Pro Tip: Enjoy a Luxury Resort Without Staying There…read more Here's a little Big Island travel hack... You don't have to be a guest at the five-star Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection to soak up its incredible atmosphere. Simply tell the valet you're dining at Surf Shack, enjoy a bite, a drink--or both--and they'll validate your parking. The complimentary valet alone feels like a win. The resort is consistently recognized as one of the Big Island's premier luxury destinations. Once you've eaten, take your time exploring the property. Stroll the beautifully landscaped grounds, relax in the open-air lounges, wander the shoreline, watch the waves roll in, browse the upscale shops, and enjoy one of the most peaceful resort settings on the Kohala Coast. The ambiance is worth the visit all by itself. As for Surf Shack, the setting is fantastic. The food? Good, but definitely priced with a luxury resort zip code. We enjoyed our meal, but you'll likely pay a premium for what you order. So here's the hack: Pay for lunch... get the resort experience for free. Between the validated valet parking, stunning grounds, oceanfront setting, and laid-back luxury vibe, it's one of the best values on the Big Island if you know the secret. Just don't tell too many people.

We happen to be in town for Taco Tuesday. They offered fresh Al pastor, from a spit and a mushroom…read moretaco. I had two Al pastor tacos and they were heaven. The green salsa was a winner. We also ordered the fish tacos, which is always on the menu. They were fresh and delicious.

Had s fabulous time here . A bit on the pricier side compared to other restaurants in the area but…read moresuch a good meal with unique flavors and a beautiful view . The Tahitian crudo was great, shrimp ceviche was my favorite- I wish it was a bigger portion but it's very light , refreshing, citrusy, and came with casava chips . Definitely would get the ceviche double New York strip was cooked great, we asked for medium rare but came out more on the medium side, still a spectrum lol, still super yummy . The duck fat potatoes are great and the broccolini was my favorite side . Chocolate decadence was a super heavy thick cake and wasn't too sweet, just super chocolatey as you'd expect. Definitely recommend coming here if you can't find a nice spot out in Waikoloa

The views alone for this spot are 5-Star quality. Add in the food and drinks and it's a perfect…read morecombination for a great dinner. Unfortunately I didn't get many pictures of the food. I was too busy getting photos of the view and eating. But luckily, the view is incredible. We had a really great time here. I went with the NY Strip and my wife had the scallops. Both were incredible and the steak was not only cooked perfectly but had a good seasoning to it. It was great! The area around the restaurant is great too. The resort has so many things to do/see. We were able to park and walk around before dinner reservation. Since we didn't stay at the Hilton, we didn't venture too much but they had a dolphin experience there that we wanted to take note of for next time we visit. This was such a cool experience and we would definitely come back again.

We dined here 3x during our stay, and the food and beverage were great! Rey & Mahealani…read moreconsistently provided amazing service and were very welcoming.

We ate at Harvest 19 Kitchen + Bar twice during our stay. The restaurant is convenient, the service…read morewas pleasant, and there were some good elements, but unfortunately the food was disappointing both times. The first night I had the shrimp and noodles. The shrimp was really fresh and the noodles themselves were good, but once I got to the bottom of the bowl, there were literally about 3 tablespoons of oil sitting there. My husband's seared fish was cooked well, but overall pretty bland and unseasoned. We gave it another try on our last night. My tomato bisque was far too salty, and my husband's catch of the day with green Thai curry came with almost no sauce. The sweet potato was good, but the carrots were hard as a rock and the mushrooms were undercooked. We don't usually leave negative reviews, and maybe we caught the kitchen on 2 off nights, but for the price and the suggested 20-22% gratuity, we expected better. If you're staying at the resort, we'd recommend venturing out for dinner. We honestly had better food from Island Gourmet Markets at Queens' Marketplace.

The vibe is so relaxing. Beef shortrib loco moco is also very delicious. The gravy is not too heavy…read moreand the egg is perfect. Kids waffle is only 10bucks and is made heartily. Whenever we are back to Kona, we go to this place for a proper meal.

The food here is excellent! I had dinner 3 times at HāLani during my stay. The service is also top…read morenotch. I tried the following: Ahi carpaccio: 5/5 I can't stop thinking about this carpaccio, it is so good! The eggplant and pine nuts add a beautiful touch. This is a must order. Wagyu skirt steak: 5/5 perfectly cooked and seasoned. I'd highly recommend this dish. The potatoes that come with are also solid. Grilled broccolini: 5/5 no notes, delicious Mediterranean orzo: 5/5 great flavor and perfectly cooked. All beef hot dog (Keiki menu): 5/5 Great hotdog! The bread is lightly sweet which comp This was my favorite restaurant on property!

We had an excellent experience at Seafood Bar & Grill in Kamuela, and Casey made our anniversary…read moredinner especially enjoyable. She brought great energy and was professional, friendly, engaging, and genuinely enjoyable to talk with. My wife ordered the baked oysters without realizing they weren't smoked and did not like the dish (I loved it). Casey graciously removed them from our bill, which we truly appreciated. Even without that kind gesture, her service was exceptional. I ordered the black bean seafood combo, and my wife had the red Thai seafood curry. Both dishes were extremely flavorful and delicious. We highly recommend this restaurant, and be sure to ask for Casey!

The Absolute Best Meal on the Island--A Masterclass in Food & Service!…read moreIf I could give Seafood Bar & Grill 10 stars, I would. This wasn't just a dinner; it was our absolute favorite meal of the entire trip. We didn't even have a special occasion to celebrate--we just had a phenomenal experience here in the past and couldn't wait to return. They somehow managed to exceed every expectation. From the second we walked in, we were blown away. We loved the Tiki Bar, everyone is family when you walk in, history covering the walls ambiafamily-friendly; ev Seafood We were greeted by Dave Yurtin, the owner, who set up a fabulous table for us inside. But here is the kicker: Dave actually remembered us from our first visit two years ago! Talk about a total legend. We couldn't believe his memory--that is next-level hospitality. Our server, Ryan, provided spectacular, world-class service. He didn't write a single part of our big order down and got absolutely everything 100% right. He was attentive, fast, and incredibly sharp--he even remembered at the end that my mother-in-law had asked for onion rings once she was finished, before changing her mind. Incredible! Now, let's talk about the food and drinks because WOW. We started with the drinks, and these were hands-down the absolute best Mai Tais we have had on the island. Every single dish that hit the table was a home run: - Escargot: Wow, wow, wow, wow! Absolutely phenomenal. The pesto and cheese with the garlic bread? Unreal. - Seafood Quesadilla & Coconut Shrimp: Perfectly executed and delicious. - Braised Short Ribs: Out of this world. Fall-off-the-bone tender. - Pineapple Macnut Slaw: Insane flavor. Do not skip this! - Garlic Bread: Spectacular and perfect for soaking up every last bit of flavor. - Fish Linguine: A rich, perfectly balanced cream sauce packed with different types of fresh fish. Somehow, we saved room for dessert and tried FOUR different ones: the Key Lime Pie was unbelievable, the Lilikoi Pie and Kona Coffee Pie were spectacular, and the NY Cheesecake with Lilikoi Sauce was the perfect grand finale. Between Dave's legendary memory, Ryan's flawless service, and a kitchen that doesn't miss, Seafood Bar & Grill is an absolute must-visit. We will be talking about this meal until our next visit! Thank you for an unforgettable night!

If you're looking for a fast, no nonsense meal while on vacation, this dish and chips spot hits the…read morespot! The service is quick, the ambiance is pleasant by the water, and the top tower area is a nice spot to overlook kings land. 2 item calamari and fish with fries: it's exactly what you think it tastes like. No frills, just business here!

This small food shack is in the back of the mall next to a beautiful pond. There is a great…read moreoutdoor eating area near the water. The service was ok but this is a very informal place. So it felt like auntie was cooking for me. The fish n chips were freshly made and perfectly crispy. They gave three pieces of tasty mahi mahi and fries. Portion was good for $17.99. Sitting in the outdoor area near the lake is nice.

Had the chance to experience the Kahuwai Cookhouse, located in the Kona Village Resort on the Big…read moreIsland. the venue is about 7 miles north of Kailua-Kona on the way to Waimea. If you have the chance, you should check out this venue if you are looking for a memorable experience. Led by chef Junior Ulep, the restaurant is run with precision on all levels. Chef Junior is from Haliewa from Oahu's North Shore with experience at at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, CanoeHouse at Mauna Lani and Mauna Kea Beach Hotel all on Hawaii Island. He took the time to explain his process and his passion which is evident in all aspects of our experience. We decided to order the dishes family style and they were great at accommodating the splitting and plating of the dishes and firing them in perfect sequence. We started with the Ahi Poke Loaded Nachos consisting of Taro chips, scallions, furikake, Maui onion, chili oil, unagi sauce. Next was the off menu surprise from the chef of a curry based shrimp cooked over Kiawe wood. Not sure of the exact ingredients, but the presentation was amazing. Then the Broke da Mouth Asian Slaw Salad. Ramen noodles, Napa cabbage, avocado, carrots, red bell peppers, Kahiko Māla`ai herbs, macadamia nuts, wontons, sesame-yuzu vinaigrette After that we had the Carnitas Tacos. Kalua pork, corn tortillas, Pico de Gallo, avocado, ancho chili salsas, pickled onions And Finally the Get Shorty Sandwich. So delicious. 12 hr Smoked short ribs, horseradish aioli, aged cheddar cheese, pickled red onion Chef Junior really went out of his way to make our experience special, and to let us know of his vision for the venue and the future. We can't wait to be back and see how this evolves.

This was hands down the best dinner experience we've had on our trip. We are on day 5 of 7. Their…read moreservice was excellent; they touched the tables just right, gave us the option of still water or sparkling water, they provided the best focaccia bread with flakey salt and olive oil. We sat right by the kitchen and were able to watch them make our dinner. The chef came out and personally spoke to us about our dinner. I got the vegetarian cauliflower dish the adobo sauce was hands down one of the best sauces I've ever had, my husband got the burger medium rare and he said it was perfect and the fries were crispy, my daughter got the kids slider and thought they were delicious (easy could of fed two kiddos with a smaller appetite), my other daughter had the butter noodles which is on the menu but she's super picky and they accommodated her without a blink, for our youngest we got a side of fruit it was amazing fresh fruit with a good variety. At the end another chef came by and asked if our girls would enjoy dessert, we got the mango and coconut lime sorbet. They were so luscious , creamy, and full of flavor. We sat "inside" it was an open concept with no doors or window to the restaurant. The kitchen had screens to keep the bugs out. There was gentle music playing in the background. Most places we've been the music has been so loud we can't hear each other or think. It was right on the ocean so we got to listen to the ocean waves and watch them crash on the shore. If I could give them more stars I would.

Decent meals to eat by the pool. Ordered French fries and nachos for the kids. I have a blackened…read moremahi mahi Cesar salad. That one was pretty yummy. They gave good portions. The cashier was training so taking my order took a little while but he was very nice and apologized. The restaurant is all outdoors with pick your own seating. We came here another day for the breakfast buffet. Adults were $24, kids 6-12 were $12, and kids under 5 were free. All 3 of my kids are under 5 so we only paid about $50 for my family of 5! Great deal. They had an assortment of pastries and fruit, miso soup, breads, toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, Portuguese sausage, potato wedges, green salad, pancakes, rice, coffee and juice. For what we paid this buffet was worth it, but this is by no means a fancy buffet.

The atmosphere was nice, and the live hula dancing and music were definitely a plus. Our server was…read morealso really sweet once we finally got someone to help us. Unfortunately, the food was really, really bad. We ordered a small cheese pizza and mahi mahi tacos and for about $45 with tip, the quality was nowhere near worth it. Honestly, I wish I could give the food negative stars. It wasn't just below average--it was way below average. This place has so much potential because the setting is relaxing, but they really need to improve the food. Even bringing the quality up to a solid three-star level would make a huge difference.