I've been here for breakfast and dinner. Both times, I left full and contented! Dinner: dad ordered pork ribs, which were amazing. It's 2 full racks of ribs that fall off the bone. I ordered the "small plate" nachos which are actually massive. I was only able to eat a third of them before getting full. They're delicious though. I especially loved the goat cheese and tropical fruit salsa. They compliment each other very well. Breakfast: I had the luau omelette, which was stuffed with onions, cheese, and kalua pork. The omelette as a whole wasn't super flavorful and needed plenty of salt and pepper. The pork inside was not as good as kalua pork I've had on Oahu. It was enough for 2 meals but I ate it in one sitting. My 22-month-old son had the keiki scramble with a fruit bowl. He devoured the eggs and piece of bacon and then asked for more. Basically, the food is tasty, the service is attentive and friendly, and the drinks are delicious. I recommend getting a dirty chai blended. Yum! read more

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Was amazing and our waiter was on top of it and so funny. The perfect welcome to Kona and it's people. Plus the outstanding food read more

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Had high hopes, but left disappointed. Came for New Years Eve and had a reservation. We were seated quickly in the surprisingly only half full restaurant. Our waitress brought our waters with her fingers all around the rim of the glasses. Then she took our drink order and said she'd be back with the drinks and to take our order. She came back with no drinks and we ordered shrimp cocktail as an appetizer (complete rip off...6 small grocery store style shrimp for $17), and our entrees. Our shrimp arrived, then our dinner and still no drinks. Finally after starting eating, our drinks were dropped off. All night it seemed our waitress seemed like she was hoping she would have had the night off and wanted to be anywhere but serving her tables. An unfortunate dinning experience to end the year. read more

Great view and service. They have a great system where you order from your phone but could order from the staff as well. Food was also great and they have a happy hour menu as well. I went without a reservation but they did ask at the front when I got there so might be best to make a reservation just in case. read more

Tawney was our server and she was absolutely amazing. Cups always full, and came by so many times to ask if we need anything. All the recommendations came out in generous portions and tasted out of this world! Especially the fresh baked Pull apart cinnamon bun. She's a little bundle of energy that could not have been a better server. Unstoppable service powerhouse. Highly recommend this place to anyone! read more

Island Lava Java - Drag It Thru the Garden Pull apart Big Island basic - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

This is a really fun spot for good food, drinks, and people watching on the big island's west coast. The big island pizza is what mainlanders wish our Hawaiian pizzas tasted like. Rather than canned pineapple and Canadian bacon, theirs is made with freshly chopped fruit and kalua pork. It was exactly the right contrast between sweet, smoky, and cheesy. The Huli wings were also a pleasant surprise. We didn't have time to sample Huli Huli chicken while on the island so this was a great sample of that uniquely delicious preparation. Everything was well portioned. They have a large selection of libations that we didn't take advantage of so be sure to check that out for a good time. read more

Service: greeted upon arrival, prompt, and courteous. Food: we ordered the island style pancakes (I think it was bAnana baked into it, sprinkled with a generous amount of macadamia nuts and went great with the coconut syrup) with applewood smoked bacon and a cup of fruit. My bf got the fresh fish Benedict which was pretty good too ! I liked how the eggs are situated on a croissant.., yum ! Coffee: you have to have kona coffee while you're in Hawaii! They serve 100% kona coffee in their coffee beverages with a nice selection of coffee choices. Try the JAVA LAVA shake-so amazing! They also have frappes, iced coffees, hot coffee, mocha, and different other coffee beverages so it's also a perfect coffee spot to get your coffee fix! Ambiance: very refreshing! Great view of the ocean. Just watch out for the birds, they want your crumbs :) read more

Island Lava Java - Island style pancakes. Pour on the coconut syrup and viola! Delicious :p - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

After searching on Yelp for a high reviews breakfast place decided to go here for breakfast and wasn't disappointed. Ordered drag through the garden and eggs Benedict. Both were really good. Food prep time is a little high and service was a tad slow. read more

The food here is great, but the service was slow and understaffed. Other than the food, the view is obviously gorgeous.

The view is on point. Plenty of shade. Used to be one of my favorite places but I think they are in a weird transition trying to get back to speed after the pandemic. Very slow and confusing service. Our server couldn't answer a lot of questions, would have to go ask someone, and would come back 10 minutes later, and felt really scattered. The food was ok. Sweet potato fries which used to be on point were unevenly cooked and cold by the time they got to our table. My nephew loved his pizza and it seemed to be the only thing that came out hot. I will come back in a few months and see how it settles. read more

They served us reheated old fries that were brown and soggy, that's a concious decision and it's a little insulting. Poke bowl was a puddle of mushy rice and shredded cabbage, the ahi was okay. Ono in fish tacos was very overcooked. Mai tai was decent, they used actual maraschino cherries. read more

My family and I came for breakfast and everything was delicious! I had a guava mimosa and the pineapple upside down French toast. So good! My dad had the best bacon he's ever had here! read more

Good service. It's just a shame that all the food was meh. It was overwhelming. The food was salty. The meat came cold. The pizza was not good, I don't recommend the pizza. read more

Drinks were good. Waitress was nice and friendly. Food was not good. I got fish tacos with corn tortillas and salad. The 2 tacos in the order were different, one had 2 pieces of fish and a mayo sauce, the other had one piece of fish and no sauce. The tortillas were split in half so I couldn't even pick up the taco. The fish was bland and the salad was over dressed. My husband got the fish sandwich. Too much dry bread, fish was dry, sauce was nothing to write home about. I would come back for drinks only but not food. read more

The only star I would give is for the hostess..... food was less than par and the waiters don't care to serve you.

We were here for breakfast on a Saturday. There was a line but luckily we were seated relatively promptly. Service was good. Food was good--tasty and filling. Lilikoi lemonade was a touch sour but yummy. Ambience is fun and great location with free parking! read more

Island Lava Java - Island style Island Style Pancakes or Waffle - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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We were exploring Kona for the day. It was overcast with light drizzle. A perfect day for shopping and eating. Lava Java is a cute little cafe across from a small bay with a seawall where the waves break. It's a frequent destination for cruise ships, but there were no ships the day we were here. Lava java has very good coffee and a nice sandwich menu. The ingredients are local and very fresh. We were looking for the beer list when we arrived, but our server informed us it is byob. Fortunately, there is an ABC store a block away. Our server held the table while we got beer. We ordered fish tacos and the prime rib French dip sandwich with regular fries and sweet potato fries. The fish tacos were epic!! There were large portions of fish on both, with cabbage and a mango, pineapple relish. The French dip was a little light on the meat and served with caramelized onions on a very fresh roll. It was very tasty and came with a side of au jus for dipping. Both types of fries are fresh and hand cut. The sweet potato fries were excellent. The regular fries were good, but slightly oily. We had a great lunch, and the sound of the waves crashing on the wall was sort of relaxing. I would definitely go back. read more

Island Lava Java - A water view from our table. - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

This was our favorite place to eat this vacation! We had at least one meal a day here... It was that good. Cocktails we're definitely a highlight, with favs including the Coco-mo and Guava lemonade. You honestly can't go wrong with any of the cocktails though. For breakfast, the cinnamon pull apart is delightful, for something more hearty they usually have a good special. For lunch or dinner, our favorite was the Island Style Pizza with pulled pork, pineapple, and sweet chili sauce. The crust is great, they make it in house and add some herbs to the dough for extra flavor. Service was great and friendly, the view can't be beat (unless a cruise ship is in the harbor...) read more

I had the Wapio Stack , is was delicious!! Also had the pomegranate lemonade cocktail it was also good. Staff super friendly and attentive. Can't ask for a better view with your breakfast. Definitely coming back!! read more

Island Lava Java - Waipio Stack - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

This place was not good. The pancakes were bland, the bacon was half cooked and the only reason it's not a 1 is because there was good service read more

This is our third visit in 24 hours. Breakfast was delicious both days. I had the pancakes and eggs the first and waffles the second day. My husband had the Luau omelet both days. It has pulled pork, pineapple and cheese and onions. It was to die for! We had the pull apart bread the first day and cinnamon roll the second day. Both were good and made in house. We liked the cinnamon roll the best. It was big and sticky and full of cinnamon. The service all three times was fast, friendly and efficient. They have a great Happy hour daily starting at 3 with $6 Mai Tais and well drinks. They also have a great Happy Hour menu with reduced prices and A good burger on the menu. read more

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Picked up breakfast to go one morning on our vacation. The atmosphere and service made me wish I was eating there. Fantastic view and great people working there. I had the pancakes, island style. Excellent. Wife had the croissant sandwich and she enjoyed it. My older son had the egg breakfast which he liked as well. They were so fast with the order. A great decision for take out or dining in for breakfast with a view and great service. Kudos to Chloe for her over the top friendliness and service. read more

A must stop for breakfast on the big island! Even though we stayed at a bed and breakfast, the owners insisted that we come here one morning--so glad they recommended it! We shared a HUGE cinnamon roll, had pancakes and omelet and an excellent vanilla frappe. Oh, and the birds like the pancakes too! They are brave--hold a piece in between your fingertips and they'll fly up and snatch it! read more

Great consistent breakfast, quick service, order and pay by toast interface, love the eggs Benedict.

Great view of the beach. The food was just okay though. We enjoyed the location more than the food.

I have no idea how this restaurant is rated number one on Yelp in Kona at the moment. The service wasn't great to begin with which generally doesn't bother me but just added to the bad experience. The pork ribs were flavourless apart from a strong pepper taste. They were poorly seasoned, cooked just OK and mediocre at best overall. The blackened brie was nice but nothing out of the ordinary. The lava java salad was quite nice but again it was nothing out of the ordinary. The cocktails were nice and they have a decent craft beer selection. It was expensive for what we ate, however this is to be expected in a touristy area on the water which was the best part of the meal. read more

I got the Big Island Basic with Portuguese sausage and potatoes. This place has really fast service! The food probably came out less than 10 minutes from ordering. The best part of this restaurant was the views and live ukulele music. read more

Island Lava Java - Big Island Basics - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

This place is sooo delicious. We went two days back to back for breakfast because it was so good. Both servers we had were so sweet and helpful. Their drinks are delicious we had a chai tea latte and frappes both were great. It's right on the ocean which is another huge plus. We highly recommend this place! read more

Located right in the center of town-Beach front. Kids really enjoyed the pizza, my poke bowl was fresh but lack of seasoning and the slaw lack of dressing, looks amazing on the reviews but lacks of taste. My hubby ordered a turkey sandwich and is just ordinary. The waiter was very nice and friendly. The dessert was good read more

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Probably my favorite breakfast spot on the Kona side. They have prime location with their ocean view and lots of tables outside. There were lot of people were there, but we did not have to wait to get a table. We also ate at U Top-It (see my other review), which was tasty as well, but tucked behind and inside the center a bit and not as much value for the price. I got the Island Style Pancakes -- as good as it gets! The pancakes were a hefty size and had fresh bananas and mac nuts. The side of Portuguese Sausage was a smaller portion but just the right amount of saltiness to couple with the pancakes. To top it off, there was also a cup of fresh fruit, which I couldn't even finish...a great deal for $10.95. The Kona coffee was also a generous sized cup. The hub's Luau Omelette was really tasty, with an interesting mixture of kalua pork with sweet flavors from the pineapple. Again, he finished his plate. With so many places to eat, I would recommend you try this place at least for breakfast on one of your days. read more

Finally had a chance to try a non-coffee item with this chain. Parking is available along Alii Drive. There is a nice big patio outside where one can enjoy the sun. The fish tacos here are AMAZING. The fish is grilled but nice and soft. Served with beans, soup, and a really delicious pineapple salad. The menu said Market Price but it was only $14.45. This dish really made my day. Recommended. read more

I would give this place a solid 4.5 stars. Here's the pro's and cons: Pros 1. Great food, quality ingredients 2. Amazing service 3. Amazing ocean view I ordered the Lava Java pancakes, eggs and bacon combo. The bacon was done just how I asked (crispy), the poached eggs were perfectly cooked with runny bright orange yolks, the pancakes were big (2 of them) and decent texture. Cons * The syrup wasn't very sweet and had that kind of crappy high fructose corn syrup taste... you know the kind where you can never get enough of it to make it taste good, but you keep trying. * Would prefer to get the price below $10, it was $12.95 * Bacon portion was two tiny little pieces All in all a great meal, view and service. I rarely leave reviews and I am usually pretty picky when I do. Now go enjoy some ono grindz! read more

Fantastic food! A little pricey for breakfast but worth it! Great outdoor seating and live music! If you're looking for a solid place to get a nice breakfast look no further! read more

Island Lava Java - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

We are returning visitors to the big island, and always go to this place for breakfast and happy hour! Our server Elisia was so awesome! She gave us great service, and food was delicious! My kids shared the keiki scramble, and big island pancakes, and loved it! I had the bagel with lox and cream cheese. So good!! Excellent price for breakfast! read more

Island Lava Java - Mimosa - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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Such a great place with beautiful view, good foods/coffee and services are so friendly. Definitely recommend this place for awesome breakfast and view. read more

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Great food. Fish & chips are super good. The burgers are huge & super tasty. The people are super friendly & the view is phenomenal. Definitely a must if your in Kona. read more

Island Lava Java - Menu - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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You must eat here for breakfast if you're in Kona...like I insist. I didn't get a chance to come here for dinner, but it was super busy during dinner hours whenever we would walk by so I'm assuming the dinner is just as good as the breakfast. There is guaranteed to be a wait, so brace yourself. While you wait, you can get in line for a coffee (also a really long wait) or just cross the street and ogle the ocean like I did. We got there pretty early before surfing so we only waited about 15 minutes, but when we left, the wait time had to have been close to 40 minutes because there were people sitting all along the patio like little birds. Most of the seating is outside...pretty basic furniture, not super comfortable, but who cares you're in Hawaii and you have an amazing view of the ocean you spoiled brat. On top of the ridiculous view, there was a guy playing ukulele and serenading us with a beautiful (and unobtrusive) voice throughout our meal. I couldn't stop smiling (when my mouth wasn't full...ok maybe even when it was). The service was as quick as it possibly could have been considering how busy it was, so I hold no delays in service against them. The coffee was really the only thing slow coming out anyway and I think that's only because it came from the same coffee bar in the restaurant where everyone in line was getting their coffee fix too. I looked at the menu for two seconds and immediately knew what I wanted: Oatmeal Brulee. Oatmeal layered with yogurt and bananas and topped with caramelized brown sugar brulee. Um fuck yes. Also ordered a side of the Portuguese sausage because the sound of it made (and is still making) my mouth water. The oatmeal was ginormous (didn't stop me from eating all the sausage too), and SO GOOD...aside from inspiring me to see God, it also prompted me to buy a new brulee torch as soon as I got home so I could make this for myself (which I have done several times). I know it's just oatmeal, but I swear it is effing decadent. The Portuguese sausage...if there was a ladder to heaven, this would be one of the greasy links (pun!), it was just so perfect. I've been known to order oatmeal and bacon/oatmeal and ham/oatmeal and sausage for breakfast many times, so this combination isn't really new to me and I highly recommend you get on my level. I'm super bossy, I know, but just listen to me and you will have religious breakfast experiences like I do. Anyway, if I hadn't discovered Basik and their perfect Acai Bowls down the road (underneath Snorkel Bob's), I probably would have wanted to eat breakfast here again at least one more time during my stay. Alas, there is next time. See you in a couple months Lava Java! read more

Island Lava Java - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

The Eggs Benedict is so delicious here! Came to Lava Java two mornings in a row for it! Customer service is very friendly and quick. Great view of the ocean as well! I ordered the Hibiscus Mimosa the first day we came. Absolutely delicious! Comes with an edible hibiscus flower, which is pretty sweet in my opinion. The server described it as tart, but I thought it was on the sweeter side when I had it. Either way, very tasty! Perfect way to start a relaxing trip on Kona. Walking distance (about 5-7 minute walk)from the Royal Kona Resort. read more

Island Lava Java - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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This place makes amazing food. Managed to eat her twice during our short 5 day trip to the island. The rundown... Breakfast: Ordered Drag It Thru the Garden (Overhard eggs and cheddar cheese on a toasted croissant, with fresh arugala, onions, sliced tomatoes and avocado). The sandwich comes with ham, but they were happy to substitute an additional egg instead. Yumm! I loved everything about this breakfast. The fresh sides paired with the buttery croissant were very satisfying.. Dinner: Husband and I split the margarita pizza. We had a delightful evening sitting on the front porch, under the stars, munching on the thin crust and listening to killer live music (Thursday's performance was incredible!!) Ambiance: It's hard to beat an unobstructed view of the ocean on a sunny day. Cons: If I had to find one negative, it would be that Island Lava Java is BOYB. We were told that island rules state that a restaurant may not serve alcohol if they do not have an enclosed dining area. I say, put up a tiny fence and make the money back in beer and wine sales. read more

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Went to try out their famous cinnamon buns except we were pretty disappointed. True, the cinnamon buns are indeed big (see photo). I asked if it could be heated it up and the woman said that they were baked fresh that morning and that nuking it wouldn't be a good idea. So we took it as is and it didn't taste fresh, it tasted dry and stale. The coffee was also very weak. Boo. But I'd be willing to give this place another try though and try some of their other food options. read more

Island Lava Java - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii