Best Dining in Kailua, Oahu

Thirty minutes from Honolulu via the Pali Highway, Kailua on the windward side of Oahu is a classic beach town with a multitude of vacation rentals and bed & breakfasts. Kailua’s beautiful tropical beaches attract many visitors who shy away from tourist spots like Waikiki. Whether you plan on kayaking from Lanikai Beach to Flat Island or simply lounging on the white sands of Kailua Beach, hunger will always bring you back ashore. Luckily, Kailua offers some terrific dining experiences, and this article will feature the best of them.

For the best burgers on the windward side of Oahu, check out Teddy’s Bigger Burgers. Located at 539 Kailua Road, this burger joint is a throwback to the fifties. And while the prices are not from the fifties, they are very reasonable. Choose between a big, bigger or biggest burger, all of which are delicious, thanks to Teddy’s special sauce. The fries are excellent. The restaurant is small with indoor and outdoor tables, and it gets really busy at lunchtime, so plan on spending some time on line. Or check them out during off-hours between lunch and dinner.

Right next door to Teddy’s you will find good Mexican food at Maui Tacos. The portions here are large and reasonably priced. Since Maui Tacos is right next door to Teddy’s and shares the same group of outdoor tables, this is a great place to compromise with the family – burgers to the left, tacos to the right. As with Teddy’s, Maui Tacos is a small joint that gets pretty packed during lunch, so plan accordingly.

For a somewhat finer dining experience in Kailua, I highly recommend Lucy’s Grill n’ Bar. Located at 33 Aulike Street (808-230-8188), Lucy’s offers a broad menu that includes steak, seafood, pizza, ribs and duck. Again, Lucy’s does often get crowded, especially at dinner time, and reservations are strongly suggested. Service is adequate, and indoor and outdoor tables are available for dining.

Speaking of steak, across from Kailua Beach Park you will find Buzz’s Original Steakhouse. Located at 413 Kawailoa Road (808-261-4661), Buzz’s Original Steakhouse offers fabulous steak and seafood and legendary Mai Tais. (Yes, by “legendary” they mean strong.) Once again, reservations are recommended for dinner. Note that Buzz’s does not accept credit cards. (I always seem to discover this the hard way.)

Since I love pizza, I always do my best to mention a pizza joint. In Kailua, it’s Amina Pizzeria. Located at 3018 Hahani Street, Amina offers some very good regular and French bread pizza, as well as other Italian dishes including lasagna, stromboli, pasta, and calzones. Like a lot of the eateries in this area, Amina Pizzeria is a bit on the small side, but the portions are large and reasonably priced, so who needs comfort?

I will freely admit that I do not care for Hawaiian food (at least not yet), but if you would care to give it a try, a dining spot the locals here frequent is Pinky’s Pupu Bar & Grill, located at 970 North Kalaheo Avenue. You will not find many tourists here, but you will find a wide variety of local dishes, including Kalua pig. One thing that will make that pig even more enjoyable is their huge drinks, specifically the 18 ounce Mai Tai. And Pinky’s desserts alone are totally worth the trip.

There you have it, the best dining in Kailua. Aloha and enjoy!