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    Don's Grill

    4.1 (259 reviews)
    ModerateAmerican
    Closed 10:30 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Don's Grill Photos

    Business Info

    DON'S GRILL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

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    Valerie T.

    Don's is not for those seeking small plates. A locals spot blending American with island twist. You can get your typical American breakfasts or local favorites. Let's talk about the portion sizes because they are very LARGE and in-charge. Nobody will leave hungry and some may be rolled out. Seeing the mountains of plates at the surrounding tables I quickly tried to pick a lighter brunch. After the waitress mentioned the fresh wahoo I quickly said Yes please. The sides were great. The mashed potatoes were so creamy and luscious with the perfect amount of gravy. The hash browns were perfectly crispy on the outside and soft potato middle. The eggs still had the golden center once we cut them open. The parking lot can be filled with locals, but everyone is going in and out quickly. They are closed on Monday and Tuesday's. They have an oxtail special only served specific days and the fresh corn beef that all the surrounding tables ordered that was making my mouth water. I definitely can't wait to come back. Especially with staff that had such a warming and welcoming aloha smile. Mahalo!

    Courtney C.

    You will not leave hungry! Don's is off the beaten path and feels more like local spot and not super touristy. The staff was so friendly and we were sat immediately when we came here for dinner. Inside, the restaurant definitely feels like a small town diner. The food portions are very generous! there menu is extensive so there is something for everyone. I had the loco moco and it was great. Between my husband and I's two meals though, we did end up taking a box home as it is a lot of food, so come hungry! Their dessert menu looked delicious but unfortunately they were out of the 2 pies we wanted to try, so make sure you get there early if you want some pie! Overall this was a solid, low-key spot in Hilo that was just what we were looking for for a solid meal and casual vibes.

    Teri Chicken
    Rudy J.

    Stopped here for lunch after we flew into Hilo for a short vacay. Old school diner vibes. The servers are friendly. The food is just okay. Hubs said the Teri Chicken was pretty good.

    Teri chicken plate
    Terri P.

    Nostalgic, home style local restaurant and my dad's favorite place to eat. Every time we go, meals are consistent and delicious. My usual orders are the hamburger steak, taco salad or rotisserie chicken. Today I ordered the taco salad, robust in size and flavor. My dad ordered the teri chicken plate. My tortilla was warm and crispy filled with yummy taco fillings. My dad enjoyed his meal and didn't talk till he was finished. Service is always friendly and consistent, with someone always coming by check on status or fill water. What I really like about the place is the meal prices are still reasonable, not like some other restaurants I've recently been to and there is always parking no matter how busy they are.

    Yummy
    Sharon S.

    Wow hands down the best experience Hilo side at a dine-in-restaurant it's really cool they also have a side window to order take-out! Ev gave hands down the best service filled up our water a million times and was so attentive, very understanding and just great attitude! True aloha! The food price was amazing for all we ate I can't believe with tip we walked away completely satisfied and we will be back! I loved the cleanliness and the open kitchen giving a very welcoming clean atmosphere. I was impressed and will be back with our Ohana!!! They continued to come to our table take our dirty plates and they all worked together really smoothly! This is random but the orkin guy who used to spray our house told us it's the most clean and well worked team member based kitchen he has ever serviced or experienced now we understand what he was saying!! The kids loved their burgers and my son loved his keiki fish rice plate! My husband had the seafood platter and he's a cook and he said it was pretty good. I had the French dip and I loved it and the house salad! I was impressed with how fast the food came to our table and it all came together and we stayed there for a good hour as the kitchen cleared their plates! We also had the cheese cake with strawberry and ice cream was so good! Mahalo for the true service, the affordable pricing and the clean environment and great experience! We will be back!

    KS CLASS OF '71

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    11 months ago

    Rotisserie Chickens was very wonderful tasty moist, I enjoyed it a lot. Oh, come again.

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    2 years ago

    Fast friendly service. Food is good and consistent. The staff took the time to decorate for Halloween. Overall, I'll be back!

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    11 months ago

    Amazing service. Very attentive and always kept our drinks topped off. The food was very delicious and came out super fast!

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    11 months ago

    Best Food on the Island for the price!! Family of 5 ate for under $100! GREAT SERVICE and FRIENDLY STAFF!

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

    Food and service was great. It is a Diner atmosphere but comfy. Food was home cooked type food which fills your stomach and is very tasty !

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

    A great little place in a neighborhood, good food, lots of local folks there enjoying a meal. Very pleasant atmosphere.

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    1 year ago

    The food was great! Servers were were very attentive and restaurant was very clean & lots of tables! High recommended!

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    4 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Excellent food and service! Offering a lot of choices of your favorite local cuisine.

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    4 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Food is always good! Nice home cooked, grandma's house kind of taste. Generous portions. Excellent customer service and nice and clean.

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    2 years ago

    Excellent timely delivery of buffet dinner with all the necessities to serve, enjoy and have premier dinner.

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    3 years ago

    We are regulars here because of their great food, quick and consistent service, friendly staff!

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    Page 2 of 7

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    Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine - Dynamite fish bowl

    Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine

    4.3(2.6k reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$

    Came as a party of 2 at noon on a Sunday, and we were seated right away! The ambiance definitely…read moregives a nice island sports bar vibe. Only street parking is available. There was also live music with a lady playing guitar solo and singing! Service was amazing! We never had to wait long to order/get the bill. We were most impressed by the fact that the waitress made sure to split our Hilo local plate into two plates to make it much easier to share! We almost thought we had received two orders because of how well-plated they were. - Poke tower (8/10): Solid choice for an appetizer! There were ample portions of poke, and the flavors were nice. Not a super stand out dish though. - Hilo local plate (9.5/10): If you want to taste a wide range of Hawaiian cuisine in one dish, I would highly recommend getting this one! The Kalbi ribs were sooo good! They were juicy, tender, and bursting with flavor. The Kalua pork was pretty good, and both meats paired well with the rice which had an interesting savory haupia sauce drizzled on it. The mango chili slaw and pineapple salsa added a nice tang to balance everything out. - Triple lilikoi pie (5/10): Wayyy too sweet and sugary for our liking, and you can barely taste the lilikoi flavor. We ended up just picking at the graham cracker crust and couldn't finish the rest. It seemed like one of those desserts that are premade unfortunately, and we wish we hadn't ordered this dessert.

    We chose Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine because it's one of the highest-rated sit-down spots in…read moreHilo, but it ended up being just okayyyy. The menu felt very "meh"...nothing particularly exciting or memorable. The cocktails looked great in photos, so we ordered the piña colada flight, but it tasted like there was little to no rum in it. Pretty presentation, but very mediocre overall. Food was just okay. The burger wasn't bad, but definitely not anything special. The fried shrimp dish was disappointing and lacked flavor. The big letdown was the ambiance. We were seated facing the street and parking lot the entire time ...no view...., just sad street. Overall, it didn't live up to the hype. Not terrible, but definitely not worth going out of your way for. The staff were all very nice though. Service friendly.

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    Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine - Bar with loads of fresh pineapples

    Bar with loads of fresh pineapples

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    Moon & Turtle - Market fish (Ono)

    Moon & Turtle

    4.6(854 reviews)
    1.4 mi
    $$

    Fantastic service and attention from the whole staff! Cozy atmosphere with great music. Every dish…read morewas meticulously crafted with unique flavors, perfectly cooked. We loved the sizzlin tepanyaki poke with Ono and the desserts. Chef Mark and the staff do a wonderful job of showing off the flavors of Hilo...miso infused caramel on a fluffy cheesecake...I'm gonna be thinking about that dinner for a long time!

    My wife and I stopped by Moon & Turtle for dinner during our brief visit to Hilo and we had a…read morefantastic meal. We showed up right when they opened at 5:30 p.m. without reservations on a Wednesday evening and was luckily able to get seated at the bar. Between the two of us, we ordered a bunch of items off the "small" section of the menu, including the smokey sashimi, sizzling tetsuyaki poke, smoked tonnato caesar, crispy rice, and their special of the day -- agedashi wontons. Of the items we ordered, the crispy rice and the agedashi wontons were my favorite items. The crispy rice is priced per piece, and you'll certainly want to order at least two per person, because one is simply not enough. The rice block is fried a beautiful golden brown -- similar to a hash brown. The crispy rice pairs perfectly with the ono mixture on top of it. With the agedashi wontons, I initially thought the filling was a bit under-seasoned at first, but when enjoyed with the broth, the wonton comes out tasting perfectly seasoned. The broth had so much umami to it and the wonton had the perfect crunch to it I always love a good Caesar salad and the one here is spectacular. With anchovy croutons, shaved cured egg yolk, and smoked ahi dressing, you're getting some creative, premium ingredients in this salad and everything works so well together. Even if you're not a salad person, I would definitely recommend giving this dish a try. On top of delicious food, the service at Moon & Turtle was spectacular. Food was promptly brought out after we placed our order, pacing didn't ever feel rushed, our water cups were never empty, and our server checked on us regularly to make sure we had everything we needed without being overbearing. I would definitely stop by Moon & Turtle again if I'm in Hilo.

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    Moon & Turtle - Limited seating so it fills fast - so make a reservation

    Limited seating so it fills fast - so make a reservation

    Moon & Turtle - Market Fish - steamed mahi with garlic, ginger, scallion and soy in roasted bone congee with chili oil and wild rice

    Market Fish - steamed mahi with garlic, ginger, scallion and soy in roasted bone congee with chili oil and wild rice

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    Cafe 100 - Super loco moco

    Cafe 100

    3.9(655 reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$

    I planned for my husband and I to grab a quick bite at Cafe 100 before leaving Hilo. With more than…read more2000 reviews on Google and 30 varieties of loco moco, it was hard to ignore. Cafe 100 is a casual, local spot with window (staff) or kiosk (automated) ordering and plenty of semi-outdoor seating (i.e., you are technically inside and covered, but you can still feel the heat from outside). I will admit the menu felt a bit overwhelming at first glance because there are so many options available, but we visited on a weekday when it was not busy, so we were able to take our time deciding. Anticipating larger portions, we decided to share a mixed type loco moco plate along with a drink. That turned out to be a great call, as the portion was more than enough for the two of us, especially since we would not easily be able to take leftovers with us. This is casual, familiar comfort food done well. No complaints here, and I have already recommended Cafe 100 to a few friends :)

    Made a day trip from Oʻahu to the Big Island and had to stop at Cafe 100 -- home of the original…read moreloco moco. As a born-and-raised local, rice, gravy, and eggs will win me over every time, and I really wanted to love this place for the history alone. I'll be honest though -- the hype set the bar high, and I left a little let down. The regular loco moco was just okay. The hamburger patty tasted pre-made or frozen, though the gravy was solid (thank goodness). The beef stew also tasted pre-made and was lighter on the tomato flavor than I prefer. I ordered the steak as well (around $30), and it came out very well done. On the positive side, they offer a ton of plate lunch options, the space is extremely well kept for a local diner, and there's plenty of parking. It's covered outdoor seating only, but it's comfortable and clean. What surprised me most was the lack of visible history. I expected to see more storytelling about the loco moco origins -- photos, signage, staff sharing pride in it -- something that really leaned into that legacy. It felt a little missing. Still glad I tried it for the experience, but for me, it didn't quite live up to the legendary reputation.

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    Cafe 100 - Cafe 100 Menu

    Cafe 100 Menu

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    Cafe 100

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    Ponds Hilo - Furikake ahi on top ceasar salad

    Ponds Hilo

    3.5(601 reviews)
    0.7 mi
    $$

    This place is a cool little spot looking out over the Reeds bay/Hilo Bay. It's a rustic place. Our…read morewaiter Ruben was awesome very helpful with the menu and specials. We had cocktails, some ordered coconut martinis that were outstanding. We had appitizers: the crab cakes, Da sizzle, (sizzling steak platter), and calamari. All were good. I ordered the terriyaki beef with mashed potatoes and vegetables, it was outstanding. Others ordered the prime rib with lobster and said it was outstanding. The seafood Louie was awesome as well. The prices are reasonable and average $20-40 depending on what you order. We ordered Lilikoi cheesecake, outstanding, bread pudding was good also. I highly recommend this place very good food.

    We took a friend to Pondʻs the other night. The photos suggested that it wouldnʻt be as noisy as…read moremost restaurants were, and then they put us right smack dab next to to singer/guitar player. He wasnʻt bad, but conversation was more difficult. The server did a good job and was pleasant. We had made reservations and they were able to quickly show us to our table without any real wait. The photos on Yelp do a good job of showing what the place looked like. My wife and I had the "Fresh Grilled Salmon", which was over done to the point where it tasted dry and actually hard on the edges and bottom. It was a small portion as was the veggies, and was accompanied by a small scoop of mashed potatoes, all for $38. It was edible, but that was all. Itʻs nice to see that others have had a better meal than we did, but weʻre never going to go back there again.

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    Ponds Hilo - Delightful Guitar Music

    Delightful Guitar Music

    Ponds Hilo - Rib

    Rib

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    Hilo Burger Joint

    Hilo Burger Joint

    3.7(1k reviews)
    0.7 mi
    $$

    Stopped in today and my girl and I were amazed! She got the French onion soup burger, which was…read moreunbelievable and I got the Philly cheesesteak burger, which is out of this world. Ambience is great for Bar. Amazing service super cool little spot. I'm not sure why nobody told me about this place sooner. I recommend to all my friends and anybody else.

    We came over to Hilo after a day of hiking around the volcano park. By the time we got here, we…read morewere starving, so we decided on a burger and on Hilo Burger Joint. When we arrived, we were seated promptly. The noise level was decently low, even with live music, and we were so happy for that. Here lately, every place we have gone has been sooo loud to where we couldn't have a conversation, so this was a nice touch. Our waitress came to grab our orders promptly and brought our drinks quickly. We decided on mozzarella sticks for an appetizer, a pesto burger no tomato with a garden patty, and another garden burger plain and dry, both with fries. Food came out decently swiftly, and everything looked amazing! The fries were piping hot and absolutely wonderful: perfectly crispy, not greasy, with flavor and perfect seasoning. The pesto burger was soo good. The pesto itself had a great flavor without being overbearing or oily. I loved the slice of fresh mozzarella. The burger itself was cooked perfectly, and the bread was nice and toasty without being hard. The mozzarella sticks were fantastic, not greasy at all, and were decently sized. I really liked the marinara it came with, which it was flavorful without being overbearing and the only thing we could taste. I assume the garden burger was equally enjoyed, for there was no conversation coming from that side of the table. Oh, and he stole the rest of my fries. Thief!! This was a great decision. The interior screams dive bar in an interesting way, but that food? Definitely not greasy spoon or quickly thrown together dive bar appetizers, that's for sure! We will definitely come back!

    Photos
    Hilo Burger Joint - Dining Area at Hilo Burger Joint

    Dining Area at Hilo Burger Joint

    Hilo Burger Joint - Jalapeños poppers w/Thai chili sauce

    Jalapeños poppers w/Thai chili sauce

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    Don's Grill - tradamerican - Updated May 2026

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