On our last few trips to Hilo, we stayed at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel and haven't been disappointed…read more For convenience, the hotel has two restaurants in the lobby. Wai Oli is also two businesses in one - it serves as a morning/brunch cafe for coffee and pastries, then transforms into a casual evening restaurant for dinner as well as live music and a bar space. On our first night we were too tired to go out in the rain, so we tried the Red Rice with Chamorro spices and sauces, and a Club sandwich with fries. The food is excellent, prices about what you'd expect in a hotel. The tap list is also pretty good with macro lagers and locally brewed selections from Big Island Brewhaus and Hilo Brewing Co among others. Service is good, with friendly servers. The view is also excellent with clear views of Hilo Bay right outside. They also have outdoor tables on the lanai.

Great restaurant bar to grab a bite and a beer at. They now have live music everyday.read more

I've been traveling around the world for four decades, and I've been traveling to Japan three times…read morea year for the past 25 years. Over the years, my palate has become accustomed to experiencing different flavors, seasonings, and textures, so I really appreciate food that is well prepared and thoughtfully seasoned. The food here was awesome, and the seasonings were definitely there! Our waiter was attentive, knowledgeable, and very friendly. He even gave us a kamaʻāina discount since we were born, raised, and live here in the islands. I thought that was such a wonderful gesture. It's always nice when a restaurant takes care of and appreciates the local community. The left side of the restaurant was beautiful, with a gorgeous mural of a woman surrounded by flowers. The view was also spectacular and really added to the overall experience. The only disappointment I had was with the menu. There were items listed on the online menu that were not available on the menu at the restaurant. In fact, the main reason I went there was because I wanted to try the calamari I had seen online. Unfortunately, it wasn't on the current menu. I really wish they would keep their online menu updated so customers know what is actually available. I also ordered the seared scallops, which were $44 for three scallops and a scoop of fried rice. For me, that felt quite pricey for the portion. Overall, I enjoyed the food, service, atmosphere, and beautiful view. I just hope they update their online menu and reconsider some of the pricing and portions.

I'm not sure that I have ever felt the need to talk about a hotel restaurant before but much to my…read morepleasant surprise, this place, to me, warrants it. Over our time in Hilo, we ate here a few times trying both lunch, dinner and late-night bar stuff. Let me start with some links: 1. Is the link for dining at the Doubletree in general 2. The current lunch menu 3. The current dinner menu They do have a menu for their lobby bar, but it is not online and then a separate late night bar menu after 9pm which is just a salad and three or four pizza varieties which cannot be ordered at other times. www.grandnaniloahilo.com/dining-bar.htm www.grandnaniloahilo.com/files/7344/Ka_Lihikai_Lunch_Menu_8.2026.pdf www.grandnaniloahilo.com/files/7344/Dinner_Menu_5.2026.pdf The one noteworthy quirk here is that between 4pm and 5pm the only things you can order are the few small light bites from their Happy Hour menu. Lunch stops at 4pm and dinner starts 5pm just like at the bar late night, technically it says the kitchen is open until 11pm but the bar staff will tell you to get your orders in by 10:30 at the latest. We tried a wide range of things such as the pizza (basil-pesto was great), edamame from the happy hour menu, north shore garlic shrimp, lamb chops and the seared scallops. All were good with the only real knock being that the scallop dish only had three scallops which to me is an app, not an entree. No issue with anything in terms of quality or flavor and if you're sitting close to the rear windows or out front when the doors are open, the breeze and ambiance are great. There is also live music a few nights a week which was an added bonus. It goes without saying that the pricing is definitely island/hotel pricing but all of the staff we encountered were great and the food was more than good enough that we enjoyed spending a meal in. No problem coming back.

Awesome vibe, i went there with a few friends and there was an event happening there at the time we…read morewas attending. small lil area, had a few booths as well, & we got to sing karaoke. Service was awesome, i got to meet the owner, sweet old lady, very friendly too. staff was also friendly! definitely did go back and they remembered us!

Best homemade local food in Hilo!!! It is truly exceptional and filled with heart, soul, and LOVE!…read moreNo matter what I order, the food is absolutely amazing. Sarrah's talent in combining ingredients will leave you in awe, making your dining experience truly unforgettable. They also have the best free Karaoke in Hilo on Thursday and Sunday night! The best sound system in Hilo! Come for the food, get an amazing cocktail, and sing your heart out.

Local dive bar for regular Pau Hana's!…read more This place was made for the local aunties and uncles. We came here after work on a Friday Night. Right away Aunty Joy greeted us with her pretty smile! Got us our drinks and gave us pupus! She made her rounds regularly and talked story with us between rounds. So sweet. Had live music playing and had the most fun time with the later waitresses that came in for their night shift. This is a mom and pop dive bar. Less Michelin star and more homey feel. Defs go back and talk story with aunty!

Hottest staff, bar none. The absolute BEST people; period. This place is a hidden gem. The people…read morethere are the epitome of Aloha. They are the absolute BEST.

I had The Hidden Nene bookmarked when I was planning out my trip to Hilo and I couldn't be happier…read morewith my experience at the speakeasy. My wife and I stopped by for pre-dinner drinks and we absolutely loved the drinks that we were able to try out. I started out with a cocktail called the "Spam Dram", a crispy Spam fat-washed barrel-proof bourbon, combined with seared Spam and nori syrup and topped off with a spam musubi garnish. As one might guess, this drink was presented in a spam musubi tin, and atop the bed of crushed ice was an *entire* spam musubi. The drink was a perfect representation of spam musubi in a glass -- sweet, savory, and full of umami. Props to whichever bartender put together this creative drink. The next drink I ordered was the "Smoky Bear", another bourbon based cocktail. This one had bird's eye chili essence in it, and was much closer than your traditional Old Fashioned, except it had an incredible amount of smokiness and a punch of heat to it as well. If you enjoy stiff drinks with complexity, look no further than this cocktail. While we were seated at the bar, we overheard somebody close to us mentioning a password special that had been posted on the Instagram page of The Hidden Nene. We checked their latest story posted two hours earlier and the password special for the day was a "fizz me baby one more time", a strawberry and yuzu gin fizz. My wife ordered this cocktail as her second drink and loved how refreshing the drink tasted. Overall, if you consider yourself a cocktail connoisseur, you owe it to yourself to check out The Hidden Nene if you're in Hilo.

The coastal town of Hilo hides the fantastic speakeasy, The Hidden Nēnē. Head down the stairs by…read morethe green door, and it becomes less hidden, and you can see the sign for the basement level bar. The underground space is low green lighting, a long bar, and green velvet bar chairs. We went during the day, so they were not busy, and were able to sit at the bar. The service was quick, relaxed, and friendly. The cocktails are upscale priced, but well made. They do offer a full food menu, we did not order any food on our visit.

I have been wanting to visit this bar for a long time. At first I was a little intimidated. It…read moreseemed very local and not welcoming. This couldn't be farther from the truth. It's a great local dive bar. The staff and customers are very very friendly. It is situated right on a little Lagoon. Lots of ducks on the grass. There was a fun crowd, singing karaoke. The views are great if you get a table out on the patio, I think I found my new favorite hangout. I almost don't want word to get out so it gets overrun by tourists. Again, this is a very, very friendly place. The Good: just about everything. The staff the customers the view. The Bad: nothing really. But it is a little hard to find so do your homework. Chances I'll be Back: For sure! what a great vibe what a great place

Local dive bar on a nice lake…read more Got Laulai so that's already 5 star haha Even Pastelea and chilli cheese dogs! When you're lucky miso saimin... Can order delivery too! Live music on some days, darts on others, and billiards on, live music on other. Super clean bathroom!

Great service. Great food. Nice people. Easy to get to and friendly staff. Menu has a great…read morevariety. Drinks are the best

I wish I could update this in a good way, but they haven't improved since they lost one of their…read morechefs. Took my sister and brother in-law this time. They were highly disappointed, as their second visit, and first was dismal as well. I wish I could report a better experience, but this was the last time, and our family is not going back again. What a shame, as the servers are So nice! I wonder how many people say nothing, because the servers are very nice, but they just won't be back.

Margarita Village LLC was totally not what I was expecting. I figured my boyfriend and I would walk…read morein to a Jimmy Buffet feeling type bar, but were instead walked in to a dive bar! Granted, the outside looks a little rough. There's mostly neon signs looking out at you from the dark inside. When you walk in, you'll notice the floors are concrete and that there are pool tables. Walking in, it seemed like the place has seen better days. However, looking at everyone in the bar, they all seemed like someone you could easily strike up a conversation with. My boyfriend and I were mostly looking forward to trying a margarita. We both ended up with a POG margarita. If you're unfamiliar with what POG juice is, it is Pineapple, Orange, and Guava juices mixed together. While the margarita was very strong, overall it was a delicious drink! We even got to try Lihing mui powder. If you go, look it up and ask for a glass rimmed with it! There is no air conditioning within the bar but we'd been there after sunset and didn't really feel hot. The bartender Kya? Kia? was so wonderful! After checking out the reviews, I did see some negative Nancy's on the platform talking about how this felt like a 'locals only' place. When I walked in, I made sure to strike up conversation with Kya and asked how her day was. Everyone on the island realizes you are probably vacationing. I was treated so wonderfully and Kya even gave me a recommendation for a hike in the national park. Be so kind to people and you will always make a friend! If dive bars are your thing, definitely check out Margarita Village! The margs are plenty!

5 stars for mozzarella sticks in a hurry. When the craving kicks in & they can get it out to you in…read more3 min and in a to go box $10 for 12 of them

Service Was Great, The Owner & The Workers Are Very Sweet & Helpful. Not As Busy, But Still Have A…read moreGreat Time. Sing Karaoke & Conversate With Others. Also Pretty Clean To My Knowledge. Definitely Clean Restrooms Too. Not Filthy.

This place is bomb iv been coming here for years thanks for all the good vibesread more

We enjoyed an evening eating and drinking outside listening to a live band. Older crowd, great…read moremusic, had to be careful as it was pouring rain and the tarps didn't all cover the eating area. Large selection of beers, including a very nicely priced beer tower. Equally wide selection of foods, their moco loco was great. The real highlight was the attentive service. Our server went above and beyond to ensure we wanted for nothing. She was wonderful.

I was traveling through town and visited the Tavern in part of an experience of Hawaii. The food…read morewas decent but got sexually harassed by a guest musician after his show. The male violinist was polite to buy me a drink and a side of fries but immediately after the show ended and his bandmates left, he demanded I have intimacy with him immediately in his car. When I said no he got very mad and stomped his feet. Luckily I was able to escape without him following me home.He is from Santa Monica and his female bandmate has a gem shop on the board walk. I consider this man very dangerous. Experience April 1 2025.