There's something to be said about fresh, locally sourced food prepared in lively flavorful ways. We enjoyed the generous salad, multiple appetizers, and local meat and fish. Paula, our server was ultra helpful. We've been coming to this location since it was a diner, and the beautiful wood and glass room has only improved since being reinvented as FORC. Happy to keep coming during our frequent visits to the big island. read more

Forc - FORC wedge - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kamuela, Hawaii

Forc was a solid dinner pick for a casual meal. We shared the sashimi appetizer and it tasted very fresh. I ordered the miso butterfish, which was light and buttery, and it came with asparagus (subbed in since the kombucha squash wasn't available). For dessert we shared a crème brûlée to round things out. Big shoutout to the staff, who were genuinely kind and welcoming to our group, including our toddler. We came right at 5pm to be less disruptive, and it ended up being a great move. Overall, a dependable spot with good food and warm service. read more

Forc - Miso butterfish - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kamuela, Hawaii

Jessica at the bar is intelligent and great at making drinks. This is a favorite place in Waimea. Too 3 in this area for sure. Ocean and land items and tasty salads. So many drinks to choose from as well. I recommend anything on the menu. Great happy house but if you come during prime dinner time you should make reservations. read more

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Love FORC. We had been in 2023 and loved it then, but under new ownership it was even better. Paula was our server and she was friendly and helpful with our ordering. The food was so good we ended up ordering too much! Very tasty with unique flavoring. Highly recommend the journey up the hill if you are vacationing down by the coast. read more

9/20/26 - happy hour 3-5. Shared the happy hour ribs, wedge salad, humus, and spare ribs lettuce wraps. All delicious. Paula was our wonderful host! Highly recommend. read more

Our Kona vacation group were pretty unanimous in deeming Forc as the best meal we had on the island, and that's saying something, because we found a series of winners on this trip. We were able to reserve a table at Forc with just one day's notice. Overall, our group really enjoyed discovering the Waimea area in general, which offered a very nice break from the Waikoloa tourist resort scene. Bear in mind the climb in altitude from the coast can make a difference in temperature, so maybe bring your light coat if you have one. We were promptly seated upon arrival in a comfortable dining area, and service remained consistent throughout our experience. For ordering, I went with the Surf and Turf entree, which combined their version of a Miso Butterfish along with a Korean Shortrib. I have to say that it was not easy to pick from a menu list that really had such interesting and tempting options. For my order, I was pleased to find that each sub-entree came with a bed of its own starch and veggie presentation, which I thought was really impressive. The Miso Butterfish (similar to Black Cod Kasuzuke) was delicate and flavorful, with my only (minor) regret being that it only made up half of the Surf and Turf combination. That said, the Shortrib was no slouch, and on any other night would have made a highly recommended choice on its own. We ordered a bottle of wine for the table, and the pairing of a very reasonably priced Daou Cabernet Sauvignon out of Paso Robles off their wine list, was the perfect *chef's kiss* combination. I almost never post photos on Yelp, but I did for this meal, so take a look! Overall, pricing for the quality/quantity was very in line, and I'd return in a heartbeat. The Miso Butterfish is a "can't miss" if it sounds good to you. read more

Forc - The surf and turf. Magic on a plate x2! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kamuela, Hawaii

My husband and I wanted a nice steak dinner during our trip to the big island and we made a reservation at Forc. It was a very laid back lively place. We got the hummus as an appetizer, and I had a New York strip while my husband got the lamb. Everything was delicious and fresh. Probably the best lamb we've had in a very long time. Cooked perfectly, very tender, I don't normally like lamb and even I thought it was good. Our waitress was attentive and friendly, food came out at a nice pace. We didn't feel rushed, but weren't waiting around long either. read more

This is the second time we dined at FORC since it changed ownership. We really loved the food on the new menu and hospitality of the staff, old and new, on our first visit. Our first experience was very good-I'd made reservations online, but there was a glitch, and when we arrived they did not have our reservation. They still accommodated us, and found a table, even with a very full house. The front of the house did this all without making a big deal or a lot of hubbub, and made us feel very welcome. We decided to hold off on a review until we got the chance to go back for a second visit. The food was even more delicious and the staff made the experience even more enjoyable than the first time! We started with the strawberry spinach salad both times. Honestly, I have been thinking about this fresh, beautiful, bright salad since our first visit. I could eat this every single day and still crave it for my next meal. I had the pork chops the first meal-they were rich, and savory without being heavy. My husband had the Korean braised short ribs. They had great Korean/Hawaiian flavors without being too sweet, and were so tender. Tonight we started with the spinach/strawberry salad. I told my husband I would be making all my friends come here to share this salad with me at least twice a week. He ordered the short ribs again, and I had the Ali'i mushroom & spinach ravioli. The consistent quality and flavor of the short ribs from our first visit was exactly what my husband ways hoping for. Perfect balance of sweet and savory, and so tender. My ravioli was a perfect balance of earthy flavors, texture, and herbal sweetness. I promised myself that I would not eat too much, so I would have something to take home. I kept that promise, but just barely. The roasted shaved garlic, eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini and Ali'i mushrooms with the soft spinach and cheese ravioli was delightful. I could have eaten every bite, and the portions are very generous, but I wanted to savory the flavors one more day. We both saved small portions of our leftovers for tomorrow. I also want to make mention of the warm, welcome and great service from all the staff. Our server was Dillon. He was attentive and welcoming to every table. He was relaxed, friendly, and lighthearted. And the bartender who has been there for many years, made sure drinks were served and plates were cleared. It was a really lovely evening, with great food, amazing people, and community that appreciate the hard work of everyone involved. Thanks for a really lovely evening, FORC. read more

Forc provides a great dining experience. The ambiance, food and service were all top notch. There were so many things on the menu that looked delicious. I settled on the whole moi and it was incredible!! We will definitely be back. read more

Forc - Moi - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kamuela, Hawaii

Getting hospitality right can be hard, especially on holidays. Any restaurant that can" hit it out of the park" on NYE deserves 6 stars. Every thing about our visit was perfect. The lamb was amazing and all the portions here are beyond generous. Every member of the staff were delightful. We will be back soon! read more

Forc - Big Island Lamb with King Mushrooms - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kamuela, Hawaii

The ambiance was amazing. The waithelp and assistant was so attentive and of course the food was brilliant read more

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Chef Hess and his team has created a masterpiece. Fine dining, super local/super seasonal high quality food with a super relaxed atmosphere and amazing service. The diversity of the menu is wonderful given the small town feel. This place punches above its weight. And they have a fun and affordable bar menu. Dinner tonight for two with mains and drinks was around $85. Every bit as good as Manta, Browns, or Canoe House food wise at least than half the price. And a true small town Hawaiian vibe. This is now our favorite place on Big Island. read more

Forc - FOR custom Mai Tai. Fresh flowers on the table, and a small stemless flute of prosecco. Great start to our evening. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kamuela, Hawaii

Incredible food options, and beautiful environment for a date and for family! Clean, great service and amazing food! Drinks are amazing too read more

I only tried the drinks at this restaurant. But I like the ambience and the bartender was awesome. I'd like to go back to try their food. I'm sure it's amazing. But their cocktails are phenomenal. My sister got to come all a ranch water, which was very refreshing and light. I tried two different drinks, which was a li hing mui lemon spritz and an espresso martini. I love the saltines from the Li hing mui and the carbonation from the spritz. I ended with the espresso martini which was very strong and not so sweet. It was delicious and different. Great place to go for drinks! read more

Forc - Espresso martini - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kamuela, Hawaii

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Food was delicious!! We had the Moi with garlic fried rice!! Also the House Salad was awesome!! House made Portuguese Sweet bread just melted in your mouth!! read more

Forc - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kamuela, Hawaii

Loved the whole experience. Food delicious, warm welcoming and prompt service. Nice vibe and ambiance inside restaurant. Highly recommend. Pleasantly surprised to find a "kids and kupuna" offer for little ones and seniors. It was perfect for me! The misoyaki butterfish was amazing. read more

After reopening it's still great! Food is good. Still the only real happy hour in town! Service is great! Only negatives are the wife loved the signature sandwich at happy hour. Also the high tops were replaced with standard tables. Since they are next to bar seating half of your "view" is other people's behinds. Bring the high tops back! read more

Minus 1 star: bowl/plate came with white powder which upon inspection was detergent! We told server and there was no apology. No OMG that could've been bad to eat detergent. The sauces seemed forced, drizzled zigzag around the edges. Ube one looked unappetizing But the braised rib was well cooked. Fell off the bone. Though the sauce was bright red in a tacky way. Clam chowder had smoky goodness The fish was good Portuguese bread good Salad was ok. Sauce presentation:meh Dessert: Mac nut tart: delicious with Mac nut ice cream Strawberry pineapple sorbet: generous portion and not too sugary Liked that they had menu for 65+ year olds (same as keiki) Cool picnic table but giant red exit sign detracted from ambiance read more

we were visiting Waimea from California and stopped here for happy hour. we had several different menu items and cocktails. The bartender, Hannah was amazing!!!!! The food was delicious and we had a wonderful time read more

FORC is fantastic from the moment you walk in. The smells from the kitchen, the energy of the room, and the welcoming staff immediately make you feel at home. We grabbed a couple of drinks at the bar, and the FORC'n Dirty Martini was one of the best dirty martinis I've had. I easily could have had another. The staff was incredibly cool and made the whole experience even better. If you're looking for great drinks, amazing food, and a fun atmosphere, FORC is a must-visit. read more

First time coming to FORC and was very appreciative of Chef Allen Hess sharing his space to support Jillan Caribbean Pop Up. The restaurant is clean and staff is very friendly. The small touches make a huge difference. I can't wait to go back again. read more

Forc - October 4-6 2025 Hopefully more pop ups to come!! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kamuela, Hawaii

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Great food, friendly service, and chill vibes away from the crowds. It's nice to get away from the typical resort-style food strewn throughout the island. In the quaint, little Waimea town. Dress up or dress down and enjoy a farm- to- table type dinner. Updated atmosphere but still in a timeless, charming building that fit the asthetics of the island mountain town. Although the red meat dishes sounded delicious, we wanted to steer a different direction because we had steak the last few nights. The bone marrow and grilled oyster starter was delicious. Bone marrow on sweet hawaiian bread was such a perfect combo. Yellowtail sashimi was fresh, but I caught a small bone in one of my cuts, which was a first for me in sashimi. We got a special for the day, a whole, small fried fish. Perfectly cooked; Crisp on the outside and moist inside. It was paired with a great ponzu and fish sauce for dipping and the cold noodle served alongside gave a refreshing bite. The miso fish was good, but I think the fish was pretty single dimensional. The fish and white rice all gave the same flavor and texture. Although it was good, it could've used a bit more dynamics. Cocktails were good, many with infused alcohols which gave an elevated taste. Could've done with some desert but the menu for sweets was pretty slim and uninviting so we opted out. Overall, we enjoyed our date night here at FORC. read more

Dear Diner: Unfortunately, I usually order steak or fish, but last night, made an error of judgement and tried the tofu. Most items I wanted were out. It was a Monday night, so I understand. Even a mediocre chef in a fine dining experience can make tofu, work. This was not the case. It was plain, sliced and served slightly cooked, slathered with pre-made miso sauce. Two scoops rice, sautéed green beans. $28. The unfortunate part; we love this restaurant! It's obvious, chef caters to friends with huge portions and a kind heart. We were barely acquainted kama'aina. My apologies chef. I know it's my fault for going to a steak house and craving something light. "Lobster, out. Deep fried fish, out. My favorite Rombauer, out." As a past restaurant owner in Oregon, which we sold seven years ago, the financial management of a restaurant is not an easy task. However, you can take a simple ingredient, even tofu, and elevate it to great heights, if inspired. Chef, consider to reinvent the simple, lonely, and at times underrated, poor man's ingredient, Tofu. Try breading it with panko, deep fry, add some herbs or even observe how the finest Asian chefs treat it as king. We will return once more and enjoy the steaks, the fish and the brilliant Hawaiian plate lau lau. Consider to remove the tofu from your menu unless you decide to treat it with respect. In Japan, tofu has been revered as the affordable, high protein that sustained many during hard times. Today, it is hand made with love, as much so as the Kobe Beef. Gently Tempura, raw with ginger, scallion and soy sauce; so many variations. I give my review five stars, for the incredible staff, and out of respect for any chef who struggles to make ends meet, in a place that is difficult to make a living. Good luck. We will return for those huge portions served to our guest and for fish and ribs; steak and lau-lau, and poi! Mahalo. H. Nahoopii-Takata Reviewer read more

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We had a great time for Happy Hour with some friends we met. Our server Hannah was very nice, answered all my questions about drinks and food. She was busy behind the bar making up drinks for the evenings popular drinks. In the bar area is a television where you can catch a ballgame and enjoy Happy Hour that begins at 3:00pm. Dinner hour begins at 4:30 and can be served in their dining rooms which are very charming. From the Happy Hour menu I got soup of the day - portugués bean soup pretty interesting and good, a tomato base soup, parmesan fries and the sandwich. All were delicious. We would love to make it back for dinner!! read more

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We came in from Waikoloa for dinner and were thankful we had reservations based on some wait times at other places, although when we arrived at 6 there was plenty of seating. Despite not having a ton of people there was only one server which ended up being a bit challenging as we didn't get our drinks for a long time and refills of water took multiple requests. The food made up for it though!!! The beet salad, filet mignon, and chefs special were great. The sides were all incredible. The food really spoke for itself. The space is also really cute. Simple, comfortable, and beautiful. Would definitely go back! read more

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truly for a fresh & inspired menu and an exceptional wine list! Ambiance was island casual, chill and not pretentiousness. Service unfortunately did not measure up to the exceptional "everything else." Wine service was flawed as we ordered a half bottle of sparkling and also a bottle of red. The mistake was we got one glass of the red. Asked immediately to have this corrected and received our bottle but were charged for both the glass & the bottle. Ordered share style a whole fish & a tomahawk steak with 2 orders each for sides as well as bone marrow. Sides came as only singles and the bone marrow never came but certainly showed up on the check :( It's hard to judge this restaurant on its service as a whole with just one visit. But my first impression (limited as we were on vacation) is that the front of the house might need to up their game with more training as it definitely paled in comparison to "everything else." All said, should we return to the Big Island, we would most certainly go back to Forc!! read more

Forc - Tomahawk Steak perfectly done & great for sharing! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kamuela, Hawaii

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We went there last night and had one of the best meals ever. Service was fantastic. We brought our 2 kids ages 12 and 9. They devoured their short rib and mahi mahi. Both were made so well. The house salad was so good I want to replicate it. I know I cannot. We also had the miso buttefish and steak. Dessert was the panna cotta and chocolate creme brûlée. The vibe was perfect low key but nice. Phenomenal experience. read more

Wanted to love this place. We will try it again. They were completely overwhelmed on Father's day. Ran out of many items. My whole family was sick for about 24 hours after this meal, I did not get sick. I was the only one that did not eat raw fish here. Staff were pleasant, not too knowledgeable. Ambience was pleasant. Food tasted ok. Prime rib was tough, cooked too fast & too much. Chicken was ok. I hear it is usually quite good. Again, I feel, we must have come on a bad day. Presentation was fine. I hope to upgrade our review at a later date. We are in the area approx every 60 days or so. read more

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We celebrated our anniversary here and we really enjoyed it! We came from Oahu and was surprised how busy it was for a Thursday evening. This is your tip to make reservations (easily done online glad we did). We started with the clams portugese style and the fresh sashimi which was toro. The toro was the best weve had with fresh wasabi. The clams were also good with bits of sausage that had a nice kick. They gave us complimentary champagne and my husband enjoyed his old fashion while I paired a pinot noir from their nice wine list. I chose the lamb special $48 was a good deal for the special that had both lamb chops (2) and roast lamb which was served on pumpkin risotto with roasted veggies. My hubby had the prime rib loco moco with garlic rice. He enjoyed the char on his steak. Everything was great. Service was friendly, food was good, sweet atmosphere. We were lucky to get the last stall in the parking lot! My husband tried my lamb who isnt a big fan of lamb but said it was the best he had! Definitely will recommend read more

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I just had a cut of steak so good that if they only served this cut off steak on Sunday it would start its own religion. And don't even get me started on the bar. If I knew the bartenders name I'd have to name my next child after them. read more

Best meal we had on the Big Island. Every item we ordered was superb and unique--Mai Tai cocktails, goat tacos and Korean beef rib lettuce wraps for starters (both exceptional!), Coffee rub steak and surf (monkfish) and turf (Korean ribs) for entrees, and chocolate macadamia nut tart with macadamia ice cream for dessert (plenty for two because it's rich). The service was also outstanding. Jessica was attentive, helpful, cheerful and friendly. A must do special evening! I even liked the music! Mahalo! read more

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I have not eaten everywhere on the Big Island but I'm still confident this is the best place for food - and cocktails!! Highly recommend the happy hour (HH) for the greatest value! I wanted to go back every day for every meal :) 1 HH Fresh Poke $16 - plentiful and fresh 1 HH Signature Sandwich $12 - cheesy beef sandwich when i went. this was the star of the meal, star of my trip, and one of the best things i've ever eaten in my entire life!!! it was super rich, yet a handful of ingredients, packed with amazing flavor!!! 1 HH Portuguese Mussels $14 - tastey! 1 HH Goat Tacos $12 - homemade tortillas made this creative dish 1 HH Housemade Jalapeño Tequila Margarita $8 - just wish it was bigger lol 1 HH Ube Lemondrop Martini $10 - not my favorite as the glitter threw me off but it was good read more

We were in Waimea for an appointment and finished early so we stopped in for happy hour at FORC. Service was wonderful at the bar. Had the jalapeño margarita which is fantastic. Hubby had a few beers on tap. We shared the signature sandwich, lemon-Parmesan-truffle fries, mussels with Portuguese sausage and the poke which is one of the best we have ever had. Great location, very nice interior and friendly service. You can bet we will make the drive from Kona just to return here. Mahalo for an outstanding experience read more

Forc - Lemon, parm truffle fries, signature sandwich, daily poke , mussels with Portuguese sauce - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kamuela, Hawaii

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The food was delicious. I wish I could come back here. The drinks were good too. This is a nice cozy restaurant with friendly staff and good vibes read more

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Two stars means "could've been better" according to Yelp, and that's the truth for our meal here. Despite having a reservation, we waited a long time to even get seated, and then a long wait for our orders to get taken, then a long wait for our food, etc. If the food had been amazing, it would be a different story, but sadly, it was not. My husband ordered the New York strip with mushrooms, and the mushrooms were by far the star of the plate. I could eat a bowl of them. ;) However, the steak was incredibly stringy and chewy. I ordered the $48 lamb entree, and got one small double lamb chop and a tiny portion of confit lamb inside the large tomato that dominated the plate. The lamb chop was overcooked, the confit was good, but ridiculously small portions and I didn't care for the tomato at all. Kiddo enjoyed his keiki fish bowl and even ate his veggies. ;) They did send out three of their fresh bread rolls while we were waiting for our food - sweet bread is always a hit, but I didn't need them basted in melted butter before serving. Overall, this was a miss for us unfortunately. read more

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Forc is a great place for food and drinks in Waimea...such a nice suprise. We especially enjoyed the unique Mai Tai's made by the friendly bartender, Hannah, that included muddled pineapple (a first for us). The bacon was amazing too! We'll definitely return to Force again on our next trip. read more

Forc - Mai Tai made by Hannah at Forc - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kamuela, Hawaii

This place was worth the drive. The short rib was very good with the broccoli & potatoes. The waiter was very honest. She let me and my guest know the steaks were tough before we placed our order. I did not like the taste of my pineapple cocktail but my guest had the Kamuela Ranch Water and it was good! I will be back! read more

Forc - Pineapple - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kamuela, Hawaii

"We don't come to Hawaii for the cuisine" is our mantra when visiting the islands. Meaning, we manage our expectations- especially on the Big Island where service workers and ingredients are tougher to come by. That said, FORC is more of a farm to table establishment that makes liberal use of its local ingredients. For starters, I had the beet salad and my husband had the wedge salad. Entrees: I had the miso butter fish and my husband had the coffee rubbed strip steak. We took a pass on dessert because we were on day 5 of our trip and starting to get restaurant fatigue ;-) Overall, they really try here. Which is to say, it's good...but not great. The service was a bit slow, and the food was was just missing something I can't really pinpoint. We drove 30 minutes to get to this place; knowing that- I'm not sure we would return. I should mention we are from San Francisco where the bar for this kind of cuisine is very high. If you are in the area, give it it a shot. read more

Food was amazing - seasoned well. They have the best steak!!! Service was as amazing as the food! Ambiance is really cozy, perfect for date nights. read more

Forc - Prime rib- Korean Sause - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kamuela, Hawaii

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Instagram: KonaFoodie Explore one of our favorite date night spots, Forc in Waimea. We couldn't resist the Laulau, bone marrow, and goat tacos - absolute culinary perfection! Farm to fork. read more

Forc - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kamuela, Hawaii