93 Best Restaurants in Big Island, Hawaii

Diners at their original location in Captain Cook enjoy lovely sunsets from the open air lanai while indulging in such house specialties as the Kanak Attack—a lively mix of sausage, kalua pork, meatballs, roasted red pepper, and smoked mozzarella—or the more traditional Kau Ono, infused with spinach, goat cheese, and Italian sausage on a base of garlic and olive oil. All sauces and doughs are completely handcrafted, while an impressive array of salads make a great combo. And while you expect great beer at a pizza place, they also have you covered with some delightful tropical cocktails such as the li hing mui mule or dragonfruit margarita.

Sitting right on the resort's sandy Pauoa Bay, the Fairmont's signature restaurant Brown's Beach House offers beautiful sunset dining and innovative cuisine. Attention to detail is evident in the sophisticated menu, which may include crab-crusted Kona kampachi or other dishes with fresh fish, roasted duck breast, or Kona coffee–crusted venison, as well as local produce and ingredients. The live Hawaiian music soloists are perfect for the open-air setting under the stars. 

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.

Located in a beautiful high-ceiling venue in the historic S. Hata Building, Café Pesto offers artisan pizzas with ingredients such as fresh Hamakua mushrooms, artichokes, and rosemary Gorgonzola sauce. You can also make a full meal of the Asian-inspired pastas and saffron risottos, specialty seafood, locally sourced salads, and appetizers. Products from local farmers feature heavily on the menu—Island beef, Kawamata Farms tomatoes, and Kaunamano pork sausage.

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; the pina coladas are $9. Save room for dessert; the mud pie is deliciously sinful, or order one of the luscious dessert coffees.

This casual little restaurant along the highway serves up generous sandwiches, salads, and melt-in-your-mouth barbecue items. Because the owners are fisherpeople, the poke and nightly specials showcase fish caught from their boat. The on-site market sells fish, homemade sausage, and freshly made salad dressings and sauces.

In the heart of Historic Kailua Village, the open-air Hawaii location of the popular Monterey, California restaurant offers an expansive menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a vintage building with a bayfront view. Inventive fresh-fish specials as well as simple fish-and-chips are among the local favorites. The lunch menu is tantalizing, especially the seafood entrées. There's also a comprehensive wine list, plus a happy hour menu chock full of great choices and prices.

Their name stands for "Farmer, Ocean, Rancher, Cook" but this little gem is a great example of the magic that happens when a famous resort chef creates his own vibe and brand. Chef Allen Hess blends the unique nuances of Hawaii Regional Cuisine with flavors from the ocean and land and throws in a dash of comfort food. The plates are inventive: the goat tacos feature Korean braised goat, daikon apple salsa, and mu shu pancake, while the herb-braised lamb leg is cooked in Vinho Verde and simmered with basil, garlic, and shiso. The ube lemon drop martini is a local favorite. The atmosphere is relaxed and casual, but the plates will make you believe you are dining at one of the resorts. Special seasonal menus and private chef tables are a specialty. 

Hilo's best Chinese restaurant specializes in seafood but also offers many other Cantonese treats, including salt-and-pepper pork, Mongolian lamb, and vegetarian specialties like garlic eggplant and crispy green beans. The food is good, portions are large, and the price is right, but don't come here expecting any ambience—this is a funky, no-frills Chinese restaurant, with random pieces of artwork tacked up here and there.

Though it sits on a patio by the pool, this casual beachside restaurant and beach bar with gazebo is not just for pupus and cocktails. The island-infused dinner menu features excellent entrées, such as the Korean-style short ribs or the Kona Kanpachi Nicosia salad, plus plentiful seafood dishes and greens from local farms.

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.

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.

The signature plate here is the pastrami on rye, and it's no ordinary sandwich. This one, possibly rivaling those in New York City, boasts locally raised, grass-fed sirloin that is brined for 13 days, then slow smoked, sliced razor thin, and served with handcrafted dressing and Swiss cheese. Housed in the vintage First Bank of Hilo building, they also offer chili, burgers, pizza, dogs, and other delights, and of course, a full selection of bottles and taps as well as specialty cocktails. 

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.

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.

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.

The brightly decorated, open-air restaurant located in a nondescript office center, is a favorite lunch and dinner destination for visitors and residents, thanks to generous portions and a nice variety of chef's specials, steaks, and seafood dishes. Try the Mochiko-crusted fresh catch with Molokai sweet potatoes, vegetables, ginger lime beurre blanc along with Namasu relish. Other favorites include kalua (earth oven–baked) pork quesadilla, Kona Bouillabaisse, and guava-glazed baby-back ribs. Entrées can be pricey, but the most extensive happy hour menu in town keeps locals coming back. 

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.

With its oceanfront location close enough for diners to feel the salt spray, Kai's is a fun, casual dining experience. Just pick a table, then order and pay online; they bring your meal to your table. In the morning, you can fill your paper coffee cup with limitless amounts of coffee at the self-serve station. For lunch and dinner, choose from the "plancha" burgers such as the smashburger or one of the gourmet pizzas with goofy names like Mango Tango or Funkai Funghi. Owned by the same company as Huggo's and Lava Lava Beach Club, Kai's prices are pretty good considering its spot right on the water. 

Pahoa Town isn't known for gourmet dining choices, but Kaleo's is pretty sophisticated for a small-town restaurant and remains a local favorite. Hawaiian-inspired fare blends the gamut of the island's international influences with tempura ahi rolls, grilled burgers, and catch of the day. Nightly entertainment makes this the place to be on a laid-back Pahoa evening. Sit on the porch and watch the goings-on in Pahoa Town.

They specialize in breakfast and great views. This covered, outdoor establishment sits directly across from the Kailua seawall, so even if you have to wait, the view alone is worth it. The Tex-Mex scramble, lilikoi French toast, and salmon Benedict are crowd favorites, along with 100% Kona coffee. They can get busy and do their best to accommodate, so patience is advised. 

This is a popular local hangout, and not just because the kava drink makes you mellow. The Hawaiian proprietors, who have a certified organic farm in Hamakua, also serve traditional Hawaiian food, including fresh poke, bowls of healthy organic greens, opihi (limpets), and traditional Hawaiian laulau (pork or chicken wrapped in taro leaves and steamed). Organic kava root, used for relaxation, is harvested on the Hamakua Coast and transformed into a traditional, slightly bitter brew. Seating is at a premium, but don't be afraid to share a table and make friends. 

With black lacquer tables and lipstick-red banquettes, Kenichi offers a more sophisticated dining atmosphere than normally found in Kona shopping centers. This is the place residents go when they feel like splurging on top-notch sushi, sashimi, steak, and Asian-fusion cuisine. The signature rolls are creative, especially the always-popular Dynamite Shrimp. To save a buck or two, go early for happy hour in the bar (4:40 to 6:30 pm Tuesday through Sunday), when sushi rolls are half price, or hang out in the cocktail lounge, where menu items average $6.

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 restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week. 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.

It's quite simply the best New York–style pizza in Kona. At this small, no-frills shop, the proprietors take great care to obtain the highest-quality ingredients for their pizzas, including large gourmet olives, banana peppers, and even meats sourced directly from Fontanini in New York. They shipped their special pizza ovens and mixers directly from New York, too, adding to the pizza's quality and authenticity. Try the Kona Supreme, smothered with mozzarella, sausage, red peppers, bacon, onions, and other fresh toppings. The homemade drizzles range from olive oil to BBQ sauce to ranch to sriracha. Online ordering makes it easy to call in your order and pick it up hot and ready to go.

A hidden gem, the open-air eatery is on the second floor of an oceanfront shopping center. Patrons can watch the scene below on bustling Alii Drive while enjoying freshly prepared Thai specialties, including plenty of vegetarian options and delicious Thai iced tea. Be prepared to bring some of your meal home, as the portions are large. Locals flock here for the lunch specials.

The breezy lanai has the most spectacular view of the leeward coast of any restaurant on the Big Island, and it's the perfect accompaniment to the elegant yet down-to-earth Hawaii Regional Cuisine and specialty cocktails. Entrées are on the pricey side, but the Chinese-style mahi mahi with mung bean, jade pesto, and ginger scallion sizzle is a winner, and the broiled Keahole lobster does not disappoint. Dessert is a real treat here. You can also enjoy a drink on the firepit lanai. Get here by 5:30 if you want to score a seat for the sunset.

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.

A nondescript office building, just to the south of town, is home to this quiet, country-style bistro with dark wood walls and private booths. This popular, longtime local favorite offers such classics as escargots, frogs legs, filet mignon with a Cabernet Sauvignon sauce, and slow-roasted lavender rabbit with a Chardonnay sauce. It's a very nice splurge for a special occasion. The prix-fixe menu includes three courses full of choices and three wine pairings. Call well in advance for reservations.

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, burger options include bacon and cheese, turkey, and paniolo (cowboy) burgers made with Hawaii grass-fed beef. A full bar serves draft beer and cocktails. The acid-stained concrete floors resemble molten lava.