The food is delicious - top notch actually....and the portions are huge…read more Service is a tad slow initially, but it's all with a smile.

There service is fair food is tasty and fulfilling. Relaxing for people who like being around…read moreothers.

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.

We had an amazing vegan dish here for our little brunch we did in mid morning earlier today…read more We saw this restaurant yesterday when we were browsing Hilo a few nights ago. We didn't think of anything when we saw it the first time. By just looking at the name of it though, my immediate reaction was, "Is this a kombuchas bar??" Well, it is but it's not just kombuchas they serve; it's more than that. The breakfast/brunch dishes they serve (although they don't have a huge selection) are quite diverse. I do incorporate a lot of vegetarian/vegan diet into my daily meal routine so when I saw the Verdant Vegan I simply couldn't skip it. As my daughter and I usually split a plate when we dine together she agreed to this option of mine. Glad we did. This plate has all sorts of goodness included in it. Sautéed veggies, house-made lentil walnut chorizo, ginger beet kraut, fire-roasted jalapeno cashew crema, fire-roasted tomato salsa, and it's topped it off with sprouts. This whole thing comes with either purple sweet potato home fries or red rice (which we went with the purple sweet potato fries and ended up getting a side red rice. We also got the side kimchi and one egg sunny side up.) And we shared a 16oz Ceremonial Matcha latte as well. This vegan plate is way more than vegan. It's mighty as hell. For those who are still not sure about vegan options will definitely second guess it for something that isn't vegan/vegetarian. It's truly nutrition packed in so many different ways. If I lived close to this cafe, I would eat here once a week to enjoy this delightful meal. I am not kidding. I enjoyed the matcha latte very much although my daughter rated it as "okay". She likes her matcha in a very particular way so it unfortunately didn't impress her. This is not to say that she disliked it. She said it wasn't bad either. This place is a "walk in, order upfront, pick a table where you want to sit and one of the staff will bring your food to you" style cafe. Water is self-served. Once you are done with your meal you'll put your dirty dishes in the designated tub. I like this efficient style of serving food. This place has great vibes as well. A bit hippie-ish where bright dark colors such as purple and red are incorporated into the interior. There is even a stage where bands perform on certain days/times. Quite cool-looking. If you are visiting Hilo soon then put this place on your "must visit" restaurant list. Friendly staff, reasonable prices and quality food will entertain you for sure.

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.

FPO and I are holoholoing on Hawai'i Island (or the Big Island if you're of a certain generation)…read more We went to Ken's House of Pancakes because FPO was feeling nostalgic and wanted their pancakes. I had the regular size Won Ton Mein. I have to say, the portions are huge! The omelet and pancakes were everything FPO remembered. My Won Ton Mein was a little bland. The service was fantastic. The people very friendly.

we love Kens whenever we travel to Hilo this is our lunch spot…read morestaff super friendly wide range of menus options

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.

Sweet Cane is a health-conscious, organic, farm-to-table cafe, offering sandwiches, fresh…read morejuices/smoothies, and vibrant acai bowls. My favorite items are the acai and pitaya bowl as they are loaded with fresh banana, granola, coconut flakes. I also chose to get the omega add on for bee pollen, honey, chia, and hemp seeds for extra fiber! I am so happy to see that their bowls are still amazing as always. Highly recommend their fruit juices and bowls for nature's dessert to give you a boost for the day.

No one at the counter to take our order-- for a while. The only tables available still had crumbs…read moreon them from the last customers, so we cleaned the table so we could sit down. There was a large pile of dirty dishes stacked up in the area where folks are supposed to place used plates, etc. They probably need more staff or this might just be their vibe. I had a spicy kalo burger for $20. The bun on the bottom was toasted (great) but the bun on top was not toasted and was crumbling apart as I ate it. The pumpkin soup with roasted pumpkin seed garnish was delicious, and inspired me to make my own kabocha stew at home. The food is tasty. The cleanliness could use some improvement especially given the prices. All that being said, it is a popular spot. The parking lot was full. The employees looked busy. Just be forewarned that service levels & cleanliness may fluctuate.

Cute little cafe. The taro sandwich was amazing with added…read moreextra hummus. The hummus was awesome. The bread was great too. The açaí bowl was standard made from frozen stuff you get in super market.

The food was great! We had pink waffles, an açaí bowl, a white chocolate toffee latte, and the egg…read morebreakfast. They had gluten free bread and the pink waffles were gf!

A lot of places aren't open on Sundays in Hilo, and I'm so glad Just Cruisin is. Their drive thru…read moreline was fairly slow on a Sunday mid-morning, but I don't mind waiting for their quality food. My friends and I all got some form of the Mac nut pesto. I got mine in a salad, and I really enjoyed the dressing it came with. The Mac nut pesto topping was super flavorful and light. This is a great spot to grab a bite, and I love that you don't have to get out of your car.

Great little coffee stop in Hilo. Super friendly staff, easy drive-thru (or walk-up if you park),…read moreand really solid coffee. The latte was good with a lot of flavor options, the mocha frappe was delicious, and the breakfast sandwich hit the spot. No frills, just good coffee and food at a great value. It is a great vibe to kickoff the morning. Perfect place to stop in the morning before heading out for the day.

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!

Wow! So good! Something interesting about Hawaii is they don't care for too much about the…read moreaesthetic and interior design. Upon walking in, you see a mom and pops with a weird table layout of their baked goods. But actually eating it is such a different story! Great value for lots of yummy breakfast

Came as a party of 2 at 3pm on a Saturday. There were some parking spots out front with some street…read moreparking that should cycle through pretty fast. Service was extremely quick -- we got seated right away, our orders were in and our food came out within minutes. The aesthetic was a mix between New Orleans French and tropical. Food: - Coconut calamari (8/10): This was a tasty appetizer! For two people, we wished there were more pieces. The coconut batter was light and crispy, and the squid was surprisingly not too chewy. The calamari paired well with the mango mustard sauce, which is really strong so a little goes a long way! - Seafood medley risotto (9.3/10): We thought this dish was absolutely delicious! The overall flavor was amazing; the scallop was tender, the risotto had perfect texture and level of oilyness, the shrimp was big and succulent, and the fish was pretty good but could be softer, but that's me being picky -- overall amazing dish! I would totally come back and order this again.

Excellent food service and freshness... One of a kind!…read moreAlways looking forward to the next visit!