Memorial Day weekend in Hawaii looks a little different than it does on the mainland. The weather is already perfect, the beach is already part of the plan, and nobody needs an excuse to fire up a grill. But whether you're hosting a backyard cookout in Kailua or showing up to a friend's place in Kaimuki, the question is always the same: what do you bring. Here's what actually lands at a Hawaii Memorial Day gathering — and where to find it.
Start with the Memorial Day snacks
The table should be set before the first guest arrives. Skip the generic chips and instead put out a spread that actually reflects where you live. 'Ulu Mana's garlic sea salt 'ulu chips — made from sustainably grown breadfruit — are the kind of thing people pick up, read the label on, and can't stop eating.
Island Harvest's organic macadamias, grown on the Big Island and lightly salted, belong in a bowl next to them. Add Kaimana Jerky's teriyaki ahi tuna jerky for something more substantial and you've got a snack table that tells a story before anyone's even touched the grill.
If you'd rather grab one thing that covers the spread, the Ultimate Sweet & Savory Snack Set from House of Mana Up pulls it all together — macadamias, 'ulu chips, venison sticks from Maui Nui, ahi jerky, chocolate, and more, all from Hawaii-based makers. It's a bestseller for a reason.
Whether you're hosting a backyard cookout in Kailua or showing up to a friend's place in Kaimuki, the question is always the same: what do you bring?
Photo from Chef Sheldon Simeon's "Ohana Style" Cookbook.
Something for the grill
Memorial Day is fundamentally a grilling holiday, and Hawaii has the condiments to match.
HI Spice makes small-batch hot sauces built around local ingredients — their Lilikoi Hot Sauce brings the tropical sweetness of passionfruit with real heat behind it, and their Pineapple Hot Sauce is bright and tangy in a way that works on everything from grilled chicken to fresh poke. Either bottle makes a great addition to the grill table and an even better host gift.
Aloha Spice's Hanapepe Smokey Coffee Rub is worth grabbing too — coffee and spice together on a steak or a rack of ribs is the kind of move that makes people ask for the recipe.
For something to drizzle, Kahuku Farms' Liliko'i Balsamic Vinaigrette works as a marinade, a salad dressing, or a finishing sauce. It's made on O'ahu's North Shore and tastes like it.
Something to drink
Hawaiian Soda Co. makes genuinely good canned drinks in island-inspired flavors — seven of them — that work for every guest at the party. A mixed 12-pack is the easiest cooler contribution you can make, and because most people have never seen them before, they become a conversation of their own. For guests who want something stronger, Kō Hana Hawaiian Agricole Rum — made from freshly pressed Hawaiian sugarcane — is the kind of bottle that earns a second pour and a lot of questions about where you found it. Both are available through House of Mana Up.
Something sweet for after
Mānoa Chocolate makes bean-to-bar chocolate from Hawaiian-grown cacao that rivals anything you'd find at a serious chocolate shop on the mainland. Their Orange Mango Guava Dark Chocolate Bar and the Liliko'i x Passion Fruit Bar are the kind of things you pass around after the meal and watch disappear. A few bars as a host gift — tucked into a bag with a hot sauce or a bag of mac nuts — is a thoughtful combination that doesn't require any explanation.
For something more dessert-adjacent, 'Ohana Nui's Mocha Macadamia Nut Cookies are bite-sized and dangerously snackable. Wai Meli's Kiawe Coconut Honey is worth keeping on the table for drizzling over anything that needs a finish — grilled pineapple, cheese, ice cream, whatever direction the party goes.
A host gift worth bringing
If you're showing up to someone else's party and want to bring one thing that covers the occasion, the Hawaiian Holiday Harvest Gift Set from House of Mana Up has 'ulu chips, macadamia nuts, sea salt caramels, and a local chocolate bar, all boxed and ready to hand over at the door. No wrapping, no guessing. The Backyard BBQ Gift Set is built specifically for this kind of occasion — grilling spices, hot sauce, local snacks, the works.
Even better, you can conveniently order any gift set online and pick it up from House of Mana Up's store at South Shore Market (next to Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf).
If you're hosting: the formula
Get the snacks on the table before anyone arrives. HI Spice hot sauce next to the grill, a bowl of mac nuts and 'ulu chips out early, Hawaiian Soda Co. in the cooler, and Mānoa Chocolate passed around after the meal. That's it. The food does the work and every single item on that table will spark a conversation about where it came from — which, when everything comes from Hawaii-based entrepreneurs, is a pretty good conversation to be having.
Where to find all of it
Everything mentioned here is available at House of Mana Up at houseofmanaup.com — over 100 brands, all founded in Hawaii, all shipped nationwide. If you're on O'ahu, you can also shop in person at South Shore Market in Ward Village or Royal Hawaiian Center in Waikiki, or order for same-day delivery through Instacart.
