Trying to figure out what to eat in Hawaii? Check out these popular and traditional Hawaiian food items you should taste on your next trip to Hawaii. Scroll for the full list!
This post on traditional Hawaiian food was written by Hawaii travel expert Marcie Cheung and contains affiliate links which means if you purchase something from one of my affiliate links, I may earn a small commission that goes back into maintaining this blog.
Look, I’ve been visiting Hawaii since I was 10 years old.
That’s over 40 trips as a professional tourist and Certified Hawaii Destination Specialist.
I’ve eaten my way through luaus, plate lunch joints, roadside stands, and hole-in-the-wall spots that only locals know about.
Hawaii’s food is unlike anywhere else.
Traditional Hawaiian dishes meet Asian influences from plantation days, Portuguese pastries, and everything in between.
Some of the best meals I’ve had have been from food trucks or grocery store poke counters.
This isn’t your typical “best Hawaiian food” list with generic descriptions.
I’m telling you exactly where to find each dish in 2026, including spots my family goes back to every single trip.
By the way, I talk about all this stuff on my podcast too. Episode 85 of Hawaii Travel Made Easy is all about must-try Hawaiian dishes and drinks.
1. Kalua Pork
You know that smoky pulled pork you’re picturing when someone says “Hawaiian luau”?
That’s kalua pork.
A whole pig gets wrapped in ti and banana leaves, then buried in an underground oven (called an imu) and slow-roasted for hours.
The meat closest to the skin? Super smoky and intense. The inner meat is milder but just as tender.
My kids used to get so excited watching luaus unearth the pig during the imu ceremony.
Find it at:
- Every luau across all islands
- Kono’s Northshore on Oahu (Haleiwa, Waikiki, and Kailua locations) for their legendary kalua pork sandwich
- Da Kitchen on Maui (Kihei and Kahului) if you want huge portions
- Anuenue Cafe on Kauai does this killer Kalua Pork Eggs Benedict
2. Lomi Lomi Salmon
Raw salmon chopped up with tomatoes and onions. Some people call it Hawaii’s version of poke, but with salmon instead of tuna.
Places that want to get fancy throw in green onions, macadamia nuts, or sesame seeds.
It’s served cold (usually as a side with plate lunch) or you can scoop it up with chips like salsa.
Where to get it:
- Any luau will have a big bowl
- Helena’s Hawaiian Food in Honolulu has a few different versions (they’re open Tuesday-Friday 10am-7:30pm)
- Most Hawaii grocery stores carry Taro Brand Lomi Salmon
3. Chicken Luau
Not going to lie, this one doesn’t look pretty. But chicken (sometimes squid) cooked with taro leaves and coconut milk until everything’s super tender and creamy? So good.
At home you can use spinach instead of taro leaves. Throw it over rice and call it dinner.
Da Ono Hawaiian Food in Honolulu does both Chicken Luau and Squid Luau. Helena’s has the Squid Luau too.
4. Huli Huli Chicken
I’m kind of obsessed with Hawaiian BBQ. “Huli” literally means “to turn” in Hawaiian, so this chicken gets flipped constantly while cooking and slathered in sweet Hawaiian BBQ sauce.
Sweeter than American BBQ, perfectly glazed, crazy juicy.
Your best bet is finding it at fundraiser stands on the side of the road (seriously).
Mike’s Huli Chicken on Oahu’s North Shore was on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. I took my youngest here on our last trip to Oahu and it was SO good.
Maui Rotisserie Chicken in Kihei usually has a line out the door.
5. Chicken Long Rice
My go-to comfort food in Hawaii. Those slippery, see-through rice noodles in chicken broth with ginger and garlic.
It’s technically a side dish at luaus, but honestly? It’s a full meal. Add more broth if you want it soupier.
Try it at:
- Haili’s Hawaiian Food or Young’s Fish Market on Oahu for plate lunch
- Tin Roof Maui near Kahului Airport if you’re flying in or out
6-10: More Hawaiian Classics
Manapua – Those fluffy Chinese BBQ pork buns (char siu bao)? In Hawaii they’re called manapua and they’ve gone wild with the fillings.
Traditional BBQ pork, curried chicken, hot dogs, you name it. My kids love these.
Check out Sing Cheong Yuan in Honolulu’s Chinatown, Manapua Creations on Maui (they do Philly Cheesesteak flavor!), or just grab frozen ones at the grocery store.
Lau Lau – Harder to find but worth it. Pork and/or fish wrapped in taro and ti leaves, steamed for hours.
Highway Inn in Kakaako (Oahu) lets you watch them make it on certain days. Kaaloa’s Super J’s on the Big Island was on Food Network’s The Best Thing I Ever Ate. They make my favorite lau lau!
Tripe Stew – I’m being honest: not my thing. But my husband’s family orders it every time. Tomato-based stew with tripe (cow stomach), carrots, potatoes, ginger.
Try O’ahu Grill, Lynn’s Saimin and Cookie Shop on Oahu, or Dani’s Restaurant on Kauai.
Beef Stew – Now THIS I can get behind. Similar to regular beef stew but with soy sauce and bigger chunks of meat and veggies.
The secret? You eat it with mac salad and rice. Game changer. Every time I see it on a menu, I order it.
Mark’s Place on Kauai is my favorite spot (their beef stew is incredible). Also Rainbow Drive-In and Meg’s Drive In on Oahu.
Poi – Most misunderstood Hawaiian food, hands down. Cooked taro that’s been pounded and fermented.
Here’s my story: Back in the 90s, I tried poi for the first time at a luau where the emcee literally told us it would taste like wallpaper paste. Not exactly encouraging, right?
And yeah, if you eat it by itself, it’s sour and weird. But here’s what I learned later (and what most luaus now actually explain): poi isn’t meant to be eaten alone.
Use it like a condiment with your kalua pig or fish. Dip the salty meat in it. Suddenly it all makes sense. The poi brings out this whole other flavor layer.
If you’re still not feeling it, add milk and sugar and eat it like pudding.
Best poi:
- Waiahole Poi Factory on Oahu (they even have tours)
- Hanalei Taro & Juice Co. on Kauai has a food truck with poi layered with lomi salmon and kalua pig in a bowl
11-15: Plate Lunch Essentials
Mac Salad – On the mainland, mac salad shows up at BBQs. In Hawaii, it’s 1/3 of every Plate Lunch (meat + two scoops rice + one scoop mac salad).
The key is good mayo. There are crazy versions too, like Tuna Mac Salad with green peas (obsessed) or Potato Mac Salad (mixing potato salad with mac salad).
Hit up Zippy’s, W&M Bar-B-Q for crab-flavored version, or just grab a tub at any grocery store.
Poke – You’ve probably seen mainland poke bowls. Hawaii poke is different. Raw fish (usually ahi tuna) cubed and marinated with soy sauce, sesame oil, seasonings.
Get it over rice, with chips, in tacos, or straight up. I have entire blog posts about the best poke on Oahu and best poke on Maui.
Try Yama’s Fish Market on Oahu, Fish Express on Kauai, or honestly just Costco (I’m serious).
Loco Moco – Rice + hamburger patty + fried egg + brown gravy. My husband orders this for breakfast every Hawaii trip and I steal like five bites because it’s SO GOOD.
Now you can get it with fried rice, kimchee fried rice, even on fries (Hawaiian poutine).
Cafe 100 in Hilo invented it (they have 30 varieties now). Mark’s Place on Kauai is my husband’s favorite.
Da Kitchen on Maui does the Notorious B.I.G. Moco with chili, mushrooms, Spam, bacon, Portuguese sausage, and cheese.
Saimin – Hawaiian noodle soup. Not ramen. Different noodles, different vibe. Classic version has fish cake slices and BBQ pork.
You can add wontons, Spam, Portuguese sausage, fried egg strips.
Palace Saimin and Shige’s Saimin Stand on Oahu both make their own noodles. McDonald’s in Hawaii also has it (add soy sauce).
Spam Musubi – Rice block + fried Spam + seaweed wrapper. Sold everywhere individually wrapped. People eat these for breakfast, lunch, beach snacks, road trips, whenever.
Pro tip from me: squirt mayo on each bite.
Musubi Cafe Iyasume on Oahu has tons of variations. Da Kitchen on Maui does deep-fried Spam musubi. 7-Eleven in Hawaii actually has great musubi (also Mochiko Chicken Musubi).
16-17: Shrimp & BBQ
Garlic Shrimp – If you go to Oahu’s North Shore, you can’t miss the shrimp trucks. The smell of garlic and butter hits you immediately.
Hawaii shrimp is sweeter than mainland shrimp (especially Kauai shrimp). We’ve waited an hour for garlic shrimp and zero regrets.
Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck has two North Shore locations (Kahuku 10:30am-6:30pm, Haleiwa 10:30am-5pm). We’ve been going to Romy’s Kahuku Prawns lately instead. On Kauai, Shrimp Station in Waimea is incredible.
Kalbi Ribs – Hawaiian short ribs are sweeter than Korean kalbi. Cut in little discs with bone in the middle. Best places grill them so you get charred edges.
Pro tip: eat a bite with rice and mac salad together.
Da Kitchen on Maui has amazing kalbi with huge portions. Guava Smoked on Oahu (lunch only) and South Shore Grill for plate lunch.
Want to try multiple foods in one go? Book a Hawaiian food tour on Viator or Get Your Guide. You’ll hit all the local spots with a guide.
18-21: Sweet Stuff
Kulolo – Traditional Hawaiian dessert. Firm pudding made with taro, sugar, coconut milk. Gets sliced like brownies. Brownish-purple color.
The taro flavor is mild and the coconut really comes through. A little chewy (not as chewy as mochi). Worth trying once.
Kapaa Poi Factory on Kauai is the oldest commercial kulolo factory in Hawaii with their original recipe. Waiahole Poi Factory on Oahu serves it with ice cream.
Grocery stores sell it in the bakery section or you can buy kulolo mixes.
Haupia – If you like coconut, you’ll love this. Firm coconut pudding cut into little squares. Super light and refreshing. Sometimes topped with toasted coconut but usually plain.
Find it at any plate lunch restaurant, luaus, or buy haupia mixes at grocery stores.
Coconut Cream Pie – Old-school diner pies are huge here. The most iconic is coconut cream pie (sometimes called Haupia Pie). Served cold with either macadamia nut crust or traditional crust.
Ted’s Bakery on Oahu’s North Shore is outstanding. Ani’s Bake Shop on Oahu does Chocolate Haupia Pie and Sweet Potato Haupia Pie.
Leoda’s Kitchen & Pie Shop in West Maui is THE pie place.
Malasadas – Portuguese donuts that became a Hawaiian breakfast thing. About fist-sized, fried golden, rolled in sugar. Best fresh (microwaving works but isn’t the same).
Leonard’s Bakery in Honolulu is the gold standard (open daily 5:30am-7pm, line moves fast). They do all kinds of tropical fruit fillings.
KTA Bakery on the Big Island makes fresh ones with lilikoi and ube fillings. Kamehameha Bakery on Oahu has the best Poi Malasadas.
22-23: Bakery Favorites
Coco Puffs – Hawaiian cream puffs stuffed with chocolate pudding, topped with buttery macadamia nut frosting. Kept cold but melt in your mouth.
Liliha Bakery on Oahu is famous for these. They have other cream puffs but Coco Puffs are what they’re known for.
T Komoda Store & Bakery in Makawao on Maui is a good stop if you’re doing the Road to Hana.
Butter Mochi – Japanese mochi meets Hawaiian butter love. Tons of butter, coconut milk, mochiko flour.
Sometimes topped with toasted coconut. Made in a pan, cut into squares. Hard to not eat the entire pan.
Diamond Head Market & Grill on Oahu has excellent butter mochi. Kahuku Farms on Oahu’s North Shore makes new flavors. Any farmers market in Hawaii will have someone selling it.
24. Hawaiian Shave Ice
If you only try one thing from this entire list, make it shave ice.
NOT a snow cone. The ice is shaved super fine so it’s almost creamy with the syrup. The past decade, more places use organic syrups with fresh fruit and get creative with toppings.
I wrote entire posts about the best shave ice on Oahu, Kauai, and Maui.
Top spots:
- Wishing Well Shave Ice on Kauai (organic syrups, fresh fruit toppings)
- Matsumoto’s Shave Ice in Haleiwa on Oahu (most famous North Shore spot, serving since 1951, open 10am-6pm daily)
- Ululani’s Shave Ice on Maui (definitely the best on Maui, multiple locations in Kahului, Kihei, and Wailuku)
Planning Your Hawaii Food Trip
Now that you know what to eat, you need to figure out where to stay and what else to do. I’ve got comprehensive guides for each island:
- Maui Travel Guide for Families
- Oahu Travel Guide for Families
- Kauai Travel Guide for Families
- Big Island Travel Guide for Families
- Hawaii Island Hopping Guide
Want Help Planning?
I do one-on-one Hawaii travel consultations where we’ll map out your entire trip, including the best restaurants and food spots based on where you’re staying.
Or grab one of my free email courses:
Island-specific planning:
Common Questions
What do locals actually eat for breakfast? Spam and eggs, Portuguese sausage, Spam musubi, fresh fruit. Loco moco is also popular for breakfast.
Why is Spam such a big deal in Hawaii? U.S. soldiers brought it during WWII. It doesn’t need refrigeration and lasts forever, so it caught on with locals and never left.
Does McDonald’s really serve Spam? Yep. It’s been on the menu since 2002 at every Hawaii location. They also have saimin and other island stuff.
What’s the most famous Hawaiian dish? Hard to pick just one. Kalua pork, poke, and shave ice are probably the most iconic.
Final Thoughts
As someone who’s been visiting Hawaii since I was 10, I can tell you that food is one of the best parts of any trip here. Don’t skip dishes just because they sound weird or unfamiliar.
Start with the easy stuff (kalua pork, poke, shave ice), then try the more adventurous things (poi, lau lau, tripe stew). Book a food tour to hit multiple spots efficiently.
Want to make this stuff at home? I’ve got a bunch of Hawaii recipes on my site.
