After a long hike, this was exactly what we needed! The food was absolutely delicious, and the…read moreportions were huge, but perfect when you've worked up an appetite. Everything tasted fresh, flavorful. The service was just as impressive. Everyone was warm and welcoming, and our waiter was fantastic. she checked on us several times without being overbearing and made us feel genuinely taken care of throughout our meal. This was our first visit, but it definitely won't be our last. Between the incredible food, generous portions, friendly service, and beautiful views, this place exceeded our expectations. If you're in the area, do yourself a favor and stop by! you won't leave hungry or disappointed. Edit: Try their desserts!! we took it to go and immediately had to add this to our review

Ordered the Kanak atak with beef and pork option and overall the experience felt a bit overhyped…read more The laulau was bland, while the kalua pork was somewhat salty but more flavorful. The poi had a pleasant texture, though the haupia was too sweet for our taste. We upgraded from rice to fried rice, which was fine but unremarkable. Surprisingly, the pickled onions and chili water were the highlights, adding the most flavor to the meal. Service was efficient but felt rushed and impersonal. Our waitress checked in, but did so while walking away, making the interaction feel routine rather than attentive. Overall, the food was ok, but not memorable enough for us to return.

They make the best yakisoba dry Saimin dish. I miss their restaurant. Always my go to.read more

Nori's is a shining landmark in the childhood memories of my SO, a cozy, homestyle establishment…read moreknown fondly among the locals. After an impulsive flight to the sleepy town of Hilo, we just had to stop by and see how this iconic institution had fared. Straight up - they don't make it easy. It seems that Nori's has shifted their business, and don't even offer dine-in service anymore. Hours are extremely limited for take-out only, from 11-6 on Friday-Sunday. That being said, the people working were incredibly kind, and locals still filtered through to purchase chocolate mochi and snacks. It's got that low-key, homey vibe that truly feels like an escape from the big city. Parking is easy in their big lot that is shared with a sports bar, where the hours don't overlap much. We placed our order and waited in the little wooden two person booths, a wistful reminder of the dining experience of the past. Ancient newspaper articles from the cornerstone Tribune Herald adorned the walls, above aging gumball and toy machines with quarter turners. I still remember the satisfying click as the machine released a rush of colorful runts, or perhaps a gumball into a plastic vortex. Anyways, check out the pictures - servings here are NOT for the faint of heart. We ordered a Big Plate (for two people, allegedly), which included mac salad, fried noodles, musubis, kalbi, fish jun, bbq beef, and chicken skewers. For a little over $30, I swear we could've eaten for a couple days. They literally gave us a catering pan of food, with a mountain of mac salad in a separate container. - Kalbi - Sweet, flavorful, meaty. Not the most tender short rib, but top tier marinade. - BBQ Beef - Tasty, tender, and thin cut. Solid offering. - Fried Fish - Jun style with egg batter, amazingly flaky and moist. Tartar sauce included had a little mustard zing to it. - Chicken Skewers - While overcooked and dry, these were so delicious I wanted more. The brushed sauce was so sweet and savory. - Musubis - Massive rice balls with a strip of nori. Probably like 2 scoop rice each at least. Nothing special but gotta have da rice. - Fried noodles - Soft and springy, a bit bland compared to the proteins, but dear god this was a heaping pile that could feed a small family. - Mac Salad - Bland. Needs salt, vinegar, anything more to elevate it. Again, they gave a generous serving, but we barely touched this one. We also tried the hilo style saimin. We must be looking at a different dictionary cuz the "small" was quite large. Fresh, springy noodles in a silky, savory saimin broth, adorned with the traditional naruto, spam, and green onion accompaniments. It's pricier than most at almost $10, but it's fresh and you won't be hungry. I'm impressed at the relative value that Nori's offers in today's economy, but sad at their limited take-out only hours. I hope that one day they return to their full, former glory.

Customer Service always top notch so friendly!! I'd even say some of the best in Hilo. Food priced…read morereally good for Hilo, I tried the Cornbeef Hash Benedict was very tasty. Definitely a new spot for us.

Went there yesterday and I have to start with how cheap it was! I didn't take pictures of our…read moreplates but between 3 of us, we still had a plate left. $22! On Oahu I've spent like $70 for 3 ppl at a delicatessen. We got hot dog sushi, spam musubi, garlic chicken, nori chicken, veg tempura, shrimp tempura and I think something else. It was all good but I will say I was surprised that the shrimp was like 2" including the tail.

12 hours in Hilo: Stop #1 Hilo Lunch Shop. Traveling with family for a cousin's funeral in Hilo…read more After landing at the airport and picking up the rental car, our first stop was to Hilo Lunch Shop- an okazuya. Just about a block north of the airport complex on Kalanikoa Street, there was a good amount of parking on a Saturday. HLS is hugely popular, usually the line snakes out of the building on work days. Today the line still stretched out in a lazy C to the second door into the shop. Shuffling through the line, I had a lot of time to check out the food. Struck by how reasonable the prices were. Got up to the head of the line and ordered. Paid and went outside to enjoy my food. Saw that the reason for good prices is that some of the portions like the spam musubi were for a half a musubi. But my eyes were bigger than my opu, and I had a lot to take as leftovers anyway. HLS's food is tasty and reasonable. How great is it to see another old-time okayzuya continue to survive! Will repeat whenever my travels bring me back to Hilo, and highly recommend!

Arrived at 6:30 PM on a Monday. 7 open tables...45% of the…read morerestaurant was open. A young lady dropped off water- didn't even acknowledge us... Order taken at 6:42 PM... Free bread and butter with Hawaiian Black Sea Salt= yummy Calamari- flattened steak (not tentacles or rings) lovely sauce 10/10 Crab Dynamite Skillet- 10/10 Shared the fried fish which was Opaka Paka that day. 10/10 The food here is always delicious. Sometimes the staff is not the most attentive. So really it more like a 4.5. The food is always on point. The drinks are always on point. The service somewhat on point. $200 meal before tip; 4 drinks, 2 apps, and 1 shared plate.

My coworkers with Hilo family highly recommended this place and when in doubt, do as the locals do…read moreright? Located on the University of Hilo's campus, this seemingly farm to table restaurant has a lot to offer. We ordered the House Salad, Fried Kalo, Fresh catch (Opah/moonfish) over noodles, and fish over Bolognese. We went extra on the fish as we've been eating a bit heavy and some lighter seafood was in order during our Hilo trip. We also got the pickled mango martini and sangria. Everything was very fresh, with local produce making up the crisp salad and delicious pan fried fish over yakisoba style noodles. The fried kalo is definitely different, as it's hard to describe not being a potato, with a different texture being crispy, yet fluffy and starchy on the inside. If you like fried potatoes, its worth trying. The fish over Bolognese had some conflicting flavors, but the fish was again tasty and fresh. Both drinks were quite citrusy, with the mango martini being a bit too tart for me. Staff was polite and efficient. Live music also happens, but it adds to the atmosphere rather than taking over. Reservations can made online and there's plenty of parking.

Flavors were incredible! Service was outstanding. Portions were plentiful. Some of the food (mashed…read morepotatoes and vegetables) were served below acceptable temperature (room temperature). Mostly a great review! To the owner/management: "Market Price" on the menu is not a ticket to gouging. And...the 'newly renovated' addition below, while beautiful and surely scenic, is very loud and would benefit from some acoustic insulation!!! Then, we'll be back.

Can't believe this place would serve short ribs a FEW DAYS OLD!!!…read moreI asked for a replacement, and they couldn't, since it was all old. It was dry and had a hard crust. Can't believe they'd serve it for $47+ tax n tip. Just throw it away! For a place of this caliber, what a joke!!! On the other hand, mud pie was a hit.

Today, a quick trip to Onekahakaha requires a good bento. Actually if I had it my way I could go to…read moreKawamoto's at least 2-3 times a week. Kawamoto's has been a staple of authentic, home cooked (when no can home cook your own) meals. From regular everyday drop ins to birthday parties, celebrations of life and everything in between. Kawamoto's has been my Ohana's go-to for well over 50 years. Wait a min, I'm finding myself getting a little teary-eyed and homesick writing this review. And now im craving a bento that simply doesn't exist in Cali. To me, Kawamoto's is and will always be one of the best places to go and get of all the foods I love.

Stopped by to pick up breakfast. There were about 5 people in line around 8:30am, but it moved…read morepretty quickly. Staff were friendly and food was good. My favorite was the nori chicken. Parking is limited, but we were able to find street parking in front of the store.

Um wow! Not really sure why this place doesn't have more reviews but seriously some delicious food…read morehere! Husband and I were traveling from the mainland and were trying to hit up all the Big Island sites in a day. Unattainable. Anyway, we got to the Hilo Farmers Market about 30 min before it closed, AKA it was closed. Mister D's was open though! Which we were grateful for because we were starved. We got a skewer of chicken and one skewer of pork. It was delicious!!! Super moist and really great flavor! High recommend this place! Mr D is quick and friendly. Can't ask for anything more in a food....wagon? Haha

So good! Old school grilling Hawaiian bbq!…read more We were on a trek to find Huli Huli chicken. Mister D delivers. The flavor is similar to honey, soy, and good ole grilling. We had the shrimp, pork, and chicken kebab ala carte. Mr. D please come to LA!