As someone who used to come here regularly and someone who visits every time I'm in town, it's…read morealways nothing but great! There can always be quite a wait. Sometimes you can join online, but every time I have they've reset the Yelp waitlist or kicked me off - that would be my only complaint. So go in person, add your name, and shop around the plaza. Highly recommend you give their pancakes a try. Warning - they're huge!! In my most recent visit, they made me another pancake to go because I accidentally poured shoyu on my original stack. Great service, sweet waitresses all around. My order every time I'm around is a Mauna Kea coffee, love how it's coconut but also simply sweet!

When Brunch and Hawaiian Food Have a Baby…read more If brunch food and Hawaiian cuisine had a baby, you'd get the offerings at Hawaiian Style Cafe. They get busy, so expect a wait. Make a reservation or join the waitlist right from their Yelp page before heading over. There was so much on the menu that I wanted to try, but I ended up getting the Beef Stew. Tender beef and veggies, tasty gravy, and a generous serving that comes with two scoops of rice and your choice of green salad or mac salad. I chose the green salad because I was trying to be healthy. Then I saw their mac salad had tuna in it. Instant regret. Next time, I'm getting the mac salad. Sometimes healthy choices have consequences.

Get your reservation asap! Each entrée was amazing! Pasta De…read moreMarco was amazing! We also had the eggs Benedict, which had a great twist added to them!

If you're visiting Hilo, do yourself a huge favor and don't miss brunch at Paul's Place. This tiny…read morespot only has a few small tables (total seating for about 6 folks at a time). Reservations are mandatory, but a visit is well worth it! Paul is a sweetheart and an amazing cook. His secret ingredient is love. He really loves what he does and that passion for his craft really shines through to the entire experience dining at this small hole-in-the-wall. Don't expect to find air conditioning here, but definitely expect a delicious meal. My family sampled several favorites on the menu, including Paul's take on a smoked salmon benedict, his outrageous Belgian waffles, and the breakfast caprese, a really creative dish you'll only find here. Paul, thank you so much for a memorable meal! I hope to see you again if I'm ever back in Hilo :)

While in Hilo, eat like a local and grab a gravy burger. It's exactly how it sounds, with a…read morehamburger patty covered in gravy. Ohana Foods has a deli counter in the rear corner to the left as you enter the store. The burger was homemade and the buns was toasted. The gravy was excellent and I wish had ordered a side of gravy for dipping. The fries here are the best I has had in a while and the mac/potato salad didn't disappoint. You can find your Costco and even Walmart items here. This will save you a trip all the way to Kona for the island's only Costco. The employees are friendly, but the food items are prepared fresh so there is a wait. Browse the store and pay for all your items at the cashier by the entrance. If in a rush, there is grab and go items, along with a self serve soda fountain behind the register area.

This place is like a mini mart with a secret take out window in the back corner. We ordered the…read moreGalbi plate and smoked chicken sandwich. The Galbi plate is legit here. Good portion. Good flavor. Tender meat. We grabbed some drinks for the AirBnB and it made the perfect low budget dinner.

I really enjoyed the customer service of Vanessa the Donut girl, she is always upbeat and makes my…read morevisits enjoyable. She knows her items very well and is always ready to make a suggestion. Because of her I know I always spend more then I should. Sorry to hear she left after 4 years. Food was good, but the load noises from the kitchen take away from the atmosphere.

Variable food quality. Some of the doughnuts were okay, the flatbread was pretty good, and the…read morepopovers were fine. Most of their "puffs" had quite artificial fillings, and I'd rather attempt eating a rock than one of their scones again. Service is an absolute mess. We ordered pickup via DoorDash and I'm convinced we were the first people to ever do that, because the employees were so confused by the entire concept. Overall, I don't think I'd recommend and we definitely had better breakfasts in Hilo.

Cute cafe. Very friendly and accommodating staff. The food…read moreand coffee is 5 star! I've grown up on avocado toast my whole life but this was crazy good. Also ordered a baoffee (banana coffee) and it's now my new favorite flavor. Would definitely eat here again.

Such a cute little place!! I ordered a cold brew and my niece ordered something with ube, which she…read moreabsolutely LOVED!! The place was so welcoming and cute!! I absolutely loved the set up, clean and comfy. We didnt order any food, but we saw some delivered and it looked amazing!! Coffee was so delicous!! Definitely coming again

Love the vibe here and the food is awesome. Our server was Zack P and he made the experience top…read moretier. He's super sweet, great recommendations, and super quick service! He made the experience at this restaurant 10/10.

Ola Brew is a Hawaiʻi Island based brewery with two taprooms. We visited this Hilo location first…read morewhich had more of a restaurant feel. The Kona location gave me more traditional taproom vibes. Parking can be hard to come by at both locations. Expect a unique restaurant menu including a variety of salads and pizzas as well as favorites like bao buns, kalua pork tacos, and fish n chips. I had the opportunity to try the Shrimp Bao Bun, Lechon, and Beer Battered Mahi. The Lechon was most memorable because who can pass up crispy pork belly? To drink, Ola serves up craft beers, flights, hard seltzers, and hard juices. I couldn't decide on only one beer to sample, so I built my own flight with the Ma'a Berry, Da Hazy Light, Ma'a Lager, and Lilikoi Lime Milkshake IPA...I def tasted the ALOHA! Visiting both Ola Brew locations was definitely one of the highlights of my Kona trip, and this brewery ranks up there as one of my faves. Mahalo for the experience!

From the moment we walked in, we had a wonderful experience. The cashier was incredibly…read moreknowledgeable and kind, offering great recommendations when we asked. I also appreciated that she mentioned they have smoothies after my kids asked for one, I hadn't even realized they offered them! The food was absolutely amazing. The beet salad was delicious, and the seared tuna on top was perfectly seasoned and cooked just right--tender without being too firm. The fish burger was also outstanding, and the bánh mì was just as delicious. I've been buying their Jun kombucha from the store for a while and have always loved it, but finally dining here made me appreciate this place even more. Everything we tried exceeded our expectations. I'll definitely be coming back every time I'm in Hilo!

We had an amazing vegan dish here for our little brunch we did in mid morning earlier today…read more We saw this restaurant yesterday when we were browsing Hilo a few nights ago. We didn't think of anything when we saw it the first time. By just looking at the name of it though, my immediate reaction was, "Is this a kombuchas bar??" Well, it is but it's not just kombuchas they serve; it's more than that. The breakfast/brunch dishes they serve (although they don't have a huge selection) are quite diverse. I do incorporate a lot of vegetarian/vegan diet into my daily meal routine so when I saw the Verdant Vegan I simply couldn't skip it. As my daughter and I usually split a plate when we dine together she agreed to this option of mine. Glad we did. This plate has all sorts of goodness included in it. Sautéed veggies, house-made lentil walnut chorizo, ginger beet kraut, fire-roasted jalapeno cashew crema, fire-roasted tomato salsa, and it's topped it off with sprouts. This whole thing comes with either purple sweet potato home fries or red rice (which we went with the purple sweet potato fries and ended up getting a side red rice. We also got the side kimchi and one egg sunny side up.) And we shared a 16oz Ceremonial Matcha latte as well. This vegan plate is way more than vegan. It's mighty as hell. For those who are still not sure about vegan options will definitely second guess it for something that isn't vegan/vegetarian. It's truly nutrition packed in so many different ways. If I lived close to this cafe, I would eat here once a week to enjoy this delightful meal. I am not kidding. I enjoyed the matcha latte very much although my daughter rated it as "okay". She likes her matcha in a very particular way so it unfortunately didn't impress her. This is not to say that she disliked it. She said it wasn't bad either. This place is a "walk in, order upfront, pick a table where you want to sit and one of the staff will bring your food to you" style cafe. Water is self-served. Once you are done with your meal you'll put your dirty dishes in the designated tub. I like this efficient style of serving food. This place has great vibes as well. A bit hippie-ish where bright dark colors such as purple and red are incorporated into the interior. There is even a stage where bands perform on certain days/times. Quite cool-looking. If you are visiting Hilo soon then put this place on your "must visit" restaurant list. Friendly staff, reasonable prices and quality food will entertain you for sure.

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.

Easily one of the best places to get a fulfilling meal on Hawai'i Island. Please know the portions…read moreare very generous! My soul just feels happy after a meal here. Highly recommend the kalbi plate. I usually eat kalbi with rice but you can opt for fries instead, and omg it is an amazing combo that I never knew I needed. Some of the most tender and tastiest kalbi I've ever had with the crunchiest fries. Even if I tried to recreate this combo elsewhere, I know it won't hit the same way. The stack of mac nut pancakes is huge and very shareable. I prefer this over the coconut pancakes. Actually, just ignore the coconut pancakes. The day we came, the mac nut pancakes came with a whooping serving of butter. Paula Deen, was that you? I also like that you can have all the haupia, guava, and lilikoi syrup you want too. They're all delicious. The coffee servings are also generous. You get a whole carafe to yourself. Also check out their specials of the day. If they serve the oxtail stew, get it. Get it!! It's hearty, savory, and feels comforting. In terms of service, you're not getting top notch service. It's a diner! So you're getting diner service, mostly from aunties who know what they're doing. Service is just right. I think those who complain about it are probably those who are unfamiliar with the slower pace out here. Relax! In terms of vibes, this truly feels like a diner from back in the day. The oldies music playing throughout the day and the warm orange mid-century-esque booth seats feel like you're back in time, but the art work on the walls focused on local life also make you feel like you're in present-day Hilo. I don't know any other place that can do that. Do you? For wrestling fans, check out the framed photos of wrestlers, some signed, in the front part of the restaurant. What I love most is that Ken's is a local spot, and yes, tourists are welcomed. But there's nothing pretentious or gimmicky about this place that tries to cater solely to tourists. It's got its own distinct culture, with amazing food, and great vibes that can't be replicated, and I think that's why I'll always keep coming back.

Nostalgia. Been going here for decades which isn't nearly as long as it's been around. But the…read morelocal diner feel and the food jus brings you back to small kid days. We did take out cuz we were going aunty's house and had to bring something but hard since we visiting from oahu. Chronic over-orderer spent $250 for 2 big boxes of food...pretty sure they had nuff leftovas for the whole week. Kids liked the grilled cheese...2 small girls should have shared 1 but of course I ordered 2 in case others wanted. 2 noodles...not my fave. 1 alfredo...that was YUM. 1 burger - I didn't even touch it. 1 taco salad and 1 chinese chicken salad both good in their crispy bowls. haha...I can't remember what else we got...but everything not bad all the way to YU-U-UM. And if nothing else, the workers are so nice. The girl putting our box together was jam'n. Super on it. Lucky for me since I didn't remember my whole order!

This community cafe offers vegetarian fare from fresh ingredients sourced from their farms…read more The jalapeño ulu burger was fantastic (add the mango hot sauce they offer). The lunch was so good we bought the carrot cake and a French press coffee for desert. Highly recommend!

5 star for cleanliness and excellent ingredients…read more 2 Star for the Casava Pizza 2nd time trying Just thought maybe the first time I was wrong on flavor Again no flavor very bland.. I suggest a crispy crust and adding more of a rich flavor to the ingredients will make it pop. As everyone loves pizza.. This one was a big disappointment in flavor. 2 star Vegetarian sandwich with chickpea garlic mayo Bland. Try making a real garlic aioli. This upgrade would make those ingredients amazing.. It's super hard to destroy a vegetable sandwich. But that chickpea aioli did destroy the aioli concept. It tasted like a no flavor hummus. 5 star for the Durian smoothie my favorite here and going to just stick to the smoothie here forward Grateful for Sweet Cane for at least doing there best to offer High frequency food