This is a food truck, located in the Waikele Shopping Outlet lower parking lot. No seating - walk up , take -out, only. We had the Lemon Grass Chicken Sandwich on the French Roll - one of our favs. Very crunchy, plenty of filling , very flavorful and just the right size to fill you up.
Carla I.
Meh.I paid $30 for mahi-mahi that was just average. Got it takeout and it was lukewarm at best. Pretty clear it got chucked into a fryer real quick and then served with your generic bagged, premade mashed potatoes that you throw in a steamer.The Thai place a few doors down is tastier and more affordable.
Urban D.
Luv this place. During our 'lockdown' we ordered from them like once a week. The food is consistently good. Props for that. I have no problem spending $75-$125 an order because it's seasoned perfectly, portioned well, and always consistent. And even bigger props for filling growlers during this time. I'm glad they're back to sit in dining, well definitely be back.
Amber F.
I've been here a couple of times in the last month. It has a nice outdoor atmosphere, fun cocktails, friendly service and really solid food.My fiancé loved the pork wontons, ribs, and steak.The lava flow drink is basically a pins colada with strawberry swirl milkshake.. it's that sweet. He orders it every time because he loves sugar. I stick to the fish/seafood dishes. The coconut shrimp aren't on the menu anymore but if you ask nicely they will try to accommodate you. Def a good date night spot if you're in Pahoa.
Leilani B.
We were very pleased with the friendly service. I order the Macadamia nut crusted ahi with Lilikoi aioli this was very delicious. Must have Kalua pig won tons with garlic aioli , sweet chili sauce .My Fiancé order a chicken Parmesan with Alfredo white sauce it's not on the menu but they will make it if you ask, it's was okay but the sauce was kind of bland tasting ( watery) it used be better tasting he said maybe it was a new cook other than that everything else was good . These days it's hard just to great aloha friendly service.
Michele D.
I've lived in Puna for 9 years and every-time I've been to Kaleo's it's been great. I don't leave yelp reviews often, but I am today because I felt this restaurant went above and beyond, even amidst this Covid situation, the staff was super hospitable and kind. They were out of one of my favorites, the Orzo salad, so when I ordered my other favorite, the Ahi roll, they brought out the roll with a tasting of several of their other appetizers. This unexpected gesture was very sweet, and actually now that I think back, it seems typical of their commitment to their customers and the Puna Community. I really appreciate this place. Thanks!
Angelee I.
First visit today with 3 friends. I'm vegan and didn't expect to have any options, but ultimately came because we were assured a ton of things on the menu could be made vegan BY THE OWNER. So I thought that was great, I'd get to support a restaurant a friend works at. o we made a reservation for 4 at around 11am for dine in at 5:30. This is the first time we have all dined in since the pandemic began, so it was an interesting experience for us all (and an incredibly anxious one for me). We were really respectful and kept our masks on for most part, unless we were eating or drinking something. The gentleman filling waters and bussing tables was extremely prompt and always topping off waters even if it was just a sip shy of full. It wasn't very busy at all so he had the time to take care of all the tables drinks. It was really sweet.But our server, on the other hand, was not very friendly to us. Which, hey, it's a stressful time and everyone has a bad day. We gave that to her. We were waiting for one friend to arrive so we ordered an appetizer to share while we waited that, based on the menu's description, looked to be vegan! Yay! So we ordered the hummus plate and when our server came back she brought us the pork wontons. The older gentleman I was with said confused "this so the hummus plate?" And she says "no you ordered wontons. you pointed at wontons on the menu and these are the wontons." And he says "okay, well can we add on the hummus plate then?" And she says yes and comes back a bit later with the plate. It was covered in Parmesan and feta cheese. That wasn't listed on the menu description at all...super disappointing. Considering the owner said they have many vegan friendly dishes. But we didn't put up a fuss at all. We happily accepted the food and I just didn't eat it.Once our friend arrived and it came down to ordering, we had two pasta dishes ordered, a house salad (the only thing I could as long as I substituted the dressing for a different kind), and the ahi tuna roll. While we all talked story, I had been observing everything going on in the restaurant. I work in food service myself so I am watching every dish coming out and paying close attention to presentation (as well as staff demeanor, cleanliness, etc). Where I work consistency is extremely important. If one of our sandwiches is cooked too dark we remake it. If it's even cut incorrectly we remake it. Consistently is important and I expect that from places I dine in as well. And because of my experience I have a trained eye. One dish that stuck out to me was the ahi tuna roll orders that were aiming out. They were presented really beautifully with 4 large rolls standing up on one end with the angular cut pointing up like a tower. Every roll that came out looked this way.When it came to our food arriving, I saw our server carrying our plates to our table but as she was walking from the kitchen to us an entire tuna roll fell off the plate and hit the floor. The thought that crossed my mind was "oh no, our friend will have to wait longer for her food while we eat". I was wrong. Our server turned around with all of our meals while another staff member picked the roll with a napkin up off the floor and threw it away. A few minutes later she comes back to our table with our food and the tuna roll plate looks completely different! They didn't remake the dish. What they did instead was cut the remaining 3 rolls into smaller pieces and fanned them to fill the plate! She said nothing about what happened. But again, we just accepted the food and left her be. We all ate our food. I ate my $10 boring salad and our friend ate her tuna rolls that were significantly smaller than what we had been seeing served to other people. No complaints. And that's saying a lot considering there was feta cheese buried at the bottom of my salad despite stressing that the dish be vegan! I was FUMING. We were talking about how we should w
John S.
We ate at Kaleo's last week and the food continues to be excellent. It's also the best restaurant in Pahoa for dining with friends. I was discouraged, however, that the waiter moved from table to table with his mask on his chin, below his mouth. This is one way the virus is being spread in other states. If this restaurant is not going to follow the COVID19 guidelines, then I recommend "take out" only.
Vlad P.
I want to start by saying what's good here and the most important thing is the taste of food, everything we ordered is super good, you'll never regret eating here. I like the fact that late at night they had someone on the parking directing people where to park. Two things we didn't like is the customer service and restrooms, customer service didn't seem to be sincere and the restrooms need some remodeling.
Restaurant good at social distancing. Bar people right on top of each other. Food good drinks good
Veronica N.
My mom loves going here especially since I'm her neighborhood. This is our go to place if we wanna just feel at home. Ono grinds and excellence in customer service.
Violet H.
4.5 stars. Kaleo's is but one of several dining establishments in tiny downtown Pahoa, and it was tough to decide because they all looked pretty darned good.As mentioned in other reviews, there's off-street parking in the form of a gravel lot. But I almost gave up because the two restaurant entrances I could see involved going up a few steps, which I couldn't do. But it pays to ask; turns out there's a barrier-free entrance around the back. I suggest they place a sign on the main parking lot side that points people in the right direction.There's a side dining room, a main dining room and bar, and a small lanai. I don't know if they have A/C, but they do have ceiling fans. It was a lovely winter day so I chose the lanai to catch the breeze and watch the world walk and drive by.There's a decent-sized menu and daily specials. I had kalbi, which usually comes with rice and toss salad. I asked for all toss salad and appreciated that it was easy to make this substitution.The food came out fairly quickly as it was not terribly busy at lunch on this weekday. The kalbi were boneless, and there was a heap of dressed fresh mixed greens. And they really were dressed; the greens had been tossed in the delicious house citrus vinaigrette so all the surfaces were coated. The result was a light taste but with a liquid that was dense enough to cling. The kalbi were good overall, with one slight letdown. They were properly prepared and were tender and juicy, with just a bit of char from the grill. But the flavor was uneven, which was odd because kalbi is marinated. Some bites had the unmistakable taste, while others tasted like unseasoned meat. But I had no problem clearing the generous portions, and I noticed my fellow diners doing the same with there selections. Staff are very friendly and helpful. Kaleo's is a solid choice. Businesses here are still recovering from the down time due to the mighty Madame Pele, and there may also be fewer tourists as the result of the coronavirus (which, to our knowledge, hasn't been found here in Hawaii), so it's an even better time than ever to support local businesses.
Roxanne L.
If you don't come here your just stupid. The food is amazing, drinks stiff, dessert delectable, and service off the chart! The kalua pork had a unique smokey flavor that is irresistible. The BBQ ribs were fresh and flavored to a T and did I say the meat just fell off into your mouth. I got so excited about the meat I forgot to talk about the coconut shrimp! ORDER IT!!!!! It's not frozen crap it's local and fresh and they butterfly it just for you! The mojito is a YES and so is the passion fruit cheesecake!!!!! Service impeccable. And you'll make some new little green deo
Vlad Q.
LA native, late night taco runs after the club (way way back when) and this place brought home flooding back. Great street tacos, simple - authentic Burritos are nuts! There's good spice and a little heat- perfect.
Permanently closed
This is a food truck, located in the Waikele Shopping Outlet lower parking lot. No seating - walk up , take -out, only. We had the Lemon Grass Chicken Sandwich on the French Roll - one of our favs. Very crunchy, plenty of filling , very flavorful and just the right size to fill you up.
Meh.I paid $30 for mahi-mahi that was just average. Got it takeout and it was lukewarm at best. Pretty clear it got chucked into a fryer real quick and then served with your generic bagged, premade mashed potatoes that you throw in a steamer.The Thai place a few doors down is tastier and more affordable.
Luv this place. During our 'lockdown' we ordered from them like once a week. The food is consistently good. Props for that. I have no problem spending $75-$125 an order because it's seasoned perfectly, portioned well, and always consistent. And even bigger props for filling growlers during this time. I'm glad they're back to sit in dining, well definitely be back.
I've been here a couple of times in the last month. It has a nice outdoor atmosphere, fun cocktails, friendly service and really solid food.My fiancé loved the pork wontons, ribs, and steak.The lava flow drink is basically a pins colada with strawberry swirl milkshake.. it's that sweet. He orders it every time because he loves sugar. I stick to the fish/seafood dishes. The coconut shrimp aren't on the menu anymore but if you ask nicely they will try to accommodate you. Def a good date night spot if you're in Pahoa.
We were very pleased with the friendly service. I order the Macadamia nut crusted ahi with Lilikoi aioli this was very delicious. Must have Kalua pig won tons with garlic aioli , sweet chili sauce .My Fiancé order a chicken Parmesan with Alfredo white sauce it's not on the menu but they will make it if you ask, it's was okay but the sauce was kind of bland tasting ( watery) it used be better tasting he said maybe it was a new cook other than that everything else was good . These days it's hard just to great aloha friendly service.
I've lived in Puna for 9 years and every-time I've been to Kaleo's it's been great. I don't leave yelp reviews often, but I am today because I felt this restaurant went above and beyond, even amidst this Covid situation, the staff was super hospitable and kind. They were out of one of my favorites, the Orzo salad, so when I ordered my other favorite, the Ahi roll, they brought out the roll with a tasting of several of their other appetizers. This unexpected gesture was very sweet, and actually now that I think back, it seems typical of their commitment to their customers and the Puna Community. I really appreciate this place. Thanks!
First visit today with 3 friends. I'm vegan and didn't expect to have any options, but ultimately came because we were assured a ton of things on the menu could be made vegan BY THE OWNER. So I thought that was great, I'd get to support a restaurant a friend works at. o we made a reservation for 4 at around 11am for dine in at 5:30. This is the first time we have all dined in since the pandemic began, so it was an interesting experience for us all (and an incredibly anxious one for me). We were really respectful and kept our masks on for most part, unless we were eating or drinking something. The gentleman filling waters and bussing tables was extremely prompt and always topping off waters even if it was just a sip shy of full. It wasn't very busy at all so he had the time to take care of all the tables drinks. It was really sweet.But our server, on the other hand, was not very friendly to us. Which, hey, it's a stressful time and everyone has a bad day. We gave that to her. We were waiting for one friend to arrive so we ordered an appetizer to share while we waited that, based on the menu's description, looked to be vegan! Yay! So we ordered the hummus plate and when our server came back she brought us the pork wontons. The older gentleman I was with said confused "this so the hummus plate?" And she says "no you ordered wontons. you pointed at wontons on the menu and these are the wontons." And he says "okay, well can we add on the hummus plate then?" And she says yes and comes back a bit later with the plate. It was covered in Parmesan and feta cheese. That wasn't listed on the menu description at all...super disappointing. Considering the owner said they have many vegan friendly dishes. But we didn't put up a fuss at all. We happily accepted the food and I just didn't eat it.Once our friend arrived and it came down to ordering, we had two pasta dishes ordered, a house salad (the only thing I could as long as I substituted the dressing for a different kind), and the ahi tuna roll. While we all talked story, I had been observing everything going on in the restaurant. I work in food service myself so I am watching every dish coming out and paying close attention to presentation (as well as staff demeanor, cleanliness, etc). Where I work consistency is extremely important. If one of our sandwiches is cooked too dark we remake it. If it's even cut incorrectly we remake it. Consistently is important and I expect that from places I dine in as well. And because of my experience I have a trained eye. One dish that stuck out to me was the ahi tuna roll orders that were aiming out. They were presented really beautifully with 4 large rolls standing up on one end with the angular cut pointing up like a tower. Every roll that came out looked this way.When it came to our food arriving, I saw our server carrying our plates to our table but as she was walking from the kitchen to us an entire tuna roll fell off the plate and hit the floor. The thought that crossed my mind was "oh no, our friend will have to wait longer for her food while we eat". I was wrong. Our server turned around with all of our meals while another staff member picked the roll with a napkin up off the floor and threw it away. A few minutes later she comes back to our table with our food and the tuna roll plate looks completely different! They didn't remake the dish. What they did instead was cut the remaining 3 rolls into smaller pieces and fanned them to fill the plate! She said nothing about what happened. But again, we just accepted the food and left her be. We all ate our food. I ate my $10 boring salad and our friend ate her tuna rolls that were significantly smaller than what we had been seeing served to other people. No complaints. And that's saying a lot considering there was feta cheese buried at the bottom of my salad despite stressing that the dish be vegan! I was FUMING. We were talking about how we should w
We ate at Kaleo's last week and the food continues to be excellent. It's also the best restaurant in Pahoa for dining with friends. I was discouraged, however, that the waiter moved from table to table with his mask on his chin, below his mouth. This is one way the virus is being spread in other states. If this restaurant is not going to follow the COVID19 guidelines, then I recommend "take out" only.
I want to start by saying what's good here and the most important thing is the taste of food, everything we ordered is super good, you'll never regret eating here. I like the fact that late at night they had someone on the parking directing people where to park. Two things we didn't like is the customer service and restrooms, customer service didn't seem to be sincere and the restrooms need some remodeling.
Restaurantji Recommends
Restaurant good at social distancing. Bar people right on top of each other. Food good drinks good
My mom loves going here especially since I'm her neighborhood. This is our go to place if we wanna just feel at home. Ono grinds and excellence in customer service.
4.5 stars. Kaleo's is but one of several dining establishments in tiny downtown Pahoa, and it was tough to decide because they all looked pretty darned good.As mentioned in other reviews, there's off-street parking in the form of a gravel lot. But I almost gave up because the two restaurant entrances I could see involved going up a few steps, which I couldn't do. But it pays to ask; turns out there's a barrier-free entrance around the back. I suggest they place a sign on the main parking lot side that points people in the right direction.There's a side dining room, a main dining room and bar, and a small lanai. I don't know if they have A/C, but they do have ceiling fans. It was a lovely winter day so I chose the lanai to catch the breeze and watch the world walk and drive by.There's a decent-sized menu and daily specials. I had kalbi, which usually comes with rice and toss salad. I asked for all toss salad and appreciated that it was easy to make this substitution.The food came out fairly quickly as it was not terribly busy at lunch on this weekday. The kalbi were boneless, and there was a heap of dressed fresh mixed greens. And they really were dressed; the greens had been tossed in the delicious house citrus vinaigrette so all the surfaces were coated. The result was a light taste but with a liquid that was dense enough to cling. The kalbi were good overall, with one slight letdown. They were properly prepared and were tender and juicy, with just a bit of char from the grill. But the flavor was uneven, which was odd because kalbi is marinated. Some bites had the unmistakable taste, while others tasted like unseasoned meat. But I had no problem clearing the generous portions, and I noticed my fellow diners doing the same with there selections. Staff are very friendly and helpful. Kaleo's is a solid choice. Businesses here are still recovering from the down time due to the mighty Madame Pele, and there may also be fewer tourists as the result of the coronavirus (which, to our knowledge, hasn't been found here in Hawaii), so it's an even better time than ever to support local businesses.
If you don't come here your just stupid. The food is amazing, drinks stiff, dessert delectable, and service off the chart! The kalua pork had a unique smokey flavor that is irresistible. The BBQ ribs were fresh and flavored to a T and did I say the meat just fell off into your mouth. I got so excited about the meat I forgot to talk about the coconut shrimp! ORDER IT!!!!! It's not frozen crap it's local and fresh and they butterfly it just for you! The mojito is a YES and so is the passion fruit cheesecake!!!!! Service impeccable. And you'll make some new little green deo
LA native, late night taco runs after the club (way way back when) and this place brought home flooding back. Great street tacos, simple - authentic Burritos are nuts! There's good spice and a little heat- perfect.