Leonard's Bakery
- ★ 4.8
- Bakery
- $
Order Original sugar malasada
Leonard's Bakery in Kapahulu Honolulu has fried Portuguese malasadas since Leonard Rego opened the family shop in 1952, the canonical version.
37 cheap eats places in Honolulu, editor-picked. The best low-budget spots in Honolulu: the places editors actually return to. All Honolulu food.
The cheap eats list
37 places
Maguro Brothers Hawaii Chinatown
- ★ 4.8
- Street food
- $
Try Sashimi-grade poke bowl
Maguro Brothers Hawaii in Kekaulike Market in Chinatown Honolulu is the lunch poke counter brothers Junichiro and Ryojiro Tsuchiya stock from the Honolulu.
Book food experiences in Honolulu
Kona Coffee Purveyors
- ★ 4.7
- Café
- $
Drink 100% Kona single-estate espresso
Kona Coffee Purveyors in the International Market Place in Waikiki Honolulu is the Big Island farm-direct coffee bar paired with b. patisserie pastries baked.
Giovanni's Shrimp Truck
- ★ 4.7
- Street food
- $
Try Garlic butter shrimp scampi over rice
Giovanni's Shrimp Truck in Kahuku on Oahu's North Shore, an hour from Honolulu, has slung butter-garlic shrimp scampi since 1993 and parked.
Liliha Bakery
- ★ 4.6
- Bakery
- $
Order Chocolate coco puff with macadamia chantilly
Liliha Bakery on North Kuakini in Honolulu is the original 1950 Liliha shop famous for chocolate coco puffs with macadamia nut chantilly, grilled butter.
Lonohana Estate Chocolate
- ★ 4.6
- Café
- $
Drink Hawaiian-grown chocolate flight
Lonohana Estate Chocolate in Kakaako Honolulu is the SALT block bean-to-bar chocolate maker that grows its own cacao on 14 North Shore acres.
Jenny's Shrimp
- ★ 4.6
- Street food
- $
Try Garlic butter shrimp plate
Jenny's Shrimp on Kamehameha Highway in Haleiwa, an hour from Honolulu, is the lunch wagon the former Macky's head chef opened after Macky's closed in 2018.
Rainbow Drive-In
- ★ 4.5
- Plate Lunch
- $
- Kapahulu
Order The loco moco mix plate with chili and the boneless chicken on the side.
Rainbow Drive-In on Kanaina Avenue in Kapahulu Honolulu has slung plate lunches since 1961, founded by Seiju and Ayako Ifuku and now voted top loco moco.
Ono Seafood
Order A two-scoop shoyu ahi and spicy ahi bowl with rice.
Ono Seafood in Kapahulu Honolulu is the family-run poke counter that fishes shoyu ahi, spicy ahi and tako preparations from the refrigerated case.
Where to stay in Honolulu
A sample of Honolulu hotels from our booking partner, who list 473 here. Live prices and availability open on their site.
Ala Moana Hotel by LSI Resorts
With a stay at Ala Moana Hotel by LSI Resorts in Honolulu (Ala Moana), you'll be within a 10-minute walk of...
Check dates
Polynesian Beach Club Hostel
With a stay at Polynesian Beach Club Hostel in Honolulu (Waikiki), you'll be within a 5-minute walk of Sans...
Check dates
Pacific Monarch Hotel
Located in Honolulu (Waikiki), Pacific Monarch Hotel is a 3-minute walk from Waikiki Beach and 9 minutes by...
Check dates
Castle Waikiki Grand Hotel
A stay at Castle Waikiki Grand Hotel places you in the heart of Honolulu, steps from Sans Souci Beach and 3...
Check dates
Hotel Renew
Located in Honolulu (Waikiki), Hotel Renew is a 5-minute walk from Honolulu Zoo and 6 minutes by foot from ...
Check dates
Waikiki Resort Hotel
With a stay at Waikiki Resort Hotel, you'll be centrally located in Honolulu, within a 10-minute walk of In...
Check dates
Pacific Marina Inn Airport Hotel
With a stay at Pacific Marina Inn Airport Hotel in Honolulu (Western Honolulu), you'll be a 4-minute drive ...
Check dates
Ilima Hotel
With a stay at Ilima Hotel in Honolulu (Waikiki), you'll be within a 10-minute walk of International Market...
Check dates
Queen Kapiolani Hotel
With a stay at Queen Kapiolani Hotel in Honolulu (Waikiki), you'll be steps from Honolulu Zoo and 2 minutes...
Check dates
The Modern Honolulu by Diamond Resorts
With a stay at The Modern Honolulu by Diamond Resorts, you'll be centrally located in Honolulu, a 7-minute ...
Check dates
Sheraton Princess Kaiulani
With a stay at Sheraton Princess Kaiulani in Honolulu (Waikiki), you'll be steps from Waikiki Beach and 3 m...
Check dates
Airport Honolulu Hotel
With a stay at Airport Honolulu Hotel in Honolulu (Western Honolulu), you'll be within a 5-minute drive of ...
Check dates
Also compare: Holidu in Honolulu from USD 154/night · LateRooms in Honolulu from 124/night · Expedia in Honolulu
Stays are listed by our booking partners, not editor picks. We earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Off the Hook Poke Market
Order Spicy ahi and limu ahi over rice, plus a side of furikake.
Off the Hook Poke Market in Manoa Honolulu is the takeout-only poke counter at the foot of Manoa Valley that draws University of Hawaii students.
Cake Works
- ★ 4.5
- Bakery
- $
Order Lilikoi cream tart
Cake Works in Honolulu is pastry chef Abigail Langlas's South King Street bakery for custom cakes, French macarons and tropical-fruit tarts in lilikoi.
The Curb Kaimuki
- ★ 4.5
- Café
- $
Drink Hojicha latte with blueberry lavender syrup
The Curb Kaimuki in Honolulu is a multi-roaster coffee shop on Waialae that pours Olympia and Heart beans, started as a coffee truck and now anchors.
Ted's Bakery Plate Counter
- ★ 4.5
- Bakery
- $
Try Garlic shrimp plate or chocolate haupia pie slice
Ted's Bakery on the North Shore an hour from Honolulu sells garlic shrimp plates and a slice of chocolate haupia pie for $14 total, the most essential cheap.
Palace Saimin
Order A regular saimin and a BBQ stick on the side.
Palace Saimin in Kalihi Honolulu is one of the state's oldest saimin shops, opened by Kame Ige in 1946 and still serving the shrimp-and-pork-dashi broth.
Ted's Bakery
- ★ 4.4
- Bakery
- $
Order Chocolate haupia cream pie
Ted's Bakery at Sunset Beach on Oahu's North Shore, an hour from Honolulu, is the original home of the chocolate haupia cream pie and a plate lunch counter.
Matsumoto Shave Ice
- ★ 4.4
- Bakery
- $
Order Rainbow shave ice
Matsumoto Shave Ice in Haleiwa on Oahu's North Shore, an hour from Honolulu, has scraped fine-grain shave ice since the Matsumoto family opened.
Musubi Cafe Iyasume
- ★ 4.4
- Café
- $
Drink Iced matcha and spam musubi
Musubi Cafe Iyasume on Kuhio in Waikiki Honolulu has handmade Koshihikari-rice spam musubi in a dozen permutations, the canonical breakfast grab-and-go.
Leonard's Malasadamobile
- ★ 4.4
- Street food
- $
Try Sugar malasada straight from the fryer
Leonard's Malasadamobile on Kalanianaole Highway in Honolulu Kai is the mobile food truck arm of the 1952 Leonard's Bakery, frying the canonical Hawaii.
Waiola Shave Ice
- ★ 4.3
- Bakery
- $
Order Strawberry condensed milk shave ice
Waiola Shave Ice in Kapahulu Honolulu has scraped the finest shave ice in the city since 1940, now on Mokihana Street after the original Kapahulu Avenue.
Honolulu Coffee Company
- ★ 4.3
- Café
- $
Drink Kona blend latte
Honolulu Coffee Company at the Prince Waikiki in Honolulu was founded in 1992 with farm-to-cup Kona coffee from a 50-acre estate in the Captain Cook region.
Morning Brew Kakaako
- ★ 4.3
- Café
- $
Drink 100% Hawaiian-blend latte
Morning Brew in Kakaako Honolulu is the in-house roaster cafe that pulls 100% Hawaiian blends weekly, opened by the original Kailua location's owners.
Morning Brew Kailua
- ★ 4.3
- Café
- $
Drink Iced Hawaiian latte
Morning Brew Kailua across the Pali from Honolulu is the original location of the 100% Hawaiian-blend roaster, drawing surfers off Lanikai for all-day.
Andy's Sandwiches and Smoothies
- ★ 4.3
- Café
- $
Drink Papaya smoothie
Andy's Sandwiches and Smoothies in Manoa Honolulu has fed UH students made-to-order sandwiches on house-baked bread and papaya smoothies since 1977.
Cafe Kaila
- ★ 4.3
- Café
- $
Drink Pour over and cornbread waffle
Cafe Kaila in the Market City Shopping Center in Honolulu's Kapahulu has won Hale Aina best breakfast four consecutive years; cornbread waffles.
Sweet E's Cafe
- ★ 4.3
- Café
- $
Drink Coffee and stuffed French toast
Sweet E's Cafe in Kapahulu Honolulu is the casual breakfast room named for Ethel Mathews, serving stuffed French toast and crab cake Benedict on the Kaimuki.
Ted's Bakery North Shore Plate Counter
- ★ 4.3
- Street food
- $
Try Chocolate haupia cream pie and garlic shrimp plate
Ted's Bakery at Sunset Beach on Oahu's North Shore, an hour from Honolulu, runs a plate lunch counter alongside the pie case with garlic shrimp.
Highway Inn Kakaako
- ★ 4.3
- Hawaiian
- $
Try Kalua pig combo plate
Highway Inn Kakaako Honolulu serves a combination kalua pig plate with rice, mac salad and lomi salmon for around $15, the cheapest sit-down Hawaiian food.
Marukame Udon Waikiki
- ★ 4.2
- Japanese Udon
- $
- Waikiki
Order Niku udon with a sweet beef topping and a kakiage tempura on the side.
Marukame Udon Waikiki in Honolulu is the theatre-kitchen Sanuki udon counter on Kuhio Avenue where you watch handcut noodles boiled to order and finished.
Honu Bakery
- ★ 4.2
- Bakery
- $
Order Croissant
Honu Bakery on North School Street in Honolulu is the laminated-pastry bakery and cafe at Kam Shopping Center with croissants, kouign-amann and rotating.
Hawaiian Aroma Caffe
- ★ 4.2
- Café
- $
Drink Honolulu cold brew
Hawaiian Aroma Caffe on Kalakaua in Waikiki Honolulu is the Italian-leaning espresso cafe with nightly live music, all-day breakfast and a four-location.
Liliha Bakery Nimitz
- ★ 4.1
- Bakery
- $
Order Chocolate coco puff
Liliha Bakery Nimitz in Honolulu is the larger, sit-down branch of the local institution with full plate lunches, dim sum trolleys and the canonical coco.
Romy's Kahuku Prawns
- ★ 4.1
- Street food
- $
Try Sweet shrimp and prawns from the farm next door
Romy's Kahuku Prawns on the North Shore an hour from Honolulu farms its own shrimp and prawns on the property and serves them butterfly-cut from the lunch.
Marukame Udon Fort Street
Order Curry udon and a shrimp tempura, plus a musubi if you skipped breakfast.
Marukame Udon on Fort Street Mall is the Downtown Honolulu cousin of the Waikiki cafeteria-line udon shop, slinging Sanuki-style noodles to office workers.
Diamond Head Market and Grill Bakery
- ★ 4.0
- Bakery
- $
Order Blueberry cream cheese scone
Diamond Head Market and Grill in Honolulu is the Monsarrat counter where Kelvin Ro fries plate lunches and the bakery side sells the city's most-asked-about.
Zippy's Kapahulu
- ★ 3.8
- American diner
- $
- Kapahulu
Order A bowl of Zippy's chili and rice, plus a Zip Pac bento on the way out.
Zippy's Kapahulu in Honolulu is the 24-hour diner of the local Higa-family chain that sells over 110 tons of chili per month, founded by Francis and Charles.
Nothing matches.