We went to Hawaii to dive but we also ate plenty of good and local eats on the Big Island!
Like every place you travel to, you’ll find specific dishes for the region and culture. Hawaiian food is a mixture of food from Native Hawaiians and immigrants from Europe, China, Korea, Japan, Portugal, and Puerto Rican. You can find a lot of traditional Hawaiian food but you’ll also notice the influence in the fusion dishes.
I hope this post is a celebration of Hawaiian food and shares what you have to look forward to when you visit!
Local Foods to Try in Hawaii
There are plenty of local dishes to try while you’re in Hawaii. You know what I say when I travel – let’s eat like the locals! Here are a few of the dishes to try.
Poke – One of my favorite things, this diced raw fish bowl usually also includes sides like seaweed salad.
Kona Coffee – This coffee comes from coffee beans grown in the Kona region of the Big Island. You can also find fun coffee flavors like an ube latte.
Spam musubi – This snack is made of a slice of grilled Spam, rice, and nori.
Loco Moco – This traditional dish features rice topped with egg, meat (usually spam or a beef patty), and brown gravy.
Kalua Pork – This slow-cooked, shredded pork is usually served at luaus.
Lau Lau – Another one of my favorite dishes is pork and fish wrapped and steamed in a taro leaf pouch.
Macadamia Nuts – While these nuts are not native to Hawaii, macadamia nut farms are now abundant in the state and a great snack.
Lomi Lomi Salmon – This cold side dish, usually available when you get poke, is made with salted salmon, tomatoes, green onions, and onions.
Fruit – Try all the fresh tropical fruit. Some of my favorites are pineapple (especially the white pineapple), passion fruit, mango, and starfruit.
Butter Mochi – A popular Hawaiian dessert, butter mochi is a dense and chewy rice cake.
Acai Bowls – These smoothie bowls are a popular breakfast or snack item.
Haupia Pie – A traditional Hawaiian dessert, haupia pie is layers of haupia (a coconut-milk dessert that is gelatin) and chocolate in a pie crust and topped with whipped cream.
Malasada – These fried donuts come from Portugal and are usually filled with cream and rolled in sugar.
Shave Ice – Another popular dessert in Hawaii, the shaved ice is drenched in syrup.
Lilikoi Cheesecake – Lilikoi means passion fruit and this cheesecake flavor is delicious!
Avocado – With lots of avocados comes lots of avocado toast.
Banana Bread – Like many places that produce bananas, banana bread is a typical item to use up the excess.
Kava – Kava is a root that is made into a drink. It makes you relaxed and tastes terrible (like dirt water). 😀 I had to try it for the first time but do not recommend it.
Quick Food Notes
- Don’t forget snacks! Pick up some unique food like tuna jerky and macadamia nuts for the road trip around the island.
- There are farmers markets all over the island. This is where you can find fresh fruit and sometimes prepared foods like grilled chicken or goat cheese.
- When in doubt, you’ll be able to find fried fish, a burger, and fries in Kona. All along the main street in Kona – Ali’i Drive – are plenty of oceanview restaurants offering casual bar food and tropical drinks.
- Look out for local bean-to-bar chocolate. We stopped by the Puna Chocolate Company shop in Kona.
Restaurants on Big Island
Since Kailua-Kona and Hilo are the biggest cities on the Big Island, they have the largest number of restaurant options. Some restaurants have locations in both cities. If you’ll be driving around the island, be sure to mark some restaurant stops along the route. I’ve listed a few of the well-known options below also.
My top three favorite restaurants we tried were: Kaaloa Super J’s, Umekes Fish Market, and Foster’s Kitchen.
Kailua-Kona Restaurants
- Scandinavian Shave Ice
- Papa Kona Restaurant and Bar – breakfast was good
- Umekes Fish Market Bar & Grill – fantastic poke
- Foster’s Kitchen – delicious food and drinks, sunset views
- HiCO Hawaiian Coffee – coffee shop
- Kona Heaven Coffee – coffee shop
- Humpy’s Big Island Alehouse – casual spot for bar food and drinks
- Gypsea Gelato – try some interesting flavors
- Kalikala Cuisine – good breakfast spot
- Oceanfront Coffee & Ice Cream – serves Tropical Dreams ice cream
- Broke Da Mouth Grindz – known for their furikake chicken
- 808 Grindz Cafe – traditional food
- Huggo’s on the Rocks – drinks and sunset views are worth it
- Daiichi Ramen – a ramen chain in Hawaii
- Kanaka Kava – small, casual spot for kava
Captain Cook
- The Coffee Shack – good food and great views, likely dine with geckos
- Kaaloa’s Super J’s – authentic Hawaiian food
Naalehu
- Punalu’u Bake Shop – get filled malasadas
- Hana Hou Restaurant – traditional food
Hilo
- Two Ladies Kitchen – known for their mochi
- Makani’s Magic Pineapple Shop – known for acai bowls
- Suisan Fish Market
- Cafe 100 – known for their loco moco
- Jackie Rey’s Ohana Grill – fancier dinner, there’s also a location in Kona
- Maku’u Farmers Market – Sunday morning
Honokaa
- Tex Drive-In – stop for malasadas and lunch
Waimea
- Hawaiian Style Cafe – huge plates, traditional Hawaiian food (also a location in Hilo)
Craft Brewery on Big Island
While you can find local craft beer cans in most grocery stores on the island, why not visit the source? Here are some breweries to try:
- Ola Brew – brewpub locations in Kona and Hilo
- Kona Brewing Co – brewpub in Kona
- Big Island Brewhaus – brewpub in Waimea
- Hilo Brewing Co – small brewery in an industrial setting in Hilo
I loved looking back on the delicious things we enjoyed in Hawaii! I hope this inspires you to try Hawaii’s traditional foods and helps you find a great place to eat.
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