Got the beef rib pho for ~$32 (15% service fee for dine-in) and it was incredible! The food came…read moreout within 5 minutes so I think they have them kind of ready since many people order it. One bowl was more than enough for my husband and I to share. The broth was soothing, hot and comforting. Leans slightly on the saltier side which I liked. The beef rib itself was tender and delicious. Ambiance is.. not the nicest. Kind of cold and uncomfortable, no soft cushions or lighting or anything. But we were just there for the food so it's fine.

Found this place as it was open late and we had just got off a 6hr plane ride. Service was alright…read more We ordered two items: Crispy calamari - 2/5 - the sauces were good, like typical takoyaki sauces. The calamari itself had a lot of breading and there wasn't much calamari taste to it. It was mostly just crunchy + sauce flavor. Beef rib curry - 4/5 - the curry itself was pretty good, good flavor, well seasoned and goes really well with rice. The beef ribs were also very tender. A bit fatty in some areas but fell off the bone pretty easily. Hack: we put the fried noodles from under the crispy calamari into the curry and it was really good - slightly crispy and soaked up the curry. Only complaint for this dish was there wasn't enough rice to go with all the curry!

This is an unassuming spot located in the center of a little strip mall. However, once you enter,…read morethey actually have plenty of seating and were quite busy! We also came on a Friday evening, so it was nice to see of people here. The spot serves Hawaiian plate lunches, and it definitely did not disappoint. Portion sizes were huge, we probably had the best macaroni salad of our entire trip here, and flavors were super bold, but not overly salty. Pork Belly Fat Adobo (10/10) - this was fantastic! The meat was literally fall apart tender, and was able to retain its juiciness. Sometimes braised meat gets a little dry for me, but this place definitely does it right and preps some juicy pork. - the pork belly sauce mixed with the rice was probably one of my favorite things on this entire trip Spicy Garlic Furikake Chicken (8/10) - this was a huge plate! The fried chicken is super crispy and retains its crispiness on the outside for a while. It packs a very mild kick will not being overly salty or spicy. - to illustrate the crispiness, we were able to get our food to go, drive over to the beach, and while eating the chicken was still delicious and crisp Overall, a pretty unassuming spot from the outside, but as you can tell from the reviews of this place definitely hits the spot. Huge portion sizes, super crispy foods, and amazing flavors.

Sadly disappointed…read more Was looking forward to an "out of this world" experience based on IG posts but turned out to be a bust. We came here just before their lunch break and it seems as if we got the last of the AM batch of food they had already prepared. I HAD TO get the Garlic Furikake chicken plate that they were known for and it was dry. Not only that but the rice was dry as well. The Kalua Pork was dry too and the "spicy" garlic butter shrimp barely had any heat or garlic flavor at all. About the only thing that was decent was the Mac salad which was probably made and bought from somewhere else. I was also looking forward to buying a shirt, a tank top or a hat but here was ZERO apparel anywhere. The whole back wall was a big gridwall panel that was completely bare. I'm really hoping that the next time I drop in I will have a much more positive experience.

Clean bathrooms, gas, lots of drink items, basically everything need…read more Pizza was good, real good, hot fresh and loaded! I going try the pasta next, I let you know.

Always love stopping at Matsuyamas to pick up food. Better grinds here than at some restaurants…read morenearby so, definitely recommend grabbing some snackage from here. Plus, the employees are really friendly and nice and the store is clean & well stocked, which is great!

What a gem that's flung far from Kona, in the middle of nowhere off the side of Highway 11. It's…read moregot this old Hawaii meets Japanese comfort food charm that evokes a wistful presence from yesteryear. There's something about a flower being pinned to your hair as you're seated to eating a bowl of saimin as Unchained Melody plays in the background that brings a nostalgic smile to your face and makes you feel right at home. Oh - and if you ask the server what's in the Kona Beef Curry Stew... it's beef and curry. Ha. Tellin' them city folk like it is.

We tried out this legendary Japanese Hawaiian diner near the end of our trip. It is literally like…read morea slice out of history! Not to be missed! They have a TV showing historical clips of the Japanese immigrants who moved to Hawaii. We learned so much just dining there! The servers were very nice and friendly. They even offer free, hot green tea. It wasn't crowded when we went there for lunch. The server said we could order from the dinner menu too. The restaurant is decorated with a bunch of old family photos. It's not a fancy food location, but a place that is in the locals' hearts. Also, it's not standard Japanese American food, so don't come in looking for rolls and such! Instead, they serve fresh, perfectly prepared Japanese food with a Hawaiian twist, favorites like saimin and shrimp tempura. The large saimin ($16.17) was delicious and really hit the spot. Toppings were Spam, eggs, and veggies. Simple, but tasty! Shrimp tempura appetizer ($14.85) was a pretty large sized dish. The pieces have a lot of crunchy batter and the kids loved it. It was a bit greasy, but that's to be expected. DH got a Oyako Donburi with sashimi ($21.93). Wow, the sashimi was truly amazing! So tender, it just melts in your mouth. The eggs were cooked with bamboo pieces which kinda threw DH off. I liked them, but DH would've preferred it without. The flavor is sweet/salty and pretty mild. It came with miso soup and some pickles. Parking is right in the front and backs into the main road. It can be spicy getting out if traffic is heavy. They don't have a lot of bathrooms, so there might be a wait. Those are the downsides. Otherwise, a wonderful local place to eat!

The food here is so delicious and you can feel is homemade! Came here twice--I'm pregnant and baby…read moreloved the food here! We got chicken yakisoba one night which fed both my husband and I the portion was huge and the second night we got sukiyaki--also delicious and tasted like home! The service was great--we got our food to go but the ladies who helped were super sweet

Really great traditional style Japanese food! This is a ma and pop style place... nothing fancy but…read moregood service and good food!

I got the loco loco and my GF got the bow plate. Both off the lunch menu portions were huge and…read moretasted amazing. Place is very clean and the perfect lunch spot after visiting the Greenville coffee farm.

Best food so far while vacationing on the Big Island…read more There are variety of food on the menu, most if not all with large portion of protein, palatable, and best of all, it was affordable. Here, you can feed the picky eater with a cheese burger and order of onion rings while dining with someone wanting Chinese or Asian flavor while you have a plate of local Hawaiian dish. It feels like a casual Hawaiian diner. We parked our car on the back, had decent amount of parking. There are indoor and outdoor dining area. Plus, the server was attentive.

I returned with my husband two years after my first review and everything is just as wonderful as I…read moreremembered. They are willing to accommodate special requests to suit dietary needs as well. This is some of the best Chinese food in Hawai'i (meaning all islands). Thank you so much for being our go-to spot every time we visit! The parking is also super easy and the restaurant is incredibly clean, quiet, and comfortable. The staff are super friendly as well!

We live in California but travel to Big island Ha and found this gem of a resturant! I had the…read moreFireart Beef in boiling Hot Sauce -generous helping for 2 people with chopped garlic and chilies some fresh some dried. Also the garlic Mahi Mahi with rice and Mac salad or noodles So delicious this is a local number one resturant. Each time we come we see Hawaiians and workers. We recommend this as the best Kona has to offer In real Chinese food bon appetite. The waitress and workers so kind also.

Anytime I'm craving steak this is my go to spot! It's also my main spot to get sushi…read more The staff are always super friendly and helpful, and there's always ample parking and seating. Whether you get it to go or to stay it's always going to be made to perfection! If you get it to stay it's presented to you sizzling and steaming on a fajita like plate! I highly recommend the fried Philly roll, aloha roll, beef teriyaki (it also comes with a side salad, rice and miso soup) and the green tea ice cream not fried

I love Japanese food. I can never go wrong with Sakura. I've been to the Hilo, Mililani and Kona…read morerestaurants and they are all similar. Friendly staff, great food and clean restaurant. I wish that this location had a teppanyaki area but my lunch did not disappoint. The shrimp & veggie tempura was delicious. Oooo and I really liked the Age Tofu. The price is definitely reasonable for a Japanese restaurant.

A must-try spot when visiting Kona, Hawaii! This is a Hawaiian BBQ spot, that has some menu items…read morethat have elements of Japanese fusion. This is a carryout/restaurant. Service is upbeat and fast, they are friendly and are open to any questions that you may have. Ambiance is unique, as it feels like you are in a bustling city. I ordered the Chicken Curry Katsudon!!! It was crispy, flavorful, and filled with massive portions! In fact, I saved the rest to have for dinner later. I loved the fact that the curry had a nice spice kick to it too! Cheers!

My wife and I shared a sesame chicken and walnut shrimp platter from Hawaii BBQ Deli and it was…read morepretty on par with the food you find at Panda Express or other take-out Chinese spots. The items are made to order so you get a bit more freshness than food sitting under a heat lamp. The rice is well cooked, but the batter is a bit heavy on the items, and one piece of chicken I bit into had a weird funk to it. The mac salad on the platter was good -- not too heavy with mayo and the noodles were cooked well. Similarly, I liked that the rice was not mushy and each grain stood on its own. Would I stop by again for a plate? Most likely not. One last nit-pick with Hawaii BBQ Deli is that the pricing is wildly incorrect. We looked at the menu online before stopping by and were surprised that we were charged a price higher than what was listed on the menu. We didn't question it and just paid the price, but it was a bit annoying that the menu in store on the counter was out-of-date and the price could have been entirely made up on the spot.

Located in the Lowe's parking lot was a bright green truck. Upon investigating the menu I saw a…read moreburger that caught my eye... The Husky Burger! A burger with avocado, brisket, and bbq sauce! Sounds great! Ordered it with onion rings and waited patiently... ...food arrives and I head back to my office. Upon opening the container...fries. =( The burger on the other hand was a good size and cooked medium. I probably could do without the bbq sauce, but overall a good burger. Overall I'd try this place again. Friendly service and a extensive menu. Though I wish they'd have a few classic local dishes as some of the items sound overwhelming...

We hired Jawjacker Grindz to cater our wedding in Feb 2022 and I have to say Onipa'a made some of…read morethe most delicious food we have ever had! To me, when you go to a wedding people always remember if the food was good or not. While looking for delicious food to serve our wedding coordinator recommended Onipa'a and he exceeded our expectations! We had fantastic spread of appetizers which included two types of sushi rolls, chicken satay, a veggie spring roll, and the most delicious lumpia I have ever had! Dinner was a buffet of different fresh poke, green salad, chicken long rice, pork and cabbage, and lau lau! Every single thing was absolutely delicious. Everything was delicious! All of our guests raved to us that the food was so good and everyone left our wedding full! Onipa'a was a delight to work with, so incredibly warm and kind. You can tell He takes pride in his work and everyone on his team were also friendly and fantastic! Towards the end of dinner Onipa'a came to wish us well and we were so happy to finally meet him in person after only working via email for several weeks! For your next event please consider Jawjacker Grindz!