Beautiful location, service and food highly recommend!
Wheelchair accessibility: Yes with elevator
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Melvin Lopez
The food was delicious and every dish we tried. The place was very clean and nice atmosphere with a beautiful view We definitely come here again next time we're in town.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish and Chips with House Salad, Jicama-Lilikoi Slaw
Fred Valdez
Beautiful second story restaurant. Great food and drinks.
Wheelchair accessibility: Had an elevator that takes you up to the restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish and Chips with House Salad, Catch of the Day
Rose In Alaska
We had the fish and chips which was mahi mahi and it was delicious ? topped it off with coffee for me and lemonade for my partner, he said it was one of the best lemonades he has had. The staff are great! I would have submitted a picture but I started eating and before I knew it - no more food?
Parking: It was lunch time but looked like adequate parking, we caught a Lyft to the restaurant.
Wheelchair accessibility: They have an elevator at the back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish and Chips with House Salad
Ignacio López
Great food at great prices and amazing views of the Bay!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
David Booth
Hilo Bay Cafe is located in the heart of banyan tree drive in Hilo bay. This building is elevated to make the most of the stunning views. Nice variety of local food, something for everyone. Beautifully decorated, casual atmosphere. Food is good and service is good although both can be a bit hit or miss. Great place to take visitors for a nice meal.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Benjamin Bauer
Lunch. Fish and chips prepared perfectly
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Doris Apt
We enjoyed dinner at their outdoor seating with a nice view. For starter we especially liked the fried brussels sprouts with bacon, and for main course the macadamia nut crusted ahi with curry vegetables and the vegetarian mushroom pot pie. The cocktails were also very nice, we liked the lilicoy mai tai.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dollie Forney
Great service. Nice selection. Beautiful view of Hilo Bay from the patio.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Veronica Kim
Really enjoyed our last dinner here! I was a bit skeptical based on the past recent reviews but both food and drinks were solid. Portions were generous for the kabocha kale salad, pork chop and the short ribs. I’d definitely recommend ordering the first two, they were very flavorful and unique! Our server Anthony was very friendly and accommodating — we were able to make honi honi mocktail with a coconut rum and it was the best cocktail out of all 5 other drinks we had :)
We were seated a bit past our reservation time and it was still a little hot since it’s an open air restaurant. Sitting out on the lanai helped though.
This was one of our most favorite meals on the island! We heard about the cafe through a recommendation and stumbled upon it by accident. There was no wait at the bar, and we had a beautiful view of the water and the races going on. Our bartender/waiter was very friendly and helpful. The drinks were fresh and unique, and the meals were large and so flavorful! Definitely a great spot for lunch and cocktails!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Brian Yarham
Excellent food, beautiful view and atmosphere. Make a reservation for an outdoor spot. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Homeless Bob
Food- Poor. We've gone there since they opened. We used to go when it was Restaurant Nihon. Their menu has been becoming progressively more mediocre. Was good 7 or 8 years ago but it hasn't really changed. Their entrees taste like they came out of the freezer then cooked in a plastic baggie in a microwave. The crab cakes are good. Forget the rest of the menu. Btw, without notice they have dropped sushi which was the savior of their otherwise poor menu. With that gone, Hilo Bay Cafe has become something of a rip off. Seriously. This is an honest review. Service- Poor to Mediocre. At one point I nearly yelled to get the waitress's attention and it didn't work. She continued on by. Had to ask for water refills. Toward the end of our meal, we hadn't seen anyone in the room we were in since the food came. No one. This aspect was especially poor in consideration of the next element of this review. Atmosphere- Terrible. We were seated indoors in the room that has booths in the lower side and a large table in the upper area. There was a group that may have been having a baby shower or something. About 8 or 9 women who behaved like inconsiderate children. They had finished their meal then carried on dragging chairs around loudly, taking pictures and talked/laughed loudly for about 40 minutes which went on from before we got our food all the way until we were finished. Needless to say, the nice birthday dinner we had hoped for was completely ruined. When I raised the issue with the waitress, she simply said that there is no time limit for people to leave. She asked if I wanted to speak with the manager. I said yes. The manager, while somewhat apologetic, offered no acceptable response. She offered to put a code next to my name in their system to say not to put us next to large parties. I questioned why I would need a code next to my name for this restaurant to consider their patrons. Their job is to ensure a positive experience for their guest regardless of some kind of silly "code" which was a lame offering to placate an unhappy customer. Summary- It all added up to a poor to terrible experience and a tip commensurate with that experience. Sayonara, Hilo Bay Cafe. We'll await your closing and will try the new restaurant that takes your place. Shouldn't be long.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Melissa Knape
Went for date night with hubby, started off with French onion soup which was good. Ordered the ribeye medium rare but came medium well/ well done. Waited over 20 mins for the steak to be redone. When it came out it was missing the crispy onions and was drenched in olive oil, maybe the cook got mad. Was without ice tea for a very long time , even after asking for more was 12 mins before I got another glass. Ordered dessert which was dry and missing the cream sauce (again felt like kitchen staff was punishing me). No manager ever came over to check on us or apologize . Was charged full price for everything even after waiting over 1 hour for my correct food to be delivered from sitting down. I waited tables 12 years and never would have charged a guest for such poor customer service / food / experience . Won’t be back.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
Viktoria Luchynska
The location offers incredibly beautiful views that enhance the restaurant's atmosphere. The interior is modern, stylish, and at the same time very cozy.
The service is also top-notch – the staff is attentive, friendly, and ready to help with recommendations. The food was served quickly, and everything was well-organized.
I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for delicious food, stunning views, and a cozy ambiance. It's a place you'll want to return to again and again.
Beautiful location, service and food highly recommend!
Wheelchair accessibility: Yes with elevator
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was delicious and every dish we tried.
The place was very clean and nice atmosphere with a beautiful view
We definitely come here again next time we're in town.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish and Chips with House Salad, Jicama-Lilikoi Slaw
Beautiful second story restaurant. Great food and drinks.
Wheelchair accessibility: Had an elevator that takes you up to the restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish and Chips with House Salad, Catch of the Day
We had the fish and chips which was mahi mahi and it was delicious ? topped it off with coffee for me and lemonade for my partner, he said it was one of the best lemonades he has had. The staff are great! I would have submitted a picture but I started eating and before I knew it - no more food?
Parking: It was lunch time but looked like adequate parking, we caught a Lyft to the restaurant.
Wheelchair accessibility: They have an elevator at the back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish and Chips with House Salad
Great food at great prices and amazing views of the Bay!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Hilo Bay Cafe is located in the heart of banyan tree drive in Hilo bay. This building is elevated to make the most of the stunning views. Nice variety of local food, something for everyone. Beautifully decorated, casual atmosphere. Food is good and service is good although both can be a bit hit or miss. Great place to take visitors for a nice meal.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Lunch. Fish and chips prepared perfectly
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We enjoyed dinner at their outdoor seating with a nice view. For starter we especially liked the fried brussels sprouts with bacon, and for main course the macadamia nut crusted ahi with curry vegetables and the vegetarian mushroom pot pie. The cocktails were also very nice, we liked the lilicoy mai tai.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great service. Nice selection. Beautiful view of Hilo Bay from the patio.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Really enjoyed our last dinner here! I was a bit skeptical based on the past recent reviews but both food and drinks were solid. Portions were generous for the kabocha kale salad, pork chop and the short ribs. I’d definitely recommend ordering the first two, they were very flavorful and unique! Our server Anthony was very friendly and accommodating — we were able to make honi honi mocktail with a coconut rum and it was the best cocktail out of all 5 other drinks we had :)
We were seated a bit past our reservation time and it was still a little hot since it’s an open air restaurant. Sitting out on the lanai helped though.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
This was one of our most favorite meals on the island! We heard about the cafe through a recommendation and stumbled upon it by accident. There was no wait at the bar, and we had a beautiful view of the water and the races going on. Our bartender/waiter was very friendly and helpful. The drinks were fresh and unique, and the meals were large and so flavorful! Definitely a great spot for lunch and cocktails!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Excellent food, beautiful view and atmosphere. Make a reservation for an outdoor spot. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food- Poor. We've gone there since they opened. We used to go when it was Restaurant Nihon. Their menu has been becoming progressively more mediocre. Was good 7 or 8 years ago but it hasn't really changed. Their entrees taste like they came out of the freezer then cooked in a plastic baggie in a microwave. The crab cakes are good. Forget the rest of the menu.
Btw, without notice they have dropped sushi which was the savior of their otherwise poor menu. With that gone, Hilo Bay Cafe has become something of a rip off. Seriously. This is an honest review.
Service- Poor to Mediocre. At one point I nearly yelled to get the waitress's attention and it didn't work. She continued on by. Had to ask for water refills. Toward the end of our meal, we hadn't seen anyone in the room we were in since the food came. No one. This aspect was especially poor in consideration of the next element of this review.
Atmosphere- Terrible. We were seated indoors in the room that has booths in the lower side and a large table in the upper area. There was a group that may have been having a baby shower or something. About 8 or 9 women who behaved like inconsiderate children. They had finished their meal then carried on dragging chairs around loudly, taking pictures and talked/laughed loudly for about 40 minutes which went on from before we got our food all the way until we were finished. Needless to say, the nice birthday dinner we had hoped for was completely ruined. When I raised the issue with the waitress, she simply said that there is no time limit for people to leave. She asked if I wanted to speak with the manager. I said yes. The manager, while somewhat apologetic, offered no acceptable response. She offered to put a code next to my name in their system to say not to put us next to large parties. I questioned why I would need a code next to my name for this restaurant to consider their patrons. Their job is to ensure a positive experience for their guest regardless of some kind of silly "code" which was a lame offering to placate an unhappy customer.
Summary- It all added up to a poor to terrible experience and a tip commensurate with that experience. Sayonara, Hilo Bay Cafe. We'll await your closing and will try the new restaurant that takes your place. Shouldn't be long.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Went for date night with hubby, started off with French onion soup which was good. Ordered the ribeye medium rare but came medium well/ well done. Waited over 20 mins for the steak to be redone. When it came out it was missing the crispy onions and was drenched in olive oil, maybe the cook got mad. Was without ice tea for a very long time , even after asking for more was 12 mins before I got another glass. Ordered dessert which was dry and missing the cream sauce (again felt like kitchen staff was punishing me). No manager ever came over to check on us or apologize . Was charged full price for everything even after waiting over 1 hour for my correct food to be delivered from sitting down. I waited tables 12 years and never would have charged a guest for such poor customer service / food / experience . Won’t be back.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
The location offers incredibly beautiful views that enhance the restaurant's atmosphere. The interior is modern, stylish, and at the same time very cozy.
The service is also top-notch – the staff is attentive, friendly, and ready to help with recommendations. The food was served quickly, and everything was well-organized.
I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for delicious food, stunning views, and a cozy ambiance. It's a place you'll want to return to again and again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Loading...