Hawaiian Restaurants in Hilo, HI

“Had breakfast here on a Wednesday morning and the food was the best I have had on the island. Waitress was efficient and good. Came back in the evening to grab a Mac salad to go from the counter and let a $1 tip to the cashier that handed it to me to which the woman working the host stand said, when they dont tip they can wait. I tipped the breakfast waitress $40, on a $75 meal bc i was so impressed with the place, but simply picking up a container of Mac salad to go i don't believe warrants the same tip as a hard working waitress who provides you a service. I am still leaving a 5 star review bc I dont want people not knowing how great this place or the food is, but hopefully the owner can have a talk with the Wednesday night host about being so rude, as this could prevent customers from returning.“

“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.“

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

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

“The man who took our order was the epitome of serving with aloha. He welcomed us warmly, gave great recommendations, and knew that we were on a time crunch so served us quickly in takeout containers which gave us time to shop on the Main Street. We ordered the chicken katsu which was perfectly crunchy with a flavorful dipping sauce. The ahi don was moist on the inside and crunchy on the outside. The garlic rice was flavorful and delicious. Portions are generous. The salad mix was a great complement to the meal. Thank you for the kindness and we definitely recommend!“

“Poke cake Best ever Ever“

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

“Best restaurant my family visited on our trip to Hawaii! I recommend to everyone“

“Great food. Iconic establishment. Pre-order the nori chicken. That wooden case is going into a museum one day, but hopefully not anytime soon! #supportlocal“

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

“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.“

“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!“

“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.“

“Only breakfast place we could find at Hilo airport. Did not disappoint. I like the idea that they have warm breakfast prepared and kept on to go box. We ate there but seemed like something you could grab if you are in hurry. We had fried rice which was good actually.“

“Two locals were here during out visit letting us know this was the place to be for shaved ice. The keiki was very good sized. Don't miss the specials on the board in the back, they are special for a reason. We ordered 8 different combos. All were so good, the coconut add on for $1 is totally worth it, though opt out if you want a less rich and more refreshing version. The lady at the counter was the kindest lady with a pleasant genuine smile that never flinched while the 8 of us lined up calling out our 24 flavors and toppings. She made the whole experience that much nicer and all for under $40.“

“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“

“No dine in which is fine. But this place is a gem. Dont go waiting in line somewhere when you can get some of the most delicious food on the island right here and the prices are insane. Loco Moco is up there with the best and the Hilo style siamin was so good. Healthy portions as well.“

“A nice surprise with singing and guitar music while we ate and had a drink to start our vacation. We ordered lechon and 2 pina coladas. Service was nice and efficient, the view is lovely. Day 2 we ordered Caesar salad and clams. The bread dipped in garlic sauce was nice. The brownie with ice cream dessert was divine. Day 3 we ordered chicken wings, espresso martini and poke during Happy Hour. The chicken was crispy and flavorful. Poke was good, we ordered a side of rice. Loco moco and coffee for breakfast. Plenty of meat variety, thin beef patty, rice a little undercooked. For most evening meals, it took 30-40 minutes after ordering to get food, at breakfast about 15 minutes.“

“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!“

“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..“

“This is not an eat-in restaurant. It is a great place to grab some local food for lunch, gathering of the clan, or office party. You will probably order too much, because it all looks and smells delicious. Or grab something to eat when you go to the beach.“

“Great vibe, great variety!“

“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.“

“My favorite is All Hawaiian. I’m happy as soon as I open the box and see the beautiful colors of the food. It’s like opening a jewelry box. And the food is very tasty! So Juicy never disappoints.“

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

“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!“

“There's not a better place for breakfast burgers on the island. I've been eating here for 20+ years and they have continued to be the best.
Their lunch plates are always delicious and a hardy plate. Can't say enough about how good they are. 🤙“

“We were looking for an inexpensive place to grab a bite to eat for dinner know Hilo. This fit the bill. Dinged them because they didn't have ice for our drinks.

I've had L&L on the mainland before, so it was nice to get it in Hawaii too!“

“The good is great and I like the owner! We came here late at night and got a free spring rolls. We ordered the supersaimin. The egg and fried wonton are cooked to a nice doneness. The soup base contains so much umami. The food here is adjusted to American taste.“

“The service was great and the food was delicious. I appreciate the variety on their menu. There was something for everyone. I had the oxtail pho while my partner enjoyed their vegetable pho. I guess we were lucky and we got our food so quickly. Not much of a wait at all.“

“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.“

“#AmazingHotel #GrandNaniloaHotelHilo 🥰“

“Zippy’s Hilo Amazing experience we had for breakfast Tracylynn Thank you for the compliment this Morning her question why you folks all dressed up I answered we just came from church and now having breakfast with you her response thank you for coming in no THANK YOU FOR BEING AN EXCELLENT SERVER THIS MORNING NOT OFTEN WE GET ENOUGH DAYS TO DRESS UP BUT BY FAR YOU MADE OUR MEAL EXTRA DELICIOUS AND THE PURPOSE OF US TO WEAR OUR BEST SUNDAY 👗 DRESS 😘🫶🏼💗Mahalo Nui…TRACYLYNN Remember Breakfast maybe way to early for some but people like you shouldn’t go unnoticed for the hard work you put on especially early in the morning shifts keep that smile on your face and your bright sunshine ☀️ you give. We definitely will be back another thing that I truly love was your return to our table and you ask “how was your first bite” as a server myself for many years that impacted my day those saying was home run lol just as if I was eating breakfast at our dining table at home mahalo piha 💗🫶🏼🥰“

“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“

“pineapple twist....and reasonably priced“

“This place has some of the best food in Hilo. I'm sad to see the bad reviews about having to wear mask, ( the owner must be elderly & afraid) I'm not sure the situation but I pray that this business does not fail. It's been here forever and I love and miss this place.“

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

“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!“

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

“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.“

“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.“