Stopped on our way to the volcano national park from Kona and coffee was great they used coffee…read moreiced cubes in the iced coffee! burrito was also great! They freshly made blueberry scones which we demolished fresh out the oven!

Food was good [had some baked goods options too that I had to pass up], reasonably priced for the…read morerural part of the Big Island, and the place was clean & well-kept [ even if I and a few other drop-ins from the Belt Road made the local patrons feel a bit crowded :-) ].

If heaven has a lunch counter overlooking the Pacific, I think I found it…read more The Coffee Shack isn't just about the view (and trust me, the view alone is worth the drive)--it's about everything that comes with it. Let's start with the sandwiches. The Hawaiian bread is absolutely incredible. Soft, slightly sweet, fresh, and honestly the best sandwich bread I've ever had. Every bite made me wonder why every sandwich in the world isn't served on Hawaiian bread. Then came the pizza. Authentic, artisan island flavor with a homemade crust that tasted like it had been infused with fresh rosemary and other garden herbs. The pineapple and ham tasted wonderfully fresh, making the classic Hawaiian pizza feel like it was invented right here. And then there's the balcony. You look out over the emerald-green Kona coffee slopes as they tumble down to the brilliant blue waters of Kealakekua Bay. The Pacific stretches to the horizon, sailboats drift across the bay, and on a clear day you can even spot the Captain Cook Monument across the water. It's the kind of view that makes you forget your phone...at least until you realize you need to take another picture. Come hungry. Stay awhile. Order dessert and another cup of Kona coffee. You'll leave wondering if you came for lunch or for one of the most beautiful dining views in Hawaii. Mahalo, Coffee Shack--you've spoiled me for every sandwich and pizza that follows.

Delicious food with an incredible view. Breakfast and brunch are the main draws here. We love…read moresitting in the back room, where the unobstructed ocean views and cool trade winds make the experience even better. Expect a wait on weekends, but they use an app that lets you track your place in line and alerts you when your table is ready. Don't skip dessert--the coconut cream pie is a favorite. We also loved the macadamia nut scone.

I have a new appreciation for coffee…read more After attending a coffee farm tour, I've changed what to expect for good coffee. You don't need sugar or cream. Just good beans. HICO is known for their ube which I tried- I like that it's not super sweet, just a hint of and I think that's all you need for good coffee. You still want the coffee to come through. The salmon loc was also not bad- good breakfast. Thank for letting me bring my . I'll be back when I'm in town.

I ordered the ube latte, for some odd reason it had no sweetener when I took my first sip. It was…read moresurprising. I went to the bar and saw a bottle of simple syrup with writing that said "help yourself" perhaps they don't add sugar to any coffee and you have to do it yourself? Cold brew was really sour, perhaps that's the taste of the coffee beans itself. We ordered the loaded spam musubi and spicy crab musubi. They are really loaded, for $17 each, it's pretty expensive for rice and spam. It's heavily covered in sriracha and mayo. We weren't fans of how much sauce covered the musubis, we had to scrape it off. Id opt to eat a normal musubi, save yourself $17

Kilauea Lodge Restaurant is still a favorite dining option when we visit the Volcano Area…read more As Big Island Kamaaina we come to the village and stay often. Our favorite place is this lovely location and we return to enjoy most meals while there. The ambience, great service staff and uncomplicated menu help us make decisions about what to order; everything is consistently good! Don't forget to tip your service staff. Aloha!

This may be one of the best dining spots in the Volcano area. The menu is relatively small, but…read moreevery dish is thoughtfully prepared and executed exceptionally well. The food, service, and ambiance all deserve 5 stars. A special shoutout to our waiter, Adam, who provided outstanding service and made our evening even more enjoyable. Despite being in a popular visitor destination, the restaurant doesn't feel touristy. Instead, it has a welcoming atmosphere that attracts both visitors and locals looking for a great meal. Parking is free and convenient, and there's also a charming little shop next to the restaurant that's worth browsing before or after dinner. Highly recommended if you're visiting the Volcano area.

I visited this cute coffee shop after stopping at another place that I will never go to. That will…read morebe a different review. The Menehune Coffee Co. Was a pleasant surprise. We sat to quiet music in the background and an extensive menu. So many options. I highly recommend stopping here ove the other place I posted.

We were looking for a sit down location with coffee and food. We chose this spot because of the…read morepictures of food but unfortunately arrived on a day where they were out of over half of the food options on their menu. And, despite hardly having anyone else in the restaurant, there was no real concern to seat us nor take our orders. There was only one person running the front - bussing, waiting, register, and cafe. They were really trying their best. When the food arrived, which was quickly, everything tasted great. Lots of available coffee beans to purchase, farm fresh. The bathroom and restaurant could also use a good cleaning.

I had the strawberry bingsoo (milk shave ice) and salmon cream cheese sandwich with chips…read more Both were amazing. Everything seems to be made to order, and the sandwich was loaded with flavor and all of the ingredients tasted super fresh. The strawberry bingsoo was probably the best shave I've I've ever had. Fresh strawberries with whipped cream and incredibly fine shave ice. Wish they had this back on Oahu. Definitely drop by if you're in Kona!

Stopped in for a drink and lite dessert and was not disappointed!…read more Drink: strawberry ade refresher. Perfect amount of bubbles and strawberry purée. Dessert: Mango bingsoo: the shaved ice was so fluffy. I first thought it was finely shaved coconut , but it was a creamy shaved ice. Nice and sweet with generous chunks of ripe mango and almost ripe mango for a nice firmer mouth feel. Service: the service provided from order to pick up was excellent.

What a gem that's flung far from Kona, in the middle of nowhere off the side of Highway 11. It's…read moregot this old Hawaii meets Japanese comfort food charm that evokes a wistful presence from yesteryear. There's something about a flower being pinned to your hair as you're seated to eating a bowl of saimin as Unchained Melody plays in the background that brings a nostalgic smile to your face and makes you feel right at home. Oh - and if you ask the server what's in the Kona Beef Curry Stew... it's beef and curry. Ha. Tellin' them city folk like it is.

We tried out this legendary Japanese Hawaiian diner near the end of our trip. It is literally like…read morea slice out of history! Not to be missed! They have a TV showing historical clips of the Japanese immigrants who moved to Hawaii. We learned so much just dining there! The servers were very nice and friendly. They even offer free, hot green tea. It wasn't crowded when we went there for lunch. The server said we could order from the dinner menu too. The restaurant is decorated with a bunch of old family photos. It's not a fancy food location, but a place that is in the locals' hearts. Also, it's not standard Japanese American food, so don't come in looking for rolls and such! Instead, they serve fresh, perfectly prepared Japanese food with a Hawaiian twist, favorites like saimin and shrimp tempura. The large saimin ($16.17) was delicious and really hit the spot. Toppings were Spam, eggs, and veggies. Simple, but tasty! Shrimp tempura appetizer ($14.85) was a pretty large sized dish. The pieces have a lot of crunchy batter and the kids loved it. It was a bit greasy, but that's to be expected. DH got a Oyako Donburi with sashimi ($21.93). Wow, the sashimi was truly amazing! So tender, it just melts in your mouth. The eggs were cooked with bamboo pieces which kinda threw DH off. I liked them, but DH would've preferred it without. The flavor is sweet/salty and pretty mild. It came with miso soup and some pickles. Parking is right in the front and backs into the main road. It can be spicy getting out if traffic is heavy. They don't have a lot of bathrooms, so there might be a wait. Those are the downsides. Otherwise, a wonderful local place to eat!

OMG these are the BEST ube pancakes!!!! We got the chantilly with it and they were heaven. It was…read moreactually our first real taste of Hawaiian food on our trip and my husband child and I were all taking turns at the pancakes because they were perfect. Super fluffy and delicious and rich with the chantilly. We got so much food (spam loco moco and I forget what my husband got but it had lots of types of meat) that we were unable to finish the pancakes, and my husband refused to throw them away and we took them back to the hotel. The spam loco moco had very generous helpings of spam (I wish it had been more crisped up but that's my only complaint), gravy, and everything. I kept thinking I wasn't going to eat even half of it, but I chipped away and kept going back for more and ate more than 2/3 of it! My only complaint is that it took a long time to get the food. My kid is super picky/sensitive about smells and didn't like the smoky meaty smell inside and insisted we go stand outside without sunscreen so I was stressing. Also, they are closed several days and we weren't able to hit them up a second time before we had to leave. I was dying for more of those pancakes. Definitely give them a try!!!

One of the best local spots in town! If you're looking for authentic, local food, this is…read moredefinitely the place to stop. Everything is prepared with so much care and love, and the quality truly can't be beat. A must-visit for anyone wanting a real taste of the area. And don't skip dessert you have to try them! The poi balls with ube sauce are a standout, and the banana cream pie is one of my absolute favorites.