One of my go-to places in Hilo to pick up a bento. Located next door to KTA Puainako, Hiro's has been a staple of mine and I've been coming here since I was a child! The place operates like a lunch counter where you can either order from the food they already have out in the warmers or a plate off the menu. In addition to the hot food line, they keep a variety of bentos out so you can grab and go. I love how affordable this place is. I typically come here to grab a breakfast bento when I'm on my way to work and the breakfast bento costs $5.95 plus tax at the time of this review (February 2025). The breakfast bento comes with a choice of breakfast meat (including spam, bacon, and sausage), one egg, kamaboko, and rice. Location is also fantastic. With Hiro's being next door to KTA, there is so much parking available and it's so easy to get to as it's on the corner of two major roads in Hilo. Service is also great every time I come, and the staff working the counter are always nice. There's a seating area just outside with plenty of tables and chairs, as well as any condiments you need. read more

Hiro's Place - Breakfast bento with bacon - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Service was great and fast. It's a little hole in the wall kind of a place with plenty of options. We both ordered mini breakfast plates and we were both disappointed when we got our plates. We both ordered over easy eggs and were very disappointed when we got sunny side up eggs instead. They are similar but they are not the same. Because they were sunny side up the whites were not fully cooked. The corn beef hash patties were small with large chunks of potatoes so not much actual meat. read more

Hiro's Place - Mini Breakfast, corned beef hash with hash browns and "over easy" eggs (they were actually sunny side up) - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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This place is a hit or kiss but today it was definitely a hit. I ordered chicken katsu and they give a lot. Service was great and the food was even better. read more

Need to ease up on the salt. There needs to be food quality control for the employees that prepare the food that was made for today 12/19/25. Food: my husband had the fried rice, turkey tail, and Mac salad. I had the fried rice, lau lau, and Mac salad. The turkey tail, Mac salad, and lau lau was so salty. We could hardly eat it. You no need to put salt on luau leaf I'f get salt already in the pork. read more

Sweet sour spareribs didn't taste sweet or sour Lectin tasted like vinegar and salt Macaroni salad was also salty I've eaten there many of times but I've never been so dissatisfied with the taste of the food I think it's just a matter of someone tasting the food when it's made to be sure the taste is correct read more

There are chefs that are out to make money and there are chefs that began simply becaueebthey like to cook. This place is obviously because of the live of cooking. This place is definitely not out to make money as you can see by the prices. 2 plates- 24 bucks (can be higher depending on what you choose but the misses and i did not finish even though we really wanted to). Told them you know right down the road 24 bucks was only one plate. They didn't care. They just wanted to cook and provide a really good meal. I will return every chance I get. read more

This is a great place for affordable breakfast and lunch. The food is really good, I saw lots of locals eating here, so that's a good sign!

When Hilo people come to Honolulu, they get depressed at our prices and portions. When I exiting the plane, the guy next to me told me "I just landed and want to go back to Hilo". He told me how Rainbow drive in was not the same and that lunch can cost $40 and he could still be hungry. I get it. He probably frequents places like Hiro! This place has been around FOREVER! I remember it as a kid and honestly I never tried the places left of KTA. We walk into KTA and then leave. I have heard of people going to Hiro's and ordering bentos etc.. and I am sure I ate their bentos, but I have never been there. Well, the other day, I went to Jack in the Box (more on that on another review) and didn't want to eat a burger. I wanted maybe a Bento from KTA. Well, KTA didn't have anything I wanted so I was walking back and saw a bunch of people eating outside Hiro's. I figured.... might as well try. I walked in and ordered a hamburger steak plate. Mac salad? OK, rice? Yeah! I paid for my order and was handed the take out container. WHAT IS IN HERE! It felt like 5 pounds or something!!!! I mean, it was heavy! I took it home and was greeted with 4 burgers in gravy with onions. Mac salad. Lots of rice! Not only that, it was good. I mean as good as any place I have tried for this. I couldn't eat it all.... I mean I could if I wanted to go comatose!!!!!!! I think this place is GOOD! It's local Hilo-style at its best. It was so much food that I skipped dinner because I was still full...... of good food! I'm giving them 5 stars because I can! read more

Went there to buy lunch. The steam table looked pretty good so I decided to try the hamburger curry since it's a dish that can't possibly be screwed up. But I was wrong. It was sweet and not what it should be. Granted, there was a lot in plate but I couldn't eat it. read more

When the end of the afternoon is coming and you haven't eaten yet, come by here and get a quick lunch plate, The quick things you can get are the teriyaki chicken , the pork Lau Lau. They even had dinuguan, which I had to get. Service was fast and friendly. The food was pretty good. When I come Back gotta try other options Outside seating but on a beautiful day , can't have it any other way read more

My friend frequents this place often and likes the amount of food given for the price paid. We decided to stop for breakfast. It's located in the same area as KTA Puainako next to a lot of other small restaurants and shops and across of Jack in the Box. Parking will never be an issue as the parking lot is huge. I wanted to try their fried rice special since my friend told me it was delicious. Then I found out that there was spam, which I don't eat anymore, so I opted for their big breakfast plate that came with 2 eggs, 3-5 pieces of meat (depending on the meat choice; chose Portuguese sausage (4p)), and toast with either rice or hash browns (wasn't given an option to choose, lol). Standard breakfast for only $6. Not a bad price honestly! My friend got their shoyu chicken and sweet & sour pork. I took a bite out of both, and they were both full of flavor! I liked them but not my choice of foods for breakfast. Definitely a cheap and quick place to grab breakfast and/or lunch foods! They also sell premade bentos which are all under $6. read more

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Customer service sucks. Very rude staff. Young staff drunks in front of counter. No smiles, ni thank yous, only attitude. Place is not clean. Same.rag to wipe counter is the same rag used to wipe spills on plates/bowls. They were just closed down on Friday 3/28/25 by SOH Dept of Health due to multiple violations such as demonstrating inability to maintain proper food safety procedures such as food not properly stored in right temperatures. Because of this, I do not recommend that pace at all. In order to post this review, it needed a star. Hence only one star. read more

Very convenient. Good service and price. The fish tempura part and the rice were good. Chicken not so much.

Affordable! To me best tasting fried rice. Eggs cooked to perfection. A goof selection of breakfast and lunch plates. Wished it was open like before all day. But still the best go to restaurants for pick up sometimes door dash love it read more

Located in the shopping mall next to KTA Grocery Store, Hiro's has a selection of bentos and plate lunches at very affordable prices. The staff are friendly and efficient. I tried the pork tofu with rice and mac salad. The pork tofu was fresh and the pork was tender, but the sauce was a little too sweet for my taste. My significant other had the 2-choice plate lunch of meat loaf and pork adobo. The pork adobo was winner! Yum! read more

Great variety of food, hot and ready no wait. Our go to stop for breakfast and a bento for lunch on a work day. Portions are good, price is reasonable. If your from Oahu and like Marian's fish tempura, Hiro's is better. If you need catering pans, this is our go to place. chicken katsu, fish tempura and nori chicken. You need small to large bentos for your kids sports teams, this is the place to go. read more

I enjoy the different variety foods, one of the only places you can get Filipino food options. The owner works hard! She's killing it every day and I appreciate her. He staff is an extension of her, always courteous and quick!!! Love this place FYI they recover well, once my order got mixed up and they were so nonchalant about it, like no worries we'll take care of that!!! I appreciate a good recovery, mistakes happen! Try them!!!!! read more

The older lady there couldn't get my order correct. Because of her assumption i had to correct her twice on what I wanted. What tripped me out is she asked for payment (which I did with cash) but not at the end of the line where the cash register is at but done over the actual hot food dishes behind the steaming glass. read more

Rude ass workers both times we went . Food was very oily , da kine I bite into the chicken and an unholy amount of oil is dripping off my chin . The second time we had went in the worker was very rude and seemed irritated by us asking what the foods were as if there are signs to tell us what it is . As if I'm not one of the customers that help put money to those paychecks .... I bet you hate your job but don't be rude to me lol I enjoyed the Mac salad :) . Maybe I'll give um another try and can update my review . read more

It's a little whole-in-the-wall spot in the KTA shopping center. They offer a variety of daily specials along with their regular plates, bowls, bento's, etc. The Shoyu Chicken and Fried Rice was on the list of daily specials for Monday, and it was tasty. I had a small bento with Musubi and Korean Chicken, that was very satisfying. I recommend this place if you're looking for a quick pick-up, something tasty and it's definitely good price. read more

Hiro's Place - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Went here a few months ago to my usual spot but they had no hash browns. Now their is a market less than 75 yards away. I guess they do not know that's what frozen hash browns patties are made from. Ok so this past Wednesday again no hash browns. Well you just lost a customer that came daily. Now you lost a customer and gain somebody who will talk bad about your restaurant. I would rather eat crusty breakfast burritos from 7-Eleven than eat at this establishment. read more

Hiro in Hilo? We had just gotten off the plane at Kailua Kona airport, rented a car and driven 2 hours on the Saddle road through the heart of the island and construction zone, through Hilo, and on our way to the Volcano, when we spot Hiro in Hilo. The wife makes a beeline for the public bathroom a few doors down, next to the supermarket. 80 degrees in December, we can go to Hiro in Hilo or the Jack in the Box across the shopping center. Hiro's is a bare bones place where you go inside, check out the food in open trays before you, and place your order, with a list of daily specials handwritten on the blackboard. I rarely comment on poor service but this place is an exception. The lady taking the orders behind the counter is a bit obnoxious, even for me, as she has a surly attitude and can be like the Seinfeld soup Nazi, very abrupt, unfriendly, and curt, when it comes to answering questions about the food, and choices. I order the pork adobe,while the wife gets the fried chicken, each dish with three scoops of rice. I would have preferred the two scoops of rice and macraroni, but got it garbled in the translation with the pigin English speaking lady behind the counter. We pay for our order, and bring the styrofoam boxes outside to sit on the shaded picnic tables. The pork adobe is a bit on the salty side, with sweet potatoes, besides the scoops of rice, but is tasty. The wife, despite not eating for 6 hours, finds the fried chicken to be inedible, and peels off the fried covering, reducing the chicken to half its size, and eats only the chicken. I eat all six scoops of rice on both plates, with us tossing the uneaten fried chicken coverings in the styrofoam container into the trash bin nearby. A local white guy comes by on his bike with a month old beard, digs through the bin, and opens up our container, and eats the remainder of the fried chicken! Well if it is good enough for a local, then it's got to be good! Wife doesn't like hamburger joints, but says the next time we stop here, we are going to the Jack in the Box across the shopping center, rather than Hiro in Hilo! read more

Hiro's Place - pork adobo - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Our favorite place to grab a bento to take with us exploring the Big Island!!! Plan on just picking up your meals to go. If you're feeling like something else just walk next door in the Asian supermarket. read more

Small local spot - great food! I had the Loco Moco bowl - my wife enjoyed an omelette. Made fresh and quick! read more

Hiro's Place - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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One of the best value plate lunches in Hilo. Food is good, the mac salad is great, and the portions sizes gives you a good value. The have a steam table so you can see what you are ordering read more

My friend bruddah Ken, had told me a few times to check out this place just next door from the KTA (Puainako Branch) - Hiro's Place. Well last week Friday, while running around in the Pahoa & Keaau area.........while heading back to Hilo to catch my flight home, I had a little time to stop by & finally try Hiro's. I'm glad I stopped by........it's kinda reminds me of a local style Panda's, or a Patti's Chinese Kitchen, but instead of serving Chinese food, they sell local kine grindz! They also serve pre-made Bento's, & plate lunches. But since I needed something fast that day, I just picked whatever they had as far as hot entree choices avaiable at that time. For my lunch, I ended up getting a two choice place, which I picked - Fried Chicken & Sweet/Sour Spare Ribs. It comes with White Rice, Brown Rice, Fried Rice, & Mac Salad. I ended up just getting Fried Rice, & I skipped out on the Mac Salad. About the grub - The Fried Chicken was crispy, but it wasn't temperature hot. As for the Sweet/Sour Spare Ribs..........ummmmm! It had little chunks of pineapple & some other kind of vegetable in it (don't know what it was). The spare ribs was all so soft, and the taste of the sauce was just perfect! I would come back here just to eat this again! There is no inside seating..........you order your food, and go outside & sit on the open tables outside of the restaurant, There is lots of parking, as Hiro's is located just next door to the KTA Super Store, and other businesses. Check 'em out gang! read more

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Great food! Amazing prices- would come again just for the reasonable prices alone! The service was great, friendly smiles all around! Wouldn't necessarily recommend the Mac salad here, as I did not personally enjoy it - my opinion though!! I love the Oahu type of Mac salad. read more

2.5 stars. Food, wasn't the freshest and meats were dry but the flavors were pretty good. Had pork and peas with mac salad and a mound of diabetic rice. The mac was heavily coated with mayo and it didn't taste bad but then again mayo on an old shoe is pretty good too. I want to come back and try something else next time. Hoping to add more stars. read more

The loco moco is great and so is the breakfast selection. They are very quick to make your order and it's packed with flavor. read more

Excellent service and food was delicious . I ordered 20 Bento's for our Soccer Tournament last Saturday! Everyone was shocked at the size and assorted items on the plate. Definitely a go to on our next trip! Prices were very reasonable for what we got! read more

Their roast turkey every Friday is a winner with portions enough for two meals. The service is quick and efficient.

Always happy to eat at Hiro's Best eating place around. Food is always Hot and very good. Chicken long rice and Beef stew Lau Lau I give Hiro's a 5 star Review Town & Country Movers Robert read more

Korean chicken is the best! And they have different types of Shoyu, keeps the whole family happy.

We love it here! The service is fast and the people are very helpful, patient and friendly. This is a great local place to come to get your grindz at. They have a Menu board for breakfast and another for lunch and many great bentos that will fill your tummy for sure. They also have great outdoor seating that is clean and great to start a conversation while waiting on your ordered food which doesn't take long. But you know us, we talk fast enough to get to know one another and it's a great start of your day place. I gave it 4 stars because I'm trying to watch what I eat, more veggies but overall great! read more

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Local style plate breakfast, lunch, snacks, etc. Next Stop Hiro's . Garanz you goin like um! Dis da place Loco Peoples! Try um, you goin Like um You bring yo Ohana hea, you goin be one HERO read more

Kind of average, if I'm honest. Had a bento box lunch and found it bland. My companion liked her fried chicken, though. Drink refills are $0.75, which seemed a little penny-pinching. Outdoor picnic tables are nice, though. read more

Yelp Challenge 365 # 196/365 This is my 366th review on Yelp. 2012 is Leap year with 366 days..... 366th review for 366 days in 2012! Here's my story: I am from the little town of Hilo and a long time ago, my first part time job was at a fast food joint then known as the "Snack Rack". Today, it's known as Hiro's Place so I was curious as to how and what the old joint Snack Rack evolved to. I was pleasantly surprised. They have bento lunches in 3 sizes: mini ($2.95) regular ($3.95) and supreme ($4.95) and they are all very very good. For no specific reason and knowing I would not be able to eat the entire meal, I tried the supreme size and YEP..... I had left overs which made my dinner. They have a hot counter also where you can order their prepared entrees and the food looked so good I wanted to order one of each..... (eating with my eyes can be a dangerous thing) I am told their specialty is the fried chicken. It was good. They fry the chicken and then dip the entire piece of chicken in some sweet sauce. The crispy fried skin holds its shape even after getting dipped into the sweet sauce. A definite must have if you are in the area. And be sure to try their macaroni salad. (The mac salad is not offered in the ready packed bento lunches.) Oh, I'd recommend their noodles too (instead of rice) AND the entire menu is priced RIGHT (cheap for the quantity and quality). One down side: their tables outside where you can sit and eat is not appealing. I'd order the food "to go" and head down to the beach which is a quick drive north of the store. read more

This place picks out vegetables from the garbage in the kitchen and serves it as toss salad I personally know a few workers there and they talk, and BEWARE OF OWNER she isn't as nice as she presents herself. read more

I made an order through express waiters and paid for a 3 choice plate but only received a 2 choice. I ordered white rice, chicken katsu, hamburger patty, and fried chicken. instead i received white rice, hamburger patty, and korean chicken. extremely disappointed. read more

Hiro's Place - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

What this place has going for them is a) large selection of entrees b) big portions and c) low price. What it doesn't have going for it is a) staff is not at all friendly to tourists b) fried items are excessively greasy and c) food is warm but far from hot. Would I come here again? Probably not. Like another Yelper said, there's better places nearby. However, they seem to shut down earlier than Hiro's. So, if you have a hankering for some quick and cheap Hawaiian style food, I certainly wouldn't steer you away from here if this was your only choice in places to go at that time, but I certainly wouldn't recommend it if somewhere else was open either. One two item combo and one three item combo plus two medium drinks = $19. read more