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    Liko Lehua Cafe

    4.4 (208 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 3:30 pm

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    LIKO LEHUA CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed

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    Fely S.

    for seating, set amidst a charming country backdrop. As a pescatarian who rarely eats out, the food menu showed promise. Notably, the fish dishes seemed to be made with fresh fish, rather than store-bought options. The breading was exceptionally crispy, and the pasta was satisfactory. I appreciated the server's attention to detail, including rinsing the lettuce. My interaction was somewhat pleasant, with the server announcing 'ma'am, your order!' however, she quickly left without a thank you, and I was unable to request utensils. I smiled, reflecting on my own youthful experiences thus take your food and leave kind of thing.

    Crab cake salad
    Mindy P.

    A great, high quality spot on the side of the road. There's one uncovered picnic table, so if it's raining, you'll want to get your food to-go. We were, unfortunately, spending the day at the emergency room with a family member while on vacation and popped out for lunch. We walked the 0.8 miles here to get some exercise and unfortunately it did sprinkle while we were eating. Staff was friendly fly and gave us a sample of their menu item Butter which was soft serve vanilla ice cream with lilikoi sauce--delicious! I ordered the crab cake salad and the hubs got the surfer boy burger. The crab cake was enormous and delicious--deep fried crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. It came with lots of fresh romaine, cucumber slices, carrots and tomatoes with an aoli and balsamic dressing. Very good! But very hard to eat with a cheap plastic fork. The hubs said his burger was fantastic!

    Wesley T.

    I give two stars because won't be back. My son took me to Liko Lehua because his wife wanted a starter portion of crab cake. It is a cute yellow stand alone restaurant that you order at the window outside. There is a tiny picnic table outside that can seat 4 and that's it. While looking at the posted menu I was surprised on how expensive it is here, even my son declined to order anything due to the prices. We got the crab cake, $12.75, and there was no sauce included. First time I ever ordered a crab cake that didn't come with a sauce. I didn't sample it but I'm sure it tasted good. I didn't want to spend too much so I ordered the onion rings ($12.75). I thought the onion rings were great except that they included a mayo/kabayaki sauce that tasted funky, I would have been happier with ketchup. These two items came out to $26.00 and maybe you get a seat at their picnic table. It would have costed a lot more if I had actually ordered lunch instead of a snack. I am willing to to pay their prices if I was dining in at a restaurant with comfortable seating and air conditioning but not seated outside in the Hilo elements. Definitely not worth it to us local guys.

    Bbq burger with bacon,potato salad,  deep fried mini donut with local honey and local soft serve ice cream with kona coffee butter drizzle

    I'm originally from California wine country where Michelin and farm to table restaurants are common. I've been living on the Big Island for four years now and just discovered this absolute hidden gem! Owned by local women since 1994 and for women, this place serves up the best homemade food. The staff was super friendly, The burgers were great, the potato salad was not sickly sweet but homemade perfect and the little deep fried donut drizzled with local honey was an unexpected pleasure. The soft serve toppings are impossible to explain without writing a book but an absolute must try! There is only one little picnic table outside And i hope they add more because this is a cute little destination worth taking a drive for. Prices are reasonable for Hawaii and come hungry because you will definitely leave full.

    Walking up to the window to order I was given a little sample cup of soft serve ice cream with a taste of their Dulce butter on top! So good! The mahi mahi sandwich grilled in butter and garlic was so good! And a lot of mahi! Waited out in car for food at the only picnic table in the parking lot. Nothing fancy, just great food.

    Linnea R.

    I got the special which was coconut crusted shrimp and korean mahi it was delicious. the mahi sandwiches and fish and chips were also yummy. For dessert we had fried ice cream and the soft serve with the cafe dolce butter on top. amazing a must try. The service was also great!

    the outside!!
    Kate K.

    stumbled across this spot due to delicious smells while driving into Hilo (visiting the Rainbow falls) and when arriving we were greeted with their homemade butters! and OMG!!!! That's all I will say... support this family owned operation!!

    Wow! Got a recommendation from a local. Such wonderful service! The food is A M A Z I N G! Had the avocado BLT with garlic fries that came with a creamy garlic and sweet chili aioli sauce! The hush puppies were delicious as well. Definitely eating here again before leaving the Island for the mainland! Mahalo

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    2 months ago

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    4 months ago

    Butter baby butter. Super nice people. Burgers for days...always stop here, too friendly & delicious.

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    14 days ago

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    23 days ago

    The food is always fresh and delicious. The service is always friendly. I love supporting our local businesses.

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    1 year ago

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    7 months ago

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    1 month ago

    Food is great, especially the crab cakes! Staff are always friendly and helpful, highly recommend!

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    5 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Delicious! Came for the butters but enjoyed the food. Great friendly service. Also right near Rainbow Falls and the Kaumana Caves.

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    1 year ago

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    11 months ago

    They have awesome service! On top of that i love their hula girl and avocado BLT. Their wait is super fast

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    11 months ago

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    7 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Nice little takeout place with a lot of wisdom written on their walls that you can read while waiting for your grub.

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    7 months ago

    The service here was super quick. The food was delicious. It's a little stand. Will come again!

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    7 months ago

    Excellent service and amazing food! A good mix of vegetarian and non-veg options. Would recommend to anyone in the area.

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    1 year ago

    Better have phoned ahead for 11:30 lunch or 30 min wait. How are you out of fries??? Smiling staff unfazed by negative review

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    9 months ago

    I love that they are located in upper Hilo area. Their fish sandwich is amazing. they have good customer service.

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    9 months ago

    Everything we get from here is always delicious!!! It's an ʻohana & office favorite for sure!

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    10 months ago

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    11 months ago

    Food and atmosphere is so authentic! Get there early because seats are limited. Great quality service too!

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    1 year ago

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    3 years ago

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    10 months ago

    I love their liliko'i butter! Food is always tasteful and fresh when ordering. kind employees

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    1 year ago

    Dawn is amazing and we love this location, favorite things is the fish burger and chicken cutlet!p

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    Page 1 of 6

    Liko Lehua Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

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    Came as a party of 2 at noon on a Sunday, and we were seated right away! The ambiance definitely…read moregives a nice island sports bar vibe. Only street parking is available. There was also live music with a lady playing guitar solo and singing! Service was amazing! We never had to wait long to order/get the bill. We were most impressed by the fact that the waitress made sure to split our Hilo local plate into two plates to make it much easier to share! We almost thought we had received two orders because of how well-plated they were. - Poke tower (8/10): Solid choice for an appetizer! There were ample portions of poke, and the flavors were nice. Not a super stand out dish though. - Hilo local plate (9.5/10): If you want to taste a wide range of Hawaiian cuisine in one dish, I would highly recommend getting this one! The Kalbi ribs were sooo good! They were juicy, tender, and bursting with flavor. The Kalua pork was pretty good, and both meats paired well with the rice which had an interesting savory haupia sauce drizzled on it. The mango chili slaw and pineapple salsa added a nice tang to balance everything out. - Triple lilikoi pie (5/10): Wayyy too sweet and sugary for our liking, and you can barely taste the lilikoi flavor. We ended up just picking at the graham cracker crust and couldn't finish the rest. It seemed like one of those desserts that are premade unfortunately, and we wish we hadn't ordered this dessert.

    We chose Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine because it's one of the highest-rated sit-down spots in…read moreHilo, but it ended up being just okayyyy. The menu felt very "meh"...nothing particularly exciting or memorable. The cocktails looked great in photos, so we ordered the piña colada flight, but it tasted like there was little to no rum in it. Pretty presentation, but very mediocre overall. Food was just okay. The burger wasn't bad, but definitely not anything special. The fried shrimp dish was disappointing and lacked flavor. The big letdown was the ambiance. We were seated facing the street and parking lot the entire time ...no view...., just sad street. Overall, it didn't live up to the hype. Not terrible, but definitely not worth going out of your way for. The staff were all very nice though. Service friendly.

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    When we lived in Kona, we would frequent the Jackie Reyes there. The food was good, but for the…read moreprice, the entire experience - not even the old, nonfunctional classic car out front - was worth it. BUT, the Jackie Rey's in Hilo has now become our go-to fine restaurant in Hilo town. The building is classic. An old town Hilo bank, with the vault intact. High ceilings, comfortable tables and decore and an artistic antique wooden bar that would be a gem in the crown of any European city. The management and personnel are the most wonderful people. Always happy to accommodate you in the best way they can. After one kamaaina visit the servers will know your name. They'll make you feel welcome and that you are a part of their experience too, something that is nearly impossible to find in other town dining. They have rewards programs for kamaaina which includes a point system that gives you significant savings on your next visit. The food is first rate, from the pupus to the main dishes to the desserts. Sauced and presented in five star fashion, without feeling pretenious. We will be their peskiest and most loyal customer as long as we are in the area. Kudos to Jackie Rey's Hilo.

    My wife and I went to Jackie Ray's this past Friday. We got a window table and was able to see the…read moreactivity across the street since it's was Friday downtown open market. If you dine here and are not a big person don't get a booth table as it's the most uncomfortable seating I've ever experienced. The seat is way too far from the table and I needed to lean forward and sit on the edge of the seat. I would recommend getting a table its chair so you be able to adjust yourself to the distance from the table. Server was just Ok and with them placing a water decanter on the table for refill they didn't come around as often. The decanter water has no ice so whatever ice you have in your cup to cool the water. Last time eating at this establishment was better and my only complaint was the window seats next to the picture window and the flys that was buzzing there. Only thing is again there were two big flies buzzing the windows and I had to waved them away. The doors are always shut and only when customers walk in could the flys get in. Staff should walk around before opening and get rid of them. We entered about 5:10 PM so it was opened for just 10 minutes and shouldn't have flys. Air conditioning was on but the temperature was a bit warm and a cooler temperature of maybe 10 degrees be perfect. I had the mochico Ono and it was just ok tasting but on the plate presentation was nice. My wife had the pork chops and she really liked it but said was just a little over cooked. I did try a small sample and to me it was just ok also. ambiance in the restaurant is nice and most of the staff were very attentive. The server we had wasn't and I needed to Get his attention to get my bill even though he had passed multiple times and didn't or should have noticed we were done dining. Probably not be dining again at this establishment again and do know of better dining spots in Hilo.

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    We stopped by the Booch Bar on our way into Hilo before a day of adventuring, and it was a great…read morelittle stop for breakfast. We tried the simple breakfast plate and a breakfast sandwich, and both were tasty and really hit the spot. Since we went on a weekday, it wasn't too busy inside, which made for pretty quick service. Overall, it was a solid breakfast stop and a nice place to grab a bite before heading out for the day.

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    The Booch Bar - Fish sandwich w/ blackened catch of the day well seasoned 5/5. sweet potato with green onion 3/5. pickle 5/5 spicy with a crunch.

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    Fantastic food service, great taste and family friendly environment. Waiter was attentive and…read morehelpful. Red Curry Chicken and large Shrimp were very tasty. The spiciness was spot on for me as I asked for spicy but not the top. If you like spicy this is a definite. Definitely would go back and family owned which makes it great.

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    Moon & Turtle - Market fish (Ono)

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    4.6(854 reviews)
    1.5 mi
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    Fantastic service and attention from the whole staff! Cozy atmosphere with great music. Every dish…read morewas meticulously crafted with unique flavors, perfectly cooked. We loved the sizzlin tepanyaki poke with Ono and the desserts. Chef Mark and the staff do a wonderful job of showing off the flavors of Hilo...miso infused caramel on a fluffy cheesecake...I'm gonna be thinking about that dinner for a long time!

    My wife and I stopped by Moon & Turtle for dinner during our brief visit to Hilo and we had a…read morefantastic meal. We showed up right when they opened at 5:30 p.m. without reservations on a Wednesday evening and was luckily able to get seated at the bar. Between the two of us, we ordered a bunch of items off the "small" section of the menu, including the smokey sashimi, sizzling tetsuyaki poke, smoked tonnato caesar, crispy rice, and their special of the day -- agedashi wontons. Of the items we ordered, the crispy rice and the agedashi wontons were my favorite items. The crispy rice is priced per piece, and you'll certainly want to order at least two per person, because one is simply not enough. The rice block is fried a beautiful golden brown -- similar to a hash brown. The crispy rice pairs perfectly with the ono mixture on top of it. With the agedashi wontons, I initially thought the filling was a bit under-seasoned at first, but when enjoyed with the broth, the wonton comes out tasting perfectly seasoned. The broth had so much umami to it and the wonton had the perfect crunch to it I always love a good Caesar salad and the one here is spectacular. With anchovy croutons, shaved cured egg yolk, and smoked ahi dressing, you're getting some creative, premium ingredients in this salad and everything works so well together. Even if you're not a salad person, I would definitely recommend giving this dish a try. On top of delicious food, the service at Moon & Turtle was spectacular. Food was promptly brought out after we placed our order, pacing didn't ever feel rushed, our water cups were never empty, and our server checked on us regularly to make sure we had everything we needed without being overbearing. I would definitely stop by Moon & Turtle again if I'm in Hilo.

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    Moon & Turtle - Market Fish - steamed mahi with garlic, ginger, scallion and soy in roasted bone congee with chili oil and wild rice

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    Liko Lehua Cafe - hawaiian - Updated May 2026

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