Eater.com is one of my favorite resources for all things food. As such, I love perusing their Essentials list; especially their Hawaii lists. So, as you can imagine, I was excited to see who made the cut on the Eater 38 Essential Honolulu Restaurants 2019 list.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, when traveling, I love to reference Eater’s 38 Essentials lists to help narrow down where to eat. No, the lists aren’t always spot on, but they give a nice perspective outside of questionable review sites like Yelp. And what helps their credibility is the fact that they tend to get things right with their lists of my home state, Hawaii. So let’s analyze the Eater 38 Essential Honolulu Restaurants 2019 list.
Eater 38 Essential Honolulu Restaurants 2019
For 2019, Eater’s Honolulu list includes:
- Ethel’s Grill
- Mitsu-Ken
- Helena’s Hawaiian Food
- The Pig and the Lady
- Senia
- Maguro Brothers
- Bar Leather Apron
- Lam’s Kitchen
- Fete Hawaii
- Rangoon Burmese Kitchen
- Hank’s Haute Dogs
- Liliha Bakery
- Side Street Inn
- Waiahole Poi Factory
- Kyung’s Seafood
- Chengdu Taste
- Sushi Izakaya Gaku
- MW Restaurant
- Inaba Restaurant
- Halekulani Hotel
- Alan Wong’s
- Pint and Jigger
- Sushi Sho
- Waiola Shave Ice
- Waikiki Yokocho
- Sweet Home Cafe
- Ahi Assassins
- Beer Lab HI
- Tonkatsu Tamafuji
- Gina’s Bar-B-Q
- Ono Seafood
- Leonard’s Bakery Malassadas
- Diamond Head Market & Grill
- Mud Hen Water
- Koko Head Cafe
- Zippy’s
- Over easy
- Roy’s Hawaii Kai (The Original)
What the List Got Right
It’s nice to see a lot of familiar names on the 2019 list, and quite a few I’ve been to too. Of course, the list wouldn’t be complete with the incredibly unique Mud Hen Water or Honolulu’s most anticipated new restaurant ever, Senia. Nor would the list be complete without Honolulu’s best bar, in my opinion, Bar Leather Apron. And, of course, there are the storied spots that have to be included, such as Alan Wong’s, Roy’s, Zippy’s, and Side Street Inn, among others.
But other places included on the list might not be so apparent to those not familiar with Honolulu’s dining scene. For example, Ethel’s, Mitsu-Ken, and Helena’s are all old-school favorites, though I’ve never been to any of them. Waiahole Poi Factory is another that’s really out of the way for most, but is rapidly gaining in popularity. Then, there are others on the list, such as Tonkatsu Tamafuji and Ahi Assassins, which are among the best at what they do but are affordable and casual.
Where I Disagree
Food is a highly personal, opinion-filled topic, so there’s bound to be disagreements. Such is the case with this list, as I see places on here that I don’t necessarily think belong. For example, Fete is a restaurant I loved when they first opened. However, on my last visit to them, the quality was poor, prices high, and service was very lacking. Plus, how could a restaurant serving New American cuisine be included when another unique one was excluded? Granted, I’m a little biased, as I’ve befriended the owners of PAI Honolulu, but their Agedashi XO Turnip Cake with Ti Leaf Consume is worth the visit alone. Not to mention their excellent Happy Hour menu, bar program, and more.
Further, while Leonard’s may have the most well-known malassadas, the place is way over-hyped, in my opinion. There are better options all over the place, though my favorite Champion’s closed recently. And while I love Liliha Bakery’s Coco Puffs, I feel like they’ve lost their way after being acquired by the owner of local take-out chain Yummy’s BBQ. Oh, and, though I haven’t been in years, I’d hesitate to give a blanket recommendation to Halekulani. I’ve heard a few stories of subpar experiences there from trusted friends.
Eater 38 Essential Honolulu Restaurants 2019, Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, the Eater 38 Essential Honolulu Restaurants 2019 list isn’t the end-all, be all list. What it is, though, is a fantastic reference to help you make better dining decisions. And, despite its shortcomings, the 2019 list does get a lot of things right. So next time you come to Hawaii (or even if you live here) put down the Cheesecake Factory menu and try something new.