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    Kandi's Drive Inn

    4.2 (52 reviews)
    InexpensiveJapanese, Hawaiian
    Closed 5:00 am - 3:00 pm

    Kandi's Drive Inn Photos

    Business Info

    KANDI'S DRIVE INN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Loud
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Kandi's Drive Inn

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    Bacon cheeseburger and chicken loco
    Alex P.

    We had the bacon cheeseburger and chicken loco plate and to say both were delicious would be an understatement. The bacon cheeseburger was so good we even ordered a 2nd one before leaving. The people working at Kandi's were very nice and welcoming. You could tell that a lot of locals come to eat lunch here as well. Very happy we happened to drive by on our way to the volcano! PS - cash only! Will be coming back

    Loco Moco Plate
    Logan S.

    Man, what you see is what you get, in the best way. While mainlanders and tourist visit the over priced and un flavorful haunts of the big island, don't miss your chance at a classic Hawaiian breakfast. Cash only. Chili peppa water. The loco moco is medium sized but priced accordingly. Everything is fresh and the place is always packed. 8 outta 10 stars. Mahalo

    Teriyaki meat, two scoops rice and macsalad.
    Reverend Pete S.

    Today while the Merrie Monarch Parade is still on my wife got me a takeout Teri Plate. Which I know the price is reasonable. And their service is great, cash only. And the Teri meat is tasty, tender and delicious!

    Loaded with Teri beef, soft bun and winner sauce.  We came for slush float but no longer.
    Gail U.

    Was reminiscing about when we lived up the street in 1980 and Kandi's had a delicious and affordable slush float. It's cash only but shucks times have changed and what was once the best refreshment is no longer available. Got a Teri beef sandwich which was everything I could ant in a sandwich. Extremely yummy!

    Menu
    Melody P.

    Closed today but Yelp said it's open. We've eaten here before good Grindz z good prices.

    Old school
    Andrew T.

    Best Teri Beef in Hilo. Perfect level of sweetness, garlic, and ginger. I actually prefer the mini plate (about $9?) because the mini box doesn't have compartments, so the Teri sauce gets to make love with the rice (lol). Excellent hamburger deluxe (about $5) as well. One day they just said "do you want some free fries" and handed us like 4 orders of free French fries. Score !!! The fries are good. I did come once for the afternoon burger deal advertised on a banner, but these discounted burgers did not include the deluxe version, and I would not go back for them. You want the Deluxe, and it's worth paying a little more for.

    Breakfast menu
    Shaun S.

    Kandi's is everything you want from a drive in. I've only been two times but Hawaiian fast food at its best. Time #1: Breakfast- me= egg and cheese on a bun. $5 Him= breakfast platter and 2 Bentos to go. Everything was eaten up! Fast food without it feeling like fast food. Walk up to the counter, order your food, pay in cash, get food, eat food, feel satiated. Time #2 Lunch Fish sandwich- fried square fish on a bun with lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese. Think of a fish o filet on steroids, that actually tastes good. Cheese burger- he said it was GOOD and would buy it again. Shared fries- fried to perfection, hot and crispy Dee-Lish-see-ohhh-so!!

    Mini bento

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    6 days ago

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    Photo of Tyler K.
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    10 months ago

    Soma da best old skool burgers and fries on the island. Great prices across da board with a wide variety of options.

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Gravy cheese burgers are the best. Rest of the menu is great as well. Eat up! Bring cash, though. It's cash-only.

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    2 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Cheap food, good quality, great customer service, and wide selection to choose from. $5.50 specials daily.

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Noticed their prices went up but still cheaper than most other restaurants except Koji's. Food still yummy like before.

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    7 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Great little spot for a quick bite at reasonable prices. Will go back to try their breakfast!

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    14 years ago

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    Page 1 of 2

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    Tetsumen Ramen - Char siu ramen

    Tetsumen Ramen

    4.2(616 reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $$

    Love this place! We visited this local favorite on a trip to Hilo. We went for an early weekday…read morelunch, so it wasn't busy. There was parking in the shared lot, but spaces are tiny. Booth seating was perfect for us. The wait staff were super nice and patient with us. Their menu is huge and has a lot of options for customizing. Fortunately, there are diagrams on the wall to help you decide. I got a Miso Standard ramen ($20 with an Ajitama (seasoned soft boiled egg), hard texture, fried garlic, extra noodles. It was fabulous! Really hit the spot. Loved the chewier noodles and the rich, flavorful broth. DH got THE Garlic ramen ($26.50) also with an Ajitama, pork belly, and extra noodles, regular firmness. The kids wanted extra Naruto (fish cakes), 75 cents for 2 small pieces. One of our kids is under age 5, so we got a Miso mini ramen ($9.50 value) for free! Wow! Little one said he did not like the flavor of the seasoned egg. Noodles were very soft, but stayed together, and soaked up a ton of broth so they were flavorful. He said the Miso Mini comes with corn instead of fish cake. We loved all of the toppings. The pork belly was excellent! Portion sizes are great. We had some leftovers to take back. Overall, a fantastic place to satisfy those ramen cravings!

    Everything about this place is awesome! Our server was so attentive and friendly. We came on a…read moreTuesday night and only waited a few minutes, but I can tell this place gets busy. The food seems like authentic Japanese cuisine and everything was super delicious. My dad loved his tantan ramen - nutty but not heavy. I really liked the chicken katsudon, which was on the saltier side but still so filling and hearty! This was an awesome find and I'm so glad we stopped here for dinner :-)

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    Stamina bowl

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    Sakura Sushi & Grill - Samurai Roll

    Sakura Sushi & Grill

    3.7(283 reviews)
    2.5 mi
    $$$

    My coworker was craving sushi, and this was the only place we found close to us that was still open…read morefor dinner. Despite the parking lot being quite full, there was still plenty of parking available, and we were seated right away. The menu had lots of options, which made it hard to decide what to order. I went with the Okinawa roll (shrimp tempura and spicy crabmeat inside, deep fried with eel sauce and mayo). My coworkers ordered the Big Island roll and the chirashi don, and they both loved their meals. My Okinawa roll tasted delicious, but it was a little too oily for me - probably wouldn't order it again. The tea I ordered also tasted very watered down, which was disappointing. Service was quick to take our orders, but my food came out way after my coworkers' dishes. Understandable since mine had to be fried, but I ended up awkwardly watching them eat while I waited for my meal to arrive. Overall, a decent sushi spot with good options - just be mindful of what you order and expect some timing issues if you're ordering different types of dishes.

    Food 4/5 - Ordered a sakura boat and unagi don. The sashimi/nigiri in the sakura boat was high…read morequality and fresh, as the texture was soft with no hints of being frozen. The roll was good, nothing to write home about. Unagi don was good, although slices for the unagi were on the thinner side. Miso soup was nice and hot. Price $$ - Price is fair with the portions that are served. Service 3/5 - Service is average, they did make a round to refill our drinks. Ambiance 4/5 - Interior is good with Japanese themed decor. Overall - Had a pleasant experience and would visit again.

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    Sakura Sushi & Grill - Inside

    Inside

    Sakura Sushi & Grill - Big Island roll

    Big Island roll

    Sakura Sushi & Grill - Okinawa roll

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    Restaurant Kenichi

    Restaurant Kenichi

    4.1(491 reviews)
    2.3 mi
    $$

    ALWAYS A GREAT DECISION TO COME HERE!!…read more The food and service is always on point. Really cool locally owned restaurant. We usually get the sizzling steak and/or korean chicken salad. Never disappoints. Mahalo kenichi crew

    Our high school club chose to eat here to support a local business for our end-of-year celebration,…read morebut the experience was unfortunately very stressful for our students and staff. We spent two and a half months planning this event. My club treasurer and I confirmed the price on seven different occasions--five times over the phone and twice in person. Each time, we were quoted just over $600 with about a $110 in tips, which we paid in full two days before the party. However, the day before the event, we were told there was a miscalculation and we needed to pay another $400. Because our students had only fundraised the amount we were originally quoted, we had to remove two people from our party and downgrade our menu which did not include drinks anymore. We requested to bring our own drinks due to the last-minute budget change, but we were told we could "only bring alcohol and no outside sodas and juices." It was disappointing that this was the only accommodation offered to a group of high school students. During the party, we also encountered several cleanliness issues. We found hair in the food and cockroaches in the rice, as well as on the walls and near the buffet area. I am totally not joking about the food; I was shocked by what we saw. The servers were very polite and apologized when we let them know, but it was a major concern for us. I understand that accidents happen, but this was a very difficult situation for our club after so much careful planning. Personally, I will not be eating here again for a long time.

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    Restaurant Kenichi - Sizzling NY Steak

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    Kandi's Drive Inn - japanese - Updated May 2026

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