Ala Moana Area Guide: Shopping, Food, and the Beach
Ala Moana: Where Honolulu Actually Lives
Ala Moana is not Waikiki and not downtown — it is the functional center of Honolulu life. The shopping center is the largest open-air mall in the world, but the neighborhood extends well beyond retail. Ala Moana Beach Park is the best urban beach on the island, the food options are genuinely good, and the area connects to Kakaako (Honolulu's emerging urban neighborhood) and the Ward Village development. Here is how to spend a day here.
Ala Moana Center — More Than a Mall
Ala Moana Center opened in 1959 and has grown into a 2.4 million square foot complex that functions as Honolulu's central gathering place. What actually matters here:
- Foodland Farms on the makai (ocean) side — the best grocery poke counter on the island, good produce, and a full deli. Many Honolulu residents shop here weekly.
- The food court on the upper Mauka level — local plate lunch, noodles, Japanese sets, and better than any mall food court has a right to be
- Coffee options — several good independent and local coffee operators are in the center alongside the chains
- Ala Moana Stage — free Hawaiian entertainment on weekends; hula groups and Hawaiian music performers appear on a rotating schedule
Ala Moana Beach Park
Ala Moana Beach Park across Ala Moana Blvd from the shopping center is a serious local beach. Unlike Waikiki, the crowd is primarily residents — people doing laps in the channel, families with picnic setups, and paddlers launching outrigger canoes. The protected lagoon is calm enough for children. The grass areas are large and well-maintained. This is the best free afternoon on Oahu for anyone who wants a beach without tourist infrastructure.
The beach runs roughly from Magic Island (the peninsula on the Diamond Head end) to the boat harbor at the Ewa end. Magic Island at sunset is a local gathering spot — people bring coolers, watch the sun set, and the mood is relaxed and communal.
Kakaako — The Adjacent Neighborhood
Walking east from Ala Moana along Auahi Street takes you into Kakaako, Honolulu's most rapidly changing neighborhood. The Ward Village development has brought contemporary architecture, boutique food options, and a coffee-shop-and-gallery culture to an area that was formerly industrial.
Worth stops in Kakaako adjacent to Ala Moana:
- Morning Glass Coffee — local coffee roaster with a spacious Kakaako location; one of the better coffee programs in Honolulu
- Honolulu Museum of Art at First Hawaiian Center — a satellite gallery space in the First Hawaiian Bank tower lobby; free admission, rotating exhibitions
- Eat the Street — the monthly food truck pop-up (last Friday of the month, Kakaako Agora) that is the closest thing Honolulu has to a night market
The Bus and Getting Around
TheBus (Honolulu's public transit) connects Ala Moana to virtually everywhere on Oahu. The Ala Moana Center bus terminal is the central hub of the entire bus system — routes to Waikiki, downtown Honolulu, Kailua, the North Shore, and West Oahu all originate or stop here. A single-ride is $3. A day pass is $7.50. If you are staying in Waikiki, taking TheBus to Ala Moana for a grocery run or a meal is faster than dealing with car rental and parking.
Where to Eat Near Ala Moana
- Ono Seafood on Kapahulu — best poke shop on the island, 10-minute drive from Ala Moana
- Foodland Farms poke counter — inside the mall, the most convenient excellent poke on the island
- Highway Inn Kakaako — traditional Hawaiian food, 5-minute walk from the mall's Ewa end
- The mall food court — underrated, honest, local options at non-tourist prices
What the Ala Moana Area Is
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