Restaurants near Papaikou

“Wonderful experience! We did the Tuesday afternoon tour and learned about the history of baumkuchen and some other fun history in an engaging presentation. If you want to see the baking in action, it doesn't happen during the tour time; instead, the tour focuses on an intro/discussion, a short guided tour around the beautifully landscaped property, and then a final wrap-up at the gift shop. Friendly people, tasty products. They also sell culinary salts; the green one is delicious. Bring bug spray if the mosquitoes like you. We loved this visit. Thanks so much!”

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

“So yummy and realistic vegan Vietnamese food 🤤🤤🤤”

“We padded into The Hive on the Big Island like the regal Maine Coons we are—tails high, whiskers forward, senses alert. And let us tell you: this place is the cat’s meow.

The vibe? Vibrant, joyful, and humming (yes, humming) with just the right amount of buzz. Not too busy, not too slow—just a perfectly balanced purr. The kind of rhythm that lets you linger without feeling rushed, yet still keeps the energy sparkling like a sunbeam on a freshly groomed coat.

First, the goods. So many cute presents to buy, we nearly knocked something off a shelf out of pure excitement. Thoughtfully curated little treasures everywhere—gifts that make you want to paw through every corner. If we had thumbs, we’d be swiping half the shop into our tote. Claw-ver merchandising, truly.

Now let’s talk about the food—because we are not kitten around.

The sweet pesto sandwich? Absolutely hiss-terical (in the best way). Fresh, vibrant, layered with flavor that made our whiskers quiver. It was herbaceous and bright, yet grounded—like a well-balanced prowl through a garden.

The lovely “Common Latte”? Silky. Smooth. Froth so fine it could rival the fluff on our winter ruffs. Comforting but not basic—more lion-hearted than housecat.

The vanilla matcha? Earthy, softly sweet, and unexpectedly elegant. It felt like sipping a breeze under palm trees. We lapped it up with refined enthusiasm.

And the deluxe toast? Listen. This was no ordinary loaf lounging about. This was a stacked, textural masterpiece. Each bite had crunch, creaminess, depth. It deserved its own scratching post of honor.

What truly makes The Hive special, though, is the atmosphere. There’s a warmth here—not just temperature, but spirit. The staff radiate kindness. The space invites you to settle in, curl up, and stay awhile. It’s the kind of café where you could easily spend hours grooming your thoughts and watching the world wander by.

In summary: we arrived curious cats.
We left fat, happy, and fully feline fine.

Five paws up. We’ll absolutely be prowling back. 🐾”

“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!”

“Best shaved ice so far that I have had on the island �. Creamy and smooth.”

“Visiting the big Island, stopped at this restaurant because the recommendations on line. I must say it was the absolute best dinner we have had in Honolulu and here in the big island. Food is superb, service fabulous. If you like well executed dishes, fresh, exquisite and plated beautifully, this is the place!!!”

“Worst Mexican food in town, Taco Bell may be better…. Sad to say”

“This place is so good and the people who work here are really friendly. I love that they have games to play while waiting for your ice cream too. Not ashamed to say that I've been here multiple days in a row. Best ice cream spot in Hilo in my opinion.”

“Lots of seating indoors. Bahn MI was perfection! We tried the regular and the shrimp. Both were superb. The combo Pho was everything I'd want. Tender meat, flavorful borth, fresh veg. Dumplings were okay fried. I think they would be better the way they're usually served - steamed or boiled. Banana lumpias were delicious. Portion sizes are great for the price.”

“Visiting Family on Island, we're from mainland, came here after falls visit, beautiful patio to sit and eat. had the special of the day hot pocket. Best sandwich ever beautiful beautiful location”

“Hilo iced coffee was one of our favorites places to grab coffee when in Hilo. We drove all the way from pepeekeo every day so we could have all those amazing options. My hubby and I each got a coffee and a matcha to share. We made sure we tried something different every time, usually staff recommended, just to see what were a “go” or a “no.” Honestly, every thing we ordered exceeded our expectations. “Honey girl” was a clear winner for us, the mix of Mac nut milk and honey, chef’s kiss- 10/10. And if you’re not feeling something too sweet, their namesake “Hilo iced coffee” hit the spot- 9/10. We also tried their black sesame coffee and matcha, both were 10/10. We had the chance to also try the strawberry matcha and while I can see the hype for strawberry matches are real, the strawberry Puree was a wee too sweet for us, still very good- 8/10. We will be sure to stop by every time we go Hilo!”

“Poke cake Best ever Ever”

“This place is a sleeping giant. The entire party thought the food fabulous. Twenty years ago I wrote restaurant reviews. This place deserves lots of good attention and vibes. I loved the food. I had the shrimp papaya salad. Yum! Can't show a picture. I just have an empty plate.”

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

“Delicious 🤤🤤 we're only on this side of the island for the day or I'd here daily. No insane toppings hiding the flavor of the tuna. Just great fish, kind service, and happy tummy. Must try place if you like poke!”

“Antics ROCKS! Artwork throughout. Scrumptious pizza. My favorites are the slices, which are perfect for solitary diners stopping in for lunch or dinner but unable to take a whole pizza home for later. But they also offer carryout and dine-in for whole pizzas. And birthday-party/graduation/ho'olaulea (celebrations) accommodations. Staff are superb, checking to make sure you're doing okay. And kids adore the games (free, with purchase). Amazing Antics opened DURING the pandemic & has succeeded so well! One of my favorite places to eat, especially because slices are quick & fit within my limited budget. Well-done, Antics ownership, staff, leaders and lenders! 💚”

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

“Love all their smoothies !!”

“What a hidden gem on Banyan drive! The place looks very low key and unassuming, but serves great fruit ice cream bars of various flavors, all made with real fruits. The staff members are super friendly and even gave us fancy ice to keep our bars frozen. For anyone who visits there, make sure to order their malt milk shake, which for some reason isnt listed on the menu. If the fruit pops were 8/10, the malt milk shake would be 11/10. Yes it is that good!”

“Fresh and delicious poke, loaded with roe and flavor...friendly and welcoming...fast moving line even when busy...large poke bowl half spicy/half shoyu was perfect”

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

“Stopped for a quick bite on my way back to my hotel. Building is on the side of the road with only a small sign. Recommend use GPS to help you navigate. Parking is very limited. Spaces were full when I arrived so I parked across the street in the lot for the park. Very casual place with small menu. There is a gift shop type area for local purchases and a fruit stand on site. I ordered a smoothie and pork tacos from the menu. Tacos were good. Smoothie was refreshing. Menu selection is small but with a decent amount of variety. I would recommend for a quick bite or a smoothie stop.”

“Matcha made in heaven! So enjoying the newly expanded beverage menu. Love love love.”

“Food is absolutely delicious and fresh. We can't say how convenient it was to make a phone order and have it ready to go when you pick it up. Everyone there has a welcome mentality and work so hard to make sure they got your order correctly.
Aloha, you guys rock!!!!”

“This food is 5 Stars ALL DAY. Very large portions, flour tortillas are incredibly flaky, sauces flavorful and the caramel tortillas chips with whipped cream is to die for!”

“The pumpkin crunch is always my fav❤️It’s definitely a must have!!! Service today was exceptional…Mahalo cupcakes 💥”

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

“F****** INCREDIBLE BRUH! BEST EVER! THE CHILI IS THE BEST IN THE WORLD, PROMISE!!!”

“Absolutely the most delicious Mochi and other Japanese confections. These ladies have been a mainstay in Hilo and whenever we are in Hawaii, (even Kona) we will make the drive to Hilo just for their desserts.”