We always stop here on the drive from Hilo to Kona. Known for their huge, thick, dense malasadas…read more These are okay, in my honest opinion. No complaints but I just like my malasadas to be light, fluffy & airy. I can't have too much carbs these days. We usually get the original plain ones but they have some with flavored filling as well. They have a gift shop, my parents found some great shirts, with nice colors there. We liked it. They serve local food as well. Service is always good, served with Aloha Mahalo and Aloha!! Chelle

We finally got a chance to try the malasadas here…read more You know why it's called a drive in? You literally pull your car up to the drive up window. Of course you can pull the car around the corner, park the car, and walk over to the counter service. The malasada is square shaped. So heavy. We got a total of three. We brought them back to our resort. The bellhop recognizes the box, and says it like a loaf of bread. He was right. We had them the next day for breakfast. We didn't think there was enough filling for the size - we got strawberry, pineapple, and guava. We concluded we like the donut shaped malasadas more, like Leonard's on Oahu. These were ok. Our curiosity satisfied. They offer food items too like mix plates but we had already eaten. This place seems off the beaten path, but all the locals frequent it.

Service and workers friendly and attentive , food / ice cream great. Ambiance and decor old and…read moreclassy. Loved the Bible verse and Worship music.

Milk Tea Boba. They did not add enough powder. It tastes so watery. The boba pearls were ok…read more Powdered flavors are really cheap but they charge $6.75 for it and don't use much less than the recommended amount. Shaved ice. Wow is it $5 for a small cone now? The lilikoi syrup was nice.

Great Lilikoi cheesecake Fantastic local ice cream…read more We drove by went to check the place and even though it is so simple the deserts surprisingly are great pricing reasonable, very friendly Try the shave ice !!

I went in and got a drink and fudge bar. Was eating the fudge bar and noticed there was mold all…read moreover the top. The matcha didn't have flavor at all. Took the fudge bar back in and wasn't offered anything, asked if i wanted to buy another one instead.

Excellent experience. The food is freshly made while you…read moreenjoy great conversations by the husband and wife that give Aloha. We have been there more than once and send guests to meet them.

Love the couple that runs it. The food is always spectacular. I usually get a homestyle plate. The…read moreconversations are always elevated as the owners are local encyclopedias! I'm Portuguese and my father grew up in Hawaii. Just like Grandma used to make as they say. Oh and the prices are more than fair. Every dish I've tried has been fabulous.

Bought out by Minute Stop. No Aloha, employees have serious…read moreattitude problems. Unusual policies, and personal conflicts with customers over unjust practices. Since being asked to have my Drivers License scanned to verify my age as they say, (I am over 40 years old), I have received Hundreds of Spam emails, advertisements, and other unsolicited responses. I would suggest if you can avoid this place to do so. I personally will not support a business that tries to retaliate against customers that have supported the business for 20+ years, only to see a corporate company take over, and treat customers like the trash! I will not do business with this branch until they change Management, policy, and attitude, as they treat their customers like they are the enemy! Avoid this place if you are able.

Good is made there or there is gas station like snacks as well. You can get a lot of household…read moreitems too if you need. Gas is reasonably priced as well. Friendly staff. East location to get to. Quick stop in and out.

Service was friendly and welcoming, came for the fudge and coffee, both were delicious! However the…read moreMac nut bear claw pastry was the BEST thing I've eaten on the island, BEST pastry I've ever tasted! Cute little down home coffee shop, with tons of options for ice cream, fudge, shaved ice and coffee!

First of all, although Yelp has separate listings, this is the same business as Hamakua Fudge Shop…read more I stopped in based on the generally enthusiastic reviews about the fudge, both here and on other sites. Though it hadn't been my original plan, I ended up getting lunch here, since most other nearby restaurants were closed. This involved a bit of a wait, as when I first arrived the high school kid at the counter said he couldn't make sandwiches, but the owner would likely be in soon -- though he also said she was inconsistent and he couldn't say for sure when. Happily, she was there when I stopped back half an hour later, having confirmed that the only other available lunch options were a food truck whose fare didn't much fit my mood or takeout from the local market. I ordered a turkey sandwich on whole wheat and iced coffee. The coffee was good. The sandwich was barely okay. It was billed as coming with cranberry mayonnaise, and while the mayo had a bit of sweetness, cranberry flavor was not readily apparent. The turkey was weirdly dry and crumbly and the bread was beginning to get stale. All it all it was edible, but that's about it. It came with a small banana, which was a nicer and healthier touch than the chips or pickles you so often get with sandwiches. As I sat there eating, I noticed a sign on the bulletin board, apparently left over from the days when Hawaii had a COVID-19 mask mandate for indoor establishments. The sign used fake language from HIPAA (misspelled as HIPPA -- a dead giveaway) to say, essentially, that they'd just pretend anyone not wearing a mask had a medical reason to not wear one and ignore the public health rule. Why they felt compelled to announce they don't give a bleep about public health a year after any such mandates ended I can't say, but I'm suffering debilitating "Long COVID" symptoms because of the recklessness of idiots like this. So I didn't buy any fudge, tempting as it looked, and instead satisfied my sweet tooth at another business.

This local restaurant is amazing! Right in Honokaa town, right before the majestic Waipio valley!…read moreHusband and wife, Marlene and Archie, run the restaurant. This restaurant has been passed down through the family for decades! Food was excellent; Marlene is the cook, Archie the host. Everything is homemade and fresh. They give a new meaning to "farm to table" cooking! We had the fresh Portuguese bean and sausage soup -excellent. Chicken salad with pesto and bean salad- wonderful! We also ordered for takeout house made beef stew and their mushroom chicken special of the day. Highly recommend this restaurant. It has rich history and tradition. Will be back...

The people that own this joint are amazing. Beautiful hearts and delicious food made from scratch…read more In a small town on the north shore of The big island. A change of pace and a true feeling of Aloha! Mahalo for everything. You will be treated like family

Just wow! What an amazing experience! This review is about…read moretwo different trips to Hawaiian Vanilla Company. Our first trip was in May 2026. We went for lunch and tour. Absolutely incredible mean. Loved every bite. The shrimp crostini, salad, chicken sandwich and southwest potatoes were all delicious. However, that Jimmy Boy drink is in my dreams! So yummy! After the meal we toured the vanilla farm and learned about growing the orchids along with hand pollination. Then headed back to the guest house for ice cream and coffee. Every one was so nice and welcoming on this tasty and educational visit. Fast forward to September 2026, we wanted to go to tea but a hurricane was predicted. Since getting up the mountain could be difficult in storms, HVC closed. The storm did not hit as hard so we called to go to the gift shop. Not only did they open the gidt shop but we had a private tea! We arrived to a beautifully set table with a fireplace lit and local music playing. We started with a Jimmy Boy! My favorite!! We each had a pot of tea. Both were delicious, I bought both blends to bring home. We were served soup and salad, two chicken sliders, savory puff pastries and three small desserts. All were focused on vanilla. Again, the staff went aboce and beyond to make this event incredible. It was such a special experience. I can not wait to return in February 2027. Hawaiian Vanilla Company will be a stop on every trip to Big Island. Adore the people and my belly appreciates the deliciousness.

Great location, staff, products. They had food, drinks and were starting a tour when we stumbled…read moreupon them after missing a sign looking for a hike. So glad to take vanilla home! Clean restrooms, easy parking.

What an absolute Gem of a restaurant! In the heart of Honokaa…read more Glad we found this wonderful Italian restaurant! We were walking and decided to try it out. We got a 12" pepperoni pizza and a special pastrami sandwich. The pepperoni pizza was so delicious. It has so much flavor in every bite! The crust tastes garlic, the cheese tasted so good! Definitely try it! Oh my goodness! The pastrami sandwich is one of the best sandwich I've ever eaten! The pastrami was crunchy on the sides and so much flavor. You can tell the sandwiches bread is fresh! The lettuce and tomatoes are so fresh too.

Still love this place. Not the same since Sergio departed (the drop from 5-stars), but still a…read moregreat experience and definitely the best made from scratch pizza and calzones in Honokaa (maybe the island) Apparently it's now owned by another family, but still same staff including the chef. He does a great job. The food is solid. It's just not as lively as it once was. The stage is now storage as is the beautiful bar. There is SO much potential for this place to be hopping with business (live music, karaoke night, bingo night, etc..), but currently it's just good food in a beautiful restaurant. Nothing wrong with that. It's worked for them, but I'll always miss the days when Sergio brought passion and vitality to not just the food, but also the environment.

Great farmers market in a beautiful location. There is fresh produce, local goods, and great food…read moretrucks!

Had great ready to eat stuff, but we found less fresh fruit and veggies. Maybe becuase it wasnt…read morespring time yet? I would recommend the Koma Farmers Market or the Kona Grocery Store over the Farmer's market at Hamakua for fresh veggies and fruits.