This place was amazing! The food here is excellent! We ordered the enchiladas which had a green…read moresauce that was out of this world delicious and a steak burrito that was huge and the best burrito anywhere. His Banana bread was moist and yummy! I will definitely go back a million times...

42-1027 Hawaii Belt Road Paauilo, Big Island Hawaii…read more Legit. I know now what a delicious tamale tastes like. Thank you Reinaldo for opening my eyes and taste buds to the best tamales in Hawaii. Masa from a bag but not dry or hard. The tamales here are flavor FULL with very tasty fillings of beef, cheese and green chile, chicken and pork. At $5 each they are expensive compared to what you can find in LA. But hey! We live in the middle of the ocean and it's cheaper than a plane ride. Reinaldo honed his skills while working at the Frontera Grill in Chicago. Not in the kitchen as he will humbly tell you, but as a server...Still, he picked up the needed knowledge to really turn out truly delicious offerings. Cash only! So I ended up driving 9 miles to the nearest ATM and back to buy more tamales to take home to Oahu. Looking forward to my next meal here and a little storytelling about Reinaldo's world travels. Park out front next to the sign that says tamales!

Worth the drive over to Waimea! Follow the cloud of smoke past the main part of town. Huge BBQ pits…read moreset up with chicken pork and beef bbq cooking. We shared the 3 meat plate and still had leftovers. It looked and smelled so good we grabbed a blanket and ate on the grassy area next to the parking lot. The chicken was super juicy, pork bbq wasn't too fatty, beef rib was huge and meaty. We loved everything dipped in the chili water sauce! Also got the pancit and a couple packs of suman (rice cakes wrapped in banana leaves) They reminded us of the suman in the Philippines - so yummy! Service was friendly and efficient. Super busy with cars coming in and out of the parking area next to the pits and ordering tent.

We weren't even hungry but we were in the area so we stopped and grabbed a chicken plate. The…read morechicken was tender and had good seasoning, but dip the chicken in their seasoned vinegar- oh so good! And we loved their Mac salad. Saw someone's review saying their chicken had no flavor, I think they must have been mistaken! Definitely come by and try the chicken. Can't vouch for the other meat since we didn't get any to try. Note their hours and days because they are a road side operation and not every day! Come early since once they run out they're out for the day. They take tap pay!

Stopped by for empanadas. The gracious owner apologized that he was working on a large order but…read morewas able to fulfill our small order quickly. Ordering can be done online or from tablet at the store. We liked Grandma's Empanadas best with its delicious ground pork and Puerto Rican spices. Pollo Loco was slightly dry and more one-dimensional. The crust was thin and super crispy. Also tried Guava Quesitos from "Kona Sweets Bakeshop" they had at the counter and were glad we did: guava and cream cheese in puff pastry was match made in heaven. Other goods from "Kona Sweets Bakeshop" are also available at the cafe next door.

We had the pollo, carne & papa, and grandma's empanadas. They were DELICIOUS! Very authentic and…read moreflavorful. Highly recommend. Please stop by this spot if you get a chance.

Fun fact this is not the Wailuku on Maui, this brewery is named after the Wailuku River…read more Had a wonderful time chatting with the owner on a Sunday afternoon. Their standards are good and they also have a barrel program which has some room for improvement, but is coming along. Where else can you find a barleywine in Hawaii. They also make their own ginger beer and their Dark and Stormy was delicious. My favorite beers were the barleywine and the tripel. I tasted 8 total. The tasting room is well appointed. I appreciate a comfy bar stool. The bathroom was nice and clean. They also have food trucks or food daily. This day they had Uncle Bob's smoked ribs, with truffle mac and cheese, and a cornbread muffin. Probably the best ribs I have ever had. They were seasoned so well I didn't even need sauce. Next time you are in the area, do yourself a favor and stop in. They also have a crowler machine for to go.

Decided to give this place a go on Super Bowl Sunday despite that we don't watch football and hate…read morecrowds It was AWESOME! The table spacing and soundproofing on the walls allowed for a pleasant environment and the beer was great. We tried almost all of them via 2 flights and were very pleased. The poke and pretzels were stupid good and there's a wing guy out back that brings your order in when it's ready. Very clean and functional given the limited size but they had a lounge open upstairs for overflow. The staff was so lovely and very warm, making a little time for each table so it felt more like a social occasion rather than a transactional one. Definitely looking forward to going back!

WOW! The last thing I ever expected, was great Tex-Mex in the strip shopping center, a mile from…read morethe Kona (Hawaii) airport! They had a really great menu... pictures which I have included. I got the Chili Relleno and a chicken enchilada combination meal. It was exceptionally good! The Relleno was full of cheese! Some of the best refried beans I've ever had came with it. And, excellent hot sauce! Service was very friendly and helpful. I would highly recommend this place to anyone who is in this area. I definitely be back!

Very casual, veg friendly Mexican eat in or take out. They were out of quite a few things at the…read moreend of the day (pineapple margarita, spicy carrots, avocado) but what we got was very good. Vegetarian friendly beans, some alcoholic beverages. Indoor seating, easy parking.

We ate here twice, once on the first night and then again on our last night. The service, staff,…read moreand food was great. If you can, sit in Toni's section. She's a great server and has great energy. The entire staff was were warm and friendly. We met the chef on both occasions and he remembered us from our visit night. The restaurant is huge and has many different seating areas. You can sit at the bar, behind the bar, on a patio overlooking the beach/ocean, or inside. It's even a fun place to just meet friends for a drink. When you walk, take a minute to appreciate the large, round space, and lighting structures. Funny enough, even though we came twice, most of us ordered the same dishes from the first night. Between our two visits, we got the fresh catch crudo, oyster crudo for appetizers. Both were great. I loved the oysters because of the unique flavors. For mains we got lamb chops, paella, filet, and beef ragout. The lamb chops were so good, I ordered them during both visits. I loved the smattering of cannellini beans. They had a fresh citrus flavor to them. It brightened up the dish. The olives and mint chutney were great accompaniments too. The filet was another dish that was ordered on both visits. The truffle gratin potatoes were delicious and came served in its own cast iron dish to stay hot. The vegetables added a nice balance to the dish too. The beef ragout was nicely presented atop a bed of thick ribbons of pasta. It was a nice twist, rather than a traditional bolognese. The paella came with a variety of mixed seafoods and saffron rice. It was served in its own skillet. Desserts were also great. We got the Spanish cheesecake and the warm chocolate torta. Both were really good.

Let's just start by taking them first recognizing us by name when we arrived for our reservation…read more The staff, from the valet parking young men to our hostess and beyond, were as polite as we wish to be hosted. Our server, Indana is a lovely young lady. Kind, polite, helpful, and knowledgeable of her treats and establishment food menu as well as beverage. She suggested wine from Croatia that was delicious. The food was delicious, we ordered grilled octopus for appetizer , a local beet and tomatoes salad and a paella with shrimp and clams. Everything was delicious, but.... The smoked paprika added and the caramelized rice gave to the paella a whole new take on the traditional one. Thank you Chef Soto for your creation and for taking the time to talk with us. Wonderful experience!

We stopped by this food truck driving back to Kona from Punalu'u. The signs are small, so be on the…read morelookout as soon as you start getting closer. We got the chicken burrito, corn in a cup (elote), and vegetable quesadilla. The salsa served with the dishes was super fresh and delicious. The burrito was filling and the chicken was well cooked. They also had pupusas, birria, and other great options. There are a couple tables to enjoy your meals, as well as open parking. They were also selling local lilikoi and icecream bean the day we were there.

This place is a gem! Food is made fresh to order and has that homemade feel that is hard to find. I…read moregot the breakfast burrito with carne asada and highly recommend it. The potatoes in it were wow-factor good, boiled to perfection and seasoned independently. It was carefully assembled so not a single bite felt dry. They provide salsa, but it wasn't necessary for me on this burrito. The place has nice picnic table seating with a shade cover, and the ambiance of greenery is a big upgrade from the typical roadside food truck. Staff are pleasant and were proactive in listing out the ingredients in each dish in case there was anything you'd rather be left out. Easy to grab a coffee from the shop next door while your food is being prepared.

Ordered the shrimp burrito and found barely any shrimp, just a tortilla drenched in an extremely…read moresalty sauce--basically inedible. On the plus side, the complimentary chips and salsa were decent, and the place was clean with quick service.

III years ago, I moved from Cali to Hilo & it was da best decision of my "La Vita Loca", but I…read moregotta' admit I do miss the "Caliente Cuisine"... I'm not jus' talkin' about "Miami Heat"... I'm talkin' about seducing, sizzling, savory favors... Imagine my surprise when I casually & curiously "two-stepped" into Da Coco Cantina & found myself in "Margaritaville" ... Let's begin with the open-space ambiance where the "waiting area" tempts you into da cocktail lounge hosted by a seasoned "Barista"... & I'm not talkin' about a "frappuccino"... these are real blended, shaken, & stirred drinks! If you have any, "Faith in La Vita", then have faith in Da Coco Cantina Crew (DCCC)... they will guide your platte into an "Endless Summer"... My Faith took me towards a Jalapeño Margarita, a splash of Hawaiian Ono, accompanied with tres amigos soft-taco carnitas... all the flavors well balanced, the carnitas juicy and tender, and healthy hearty portions... Walking out, I saw a sign "off the wall", I did a "double-take"... #Espresso_Martini ? Now that's got me curious about their desserts... Oh, Coco Cantina... you've got a way to entice da locals to get a little Coco loco... Mahalo, @Shaka_Vee