Came to hilo for a short day trip, and decided to check out the matcha coffee shops in the area…read more Coffee girl is so aesthetically pleasing! They had cute chairs and ig post worthy wall backgrounds. I love how everything is PINK! The service was very fast, maybe took 3 minutes to make. My strawberry oat matcha was delicious, but I did see they had some baked goods but opted out this visit. Will come back again soon!

Coffee Girl is no doubt one of the coffee spots Hilo can boast about although it wasn't super…read moreimpressive in my opinion. This, however, is not to say that it doesn't have charms in it. Mostly in mint color, the interior is simple and yet it does emit a lot of cuteness. What was eye catching to us was the swing inside at one of the side windows. Whether it's okay for a person to actually sit on it to enjoy a little swing time is something I didn't find out from the young lady who manned the upfront bar by herself, if it's solely as a decorative piece to create the kind of ambiance this place suits to manifest, it does do a lot to attract visitors' attention. The lady was quiet and yet kind enough to give us everything we needed for the late morning walk into the town. My daughter and I wanted to split quads of espresso shots so that was our only order and yet we needed two separate cups with lots of ice in each cup with a little side cream (half and half) so we could make our own iced latte or cappuccino later (we didn't want ice immediately after the espresso was made as it would have diluted the coffee had it been made that way. Sounded like it was a little too much to ask which we felt a bit awkward. The kind lady simply did everything for us. Thanks to her for being so accommodating to our demanding needs!!) The shop is located from other businesses oceanfront so it's walkable to other things as long as you are talking "the center of Hilo". So for the location, convenience, cute ambiance and patience in service, we enjoyed our quick pick up experience while we were in town.

I honestly can't stop thinking about their coffee! I need…read moreto get my own espresso machine. My go-to drink I got 3 days in a row while I was back home was the Iced Breve - espresso with cream, with no sweetener & no added flavor. It was perfect for me. I wish I got the large every day I was there. Because I was busy with things throughout the day. It kept me alert & awake with no crash (which most coffee does to me :( ) - but the breve from here didn't. For those watching their sugar intake, or wanting a keto-friendly drink with a good balance of espresso coffee & cream fat, I highly recommend this. All the other coffee shops I went to while on Oahu, I couldn't find breve on the menu. I first tried this place a while back in 2017, my cousin brought us here. And got the Iced Toddy, cold brewed coffee, which was way too strong for me at that time. We went inside this time, it's a small shop. It's a drive-thru as well, so it's perfect when it's raining out. Service is 5 stars as well. All of the drinks we got were onoliscious, no complaints. I miss this place. I will do my best to make my own at home till I come back. Mahalo & Alohaaa!

10/10 always a must have whenever I'm in Hilo! I always get a peanut butter frappe my favorite!!…read moreAnd a bagel breakfast sandwich! Something about the combo and it being from just cruising it just feels like home in a sense. Also the drive thru aspect is so fun. The baristas/servers are always so nice and have a smile. Can't be in Hilo without just cruising coffee. Also the signature whip cream makes my heart happy.

Finally got to try Two Ladies Kitchen and they didn't disappoint... there's definitely a reason…read morepeople line up to buy! I knew there might be a line so I planned ahead and placed a phone order. There's a separate line of phone orders too which was really nice. But if you wait in line they do come out with samples - just saying. Also they have pre-packaged mochi packs - which make great gifts. I bought a bunch of mochi to take home to mainland (I froze it after buying) and took it to my parents house where we cut 10 pieces into 3 pieces to do a mochi tasting. Honestly all of them were great, but top 3 were: - shiso - I didn't know what to expect, but the flavors works so well together. Such a unique combo, with subtle shiso flavor! Highly recommend. - kamato - I didn't know if I'd like it so only got one piece.. after trying I wish I had more. - peach - this is my perfect mochi. The white filling just works and it's not too sweet. I know the strawberry is their #1 seller so I tried it and it's really good, it was maybe my 5th favorite of the mochis tried. All in all a great mochi shop that's I'll definitely visit again!

Never have I ever tried mochi with a fresh fruit filled center so if you haven't either, then Two…read moreLadies Kitchen is a must stop if you're visiting Hilo. The mochi is made fresh daily, and it's highly encouraged to place an advance phone order prior to pickup so the shop can manage the high demand. The space at the front counter is very limited, so expect a wait outside to order and/or pickup. Their fruits menu changes seasonally, so we just had to try 1 of each item: - Strawberry - Mandarin Orange - D'anjou Pear - Bing Cherry - Green Grape - Cotton Candy Grape - Nectarine - Strawberry Short Cake We also had to order their Peach and Lilikoi flavors. Everything was so pillowy soft and mochi-licious!

My husband and I shared: - Turkey, Cranberry, and Cream…read moreCheese Popover Sandwich - Pastrami Popover Sandwich - Ube Donut - Lilikoi Butter Mochi Both sandwiches were fantastic. I love popovers and it's such a great idea to turn them into a sandwich. I think I had a slight preference for the turkey one, but you can't go wrong with either. The desserts were a little disappointing. The donut was dry and the butter mochi was just ok. If you're in Hilo, come here for lunch!

Variable food quality. Some of the doughnuts were okay, the flatbread was pretty good, and the…read morepopovers were fine. Most of their "puffs" had quite artificial fillings, and I'd rather attempt eating a rock than one of their scones again. Service is an absolute mess. We ordered pickup via DoorDash and I'm convinced we were the first people to ever do that, because the employees were so confused by the entire concept. Overall, I don't think I'd recommend and we definitely had better breakfasts in Hilo.

Puna Chocolate Company is one of my favorite local chocolate artisan shops, conveniently located in…read moreDowntown Hilo. Since my time away, they have beautifully renovated the interior to have a sit-down booth area. I love the abundance of nene decor honoring our state bird, along with high quality chocolates made in Hawaii. The store clerk was very knowledgeable and described how each cultivars of chocolate differ in their taste profiles. We had the horchata 50% milk chocolate bar, and I don't have a picture because we devoured it in one sitting! Overall, Puna Chocolate Co. is an elegant, delightful, and elevated experience that rivals big names like Big Island Candies and Dandelion Chocolates in San Francisco. Highly recommend in stopping by!

I stopped by Puna Chocolate Company for an afternoon coffee and ordered an espresso. It wasn't…read moreterribly busy in the store so my drink was prepared in minutes. The espresso was strong, not overwhelmingly bitter, and had a good consistency to it. While sitting at the bar, I noticed that they had a Day Drink menu with a bunch of coffee and chocolate cocktails, including an espresso martini and a cacao old fashioned. For $14 and $13 respectively, these seemed like very reasonable prices. Definitely something I'll check out on my next visit. On the right side of the store is a gift shop, while the left side has a bunch of seating for patrons. I noticed there were a few people here with their laptops out, so I can only assume it's also a good place to work as well. The store seemed pretty quiet, street parking outside was easy, and the staff I interacted with here was friendly. Puna Chocolate Company is a good rest spot to stop by to escape from the busyness of Downtown Hilo.

Parking around the building or in front of Kai store. Cute little food truck. We ordered 2 mini…read moremalasadas for $4 cash. The couple running it was kind.

I love malasadas and this place has the most unique ones I've ever had…read more My husband and I shared: - Mini Malasadas: Lilikoi Butter, Cream Cheese - Everything & Chive, Parmesan Truffle, Strawberry Shortcake, Ube Glaze, Haupia Glaze + Toasted Coconut - Ube Cream Soda Everything was fantastic. The Lilikoi Butter and the Parmesan Truffle were my favorites. I'd highly recommend checking this place out!

While exploring Hilo we stopped at Hilo Iced Coffee, which operates out of a mobile truck and feels…read morevery much like a local staple. It is casual and no frills, but that is part of the charm. I ordered the ube iced latte and it was easily one of the prettiest drinks I had on the trip. The purple color is vibrant and eye catching without feeling gimmicky. More importantly, it tastes as good as it looks. It was lightly sweet, well balanced, and still very much coffee forward, not overly sugary like some flavored lattes can be. Service was quick and friendly, and it is the kind of spot that makes you slow down for a minute and just enjoy your drink. If you are on the Hilo side and want something a little different from your standard iced coffee order, the ube latte is absolutely worth trying.

The gals working were so sweet and professional! I asked if they could custom-make me an Ube Ice…read moreCoffee and they made it happen-- ONO!!!

Super cute spot, friendly staff and delicious drinks. Loved the matcha, tasted flavorful and…read moresmooth. Quick service and an easy grab and go spot. It's located on the first level of a larger building and there is ample guest parking up front.

I've been here a few times and I appreciate that their is a kiosk to help with the lines and maybe…read moreit helps the workers focus more on making the drinks and if that is the case why are my drinks never coming out the same? I appreciate them trying to get the drinks out especially during a rush but when they call out my order and I walk up to the little window and have a question for them they slam the window and don't even give out great customer service or say "thank you". I guess it depends on whose working, because some of them are nice but there's one girl who has an attitude. I'm hoping they can fix these issues as a customer who loves supporting local businesses.