Hawaiian Restaurants in Kailua Kona, HI

“Clean tables, friendly staff, roomy and THE BEST WAFFLE WE EVER HAD!!!! Gotta do the CHANTILLY WAFFLE ! We loved the Big Island Grill so much, we went three times for breakfast during our vacay. Hubby LOVED the Loco Moco. I wish this restaurant existed in our town 💕 and seriously the chantilly waffle deserves an award ⭐️“

“Ono food guys! Go check out my brother Nephi!“

“Absolutely love this place wonderful Aloha vibes! Live music is also great. 😊“

“Great night celebrating my Dads visit to Kona. Da Bomb fries and Kona fish tacos were delicious. Service was friendly and attentive, Widdy Loo - entertained- the beautiful Kona sunset was spectacular! Thanks for a wonderful evening!“

“super friendly and amazing food“

“The BEST shave ice!!!!! Can’t wait to return!“

“We started our first trip Kona side eating and ended it here as well!!! One of the best places in Kona that we found and the staff??? I wanted to take all the ladies home with me!!! They were so cute, so understanding, even when my husband walked away without taking our boxes up food, the waitress walked over cleaned everything up and left the food at the edge so we could see it!!! - sorry but here on Oahu you did that it's straight into the trash!!!
It is with a bowling alley... So... It can get loud but our group thought the food and the service was worth the crashing of pins!!!“

“L&L Hawaiian Barbecue is my go-to for a taste of the islands. I also highly recommend the Chicken Katsu; it's always crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a delicious katsu sauce on the side. The mac salad is a must-have, and it really completes the classic plate lunch experience. The food is consistently good and a great option for a hearty, satisfying meal.“

“Great place to meet friends for the amazing schooners!“

“We've been coming here pretty regularly when we make our annual trek to the Big Island.
Their 'BBQ' chicken (what I call teriyaki chicken) is tasty, well prepared. Not a big fan of the beef which is VERY thinly slices beef.
I ordered the Chicken Wings this last trip, they were fantastic! I will get them again.
Served with a couple scoops of steamed rice and OF COURSE, the yummy yummy mac salad.
Service here was very friendly, efficient.
Plastic to-go containers make me sad. Oddly enough it seems environmental concerns have taken a back seat here in Hawaii, they were making good strides pre-COVID.“

“We were here after sunrise on Dec 26th . OUR order :
Local Hawaiian Awa
Chicken and butterfish lau lau
Sweet potato in coconut milk appetizer

Awa ( Hawaiian Cava)- was unique, it is made from the root of pepper plant . It is an acquired taste , so very glad we tried it. We drank our bowl.

CHICKEN LAU LAU- the greens , Butterfield combo was great. Kimchi being a good accompaniment. This was a good satisfying bowl of food. Comes with - purple sweet potato, greens butter fish n chicken, 2 balls of rice topped with furikake, kimchi.

Sweet potato in coconut milk- this was a disappointment. We couldn't eat it. The root veggie was bland, the coconut milk was not seasoned. I had eaten something similar to this in a luau with coconut cream and loved it. This dish here was sub par.“

“Awesome, fresh food with healthy options! And so close to work!! 😁“

“I just found this place today. What a great location, high above the shopping center. The views go for miles. I ordered the Coconut Shrimp and a Raspberry Rita, which was so pretty, with the sugar rim. Friendly service & yummy food.“

“Our food was delicious and made to order. Kalua Loco moco was the first for me but so glad I tried it. Husband had the fresh ahi tuna sandwich, cooked great. 👍🏻“

“This is my favorite place for Hawaiian food hands down. Fresh is in the name and that’s what you get. The best laulau, pretty much everything I have tried on the menu is da bomb. But don’t get me started on the chicken long rice! Nowhere else comes close! I dream about it. If you know what’s up then you know Hawaii Fresh Specialties is the spot for plate lunch in Kailua Kona.“

“Loved our coffee from Waikoloa Village that we kept going back for more! Now we're home and had to order some for the house!“

“This was the best meal I had on the island. I had a bento box with the Kalua Pork and spicy jungle sauce. Great flavor and the serving size was large. Dragonfruit lemonade was also a good treat! Highly recommend.“

“best view in kona. Great atmosphere. loving the family owned vibe. food was amazing and good price point. happy hour at 8p. ladies night on Thursdays $4 selected drinks. can't beat a place like this. live music on weekends.“

“Listen, when I tell you this is one of my favorite restaurants on the Island, I mean it. Luke is our guy and has always taken such good care of us. I've never had a bad meal or experience that Luke didn't take care of himself. The man is in a league of his own. The food is amazing, Chef prepares them phenomenally. In fact I think we want to make another reservation for tonight. See you guys there.“

“I was in Hawaii for a few days and I ate at Jackie Rey’s for one of those evenings. The food, atmosphere and staff were spectacular. Not the mention, the food layout was incredible. I highly recommend. Mahalo.“

“If you're looking for fresh poke with 0 frills, this is the spot. I ordered a platter which came with 4 poke option and 2 sides. I got seaweed salad and 4 hearty size scoops of yummy fish. Parking is hard to find and there are a few picnic tables for your dining pleasure. Worth it 💯“

“I have always loved the smell of coffee, but unfortunately could not get past the acidic taste. Kona coffee café introduced me to Peaberry Kona coffee. This is the first time that I have ever been able to drink coffee let alone really enjoy it. The friendly staff explained how the volcanic soil and the timing of picking the bean changed the acidity in the coffee. Since being home, I’ve already placed an order and I am enjoying my coffee every morning. Thank you so much for introducing me to this amazing drink!“

“The best Pina Colada's and an awesome view! We go Everytime we make it to Kona.“

“My wife and I celebrated our 20th Anniversary on the Big Island and wanted to experience the best the island had to offer. Ulu Ocean Grille did not disappoint! Here is a summary of our dinner: We thoroughly enjoyed the Ebi Tempura roll - (it was good enough that we have encouraged several family members to join us at Ulu this evening for sushi and dinner) For our entrées we had the Mahi Mahi and the Spicy Crab Noodles. Both were perfectly prepared, very flavorful, and the presentation was perfect. For dessert, we couldn't decide between the chocolate or vanilla (the flavor of the evening) soufflé, so we got one of each (you only celebrate 20 years once!). Again, perfectly prepared and presented and was thoroughly enjoyed. And I can't overstate how excellent the service was. The staff went out of their way to make the experience memorable. It was the best dining experience I have ever had and I don't expect to top it soon, unless they outdo themselves when we return this evening. Ulu & Four Seasons Resort - well done!“

“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.“

“Food is great and real Filipino, especially the ube puto and ensemada that hubby and son enjoyed ❤️❤️❤️“

“Super solid local spot. The food was exactly what you want simple, generous, and really well executed. The pancakes were fluffy with just the right amount of sweetness, and the butter + syrup combo hit perfectly.
The grilled meat was juicy, well-seasoned, and had that nice char from the grill. Mac salad and rice were classic and balanced the plate well. Portions are big, so you definitely leave full.
The vibe is chill, no fuss, and feels authentic not a tourist trap. Service was friendly and efficient.
If you’re looking for good, affordable comfort food done right, this place delivers. Would definitely come back.“

“Got there one hour before closing. Parking is behind the building; there is a homeless encampment to the North of the building but they don't bother anyone. Wait to get in was about 15 min. The staff was quick in taking the order and bringing out the food. Everything we ordered was excellent, we will come back.“

“1st trying this place. Wow I love it. Ordered the mini loco moco, was enough food for an adult serving. Was perfect and the macaroni salad was awesome. I hope that the one by my home in California is just as good. Different will eat at it before leaving Honolulu.“

“The bartender Darcy was awesome“

“We had a Birthday party there. Excellent food. Staff was super friendly and so helpful.“

“Think of a more local L&L’s, similar plates, less pricey, very filling, and more options! We ordered a teriyaki chicken plate for our two kids and split a seafood combo for dinner and we still had leftovers. Great portions, value, and open later than most places. Definitely recommend!“

“Great ambience, ocean views and Lianne was a great wait person.“

“Friendly service. Good food and quiet. Nice roomy outdoor seating“