Best Poke on Oahu: Top 3 (Plus One Honorable Mention)

What poke is, and how locals order it

Poke (say "poh-kay") is cubed raw fish, most often ahi, dressed simply. The classic is shoyu ahi: soy sauce, sesame oil, sweet onion and sometimes limu (seaweed). From there the local menu runs to spicy ahi, tako (octopus), and plenty of regional twists. You do not need a restaurant. Most locals buy it by the pound at a counter, grab a scoop of rice, and eat it on the beach.

The Top 3 at a glance

1. Foodland Pupukea, North Shore

Foodland is Hawaii's largest locally owned grocery chain, and its poke counters are a local habit: made fresh daily, with a rotating list of flavors that changes by store. Spicy ahi with avocado is the one to start with, and Foodland's tuna and tako have won local reader awards. The Pupukea store is the one we use. It sits right across from Sharks Cove, so lunch is a five-minute stop between a snorkel or a swim and the next beach. Pick up a container, some rice and drinks, and eat in the shade at the beach park.

This is the easiest poke on the island to fit into a North Shore day, which is why it is number one for our guests.

2. Alicia's Market, Kalihi

Alicia's Market at 267 Mokauea Street is the shop locals mean when they say "the iconic poke place." It offers around 18 kinds of poke, plus roast meats and local-style snacks. After a 2018 fire the market spent years in a smaller space next door and moved back into its original building in late 2022. When it reopened it was running short midday hours, Monday through Saturday and closed Sundays, so call (808) 841-1921 or check aliciasmarket.com before you go. It is a working neighborhood market, not a tourist stop, and that is the point.

3. Ono Seafood, Kapahulu

Ono Seafood is a small counter at 747 Kapahulu Avenue #4, a short drive from Waikiki and Diamond Head. Its most popular poke uses a house "secret shoyu," and the spicy ahi is tossed with mayonnaise, ginger and masago. The menu is short, about eight kinds of poke when it was last written up, and you can build a bowl with toppings. Kapahulu is a good food street on its own, so it pairs well with a morning at Diamond Head. Hours are not posted widely, so check before you go.

Honorable mention: Tamura's Fine Wine & Liquors, Kaimuki

Tamura's at 3496 Waialae Avenue has a poke counter in the back of a wine shop, which is a very Honolulu thing. Poke is sold by the pound, and the small container holds half a pound. There are no bowls, but you can buy rice to build your own. It generally sells out by early afternoon, so go before lunch.

Which one should you pick?

If you are on the North Shore, Foodland Pupukea. If you are in Honolulu with a car and a free morning, Alicia's or Ono Seafood. If you have only one chance to try poke, the best poke is the one you eat today, outside, within an hour of it being cut. Order a half pound to start. It disappears faster than you expect.

Make it a full day

The easiest way to work poke into a day is on the North Shore private tour. A route we like: Waimea Falls in the morning, a swim or snorkel at Sharks Cove, poke from Foodland across the road, then Waimea Bay, Haleiwa town and shave ice for dessert. Finish with turtles at Laniakea or sunset at Sunset Beach. If you would rather have a plate lunch, the Kahuku food trucks are close by.

The tour is 100% private, so there is no group schedule: stop wherever you like for as long as you like. It is $800 flat for a Toyota Sienna seating up to 6, or $1,000 for a Mercedes Sprinter seating 7 to 14, for eight hours, with extra hours at $100 (Sienna) or $125 (Sprinter). Free cancellation up to 72 hours before. Food is paid separately. Want something active in the middle? Add horseback riding, an ATV tour or ziplining. Our Dream Tour Planner lets you sketch the day yourself, and our local hidden gems guide has more ideas.

See all our private tours →