Merriman's Honolulu

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Hawaii Farm-to-Table Institution Comes to O'ahu

Peter Merriman is widely credited as one of the founding figures of Hawaii Regional Cuisine, and Merriman's Honolulu carries that legacy to Ward Village on O'ahu. The restaurant operates on a straightforward principle stated plainly on its own menus: "Earth Grown for the True Hawaii Terroir, No Aquaponics." That commitment shapes every plate, with ingredients sourced from named farms across the islands — Hirabara Farms, Ho Farms, Pukalani, Waimānalo, Hauʻula — rather than anonymous suppliers.

What's on the Table

The dinner menu reads like a map of Hawaii's agricultural landscape. A tableside poke is built from ahi, ono, avocado, Maui onion, jalapeño, ogo, and inamona, mixed to order. The Organic Macadamia Nut Crusted Fresh Catch comes with a Waimānalo mushroom chardonnay sauce and Pukalani green beans. The Makai Special follows whatever the day boats bring in, prepared with farm-inspired accompaniments. Beef Bourguignon uses Hamakua mushrooms and Kula green beans braised in Cabernet. Even the Caesar salad credits its source: Hirabara Farm baby romaine, with fried green tomato "croutons" in place of the usual bread.

Dessert leans into local flavor — a Waialua Chocolate Purse with coffee caramel, and a bread pudding made with Maui Gold pineapple and macadamia nuts. Certified organic products are used wherever possible, and the kitchen adds a 4% surcharge on food that goes directly to culinary staff.

The Setting and the Recognition

The Honolulu location offers both indoor and outdoor dining at 1108 Auahi Street, with complimentary parking in the Ward Village garages. Lunch, dinner, and a happy hour running from 3:00 to 5:30 pm give the restaurant genuine all-day range. The wine program has earned a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for 2025 — a fitting complement to a menu that takes its American cuisine seriously enough to name every farm behind it.

For a city with no shortage of restaurants, Merriman's Honolulu stands apart by keeping the sourcing transparent and the cooking grounded in the islands' actual soil.