We stopped here for breakfast and we enjoyed it so much we had to go back before leaving town. The upside down pinapple French toast was amazing! The waffle with all the fresh fruit was delish. The fruit smoothies, my nephew and I could not have enough!! Great beach front view and service. There was a minor problem with our order but the manager handled it personally in such a way, that it did not affect our rating. They definetly know what customer service is all about! Aloha! read more

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Fresh and tasty food. Fast friendly service. We sat at the front and had ocean views.

Perfect Sunday brunch destination in Kona. We ended up nearby and popped in. Very short wait - text notification when it was our turn. We got cocktails and all enjoyed - particularly their version of a coconut monitor. The burgers were giant and tasty - fluffy buns and creamy aioli. The fish tacos were grilled perfectly! The kiddie pancakes came with a fun surprise, chocolate chips. The eggs Benedict had a nice touch with a croissant. Everyone left happy and full. Service was great on top of all the other fabulosity! read more

Went here for breakfast, the waitress was really nice and got our food out so quick even though there were so much people. The pancakes were really soft and delicious and the morning view with the ocean makes it so much better. read more

Ugh! This was so delicious. I had the island eggs benedict and that egg! it was perfectly poached. I sliced through it and it was thick and oozed the right amount . We had been eating around the island and nothing had really wowed until this breakfast. It is delicious and worth it. Not to mention that view! Beautiful! read more

Island Lava Java - Island eggs benedict and a view - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Reserve the ocean view tables and come a little early. So worth it. You drinks will be x10 tastier! Life is good.

Back to one of our favorites in Kona, Island Lava Java. Our server this time was Mark, sweet young guy. Very friendly and talked story with us . Suggested his favorite, the pork chop but we had already ordered the combo pizza on happy hour. Next splurge will surely be that pork chop. We love Lava Java for breakfast , lunch or dinner, quality fresh food and friendly sweet servers. Thank you Mark, thank you Lava Java. The Phillips read more

Location: 5 stars Service: 3 stars Food: 2 stars Price: 3 stars Had quite a few friends recommend this place but unfortunately it did not live up to the hype. Food was a bit bland. I ordered the Hawaiian style pancakes and my wife ordered their fish platter. Fish came out a little cold and lacked flavor. The portion size is decent hence the 3 stars on price. If you want more flavorful food, try more local favorites. read more

We have gone to Lava Java many times. The sunsets and food couldn't have been better. Our friends who came along raved about the whole experience. The servers are friendly too. Bloody Mary's & the eggs Benedict were superb. read more

I must have caught it on a bad day. Went here in early August 2019. Service was excruciatingly slow, food was pretty bad. I had a poke bowl and it was seriously the worst poke bowl I've ever had. My kid ordered ribs (she loves ribs) and she quit eatin them after about 4-5 bites. They have a great location and if you just want to sit there and admire the view and hang out, I can see this being a decent spot, but quite honestly, I cant see myself ever going back. This place was a complete fail. read more

Quick seating in the morning for brunch. We came on Sunday but there were no omelette spots available-- found that super weird considering it's for brunch. Service was ok, sometimes hard to flag down our waitress for condiments, menus, etc. Coffee tasted a bit funky too. The food honestly was mediocre and a bit overpriced. Nothing too special and definitely felt like a tourist trap. Overall nothing horrible to say but can't say we will be back. read more

Great breakfast and awesome view!! Food is slightly pricey, but worth it for the quality, quantity and experience. Perfect location, in the center of the town. Free parking located in the Ali'i sunset plaza. read more

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When a place allows me to choose my bacon crispy or soft, you know they understand that breakfast is important! Was great to be able to make a reservation through OpenTable, so that we could sit in our ocean view hearing about the over an hour wait for walk-up customers. In general, I love breakfast places that take reservations as hungry goes quickly to hangry in the morning! The coffee was amazing (hubby and I shared a large french press pot). In our party, we had an eggs benedict, pancakes, waffle and papaya yogurt granola. Everything was the BOMB! Even though all the servers are wearing masks, you can still tell they are smiling - we ordered through the app interface, (let the machines do the work!) which again, is so convenient - all the options available, but the servers bringing the food were super friendly and helpful. read more

Huge tourist trap. Prices on the latest Yelp menu are lower than they actually are on the restaurant's menu. Basic, overpriced, and flavorless food (my husband and I shared the Big Kahuna breakfast). You'll get better value for your money elsewhere. read more

Nice location overlooking the ocean, it's Kona - be happy and content, right? OK, they have to charge a little more for Hawaiian real estate, and a nice view. It's just OK. I could complain that my tuna was cooked well done, but so what? Everything else came out predictably boring as described - nothing exciting to report, it was just some basic sustenance in a beautiful location. Saving the day was our server, who was friendly and smiling and remembered which of us got which sandwich and who got the iced tea, which is always a plus for me. If you need a bathroom, they will give you a key attached to a steel colander, and you will have to walk to the end of the building(s) by the parking lot, use the key to open the common door to both gender rooms, and bring them back the key. I felt a little stupid walking around, lots of businesses between the street and the parking lot, with a huge steel colander. If you're in town for a few days, give it a whirl - if you only have one day in Kona like I did (cruise ship tourist) you'll wish you made a better choice. read more

Island Lava Java - Yellow box is daily specials - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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We absolutely loved and frequented Island Lava Java in Waikoloa Village and were excited to try the one in Kona for Farther's Day breakfast. Huge mistake. We ordered fish eggs Benedict, garden omelette, and kids pancakes. Food came cold and tasted awful. So awful that I had to spit it out into a napkin. Potatoes were burnt. Coffee was cold and tasteless. We will not be back. read more

The food, atmosphere, kind wait staff remain true to all the great reviews. We did have to get there a bit early and wait in line, glad we did. The line remained active the entire time we were there. We opted for the fresh fish eggs Benedict, island style pancakes and a couple rounds of mimosas. The juice for the mimosas were all fresh and so the OJ my kiddos got. All in all, a place we will visit again (and suggest you do too!) read more

FOOD IS MEDIOCRE and OVERPRICED. I don't understand all the high reviews. Location/Ambiance - 5 stars (oceanfront, touristy area featuring live music) Service - 3.5 stars (ok, above average) Food - 2 stars Came in on a Sunday night during dinner rush for a party of 5. We were seated within minutes. My 2 younger kids have peanut and milk allergies. My son is a picky eater and it's hard finding delicious, dairy free meals. My husband ending up just splitting the steak with him and ordering a side of fries. The fries were soggy and looked like they were cooked ahead of time. The steak, although tender, had a red wine demi glace and was very bland. I ordered the a pizza and it was slightly burnt, especially underneath. The pizza didn't taste good, either. My 18/yo daughter ordered the pork bun sliders which she says were mediocre. I would not recommend this place. read more

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

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This place is busy, but every time I've been here they've handled the morning rush with calm and collectiveness. Which I appreciate. My husband and I recently moved here and we love to pick up their breakfast sandwich "drag it through the garden" on the way home from a walk. It's a great alternative to some of the heavier dishes. Croissant is good and the spinach and avocado add that pop of freshness that you need in the morning. read more

We enjoyed the fresh squeezed juice and amazing fresh food. Would highly recommend as a breakfast option in the area

Definitely amazing Sunday brunch. This will be a regular for us on Sundays. The service was so friendly, can't beat the view, the food was fast and one of the best breakfasts we have ever had. read more

Island Lava Java - Lilikoi French toast with Kona coffee - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Cakes with a view! It's pretty simple place. Short list of breakfast options that should really just be one item, the Mac nut island pancakes with an amazing view of the bay. It's simple, delicious, and wonderfully Hawaii. Note: there's a second level so if you don't want to people/car watch, ask to sit upstairs. read more

Be here when the doors open or be sure you have reservations. It is very busy, the food was great, the view is amazing and our server was helpful. You can't ask for more. We were going to Hilo and she recommended places to visit on the way. I got a mango smoothie and island style waffle. They were great. read more

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

In the marketplace of Kona, a cute beach facing restaurant with amazing lunch dishes- dinner I'm sure would have been great too. First photo is of their Ahi Tuna Poke- best I've had on this trip! Fresh large pieces of ahi tuna on a bed of goodness. The wasabi aioli dressing on this was Second dish is of the chicken sandwich. A big, juicy marinated chicken breast, with crispy onions, arugula, on a house made brioche bun. Also, check their weekly drink specials. We came on a Wednesday and it was Whiskey Sour day. It was elevated and sooo tasty (and only 6$ - which is not common on this island) Follow us on insta for our favourites https://instagram.com/food_specs?igshid=xl0wb3tvaobb read more

This was our first meal off the plane, and was a wonderful way to start our trip. We sat upstairs and watched the town walk by while we enjoyed fish tacos and a refreshing cold brew. We bought a bag of beans to take back to start our mornings in Kona right. The staff was kind, attentive, and so very helpful. read more

The restaurant has recently stopped printing menus, although they have continued to raise prices. The menu is available on an iPad that the waiter can get for you but it is very difficult to use. Many menu options were not on the iPad, and some menu options were repeated at different prices. When asked, the waiter said it was the same dish (side order of pancakes) at $10 and $12. When asked, the manager said that paper menus were coming but he had no idea of when. I suggested that they could be printed and he admitted that would be possible! Great. I will miss their excellent salads. P.S. My experience using the QR code to view a menu from my phone is that I end up getting lots of spam and other unwanted messages from the app that get's installed, one reason I refuse to do so. read more

I wish I knew your name, but we had the best service here. It's been a minute so I can't remember her face quite so much. Dark curly hair? But short hair, I think. Whoever she is, she exudes aloha. If she was having a bad day, you'd never be able to tell. I just am so impressed even after all this time. I swear she made the food taste better than it was (sorry!). We just had breakfast here. The Lilikoi stuffed French toast, the pull apart cinnamon thing, the regular bacon and egg breakfast.. the Lilikoi stuffed French toast was mediocre, but everything else was pretty good. The pull apart could've used more icing but it was still delicious! The view also made breakfast lovely, as the stretch of ocean and the cool breeze along with it just was a cherry on top of a beautiful morning. There's nothing like the waves rolling up and the sun shining high above it. I'd honestly be back here for the atmosphere. I'm sure other things on the menu are great, and for example.. I'm really eyeing out those pancakes. That's for another day, I suppose. I'll just have to fly back to Kona ASAP! read more

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Beautiful view, friendly, unfortunately really bad GI problem/food poisoning after dining there ... not sure if will try again.

Poor service. I came here to get some coffee around 10am, the place had a great location on the beachfront. Food looked ok and unique so I was excited to try it out. I put my name in and they said it would be a 10-15 min wait, well 30 minutes later I'm still waiting for them to seat me while I watch them seat people who came after I did, just ridiculous. After watching some lady walk up and ask for a seat and get immediately seated while I was still standing there was the last straw so I left, it was another 10 minutes until the text came that they were ready to seat me. read more

This 3 star has a variety of reasons. Let me first say the macadamia nut crusted fresh catch and the fish tacos were fantastic. The service was ok, our waiter was very nice but I feel like he had too many tables or something. The real ISSUE was the entire time we were here (an hour) the bartender NEVER EVER put his mask on (I had a view the entire time) In a town where they have such tight restrictions for Covid to see someone that had contact with almost every persons food I was appalled. read more

This place was horrible for the price! What a waste of a 30 minute wait. The food was flavorless, the burger was so rare we sent it back and it came back still rare! Fish tacos were also not good at all. We do not recommend this place. read more

I really wanted to love this place, but in the end it was not bad. I would give it 3.5 stars if that was an option. The Ahi Poke bowl was certainly very fresh and top quality Ahi, but it seriously lacked flavor. It was a fresh and healthy meal, but a flavorless one. The Guava BBQ ribs were good. The view is wonderful, but I was distracted by watching the staff and the operations. Despite having only 9 tables seated and being very well staffed, the host is telling everyone there is a 45 minute wait for a table. I've managed several restaurants but I can't for the life of me figure out why they're running things this way. I saw 9 front-of-house employees and 9 parties seated. This doesn't add up. read more

Unimpressive. Maybe if we had gone for breakfast? But we went for lunch, and couldn't figure out what all the hype is about. The food is ok but uninventive and frankly boring. The service is corporate and impersonal. There are much better options in the area. read more

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

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

I hate writing bad reviews but I feel like this is something that should be shared. My family and I have been coming to lava Java for many years. About 13 -14 to be exact. I made reservations for Father's Day brunch in advance bc I know how busy they can get. The whole experience was awful. We were able to get seated about 10 mins before our actual reso- which was great! What wasn't great it took about 15 mins for our server to even acknowledge we were there. No waters. No utensils or napkins. Not even a "hi there, I will be right with you" nothing. Finally she came and no Hi no happy Father's Day but straight to "what can I get you to drink?" No clue what her name was or anything. Very cold. Drinks took about 15 mins to get to us and what I think was the best part of our brunch, the hostess who sat us, came over to our table and literally says "so are you guys almost done yet??" We have been seated for about 25 -30 mins and I looked at her and said are you serious? We just got here. She then says oh we just have a lot of reservations and I said ok, well we just got here , please don't rush us. Haven't even taken our food order yet. Like seriously?? Food took awhile and I get it, it was busy but management should be prepared for days like that. There was no clean cups or silverware either. Our server was venting to us that it happens a lot. Again, that should be prepared and planned for when you have holidays etc. roll extra the night before. Order more cups and have them ready for when you have holidays and a ton of reservations. Our food was unfortunately very bland too. My big kahuna fish was dry as can be and lacked flavor. I had to order tartar sauce just to liven it up a bit. Overall, this was a terrible experience. I really hope they can work on this. My husband did enjoy his burger which yay it's Father's Day and I wanted to make sure he had a good brunch and time with his family. We love lava Java and will be back but truly hoping the experience will be a lot better. read more

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 restaurant is beautiful! Great ocean view and wonderful food to go with it. My friend and I got seated promptly and we had this wonderful hummus for an appetizer. For dinner, she had the fish tacos and I had the house salad and sweet potato fries, which was wonderful. Whoever thought to pair macadamia nuts with goat cheese was very smart. Our waitress was really sweet, and although our drinks took a while to get refilled it was totally worth it for the food. The atmosphere is great and if you're looking for a healthier option this is a good place! read more

Island Lava Java - Island Lava Java Salad and fries - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Great meals any time of day. Good eats for both tourists and locals . With that, you get great views of Kailua bay.

Best things about this place were the lovely gentleman singing and playing tunes, the view and not being rushed to leave. These got it an extra star (particularly music). Had my doubts but went for breakfast yesterday. Not sure why it took as long as it did to seat people, there were free tables but whatever, it was a few minutes waiting, looking at the view. Ordered basic breakfast, eggs scrambled, Portuguese sausage and potato as starch. Best thing on the plate was the wholewheat honey bread - really tasty. The rest was kind of gross. Also a large latte, while not the worst I've had it's not the best either, wouldn't return for it. People nearby asked for hot sauce when their food arrived, their waitress went to get some; after 5-10 mins wait they finally flagged down someone else who got them some right away. In short go to Daylight Mind, everything is better for about the same $. read more

Island Lava Java - Basic breakfast (scrambles eggs, sausage and potato) large latte - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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