Oʻahu, Hawaii | Foolproof Food Guide: Must-Tries & Must-Skips 🍍🚗

Beyond the fancy seaside dinner at La Mer and the brunch heaven Island Vintage Coffee (which we visited three times!), Oʻahu is packed with delicious surprises. We only rented a car for two days and used Uber the rest of the time — I’ll note where driving is needed. ✅ RED LIST — Must Try! 1️⃣ Haleiwa Joe’s ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📍 North Shore | 🚗 Drive required A gorgeous seaside spot with what might be a top-3 prime rib of my life! 🥩 Not overly hyped, reasonably priced, and incredibly flavorful. Walk-ins only — no reservations. 2️⃣ Seven Brothers ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ 📍 North Shore | 🚗 Drive required Their signature burger with pineapple, onion rings, and a juicy patty is a taste explosion! 🍔 The only letdown? The fries were a bit soft. But my friend who’s back in Beijing still dreams about this place. 3️⃣ Kono's Northshore ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📍 Multiple locations (Waikiki branch now open) A massive pork burrito 🌯 — over a pound! Load it up with avocado and egg for the ultimate bite. Affordable and deeply satisfying. 4️⃣ Foodland Poke ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📍 Multiple locations A local supermarket chain serving fresh, affordable poke 🐟. You can sample before buying, and skip the rice if you prefer! 5️⃣ Wu Wei Chongqing Noodles ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A true taste of China that’s legit — not “American Chinese.” Their Twice-Cooked Pork Over Noodles is a flavor bomb! 🍜 So good we ordered takeout after dining in. 6️⃣ Han No Daidokoro ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ If you’re going to splurge once, make it here. The $150 Miyazaki Beef Omakase is a moving experience 🥹. We added tongue, offal, and garlic rice — everything was sublime. ~$350 CAD per person after tax/tip (yes, pricier than Japan). 7️⃣ Mikiya Sukiyaki ⭐⭐⭐⭐ AYCE sukiyaki with Wagyu! 🍲 Good service and Chinese-speaking staff. Only reason it’s not 5 stars: we came right after Han No Daidokoro, so the Wagyu didn’t shine as bright. 8️⃣ Kaiten Sushi Ginza Onodera ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The otoro & chutoro sushi here are unforgettable 🍣. A bit pricey (~$130 per person), but worth it for the quality. 9️⃣ Kona Coffee Purveyors ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Went multiple times — always a line but always worth it. Their Black Sesame Kouign-Amann is so good my husband eats two in one sitting. 😋 🔟 Island Vintage Shave Ice ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A redemption for shave ice in my book! Loaded with real fruit 🍓, only around $10+, and so refreshing. 🚫 BLACK LIST — Skip These! While most meals were great, a few spots fell flat — especially one shave ice place that almost ruined the treat for me 😅. Thankfully, Island Vintage brought me back! 🍽 Pro Tip: Mix a few splurge meals with affordable local gems to balance your budget and taste buds! #OahuEats #HawaiiFoodGuide #TravelHawaii #EatLikeALocal #FoodieFavorites #HawaiianFood