Finding cheap eats in Hawaii is definitely a challenge but we thought we did pretty well when we found Waikiki Beachside Bistro. Open from 9:30 am to 5 pm, this is breakfast and lunch fare rather than dinner (unless you’re a senior who eats at 4 pm like some people I know…) If you eat a hearty meal at noon, however, you can make do with cocktails and pupus for dinner, but more about that later.
With a beachside location, I expected a high-priced burger stand and they do serve burgers and other sandwiches but so much more. They feature plate lunches, the classic Hawaiian lunch that was designed to be cheap and filling. The typical plate lunch features lots of rice, a choice of meat, and usually a macaroni salad. I was especially grateful that our plate lunch replaced the macaroni with a more healthy salad. We chose Teriyaki Chicken for $10.95 and shared it. With all that rice under the chicken, there was plenty for both of us.
Patio at Waikiki Beachside Bistro
Jim orders our lunch
Teriyaki Chicken Plate Lunch
Our table with a view of the beach
While we ate, we observed a couple of guys in wetsuits arrive with fish they’d obviously just caught. With that level of freshness, I wished I had ordered the “catch of the day” plate lunch. While I didn’t get to eat it, I did photograph it. The fish was kala, also called unicorn fish, for the horn-like protuberance on its head. I wasn’t familiar with this fish, but the guys at the restaurant assured me it was tasty.
Kala, or unicorn fish
Trip Advisor shows mixed reviews for Waikiki Beachside Bistro but we thought our plate lunch was pretty good and it definitely filled us up. We also caught a glimpse of the $10 Loco Moco which is a well-known Hawaiian original consisting of a mountain of rice covered by hamburger, gravy, and egg(s). I like to buy local so this place suited us on that score, too.
Before our trip, I researched restaurants on Oahu and found the Mai Tai Bar at the Ala Moana Mall in Honolulu where they claim to serve the best pupus (appetizers) and cocktails. We stopped there on our way back from Pearl Harbor on the local bus. Since we’d eaten that ample plate lunch earlier in the day, pupus seemed to be a good lighter option for dinner.
Mai Tai Bar at Ala Moana Mall, Honolulu
The 3 blackened fish tacos at a happy hour price of $8 weren’t bad but, honestly, they had me at the $6 glass of wine. The sweet potato fries were pretty good, too. This is a chain but their website claimed to win awards year after year for their happy hour so we figured it was worth a try. The place was packed. In this beautiful tropical paradise, I’d rather have had a beach or water view with my pupus and cocktails but the bar was open air, the price was right, and we got to see the Ala Moana Mall.
Blackened fish tacos at Mai Tai Bar
Sweet potato fries at the Mai Tai Bar
We spent two full days and three nights on Oahu before our 7-day cruise on the Pride of America. Here are a few more scenes from Waikiki before our ship sailed.
Beach at Waikiki
Waikiki
Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalaianaole was the last reigning prince in Hawaii until the Hawaiian monarchy was overthrown in 1893 by American businessmen. He was later elected to Congress to represent Hawaii for 10 consecutive terms until his death in 1922. Revered in Hawaii as a champion of the rights of native Hawaiians, he is honored with a statue in Kuhio Park in Waikiki.
Statue of Prince Kuhio in Kuhio Park
And here’s my favorite view from our lanai at our hotel, the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort and Spa. Aaah…
The view from our lanai
Check back next week as we set sail on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America.
Based on events in November 2015.
