2020 Hale ‘Aina Award Winners: The Best Restaurants in Hawai‘i
Congratulations to this year’s Hale ‘Aina Award winners announced on Sept. 14, 2020.
We asked, more than 8,000 votes were cast, and now it’s time to unveil the winners of the 2020 Hale ‘Aina Awards!
Each year, our readers vote for their favorite restaurants in the Islands, as well as naming the Restaurateur of the Year. The top restaurants were announced during a virtual live-reception held Sept. 14, 2020. See our upcoming December 2020 issue for the stories behind the menus, ordering tips from some of our Hale ‘Aina Award honorees. Subscribe now to have our Best Restaurants issue delivered right to your home.
The Hale ‘Aina Awards are the state’s longest running and most prestigious dining honors, started by HONOLULU Magazine in 1984 to honor the best restaurants in Hawai‘i. Whether you’re looking for weekend brunch spots, your new favorite cocktail or the best places to indulge your sweet tooth, we got you. This list of Hale ‘Aina-winning restaurants is your all-year, can’t-miss dining guide.
Congratulations to this year’s winners for operating at the highest levels of quality, and offering Hawai‘i’s most delicious and innovative dishes.
SEE ALSO: Get Your Tickets to the 2020 Hale ‘Aina Celebration
Restaurateur of the Year
Michelle Karr-Ueoka & Wade Ueoka
Best New Restaurant
GOLD – Rigo
SILVER – Mad Bene
BRONZE – Feast
FINALIST – Ya-Ya’s Chophouse & Seafood
SEE ALSO: Find the Best Wine Deals in Honolulu at Rigo Spanish Italian Restaurant
Best O‘ahu Restaurant
GOLD – Roy’s Hawai‘i Kai
SILVER – Alan Wong’s
BRONZE – Merriman’s Honolulu
FINALIST – Senia
Best Maui Restaurant
GOLD – Lahaina Grill
SILVER – Merriman’s Kapalua
BRONZE – Mama’s Fish House
FINALIST – Lineage
SEE ALSO: 2019 Hale ‘Aina Award Winners: Lahaina Grill Wins Gold for Maui’s Best Restaurant
Best Big Island Restaurant
GOLD – Merriman’s Waimea
SILVER – Hawaiian Style Café
BRONZE – Roy’s Waikoloa
FINALIST – Ken’s House of Pancakes
Best Kaua‘i Restaurant
GOLD – The Beach House
SILVER – Roy’s Poʻipū
BRONZE – Merriman’s Fish House
FINALIST – Restaurant Bar Acuda
Best Service
GOLD – Hy’s Steak House
SILVER – Lahaina Grill
BRONZE – Roy’s Hawai‘i Kai
FINALIST& – Merriman’s Honolulu
SEE ALSO: 11 Chefs Dish on Their Go-To Orders Around Hawai‘i
Best Business Lunch
GOLD – Mariposa
SILVER – MW Restaurant
BRONZE – Merriman’s Honolulu
FINALIST – Nico’s Pier 38
Best Breakfast
GOLD – Café Kaila
SILVER – Koko Head Café
BRONZE – Cinnamon’s
FINALIST – Basalt
SEE ALSO: 2019 Hale ‘Aina Award Winners: The Best Breakfast Restaurants in Hawai‘i
Best Brunch
GOLD – Orchids
SILVER – Koko Head Café
BRONZE – Café Kaila
FINALIST — Hōkū’s
SEE ALSO: Travel Around the World (Without Leaving Hawai‘i) For Breakfast at These 7 Restaurants
Best Buffet
GOLD – Lā Hiki Kitchen
SILVER – 100 Sails Restaurant & Bar
BRONZE – Orchids
FINALIST – Hōkū’s
SEE ALSO: Best of Honolulu 2020: The Best Food and Drinks on O‘ahu
Best Cocktail
GOLD – Bar Leather Apron
SILVER – Moku Kitchen
BRONZE – Bevy
FINALIST – Monkeypod Kitchen
SEE ALSO: The Ultimate Hawai‘i Drinking Guide: What to Drink to Match Your Mood
Best Wine Program
GOLD – Vino
SILVER – Amuse Wine Bar
BRONZE – Lahaina Grill
FINALIST – Merriman’s Honolulu
Best Beer Program
GOLD – Square Barrels
SILVER – Maui Brewing Co.
BRONZE – Kona Brewing Co.
FINALIST – Beer Lab HI
SEE ALSO: Real Gastropub, Hawai‘i’s First Restaurant to Focus on Craft Beer, Won’t be Reopening
Best Bar Food
GOLD – Side Street Inn
SILVER – Square Barrels
BRONZE – Pint + Jigger
FINALIST – Basalt
Best Tasting Menu
GOLD – Senia
SILVER – Alan Wong’s
BRONZE – Pai Honolulu
FINALIST – Stage Restaurant
SEE ALSO: The Best Hawai‘i Restaurants for Celebrating a Special Occasion
Most Romantic
GOLD – Michel’s at the Colony Surf
SILVER – La Mer
BRONZE – 53 By The Sea
FINALIST – Mama’s Fish House
Best Restaurant That Caters
GOLD – Chef Chai
SILVER – The Pig & The Lady
BRONZE – MW Restaurant
FINALIST – Side Street Inn
Best Vegetarian
GOLD – Peace Café
SILVER – Tane Vegan Izakaya
BRONZE – Vegan Hills
FINALIST – Beet Box Café
SEE ALSO: The Best Local Takeout Food for Game Days During Quarantine
Best Gourmet Comfort Food
GOLD – 12th Ave Grill
SILVER – Side Street Inn
BRONZE – Kalapawai Café & Deli
FINALIST – Scratch Kitchen
Best Steak
GOLD – Stripsteak
SILVER – Ruth’s Chris Steak House
BRONZE – Hy’s Steak House
FINALIST – Morton’s The Steakhouse
Best Seafood
GOLD – Nico’s Pier 38
SILVER – Mama’s Fish House
BRONZE – Uncle’s Fish Market & Grill
FINALIST – Merriman’s Honolulu
Best Dessert
GOLD – MW Restaurant
SILVER – Liliha Bakery
BRONZE – The Pig & The Lady
FINALIST – Tiny Pryamid
Best Farm-to-Table
GOLD – Town
SILVER – Merriman’s Honolulu
BRONZE – Mud Hen Water
FINALIST – Moku Kitchen
Best Hot Pot
GOLD – Ichiriki
SILVER – Sweet Home Café
BRONZE – Asuka Nabe + Shabu Shabu
FINALIST – Nabeya Maido
SEE ALSO: The Beginner’s Guide to Japanese Hot Pot in Honolulu
Best Chinese
GOLD – Jade Dynasty Seafood Restaurant
SILVER – Little Village Noodle House
BRONZE – Fook Yuen
FINALIST – Happy Days
SEE ALSO: How to Eat Xiao Long Bao and Other Tips for Enjoying Soup Dumplings in Honolulu
Best Hawaiian
GOLD – Helena’s Hawaiian Food
SILVER – Highway Inn
BRONZE – Young’s Fish Market
FINALIST – Waiāhole Poi Factory
Best Italian
GOLD – Arancino at The Kāhala
SILVER – Assaggio
BRONZE – La Cucina Ristorante Italiano
FINALIST – Taormina Sicilian Cuisine
Best Izakaya
GOLD – Izakaya Naru
SILVER – Izakaya Torae Torae
BRONZE – Sushi Izakaya Gaku
FINALIST – Izakaya Nonbei
Best Sushi
GOLD – Yanagi Sushi
SILVER – Ginza Sushi
BRONZE – Sushi ii
FINALIST – Mitch’s Sushi
Best Japanese Noodles (Ramen, Udon, Soba)
GOLD – I-naba
SILVER – Golden Pork Ton-kotsu Ramen Bar
BRONZE – Wagaya
FINALIST – Marukame Udon
Best Overall Japanese
GOLD – Gyotaku
SILVER – I-naba
BRONZE – Rinka
FINALIST – Yanagi Sushi
Best Thai
GOLD – Noi Thai Cuisine
SILVER – Thai Issan Cuisine
BRONZE – Opal Thai
FINALIST – Maile’s Thai Bistro
Best Mediterranean
GOLD – Olive Tree Café
SILVER – Yamas Mediterranean Cuisine
BRONZE – Shaloha Pita
FINALIST – Da Spot
Best Indian
GOLD – Café Maharani
SILVER – Himalayan Kitchen
BRONZE – Kamana Kitchen
FINALIST – Bombay Palace
Best Yakiniku/Korean BBQ
GOLD – Gen Korean BBQ House
SILVER – Million Restaurant
BRONZE – Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ
FINALIST – Sura Hawai‘i
SEE ALSO: 2020 Hale ‘Aina Award Winner: The Beginner’s Guide to Korean Barbecue
Best Overall Korean
GOLD – Million Restaurant
SILVER – Sorabol
BRONZE – Choi’s Garden
FINALIST – Gen Korean BBQ House
Best Vietnamese
GOLD – The Pig &The Lady
SILVER – Hale Vietnam
BRONZE – Pho Saigon
FINALIST – Saigon’s Restaurant
Best Mexican
GOLD – Azteca Mexican Restaurant
SILVER – Los Chaparros Mexican Restaurant
BRONZE – Mexico Restaurant
FINALIST – Alejandro’s
