Where to Eat in Waikiki Without Breaking the Budget
One of my favorite things about visiting anywhere is the food. I love to find new foods and food variations. Just spending time in Hawaii is expensive enough with the plane ticket and getting a hotel to stay in. Not to worry, you don't need to look hard to find some great places to eat without spending a king's ransom. Here are a few of my favorite places in Hawaii, Waikiki specifically, that you can grab something to eat for cheap.
Rainbow Drive-In
3308 Kanaina AveOne of the favorites of many islanders, I'd recommend stopping by here any time of day. Great breakfasts, great plate lunches and everything on the menu is less than $10 and you'll walk away full.
Blazin' Steaks
2446 Koa AveAlthough half of the title says steaks, they have much more than that. Another great place for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Awesome food that you see them make right there in front of you and, for less than $10, you can grab a great house-made cheese burger or Loco-Moko, one of my favorites.
Iyasume Musubi
2410 Koa AveIyasume Musubi, to me, is as much of a 'hole-in-the-wall' as you'll ever find. You wouldn't even notice if weren't looking for it as it's down an alley next to a surf shop and not even off a super-busy street. They have lots of onigiri (rice triangle often filled with salmon or something. I'd suggest getting the beef bowl which is a simple bowl of yummy beef strips marinated in magic over a bed of rice. It's about six bucks and will fill you up.
McDonalds
When in doubt, go with something you know. Although I love trying new foods, not everyone does, too. There are plenty of McDonalds, Burger Kings and plenty of familiar places with prices that won't shock you. The shock may come when your big mac will come with a side cup of pineapple or your breakfast has an option for spam.
ABC Stores
Everywhere. Almost, literally, one every block. Sometimes two.And, another 'when in doubt' scenario, you're never too far away from an ABC store. Every one I've ever been to has a deli-case type area where you can grab some pre-made sushi (don't worry, it's fresh), spam musubi which is basically spam and rice. I didn't plan on it, but I found myself grabbing a bite to eat here quite a bit just because it was convenient and super cheap.