When I first visited Big Island with my family back when I was 8 yrs old, we stumbled upon this place selling fresh, flavored bread which had everything from mango, pumpkin, taro, to guava bread and more. Fast forward to today, they are still around so we had to check them out. We got a loaf of the Rainbow bread which is a mixture of their mango and guava breads. The bread was soft, easy to pull apart with your hands, and has that subtle taste of those fruits without being overpoweringly sweet. We ate it over the course of 3 days and it was a nice to have in the car as we explored the island. read more

Low International Food - Rainbow bread - Bakeries Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

This is an unassuming restaurant that sells really good bread. Their rainbow bread is their best seller and it's worth it, very yummy and a great snack to have on the road. The guy helping us out was also really nice too. I'm surprised more people don't frequent this establishment. Would definitely come back again. read more

Low International Food - Bakeries Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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The woman who sold the famous rainbow bread was so helpful in carefully explaining properly storing the bread for optimal softness and freshness. I bought 4 so I could also purchase their storage box that fit all the loaves perfectly. My friend exclaimed how soft the bread was. I toasted a few slices and found it to be quite tasty. It tasted like great sweet bread to me. I didn't detect other guava and mango flavors, but it didn't bother me. Kids love the colors. It's fun to eat! Note: if the bakery seems closed during their posted business hours, just knock and someone will come to help you. There's a convenient parking lot for the bakery as well. A nice quick purchase on my way to the airport for my flight home. read more

Take out only & they still require masks to be used. Large boneless Korean chicken bento was piping hot & heavy. Loads of chicken, rice, spam & pickled broccoli (that was interesting!) They also sell various fruit breads. Managed to scoop up a mango bread & a rainbow bread. Friendly service, bento chicken wasn't the greatest but wasn't the worst I've had either. Fair prices. Breads are delish!! read more

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Don't forget your mask. The establishment feels very "authentic" in the best way possible. Very "family" owned feeling (love this). The rainbow bread is the winner here. Peanut butter cookies is a close second. They have carryon boxes for those who are traveling. read more

The bread here is especially great! It's a great price and great taste. They require that you wear face masks inside because they are an old couple who runs the store. If you don't have a face mask with you, they can help you outside. This is a great place and opportunity to support local! read more

Whenever we fly to Hilo there are a few places we must visit before leaving. This is one of them. I'm glad that there are smaller regular size loaves of rainbow bread which make it easier to take omiyage on the plane than the very long ones before. When you cut into the bread you can see the pretty colors. The bread we brought back was way softer than what we got last April. Not sure if it's just me but I couldn't taste any fruit flavor or sweet bread flavor. I wanted to see if there were rainbow rolls but none to be found that day. The inside colors are so pretty. Maybe good to use to make cute finger sandwiches. Maybe I'll experiment and see if it will make good French bread for today's breakfast. read more

Low International Food - Buying fruit flavored bread to take home - Bakeries Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Owners require mask to enter! (They are older so for the health and safety of everyone.) if you don't have a mask, someone will come out and help you or you can call in your order. Pros: -friendly staff - cash/card accepted -Got rainbow, guava, taro bread (4 loafs) fit perfectly in a box ready to hand carry on airplane -variety of cookies and sizes -has lunch too! Tuna melt $3! Small bento 2 pieces wing ding like fried chicken and 2 spam with rice! -reasonable prices We will be back to try more breads!! Yummm! read more

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I went in to buy food but once they told me I have to wear a mask.....I will never eat there ever again. These are the kind of business that will infringe on your rights or report you to officials if you dont comply to their rules. Too bad....another customer lost. read more

I am super HAPPY, I finally found the source where the Rainbow bread comes from. My high school classmate used to get me this bread, it just brings back memories and I miss them so much! Before my very first trip to Hilo back in Feb. I asked a few co-workers (from Hilo) about where to get the breads but they don't know about them. I searched Yelp and happen to find my answer, yay! It was so close to the mochi spot, talk about convenient and killed 2 birds with one stone. Quick note, visited Feb.2023 and September and mask is required here, if you don't have there is option to purchase one for .50 or use your shirt as your mask ( Hawaiian style) as stated on the sign. (( lol )) but he is for reals. I got to chat with the owner, Mr. Low I need to get to know him better, very interesting and somewhat friendly. Asked him some questions but hard to understand with mask on. I stocked up on my rainbow bread ( 4 loaves) noticed the longan (@ $5.lb) and star fruit ( 3 for $1) I bought all of the longan which was cheap compared to Honolulu. There are many different flavors of bread but I just wanted rainbow this visit. There are short bread cookies in different flavors and they looked good, sad face., I forgot to grab them. We were still stuffed and didn't get to order the food items, I like how there are photos of the food, glancing at the food photos, the hot dog plate caught my eyes, I miss eating this style. I ordered a plate for only $2.95 and a tuna melt sandwich for snack at the airport. Next time i want to try plate lunch. The other half and I enjoyed our order at the airport, back home during the weekdays , I toasted the bread for all of us with some butter and we sure enjoyed them with our coffee, what a treat! I love the color (like rainbow) and flavor of the bread! Oh if you get a chance read Mr. Low's message on one of his sign, my fave is "no moneytary tip, our tip... smile on All our customer face with a happy tummy!!! PLEASE keep your money for your next trip at Low International to enjoy your favorite meals and bakery favorites. Fine dining restaurant meals served as Hawaii take out style for your convenience. " Parking available in the back, don't forget mask up and the place does look a little clutter & messy but just come grab your goods, foods & go!! (No can dine in) I can't wait to visit Hilo again. Check out this Gem in Hilo town! read more

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Wear a mask! May 2024 and owners are still requiring you to wear a mask you can also purchase one from the counter for 0.50$. Plate lunches are available via walk up or phone orders. Come in and buy their shortbread cookies made with real butter, not margarine. I bought the shrimp and ham omelette to go. Tons of whole shrimp and slices of ham (for under $5). Would have been kicked up a notch with a side of mac salad. read more

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I'm from HNL, so what do I know? I LOVE BREAD! When I visit Hilo, 2 places I gotta hit... which are walking distances from each other... the mochi shop fo' mochi (everyone knows which) and Low International for da Rainbow Bread! Located at the corner of Ponahawai and Kilauea St, if you parked hea or by the mochi shop, either way the place is accessible. This icon does sell other items beside bread, but I ONLY get the bread from hea. I'll sometimes get the taro, lilikoi or guava, with da Rainbow but their loaves are great for toasting and slathering some butter all ova! They do have these carry boxes that are good for plane rides, BUT will be counted as one of your items for the flight. The boxes can also be mailed as well, so if you wanted to mail out your bread you can do that too! So, if you are in Hilo and wondering around for snacks or need omiyage, you gotta hit Low International. TIll my next visit, Grind On! Pau! read more

This is our must stop when in Hilo...2 ladies line too long Taro bread sold out but the rainbow good too ...toast with cookie or liliko'i butter TO DIE FOR YUMMY read more

Everything here reminds me of my childhood. Unfortunately they close the inside for seating since Covid and it's really dusty but their food is ono and they make perfect snacks to bring home! Glad they are still in business. read more

I live in the mainland and I'm grateful my Uncle sends me these sweet breads from the Big Island! The flavors are all delicious and the bread itself is so, so, so soft in the middle. Great for making french toast or just eating it right out of the bag! I'm looking forward to trying their food menu one day! Thank you Uncle! And thank you Low International Food for staying Local! read more

Low International Food - The best place to get Big Island Sweet Bread in assorted flavors! - Bakeries Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Food was good bread was great. Overall quality experience! The fresh baked bread was amazing. With a little in morning yum.

From the outside, I don't think anyone would know to come here for their freshly baked bread and cookies, so I appreciate that my Yelp friend, Dan O., gave me the inside scoop! Although the establishment appears rundown, it's just a testament to their many years of business. Upon entering, the first thing you see is their extensive menu with pictures of their lunch and all-day breakfast plates posted on the wall. They are super cheap too! For instance, it's less than $10 for Chicken Katsu or Kalua Pork and less than $5 for a Spam and Egg plate. I didn't order any of the meals, but they appeared to be great deals! We headed straight over to the cashier window where the bread and cookie selection was on display. Their breads are sold in one-pound loaves and they offer about a 30 cent discount if you pay in cash. The employee at the counter (who I assumed to be the owner) was so personable and mentioned that all of it was baked that morning. They were out of their Cinnamon Sweet Bread already, but we decided to go for their Rainbow Bread, which I now am aware is their most popular. The Rainbow Bread ($4.77 cash) is a combination of guava, mango and sweet bread which was perfect for part of our next day's breakfast. I cut a generous slice for myself and marveled at the lovely orange and pink swirls, like sherbet colors! The bread was super pillowy and light, and I enjoyed every bite. I didn't detect much of the fruity flavors, but it was still quality bread nonetheless. It remained fluffy and did not dry out, even when finishing it up on the third day. Had I known, I would have stocked up and brought some home with me! read more

Low International Food - Huge menu! - Bakeries Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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So haven't been here in a while but thing now change they still have killa bakery stuff We stopped by Yesterday and got da rainbow, taro and guava bread then today went back to bring home da Lilikoi, mango, & rainbow shortbread And rainbow bread. read more

Low International Food - Available - Bakeries Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Come for the Rainbow Bread or other baked goods, but pass on da plate lunches! Lol! So I was working in Hilo yesterday, and when it was time for lunch I told my coworker that I wanted to go to this place called - "Low International Food" to check out their "Rainbow Bread". Although I've known about this drive-in joint for many years, I never took the time to walk into this eater to try their food, nor did I didn't know that this was the place that made the FAMOUS - "Rainbow Bread"! Lucky for me, my Yelp buddy - Craig T. has posted some pics on his recent summer trip to the Big Island, and after looking at Bruddah Craig T.'s pics..........it only motivated me to check 'em out! Located in the heart of downtown Hilo, you can find this eatery on the corner of Kilauea & Ponohawai Streets. The little eatery looks a wee bit run down from the outside, as it's seen better dayz, but I guess this old time eatery has survived & thrived through the years. Beside their famous breads & shortbread cookies, they also serve local style plate lunches. I must say the prices of their plate lunches were dirt cheap, but of course the plate was just "meh" in my eyes? Perhaps I ordered the wrong thing? Food - So yesterday when I came here to eat, I ended up getting a Chicken Katsu plate ($7.50), and my coworker ended up getting the Korean Chicken plate ($7.50). What can I say about the grub - For ($7.50), I got a generous serving of Chicken Katsu, one scoop of white rice, & one scoop of Mac Salad. Although edible, I felt the Chicken Katsu was kinda dry, and the katsu sauce tasted more like regular ketchup. Definitely NOT the best Chicken Katsu plate I've ever eaten. My Coworker also told me that his Korean Chicken was dry, and it appeared that they used the same Chicken Katsu meat, but they just poured the Korean Chicken sauce over the chicken. At best.........I'd give it a 2.5 to 3 for the plate lunch plate. As for the baked goods - A BIG (5 STARS - *****) for the Rainbow Bread!!! This place really knows how to make bread! Everything from Coconut, Taro, Banana, Guava, Mango, Ulu, Sweet Bread, Pumpkin, Cinnamon, Rainbow Bread, and even Pasion fruit. If you can't decide on what bread to buy, may I suggest that you never can go wrong with the ever popular Rainbow Bread, which is a combo of flavors of Guava, Mango & Sweet Bread that will enlighten your taste buds!!! Yummy!!!! Now if you're not into bread...........they also sell cookies here, Regular Cookies as well as Shortbread Cookies to be exact! They sell the following types of Shortbread Cookies here - Snow Shortbread, Almond Shortbread, Rainbow Shortbread, Coconut Shortbread, Regular Shortbread Cookies, Peanut Butter Shortbread, Guava Shortbread, Cinnamon Shortbread, Chocolate Chip Shortbread, & Passion Fruit Shortbread. For the Regular Cookies they got - Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter, Chinese Almond, Chocolate Peanut Butter, & Mardi Gras Cookies. Like I said before...........skip da plate lunch, & pick up some ono Bread, or Cookies from Low International Food! read more

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Haven't been back to Low's in over 20 years, its still the same, walking back into time...love how its exactly as we remember. Went to pick up their famous Rainbow Bread and shortbread cookies. If you haven't been there you must go, their bread and cookies are phenominal. NOTE: Ask them to pack for you in a box, we didn't and realized why they box the bread, we came home with very condensed bread, none the less still super super over the top soft and yummy, you can taste the fruits in the rainbow breads. Did I mention they use fresh fruit to make their breads, no fake flavors, real fruit juice. Definitely stop at Low International, you won't every find bread as soft, freshly baked and onolicious, nothing on Oahu is similar to this bread. Their shortbread cookies are also super yummy flaky, moist, crunchy, full of flavor try a sample bag for $2 you gonna go back for more, wish we picked up a few more bags. read more

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This place is where you get the famous Rainbow bread. Also they sell all different type of homemade cookies. It's actually a plate lunch place lots of people come here for take out lunches or dinner. No inside dinning due to Covid19 . Located in Hilo town very close to Banyan Dr. where all the hotels or located. Support local read more

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Rainbow bread! Nice gift to bring home other than something that's very sweet, But please remember your mask. They still use mask there.

Preface: this review was in the drafts from 8/9/22. I'm also Chinese and Pacific Islander. Ask any first or second generation Asian and they will agree that the best Asian restaurants have around 3 stars and terrible customer service because their food will prove they are worthy. This would be an example. I'm not going to lie that the restaurant looks a little dingy from the outside and can be easy to overlook, but at least give the rainbow and taro breads a try! The highlights are the amount of food they give you and the rainbow bread. Even though it looks burned, I couldn't taste that and the toast was so buttery and delicious. Kalua pork and rice was also great! It was takeout only at the time (not sure about now), but I'm sure it'll be even better on the spot! read more

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Closed on Wednesdays!! C'mon man. Was going to grab some bread on my way to the airport. Nevertheless, everyone needs a break and it's hard to work 7 days a week. The bread is amazing, I always make sure I grab it when I'm in Hilo. read more

Love the bread! This is a MIST HAVE EVERYTIME I'm on the island. The varieties are amazing. It's like a lays chip... YOU CANT HAVE JUST ONE lol read more

Local grindz at its best. Old school diner, nice people. The menu in the wall was a little daunting for a first timer. They have so many options that you could easily eat here every day for eight weeks and not have the same thing twice. You order and pay, sit and wait a few minutes to call our your order. Our food was ready pretty quickly. Loco moco and Portuguese sausage plates, two iced teas and a loaf of their rainbow bread for about 18$. Tried to give the guy a tip but he waived me away, saying "enough already". If we weren't staying so far from Hilo, I'd have breakfast here every day. Worth the visit. read more

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Good food, good prices, good portions, large menu including baked goods. Just be warned they no longer have indoor dining and politely ask patrons to wear a mask while ordering. I recommend ordering ahead for their bakery items. They sell out quick. read more

2/20/2020 Low International Food 222 Kilauea Ave. Hilo, HI 96720 I went there with my neighbor for an early weekday lunch. It's in Downtown Hilo (for a long time) and the first time I've been there. He told me that the only thing he likes there is the Korean Chicken, so we both got that. You order and pay at the counter and wait to get called up for your order. The Korean Chicken Plate consisted of six pieces of deep fried chicken wings in a sweet chili sauce, one scoop of macaroni salad and two scoops of white rice. The chicken meat was juicy but the breading was too oily for me. The sauce was a little sweet and good with heat if you bite into a piece of chili pepper. I used the sauce to coat my rice. This place is definitely a dive, there are boxes stored in the dining area and it's a little dark. There also is no bathroom so the signage says to use the one in the County park a half block up Ponahawai St. The chicken was okay and a good value if you like this style but no repeat for me. read more

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Stopped in to take home some cookies and rainbow bread. Just stumbled on it as we were walking back to the car from the merrie monarch parade. And glad we found it. Everything was so fresh and we packed it for the flight home If you buy 4 breads they have a nice Box to keep it from getting smashed. Wish they were on Oahu read more

I've bought all kinds of bread from this place my favorite bread is the taro bread , rainbow bread it's very delicious.if you ever on the big island in Hilo,hi stop there and get some ono bread.Mahalo read more

This is a small mom and pop bakery. They require masks and even sell some if you've forgotten one! They are super cute and we really enjoyed our visit. We ordered the rainbow loaf and got a few different kinds of shortbread cookies. We were too full to order their savory lunch plates so can't comment on that. I highly recommend coming here right before you go home, buying a loaf of bread, and freezing it before you fly home. We did just this and the bread was still super soft. Here's a pic of it at home, right before I slathered it in lilikoi butter! read more

Low International Food - Bakeries Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Is it just me or do all the breads taste the same? Doesn't matter if you order rainbow, taro, whatever...it all tastes like sweet bread. Yeah it's soft and everyone we gift it to loves it, but I think I like Punalu'u better, which you can find at many locations. read more

Went while I was visiting to order some food for the long day ahead and had the loveliest interaction with the cashier. Food was also amazing for such great low prices! read more

Bring a mask! We visited on May 7, 2024 and were told by patrons that were in there right when we walked that we needed masks to enter. Being we were traveling from outer island, we did not have any masks with us or none in our rental car. This was not the case when we visited there just six months prior no one told us we needed masks (including owner or person who was helping us). Wish we didn't listen to the customers this time (which appeared to be a local family wearing masks) According to another review, we could have purchased at the counter which we would have gladly done! Anyways, one of the best omiyage to bring back to Kaua'i. I highly recommend the kalakoa (multi-color) bread. It is so nice and fluffy and fresh. Great to eat by itself or to make french toast when it gets older. Sadly we were not able to acquire any bread this trip but was able to go literally down the road to pick up mochi to bring back home. read more

Love the breads and cookies! However, we were told we needed to purchase masks upon entering which we did, no big deal. However we proceed into the restraunt and the people behind the counter were not wearing masks. What's up with that? read more

We stopped by to pick up some Rainbow bread to take home. The spot is a funky little place in Hilo that has a walk up window inside. We only tried rainbow bread so I can't comment on their plate lunches and other items. The bread was tasty and a fun treat to give to friends and family when we returned home. We toasted it and had it with butter. It's a swirl of colors inside with a hint of guava and sweet bread flavoring. Yum! read more

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Please buy their Rainbow bread so that they stay in business! They have been making Rainbow bread for several years now and they have kept their prices low even though other establishments have raised their prices. Their Rainbow bread is VERY soft and delicious!!! It can be frozen then thawed out and it is still soft once thawed out. read more

Delicious Rainbow Bread! Soft and sweet. Great with butter! Always baked fresh each day. I always get a box of 4 to take back to Honolulu. Fast and friendly service. Shop is dated. read more

Low International Food is located on the corner of Kilauea Avenue and Ponahawai Street in Hilo town. Whether you're picking up some of their specialty breads(Rainbow,Taro,Etc.Etc) or Shortbread Cookies from this Drive in/Bakery? it's a must stop while on the Big Island. While not having the time to enjoy the food from the drive in side of this establishment we normally just pick up omiyage to take back we us home. I have eaten the rainbow and taro bread several times and it's very good so you might want to buy some loaves of bread for yourself to enjoy. *Shipping Boxes Available for a small fee. *Small parking lot or street parking. *No public restrooms. read more

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The bread is so delicious and so is the cookies. I had to go back in 1 week to buy the bread and cookies with my sister in law. We will try to make it back in December 2024 to buy cookies for gifts for Christmas. read more