Aku Eats Oahu

Dinner w/Drinks, page 2

Don Ho's. 1 Aloha Tower Drive at the Aloha Tower Marketplace ocean side of Downtown Honolulu. 528-0807. Lunch and dinner daily, Sunday brunch buffet from 10am-2pm. Parking in center lot. Prices: $$. Map. The local icon and international superstar has a restaurant home in which to commemorate his life and vast accomplishments. Understandably, memorabilia items are everywhere, including for-sale gifts like shirts, hats, and mugs. On the menu, they are perhaps most famous for their pizza, which arrives on a large surfboard-shaped plank and comes in names like Sunset on the Beach (cheese, tomato, and basil) and Waikiki Beach Boy (kalua pork, pineapple, and scallions). There are also pasta choices and a host of different entrees like seafood curry over Asian risotto, lobster fried rice, teriyaki rib-eye, and a fresh catch of the day. Sunday brunch buffets are very economical at about $18, and come with separate stations for prime rib, waffles, omelets, and desserts, as well as hot entrees like kalua pork, chicken, fish, and breakfast meats. Al Waterson hosts karaoke contests on Sunday evenings and local entertainment on weekends, as well as special concerts throughout the year.
 
Uncle's sports a great atmosphere as well as lots of fresh fish and seafoods galore! Inside shot at Uncle's at Pier 38
 
Uncle's Fish Market & Grill. A Closer Look. 1138 N. Nimitz Hwy. 275-0063. Lunch and dinner daily, except closed by 5pm Sunday and Monday. Parking outside store. Prices: $. Map. Down at the pier, life is born anew from the opening of Nico's and now Uncle's, a large, casual eatery with a fishing theme that is attractive and inviting. The original order-at-the-counter arrangement and open displays of fresh fish are now gone, making way for a more conventional restaurant style, which is much classier, and much better as a whole.  With the Honolulu Fish Auction just a short walk away, fresh fish is what it's all about! Get yours prepared any way you want - in Uncle's special sauce, teriyaki, miso butter, garlic caper, or perhaps the best way of all - Raw! The poke stack is a popular item, as is sashimi, and you can even order large, take-out platters for your next party or get-together. Besides that, there are hibachi-style chicken plates, salmon, burgers, salads, a few pastas, sandwiches, and more.
 
Shorebird Beach Broiler. 2169 Kalia Rd. at the Outrigger Reef Hotel in Waikiki. 922-2887. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. Parking at hotel. Prices: $$$. Map. The Shorebird has been around for a long time and is famous for their large open grill where you can cook your own steaks and other items. Sometimes yes, and sometimes no. I don't always feel like standing in front of a hot fire and cooking - in which case you can always order from the menu. Every entree comes with an all-you-can-eat salad bar with a large assortment of items, while breakfast and lunch buffets are relatively economical. The Oceanside location is busy and makes for some great views and lively conversation. Another fun, touristy place to be!

Bluewater Grill. 377 Keahole st. at the Hawaii Kai S.C. in Hawaii Kai. 395-6224. Lunch and dinner daily. Parking in center lot. Prices: $$. Map. Bluewater Grill was begun by longtime employees of the popular Ryan's Grill at Ward, and its dishes are quite similar, with the crab and artichoke dip as popular as ever, along with macadamia nut-crusted prawns and guava-glazed ribs. The atmosphere and quiet location in the upper middle-class suburb of Hawaii Kai is decidedly more family-oriented, however, being without the late-night drink and pupu hours. It sits on the beautiful Kuapa Pond, which is a man-made marina built by the wealthy magnate Henry J. Kaiser.

Breakers. 66250 Kamehameha Hwy. at the North Shore Marketplace in Haleiwa. 637-9898. Lunch and dinner daily, late night till 12am or later depending on the crowd. Parking in center lot. Prices: $$. Map. Here in the little eclectic town of Haleiwa, the surf theme is prevalent everywhere, and this restaurant is no exception, with Kelly Slater, Andy Irons, and Sunny Garcia shredding their way through monster sets and hollow barrels - by way of video screens, of course, which play continually. You would think that after surfing all day they could get away from the subject at night, but nooo・Fish is the thing to get here, along with cocktails, as they are brought in directly from nearby Haleiwa harbor. There is also an assortment of sushi, Thai curries, burgers, sandwiches, and salads.

Lei-lei's Bar & Grill. 57049 Kuilima Dr. at the Turtle Bay Resort Golf Club on the North Shore. 293-2662. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. Parking at clubhouse. Prices: $$$. Map. If you want something a little more casual and local-style than the other choices at the Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore, yet still want quality food in a clean, comfortable environment, Lei-lei's is a great choice. A perfect spot for dinner w/drinks, you'll find poke, shooters, coconut shrimp, baby-back ribs, fresh island fish, and many other favorites, but so far, the slow-cooked prime rib continues to garner the most attention. Lunch menus are much simpler and limited to soups, salads, appetizers, sandwiches, and only a few entree dishes.
 
Henry Loui's is a very local, very drink-friendly spot just outside the town area, and open till 2am every night! trio of goodies from Henry Loui's

Henry Loui's Ribs. A Closer Look. 2850 Paa st. in Mapunapuna. 833-3728. Lunch and dinner daily, late night till 2am daily. Parking outside store. Prices: $$. Map. Henry Loui's ribs are a mixture of American and Asian bbq, and are the main attraction here, but don't forget the sandwiches, Hawaiian plates, teriyaki chicken, prime rib, and a host of other items. This bar/grill has a dinstinctly local flavor to it, from the pidgin English and casual style of the hostesses and waitstaff to the pupu-friendly menu. There is also a bar area and is one of the few places open till 2am outside of the Waikiki/town area. Besides hostess bars, that is.

Jameson's  by the Sea. 62-540 Kamehameha Hwy. in Haleiwa. 637-4336. Lunch and dinner daily, brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 9am. Parking outside store. Prices: $$$. Map. Jameson's is your typical tourist trap restaurant ・that's not a negative term, is it? Just a description, is all! Fresh fish dishes and seafood are the order of the day, such as seafood Diablo or scampi, Australian lobster tails, Cajun ahi, grilled mahi-mahi, and even ulua (giant trevally). Outside seats are ocean-view and gorgeous, but the road sits before it and can sometimes damper an otherwise perfect scene. There are also a good selection of sandwiches, appetizers, and great desserts from nearby Ted's bakery. Their home-made fudge comes in giant blocks of decadence and has been a popular treat for a long time.

 
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