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.

The cafe is located about 10 miles from the entrance to the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, and we…read moremade our stop here first before heading to the park. It has a secret zen garden and two resident bunnies that you can spot if you're lucky. They have an art gallery/shop featuring work from local artists. Stunning pieces of work! The cafe itself is so cozy and has outdoor seating as well. We got their daily special - which was a chickpea coconut curry with a side of rice. It came with a soup (miso or corn and potato chowder, a side salad and garlic bread). Everything was vegan and so warm and filling. The cafe however does serve vegetarian and vegan options. I'd definitely recommend this as a stop before you head into the park. We'll definitely be back.

Best Apple Turnovers I've ever tasted in 80 years on this planet. They close at 1pm so get there in…read morethe morning if you can...

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.

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."

After quickly searching a nearby breakfast spot near the Airbnb, we came across this spot. There…read morewas plenty of parking but the service was unfortunately very slow and I would say they weren't the friendliest. It was a very small spot with outdoor seating only. They have a variety of menu options which include some desserts. The breakfast bowl with sausage and bacon was okay and the iced coffee was fine. It was mainly the service which brought my review down. Hopefully others have or will not have the same experience but I recommend trying them out if you're in the area.

Big Island Bakehouse is a can't miss when visiting Big Island! We made it over to this place on our…read moresecond to last day and we were greeted with so much cheer and the friendly staff gave recommendations and helped guide our choices. We tried the Bomboloni and Nutella Coconut croissant during our initial visit. The Bomboloni reminds me of a malasada but I enjoyed the creamy filling of this so much more. We ended up going back on our last day and tried some of the savory options - the goat cheese pesto croissant and then sausage roll were standouts for us. Enjoyed this place so much we hardly took pictures, but everyone should add this as a stop especially if visiting Volcano National Park!

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!

I was looking for a sweet treat while exploring Hilo. It was close to closing time and I am SO glad…read moreI stopped in! I got the key lime pie and it was the best pie I have ever had. I am picky about my desserts and always ask specifics regarding ingredients...in this case the homemade whipped cream and local limes won me over. The cream was not too sweet and the texture of the pie (loads of grated limes - AMAZING!) was perfect. My only regret is not getting anything to take with me. I am staying in Kona and I am already plotting ways to get back here. HIGHLY recommend visiting when in Hilo!

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!

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!

The lilikoi and quiche were two delicious pastries! Lite, fluffy, and tasty lilikoi cake. The…read morequiche was very flavorful with a perfectly crunchy crust. Friendly service!

My family and I stopped at the store to grab waters and snacks. My mother and I love baked items…read moreand cute little stores so we stopped by. It is a cute little store that does get busy. This review is why. We bought two cakes, two mousses and two savory breads. I bought the ladybug because I thought it was cute and I do love raspberry. We go to the car, I am so excited to dig in. I grab the ladybug, and take a bite. Wow that was so good. I kept eating it and each bite got better and better. The chocolate mousse surrounds a delicious raspberry middle that has BLUEBERRIES INSIDE! Absolutely divine. There is hardened chocolate to make the design and the crunch adds to the deliciousness. Every bite was delicious and the worst part was when I finished the lady bug I had no more left:(. The raspberry lingered in my mouth and I got to have the delicious taste in my mouth. I wish I bought more. This was so good and if you like raspberry, this will brighten your day like it did mine. I hope anytime I am in the area they are stocked because this is a delightful light treat that fills you up with yummy goodness!! We got the lilikoi and coconut cake. So delicious!! We also got the mango lilikoi mousse round which I believe was the last one! Such a delicious flavor and the cookie on the bottom was perfection. I tried a bite of my brothers jalapeño ham savory breads and it was so good! The next time I went for a bite he ate it all!! Goodness for the whole family. This shop also has a sweet little chicken out front! My whole experience was beyond wonderful I HAD to write a lovely review! I hope to return soon and try other delicious items on their menu!

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.

Rolled through town and decided to stop and check the place out. Cute store with lots of baked…read moregoods. We ended up trying a bunch of the preserves and mustards and grabbed 2 jars to bring back home to the mainland. The little street is the tourist version of what smalltown Hawaii could be. Not that I am complaining.