Recommendations for Eateries in Honolulu

Matsumoto for best shave ice North Shore

https://matsumotoshaveice.com/

Mahalo, Linda!

Yes to Highway Inn Kaka'ako, The Lau Lau plates are classic Hawaiian.

The Barefoot Beach Cafe @ Queen's Surf Beach is short walk from the Queen K Hotel with ocean front dining or take out.
https://www.barefootbeachcafe.com/menu/

L&L Hawaiian Barbecue for Hawaiian style plate lunch fast food. Multiple locations. Check Google maps for L&L Barbecues waling distance from Queen K. https://www.hawaiianbarbecue.com/

Seafood: Nico's Pier 38 Restaurant. Nico's fish market has take out poke bowls.
https://nicospier38.com/

Ala Moana Center has a food court for casual dining.

Thank you!

Added thoughts.

Hilton Hawaiian Village has a luau offering with an added Friday night fireworks show:
https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/hnlhvhh-hilton-hawaiian-village-waikiki-beach-resort/things-to-do/waikiki-starlight-luau/

Friday Fireworks Luau Enjoy an evening under the stars at Waikiki’s
ONLY beachfront luau with fireworks. Our special edition of the
Waikiki Starlight Luau is every Friday on our beautiful, beachfront
Great Lawn. You’ll be treated to interactive Hawaiian games and
cultural activities and will partake in our buffet of delicious
island-inspired cuisine. The talented cast of Tihati Productions will
take you on a journey across the South Pacific in an exciting, new
show. Your evening will end with a front row seat to the spectacular
Friday fireworks show on Duke Kahanamoku Beach.

A go on the cheap viewing of the Fiday night fireworks is to have
dinner at the Barefoot Beach Cafe and watch the Hilton fireworks show
from across the bay.

https://www.gohawaii.com/islands/events/hilton-hawaiian-village-fireworks
Courtesy

of the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort, a spectacular
fireworks show lights up the sky over Waikiki Beach beginning at 7:45
p.m weekly. Stake out your spot on the sand free of charge to watch
the show, which began in 1988 when the hotel completed its $100
million "Return to Paradise" master plan.

Agree with Edgar re Barefoot Beach Cafe. Just be aware that the line can be long. Similarly, the line at Marukame Udon on Kuhio can also be very long, but moves quickly. The Rainbow Drive in on Kanaina is the real deal. But don't expect ambience. It's walkable from Queen K, but not a particularly pleasant walk. At the other end of Waikiki on McCully is Fook Yuen Seafood if you are interested in Chinese. My favorite shave ice is Waiola Shave Ice.

If Fook Yuen Seafood 1960 Kapiolani Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96826 still serves the lunch buffet, it would be a tasty way to sample a large selection of Honolulu style Cantonese cuisine. We dined at Fook Yyen 5 years ago pre-COVID but Google Maps reports "Bustling, strip-mall restaurant serving a broad menu of Chinese classics plus a daily lunch buffet."

hey hey Judy
mahalos for your thoughts.
what is your “slowest” route to north shore, across pali hiway from downtown honolulu, kalanianaole hiway (H1) to makapu & through waimanalo to kaneohe then up to north shore, or take H1 to H2 to Pearl city and up to north shore through pineapple fields to haleiwa and around north shore?
the north shore has many food trucks, likely shrimp plates & poke bowls.
either way stop by waiahole poi factory (48-140 kamehameha hiway kaneohe) for a pit stop. have their well known haupia ice cream or piece of haupia (coconut dessert)
at international market place, liliha bakery on 3rd floor, known for coco puffs and other yummy pastries plus local style plates/meals
you’ve got many choices to choose from, leaving up to you and DH for what you feel those nights/days.
enjoy your short visit & hope you make it to father Damian’s church.
aloha

Yes, Edgar has given you many good recommendations. I concur with him on Niko’s for fresh fish. There are many places to pop into off Montserrat Blvd and Kapahulu. A splurge is Roy’s on Lewers.

For breakfast try Eggs N Thngs

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjBgY312--DAxU-IjQIHbiuDMwQFnoECCYQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Feggsnthings.com%2Fmenu%2F&usg=AOvVaw0zFmEQVE-niX2SymrEPL51&opi=89978449

Also, you must try malasadas from Leonard’s Bakery. There are several locations

https://www.leonardshawaii.com/malasadas/

Haleiwa (North Shore) - Ted’s Bakery for amazing pies

https://www.tedsbakery.com/

Oh, yay! for all your ideas and suggestions! Mahalo, mahalo,mahalo!!!
This time tomorrow we will be on the ground on Oahu.

Late to the party but took a group to the Side Street Inn on Hopaka Street and it was great food and tons of it. Plus really nice people! The place itself looks low-key but food was really good!

Thank you. I have the Sidestreet Inn (2 locations) on my restaurant list, of 14 possibilities (some with multiple locations). Depending on where we are when we want to eat, we have lots of options, thanks to all of you!

princess pupule, I forget the road numbers for our slower route, but it goes partway up the east side, then over to the main highway. It takes about 2 hours, instead of one (or so) on the main hwy all the way. Right now my brain is starting to go into a nonfunctioning mode, after making notes of addresses, hours, bus routes, prices, etc. for sights to see, places to visit, and possible places to eat. All I have left to collate are the things to see and do on the North Shore day trip.
Finishing up the packing, prepping the house for our absence, taking out the trash, charging all the devices........countdown for short trips isn't much different than for long trips.
Mahalo

I haven't been to Oahu in quite a while, but I checked the Google reviews and it looks like Marugame Udon is still highly rated and has fairly good prices. It is located at 2310 Kuhio in Waikiki. The long line usually goes pretty fast. I thought it was a local restaurant but apparently it is a chain, but still very good.

Leonard's Bakery is a must do when I go to Oahu. Located at 933 Kapahula Avenue, they have wonderful malasadas and other pastries.

The food court at Ala Moana Center is fun to go to for lunch and has a lot of different choices that you probably won't find at your local mall.

Sherry,
Thank you so much for the recommendations!

Just a follow-up after our trip to Oahu. We enjoyed our eateries and want to thank you all once again for your suggestions. We didn't get to some we hoped to just because the timing and location didn't work out. Here's what we enjoyed:
Nico's at Pier 38. Fresh, tasty and copious amount of food, comfortable seating, and low priced for Hawaii. Kind of a long walk from the bus stop, easily doable for those without bad knees or backs, but difficult for us. Still, worth it.
Barefoot Beach Cafe, definitely a good choice! Listening to terrific musicians, watching the glorious sunset, then Hilton fireworks, and a slow stroll to and from the cafe and our Kapahulu Ave. hotel (Queen Kapiolani) along the beach. Neither of us could finish our plates. No alcoholic beverages served.
Dukes, Thursday night prime rib buffet. $64.00 all you can eat, not including drinks. Top-notch beef (REALLY prime rib), music all evening, good service. I pigged out a bit on the beef. The Hula Pie dessert will easily serve 2-4. It was delicious and the two of us tried to finish it, but couldn't quite make it. Ours was free for my husband's birthday, but I would order to share, even at $14.00 a serving.
House Without a Key. another birthday splurge. Service was impeccable, food was perfectly prepared and served (rib eye steak, yellowtail tuna), and we had another free dessert!
The Highway Inn is the museum cafe at the Bishop Museum. Good food, prices reasonable. We sat on patio with lovely view of the grounds.
We had shave ice at Matsumoto's in Haleiwa on our North Shore drive, but timing didn't allow us a chance to have lunch up there. (We kept stopping to gawk at all the beautiful beaches and we didn't want to eat lunch too late because we were going to Duke's for dinner. So no shrimp.)
All of you who made recommendations made our meals on Oahu very enjoyable.
Mahalo!

Judy, nice to hear you and travel mates enjoyed some of our recommendations and it’s always great to hear back from the OP on how their trip went.

hey hey Judy
mahalos for "reporting" back on your short and fun trip.
did you make it to father damian's church?
aloha

princess pupule,
Alas, no visit to the cathedral. It closed at noon and we didn't make it in time. I am sure our prayers were heard, as my grandson's cardiac surgery that day was successful. Perhaps another time, another visit. By the way, we drove to the north shore via the Kamehameha Hwy....wonderful! We followed the coastline at a liesurely pace and relished the non-touristy towns and beaches along the way.
Thank you for asking.