Eat Well and Save Money in Hawaii

Let’s face it—a trip to Hawaii can really add up between travel expenses, hotels, excursions, and food. However, there are several ways you can save money while enjoying delicious cuisine. You don’t need to opt for a fancy restaurant to eat well in Hawaii. In fact, some of the best food is found at more casual, down-to-earth places.

Hole-in-the-Wall Delights

It’s easy to get dissuaded by dated or dingy decor, but don’t let the appearance of a restaurant dictate the quality of the food. For instance, on the island of Maui, across from the Paki Mauri Resort (just north of Ka’anapali in West Maui), lies a place called the Honokowai Okazuya & Deli. Here, you can enjoy a great dinner featuring a freshly cooked entrée, fresh vegetables, and rice or macaroni salad. Menu items include Chicken Katsu, Kung Pao Chicken, Mongolian Beef, Teriyaki Steak, and Mahi Mahi. While the food is sumptuous, it isn’t fancy, served in a styrofoam container with plastic utensils.

Fortunately, Honokowai Okazuya & Deli is not the exception; rather, it is the rule. Numerous small, often family-run dining spots exist throughout the islands. One such gem is Ono Hawaiian Foods, located at 726 Kipahulu Ave. in Honolulu, near the Ala Wai Golf Course bordering Waikiki. Ono Hawaiian Foods is perfect for those wishing to sample authentic Hawaiian dishes without the expense of a luau. You can order items a la carte or choose a “Special Plate,” including options like kalua pig, chicken long rice, or laulau, served with pipikaula (Hawaiian beef jerky), lomi salmon, haupia, and rice or poi.

The Plate Lunch

When exploring local cuisine, you will frequently encounter the term “plate lunch” across the islands. According to Robert and Cindy Carpenter in their Hawaii Restaurant Guide Series, a plate lunch is described as “an island-style blue plate special with a main entrée such as teriyaki beef or chicken, two scoops of white rice, and a scoop of macaroni salad.” This dish is not only satisfying but also quite filling.

Food Trucks

If you’re on O’ahu and driving around, make sure to include lunch at one of the shrimp trucks in Kahuku on O’ahu’s North Shore, featuring the famous Kahuku Shrimp Trucks. Each serving consists of about a dozen of the freshest shrimp you’ll ever taste, accompanied by two scoops of rice.

Moreover, food trucks offer more than just Hawaiian shrimp; you will discover a diverse array of dishes served from these mobile kitchens, including Japanese, Filipino, and Mexican cuisines, found throughout the Hawaiian islands.

Hawaii Food Tours

A fantastic way to experience some lesser-known Hawaiian restaurants is to participate in a food tour. Instead of dining at just one location, these tours allow you to visit four or five restaurants over several hours while learning about Hawaiian cuisine.

Matthew Gray, a highly regarded food writer and restaurant reviewer in Hawaii, operates Hawaii Food Tours, which includes a daily Hole-In-The-Wall Tour featuring a walking exploration of Honolulu’s vibrant Chinatown, as well as a North Shore Food Tour. Participants not only dive into Hawaii’s cultural history but also visit extraordinary locales and, of course, indulge in delectable food. You enjoy all the advantages of a guided tour of Honolulu while savoring enough food to fill you for the day. Most importantly, you will learn about the incredible variety of dishes available in Hawaii and how to discover them.

If you’re not visiting O’ahu, no worries—food tours similar to Hawaii Food Tours are available across the Hawaiian islands.

Simple as ABC

Another name to remember in Hawaii is ABC, particularly the ABC Stores. These stores have become a staple in O’ahu, found on virtually every corner and within major resorts. However, what many people overlook is their affordability. ABC Stores carry an extensive selection of snacks, breakfast items, and beverages at remarkably low prices.

Another chain offering an impressive variety of snacks, beverages, and groceries is the Whalers General Stores, mainly located in resort areas on the outer islands.