Da Ono Hawaiian Food

We came here originally in 2004. We came back again in 2018 only to find out they closed. Fast forward 7 years, we are back on Oahu and I drove right past Da Ono and they were still up and running?!? We came to the restaurant on a Thursday night about 730pm. We were greeted with a smile. The restaurant was empty so ample seating. We ordered on the A La Cart menu. Our dishes were Pork Laulau, Kaluha Pork & Cabbage, Salmon Lomi Lomi, Poi, Mac Salad and Beef Kalbi Short Ribs. Everything was just as we remembered it! 🤤🥰 So happy to be back!! The Lomi Lomi was fresh and just the right amount of salt. The pork Laulau and Kaluha Pork were both mouth watering! Kalbi... Tender and juicy. My husband loves poi (me not so much) but he enjoyed it with every bite! Mac salad was good too! Everything on our dinner table was so satisfying. Thank you Da Ono for bringing back the OG foods we remembered and loved so many years ago! You have done Auntie Vicki proud!! Come by this place... You will not be disappointed!!

Da Ono is one of the places to stop at when in Waikiki. Service was great, and the atmosphere was chill. I had the lechon and the kalua pig with cabbage. The lechon was crispy and not dry or overcooked, and the kalua pig was probably one of the best I've had.

Solid choice for some classic Hawaiian food and some local favorites mixed in. I find traditional Hawaiian food always is pretty expensive with small portions, and the owner was super friendly, but some of the dishes were misses for us. The laulau was on the dry side and the lomi-lomi salmon was aggressively salty, and the portion for the large size pipikaula was a bit underwhelming for the price, but the no-frills retro interior is very charming and the poi was good. Haupia was creamy and great. Definitely feels very homey and has a long standing legacy so worth supporting! :)

Really lovely and delicious place, everything tasted so fresh and flavourful. Very retro and chill vibes as well, and the owner was so kind to let me try some poi before I ordered it. Warm service, fantastic food, feels like a truly authentic classic Hawaiian experience - will definitely be back.

Hole in the wall small diner with great historical pictures on the wall, and OUTSTANDING authentic pre-colonization traditional dishes. Delicious! The gentleman that served me was very informative of what dishes the dishes were and how to eat them. Awesome!!!

Fantastic food. The person who served us was really nice. Portions sizes were great. You can order, Al la cart or as a meal. Really good spot. AC and bathroom didn't work when we were there, That was the only reason I didn't give it higher starts on the atmosphere.

Fantastic food with great set menus that are easy to share. Popular with the locals and easy to access on the bus from Waikiki. Staff friendly and helpful, particularly with the dishes that we were trying for the first time.

Great authentic Hawaiian food. Service was amazing. You get the home style service with the home style food. We got the Lau Lau BBQ Beef Plate and a side of kimchi. Kimchi is home made, taste like it was done with care. Lau Lau was amazing. We ate it the local way with some chili sauce. BBQ Beef rib eye done local style, salty and savory. Definitely hit the spot. The staff treats you like family even though you just a tourist. One of the best meals I’ve had on the island, done with love and care. Mahalo.

First of all, the non-Hawaiian business that serves Hawaiian food is an over priced ripoff! The owner tried to charge us one hundred and ten Dollars for four Ala cart items. Salt meat watercress 29.90, salt meat luau 29.90 and a plate of the worst kalbi ribs in history 32.90! Three scoops of rice for 9 dollars? This is a rip off and these people are not even Hawaiians. I will never go to this Korean owned business again. She took off 12 dollars from the total because she overcharged 6 dollars a bowl for the watercress and luau. Btw, I'm a native Hawaiian who has lived my entire life in Honolulu and Lahaina. Go to Young's Hawaiian food or any place else. Don't ever spend your money at Da ono! Da ono, is da worst!

Maybe it was because I came in and ordered to go 30 mins before closing. But we didn't get what we ordered and PAID for. Look at the pics. He charged me $24 for rice, sweet potato, coconut jelly, plain rice with salsa! I ordered lau lau and kahlua Pork. Lesson learned. Check the food before leaving!!!! I would never come here again. Disappointed esp after a long hike on Koko head.

We haven't been back here at Ono's for a couple of years so it's sad to see a decline in food quality! I previously raved about this place to all of my local friends and family but now am a bit leery to even recommend it! We ordered the Hawaiian Special plate with 2 entrée's (Laulau and Chicken Ling Rice) a side of Squid Luau and a side of rice. The plate comes with a choice of poi or rice, Lomi Salmon, Sweet Onion w/Hawaiian Salt (love this touch!) and Sweet Potato & Haupia for dessert. Everything was "ok" except the Chicken Long Rice and the Squid Luau; these 2 dishes did not taste anywhere near what it should taste like! The chicken long rice was completely bland with no taste whatsoever, it didn't even seem like it was seasoned at all AND the squid luau tasted even worse, normally the luau would be bursting with coconut flavor because of the coconut milk used to cook it BUT it didn't AND the squid was placed on top of the dish (not cooked in it like it should be) with no seasoning, it kind of turned my stomach a bit to see the squid just sitting on top of the dish versus mixed in! The gentleman that was running the restaurant was here by himself, in the beginning was very polite! When we entered, we were the only ones here but a few minutes later more and more people started arriving and his cordialness went out the door and he was quite curt with new customers walking in. I have to say that I am quite disappointed in the quality of the food note! My 5-star rating is now dropped to a 2-star rating!

We were craving Hawaiian food and decided to try this place. Parking was a little hard since it's street parking on Kapahulu but we got lucky to get a space right in front. The place is an old diner and a small a small dining area. Definitely do not recommend for big parties. We sat down and ordered. Service was quick and the server was very attentive. The food came out quickly and was very good! Definitely was ono and a great quick fix for Hawaiian Food when we don't want to make it ourselves. We can order to go and we might do that next time since the place is small.

We haven't been here in years! Ever since the man that owned Ono's passsed away. We haven't been back. It is absolutely Onolicious! We ordered the combination squid luau and Lau Lau plate and tripe stew. The Lau Lau is Humangous and super Onolicous!!! It's the size of the salad plate it's served on. Lots of leaves tender moist pork. The squid luau was tasty but it was unusually bright green. I think they must use baking soda. The tripe stew was delicious, very tender and excellent flavor, clean tasting. We ordered the large poi. Service was attentive and pleasant. We will come back again.

It was okay. They had a lot of Hawaiian food dishes. It was missing that Smokey flavor. The place is small so go early to beat the crowd.

We come here at least once every trip. If you are looking for classic, old school Hawaiian food in a simple and untouristy place, not too far from Waikiki, this is it. It's a short walk up from the beach, but we always eat too much, so it's not a bad thing, lol. Are there better places? Sure. But I've decided that life is too short (and expensive) to spend USD $30-$40 (each way!) in an Uber and then stand in a line for 90 minutes to eat at the other places that have good Hawaiian food. Because for the convenience and the price, this place is really delicious and won't disappoint. We always have their laulau & Kalua pig combo plates, and my husband can't resist their short ribs. Service is friendly and quick. The place is rustic, but clean. Can't wait for my next trip.

Da Ono is a great whole in the wall spot to grab authentic delicious Hawaiian food! Came here on a weekday and there was no wait but parking can be difficult. Got a combo with kalua pig and chicken long rice, it came with salmon lomi lomi, steamed purple yam, and coconut haupia. The chicken long rice was just what I needed on vacation since soup is my comfort food and my partner loved the kalua pig. The lomi lomi was refreshing and well-seasoned and the coconut haupia had a great balance of sweetness, both were great for the hot day. The person who served us was friendly and recommended the amazing chili water that was delicious with the pork. It's close to Waikiki and well worth the brief drive for delicious food!

What a meal! Can't get more authentic, such a sweet man manning the register. Good food, so friendly, we were the only ones there at noon on a Sunday and it was such a slay. The AC was broken for a handful a minutes before working and the food options were extensive. Reasonable prices too!! Unlike other Waikīkī places nearby. Y'all gotta go!!

The only item we ordered was the chicken long rice which our friends suggested. The chicken long rice is really good with lots of tasty broth and just a touch of ginger.

Solid choice for some classic Hawaiian food and some local favorites mixed in. I find traditional Hawaiian food always is pretty expensive with small portions, and the owner was super friendly, but some of the dishes were misses for us. The laulau was on the dry side and the lomi-lomi salmon was aggressively salty, and the portion for the large size pipikaula was a bit underwhelming for the price, but the no-frills retro interior is very charming and the poi was good. Haupia was creamy and great. Definitely feels very homey and has a long standing legacy so worth supporting! :)

This is a classic hawaiian food place that serves good hawaiian and local food. Today I ordered the tripe stew, one of my favorite, and I was not disappointed. The taste was as how my mom used to make and the macaroni salad was good. The place had the nostalgic look and feel, but the place was very clean. The best of all was the excellent service.

Had a lovely dinner but miss auntie who served us and the neighbors for decades. Try the combination plate You won't be sorry. Parking may be a challenge so try around the corner. Support local businesses.

Not what it used to be. Ordered chicken luau, pork lechon, and Mac salad to go ..All Ala Carte. Total $35 .. NOT WORTH IT at all $$$. The chicken luau and the Mac Salad were passable at best. The lechon.. oh heck no!! Chewy , tough , stale. Such a waste of money. The portions were also very small for the money spent. Sad really. Went there years ago, where it was authentic and delicious. Wished it was better... .

I was so excited when I read that Da Ono has the same cooks as the former "Ono" restaurant. That used to be my favorite Hawaiian restaurant and they had a nice, long run for 57 years before they closed in 2017. There were always long lines out the door. I arrived around 5pm on a Friday night and was fortunate to find metered parking right in front of their restaurant. I went early thinking that there would be a line, but there was only one other couple inside the entire time that I was there! The interior looked very similar to the former Ono restaurant, with vintage Hawaiian album covers and photos adorning the walls. There were about 8 bright orange tables inside. Service was fast and friendly. I ordered the lau lau plate for $20.90. It came with rice, Lomi Salmon, Sweet Potato, and Haupia. The food arrived on separate plates. First bite of the lau lau was disappointing. It really didn't have much flavor at all. I'd rate it a 3. The lomi salmon was excellent, and I'd give that a 5. The haupia was not the best - I've definitely had better. Overall I was surprised that these were the same cooks from before as the taste just wasn't there, at least for the lau lau and haupia. I would possibly return again to try some of their other entrees, like the kalua pig or chicken long rice.

Food looks nothing like the photos, stood around for 10 minutes before we were helped, portions are smaller than what's in the photos outside and in the menu. Tastes like reheated food in the microwave.

The food here has downgraded big time. Very disappointed. The rice they served came from the bottom of the pot, the haupia is discolored. I work in hospitality and refer our guest here for Hawaiian food. I really have to re think this.

Came in for dinner with the family. We were a party of 8 and took up half the restaurant. Menu is pretty straight forward with a bunch of classics. We ended up ordering 2 Lau Lau/Kalua Pork combo, fried noodles, lechon kawali, & bbq short ribs. Everything was super delicious. The kalua pork was saltier than other places I've had but nothing some rice didn't fix. The flavors were all delicious. The combo came with sides of purple potato and jelly. I really loved they served raw onions for that little crunch. I would definitely visit again.

We came here by accident as we were trying to check out another place, but it was closed for some reason on a Saturday so luckily I just happened to see Da Ono in the neighborhood and we were pleasantly surprised. The walls are covered with old Hawaiian album covers and it is a small comfy place for a meal with only one server. There was no wait for a table and we ordered 3 combo lunches to accommodate the 3 of us plus my daughter's fiance who was flying in after lunch. So we ordered two special Hawaiian combo plates, one with kalua pork with chicken luau and and one with chicken long rice and laulau, plus one Special Hawaiian BBQ beef with kalua pig & bbq beef. So much yummy food and all come with choice of rice or poi or chicken long rice, lomi salmon and haupia! Everything was delish! My favorite was the haupia, chicken long rice and laulau!

09/04/22 about 12:45pm. There has been a somewhat long stint of me not eating any meat from the top of June 2022. For whatever reason I can't explain how I have turned into a pescatarian but for the lack of there of... I found the offering of a "poke ahi Bowl" on the menu of Da Ono Hawaiian Foods. And my friend was actually intrigued with the chicken place next door and I would have been happy to eat there but I really don't want to eat chicken either like the meat issue, I didn't want anything with meat and they didn't offer seafood so I found seafood on the menu of Da Ono Hawaiian foods place. The menu outside and inside it does say that the poke Ahi Bowl is at "market price" but what I didn't really realize was that they would put it in such a small offering of a container with such a huge price too. It's not a Terrible thing it's just I was really shocked too, after calculating it in my mind that I paid about $15-$16 dollars for a poke ahi bowl to go. The container being small. I order a side small bowl of Poi at the cost of (trying to recall) $4.85 for a small offering. My sparkling water was probably 3-4 bucks so that would make my poke bowl a whopping $15/$16 bucks - total was $24/$25 dollars. Oh well.... I took a grand look at the pictures from other fellow elite and everything looks good when you eat at the location ..... and one other fellow Yelper also posted her pictures of her take out containers... it's pairing with my situation. At hand - small containers huge price.... I may keep them in mind... it is Hawaiian food and the Poi was the spot of my lunch here!!! I'll have to eat there next time.

The pork Kailua was DELICIOUS, and they had a good drink selection, the food came out really fast too!

I haven't been to Hawaii in 20 years, but this place uses the recipes from "Ono" from my last visit. It's a bit of a hole-in-the-wall, but if you want authentic, this is the best place I know. Also, the person who served my party seemed to be the owner, and he was very nice (and helpfully suggested I might not like the Poi, and he was right). I would try the Lau Lau or their Kaluha pork. Lau Lau can be hard to find, and is wrapped in Taro leaf, which is kind of like spinach. The Kaluha pork you can get anywhere (even on the mainland if you go to LnL Hawaiian), but this is a really excellent version.

I ordered the chicken luau and it was terrible- very bland, I could taste coconut but it wasn't a good "flavor", like not sweet and tasty like it should be, the chicken was bland and in chunks and overall I could not eat more than a few bites.

Love this place such great food definitely stop by if on the island! Go here every time. Short ribs and fried rice are my favorites but everything I've eaten is good. Beef stew especially!

Broke da mouth ono food. Small place not much ambiance but you came for the food, right ? Most dishes came in small plate ( almost like a Tapa restaurant). Food came to the table pretty quickly and any additional orders came quickly as well.

The ambiance is like a whole in the wall place run by Koreans I guess. The lechon kawali was so good.m definitely to try! The kalua pork is also just typical kalua which is good. We just had rice with our food since we're not used to eating poi. Overall experience is great and service was typical for a small restaurant.

Came to this unassuming restaurant in need of traditional Hawaiian foods, and Da Ono delivered! On a Sunday evening around 7pm, it was not very packed as we sat. We ordered the combo meals and they're definitely good to feed 3 people. Both the kalua pork and lualua were amazing pairings with the BBQ beef. One thing to bite is the poi isnt great on it's own, but if you eat it with the meat in one bite, then it's flavor really works well.

I can't visit Honolulu without a healthy dose of Hawaiian cuisine, and this new Da Ono keeps it as local and great as the old Ono's in Kapahulu I took hundreds of take outs from when living and working downtown. I got my fix of laulau, kalua pig, lomi lomi salmon, poi, and Mac salad until my next visit home. Parking was amazingly easy on-street right in front of Da Ono, just bring quarters for the meter. Best Hawaiian food kokohead of downtown.

We were originally wanted to go to 2 other places before we ended up here because both other places were closed on Mondays. We had pipikaula short ribs, pork luau, tripe stew, lomi salmon. They all pretty average, I've had better somewhere else.

Just a hole in the wall. One of the best Hawaiian foods on the island of Honolulu. Will visit any time when traveling to Hawaii. Highly recommended.

Delicious, authentic dishes. So much fun. Nicest people and inexpensive. We had the Hawaiian Pig, Chicken Luau, salmon Lomo and Poi. Only a mile from the beach. We enjoyed this way more than the meals at the fancy hotels.

The food was awesome. It's a little "hole" in the wall. Everything tasted great and service was good. I had the pork belly. It was tender inside and crispy outside. I'd recommend something fresh to go with it. A plate of pork belly and rice was a bit too "heavy". There didn't seem to be a lot in the way of fresh vegetables though so be prepared and considered yourself warned.

Came recommended by a local but I cannot in good conscience recommend. Main owner started swearing and cursing at chef after he mixed up orders. For 45 mins all the customers heard was him saying extremely rude things to the chef asking the chef to just quit. It was also concerning when the owner was saying how horrible a chef he was. Didn't make me feel good about the meal either. Saw customers pick up and just leave without full order being fulfilled.

COME HERE IF YOU'RE IN WAIKIKI AND LOOKING FOR AUTHENTIC HAWAIIAN FOOD! Da Ono is legit and offers some really good and affordable authentic Hawaiian food. Best part, they're within walking distance (or a super short car ride) from Waikiki strip. There aren't many hole in the wall, authentic Hawaiian food options on the strip so this place is a must if you're staying in the area. Highly recommend the pork Laulau, short ribs, and their poi! But really, you can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Very decently priced. Street parking right outside the restaurant. They have a few tables inside or you can order to-go and eat it on your hotel balcony. You can't go wrong here and it's a MUST if you're staying in Waikiki!

A casual Hawaiian eatery owned by a cute elderly couple who are natives, I believe. The food was cheap and to the point. I originally called in my order for pickup as they were not doing indoor dining at the time. The man was super friendly and told me it will be ready soon. The restaurant itself is very casual with large tables conducive for family gatherings. Loved the simple vibes of the restaurant and wished I was able to dine it. At last, I took my neatly packed food back to my Airbnb. I had the Lau Lau and even ventured to try the Poi here. The Lau Lau wrapped in the taro leaves was tender, juicy, and flavorful. I've never had poi before, and there's a chance this one was a day old, but it was a little sour for my taste. Poi is fermented taro root and almost possesses the consistency of pudding but not quite. It is definitely an acquired taste as they say and it wasn't really my jam on the first go, haha. The food was still so "ono" and had the definite characteristics of a good homecooked meal.

If you are staying in Waikiki and don't want to drive to Kalihi for the best Hawaiian cuisine, go to Da Ono Hawaiian Foods because it's not crowded, there's no line to get in, and there's metered street parking right in front. My high school friend is here in town from Virginia. We wanted to go to get Hawaiian food on Sunday after church, but Da Ono Hawaiian Foods is closed on Sundays. We both hadn't been here before, so we decided to go today for lunch... Located on Kapahulu Avenue, on the edge of Waikiki, Da Ono Hawaiian Foods took the place of Ono Hawaiian Food (affectionately known as Ono's) which used to be quite popular before they closed. The new management has cleaned up the interior and made it still feel cozy (natural lighting and fresh air), yet comfy. My friend and I enjoyed the record album covers on the walls - who remembers C&K, Home Grown, and Country Comfort? LOL! My friend had the laulau plate. It came with a side of onions and Hawaiian salt. The way to eat them is together. Just press some salt onto a slice of onion and munch on it! She said that the laulau could use more salt. I didn't ask about the Kalua Pig. I ordered ala carte because I wanted luau squid, haupia, pipikaula, poi, and lomi salmon. Overall, I was disappointed, but I knew that it wouldn't be the best Hawaiian cuisine. The first hint was the bright green color of the squid luau. That means an additive was used to change the natural hue of the taro leaves. The small chunks of squid were okay. The dish needed more coconut milk. The poi may have been a day or two old. It couldn't have been fresh. The lomi salmon that I added in had tiny bits of salmon and more crunchy diced onions than usual. The haupia (coconut dessert) wasn't as rich as I'm used to. The pipikaula was thinly sliced (better for chewing) and had a tinge of pepper. It wasn't as smokey and tasty as other varieties. Service was a one-woman show. It worried me that she didn't write down our orders... And I was right. When she put a plate of laulau in front of me, I was stunned and told her that I had ordered squid luau. She apologized and brought me a bowl of bright green pureed taro leaves. She was actually sweet and filled out water glasses without our asking. I guess I would return if I were desperate. Da Ono Hawaiian Food is just more convenient for the nearby tourists. It made me appreciate the OG restaurant in Kalihi and I realize now why that place is so busy all of the time.

The best lau lau I've ever had, every time I come to Hawaii I hit this place up. It's just a hole in the wall but always hits the spot

Da Ono is a cozy, local, family-run restaurant featuring homemade Hawaiian food. The Special Hawaiian Plates came with a complete meal including a choice of entree, poi (fermented taro paste), lomi salmon (with chopped tomatoes and onions), slices of purple sweet potato, and haupia (coconut pudding) for dessert. My entree choices were the Squid Luau, a green stew of bitter pureed taro leaves topped with slices of squid; and the lau lau, or pork belly wrapped in taro leaves and slow-cooked to perfection. The meat inside the lau lau was tender, juicy, and flavorful, and the taro leaves were super tender and cut right through!

We've been wanting to try this place while in Hawaii. The food was good but the portions were too small, even for two people. I'm sure it's meant for one person but if you wanted to share, it wouldn't be too fulfilling. We ordered the kalua pork, lechon and macaroni salad. The macaroni salad was pretty good, my husband liked it. The kalua pork seems a bit salty to me but maybe that's how it's uploaded to be? Nonetheless, it's still pretty good , especially with rice and if you dip or eat the lechon with the kalua pork, it's even better! I would still recommend this place if you want good Hawaiian food and if you're near that area. It's pretty small and parking seems like it would be a bit hard to find, as it's also near a residential area.

Salad was delicious especially the dressing. A little disappointed by the amount of salmon in lomi and lack of flavor in beef. Otherwise very good. Will return but not order lomi or beef.

Aloha! I just wanted to recommend Da Ono for your upcoming catering needs and share that they really made our company Makahiki feast/ pre Thanksgiving celebration an awesome one, with the most onolicious Hawaiian food spread. Eugene was great to work with and helped to make sure that our timing for our event was accommodated. The food was piping hot at pickup and all of the staff really enjoyed the food. Mahalo again, and we will definitely be back!

We came to Da Ono during our previous Honolulu trip and loved it, so we were sure to come back again this time, but unfortunately, our experience fell short of what we remembered. We ordered a bunch of items: poi, lechon, pork laulau, squid luau, chicken long rice, and tripe stew. Our favorites were definitely the chicken long rice and pork laulau. The tripe stew had literal ice chunks in it from the frozen tripe (imagine eating a hot stew and suddenly getting an ice cube bite). Lechon was a bit dry and tough. Portions are also on the smaller side, so even though we enjoyed the chicken long rice, it was a very small bowl for $11+.

I was looking for hawaiian food near waikiki. Really good authentic short ribs very tender. The manager here gave us a lot of service and checked on our table for satisfaction. Very cozy and warm ambiance. Must visit since its near the waikiki beach and affordable

Da Ono Hawaiian Food Translated; "The Large mackerel type fish Hawaiian Food." What the hell!?

We were first introduced to Da Ono a couple years ago on a food bike tour and we got to try a bit of everything. Everything was delicious but we still had to drive around and try different restaurants but nothing compared to the quality and taste of Da Ono. All the dishes are perfectly seasoned and not too salty. I would have never found or tried this if not for the tour. It's a non descript hole in the wall type restaurant. But everything is very clean and you can taste the quality. We ordered the short ribs, pork lau lau (the best I've ever had) and poke. This is the one restaurant we had to come back for on our vacation this time. Can't wait to go back for more.

We hit this place up on our Hawaiian food tour We sampled four dishes and laulau pork was by far the best I've had. The owner is a real Hawaiian islander and deserves patronage from visitors seeking an authentic Hawaiian meal

The food is great if you want to try authentic Hawaiian grinds, service is on point it's a small place but you can always grab and hit the beach and grind .

Proper authentic Hawaiian food, I highly recommend for anyone visiting Honolulu! Experience this at least once amidst all the poke and sushi and tempura you will likely have when in Honolulu. The food is served as several small dishes together, so you really get a good variety. The kalua pig and chicken long rice were my favorites, as was the little white dessert (forgot what it is called).

They need to change their website information. It states they are open till 9 PM on Tuesdays. Ordered and paid. When I got here, they were closed.