We popped in to pick up a coffee and coconut muffin. The muffin is probably the best muffin I've had from any coffee shop around the world. I know that's crazy to say, but I really like coconut! I loved that the muffin top was massive! The bottom part of the cake was moist, not dry like most other muffins I've tried from other places. I also loved that they had so many different flavor offerings. It was seriously a toss up between the macadamia nut and coconut muffin, but my husband chose for us since he was going to eat the majority of it. I like that they have a coffee bar that you can walk up to or you have the choice to sit down and dine formally. I looked at other diners' plates, and their food looked delicious. I saw some local breakfast plate offerings. I may want to come back and try that as well. They have seating upstairs where they have a water view. They also have really clean and comfortable bathrooms. These were all additional reasons why I liked this spot. read more

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Very nice restaurant on the famous Ali'i drive but here the downside the food was ok. We order pizza hamburgers and ahi poke. Pizza and the burger was good but the ahi poke just not fresh at all, I was expecting when you in Hawaii you get fresh tuna but no. My ahi poke not fresh, the meat just too dark not red and they did it wrong. Ahi Poke sauce wasn't great it got pour over something like sour cream or ranch dressing, I totally did not like it at all. Other than service was great place was very beautiful to look at so close to shoreline very relaxing environment! read more

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Came here for breakfast after seeing pictures of a papaya filled with yogurt and fruit. It was as delicious as it sounds! I was very happy. They were very generous with the granola. Unfortunately they were out of soy and oat milk so I had my latte with almond milk, which meant I didn't love it as much as I wanted to. They sell the granola by the bag so you can take it home, and I think you'll want to, like I did. The only problem is that the bag they use has a thin cellophane window on the front that punctures easily. We put it in a bag that we used for other shopping purchases during the day and there was already a hole by the end of the day. Fortunately I had a Ziploc bag I could pack it in for the flight home, and it's a good thing I did... the window was obliterated by the time I got it home, and granola would have been all over my bag without it. My friend got a more traditional breakfast with an egg and avocado on toast, which she said was very good. She really liked her cappuccino and actually came back here 3 other mornings to get coffee to go from their walk up coffee bar. read more

Island Lava Java - Papaya , Yogurt & Granola - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

We had brunch here and had an awesome view of the waves coming in. I ordered the pancakes with macadamia nuts and coconut syrup...which was fluffy and sweet, delicious! My friend ordered the burger, medium rare, cooked just how she likes it. Just watch out for the little birdies who will be joining you at the table to eat the crumbs. read more

Island Lava Java - Pancakes with macadamia nuts - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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SO GOOD! Go here for breakfast if you are on the Big Island. Thursday is Thirsty Thursday so the drinks are also fairly priced. My family had the cinnamon roll, breakfast potatoes, belgian waffle and the drag it through the garden sandwich (add bacon, it's amazing). Honestly one of the best meals that I have had during my week in Kona! read more

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Beautiful setting, outdoor dinning with oceanfront views. Food and beverages were delicious and the staff were so nice and accommodating. So happy we stumbled in. The Live music was so nice and topped off our visit perfectly. read more

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

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This was my first stop while visiting Kona. Great weather, great ocean view, great outdoor seating and great food! Large selection from the traditional loco moco to macadamia nut banana waffles and flavored coffees. Something for everyone. Prices are high, to be expected for Hawaii. Alone, I spent $26 on breakfast, that included the tip. Park in the back and walk up to the front of the building for service. The bathrooms are located on the second floor, of which you will need to take the stairs or an elevator. Restrooms were clean. Small shopping stores around the area as well makes for a great time filler for the avid shopper. read more

Island Lava Java - Waipios Stack Breakfast: eggs over easy, on wheat toast, bacon, avocado, tomato, arugula, and chipotle aioli. Pineapple, star fruit. - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Had a wonderful brunch yesterday with a delightful server Berri...going back today for dinner

Great view of ocean, nice breakfast. Cafe mocha hit the spot! Applewood bacon is delicious! Eggs and pancakes perfectly prepared. All employees were welcoming attentive and friendly. Definitely recommend! read more

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2-3 days ago, I Ordered the Sunset burger with cheddar cheese and avocado. Half way through it I noticed a piece of hair on the avocado inside the burger. They apologized and refunded it. Still get one star because that is the 2nd worst thing aside from a bug being in the food. Pic attached read more

Island Lava Java - Hairy sunset burger - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

First time here There was a 40 minute wait But the food was delicious Ordered the lava Java pancake breakfast. Well worth the wait ! read more

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

I'm glad I didn't read the mixed reviews before stopping here for breakfast or I might have not have even attempted to enter. Now I'm kicking myself for living up the street for almost 3 years and never eating here! We came for breakfast on a bustling Friday morning, the crowded tables up front and inside almost turned us away, but little did I know that there are outdoor tables that extend all the way to the back, so don't let the coziness of the front fool you. Our hostess was friendly and seated us right away, giving us the choice of indoor or outdoor seating. We chose to sit outside as it was a beautiful morning and the waves were banging out front and we opted for the view. She was even very accommodating with my daughter's huge jogging stroller. As busy as it was, we had our drink order taken right away, I asked to have my Americano iced and it was delicious. Dare I even say better than Starbucks?? We had our waitress shortly stop by after to take our food order and the food didn't even take as long as we expected. I would say less than 15 minutes which is enough time to appreciate the oceanfront view and enjoy the chill ambiance of live music! Hubby had the Basic Breakfast and he loved how the Portuguese sausage was grilled and he cleaned his plate! I ordered the Luau Omelet, wasn't fond of the pineapples in there which at the time of ordering I thought sounded good. It was ok though because my baby loved it and I was pleasantly surprised with the side of lomi lomi. The roasted potatoes were also amazing and I'm not a potato person at all. The baby throughly enjoyed her order of chocolate chip pancakes and she was loving on the applewood bacon which I honestly scarfed down three pieces myself. Breakfast for three and a coffee was about $35 before tip, a little pricy, but so very worth it! Maybe the negative reviewers on here came at an off day/time or their expectations were just unreasonable? I don't know, but we absolutely loved it here and would definitely recommend it! read more

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

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Great casual breakfast spot in the city of Kona. While staying close by at our hotel, we took the trolly into town and noticed many people eating here. The wait time for 5 on a weekend morning was about 30 minutes. We noticed many different sweets inside behind the glass counter, coconut muffins, cinnamon pineapple muffins, cinnabons, etc. For breakfast I ordered the strawberry banana smoothie which was very refreshing and delicious. I got a regular breakfast with eggs, bacon, and waffles. The waffles came with just butter, and i asked for syrup also....they brought me out regular syrup and a coconut syrup which was really good. Others in my party had the fish, rice, and egg whites dish....which was pretty healthy and plain but good, the breakfast croissant sandwich which was also good, and bagels and lox. Everyone in our group thought the food was pretty good and that the service was nice. They have many different drink options (smoothies, coffee drinks, fraps, etc.) We ended up ordering some muffins and sweets to go for later in the hotel. If the wait is not too long I would definitely recommend this as a good breakfast spot in Kona across from the water. read more

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My husband and I stopped here for some drinks while we waited for our room. I got the mango mai tai and my husband got a regular mai tai. Excellent service and incredible view. Right next to the ocean, very relaxing. They have overhead fans so it's a nice place to get out of the heat. We will be coming here for breakfast in the morning! read more

Island Lava Java - Mango mai tai and regular mai tai. - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Giving 3 stars because the service was horrendous. I don't know this chicks name but she was not on her game. From the drink orders to the end of the meal. No service what so ever. You would think that if a couple comes in 2 people and orders 4 drinks right off the bat, that they must be thirsty. It took 15 minutes to get our drinks first of all. Chugged that beer like a drunken sailor. Honestly marg and Mary was not good at all and it's served in the wrong glass. Beer, now you can't go wrong with that. Anyways we then placed our order. Ribeye (so Ono) Lobster Mac and cheese and guava bbq ribs pupu. Ok there's another signal that we hungry and we going spend money up in here. Food dropped off by another man and lady runner from the back. It was so damn Ono make my mouth water as I think about it. Cooked perfectly. Mahalo chef. We started our dinner and not once did the waitress come by to ask if everything is alright or if we needed anything else. No more drinks I guess that would make the check bigger and make her tip bigger. Humm‍‍Ok drink water. so we eating and my bf wanted more crustini I think it's called and I had to get the attention of another waitress and ask her because our waitress was no where to be found. Dinner is delish and we get full and have left overs and guess what? We had to ask a busses for a to go box. So food in box, table cleared and then our waitress shows up and ask if we need another drink or anything else? Lol check please. She brings the check and her iPad gadget and actually emphasize the gratuity button to my bf. I was floored. read more

Food: 4 Stars Service: 2 Stars It pains me to leave three stars because the brunch was delicious, but the service was poor. Food: Waipio stack and java lava breakfast. We also had a Bloody Mary and mimosa. They good was delicious and served promptly. The Service: We were seated right away on a Saturday despite it being pretty busy. I was so happy, however that quickly changed. We waited 10-15mins for anyone to even acknowledge we were waiting. After we got our food our waitress never checked to see how everything was. Empty water glasses and plates have been sitting for another good 10-15mins. Expect good food and bad service. read more

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

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Besides having a beautiful view of the beach and sunset my pineapples fried rice is uncooked and way overpriced for how the serving is. The shrimp is amazing and my husbands burger is great just dont get the pineapple friend rice. Mahalo. read more

Great location on the water to watch the MANY homeless folk standing by the patio and walking by. As I do with every city, I look for the DDD- Guy Fieri spots. This is the first one that was aweful! The Guava Ribs were SUPER tough and DRY--the fries were mush. Waitress was TERRIBLE! I highly suggest u avoid this place at all costs. read more

Lava Java has beautiful scenery as it is right on the beach. At night they have twinkle lights which is super charming. We went in with our kids and our waitress Ali was friendly and even recommended a dish to me which I so appreciated because it was delicious! The Mac crusted catch was amazing and I especially liked that it was simple. When on vacation and eating out a lot it's hard to get a simple, fresh meal and that's what I got here. Also the pizza! VERY good. Thanks Ali, we will definitely be back read more

Went in for their breakfast, had the eggs Benedict on a croissant with shrimp and it was spectacular! Delicious, I wouldn't had anything to it. It was perfect! read more

Place had a nice beach vibe. The view is great. The service is also great. It's right across water. The basic breakfast was basic. I don't know what I was thinking but I guess you get what you order lol. I just wish there was some more Portuguese sausage slice. It only came with 3. The catch of the day bene was good. The fish was a white fish and it didn't have too much flavor. The hollandaise sauce was good too. The croissant probably took over flavor wise. read more

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On 8 days on the Big Island this was the only disappointing meal we had. Not recommended. 5 stars for the location. 1 for the food and service. The kalua pork tasted like it came from a can. The ahi fish didn't have any flavor. We had fresher tasting pineapple from the Safeway that's 5 minutes away. Unlike most other restaurants on the island that have warm hospitality and helpful staff, this place has a transactional QR code system designed to turn over tables as fast as possible. Not recommended. read more

Great view of the water and super quick! We has the croissant and the salmon lox. Couldn't ask for anything better since we were going on a scuba dive trip. Got here at 7am and was put by 7:20pm. Really impressed with the service. They were very friendly and all smiles. Definitely come for the water view and the great tasting food! read more

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

Let's start by saying this is now my favorite restaurant in Kailua-Kona. Five months into this crisis with no tourists clouding my judgement I have come to really appreciate what they do here. The place oozes Ohana. You can see it in how they treat their customers and how they treat each other. The vibe is contagious and rubs off on everything they do. As I reached out and explored the menu I can really taste the effort that goes into each and every dish. While next door they too advertise fresh local ingredients, I have found Island Lava Java has the better balance. My hats off to the Chef and kitchen workers ... your the best in town! The wife and I usually sit at the bar talk story and take in the wonderful view. My one critique is the drink specials are a bit tired, let those creative bartenders freshen up & rotate the action and this living breathing picture will continue to paint itself. Outstanding! read more

I can't believe the reviews for Island Lava Java aren't higher. This is the only restaurant on island that is consistently delicious every time. To the point where we don't go anywhere else. Granted we usually go when it's not busy, but service is always quick and super friendly. (Free parking with validation too, just take a photo of your license plate and show it to them when you check in.) read more

I was looking forward to having Mac nut banana pancakes but chose a Mac nut waffle instead. Boy was I disappointed when I first tasted it. It seemed like it might have been cooked earlier and maybe reheated. It wasn't very hot but was somewhat chewy. I mentioned it to the server who said that it wasn't made earlier but I know it really wasn't a fresh waffle. My husband had papaya with granola which he said was great. read more

I placed an order over the phone for pick up and the woman told me it would be 15 minutes and she'd call me. I waited an hour and after going to check on my food, she finally told me it had been done for a while. I wasn't interested in arguing with her so I just said okay and paid for the two waffles. After finally getting to dig in, the waffle batter was heavy and thick. It's also worth noting that the batter itself, tasted like church wafers. However, the girl who took my order over the phone was really nice so I'm leaving 3 stars. read more

Chill vibe next to the sea. Service was great and speedy. Food was so good for breakfast!

Meh. Kinda bummed about this spot. Was in Kona for work from O'ahu and we decided to walk over for dinner. The spot is nice. We were seated upstairs and the view is sweet. I feel bad but there was literally only one person working the floor upstairs. Service was SUPER slow. We sat down at around 5:45 and didn't get served until around 7. The waiter was super nice but but the lack of staff was nuts. At first we were confused as to how to order...from the site or from the waiter?! His answer as to how we should order was just as vague. "Sure, you can do either..." and then he just walked away. The host that sat us walked by and I had to wave him down and ask how big the pizzas are (size not shown on online menu) and he literally asked "What do you mean?!" I said "How big are they? Can we split them? Are they small?" Family size?" He said small, about 4 slices and then walked away. There was A LOT of walking away tonight. I'm an extraordinarily patient person but this was borderline ridiculous. It wasn't even that crowded. Again to the waiter, not his fault. I know he was doing his best. I could feel it. BUT, he also should've explained the situation. (Why so slow) The food was just okay. Pretty basic menu. Nothing outstanding. But bruh...the service or lack thereof. Oh...and the questionable music playing. Super Orange County vibes. Like white boys signing reggae. Literally...I Shazamed them. Haha. I don't know why but it seems like in Kona (in general) the Aloha just isn't very present. It's so different from O'ahu. I don't know what it is. This spot is definitely for tourists that don't care about island culture. If you're into basic with no hospitality, this spot is for you. Meh. read more

Macadamia nut crusted mahi mahi was wonderful but a little too sweet and sour for me but partner loved it. Mai Tai was good Sorry no pictures. read more

Upon visiting it seemed like a very well busted tourist stop. Their pineapple upside down french toast reminded me of banana foster , it was sooo good. I also enjoyed their bacon you can pick crispy or soft and their crusty was perfect. The yogurt I wasn't a big fan of while it was cute that they served it in a papaya. I'm a very big cocktail person and their cocktails weren't mixed well and the mimosas were very lack luster although they had different variety. I tried the mango mimosa which tasted nothing like mango but the pomegranate mimosa was much better. The purple Hawaiian was better than the Hana hou . I feel like there probably are better restaurants on the strip. With outdoor seating the bust service was a little slow so we did get a good show of birds attacking left overs .they give you the option to order through your phone don't do it just get a menu and order from a waitress. I get the concept but the communication is lost especially between the bar the app and the waitress. By time you get your drink due to all the confusion it's melted and outside temperature read more

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This was the very first restaurant on the island that we tried due to all of the positive reviews/local recommendations and we were not disappointed! Everything from the service to the food to the location was absolutely perfect!!! I cannot recommend this place enough we've already sent some other travelers their way! I got the fruit & yogurt w/ *fresh* granola my husband got the Fresh Fish Benedict & we both had a Kona coffee. The portions were great, price comparable to the mainland & believe me when I say everything here is SUPER FRESH!!! The server was so friendly and engaging and we got to look to the sea the entire time we were there! This is a must go!!! ALSO make sure you have a reservation because it's always full read more

Island Lava Java - Fresh Fish Benedict Papaya , Yogurt & Granola - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Excellent food, service, and wait staff. They use the QR code system for ordering and paying right at the table, and a friendly waiter delivers it. Super easy and efficient!! read more

If you're staying/visiting this very central location for tourists in Kona, Island Lava Java Kona is a great place to sit at the patio and enjoy the Hawaiian breeze, ocean waves, sunset, etc. It's also a great place to people-watch! The have a decent happy hour and the bar food was delicious. Beware of a the brave birds that try to steal your food! Definitely a place to check out if you're planning a bar hopping night in this part of town. read more

Wonderful food for breakfast and happy hour appetizers. We went several times during our stay trying different things. I highly recommend the French toast with pineapple, coconut, shrimp and blackened what shrimp tostada. read more

Good burger and on front street. Open air with good people watching and ocean across the street. Delicious fries!

Good spot for a boardwalk place but nothing special. The guava ribs were the best thing. The curry had no taste

Great Location and View of the Bay! Enjoy breakfast while people watching and gazing dreamily out at the bay. The food is good too! So... went here Saturday after Christmas... Yes, it was slammed but we were in no hurry. I don't remember the name of the dish... but it was the Fresh Fish of the day (Ono in this case) along with 2 eggs, potatoes or rice (I picked rice) and a fruit cup. The fish was good size.... I'd say... 6-8 oz. It was like a dinner size piece of fish. Perfectly cooked... not dry nor overcooked. It was light and moist. YUM! Mom had the meal that came with pancakes or a waffle (she went with waffle) and it was topped with bananas and mac nuts and coconut syrup served along with Portuguese sausage or bacon (she went with sausage)... again... All of it was YUM! The waffle was light and fluffy. And you just can't go wrong with Portuguese sausage! :) Hubby had the omelet that had Kalua pork in it... it was big. He seemed to really enjoy it because I only got one small bite. :). Of course, I was "helping" Mom eat her waffle. Net, Net... Ono Grinds! (Note... it's not cheap... I think each of our dishes were between $12-15 each. But the portions are good size and you will not be left hungry.) read more

Island Lava Java - Front of restaurant is on Ali'i Drive - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Popular breakfast spot in downtown Kona. Beautiful ocean view and often has a musician playing pretty little jingles. I recommend a reservation on weekends or expect a 10-20 min wait. If you do happen to wait, don't stand in front of everyone's pretty view, sit on the adjacent stone walls. Rude not to be considerate. Fresh juice and tasty expresso drinks. Fiancée liked the croissant breakfast sando. I opted for the island pancakes with banana, macadamia nuts and coconut syrup. Very islandy! Very sweet sweet and filling, couldn't finish it. Nice serving staff. Will come again :) read more

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

Excellent food and very friendly service. Outside patio pretty much right on the water. The coffee was awesome and the OJ taste like fresh squeezed. Really impressed with the breakfast here. update: breakfast for two cost $50 before tip. Breakfast was good, but not that good. read more

Island Lava Java - View of the Sunset from my table - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii