50 Best Vegetarian Restaurants in Hilo

“Love all their smoothies !!“

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

“One of best meals we have ever had! Very creative cuisine, service was perfect, cocktail's amazing!“

“This restaurant has become my favorite spot! I love the attention to detail in every dish. Jamie always brightens up the service with a smile, making me feel special. I have eaten here many times and have always been satisfied. The food is fresh and skillfully prepared. Jamie is quick and friendly, never letting me wait long. It’s truly a wonderful experience!“

“SO ONO!!! Everything I've tried so far has been Fantastic 😋“

“Poke cake Best ever Ever“

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

“Surprisingly legit Viet food served in a cozy cafe environment by a really kind and generous owner with very reasonable prices!
The papaya salad was so delicious- generous portion of shredded green papaya topped with lots of crunch peanuts and fried shallots. The entire table gobbled it up. I had a small chicken pho and it was super refreshing, light, and savory with lots of tender chicken pieces. It was plenty for my stomach! The owner was so kind towards our school aged child, he brought out a balloon and candies for her and it made her day. So sweet and kind!“

“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.“

“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.“

“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!“

“Mahalo nui au i nā wāhine o ka Papa'a Palaoa Bakery ma Hilo, Hawai'i. They assisted me in providing a whole lilikoi pie to bring home to San Francisco. They fully wrapped the box in plastic to keep the pie protected, so I could then place it in an insulated bag and surround the box with frozen ice packs. The pie (as well as a cinnamon roll) made it back home just as "hou" (fresh) as when I purchased it, me ka pilikia ole (with no problems), and the pie tastes 'ono loa. I am very grateful for their assistance, and especially their kindness. I highly recommend this bakery to everyone who wants fresh baked goods, but most of all, I am very grateful to the Aloha given by their employees. Mahalo nui loa!!“

“ピーナッツバター入りのアサイボウルが美味しい“

“Cute location! Love their dishes! Desserts are also ono! Would eat here as often as I can…“

“Tons of great food and produce and nice venders“

“We checked in as a family of four and were seated, but ended up waiting almost an hour—50 minutes to be exact—without anyone coming by to take our order. We even saw another family who arrived 10–15 minutes after us get served and receive their food before us. My other half finally had to go up and ask a worker at the check-in area, and thankfully he came over, took our order, and got everything out right away. 🙄 By then, we were definitely frustrated and hangry! 😠
But huge thanks to the server (I wish I remembered his name 🫤) who turned the night around—he was quick, kind, and made sure we were taken care of. 🙌🏽🙂 The food ended up being great, and we tipped him very well 🤗. After all, everyone’s in a good mood after a good meal! 👌🏽👍🏽“

“Their food is amazing!Great price and great portions! Definitely the best!!!“

“Customer Service was amazing. Food was delicious. First time there and I absolutely loved it!“

“we were at another Hilo restaurant for half an hour before we decided to leave because no one took our order. We had 45 minutes before we had to be at our Doctorsh office so stopped at Kens. fast service, good food,no mistakes. Carlene was our waitress and she was the bomb. I left a big tip but also wanted to leave a good review. Kens Rocks!“

“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.“

“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.“

“This is the best sushi I have ever had in my life. The staff was so nice. they recommended me squid to try which i never had before, but it was awesome. Atmosphere is so nice because you get to go out and joy the fresh air. If you are in Hilo, I recommend stopping here.“

“I love the bento at H and K. I feel it is one of the best bento available. The staff are always friendly and helpful.

I have ordered up to 75 for a function I was holding. They were ready when I got there and everyone loved them. I didn't have to deal with buying plates or utensils, I knew there would be enough for the latecomers without worrying about portion control. H and K are my go to for catering and I have never been disappointed.

Plus my kids love it. *Mic drop*“

“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!“

“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 🤤“

“Cool 😎 🍺 Cold Girl 👧 Gold“

“I loved the Pho Tai I ordered. I added extra tai and made it spicy. I skipped bean sprouts but if you choose it comes with them also. Good spice to it, but not overpowering.

The Thai tea was one of the best I've had. Strong flavor.“

“This place is a little hole in the wall but it's amazing! We had the pork musubi and the spam supreme both were killer. To top it off, the Kimchi was probably the best we've ever had! The chef came out to ask how the food was and said the Kimchi is his personal recipe.

It was not busy when we went, but it should be! It's definitely worth a stop when you're in Hilo.“

“Brown rice sushi Intricate sauces Fresh“

“This place is fast and the service and taste are consistently good. Some of my favorites are the fried tofu curry, spicy ramen, teriyaki chicken, mushroom skewers, miso eggplant, and potstickers. They make a pretty brownie sundae for dessert. There is an ice cream place next door that is open during the day too. They are open on Mondays which is notable in Hilo. We like to make reservations here for family parties, but there are usually tables available for walk-ins. You can definitely eat here during your lunch hour. This place is very clean and quiet with pleasant instrumental music.“

“We have been enjoying food from Aloydee’s Thai Food for many many years. This is one of our favorite take out lunch spots. At times we would eat here multiple times a week. It’s right next door to the Hilo Farmer’s Market. One of the most underrated, off the beaten path lunch spots.

We usually take out, but there are also limited shared seating in a common area used by other little food spots in the area.

She has an amazing menu and everything always tastes so ‘ono (delicious). She has all kinds of noodles, curries, fried rice, papaya salad, summer rolls, Thai tea and veggie dishes. I’ve never had anything on her menu that I didn’t like. My young children also love her food and will even request to eat there.

Some of our favorites:
Pad Thai
Yellow Curry
Green Curry
Curry Noodles
Drunken Noodles

Lots of people LOVE her summer rolls and green papaya salad. You can get the spice level as you prefer.

You can call in your order ahead of time and have it ready for pick up, but only if you are certain you will pick up as she is a small business that could not eat the costs of no shows for food already cooked as she prepares everything fresh.

Wait time is usually around 15-20 minutes, sometimes little bit longer if it’s rush hour, but always worth it.

Vegetarian options: Green Papaya Salad, summer rolls, and you could probably make other dishes vegetarian if you just make the request.“

“Nice authentic Thai food. Good service. Can go again. Could have given 4.5 stars. Pictures show Papaya salad, Coconut soup, Red curry and Panang curry, all with Tofu and vegetables. Every dish had lots of vegetables. They were light on Tofu though.“

“Good food.. perfect noodle soup..“

“Delicious pho with large portions. The spring rolls with peanut sauce are great; just ask to have them made with tofu. Servers are vegan-aware and can show you how menu items can be made vegan, if you ask. EDIT: fried tofu is not vegan at this point, due to the batter! double check with your server when ordering Updated from previous review on 2022-10-14“

“We were here as a larger group spontaneously for lunch and the restaurant coped very well with our many orders at once. You also have the option to pay separately [you can then go to the front desk], which is not standard in the US. \nThe food was consistently delicious and we got our food quite quickly. The atmosphere is less in focus, but that didn't hurt our pleasure.“

“We are traveling here to visit from FLORIDA. We ordered spicy Thai basil and mixed vegetables with cashew nut. They are so good. They are real authentic Thai food. Reasonable price and friendly service. Highly recommended 👍🏻“

“This place is amazing. The food is authentic and made fast. The staff is warm and welcoming. I have dined in before, but this time I was there for my take out order and I was offered a seat and water while I waited. The restaurant is clean, quiet, and comfortable. Highly recommended.“

“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“

“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!“

“First time eating here with my boyfriend and we loved everything about it. Service 10 stars for both waiters. Food 10 stars cook to perfection. He ordered a mixed plate with meat jun and the spicy pork I ordered the Saba Mackerel and it was delicious. All the sides were so yummy that we needed to order seconds. I definitely will recommend to everyone.“

“It's a "hole in the wall" / nothing fancy place for sure, but been coming here for 9yrs...always the same tasty and flavorful quality food. "Pong", the owner, always remembers what I like and gets it's served fast and hot“

“Really tasty dinner. Got the curry, brown rice, and cashew chicken. Felt like they were really watered down which also kept the flavors from being as strong which was disappointing because I did appreciated the spice.
Also asked for hot and felt it was more of a mild. Worth going to nonetheless“

“Never eaten here though it’s been here forever and everyone tells me the gyros are pretty good. I agree now! We ordered the gyro meal for about $28 but it was enough to feed 2 easily. Portions were generous and the quality was good. Tzatziki was tasty and the pita bread was nice too. Only bummer thing is it’s in the mall and by an arcade.“

“Friendly customer service.“

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

“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...“

“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..“