Great location, good service, good food for the price! Will come eat there again! 4 stars cause it's always crowded and it's not local friendly, mostly a tourist spot. read more

Came here cause I saw it on Diners, Drive In's and Dives. And boy oh boy am I glad I did. We inadvertently arrived at happy hour. We ordered 3 appetizers to share the humus, the truffle fries and the calamari. Yum, yum, yum!!! Calamari was very flavorful and not greasy. The humus was so fresh was house made purple potato chips. The truffle fries....oh the truffle fries. Best we have ever had! Dinner was fish and chips, Margherita pizza and black bean tacos. My son said that the fish and chips is the best he has ever had and that is saying a lot that is what he orders everywhere. Husband had the pizza and said it was great. I had the black bean tacos. There was so much flavor in every bite and some many layers to the flavor. Fist a bit of sweet then a bit of spice. Just amazing. Will be back soon! read more

We enjoyed our lunch on the open air porch overlooking the waterfront. Good selection to choose from and we all enjoyed the food. Would eat here again. read more

Island Lava Java - Ahi Tuna Poke bowl - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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This place had great service and the food was delicious. The Bloody Mary was also excellent.

The waiter was very kind and did a good job. The view was also very nice, but with that being said the food was subpar. The shrimp cab was decent but our chicken sandwich came out cold and tasted absolutely terrible. I would recommend elsewhere. read more

I really wish I could give more stars but the only think saving this review was the service from my waitress. Wait time is anywhere from 30-60 minutes for breakfast. Highly recommend making a reservation. When waffle arrived, it was soggy like it had been sitting for awhile and I didn't even put the syrup on it. Banana slices on top were poorly cut and included the ends that are usually tossed away. Bacon was burnt and garnish bacon for the virgin Bloody Mary was extra hard (probably from the day before). Fresh pineapple in fruit salad was over ripe and brown. read more

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The best ahi poke bowl I had in the island. Everything we ordered were great, we even ordered the 2nd plate of calamari because they are just too good. But 2nd calamari didn't came out with arugula like the 1st plate. We found out that all the restaurant here, you may get different taste and a bit different ingredients sometimes or even at the same day , (we visited some restaurants more then one time if we like them.) read more

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Food was okay, expensive for what we got but as expected for the location. Good customer service and very friendly waiter. Easy Payment methods made transactions simpler read more

We sat right in front overlooking the ocean. The host was really friendly and explained they were a little busy but we only waited a few minutes. The coffee came fast, it was great and in a big mug and they had stevia which is a big plus for me. I ordered the bagel & lox and the BF ordered the big kahuna fish breakfast. The presentation was lovely. The cream cheese on my bagel was a bit runny & melty but it tasted good. The bf's fish looked great and he really enjoyed it. read more

Island Lava Java - Bagel & lox - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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It is still open during Covid. But warning, make reservations because even if they are empty the owner will still block out reservations so you are not able to dine. Tried to book reservations early in the am to no avail so decided to just walk in for breakfast. Was contempt with waiting for a table if allowed, I mean the beach and ocean is across the street for a reason but not even able to put my name on the list, which was disappointing. read more

The view and vibe here are excellent, but the food is mediocre...like most touristy places. read more

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

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I've been here dozens of times over the past few years. I've had breakfast, lunch, and dinner here and overall my experiences at Lava Java have been positive. Before covid we stopped here at least once a month. The one bad experience I had was coffee that I ordered for take out. It was terrible. Mistakes happen so no big deal. This is a good place though and I recommend it. read more

This was the perfect place to grab breakfast! The food was great the service was great and the view was outstanding ! I really loved the Bloody Mary and the cafe mocha. Also the potatoes had a huge taste of rosemary which I loved eggs were cooked perfect but the bacon I wish I would have asked for them crispy but it was still really good ! I will absolutely return ! read more

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Came here on out last afternoon in Kona and wanted a chill lunch. We were seated upstairs, the hostess didn't ask if we wanted to sit upstairs until we were 2/3 the way up. I just had knee surgery so try and limit my stairs but the view made up for it. We placed our drink and food order together when the server came , about 10 minutes after sitting down I ordered the mai tai and my friend a pint of beer. They brought my delicious mai tai but somehow my friend got the 20oz beer, which wouldn't have been a bad thing if we were looking for a good amount of beer. A good runner brought two dishes to our table within 2 minutes of ordering, we advised they couldn't be ours (it was 2 sandwiches one with sweet potato fries, and since my friend had the fish tacos we knew they weren't ours, it did make me wish Igor the first time I had ordered sweet potato fries though. Within a few minutes the runner appeared again, with two sandwiches, when we told him they were ours there was some confusion with him and the server of who it belonged to. As I mentioned my friend ordered the fish tacos along with the cytology and was very pleased with her order. I ordered the vegetarian sandwich that was supposed to be on focaccia. I added goat cheese and out so I asked for some of the chipotle a Oli from the fish tacos on the side as I did not want the tomato onion relish that came with it. I was having aside a regular french fries.The sandwich came, And there was no chipotle a Oli. It also had a side salad instead of the french fries. I told the runner that I had ordered fries and it also asked for the chipotle a Oli. We sat down and dug into our food it was very tasty however when the runner brought back the fries there were literally six fries most those little pieces from the fryer that were very old well done on a side plate, Along with a container of AOL. This is the second time I wish I had had the sweet potato fries not only where the fries extremely over done and so few compared to the overflowing side of the sweet potato fries from one of the mistakenly brought sandwiches to our table it made me wonder if he thought that I should just eat the salad and get the fries as a bonus? Rather than what I actually ordered. The server in checking up on us didn't seem to notice the issue, and just mentioned a comment about the confusion with the mistakenly brought orders to our table. The food was was OK, certainly not remarkable and if I were to order either of those items again I would go across the street to daylight mind cafe instead read more

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

The best dinner in Kona! Many may think that fosters kitchen just next door is the best place to go for dinner in Kona but it is definitely lava Java! It was after being told that there were no spaces left at fosters that I found this place. The dinner was so great we had to come back again today for breakfast! Definitely come here for the best fresh fish on the big island! read more

My favorite spot on Ali'i by far any time I'm on the Big Island. Excellent for any meal!

Most breakfast places have a coffee station and the wait staff comes around to provide refills. Not this place. You eventually get one cup of coffee. Make it last. Overheard conversations from other tables revealed that food orders were routinely mixed up. The food is decent. Nice views. Lots of traffic noise. read more

The views, the staff and food were all great! Probably the best breakfast I had my entire trip. The banana macadamia nut pancakes were to die for. read more

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

Big portions, delicious food, cocktails, great service and view. What more can you ask for?

Very decent coffee. I really loved my Lava Iced Coffee, perfect for a hot day instead of coffee and ice cream. Staff is friendly, spot is really central and with beatiful view of the ocean. read more

Great atmosphere, across the street, right on the waterfront. Food was fair-good. Thought it was very expensive, $54 for 3 of us, and all I had was 1/2 papaya and a latte. Outside ground looked like hadn't been cleaned in weeks? Help was friendly. It's Hawaii, very happy but just wanted an honest post for future travelers. Birds were fun..they actually clean the tables..not sure if they are in the payroll? Latte was fair...a little acidic. Mahalo read more

One of my favorite spots for breakfast while in Kona. Great views of the ocean across the street. Wonderful food, ambiance, and our waitress was so friendly and helpful. We came here several times during our trip. The "island style" mac nut waffle with coconut syrup is delicious. They also have a lite section for those wanting a lighter fare. Highly recommend! read more

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Great Service, great staff, great drinks, great food... we've been here twice since visiting Kona and have been extremely pleased both times! Thank you Mark for such great service and food recommendations! read more

Went here for lunch on a weekday afternoon. Was horribly over crowded and got stuffed into a small table that was in the way of another table. People kept asking me to move so they could get by. Very annoying. This lasted through the entire meal. I ordered miso mahi mahi. It was supposed to come with "jasmine rice" and "cole slaw". The piece of fish was teeny tiny. The rice tasted like plain boiled white rice and the "coleslaw" was the red cabbage that was sprinkled around the plate as garnish. Not what I would expect for $23. I would have been better off going to a food truck. I'm sure it would have been tastier, cheaper and I could have found a more comfortable place to eat. read more

My husband had the catch of the day Benedict and I had the drag through the garden sandwich. Both were great. A bit pricey but you get an awesome view and service was great and everyone was friendly. read more

Unimpressive meal overall but gets you through. Nothing stands out about this meal. Pancakes were underwhelming and sausage was small portions. read more

Ate breakfast here in the morning and came back for drinks and dessert later that afternoon. Great food and the location and atmosphere can't be beat. Our service was exceptional and everyone was super friendly. Thanks guys. You helped make our 41st anniversary trip great. read more

We came back here today even though the prices are a little steep. .. but the food and ambiance is fantastic. Right now we are listening to live music. Gentleman has a smooth voice! I ordered the eggs Benedict last time and they were amazing. Hubby is ordering this time. .. he will love them. I am getting an omelet. ..mmm. and of course we ordered the pull apart sticky bun. Oh! Almost forgot. .. order the fresh pineapple juice. You won't regret it. read more

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Island Lava Java doesn't disappoint. I ordered off the lite menu and got the "Drag it through the Garden". Homemade croissant with applewood bacon, cheddar cheese, arugula lettuce, tomato, avocado, onion. Definitely worth recommending but not sure how "lite" it is. The only problem was the birds. They have a problem with small birds waiting for scraps. There was a whole row of them just staring at me. Nothing a good cat or two couldn't take care of. Other than that...two thumbs up. read more

Island Lava Java - Drag it through the Garden. Homemade croissant, applewood bacon, egg, tomato, avocado, onion and arugula was amazing. - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Delicious breakfast and great coffee. The staff were lovely and bubbly. I've never seen a musician play during breakfast! Adorable. Nice waterfront view. read more

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

Great view! We went for an early breakfast and had a wonderful meal overlooking the ocean. The pancakes island style are yum. We liked it so much we went for brunch the next day. Only minor complaint is the wobbly tables, but that's an easy fix. Good food and good service. read more

Island Lava Java - Pancakes island style. - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Great location for sunset viewing, but as a food place expect a general experience. When asked about their vegetable soup, he waitress (Tammy) gave the description of a minestrone soup and then we got a chilli con carne sort of thing, the beet salad was okay, the burger average. The lime cheesecake with mango was decent. We had the feeling they were understaffed (it took a long while to get their attention and the place was around 1/3 to 1/2 capacity). Ah, the tipping... They calculate on the check pre tax - so do expect the surprise when you press on the 20% to end up with a higher number. A really unnecessary greedy move - esp in light of the low-cost service! read more

Food is ok and over priced, service reeks of attitude and disrespect. Sh*t workers who only care about tips and have no aloha. After, writing this review I read other reviews and a lot of people say bad service. read more

I don't get the 4 and 5 star reviews. Usually I'd expect excellent food and excellent service for a 5 star, this place is 'meh' and definitely didn't deliver. I ordered the sesame seared Ahi, my companions ordered a Big Island pizza. We had bean and sausage soup and wings for appetizers. Pizza was greasy and nothing to right home about. The sweet chili sauce was a bit too cloyingly sweet. The wings were good, but the slaw it came with tasted bland. The soup, though good, was indistinguishable from chili. The ahi was the biggest disappointment for me. It came on a pile of potatoes, and those were swimming in a sauce that was like a thin broth. The sauce wasn't particularly tasty (and too liquid anyway). The horseradish mashed potatoes were too overwhelmingly like horseradish and tasted like they might have been instant (grainy). The Ahi was fine, but tasted like it wasn't 100% fresh and the sear was tasteless. The service was passable, but the wait staff did seem rushed for the most part. Friendly, but not particularly attentive. I'd give them a 4. read more

The coffee is okay, the service was ok. We had fish benedict, banana and macadamia nut pancakes with coconut syrup, and a traditional breakfast. The pancakes with the coconut syrup were the best out of all read more

We have been here 3-4 times and it is always amazing. This last time all of the restaurants were packed for some reason and after waiting 45 minutes for a burger that never came somewhere else, we decided to bail and go to Lava Java. Despite the line, they had us in and sat within 15 minutes. They also had our food out not long after. It is great that such a staple restaurant can still have great service when everywhere else is slow or lacking in hospitality. read more

Always a favorite place for us and even though it's been particularly busy this weekend, we just had to 'pop by' for a drink. We sat at the bar. I wanted to try something new but I don't like rum....it doesn't like me either! Josh was very accommodating and made be the PURPLE HAWAIIAN using coconut infused vodka instead of the rum. I have a NEW Favorite drink! We also enjoyed the best Pepperoni Pizza and a Bloody Mary with that Candied Bacon. Wonderful Experience! Thanks again Josh for being so kind and helpful to us, even in the midst of your very full bar and busy restaurant . It was fun to watch you and see how masterfully you took care of everyone of your customers!! Mahalo Nui! read more

This restaurant came highly recommended by our uber driver for breakfast. It was recently renovated and it looks great. The restaurant had a busy vibe inside and on the porch. We were seated and greeted by our server immediately. The breakfast menu is small enough that we quickly decided what to order. Their drink menu is pretty extensive though, making it a little mire complicated. The Island Style waffles and Luau Omelette with portugese sausage were incredibly delicious and the portion was just right. The prices are pretty reasonable and inexpensive. The only thing that was odd is that our order and payment was taken on an ipad so it took longer than it should have. It was also awkward to calculate and add the tip while your server hovers over you, talk about major pressure to do mental math. Overall, it was a great experience. read more

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We ate here for breakfast and dinner during our stay on the Big Island and they were both amazing meals! Service is quick and friendly and the food was excellent. I got the pork pizza and it was amazing! Would highly recommend. It's a good idea to get reservations since its limited capacity due to covid. read more

Terrible service. I was seated and ignored, definitely cater more to the tourist crowd. Which is absolutely sad. I've been coming to lava Java for years and have noticed a dramatic decline in the service since covid. AVOID IF YOU ARE A LOCAL! This is a haole establishment. read more