my hawaii what to eat & where to play shortlist
Confession: I have been putting off this post because I felt like I HAD to do it formal style-tons of photos, hours spent formatting, and ultimately taking tons of time. Instead I opted to present to you a shortlist that, while it does have some photos mixed in, it is more about what I would jot down for a friend if you asked for my go to food & fun spots for the Hawaiian islands. For now, the “shortlist” covers O’ahu, the Big Island and Maui.
O’ahu
WHAT TO EAT
Sunrise Shack- located right across from Sunset Beach on the North Shore, it is THE Acai Bowl and Smoothie place to go. Exceptional.
Tanya’s- located in Wahiawa, often driven through on the way to North Shore or Dole Plantation. Tis a total hole in the wall joint and was formerly known as the “Sunnyside”. Lots of food and plate lunches at a low price, but it is primarily the Spam and Bacon Fried Rice that brings us back.
Pounders- located on the East Coast (Windward Side) near the Polynesian Center. Lots of variety for everyone to find something. Our family loved the Marlin Dip and the fresh baked goods.
Angel’s Ice Cream- located in Laie on the Northeast side of the island not too far from Turtle Bay Resort. Known for their “Halos” that have shave ice, ice cream and condensed milk, you can get all sorts of flavors and they even have Dole Whip too!
Duke’s- located in Waikiki, this is literally one of the only motivations we have to leave the North Shore and hang out in Waikiki. Such a fun beachfront bar located adjacent to the Outrigger Hotel. It is by far my favorite Mai Tai on the island (and their “Hula Pie” is worth checking out too)!
Leonard’s Bakery- located in Honolulu, this is the bakery when it comes to trying some great Hawaiian treats. If you are going to hike Diamond Head, go early in the morning to beat the crowd and then hit Leonard’s afterward. You cannot leave without trying a Malasada from Leonard’s!
Seven Brothers-located in Kahuku on the Northeast part of the island close to Turtle Bay, try their bougie burgers at non-Bougie prices, fries and ohhh my, split a warm Mom’s Banana Bread Sundae. Wowza!
Maili Shave Ice and Snacks- located in Maili on the West Coast (Leeward Side), go with one of their suggested flavor combinations. We went by here after spending some time in Kapolei/Ko’olina area, a port which many great boat tours take off from.
Jollibee- located in Kapolei, I realize this is an international chain of fast food restaurants started in the Philippines, but there is not one located anywhere near our home so when we decided to drop in to try their infamous “Chicken Joy Bucket” it did.not.disappoint.
Kono’s- located in Hale’iwa on North Shore and Kailua on the East Coast, this is one of our favorite places to eat on the island. Kalua Pork Burritos, their shakes, I mean I could go for 2 of everything on their menu. Perfect for Breakfast or Lunch. The Hale’iwa location closes earlier at around 2 or 3pm while the Kailua location stays open later.
Got’z Grindz- located in Kaneohe on the East side of the island, this is THE place for a Musubi or more likely a variety pack of them. These are way above and beyond the usual spam and block of rice wrapped musubi at a Hawaiian 7-11. This place is great to call ahead and order a sampler (as they do run out) and then pick up on the way to one of the incredible beaches on that side of the island!
The Coffee Gallery- located in Hale’iwa town on the North Shore, the coffee was good, but the star was their bakery featuring a Maple Bacon Scone that I still dream about. It was so popular that they were out of them every time I tried returning after my first visit. I will definitely call ahead if I make it back that way!
Ted’s Bakery- located on the North Shore, known for their incredible pies and plate lunches, it is a must stop if you find yourself up this way. If you can’t make it up, their pies are in many of the grocery stores around the island as well!
WHERE TO PLAY
Pipeline- located at Ehukai Beach Park on the North Shore, the world famous Banzai Pipeline, or simply “Pipeline” or “Pipe”, is literally the surfing mecca. The waves are incredible, especially in the Winter. We like to grab a coffee or Acai Bowl and just pop down on our beach chairs and watch the next level surfing.
Aweoweo Beach- located near Waialua on the North Shore, this was my favorite no fuss, uncrowded beach to sit and read. There are amazing beaches all up and down the North Shore; but since we stay up this way, I like to have a go to place where I can count on finding a parking spot and not being around many people when I don’t feel like it.
Ka’ena Point Trail- located on the Northwest corner of the island, I have heard from friends that this is a fun, flat trail. We headed out this way and parked at the trailhead just before sunset (Check your phone’s weather app to find out when that is!) and were rewarded with gorgeous 360 degree views.
Uncle Bryan’s Surf and Paddle Board Lessons- located in Hale’iwa on North Shore, we have used this company both for surf lessons and for paddle board lessons. They are super friendly and depending how crowded it is in the time of year you come, it can turn out to be private lessons!
North Shore- if you are staying on another part of the island, I do suggest heading up to the North Shore at least once. If you can go on a weekday, it will likely be considerably less crowded and less traffic. It is not out of the realm of possibility that there could be a surfing competition going on when you head up this way which is just that much more fun to get to watch.
Triton Adventures Snorkel tour- located in Ko’olina on the West side of the island, this company is owned by a few ex-navy seals who started up a company taking people out in a very nice boat packed with lots of snacks and drinks, snorkel gear (if you don’t bring your full face mask snorkel like we do) and they even had underwater Dive Propulsion Vehicles to motor around underwater. That side of the island’s water is the definition of “Blue Hawaii”! This tour explores some of the local secret reefs and you will often see tropical fish, eagle rays, manta rays and sea turtle cleaning stations. We saw whales on our tour that left us absolutely awestruck at their size and beauty.
Turtle Bay- located on the Northeast part of the island, we stayed in one of the condos surrounding the resort which we had rented on AirBnB for a great price. This is a great area both as a family because there are 7-8 beaches within walking distance and 2 pools, but it also would be fun to just get a studio for a couple. We walked over to the pricey resort’s pool bar almost every night for a drink and to watch the waves break and the beautiful sunsets. This area is great if you plan to stay mostly on the North Shore, but if you are wanting to fit in a bunch of Honolulu or Kailua area sites, it is a drive for sure.
Shark’s Cove- located on the North Shore, this is a great place to snorkel and is not deep so it’s easy to move around.
Sherwood Beach /Lanikai/Kailua/Waimanalo- located on the Southeast part of the island, you will inevitably read that you should do the “Lanikai Pillbox Hike” and hit Lanikai Beach. Lanikai, Kailua and Waimanalo Beaches are super beautiful beaches and worth checking out; but if you are like me and like to find the local spot in any busy, touristy area, I discovered Sherwood Beach to be just that. Near the other beaches with much less fuss. If you are staying over here and can get to these beaches without needing to deal with parking, then it would be a totally different story!
Sunset Beach Pillbox- located on the North Shore, this is a lesser known “pillbox hike” that we opted for instead of the heavily trafficked one in Lanikai. Definitely one to do first thing in the day to get a parking spot and on a day where it has not been raining, as doing this when it is muddy would be pretty miserable. It is not hard, but starts the climb pretty much right away without a warm-up so I just stopped and stood off to the side a few times to catch my breath. I like to do hikes, but am by no means a hiker, if that makes sense.
The Big Island
WHAT TO EAT
Hawaiian Cafe - located in Waimea and Hilo, this is our favorite go to Hawaiian food place on the island. It is almost always busy, but it is SO worth a wait. The real deal.
Da Hawaiian Brain Freeze Shave Ice & Ice Cream- located in Hilo, even the small shave ice is HUGE. Great choices in flavors. I know if we lived near here it would be a family favorite.
808 Grindz- located in Hilo, the Kalua Pork Hash and the Macadamia Nut Pancakes with their homemade “Mac-nilla” sauce (which is pretty much vanilla icing) has had me dreaming of it ever since. Lol. If you don’t want to wait, call ahead and do take out!
Royal Kona Resort // “Don the Beachcomber” Bar- located in Kona on the main drag of Ali’i Dr, this swank hotel has a beachside patio bar with fantastic views of the waves and the adorable spinner dolphins who often play nearby. We went there for their Happy Hour Mai Tai more than once. They have good Happy Hour appetizers to munch on as well.
WHERE TO PLAY
Snorkeling with the Manta Rays- located just South of Kona, there are multiple companies that have nightly snorkel and scuba dives in this one specific area. This is a must do on the Big Island for all ages. We went to the 7pm snorkel and it was one of the coolest things I have ever done. (Note: Keep in mind your brain will think it is several hours later for the first few nights as you get used to the time change.) This was on one more instance where having our full face masks was ideal, as we watched others fumbling with the regular snorkel gear. These Manta Rays are 5-7 ft long and you get to watch them do flips as they eat. The tour guides even know the Mantas by name! It was all around awesome time.
Two Step- located about 40 minutes south of Kona on the southwest part of the island, this snorkel spot is very well-known. Walk over the lava formations with your flip flops and then leave them on the side for when you come back. Do not leave anything of value there or in the car-not just here, but anywhere in Hawaii - period.
Magic Sands and Kahalu’u Beach Park- both located in Kona, great snorkel spots. We really loved using our full face masks we bought off Amazon for about $30. They fold to easily pack in your luggage.
Northern Beaches- located on the Northwest area about 45 minutes north of Kona, there are 3 great beaches right next to each other-Mauna Kea, Hapuna and Beach 69. Incredibly beautiful and worth the drive.
All About the View Waipi’o Valley ATV Tour- located on the Northeast coast close to the gorgeous Waipi’o Valley, this is a great area to get away and take an ATV tour. Waterfalls, awesome views. We rode together so my husband could drive and I could just chill and enjoy the views. We did our tour with a nearby company that is now gone, but this is another recommended one in the same exact area.
Carlsmith Beach- located in Hilo, this beach is known for its awesome tide pools. Plenty of room to spread out and we even saw a few honu (sea turtles) swimming up into the tide pools. Great place to bring a picnic.
Maui
WHAT TO EAT
Stillwell’s Bakery & Cafe- located in Wailuku, we stopped here for an inexpensive, but yummy breakfast and grabbed some of their world famous Cream Horns to go. The owners said people often buy them frozen to take to their family that live on another Hawaiian island.
808 Grindz- located in Lahaina, this is another location of the restaurant I mentioned in Kona. It is a smaller space for the restaurant in both locations and thus we prefer to skip the wait and call in an order to pick up. One option is to get one of their many variations of the “Loco Moco” (traditionally consisting of white rice, topped with a hamburger, a fried egg, and brown gravy.) and then plan a niiiiiice loooong food coma nap! ;)
Duke’s- located in Lahaina, this is another location of my most favoritest Mai Tai place. The food is good and a little pricey. We saved going there to eat until dinner our last night and made a reservation for a beachside table at sunset. It was delicious and a great view of the quintessential Hawaiian sunset.
Ululani’s Hawaiian Shave Ice - located near the airport in Kahului, it sets itself apart with its fresh fruit purees and extracts. You can find shave ice everywhere, but this quality is rare.
WHERE TO PLAY
Honolua Bay- located 20 minutes North of Lahaina, this was my first place to try snorkeling. Get here early as there are not many parking spots. You park and walk for about a mile of flat ground through the beautiful trees with the bright-colored roosters running free. It is all around just kinda magical.
DT Fleming Beach -located a little less than 20 minutes North of Lahaina, this is one of my favorite beaches ever. It is right next to the Ritz Carlton Maui and it has great waves for boogie boarding. You can choose to do Hawaii where you pay $100-$150 per person each day for tours and such or you can narrow down the best of the best to do and then do the free things like snorkeling and boogie boarding the rest of the time…with plenty of doing nothing on the beach mixed in! Everyone has their ideal vacation, but when people say how expensive Hawaii is, I often think that actually that is a choice.
Boss Frog’s - located all over the island, it is a great place to go rent a beach chair, boogie board, and flippers, if you want them, for the week.
Road to Hana- three words for you: 59 One-Lane Bridges. We left early in the morning and were able to drive this without losing our minds too much. There are tons of stops along the way that looked cool with waterfalls and watering holes to swim in. This road is not for everyone and honestly, given the opportunity to go on it again, I would do it differently. I would pick 1-2 places along the way to stop for a while and enjoy. I would book a night in Hana ahead of time to just enjoy the destination a bit and then pick 1-2 places to stop on our drive back the next day. If you get car sick, Dramamine or the prescription behind the ear patch is a good idea.
