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.

Hubby and I decided to try this place for lunch as we pass it everyday on our way to and from our…read morehome. Tbh, everything on their menu sounded delicious and we had a hard time deciding what to order. Luckily the friendly girl working at the counter was patient with us and happily answered any questions we had. We decided on a hotdog, Philly steak sandwich with their amazing garlic aioli sauce, cheese fries with garlic aioli, cheese pita (think of it as a grilled cheese pita on overdrive) and blueberry crumble for dessert. Considering what we ordered and the fact that they had a line, the wait time wasn't long at all plus there was only one girl working the grill too. Everything was flavorful and seasoned perfectly! Good sized portions that we also have enough leftovers for dinner too! Located in a lot right next to a park makes it a great place to eat your meal at. We can't wait to go back!!

I ordered the vegan gyro because of a good review on HappyCow. When I called, they said that the…read moresauce is not vegan so vegan ones are served without the sauce. They still ended up giving me the sauce, though? And the food was fine, nothing special or filling. Not worth the price. The fries aren't vegan because of duck fat.

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.

At night, with the right staff, I felt like a princess on the Queen Mary! The server was so polite,…read moreprofessional and charming! In the morning, I feel like a burden. However, their breakfast is yummy! I miss Logan Chandler

Ashley was our server. She was friendly and service was great. Tonight we just went there for…read moredrinks. It's not air conditioning, however, night time it's cooler and breezy. We come here quite often. Their food and desserts are good. They're known for their amazing Coconut Shrimp!

Had lunch here And everyone was happy…read more Cobb salad, fried mahi sandwich, and 2 kid burgers.

If you love excellent beers than this is one of the places to hit up when in Hilo…read more All though the food can be occasionally inconsistent at times, the good selection of Ola brews and great service can somewhat make up for it. Don't get me wrong on the food, it's good. If you come here and eat something delicious, on the next visit you want that same dish to be equally as good or better. Getting anything on a lower scale can be disappointing. I've experienced it first hand, but still am a fan of Ola's Brew restaurant. Every place has its hiccups, they are no different. Hopefully it's an off day. Also as a non soda drinker (wife's a soda fan) I think they should offer a few name brand soft drinks for families, though I do give them kudos for trying to substitute it with their own mixtures, but sorry soda drinkers are very picky just like most beer drinkers. I do love that they have free parking available and the restaurant itself is kept very clean and can accommodate larger groups. Overall a place to check out when in Hilo.

Paul's was one of my favorite dining experiences I've ever had. Yelp only allows for five stars, I…read morewould give more if I could. If you are able to visit Hilo, make a reservation. And you need a reservation. The tiny restaurant only has three two person tables (the other party of four had two pushed together). And it is only open Wednesday thru Saturday, 7:30am- 2pm. I made the reservation for my friend's Birthday lunch by text. It is conveniently located by the farmers market, and there is plenty of free parking in the area. The space is airy, and on our visit, decorated for Easter. We were immediately greeted by Paul. The restaurant is staffed by him, and one other employee. The menu is short, and all the better for it. Paul explained the menu and gave us recommendations. I was already interested in the Pasta de Marco, which appears to be a part of a regular menu. Angel hair pasta, lightly fried, tossed with fresh veggies and pesto, and lightly toasted baguette on the side. We also had the tuna, two ways, and papaya salad. Both were perfect, incredibly fresh, all ingredients balanced, beautifully presented. Paul had us end with the Belgium waffle. I've had waffles in Belgium, and these were the best I've had. Crispy, soft, with berries, whip cream, and powdered sugar, it didn't even need the (warm!) syrup. This experience felt like being a guest in the chef's home. Paul treated all customers as a friend, he was funny, relaxed, and personable. I also personally appreciated it is the safest restaurant for me to eat at as he hates bell peppers as much as I do! The only disappointment when the meal ended. Mahalo!

The cafe is very small and cozy, we had to have reservations in advance to get in as Paul has very…read morelimited seating, about 3 tables. He is always busy and has a rule with no Togo orders as far as I know. The service is good, and the servers and Paul himself is very friendly, laidback, and easy to talk to. Be respectful of his rules, he's a nice guy and it felt like he really cares about the food he makes. Playing is very nice and simple in a good way, has a very clean aesthetic. The food itself is extremely fresh, every single thing felt very refreshing to the palette and not heavy. It was one of the pricier spots me and my partner went to in Hilo, but it is extremely popular and the quality of the food is nice, as I said, I think this is the place in Hilo so far that I've eaten at with the "freshest" tasting food. I had not yet tried his Belgian waffles, but I saw they were served to another customer and they looked fantastic. After our meal, Paul also highly reccomended them for next time. Definitely would like to come back next time we are in Hilo, it was one of my partner and her Uncle's favorite spots (they are local to Hilo, so it's gotta be good haha). They both vouch for the ingredient quality.

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.

Don's Grill kept popping up on my yelp so I finally decided to give it a try. I'm so glad I did!…read moreIt's a cute little diner with amazing service and good food! The prices are really good especially considering we are in Hawaii. There is a mix of diner food and local specials. We ordered a French dip and a saimin and was not disappointed! I will definitely be back to try more things on the menu.

The classic American diner experience. No frills but tasty large portions. Did have to wait a while…read moreto be served but the food was great for the price point. Ordered a seafood platter that came with shrimp, calamari, and mahi fish. Served with a side salad and Hawaiian roll. Fish was nicely cooked, not too salty or dry at all. Shrimp had a good crunch and calamari was the perfect texture, not too chewy at all! Also had a chocolate pie for dessert. Decent size and had a nice chocolate cream texture without being overly sweet. Total for the food was $27. 21 for the entree and 6 for the dessert. Would recommend if looking for a cheaper alternative to the fancy restaurants around the resort area for a nice filling meal without any frills

We came here with friends who are Hilo locals, so I knew this place had to be good. The restaurant…read moreis located up a flight of stairs. The restaurant has a very open and relaxing vibe. We sat outside overlooking Hilo bay, and I felt I could have sat here all afternoon. The lunch menu includes various sushis, salads, and warm entrees. What we ordered: + Lihiwai Louie salad - this is a salad of butter lettuce, avocados, 5 large shrimps, and lots of cheese shavings. This was light and very tasty. + Fish and chips - the fish was very fresh and was quite yummy This is a great place to sit and relax and enjoy some drinks and good food.

Big restaurant but doesn't feel that way. They accommodated our large party easily. It's up a big…read morestaircase but there is an elevator for those who need. Lovely view of the water. Drinks were okay, and they have mock tail options, too. I had the sage pineapple margarita and it was fine, not spectacular. The regular margarita seemed a bit nicer. Fish and chips was a generous portion, and the fish was meaty (I assume mahi mahi?) and came with a salad/slaw. I split a keiki sundae with someone which was the perfect bit of sweet to finish off the meal.

This place is a cool little spot looking out over the Reeds bay/Hilo Bay. It's a rustic place. Our…read morewaiter Ruben was awesome very helpful with the menu and specials. We had cocktails, some ordered coconut martinis that were outstanding. We had appitizers: the crab cakes, Da sizzle, (sizzling steak platter), and calamari. All were good. I ordered the terriyaki beef with mashed potatoes and vegetables, it was outstanding. Others ordered the prime rib with lobster and said it was outstanding. The seafood Louie was awesome as well. The prices are reasonable and average $20-40 depending on what you order. We ordered Lilikoi cheesecake, outstanding, bread pudding was good also. I highly recommend this place very good food.

We took a friend to Pondʻs the other night. The photos suggested that it wouldnʻt be as noisy as…read moremost restaurants were, and then they put us right smack dab next to to singer/guitar player. He wasnʻt bad, but conversation was more difficult. The server did a good job and was pleasant. We had made reservations and they were able to quickly show us to our table without any real wait. The photos on Yelp do a good job of showing what the place looked like. My wife and I had the "Fresh Grilled Salmon", which was over done to the point where it tasted dry and actually hard on the edges and bottom. It was a small portion as was the veggies, and was accompanied by a small scoop of mashed potatoes, all for $38. It was edible, but that was all. Itʻs nice to see that others have had a better meal than we did, but weʻre never going to go back there again.