This was one of the stops on the way to the volcano. It was recommended by a coworker of mine, so I…read morewas glad the stop was part of our tour. They're known for their sweetbread and malasadas, but they also have hot food and ice cream. We shared one of their pork platters. It was pretty good. Pork was super tender! There were 2 portions of pork, which seemed a lot, but I was left wanting more. We also got one guava malasada. This one is just their flavored sweet bread, coated with sugar, no filling. It was so light, fluffy, and delicious! Not heavy or oily. Dare I say these are better than Leonards in Waikiki? I regretted just getting one, because getting in that line again to order more would take too long. Oh that's another thing... Your mindset needs to be on island time because you will wait more than 10 minutes for your food. The place is small, but the property is huge. All dining is outdoor in their patio and two gazebo-like structures. There are two lines to place your order, which helps with the crowd: one by the main door, and the other by the patio. If you like up by the main door, you'll find all their sweet bread loaves, rolls, and snacks. If you line up by the patio, you'll find their pastry case. Either way, you're doomed to pick up more than you came there for. This place is a must! Make the drive. It's so worth it!

A tale of two experiences…read more.. The service? Let's just say the malasadas were warmer than the welcome. We asked for the custard-filled malasadas and the aunties in front ranted "why everyone calls it custard, it's not custard, it's vanilla" in a very annoyed voice. We also felt a little rushed while ordering, which caught us off guard. I was expecting a little more aloha and a little less hurry. Now the malasadas? Oh my goodness... absolutely worth the trip. Call it vanilla, call it custard--I honestly don't care because it was delicious. Soft, fluffy, filled with creamy goodness. I'd happily come back for the malasadas. Hopefully next time the aloha is as warm as the pastries. Mahalo!

Everything, food and service, was fantastic! This is more than just a cafe, it is an experience!…read moreDon't miss the secret garden and all the beautiful artwork from around the island. So glad my daughter found this on a whim after visiting the volcano.

We arrived shortly before closing, but the staff were very kind and took our order for our late,…read morelight lunch. We enjoyed the mushroom ginger soup, which was flavorful and and a soup and fresh green salad combo. Everything was delicious, flavorful, and just right. And the pricing was affordable. Woo hoo! Seated amidst the interesting and unique art of the gallery, with views outside to the gardens, it was a calm and peaceful dining experience.

Donuts are amazing always good love the old fashions on Wednesday and Friday. Girls are always…read moresmiling and friendly. Try the coffee mochie donuts if they have them. Oh also the butter horns are fantastic!!!

Mt View Bakery was a great local Hawaiian bakery. I got the taro mochi donut. The mochi was chewy…read morebut not too dense to make you too full. And the taro added a sweet flavor without making it too sweet. And the price was good. I also bought their famous Stone Cookie. Well, I thought I was buying one but got a whole bag, which explains the price (not too bad though for a whole bag). They low-key weren't that good but at the same time I can't stop eating them so maybe they are good.

Great bread (bake their own). Super (and large sandwiches). Can't say enough nice things about them.read more

So the Eagles Lighthouse Cafe is no more. Let this be a eulogy then. For starters, let's go with…read morethe praise. The food was great. Nice down home cookin', reasonably priced. Now for this. The place was festooned with Bible quotes, Biblical vignettes in the windows, and the three flags of Christian Nationalism garishly out front - the US flag, the Israeli flag, and the nationalist "Plea To Heaven" flag. All paradoxically in tatters and never taken in for good keeping. It did not give off a welcome Biblical vibe though - just one of "agree with us or take it down the road." The kitchen and counter personnel were usually fairly nice people who gave great service. The owners, when they were present, gave off something entirely different. Like you were inconveniencing them by being there. Short tempered and terse if they took your order. If you read the earlier comments, you will hear of them coming unhinged and screaming at some customer about something either overblown, or imagined. They refused to pay their employees properly, with something even close to a living wage. When the Hawaii legislature finally hiked the minimum wage, they stuck out an alarmist notice written in childish green marker that they were sooooo sorry but they "had to" raise their prices a bit because the mean old Hawaii house raised the wage. And of course taxes under Biden, yada yada. In the end, the ELC was a victim of the owners' disposition. It's a very bad business model indeed, when politics, religion and greed actually get in the way of doing business. My best wishes to the employees, I really hope they can find something decent to replace this experience. For the self righteous, sanctimonious greed of the owners and operators - as Jesus said, "Yeah verily, you have your reward."

Open only 3 days a week, this has become one of my favorite stops on the way to Volcano (from…read moreHilo). In fact, except Madam Pele does NOT necessarily keep to the same schedule as the bakery, would try to time my Volcano drives to coincide with Friday, Saturday, or Sunday! Hahah. Today got a sampling of Mediterranean scones (savory with olives and delicious seasonings), croissants, danish, and my favorite... the ube cruffin. Holy Moly Batman... that one item was worth the drive alone! Since there really wasn't any real estate in our tummies, we split everything 3 ways... over the course of the next few hours. Two weeks later, still thinking about that ube cruffin! Would definitely do a repeat on that as well as the Medeterranean scones while trying other items. And as the nice couple infront of us in line mentioned, will have to return for the sister deli across the parking lot. Heard it was featured in Guy Hagi's food vlog. And if its good enough for Guy Hagi its where I want to be my next mealtime!

The ube croughnut is the greatest thing on this planet earth that I've ever had the chance to…read moreexperience. It looks so sweet but it's not, it the perfect amount of sweetness. The cream on the inside MY GOD, IT IS PERFECTION. The ladies working were super sweet also. I'm so sad I discovered this place the day before leaving the island. This place is truly a gem. Thank you for making such an amazing pastry.

If you're looking for tasty baked items or a handheld lunch or snack, this is your next stop. Their…read morebaked items a HUGE. A slice of quiche could easily be a meal. And their meatloaf sandwich ‍ . I thought it would just be a hamburger in between bread, but what I got was a flavor combo that I wasn't quite prepared for and enjoyed. Also, grab coffee next door!

Drove all the way to find this place. Coconut pie was absolute banger. Very tastefully done. Not…read moretoo sweet, light cream, real grated coconut under the cream, and the graham cracker layer was perfect without too much cinnamon or sweet. Tiny home in the wall place. Guessing things run out pretty quick as the day goes.

Finally got to try Two Ladies Kitchen and they didn't disappoint... there's definitely a reason…read morepeople line up to buy! I knew there might be a line so I planned ahead and placed a phone order. There's a separate line of phone orders too which was really nice. But if you wait in line they do come out with samples - just saying. Also they have pre-packaged mochi packs - which make great gifts. I bought a bunch of mochi to take home to mainland (I froze it after buying) and took it to my parents house where we cut 10 pieces into 3 pieces to do a mochi tasting. Honestly all of them were great, but top 3 were: - shiso - I didn't know what to expect, but the flavors works so well together. Such a unique combo, with subtle shiso flavor! Highly recommend. - kamato - I didn't know if I'd like it so only got one piece.. after trying I wish I had more. - peach - this is my perfect mochi. The white filling just works and it's not too sweet. I know the strawberry is their #1 seller so I tried it and it's really good, it was maybe my 5th favorite of the mochis tried. All in all a great mochi shop that's I'll definitely visit again!

Never have I ever tried mochi with a fresh fruit filled center so if you haven't either, then Two…read moreLadies Kitchen is a must stop if you're visiting Hilo. The mochi is made fresh daily, and it's highly encouraged to place an advance phone order prior to pickup so the shop can manage the high demand. The space at the front counter is very limited, so expect a wait outside to order and/or pickup. Their fruits menu changes seasonally, so we just had to try 1 of each item: - Strawberry - Mandarin Orange - D'anjou Pear - Bing Cherry - Green Grape - Cotton Candy Grape - Nectarine - Strawberry Short Cake We also had to order their Peach and Lilikoi flavors. Everything was so pillowy soft and mochi-licious!

Wow! The macadamia nut carrot cake, lilikoi cream cake, and lilikoi mango mousse were absolutely…read moreAMAZING. PLEASE do yourself a favor and get those. We tried the coconut cream cake, the roll up cake which were both pretty good, just not quite on the same level as above. The almond tart and cream cheese lemon pan were also okay, just a skip from us.

Excellent baked goods, excellent service, and friendly staff. Whenever we are in Waimea, we make…read morethe time to see what delicious items we will take home. Highly recommend!

Mr. Ed's Barkery is one of my favorite places to stop and shop on the Big Island. Located just…read morebelow Akaka Falls in the old Ishigo General Store, you can find some of my favorite jams and jellies on the planet. The tall gentleman standing next to me is Mr. Ed and he has retired, but his daughter now runs the operation. He is so proud of his creations that we got to try endless amounts of samples (as seen in the photo with the open lid jars). This place is a great place to pick up some snacks, pastries, shave ice and even a story or two from Mr. Ed. He loves to talk about the past, his family and also asks about yours. These are a few selections that I haven't given away yet and knowing that I'm from Oahu they wrapped each and every jar in paper and sealed each with a Ziploc bag. They also pack and ship their items anywhere in the United States. #bigboyproblems

If you are headed to 'Akaka falls, Mr. Eds is a must stop on your way there or back. This bakery…read moreoffers some delicious, homemade baked goods and even better service. Mr. Ed himself helped my husband and I decide on many pastries to try and none of them disappointed! I only snapped a photo of one, as the others we'd eaten before I even thought to take photos. They were too good to wait! While getting our pastries, Mr. Ed was also kind enough to share some of his story and it was wonderful to hear directly from the shop owner why he is there and his love for the island and the town. The shop is cozy and feels family ran so it was just a lovely stop on the big island for not only delicious baked treats, but wonderful company as well.

I ordered a birthday cake for my wife's 40th birthday and it turned out absolutely stunning and…read moredelicious. Easy communication planning the cake and its delivery with Janel via email. 100% recommended and would do it again any time!

Janell is the best! Her cakes are amazing! We ordered a chocolate with chocolate mousse filling…read moreand chocolate buttercream frosting; a coconut with passion fruit filling; and a tropical carrot cake. All three were delicious! Great service as well. Have some gelato at the gelato shop as well. You must serve cake at room temperature (no chill) for best flavor and moistness.