00
Historic Honolulu Line:
Goes around the historical sites of Honolulu including Iolani Palace, Chinatown and Ala Moana Beach Park.
Fares:
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Adult - $35
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Child - $23
Ocean View Line:
Coastal loop that goes on the southeaster shores. Stops at Diamond Head Market and Kahala Mall.
Fares:
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Adult - $35
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Child - $23
Diamond Head Line:
Stops at the Diamond Heat Creater and Kahala lookout.
Fares:
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Adult - $22
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Child - $15
Ala Moana Line:
Drive from Waikiki Hotels to the Ala Moana shopping center.
Fares:
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Adult - $6
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Child - $6
Kaka'ako line:
Travels to the Saturday Kaka'ako Farmers Market.
Fares:
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Adult - $15
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Child - $10
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