Fantastic malasadas, best on the island. Hot and fresh every time. Look for the food trucks!read more

A friend of mine who lives on the BI strongly recommended this malasada spot as she knows and…read moreunderstands my previous disappointment with two other malasada places on the BI, as well as the standard I'm used to from a particular spot on Oʻahu. She assured me these were made to order and, most importantly, not biscuits pretending to be malasadas. So far, we are winning! The location was easy to find, and on a Wednesday morning the line was minimal -- small kine wait. I ordered a dozen to share with our friends from Kentucky who had NEVER had a malasada before, so I was excited to introduce them to this deliciousness. First impression: these malasadas are HUGE. Like baseball-sized huge. And true to what I was told, they were made to order and came out piping hot! We ordered cinnamon and powdered sugar, which was new for me since I'm used to malasadas coated in granulated sugar. They were so hot that the powdered sugar immediately started melting into them. First bite? Not bad. Definitely NOT the biscuit like texture I experienced at another BI spot, so that was already a win. But they still didn't quite have that soft, pillowy texture I was hoping for. That being said, these were easily better than the other two malasada places we tried on the BI in the past. Our Kentucky friends, however, had absolutely no complaints. I'm pretty sure there were some squeals and happy dancing happening, so their first malasada experience was clearly a success. If you've never had a malasada before, this is definitely a good place to start. They're huge, made to order, served piping hot, and most importantly, not biscuit dense. Of the malasadas I've tried on the BI, these have definitely been the best. Oʻahu still holds my malasada heart, though. IYKYK.

Food was awesome, including the barbecue sauce. Chatted…read morewith Randy. Great guy. A must stop.

I give Randy's a five because the service is exceptional always a smile and a big aloha. The food…read moreis Ono delicious. Now realize it is not a brick and mortar eatery it is more like a food truck feel. They do have plenty of parking and outdoor picnic style tables. I love it but I don't eat there I only take away. Usually order a plate lunch and take home a whole chicken. Don't know where he gets his chickens but they are the biggest I have never seen lol. The chicken is so large that I use one half for a Randy's Huli Huli Chili. Yummy. The other half I freeze to use later for maybe an enchilada dish or just re heat and serve with rice. Highly recommend for locals (realizing all locals know about Randy's) and certainly worth the while for visitors.

First off, I am from Sinaloa, born and raised, and now live in California. I know what real Mexican…read morefood should taste like. Hands down, the quesabirria tacos and flautas are as good as they come--absolutely amazing. We happened upon this place on Yelp, and I was a little skeptical, but after the first bite, I felt transported back to Mexico. My entire family agreed that these are the best quesabirria tacos we have had outside of Mexico, and possibly even in Mexico. The flavors were amazing, and the consommé was absolutely delicious. We are regulars on the Big Island and normally do not eat Mexican food because we have never found a good spot, with the exception of Shaka Tacos. This place was really busy, and there was only one person working. She was doing it all--taking orders, collecting money, and making all the delicious food. She was never rude and was so pleasant. She said the cooks had called in and she was the only one there. Talk about dedication! She made sure everyone got their food, and it was made perfectly. I cannot commend her enough for all the work she did and for putting out an outstanding order of food. She is a real gem and should be treated as such! It is so hard to find good employees today, and her dedication and attitude inspired me. I wish we had gotten her name, but she said she is always there. If the food takes longer than you like, just be patient, because you are in for a treat when it comes out. Good food takes time, and the food is definitely worth the wait. We will definitely be coming back every time we are here. This place is a real gem. If I could give it more stars, I would. I hope everyone reading this takes my advice and goes to this wonderful place for the delicious food and the warm people.

Really good spot leaving from the falls, we stopped in for lunch and had no wait - it was right…read morewhen they opened. Just two people working and they were both friendly. Food was made fresh and took about 10 minutes! It was a lot of food too. I would've liked more cilantro and lime for the tacos, and maybe a bit more salt in the beans and rice, but overall it was great. The drink was our favorite! Plenty of seating, quiet, and quaint.

I want it all! Let me preface by saying Linda and her husband (aka @sweetkine808) are for real…read morefoodies! Trust and believe me when I say if something is on their menu, it's INCREDIBLE! That said, let's start things off with that cannoli waffle (first pic) special! I'm actually gasping for air because that cannoli waffle left me breathless. Their homemade waffle shells are a work of art in itself, but that cannoli cream filling, which I'm going to assume had ricotta cheese in it, was absolutely sensational. The filling was velvety, rich, and sweet, and the ricotta cheese added a lovely mild nutty flavor. I also tasted a slight tang, so I'm wondering if they used mascarpone too. Whatever they did, they need to keep doing it! The chocolate chips not only added crunch but also added contrast because the cocoa flavor had a slight bitterness, so overall, it was very umami. Then they want to top it all off with whipped cream and caramel? Really! Just start a subscription service so I can subscribe. I will ask how long this will be on the menu, and I'll keep you all posted. I am OBSESSED, so hopefully, it's a permanent item, but if not, at least for another month Now let's shift focus to pic # 2, which is the MacChick with Maple Cinnamon Butter. So it's their homemade waffle cone stuffed with homemade mac & cheese, topped with fried chicken drenched in maple cinnamon butter. If I put you on to anything, let it be this! This is my new go-to MacChick (sounds like magic) combination. Heads up, @sweetkine808, I will be ordering this every time. The savory and sweet notes between the well-seasoned chicken and mouthwatering mac & cheese harmonized and blended so well with the sweet maple cinnamon butter and dusting of powdered sugar. I am not joking. If you see me in line, best believe I'm ordering this. You might as well name it the Kaliko Pic # 3 was the Chick-N-Sauce with BBQ Sauce Thoughts: Let me make this clear as well. Their fried chicken is really frickin good. That said, I need to ask if they make their own BBQ sauce cause this was ono loa! Pic # 4 was the Chick-N-Sauce with Ranch Sauce Thoughts: Honestly, what can I say at this point? I'm just going to give them applause Pic # 5 is the South Point lemonade which is a peach and lemon-flavored lemonade shaker. Pic # 6 is the Cherry Limeade Their lemonade drinks are so flavorful and refreshing. I can't wait to try them all. I may have to try that ube one next. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cogt_rhsOF1/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Super chill dude at the front. Best mac I have had this year, also massive servings. Service was…read morequick only 3 minutes to get my loaded Mac bowl

Takoyatea might genuinely be the best stand at the Kamuela Pukalani Farmers Market. It absolutely…read moresatisfied every one of my ethnically ambiguous Asian girl street-food cravings. We ordered the banana lumpia, pork lumpia, mozzarella corndog, takoyaki, kaniyaki, and Ilocos empanadas, and there was not a single miss. Everything tasted exactly the way it should; crispy, savory, fresh, flavorful, and just incredibly satisfying. This is the kind of food where you keep passing containers around because everyone needs to try everything. The banana lumpia was literally spilling out of the container because they packed so much in there, and I have zero complaints. Please continue overfilling my lumpia forever. We paid about $75 total for everything, which felt like an amazing value considering how much food we got and how good every single item was. Nothing felt overpriced, and it was all completely worth it. Perfectly delectable street food, generous portions, and genuinely one of the highlights of the market. My only complaint is that they're only in Waimea on Wednesdays and I need daily access. I might start making Friday trips down to Waikoloa just to visit them at the Queens market.

Friendly and delicious. Banana lumpia addictive. Tasty spring rolls. Tako balls delicious. Hard…read moreworking owner who goes to a lot of the different farmer markets and kept going back.

Amazing shave ice. Lots of flavor options. The people running the stand were so friendly and got…read moreour shave ice out to us quickly. All our flavors were delicious, and there were shaded tables to eat at. A perfect way to cool down after a hike.

Nice roadside shave ice stand. Good selection of (artificial) flavors and toppings. No ice cream…read morethough! There are a couple picnic tables that are shaded (at least at 3 PM they were). Great place to cool off on a hot day. They have a parking area if the street parking is full.

Pretty good BBQ for Hawi, HI. The owner/chef is a cool guy who has lived all over plying his BBQ…read moreskills. The food was pretty good. Beans were really good. Mac and cheese was pretty standard super cheesy and somewhat plain. The "boneless spareribs" were pretty good, a few overly chewy chunks but other than that great flavor. Could have used more. Bottom line: For Hawi were food can be slim pickings this place is a good spot to go to. Note: Only open on weekends.

The Running Chef is kind of like going to a backyard bbq. It's not an actual restaurant. They're…read moresetup on a corner, but the bbq is pretty good. The sauce is tasty and the meat has a good smoky flavor. For $10 I got boneless pork and 2 sides. There aren't too many choices in sides (beans, potato salad, mac n cheese, and rice i think). I chose double mac n cheese, which was kind of soso.

This is the other farmer's market I have to revisit. A bit mo' local style than the Waimea Town…read moreFarmers Market. Different, but just as good. This farmers market reminds me of the booths at the big high school carnivals on Oahu in the old days. All kinds of potted plants, local handmade goods and local style plate lunches (sorry, I will make an effort to try the other great offerings, but I had been binge eating all week). Make sure you get here before the lunch rush or you will not get to eat a plate of Auntie Kanai's BBQ'd Pork ("teriyaki grilled" if you're from the South). Razor thin slices of pork marinated in teriyaki sauce and grilled until the sugar in the marinate carmelizes and turns crispy. Awesome. Auntie is the main reason I had to eat here. She is the epitome of Aloha Spirit. Get plany Aloha Ke Akua hah Auntie?

Went to the farmer's market and enjoyed it very much. It's very hawaiian/local and the people…read morethere got plenty A L O H A! The one booth the i totally enjoyed the best was the Nakamoto Farms. oh my the food they serve at this booth for the price is so worth it!!! Plus when you make a purchase from this booth they have tables on the side where you can sit and help yourself to fresh kim chee. They serve the following items... Bi bim bap curry/stew breakfast items sushi crispy oatmeal cookies (killer) kim chee

Make a beeline for Manas Aloha Fruit Stand. We tried the fresh coconut, and it was so good, I half…read moreexpected it to start singing "Aloha" to me. It was like drinking the very essence of Hawaii cool, sweet, and refreshingly perfect. Seriously, I'm pretty sure coconuts were invented just for this moment. The banana nut bread. It's like if a cloud and a muffin had a baby. Warm, soft, and so perfectly balanced between banana and nutty goodness that I almost bought another loaf just to avoid the heartbreak of it being gone. Don't ask how many pieces I ate just know I left with crumbs in my soul. This stand is the kind of place that makes you feel like you're in on a local secret, and by the time you leave, you're planning your next visit. Stop in, grab a coconut, and try not to devour the entire loaf of banana nut bread before you get to your car. It's worth the stop and maybe even the calories. But wait.....there's more! They've got pineapple, sugar cane, and star fruit that'll make you wonder why you ever settled for regular fruit. Each bite tastes like a burst of sunshine, and you'll feel like you're living your best tropical life.

My daughter wanted to drink out of a coconut on our vacation and this spot delivered! They were…read morefriendly and it was fresh and delicious! Highly recommend hitting this spot when visiting Akaka Falls.

These guys are doing the best cheesecake I've tried on the island and possibly islandS. Yuzu Basque…read moreCheesecake is very, very special. Definitely of a great restaraunt quality. Once I'm in Hilo I take several to keep in my fridge. Keep it up, Hana Tako, thank you! P.S. It is sold by pieces. Couldn't find where I'd be able to buy the whole cheesecake though..

From the owner: Located inside KTA Puainako by the Deli, Hanatako serves Takoyaki, a Japanese traditional dish made…read moreof wheat batter with Tako (octopus) filling. Donburi (Rice Bowls) are also available including Chicken Katsu Curry Bowl, Karaage (fried chicken) Bowl, Katsudon and much more! Currently available after 3PM! In the morning around 10AM, we now serve Authentic Japanese Bento and Akadashi Miso Soup!