With hundreds of dining options from gourmet restaurants to food trucks, Oahu can be daunting when looking for the right place to eat. To make things easy.  We’ve broken it down for you by destination. Our Waikiki lists also encompass what locals call “town” — urban Honolulu, including trendy Chinatown, where some of the most innovative cuisine is happening in the Pacific Rim. West Side is mostly the Ko Olina Resort area with a few options in the nearby “second city” of Kapolei, while the rural North Shore is famous for big surf and shrimp trucks. The latter is a relic of the aquaculture industry that evolved after massive pineapple plantations left the islands. Sadly, politics intervened, and the shrimp “farmers” were only allowed to sell on the island.

Artisan agriculture is taking root, though, including heirloom fruit and vegetables, sugarcane (for rum), cacao (for chocolate) and coffee (for making life worth it.) Raise a glass of locally made craft beer at one of these restaurants, which are also sorted by cuisine. If we missed your favorite let us know or if we helped you find your new favorite spot tag us at @HawaiiIslander on Instagram to share the love.