Living in Hawaii for more than 30 years definitely changes your expectations when it comes to Hawaiian food.
Once you’ve had authentic kalua pig, kalbi ribs, laulau, manapua, and fresh malasadas, you’re always searching for restaurants that can bring back those island flavors.
Over the years, we’ve tried nearly every Hawaiian restaurant in the Valley.
Today, three restaurants consistently make our list.
But on this visit…
We headed to one of our absolute favorites:
Hapa Food.
Hawaiian Comfort Food Done Right
Hapa Food has quickly become one of our go-to places whenever we’re craving authentic island comfort food.
Located near Southern Avenue and Higley Road in Mesa, it’s a little farther from our house than we’d like…
But it’s always worth the drive.
The restaurant isn’t the cheapest Hawaiian restaurant around.
But that’s because the quality speaks for itself.
The portions are generous.
The ingredients taste fresh.
And the flavors remind us why we fell in love with Hawaiian food in the first place.
What We Ordered
Like most visits…
We ordered way too much food.
And we have zero regrets.
Nana ordered:
🥩 Kalbi Ribs
🥒 Homemade Cucumber Kimchi (made fresh at home!)
Papa ordered:
🐷 Kalua Pig Plate
🍚 Two scoops of rice
🥗 Macaroni Salad
And of course…
We couldn’t leave without ordering fresh malasadas.
Those Malasadas…
If you’ve never had a fresh malasada…
Imagine a Portuguese doughnut crossed with a light, fluffy beignet.
Golden brown on the outside.
Soft and airy inside.
Covered with just the right amount of sugar.
The batch we got this day was honestly one of the best we’ve had anywhere.
Hot.
Fresh.
Perfectly cooked.
Not greasy.
Just soft, fluffy perfection.
Hapa also offers filled malasadas, but we actually prefer the traditional plain version because you really taste the dough itself instead of just the filling.
For us…
They’re surprisingly close to the famous malasadas from Leonard’s Bakery on Oahu.
That’s saying something.
The Kalbi Ribs
Another standout was the kalbi.
One thing we’ve noticed is that some Hawaiian restaurants use very thin cuts of meat.
Not here.
The meat was thicker, higher quality, flavorful, and cooked beautifully.
Sweet without being overly sugary.
Tender without falling apart.
Exactly what we’re looking for.
Kalua Pig That Brings Back Memories
The kalua pig was outstanding.
Smoky.
Juicy.
Tender.
Comfort food at its best.
Paired with rice and mac salad, it’s one of those meals that instantly reminds us of Hawaii.
The mac salad is a little more mayonnaise-forward than we personally prefer, but it’s still very good.
Our Three Favorite Hawaiian Restaurants
People ask us all the time…
“Where’s the best Hawaiian food in Arizona?”
Honestly…
It depends on what you’re craving.
🌺 Hapa Food
Our favorite overall for quality, flavor, kalua pig, kalbi, and malasadas.
🌺 Aloha Kitchen
We’ve been eating there for over 30 years.
Their menu is larger and they offer specialties like:
• Manapua
• Guava Cake
• Spam Musubi
• Laulau (available only on select days)
It’s a longtime favorite that still holds a special place in our hearts.
🌺 Mo’Betta’s
One of the newer Hawaiian restaurants in the Valley.
Their kalua pig is excellent.
Their mac salad is fantastic.
Some menu items impressed us more than others, but it’s absolutely worth visiting.
Our Final Verdict
If you’re craving authentic Hawaiian comfort food in Arizona…
You really can’t go wrong with any of these three restaurants.
But if we had to choose one today…
Hapa Food is probably sitting at the top of our list.
The quality.
The flavor.
The consistency.
The fresh malasadas.
It’s everything we miss about Hawaii.
At Nana & Papa What’s Next, we love sharing honest restaurant reviews, hidden gems, travel adventures, and places that create lasting memories.
This is definitely one we’ll keep coming back to.
Now we want to hear from you…
Have you found a great Hawaiian restaurant outside Hawaii?
And if you’ve been to Hapa Food…
What’s your favorite thing to order? 🌺🍍🥥
