Island Lava Java
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Been coming to Kona now every month for about 2 years. Each morning starts with a swim with the pier swimmers followed by breakfast at the Java Lava. So far, I have yet to have any sort of negative experience whatsoever. The food is always good, the coffee is tasty, and the staff is always super friendly! Nothing beats an early morning swim and then a wonderful breakfast as you look out to the ocean and listen to the waves crash just across the street. It's one of my favorite parts of my business travel, and so far it's been great!
Great location and view of the ocean while dining. Plenty of options for breaks, lunch, and dinner. Expect a wait on the weekends if you're not there early. Overall worth checking out for a quick bite and drink along the ocean.
Pancakes were nice and fluffy. Bigger than I expected and the coconut syrup was a nice touch. Bacon could have been a little crispier but the taste was very nice. Vanilla latte was way too sweet (personally) but I did add vanilla syrup and cold foam so that's on me. Just didn't taste much of the coffee. Biscuits and gravy were delicious and the pork had amazing flavor. Waffle was a little dried out (we sent it back due to it not being crispy enough and we believe they just reheated the waffle). But the flavor was still good with the macadamia nuts and bananas The Bloody Mary was great, however, they could do with a little more spice and a little more tomato base. As far as bloody Mary's go, this was on the weaker side. Loved the Black Sea salt rim. Shoutout to our server, Terri, who was fabulous the whole time.
Had the Ube Bliss and Island Style Belgian Waffle. The Ube Bliss was very pretty! I'm not much of a coffee person, but this was relatively light and sweet, so it was enjoyable. A slight hint of ube and the coconut cream. The waffle was good as well! The coconut cream syrup was a nice island twist. It paired well with the mac nuts and banana slices. Great! Not to mention the views of the ocean right next to us. We saw a pod of 10-20 dolphins hanging out! Great staff. Mahalo!
Two years later so we figured we'd give it a try again, this time for lunch We had the fish sandwich and the smashburger The burger was fine. We ordered green salad as the sides and they were really good . Mixed greens, no iceberg, served with a tasty balsamic vinaigrette. The fish sandwich wasn't great. We' chose the seared ahi. It was cooked completely through, which was probably a good thing because it was FAR from fresh--extremely "fishy." We've had a lot of ahi that past two weeks and this was the worst. Service was friendly and prompt, although it was clear we arrived at the end of our server's shift. We' were handed the check when we were nowhere near finished with our sandwiches. This wasn't a huge issue for us, but some people might feel put off by that. Cleanliness was still an issue--the tables really be a good deep cleaning. You can't beat the view! There was construction right out front this time (not the restaurant's fault)) but at least it was interesting
We've been coming to Lava Java for years and it's our favorite spot for breakfast. It has a great view of Kona's oceanfront and it's relaxing to drink your mimosa or Mocha (or both as my wife does it) and watch the boats and para-sailors. The service is very good, especially if you are upstairs when Tawny is working. I used to get the Portuguese sausage, eggs, and rice. However, I tried the hollandaise a few visits back and I have been hooked ever since. Now I get the eggs Benedict with home fries and extra sauce for the potatoes. Make sure to visit this spot when you're looking for a tasty, easy going breakfast.
Very good service and a quality breakfast. The fresh fish Benedict and the island style waffles were very good and there is a great view. Coffees were decent but the highlight was definitely the food.
We had breakfast at Island Lava Java and the location alone makes it worth visiting. It's right across from the ocean, the views are beautiful, and we even got to see dolphins while we were eating, which made the experience extra special. I had the island style pancakes and they were delicious. The coconut syrup was the perfect addition, and the Portuguese sausage was also really good. My husband had the luau scramble, which was alright but felt like it was missing a little something. My brother in law ordered the loco moco and really enjoyed it. Overall, we had a nice breakfast and would definitely go back.
Stopped by for breakfast because it was across the street from our resort. Terri our server was so sweet and helpful. Never kept us waiting. We started with the French press Kona coffee which was complex and delicious. My wife loved her fresh catch Benedict I had the lava java breakfast and it was fantastic. Waffle was a little chewy was the only critique. Will definitely be coming back.
This morning was already a bit stressful because we couldn't decide where to eat, and in the end we chose this place because of the many reviews. Unfortunately, it ended up being disappointing. We ordered a vegetable omelet to share and two drinks, and the total was almost $70, which felt very overpriced for what we got. The portions were small and the food itself was nothing special. It definitely wasn't exquisite or memorable in any way. The view, however, was beautiful. We were seated on the second floor with an ocean view, and that part was truly lovely. But even with the scenery, the experience didn't feel worth the money. My husband's coffee also wasn't good at all. The waitress was polite, but the service was quite slow. Overall, the location and view are the best things about this place. Sadly, the food, drinks, and value didn't live up to the hype, and we left feeling frustrated.
We came here twice. Once for breakfast and once at lunchtime. The restaurant has a beautiful ocean view. If you are able to get a table up front, you will have an unobstructed view of the Pacific ocean. Sometimes you might even be able to see some whales or a school of dolphins if you go during the right season. Our first visit was during lunch. It was around the time they were turning over their menu from breakfast/brunch to lunch and we were told that menu items would be limited or we could wait 10 more minutes while they complete the transition in the kitchen. We decided to share a pizza which was one of the no waiting option and the ahi bites. The Kona combo pizza had pepperoni, Italian sausage, olives and onions. It was large enough for the two of us to get full. The ahi bites were excellent. We had to wait for 10 more minutes to get them but they were worth the wait. The house wasibi aoili and umagi glaze were so flavorful and definitely elevated the taste of the ahi nuggets. Service was quick and friendly. Our server checked on us often enough to make sure we had drinks and that the food were delivered to our table. Our breakfast visit was the following day. Unfortunately, service was slower and our waitress was not very attentive. My husband ordered the island bagel and lox and I had the drag it through the garden croissant breakfast sandwich. While the food was good, the overall visit was like night and day from our previous experience. I'm still glad we came for breakfast though as the place does have a lot of great options as far as food went.
Definitely wouldn't recommend. The food was average, not a lot of flavor at all. They sat us a table without an umbrella, we were the only ones without when there were others empty. Worst part about this place was the server eric did something shady with the tip amount. I pressed the total amount on the hand held payment and when I saw the charge it was more.
Wife liked her French toast, the pancakes were middling at best. The gripe I have is I had to sit and listen to two ladies yap in meetings while working remotely at the table beside us. I hear enough corporate double talk and have to sit through enough useless teams meetings every day. I didn't fly all the way to Hawaii to have breakfast in the middle of one. They hadn't even purchased meals and were sitting and drinking water and disturbing the whole space. Never again.
3 years ago
Made 10am brunch reservations, but when we arrived we still had to wait for our table to be set up. Although there were tables available at the front where there was at least some sort of view, we were seated at the back behind the stairs with no view. Many in our party ordered the Lava Java breakfast - choice of pancake or waffle, eggs your way, and choice of bacon or portugese sausage. The waffles weren't all cooked the same - some noted theirs were cooked light and fluffy while others noted theirs being dense and more brown. They all noted their breakfasts were filling, however. Kiddo ordered his waffle Island Style, and he liked the Haupia sauce. Hubs ordered the Luau Omelette - quite filling and he couldn't finish it. Good if you like pineapples in your eggs. I ordered the Big Kahuna Fish (only- menu noted it came with choice of potatoes or rice AND fruit. However, I was told it was choice potatoes, rice, or fruit. I chose fruit and received 2 cups of fruit. The fish was meaty and cooked well. read more
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Jeff F.
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6 months ago
1 year ago
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Jeff F.
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5 months ago
I see why this place has only 4 stars. It was a nice diner but it's obvious they cater to the tourists. They menu lacked the variety and the food was mediocre at best. It wasn't an eye rolling moment for me. Next time we come by to Hawaii, I would definitely suggest hubby to try other places for breakfast. I'm not saying it's bad, just not the best. Quality: B Service: A Price: $$ read more
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Jeff F.
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2 years ago
Food - I got the upside pineapple French toast. It wasn't overly sweet and the portion was a good size. I didn't feel overly stuffed afterwards. Would recommend getting again. We also got the papaya yogurt and it was so fresh especially to balance the heaviness of the French toast. The orange juice was freshly squeezed and so fresh. Service - friendly service. Our waitress made a mistake on our order but she caught it and made adjustments to our bill. We made reservations (party of 2) and even though it wasn't busy we were glad we did because they saved us a seat upstairs facing the ocean so I'd strongly recommend booking in advance. There were also only a few other folks upstairs compared to the bottom level. Ambience - busy but efficient. Great open space with lots of seatings. Ocean views! read more
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Jeff F.
Mahalo, Saul! We love the pictures, be sure to check your inbox when…
I don't get the rave reviews about this place. Had the Eggs Benedict... nothing special. The fish tacos was like cheap street tacos. The big breakfast was so ordinary. The service was super slow. Obviously understaffed and the servers seemed to avoid eye contact as much a possible. We had to stand up and call the attention of the server to place our order, and to ask for extra coffee. I also felt a bit sick after eating here. I don't know if it's the water or the eggs? I'm not blaming, though... just saying. However, in this location on kailua kona, it had the most reviews and highest ratings, so maybe it was just an off morning for the staff? I wouldn't return to find out though. Sorry. read more
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Jeff F.
Aloha, Tutti! We want to personally connect with you so check your…
We called this place old reliable during our vacation. You could always get a table and every table is a good one with a lovely breeze and ocean view. The food was also amazing. The fish Benedict was one of the best things on island. Remember to validate your parking at the Coconut Grove parking lot. read more
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Jeff F.
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11 months ago
Lava Java has excellent prices and a fantastic rewards system! The rewards guve you 10% of your bill towards a return visit with the percentage increasing to 20% during happy hour. Their smash burger is consistently awesome and their fries are well seasoned and battered. I've been going to this location read more
2 years ago
We love this place! We stumbled across it on our first day in Kona and we went back every day at least once. Breakfast - Bloody Mary is a must - the candied bacon is to die for! The cinnamon roll and the pineapple upside down French toast are worth the calories. For lunch or dinner - pizzas are delicious and the Nicoise salad - ooh la la! Bartenders make great drinks - my personal favorite is the Coco Mo. mmmmmm! And the view...great anytime but sunsets are particularly special. read more
2 years ago
The food was AMAZING. Probably the best nachos I've ever had. Definitely for two people! We waited 1.5 hours for a table. read more
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Jeff F.
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If you are coming here for the Eggs Benedict then please order something else. Trust me on this one. It's is soooooo heavy and rich that you will feel very sick afterwards (just from the heaviness of it all). The view here is great. I liked the venue a lot. I got to sit on top and see the ocean waves slapping against the rocks on Ali'i drive and also got a top side view to people watch. Top notch Kona side eating area. My girlfriend had the pancakes and those were awesome! So the pancakes are a winner. I used the little QR code thing to order everything which I thought was very intuitive and fun to use. I got my order very quickly. I don't think the waitress was happy that I used that system though..... I wish I had known she wouldn't like me using it..... She said it was because she is clueless to what I order when I do it that way, so she can't help me with much on my order. Everything came out right though, except the eggs benedict is far too rich. The croissant is too buttery and the holidanise sauce is very very very rich. read more
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Jeff F.
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This was probably the most full restaurant we've been to on our trip to the Big Island. There's just less tourists than Honolulu. I ended up getting the luau scramble, which was decent. My mom got the garden scramble and the flavor wasn't as good as the one I got. I added a little tabasco sauce to my scramble and that helped the flavor pop even more. I would say the service wasn't that great. Wasn't sure if it was our particular waitress. She walked towards our table, and smiled right at me looking like she was going to take our order, and instead went to the table behind me and helped them instead. She later came back to take our order and was not very welcoming. We got seated under a tree so leaves and pieces of the branches kept falling down, which was completely understandable. What I didn't enjoy was when something fell into my dad's water and we needed to ask the waitress 3 times for a new cup. It took more than 10minutes to just get a new cup of water. Majority of the tables are outside or feel like they're outside as it's an open space with no windows. You have a view out towards the water which was nice in the morning. read more
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Jeff F.
Biana,…
1 year ago
I want to start by saying that our food was wonderful. The cook staff definitely needs to be recognized. We sat at the bar, and the bar tender didn't acknowledge us for over five minutes. We were the only people at the bar. Even a quick I'll be right with you would've been great. Then once he did come to us, he was very dismissive when we asked about the beers. A friend/ coworker then sat at the bar and he was very engaged with him. Finally came to take our food order... He kept talking about the sunset... like dude the views are great, sunset will be gorgeous but you still need to wait on us lol read more
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Jeff F.
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While on the The Big Island for a two day trip from Oahu picked this restaurant because of the open air dining and view of the bay. We were seated at a table where we had a view. I ordered egg white veggie scrambled which was nicely seasoned and tasty paired with a small cup of fruit. Husband had the pineapple cinnamon French toast which was pretty tasty . I tried a bite. He did wish the second layer had the nice cinnamon layer too because it lack a little flavor. The wait staff was friendly and efficient kept our coffee and water full. Overall a pleasant experience read more
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Jeff F.
Aloha Maxine! Please check your inbox for a direct message. We truly…
2 years ago
Loved it! Nice waiter, fantastic views and ambiance. Yummy food and fair prices. Definitely recommend if you're in the area. read more
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Jeff F.
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11 months ago
6 months ago
2 years ago
This is an update from a previous review, where I gave 1 star because I couldn't give zero. My what a difference a year makes! Last year we discovered they had taken the veggie sandwich off the menu and the waitstaff and manager on duty were just terrible. I checked the website to see if there were any menu updates and was happy to see they have added a veggie bowl. My husband wanted to give it another try so we did. We went during after the lunch rush, about 2. A member of the waitstaff greeted us and we asked to sit at the bar. We were greeted again at the bar by Tracy.. Who turned out to be a wonderful representative for Island Lava Java. We were served water quickly, I ordered a cocktail and that appeared in no time. The Pono Mai Tai is one of the best on the island. My husband has an oil allergy and Tracy was not fazed by that request one bit. She made sure she got the information from my husband that she needed and even suggested a different sauce that was oil free and suitable for vegans. She really made this order easy. We know it's not for some places and we respect that, so we are always so happy when someone does not treat us as if we have a crazy, ridiculous request. An allergy is an allergy and we all just need to be gracious. With Tracy it was no problem at all. The food came and oh my goodness. The vegetables were perfectly water sautéed or steamed. The tofu was perfect, and the sauce Tracy recommended was great. Tracy even took the time to tell us about how the kitchen staff is always chopping the vegetables fresh and there are time stamps and not everything done early in the morning and sitting in bowls all day. This was literally one of the best meals we've had out to eat in a long time. We very much appreciated Tracy's level of customer service and care. Since we were there between shifts for some people, at one point she was taking orders for all the other patrons, yet you could tell no one felt they weren't getting her attention. She was terrific and we are so glad we gave it another try. Adding this item to the menu to accommodate the plant based people, and having people like Tracy on staff has brought us back to Island Lava Java. We'll be back soon! Thank you Tracy! read more
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Jeff F.
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2 years ago
Well!!! outstanding food options, cappuccino was strong and delicious, the view out of this world. They do have adult beverages. If you have kids you can definitely split the lava Java breakfast Plate as it has big portions. Pro Tip * instead of waiting make a reservation on open table to save time. read more
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Jeff F.
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2 years ago
Stopped by for happy hour and the view can't be beat!!!! Ashley, the bartender was very attentive and friendly! We had the chicken fajita nachos and there were excellent! A very good sized portion and the crema on the top was so good!! Highly recommend! read more
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Jeff F.
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1 year ago
6 months ago
1 year ago
This is a friendly place to visit for a casual breakfast, lunch or dinner. The staff is friendly and the open air restaurant allows for great views of the water. The prices are reasonable and it's in a great location to walk around an explore Kona. read more
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Jeff F.
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3 years ago
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Jeff F.
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Good spot with a great view. We came here for breakfast and a morning espresso... martini. Make it a double! Nice way to start a day while on vacation! The food I got was great, I ordered the Eggs Benedict that was served with the fresh catch of the day. And those espresso martinis were delicious! I will say, my only issue would probably be with the service. Not terrible, just the tiniest bit dismissive. We felt like the hostess was a little short with us when my friend asked if there was any seating closer to the front; which we actually joked about with each other because my friend was very sweet about the way she asked. Also, our waiter didn't check up on us, which was a little disappointing, given our water was never refilled once while we sat there... and we ordered a double martini. That's a lot of alcohol for only one glass of water. But it could've just been an off day. I enjoyed the food and loved the views! read more
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Jeff F.
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4 years ago
This is right across from the ocean and offers beautiful views while you dine. The service is very friendly and efficient. They do offer reservations, but do take walk ins as well. We came here for breakfast and ordered the straight up pancakes with bacon and big island basics with Portuguese sausage and wheat toast. We also ordered a latte and mochococo frappe. We enjoyed our breakfast and were filled up for a good chunk of the day. They also have lunch and dinner so I would definitely come back for that as well. read more
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Jeff F.
We've sent you a private message as a personal thank you for this…
8 months ago
2 years ago
Probably my wife and I's favorite breakfast spot in the area. Friendly staff, amazing service and views. Must go if in the area! read more
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Jeff F.
Mahalo for your feedback. Check your private inbox when you have a…
7 months ago
Went here on a rainy afternoon for some food and drinks. We came on "thirsty Thursday" so Mai Tais were $5 and select beers were $6. We really enjoyed the drinks! For food, I got the fresh catch which came with taro tortillas and fries. The tortillas were sooo yummy. My dad got a pizza, which he said was a little small but good. My mom got the chicken sandwich which she liked. Seating was limited due to the rain, but we didn't have to wait long. I would definitely come back! read more
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Jeff F.
Mahalo for your compliments, Hannah! We sent you a private message so…
1 year ago
1 year ago
8 months ago
beautiful restaurant for sunset dining. the big island pizza as reviewed on the food network, didn't disappoint. everyone else ordered the ribs(also on food network) and i almost regret not getting them! read more
More info about Island Lava Java
75-5801 Ali'i Dr
Bldg 1
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
Directions
(808) 300-5672
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http://www.islandlavajava.com
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Ask the Community - Island Lava Java
What's good for lunch?
Fish and chips if you're on vacation. If you are leaning healthy, the Lava Java salad with the grilled shrimp. The goat cheese on that salad is fantastic!
Can you get lunch all day? For example, we would like to come for breakfast, but also pick up sandwiches to have at the beach later that day.
The entire lunch menu is NOT available all day. However, they do offer a brunch menu that includes some lunch items.
What are the Ube wraps or tortillas you use, please tell me?
Breakfast served all day?
No. Breakfast is served until 11:00 and then they switch to their lunch menu.
I am looking for a place to host a small wedding reception dinner in September. I would like it to be outside with an amazing view of the water. Ideas?
Try thesr In downtown Kona. https://www.daylightmind.com/…
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