22 Best American Restaurants in Hilo

“Wow! Loved this! Beautiful atmosphere, excellent service and really delicious food!“

“I’m a lover of hamburger steak and have tried the hamburger steak at every restaurant and drive-in in Hilo. The Liko Lehua hamburger steak is absolutely the best tasting. The secret to a good hamburger steak is the gravy and their gravy is rich, tasty and homemade. No instant or canned gravy here. It also helps that their hamburger patties are hand made. Kudos to the chef and staff at Liko Lehua.“

“Had lunch here 2/3 days that we were in Hilo, everything was amazing. The Misoyaki Butterfish Salad was fresh and extremely flavorful without being heavy, and the fish melts like butter in your mouth. We also had a cold water scallop special, an eggplant /marinara/pesto/ricotta appetizer (forgot what it's called, oops!) and crab cakes. Everything was great, honestly one of the best places I've eaten at on the entire island. I like to sit at the bar, as I'm a former long time bartender. Sascha is one of the best around, cocktails were, again, among the best that I found on the island, including Kona. Service was top notch, no matter how busy he got, and he took extra time to modify one of the house cocktails so that an elderly gal with sensitive teeth sitting nearby could enjoy it. I would honestly make the drive from Waikoloa just for this, but Hilo has plenty of outdoor activities to offer as well.“

“We spent 3 nights at this resort during our recent Hawaii vacation. The resort is older, which we knew going in, but the staff we met were so friendly! Housekeeping did a great job each day and the beds were comfortable. We enjoyed the coffee, hot chocolate, juice, and warm cookies in the lobby. We also had dinner downstairs, and it was a great meal! We did valet our rental Jeep, and I'm so glad we did! The guys were wonderful, and we loved it was a covered area to get in and out of the Jeep from. All in all, we had a great experience!! We really loved the location and how easy it was to explore around the Hilo side of the island! If we return back to Hilo, we would for sure book here again! Thank you for a wonderful experience!“

“Great food, service, price. Love the grill“

“pineapple twist....and reasonably priced“

“Our drinks were not only very tasty and balanced but also beautiful! The food was cooked perfectly and well curated. Our server Barbara was amazing and probably one of the nicest waitresses we had our entire week in Hawaii! We would have loved to go back a 2nd day but time did not permit.“

“Food is always tasty and plentiful. The service is friendly and efficient. They’re a family favorite of ours.“

“I went to the Hilo location with my mother last night and was treated in a very racist and disgusting manner by the FOH staff. There were many empty tables yet the host avoided talking to us for a half hour. Then when I asked one of the waiters if we can sit at one of the open tables he said, "He cant let us do that" Then when I finally was able to talk to the host. He said it would be a 40 min wait for food. Ok I get it, the kitchen is swamped. So I say can we just sit right there pointing at the table he just cleaned. He says "no". Keep in mind there were at least four more empty tables. So we decided to leave. On the way out the thought comes into my mind, that he is going to seat the people who walked in behind us. So I tell my mother to wait a second and I go back in to look and there goes the host immediately seating these people bringing them water and menus. So I head back in and ask him "Whats going on here? Can I talk to a manager?" He tells me there are no managers. Then the waiter at the bar who said he couldnt do anything to let us sit down, says "I am the manager" So they lied to my face. Then I go to the bartender she barely bothers to tall to me and says "we are all managers" and that then tries to defend this discriminatory behavior by saying they are not being prejudiced against us. Yet the people behind us are chilling and going over their menus. and here we are not able to even talk to a manager never the less receive service at this racist establishment. We were systemically blocked from sitting. Then some manager esque fellow comes out trying to do damage control after all of this ongoing nonsense. To little to late. Im not going to eat spit burger with some bigot lougies in it. Mind you both my 76 year old mother have hosted various business meet ups there over the yeara bringing them business supporting Ola Brew and they treat us like this. Do not support businesses like this in Hilo. black people of Hilo be aware. This place will treat you second class. Over priced too, for the worst kind of service. dont do it, dont eat there.“

“My husband and I both had the pastrami sando with fries. Best pastrami sando we've had in a very long time. I am usually not a fan of mustard on anything but the aoli/mustard combo was amazing. Cooking in duck fat is always a great move so kudos for that!! If we were locals, this would definitely be a regular hang out for us.“

“I went to the Hilo location with my mother last night and was treated in a very racist and disgusting manner by the FOH staff. There were many empty tables yet the host avoided talking to us for a half hour. Then when I asked one of the waiters if we can sit at one of the open tables he said, "He cant let us do that" Then when I finally was able to talk to the host. He said it would be a 40 min wait for food. Ok I get it, the kitchen is swamped. So I say can we just sit right there pointing at the table he just cleaned. He says "no". Keep in mind there were at least four more empty tables. So we decided to leave. On the way out the thought comes into my mind, that he is going to seat the people who walked in behind us. So I tell my mother to wait a second and I go back in to look and there goes the host immediately seating these people bringing them water and menus. So I head back in and ask him "Whats going on here? Can I talk to a manager?" He tells me there are no managers. Then the waiter at the bar who said he couldnt do anything to let us sit down, says "I am the manager" So they lied to my face. Then I go to the bartender she barely bothers to tall to me and says "we are all managers" and that then tries to defend this discriminatory behavior by saying they are not being prejudiced against us. Yet the people behind us are chilling and going over their menus. and here we are not able to even talk to a manager never the less receive service at this racist establishment. We were systemically blocked from sitting. Then some manager esque fellow comes out trying to do damage control after all of this ongoing nonsense. To little to late. Im not going to eat spit burger with some bigot lougies in it. Mind you both my 76 year old mother have hosted various business meet ups there over the yeara bringing them business supporting Ola Brew and they treat us like this. Do not support businesses like this in Hilo. black people of Hilo be aware. This place will treat you second class. Over priced too, for the worst kind of service. dont do it, dont eat there.“

“I went here for the first time two days ago. I had fish tacos and they were the best fish tacos I have ever had, and I have had my share 😁. Fresh and delicious, with a thick chunk of ahi and really nice sides. The pineapple salsa was great on the tacos. The virgin cucumber drink was tasty and refreshing. I will be back 😋. Totally recommend!“

“They were extra accommodating to my weird dietary restrictions. The food was great! The presentations with plates and bowels they had the food in was very nice too. Will definitely come back.“

“The best part about the Hilo Town Tavern is the Exhibit Gallery, which is attached to the dining area. For 8 1/2 years the Exhibit Gallery has supported many of the artists in Hilo and has been a major cultural icon. The Exhibit Gallery supports the First Friday Art Walk and other major Hilo events. I highly recommend visiting this gallery.“

“😋On separate occasions dined here for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Each time it was delightful. Portions was very good for the price. Servers were friendly. Loved the waffle fries!“

“I'm so happy to see Hot Dog On A Stick in Hilo, Hawai'i. It's been years since the last time I visited one, because they closed a number of their stores in California and in Maui. So today, I bought myself 2 Corn-Dogs, 1 Regular French-Fries, and 1 Large Strawberry Lemonade. It was super delicious ?. I will definitely come back for more. Mahalo Hot Dog On A Stick!?♥️“

“Parking: Food was excellent mine arrived a little cold but very tasty French Dip I also ordered Waioli drink too sweet w no punch Bartender made to die for Cosmopolitan The wings were meaty w good crust and had flavor not overcooked done to perfection w juices dripping down my face and had good ranch hot sauce Overall Happy Camper worth getting all wet for Delicious“

“Food is bomb every time
Service is amazing (especially Brook & Story) always so polite and welcoming
A perfect place to go for some amazing food or a smoothie after a long day of my yim yams out at the beach
Mahalo!“

“Pamela was our waitress. She was such a pleasant person and gave absolutely perfect service! She is an asset to IHOP. Thank you, Pam!!“

“Ponds has been my favorite place to eat for the last 20 years. Hands down best waiters, food and ambience. If you are a local or a tourist, it doesn't matter,this is a must go to place if you're in Hilo.“

“This place is amazing! The buns are fresh and handmade, the burgers are made from extremely good meat, and the on tap beer selection is vast. If it's a nice day, don't miss out on the outside seating. The place has a lot of character but everything is well cleaned and maintained.“

“The BEST sliders I have EVER had in my LIFE 👍🏼“