Hawaiian Restaurants in Hilo, HI

“We celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary and the dining experience was outstanding! The food was flavorful, delicious and looked like a piece of art. The live music added to the fine dining experience. To top off the evening the desserts were rich and yummy-but the "Wow" factor was the coffee we ordered served in a french press coffee maker! We will be back and bring our friends and family!“

“Courteous service, clean and inviting decor. Extensive menu.“

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

“Amazing staff and DELICIOUS food! Best Hawaiian food in Hilo. We called at 6pm on a weeknight to see if they would be able to put together a large pickup order for our group of 13. They were so accommodating and helpful with food recommendations, pricing, and getting us handled so quickly! Our family style servings of Kalbi, Korean chicken, and macaroni salad were so tasty and affordable and ready in less than 20 minutes. 10/10 recommend!“

“Food was amazing. Even after I was stuffed I still kept eating! I ordered a Chicken Katsu and it was the best Katsu I've ever had. Better than all those other fancy restaurants! Small restaurant but it deserves way more. Such a hidden gem.“

“Great people! And amazing poke n sides!! Mouthwatering 🤤“

“Onolicious kine grinds. I know Donna make only da BEST“

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

“HIDDEN GEM ALERT!! Right across from TSA .They serve breakfast n lunch foods . New daily items .so u have to go in to see what they have . Everything from noodles to burger . Hot Boxed Lunch n cold deli sandwiches.Two lovely ladies in the back cooking local dishes , taste like your grandma's cooking if she was Hawaiian/Asian islander . Best home-cook style meals at its best . I had their chicken noodle soup. Which was beyond hearty n amazing. The condiment stand had many local hot sauces with Hawaii pepper water that's in an old crown bottle ,so you know it's legit!!! Best airport food in the Hawaii islands !If you Land in Hilo , This is a MUST STOP!“

“Moved To Mountain View North Kulani Road ''Paradise Gardens'' Cold Country in 1999 Ate At Leungs Often , Ordering ''Take Out'' Best Chop Suey In Hilo By Far !!!!!“

“First time. Seafood platter was good. Bbq beef was tasty and tender. I enjoyed the breaded mahi and shrimp (like my moms). My wife’s korean chicken was generous and she enjoyed the mac salad. Very fair prices especially in a mall setting. Mahalo!“

“Love it Cafe 100 having my usual Loco Moco sloppy & Sunnyside eggs and even if didn’t have Mac salad this morning, I will always return especially for the Chicken Hekka and daily specials #hukaonorono“

“The staff smiles is enough for me! Throw in the great food and you have a winner here!“

“The bentos and staff are excellent
update: May 2025
OMG. lick ur plate action. I ate a one choice (blk belt chicken (my daughter's name for it), aka Nori Chicken with fried rice from the line. the food was yummy (ONO) the amount of food I wasnt able to finish (picture is left over - sorry should have taken b4 i ate).. this place is awesome for a quick bite..“

“We decided to go here as one of the only Saimin places near Hilo. We were not disappointed. We were greeted with a kind woman who spent time taking our order and explaining things to us. After ordering, we spent some time talking with her, to which she discovered we had driven 2 hours to visit her restaurant. She happily provided us with sushi and dessert in addition to our meals, and some delicious elderberry tea. The food was delicious!! We recommend the garlic Saimin and Mochi cake!

Things to note:
- You cannot eat in, only carryout.
- Note the hours before going.
- Paying for the local cuisine, not the design of the place...“

“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.“

“Poke cake Best ever Ever“

“This place is AMAZING WITH AN AMAZING ATMOSPHERE!! A MUST!❤️❤️“

“Saw a review of this place on YouTube and thought it would be worth checking out and I was blown away with the quality of the food. The fish was some of the best mahi I have ever had and the spam masubi tasted fresh as if it were just pressed. The chicken was crispy and had an excellent flavor.

The staff here were filled with aloha and I felt very welcomed despite it clearly being my first time visiting.“

“I have always wanted to try Zippy’s after finding out it is Jason Momoa’s favorite restaurant in Hawaii. And just as he said, it truly is the ultimate comfort food. I accidentally ordered from their takeaway counter instead of the sit-down restaurant since it was my first time there, and I got too excited seeing all the food that I did not even notice the sign.

I ordered the Chicken Trio Platter, which comes with white rice, macaroni salad, Korean fried chicken, chicken katsu with sauce, and their original fried chicken. The food was fresh, hot, and incredibly tasty. Everything was perfectly juicy and crispy, and I finished it all even though the portion was quite large. I was so happy and full by the end of the meal, and I completely understand the hype around Zippy’s. It is one of the best fried chicken fast foods I have ever had.

I also took away their ensaimada, which was super fluffy, soft, buttery, and not overly sweet. It was absolute heaven. The prices are reasonable too, and I cannot wait to come back.“

“Good Local Food. Hot, Reasonably priced. Good Aloha Spirit! My Go ,To For An affordable meal! Great Floats. Loco Moco.“

“Tons of great food and produce and nice venders“

“I must be perfectly honest with everyone. I've been inside Hilo Lunch Shop but i have not eaten their food. However, if you like local food, you'll love this place. I've, never heard a negative thing about this place except they might run out of certain favorites if you don't get there early enough.

My fiance was picking up food for her work and I went with her. There was a long line which moved quickly. I observed those waiting in line as well as the staff. EVERYBODY in the establishment were upbeat and there was just a positive vibe flowing throughout. I could tell the customers were eagerly anticipating and being excited about getting there favorite dishes. Totally cool vibe in there. Im going back to get what I missed out on. Check it out“

“I personally think they have the best shave ice in Hilo and probably on the island. When you order, small is not so small, but I'm not complaining. The flavors are great, and I love the add-ons. The owner is super nice and she has known my family for many years. If you're looking for good shave ice, this place is a must!“

“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.“

“It's a type like Panda Express where you choose a main and a side.
All menu items are delicious and full of volume.
This is a casual restaurant with a local Hawaiian atmosphere.
I would like to go again next time.

Parking: You can park about 10 cars in front of the store.“

“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.“

“Drinks and everything we got were soo delicious!! Husband got the chinese fish which is the snapper as of right now and I got the pan seared duck. Also got the soup of the day which is the potato soup and got a sushi roll. Will definitely be back here if we ever come back to The Big Island!“

“OMG.... addictive, what more can I say!“

“Went for our team captain meeting for darts traveling league. Bar wasn't busy, dart boards banging, and waitress was awsome.

Parking: If parking lot full, can park across the street.

Wheelchair accessibility: Wheelchair access available“

“Me and my wife ate here a few days ago. She ordered and then I said I will have the same. There was a mistake and I was given saimin. The way the mistake was handled was very professional and friendly I was impressed. I give my thanks to the crew. The only complaint I can give is make sure you have cash as that is all they will take“

“This was my first time eating here and was so impressed! Very nice menu, reasonable prices , clean . Food presentation was beautiful and everything we tried was delicious! I ordered the beef stew pho and the meat was so tender and broth very savory . We also ordered the Vietnamese pancake which was really fun and different . The dipping sauce we just couldn’t get enough of . Can’t wait to come back and try other dishes. This is definitely a hidden gem in Hilo.“

“I AbSoLuTeLy LOVE Kum Yo's Okazuya! I can say how delectable each and every dish they serve is, because I have eaten them all!When you enter you can select items from their buffet line to create your own local style plate lunch.The mandoo are scrumptious, especially when dipping them into Kum Yo's homemade dipping sauce.Each day of the week she has set entrees in which you have multiple choices of freshly prepared veggies, cold tofu to limu.Fresh, hot onoliscious entrees and massive portions, yet very reasonably priced.Take out or dine in.Kum Yo's is my favorite Okazuya in Hilo!Love you folks and tell David I miss seeing him!Sorry there is no food left to photograph! I ate it before taking pics! My bad!“

“pineapple twist....and reasonably priced“

“Friendly customer service.“

“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!“

“Friday afternoon , chocolate shake and cheese burger - great meal - lost perscription eye glasses at your picnic table at 3;30 PM . if found call at 808-885-7508 . thanks in advance Mike H.“

“Shortbread cookies are so delicious. So many flavors. My favorite is the Mauna Kea Shortbread cookie. They also have super affordable local plates, breakfast all day, and they sell homemade breads. The inside eating area has been closed since covid but you can still order take out.“

“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!“

“10/12/2024

Hawaii's BBQ Deli
111 E Puainako St Unit 570
Hilo, HI 96720

It's a stall in the Puainako Shopping Center. Aside from that I had a good bowl of vegetable saimin there. There is a menu board above the order counter where I placed my order with the attendant. She later brought it to me at my table. The setup is a cozy fast food style table and chair arrangement.

There was a large quantity of al dente vegetables with authentic tasting noodles in a lightly salted broth, not like the instant noodle sodium bombs.

Very satisfying and a repeat.“

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

“Reading other reviews, I guess I'm either easy or others are picky. We got a TON of food for the price compared to most places these days. It was tasty and enough for 2 meals. It's in a strip mall, so it's not an amazing atmosphere, but whatever. I got bbq chicken, brown rice, and salad.“