We all know you should never judge a book by its cover, but the same rule applies when it comes to judging a restaurant’s food by simply looking at the building’s appearance. Whether an eatery features cramped seating, a hard to find location, cheap food, a dated storefront, or prefers to serve their food out of a truck, many of our favorite restaurants in Hawaii could easily be classified as hole in the wall spots —including this no-frills eatery.

Welcome to Ethel’s Grill, a timeless hole in the wall eatery nestled on the ground floor of a cinderblock walkup near the docks in Kalihi.
トルネコ/TripAdvisor
This bustling neighborhood institution tucked away in Honolulu is may not look like much — from the exterior or once you step inside, for that matter — but is known for their tasty homestyle Asian eats.
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Opened back in the 1960s by its namesake, Ethel’s gained wild amounts of popularity in the 1970s when Ryoko and Yoichi Ishii took over: not everyone could pronounce "Ryoko" correctly and called her Ethel instead.
tonchan555/TripAdvisor

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The menu reflects the Japanese-Okinawan-Mexican-local heritage of the owners and is a creative mix of local-style comfort food and unique mashups, like their chicken liver and kimchi stir-fry.
Ivan S/TripAdvisor
Topped with soy-marinated garlic chips, the seared ahi sashimi is legendary, but that’s not all you’ll find on the menu here.
トルネコ/TripAdvisor
Try their steak with chimichurri sauce, furikake chicken, or the Okinawan-inspired taco rice, made with layers of ground beef, lettuce, shredded cheese, and rice topped with a fried taco shell.
hiroe1122/TripAdvisor
Though this cash-only eatery may not look impressive, the constant lines out of the door will entice you and the homestyle Asian cuisine is sure to keep you coming back again and again.
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Address: 232 Kalihi Street, Honolulu, HI 96819

Ethel’s Grill is open from 8 a.m to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday

. They are closed Sunday and Monday. Don’t forget to bring cash! What’s your favorite Hawaiian hole in the wall? Share your go-to gems in the comments below!

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