Restaurants in Honolulu and Oahu

Ala Moana Poi Bowl

Address Ala Moana Ctr, Honolulu, HI 96813 Map, Tel (808) 949-8444 Call,

If you're in Ala Moana center, skip Sbarro and enjoy a reasonably priced Hawaiian plate lunch instead. Ala Moana Poi Bowl fatures specialties like Kailua Pig, and of course the ubiquitous macaroni salad. My kids inhaled the homestyle Chicken Adobo, and even though it's more salty and oily than your doctor would like, everything we tried was enjoyable. more

Chef Mavro Honolulu

Address 1969 South King Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96826 Map, Tel 808:944:4714 Call, Reservations Essential Website

If you plan to have one nice meal without the kids, this is a good place to enjoy it. You'll dine on a price-fixe menu made up of seasonal, local ingredients cooked in a modern style (expect foam). Chef Mavro is a winner of the James Beard Award and was named one of the top 10 restaurants in the world by Fodors in 2006 more

Helena's Hawaiian Food

Address 1240 North School Street, Honolulu, HI 96817 Map, Tel 808.845.8044 Call, Website

About a half mile from the Bishop Museum, Helena's is a great place to eat a traditional Hawaiian meal without keeping the kids up late for a budget-busting Luau. Founding Chef Helen Kwock Chock was awarded a James Beard Award in 2000 for her classic Hawaiian food. Expect long waits during popular dining hours. more

Highway Inn

Address 94-226 Leoku Street, Waipahu, HI 96797 Map, Tel 808-677-4345 Call, Website

This locals' favorite may not look like much from the outside, and it's strip mall location doesn't add to its appeal, but the casual atmosphere and the opportunity to sample fresh-made Hawaiian plate lunch make it a good fit for the whole family. If you're headed to the beach for a picnic, you can also pike up Poke and other fresh items as takeaway. more

House Without a Key at the Halekulani Hotel

Address 2199 Kalia Rd, Honolulu, HI 96815 Map, Tel (808) 923-2311 Call, Website

House Without A Key is a lovely, upscale restaurant overlooking Waikiki beach. At first glance, it looks too nice to bring kids along. Here's the secret - the staff is incredibly welcoming, there are reasonably priced ($5-$8.50) children's meals, and there's a big lawn adjacent to the seating area. While we dined, the kids quietly played duck-duck-goose with other kids, practiced their hula moves, and generally had a great time. more

Kai Market at the Sheraton Waikiki

Address 2255 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI, 96815 Map, Tel 808-922-4422 Call, Website

Before we visited, I had a hard time rationalizing the dueling concepts of "farm to table" food and a huge hotel buffet. Kai Market balances those two ideas nicely. There is tons of seating here, and serving yourself means that the kids won't have a meltdown in between ordering and being served. Everything, from the baked goods, to the savory items, and of course the fruit is fresh and nicely prepared. Some dishes are innovative blends of Hawaiian and Japanese foods. Items made by local businesses instead of cooked on site (for example the sausages and lilikoi breakfast bread) have signs to tell you where they're made. more

Kansai Yamato

Address 1450 Ala Moana Blvd, Ala Moana Center, Honolulu, HI 96814 Map, Tel (808) 955-9588 Call, Location Stand at the entrance to the food court

If you're shopping at Ala Moana Center, be sure to stop in for some freshly made mochi at Kansai Yamato. The kids will enjoy watching mochi being made, and then tasting either a traditional flavor or one of the more unusual choices like Oreo, chocolate with peanut butter or melon. If you've eaten mochi before, you'll be suprised at how much better both the texture and taste of fresh mochi are than supermarket mochi. more

Kuru Kuru Sushi

Address 98-199 Kamehameha Hwy, Honolulu, HI 96701 Map, Tel (808) 484-4596 Call,

Conveyor belt sushi is an easy bet with kids. There's no waiting for your food, and the kids can pick exactly what they'd like to eat. Kuru Kuru is a local favorite for its fresh fish and inexpensive prices. more

Little Village Noodle House

Address 1113 Smith Street, Honolulu, HI 96817 Map, Tel 808-545-3008 Call, Website

After you've spent the morning wandering around Honolulu's Chinatown, the Little Village Noodle House is a great place to stop for lunch. This upscale Asian restaurant serves Chinese food and items from a smattering of other Asian countries. Kids are welcomed with special plastic plates and highchairs are available. Everything is made fresh to order and is very well done. more

Matsugen

Address 255 Beach Walk, Honolulu, HI 96806 Map, Tel (808) 926-0255 Call,

If you enjoy Japanese food, you're in for a real treat. Matsugen makes its own soba noodles from scratch, and they're the softest, lightest noodles you're likely to taste. The soups and salads are perfectly seasoned, and have the taste of Japanese food in Japan, instead of stateside Japanese. There's no children's menu (because really, when you specialize in noodles, do you need a separate kids menu), but highchairs are available and there are even special kids bowls and silverware. more

Matsumoto Shave Ice (North Shore)

Address 66-087 Kamehameha Hwy, Haleiwa Map, Tel 808-637-4827 Call, Website

In the small town of Haleiwa, on Oahu's north shore, Matsumoto Shave Ice sells old fashioned shave is in tons of different flavors. The shop has been open since 1951 and caters to both tourists and locals. It's definitely worth a stop. more

Otto Cake

Address 1160 Smith St, Honolulu, HI 96817 Map, Tel (808) 834-6886 Call, Website

This local favorite, located in the heart of Honolulu's Chinatown, boasts 86 flavors of cheesecake. more

Waiola Shave Ice

Address 2135 Waiola Ave corner of Paani Street, Honolulu, HI 96805 Map, Tel (808) 949-2269 Call,

This small shave ice window in a neighborhood market, a short car ride from waikiki is a local favorite because the ice is especially thinly shaven and the syrups are more natural tasting than most. more

Reader Favorites

Big City Diner

Address 1060 Auahi St., #4, Honolulu, HI, 96816 Map, Website

Big City Diner is a great place to dine with your family! Friendly service, great menu. Delicious desserts for the whole family - Hot Fudge Sundaes are the best!! more

Ducky Korean BBQ

Address 2955 East Manoa Road, Honolulu, HI Map, Tel (808) 988-9809 Call,

Korean food isn't just kim chi and ultra-spicy food; some of the milder kid-friendly food at this no frills Korean place include bbq chicken, fish jun, mandoo (dumplings) and sides such as cellophane noodles and shoyu potatoes. Most of the business is take out, although there are also a few tables for ordering food there. more