Café Pesto

As a resident of the Big Island of Hawaii, I appreciate the fresh, locally-grown ingredients prepared consistently with creative presentation! Surprisingly affordable Pacific Rim Cuisine, and a menu that appeals to all ages and tastes. Fish, Salads, Steak, Tender Ribs, Mango Chicken, you name it, they've got it! The Seafood Risotto is my absolute favorite, and the kid's menu offers a free dessert if you order pizza, pasta, chicken or turkey with herbs and caesar salad with croutons. The secret-formula Mai Tai and the Liliko`i Margaritas are a must, served with aloha! Just ask any Kama`aina, it's the BEST!

I have lived on the Big Island for 3 years and have watched the sad demise of this once great restaurant. The chef left about a year ago and the restaurant has not recovered and is surviving on its past reputation. We used to eat there 2-3 times per week and found everything terrific. However, over the past year the food and service have deteriorated remarkably. The wonderful blue cheese salad continues to shrink and the seafood risotto, once the signature dish, has become trite. We keep going back about once a month, hoping that things will improve, but it continues to get worse. Last week we tried the Walu special and found it dry and without much of the usually marvelous Walu flavor. Once a haven for locals in the know, it has now become a trap for tourists relying on past ratings. About the only thing I could recommend at this point is the pizza, which is still reasonably priced and pretty good value. Very sad. The resaurant in Hilo may still be OK, but the one in Kaiwaihae is to be avoided. There are much better restaurants along the Kohala Coast.