This post “Places to Eat in Oahu with Kids” is in collaboration with Stryker Weiner & Yokota Public Relations on behalf of the Oahu Visitors Center and Liliha Bakery. All opinions expressed are my own.
Ok, I have to admit it. One of the best activities for anyone on any vacation is eating. It’s also a kid-friendly activity because what kid doesn’t want to eat all that good food? Reese is usually a picky eater but even she had my back on this one. For kid-friendly activities in Oahu, you can’t go wrong with trying out the food plus it's a great way to experience the culture. And boy, is there a ton of it to try in Oahu. Before your head spins with all the options, Reese and I put together a list of our favorite kid-friendly places we visited while in Oahu.
Places to Eat in Oahu with Kids – Liliha Bakery
First on our list of must-try food in Oahu is Liliha Bakery. This place is an institution in Oahu and you simply MUST go. It’s been around since 1950 and they’ve been doing things right the whole time. It’s iconic and classic so needless to say we were beyond honored and grateful to have been invited in for a one-on-one behind the scenes baking demo with pastry chef Stan Imai who was super nice and funny.
After a traditional lunch of spam (We seriously can't get enough), Reese grabbed her aprons and got to work rolling out dough for their ever so popular poi mochi donuts. I think Reese ate her body weight in these and I thought we were going to have to roll her out of there. These donuts have a texture like no other donut I've ever tried and had a consistency similar mochi which I loved. They were the perfect amount of sweetness and the purple color made them super cute to eat.
The word on the street is Liliha Bakery is known for their coco puffs. A buttery cream filled chocolate covered puffed pastry, so we couldn't leave without trying one…well more like 3 or 4. Simply put, the coco puffs were incredible and I'm serious when I say don't leave Hawaii without trying a few. I'm still trying to talk Stan into shipping Coco Puffs and Poi Mochi Donuts to California…so far no luck…but I'm persistent lol.
They have a massive menu so its impossible to try everything in one visit. I suggest going for lunch (sit at the iconic counter), order the spam sandwich or pancakes and top it off with a Coco Puff and a Poi Mochi Donut. You have to get both, no one will judge you, I promise. You can't go wrong with that winning combination.
Visit Liliah Bakery on social media: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
Places to Eat in Oahu with Kids – Monsarrat
For shaved ice, you need to go to Monsarrat. The syrups are made from real fruit which is a total game changer. These were way different than the sugary sweet shaved ice we have back home. They had several flavors to choose from but we narrowed it down to the coconut and pineapple for me and Reese had the raspberry coconut with condensed milk and it was to die for!
The one thing to note is during our visit, they did not accept credit card (cash only) and the nearest atm was about 5 blocks away so make sure to grab cash before you go. It's also very small and tucked away (if you blink, you'll miss it), so look for the sign in the picture above.
Places to Eat in Oahu with Kids – Eggs ‘n Things
If you learned anything from the movie 50 First Dates, then you know spam is huge in Hawaii. Don’t knock it until you try it, especially at Eggs ‘n Things. It’s been around since the mid-70s and every plate that went past our table made us drool. We, of course, ordered the spam and it was to die for. While waiting for our spam we saw a plate of pancakes go by and Reese had to have those too.
I almost said no because it's a ton of food but YOLO right? I'm happy I gave in and ordered them because they were honestly the best pancakes I have ever had. How is it possible for one restaurant to knock two key items out of the park! I'm still not sure but Eggs ‘n Things has done it. Both the pancakes and spam looked and smelled divine and they tasted like heaven. If you can only eat breakfast at one location while in Hawaii, it should be here and it should be pancakes! You’ll love it!
Places to Eat in Oahu with Kids – Heavenly
The menu here is simple, but so is the concept. Heavenly dishes out truly heavenly food made from natural and healthful ingredients. We recommend the Loco Moco for a true taste of Hawaii. Your plate comes with 100% pure Big Island Kulana beef and locally-sourced eggs in this craveable ginger soy glaze along with fresh-picked organic vegetables and organic beans. This was probably the healthiest dish we had in Oahu and even Reese loved it.
Places to Eat in Oahu with Kids – Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck
Food trucks aren’t just big in the mainland states. They’re big in Hawaii too! One kid-friendly activity in Oahu is taking your kids to the food trucks. We chose Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck once we got a whiff of that incredible world-famous scampi sauce. There was no stopping us! I had the Shrimp Scampi which doesn’t skimp on the shrimp. I could have drank that sauce all day. Reese went wild for the Jumbo Garlic Hot Dog. It’s smothered in that same scampi sauce. I truly believe we’d have eaten our shoes if they put that scampi sauce on them! Places to Eat in Oahu with Kids
When you want to eat with kids in Oahu, these places make it easy because they’re casual, convenient, and have plenty of options that even the youngest eaters will love! Places to Eat in Oahu with Kids
