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Beachy yet upscale, the restaurant has an in-house beer sommelier who advises on the perfect pairing with your food choice, which can range from fresh catch, steak, burgers, and sandwiches to crab cakes and escargots; many dishes incorporate Hawaiian touches. This sports bar offers a 24-tap digital beer tower and 10 TV screens. An innovative frost rail on the cocktail bar keeps your drinks cool. Patio seating outside offers additional dining options. There's a second location in Kona.
250 Waikoloa Beach Dr., Waikoloa, Hawaii, 96738, USA
Known For
- Fish tacos
- Patio seating available
- Great tapas menu
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From its upstairs, open-air dining room decorated with kitschy surfer chic, this new restaurant invites customers to enjoy views of the pier and a bustling corner of Alii Drive. Fortunately, an excellent, extensive menu makes it well worth a stop; fresh fish plates including fish tacos are a sure bet. The clam chowder is some of Kona's best. Try the smashburger (a cooking technique that adds flavor while reducing grill time) or the marinated sirloin or New York strip. Death by Chocolate is the dessert to die for. They also serve breakfast from 7 until noon, and there's a happy hour as well as live music nightly. Great prices keep the locals coming in.
75-5663 Palani Rd., Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, 96704, USA
Known For
- Full bar menu of island-style cocktails
- Five types of eggs Benedict
- Clam chowder
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Perched on the edge of a bluff overlooking the sparkling waters of Kaunaoa Beach, the resort's flagship restaurant is a compelling spot for a romantic meal at sunset, especially at one of the outside tables. The culinary team's take on Hawaii Regional Cuisine highlights locally sourced, sustainable fish, chicken, and beef. The grilled chicken, for example, comes from the Kau district of the Big Island, while the Kona kampachi is raised on the coast.
62-100 Mauna Kea Beach Dr., Mauna Kea, Hawaii, 96743, USA
Known For
- Beachfront balcony dining
- Exhibition kitchen
- Sunday brunch with prime rib, smoked salmon, and omelet station
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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A local institution, this casual place is famous for its malasadas, the puffy, doughy, deep-fried Portuguese doughnuts without a hole, best eaten hot; there are also cream-filled versions, including vanilla, chocolate, and coconut. For more than a snack, go for the Hawaiian burger, with a fat, juicy slice of sweet pineapple on top, the overstuffed burrito, or some decent house-made pizza.
45-690 Pakalana St., Honokaa, Hawaii, 96727, USA
Known For
- The island's best malasadas
- Food cooked to order
- Long waits
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Casual elegance takes center stage at the resort's flagship oceanfront restaurant, one of the most upscale restaurants on the Big Island. Breakfast can be à la carte or buffet, but nighttime is when the magic happens, with diverse menu choices—roasted beet salad, flame-grilled prime New York steak, Kona lobster, shrimp pad Thai, and more—that make deciding what to order a challenge. At least 75% of the food served here is locally sourced. There's also a full sushi menu. The impressive wine program includes boutique wines and world-class imports.
72-100 Kaupulehu Dr., Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, 96740, USA
Known For
- Sushi lounge
- Ingredients sourced from 160 local purveyors
- Impressive wine list
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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Established in 1948, this casual spot is famous for its tasty loco moco, prepared in more than three dozen ways (with different meats, chicken, vegetables, and fish), and its low-priced breakfast and lunch specials. The word "restaurant," or even "café," is used loosely—you order at a window and eat on one of the outdoor benches provided—but you come here for the food, prices, and authentic, old-Hilo experience. You can stuff yourself for $5 if you order right.
969 Kilauea Ave., Hilo, Hawaii, 96720, USA
Known For
- Family-owned eatery
- The Super Loco Moco
- Generous portions
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed weekends
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The largest open-air tiki bar in Kona has the absolute best view of Kailua Bay in town. This is the perfect spot to relax with a pupu (appetizer) such as the coconut-crusted shrimp or "Hapa" poke bowl, or to dig into something more substantial like the kiawe wood–smoked prime rib. The Breezeway Lounge is excellent for watching giant surf or breaching whales, and Don's hosts first-rate Hawaiian performers on Thursdays. During happy hour from 4 to 6, the famous mai tais are only $8. Save room for dessert; the mud pie is deliciously sinful, or order one of the luscious dessert coffees.
75-5852 Alii Dr., Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, 96740, USA
Known For
- 10 types of mai tais
- Worthy desserts and dessert coffees
- Hawaiian performers weekly
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The only full-service restaurant at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott offers a farm-to-table, island-inspired menu. Photos of surf breaks from around the world adorn the walls of this casual, spacious open-air restaurant, which has plenty of patio seating with sunset views. The circular bar is a good spot to enjoy a cocktail while watching the tiki torches light up the gardens.
69-275 Waikoloa Beach Dr., Waikoloa, Hawaii, 96738, USA
Known For
- Weekly-special nights, including lobster night and prime rib and crab nights
- Good breakfast buffet
- Famous Kuu Alii mai tai
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Come hungry: there’s a reason the line is usually out the door at this popular hole-in-the-wall eatery in a shopping center downtown. Not only does the Hawaiian comfort food hit the spot, it’s affordable and served in sizable portions. The heavily “local” menu items include fresh-fish specials, poke bowls, and Kalua pork hash served with fried rice and eggs. There's another location in Waimea.
681 Manono St., Hilo, Hawaii, 96720, USA
Known For
- Breakfast available all day
- Kalua pork hash
- Vegetarian options
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Mon. and Tues.
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A Kona icon since 1969, family-owned Huggo's is one of the few restaurants in town with prices and atmosphere comparable to the splurge restaurants at the Kohala Coast resorts. Dinner offerings sometimes fall short, considering the prices, but the pupus (appetizers) and small plates are usually a good bet. If you're on a budget or just want lunch, Huggo's on the Rocks, next door, is a popular outdoor bar in the sand, and the burgers are pretty darn good, too. It's also Kailua-Kona's hot spot for cocktails and live music nightly.
75-5828 Kahakai Rd., Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, 96740, USA
Known For
- Fine dining at the water's edge
- Next-door bar with toes-in-the sand dining
- Nightlife hot spot
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Hidden lakeside at the Kings' Shops, this little takeout place is a best-kept secret in the Waikoloa Beach Resort. The combo baskets brim with tempura fresh-catch fish, chicken, shrimp, and more. Grab a table beneath the gazebo and enjoy assorted appetizers, salads, soups, sandwiches, and desserts while taking in the view.
69-250 Waikoloa Beach Dr., Waikoloa, Hawaii, 96738, USA
Known For
- Breakfast options such as loco moco (meat, rice, and eggs smothered in gravy), laden with tempura fish fillet
- Local ownership since 2000
- Great fish-and-chips to go
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With cocktail bars both upstairs and downstairs, oceanfront Island Lava Java serves eggs Benedict for breakfast, fresh fish tacos for lunch, and pasta, Big Island beef, and seafood for dinner, plus towering, fresh bistro salads. There are also pizzas, sandwiches, and plenty of choices for both vegetarians and meat eaters. Portions are large, food is made from scratch, and most of the menu is fresh, local, and organic.
75-5801 Alii Dr., Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, 96740, USA
Known For
- Large portions using mostly local organic ingredients
- Bar with extensive cocktail menu
- 100% Kona coffee
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Unassuming from the outside, this small, local-style plate-lunch eatery serves top-quality, genuine Hawaiian specialties in Hilo. All the staples are here, from kalua pork (slow-cooked and pulled) to shoyu chicken (cooked in a sauce including fermented soy sauce), loco moco (meat, rice, and eggs smothered in gravy), and pork adobo. Order at the takeout window and grab a seat at one of the picnic tables outside.
194 Hualalai St., Hilo, Hawaii, 96720, USA
Known For
- Daily specials like oxtail soup
- Extremely affordable prices
- Favorite among locals since 1964
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For years, this legendary diner near Banyan Drive between the airport and the hotels has been a gathering place for Hilo residents and visitors. Breakfast is the main attraction: Ken's serves 11 types of pancakes, plus all kinds of fruit waffles (banana, peach) and popular omelets, like Da Bradda, teeming with meats. The menu features 180 other tasty local specialties (loco moco, or meat, rice, and eggs smothered in gravy; tripe stew; oxtail soup) and American-diner-inspired items.
1730 Kamehameha Ave., Hilo, Hawaii, 96720, USA
Known For
- Local landmark with old-fashioned vibe
- Extensive menu of Hawaiian and diner fare
- Weekly special nights like Sunday spaghetti and Tuesday tacos
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At this historic lodge in the heart of Volcano Village, the fare ranges from gourmet grass-fed Big Island beef burgers and locally sourced lamb burgers to Cajun shrimp and sausage pasta, catch of the day, and farm-fresh salads. The koa-wood tables and intimate lighting are in keeping with the ambience. Kilauea Lodge itself was built in 1937 as a YMCA camp, and the restaurant still retains the Fireplace of Friendship embedded with coins and plaques from around the world. Happy hour is from 2 to 4.
19-3948 Old Volcano Rd., Volcano, Hawaii, 96785, USA
Known For
- Fireplace of Friendship
- Fine dining with prices to match
- Popular Sunday brunch
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If you're looking for something sweet—or savory—this busy café in downtown Hawi serves breakfast (bagels, espresso machine–steamed eggs), and lunch (hot dogs, burgers, chili, salads) until 6. Sit outside and watch the world go by as you enjoy locally made ice cream that is ono (delicious), as well as other sweet treat specialties.
55-3412 Akoni Pule Hwy., Hawi, Hawaii, 96719, USA
Known For
- Vegan soup
- Sometimes crowded
- Outstanding local coffee
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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All of this family-owned coffee company's businesses—growing, roasting, brewing, and serving their authentic Kona coffee—operate within a 10-mile radius of the farm. At their homey little café, they offer a staggering array of coffee drinks, along with upscale deli items such as lox and a veggie focaccia sandwich; breakfast goodies include acai bowls. Stop by the café/outlet on Wednesday (starting at 8:30 am) for a free curated tasting with the baristas, and shop for other Hawaiian-made treats, from honey to chocolate-covered coffee beans. There's a happy hour daily from 3 to 6; a small selection of beer and wine is available.
74-5588 Palani Rd., Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, 96740, USA
Known For
- Small-batch, estate-grown coffee
- Kona coffee tastings every Wednesday
- Hawaiian-made food treats for sale
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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There's no atmosphere to speak of at this diner, and water is served in unbreakable plastic tumblers, but if you're searching for local fare—that undefinable fusion of ethnic cuisines—this is the place. Choose from "grindz" that include loco moco (meat, rice, and eggs smothered in gravy), oxtail soup, plate lunches, pork chops, steaks, saimin, stir-fry, and daily specials.
80 Pauahi St., Hilo, Hawaii, 96720, USA
Known For
- Authentic Hawaiian experience
- Good plate lunches
- Award-winning one-pound laulau
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues.
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This is an affordable place to grab a sandwich or a coffee and check your email (Wi-Fi is free with purchase of a meal) before heading to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The homey, sit-down diner caters to families, serving up heaping plates of comfort food like pancakes and French toast for breakfast; on the lunch menu, burgers range from bacon-cheese to turkey and paniolo (cowboy) burgers made with Hawaii grass-fed beef. A full bar serves draft beer and cocktails. There's live music in the evenings on a small stage.
19-3972 Old Volcano Hwy., Volcano, Hawaii, 96785, USA
Known For
- Roadhouse atmosphere
- Live music in evenings
- Full bar
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun. Closed Mon.
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Long an island favorite for tasty, albeit greasy, Mexican grub, this landmark has made a comeback in funky Pahoa in a different space after a fire destroyed the original restaurant in 2017. Tacos are great (go for crispy), especially when stuffed with grilled, seasoned local fish on occasion. Chips are warm and salty, the salsa's got some kick, and the beans are thick with lard and topped with melted cheese.
15-1448 Kahakai Blvd., Pahoa, Hawaii, 96778, USA
Known For
- Good chips
- Affordable fare
- Delicious huevos rancheros
