This has been my go to spot for years in Kona! I always go here after landing at the airport, it's close and convenient. Personal favorite for me is the spicy garlic chicken, which of course I ordered and is in the picture below. It's crispy and juicy, but what really completes it is the sauce the drizzle on top. I'm pretty sure it's sriracha mayonnaise or some variation of it, and it's super addicting. The chicken comes as a plate lunch, which includes two sides. All of the sides are good, but I definitely would recommend getting the French fries and white rice. The teriyaki beef is definitely an underrated pick. It's super flavor, and tender throughout. Huge portions, you will for sure get your money worth. Just note that wait times can be pretty long. Pine tree cafe often gets crowded and orders pile up. When I go it takes anywhere from 15-30 minutes, which can feel like an eternity when you're hungry. read more

Pine Tree Cafe - Teriyaki beef and Spicy Garlic Chicken. Sides: fries, rice, house salad, Mac salad - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

(4/5) Pulled up to Pine Tree Cafe ready to eat like a champion... and the food absolutely delivered. Local plates were solid, flavorful, and hit that "I need a nap after this" level of satisfaction. No complaints there. Now the service... let's just say the vibe at the register felt like I personally offended someone by existing Not the warmest welcome, but hey, I came for the food, not a TED Talk on hospitality. Would I come back? 100%. I'll just emotionally prepare myself at the register and then reward myself immediately with some bomb food. read more

Pine Tree Cafe - Loco moco - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Ordered Tempura Ono Fish and Chips and wasn't disappointed. There were 5 pieces of fish: fresh and not tough. The tempura crust was crisp and quite good. Tartar sauce fresh. A superb value. read more

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Nice casual place with a decently sized parking lot, so it wasn't hard to get a spot even though it was pretty busy during the lunch rush. We ordered at the counter and were able to nab a table, but it was pretty busy since there were so many people. There are some outdoor tables nearby though in case it's really full. Food was pretty quick and simple, and there are lots of options. Only complaint is that the mahi-mahi was kind of dry and tough so it was hard to chew. Otherwise flavors are good, portions are not bad and seems like a nice easy place to grab a quick bite. read more

Pine Tree Cafe - Fried mahi mahi with rice, loco moco - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Warning! The portions are so huge. I should have shared a plate with my wife. Cost about $20 but equivalent to two meals! The macaroni salad was so good! Teri pork was great. They took a while to prepare the food, but it was really busy. A lot of other menu items I want to try next time. I was walking around looking at everyone else's plates. read more

Pine Tree Cafe - Teriyaki pork plate. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Stopped by Pine Tree Cafe after a nearby coffee tour and it was a solid pick for lunch. The menu has a good amount of variety, which worked well for our group of 6 adults and 1 toddler. Seating was a bit tight, but we were able to squeeze everyone at one table. I ordered the pork adobo and it was the standout: tender, flavorful pork with two scoops of rice and a side salad. Everything felt satisfying and quick, and at $20 it was a good value. Great spot for a fast and delicious lunch. read more

Pine Tree Cafe - Specials menu - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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Great food. Large portions. Clean tables. The poke was great. Rice was on point. Would go again. read more

Downgrading my rating after my third visit -- and unfortunately, it's earned. At this point, I'm convinced the kitchen has flagged me, because there is no other explanation. Came in with a team of five, and every single one of them had finished their food by the time mine finally came out. I didn't order anything complicated either -- a fried egg sandwich and a side of hash brown. Nothing that should take that long. And before you tell me it's the grill, my coworkers also ordered items from the grill and didn't have to wait. To be fair, the counter staff was great and took my order quickly. This is squarely in the kitchen. Whether it's an honest oversight or something else, three visits are enough of a pattern that it's hard to ignore. The food itself? Tasty. No complaints there. But good food only counts for so much when you're sitting there watching your entire table finish their meals while you're still waiting. Not a great feeling, especially with a group. Won't be rushing back for a fourth visit. read more

Nice local spot near the airport to grab a quick bite. Pine Tree was our first meal on the Big Island and it was a great taste for what was to come! It's in a plaza and we came around lunch time all the tables were taken but people are pretty quick around eating or grabbing on of the tables outside. We tried a loco moco (small so just one patty) and then the fried calamari. The loco moco was solid - rice was cooked well and the patty had a nice char taste to it. We were sharing a meal so the small was devoured quickly but if you're hungry I would recommend getting the large with extra gravy. The shrimp dish was a little underwhelming with the 6 pieces and the size in comparison to the pricing. Would probably skip it and get the chicken next time after reading reviews. Their menu is massive and even some specials so be sure to read it ahead of time if you are unsure what you want to try. They also have some combos so you can mix and match under $15. As we were waiting we noticed a case with desserts and drinks but we didn't get to try them this time. They looked decadent though! read more

Pine Tree Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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FOOD - Pine Tree Bento: teriyaki beef, hot dog, spam, fried chicken and fried calamari over rice. Everything was very good. 4.5/5 SERVICE: Fast and friendly mom and pops restaurant. 4/5 FINAL THOUGHTS: I would come back. The food was good and there's tons of options. I like that they have half portions too. read more

Pine Tree Cafe - Pine tree bento: teriyaki beef, hot dog, spam, fried chicken and fried calamari - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Went to Pine Tree Cafe on a weeknight. We ordered 2 combo plates, one with the spicy garlic chicken and katsu dip and another with spicy garlic chicken and shrimp. The Katsu Dip was amazing, it was the perfect balance of crispy and sweet and the chicken was tender on the inside. Highly recommend the Katsu dip. The spicy garlic chicken was good and I enjoyed the sauce drizzled on the top. It is not really that spicy though, which I am completely fine with! I think the I'm the plate with the shrimp, there could have been some more shrimp. Service was a little slow, however it was during dinner so to be expected and the staff was kind and helpful, additionally the food makes up for it. Good price for the amount of food. Left feeling full and with leftovers. Pine tree cafe has lots of options for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and a casual ambiance that is good for families. You order at the counter here as well. Overall, would come back when in the area! read more

Pine Tree Cafe - Spicy Garlic Chicken & Katsu Dip - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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Got the spicy pork and katsu dip. My husband thought the spicy pork was too fatty, I liked it though. The katsu dip was unbelievable. I thought it was going to come with sauce on top, but instead it's dipped in sauce before being cooked. I've never had a katsu with this much flavor!! Highly recommend. For sides, you choose white or brown rice and can get Mac salad. Seating Tons of tables inside for small and large groups. There are also some tables outside for groups of 4. When we were there for lunch on a weekday it was pretty busy and all the tables inside were full. Bathrooms These are located outside around the corner as part of the shopping center. Parking Easy parking, there is a shared lot. Vibes Super chill inside. No need to look nice. read more

Pine Tree Cafe - Spicy pork on the left and katsu dip on the right - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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The spicy garlic chicken was underwhelming, and I think I'd rather go down the street. Some of the pieces were too tough to bite. Flavor was good, but not that spicy. Mac salad was okay, I think I tasted tuna in there as well? Otherwise, service is always friendly. Counter service but plentiful seating inside. I have enjoyed the breakfast from here before! It's a very casual spot but convenient if you're on the way/heading from the airport. read more

Pine Tree Cafe - Spicy garlic chicken - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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Pine Tree Cafe knows how to serve Hawaiian comfort food! Food packs so much flavors! Lots on the menu but I went the chicken katsu which was out of this world. It's crispy and flavorful and the side of mac and rice makes for the perfect meal! Still dreaming about this meal. read more

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Found this place on Google Maps on a whim and got a delicious grilled cheese sandwich for $6.50 +tax here. It is fast casual/takeout with ample seating indoors. Easy parking outside. There was a steady flow of customers but not much of a line today for lunch. Food was ready in about 8 min. Menu is extensive and I would love to try other things here in the future! 5/5 read more

Highly recommend! I had a cheeseburger. It had fantastic flavor and their sauce is great! My hubby had the Turkey Club. It was huge! But the very best was the French fries. So crunchy. Again, I'd highly recommend! read more

This was our first meal in Hawaii on the Big Island, and we originally came for the chicken katsu, but unfortunately, they were sold out. That probably says a lot already! Anyways, I was craving a hot dog and decided to try a chili dog without really knowing what to expect. I thought it would be a hot dog with onions and a little topping, but it was completely covered in chili (minced meat). I could barely see the dog at first! It turned out to be much heavier and greasier than I expected. That was totally my fault since I just didn't know what a classic chili dog actually is. If you love chili dogs, you'll probably really enjoy it. It just wasn't my personal taste. Now the garlic chicken... WOW. That completely made up for it. It was absolutely delicious: flavorful, juicy, and perfectly cooked. We genuinely loved it! For both dishes, we paid around $50, which felt very reasonable. The food quality was great overall. The only small downside was the seating inside. It wasn't very cozy or comfortable. We ended up taking the food back to our hotel room, which worked out fine. So, if you're on the Big Island, I would definitely recommend checking this place out. read more

Such a great spot near Kona to find something that will please everyone in your group. Seriously, they have everything from pork adobo to loco moco to big salads and burgers. It is a counter serve place, super casual. Just walk up and order. There are lots of tables if you want to eat in, but they are also good at packing things up to go if you want to take out. The staff are friendly and the kitchen is so efficient, we never had to wait long for our food. It seemed like mostly locals eating, but they were nice and accommodation to our group of tourists as well. Highly recommend after a long day of adventuring around the big island. read more

I ordered a double Loco Moco from this place and the serving size was enormous. My girlfriend and I were able to split it between the two of us and I felt it was more than enough food to feel full. (I usually eat a ton if that means anything) They have a huge menu which serves breakfast as well as regular dishes and hamburgers. read more

Pine Tree Cafe - Loco moco - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

I was in Kona for a week and came here 4 different times - it was SO GOOD. Felt like I hit the jackpot on finding a genuine local spot. Their menu is massive and I didn't eat a bad dish. A lot of the food is fried, but a good portion of their menu is not. The portion size of the poke bowl is a little on the smaller side (the price should be an indicator), but the rest of the portions were huge. They have an option for you to order smaller portions which I'd recommend. There is a decent amount of seating inside, every time we came it was packed but we still managed to find a table (you self seat here). read more

Every time I'm in Hawaii I go every day to a different restaurant to try out the Loco Moco. The prices are reasonable here so you order at the counter and they will call your number when the food is ready, the service was quick. The meal was more than enough to feed two people and it was very fresh tasting but I added a little bit of sriracha sauce for flavor and heat. read more

Pine Tree Cafe - Loco Moco ready SEP2025 - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Stopped in for a quick lunch on the way to the airport. There was a slight line and I had to wait for a bit...someone in the back noticed the line and came to take my order. Ordered the Pine Tree bento... Food came quick and looked slightly like the description...overall appearance for the price was ok... Overall I prob would not order this again as the food was just ok. Nothing stood out and the portion size for the price was just average... Have had other things here that were better so this was probably my fault for ordering the wrong thing... read more

Pine Tree Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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Very unassuming spot, with great food. Negatives -not much to mention here Positives -taste: I got fried poke and crispy garlic chicken. The flavors were great. -value: the bowl was more than enough for us. -ambiance: it's a quick stop and go spot with great authentic Hawaiian food. Overall 5/5 read more

Pine Tree Cafe - Crispy garlic chicken and fried poke - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

There are so many options to chose from. I got the three meal combo and shared. I'm glad I shared because I can never finish all my food. I ordered the three items combo which are garlic chicken, spicy aioli chicken, and kalbi with mash potatoes and macaroni salad. The food was flavorful & yummy. The salad has a hint of tuna which was different in a good way. The lady at the counter was nice and patient as I was looking at the menu. There are few tables and seats outside. Plenty of space for people to eat there. I would try their French toast next time. read more

Pine Tree Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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Got the goods to go and ate it at the airport. I would suggest grabbing some food arriving or departing. It's a great locals spot I feel like. I def needed a loco moco, and it was great. Also got some Musubis to go. They have so many different types here. Nothing fancy in here but there's plenty of seating. P.s. next door is a coffee shop. read more

Casual dining where you can eat at the restaurant or order takeout. This is a great place to stop by after you arrive or ready to leave to the airport. It's about a 9-10 minute drive to the airport and it's on the way to Costco. I love the variety of options they offer here at the restaurant and everything is cooked to order. We were lucky enough to catch the tail end of breakfast and also ordered from their regular menu. The pancakes and eggs were cooked nicely, but nothing that stood out to us. The garlic chicken was delicious and fried to a perfect crisp. Service was great and they were quick to take our orders. There is a parking lot in the plaza and it's right next to Matsuyama market. read more

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Pine Tree Cafe is the absolute bomb. It is officially my favorite restaurant in all of Hawaii, and there is no comparison if we're strictly talking grindz. In my two visits, I was able to try over 8 different items and not a single one was disappointing. The Korean combo is very well crafted, with the Kalbi (beef short ribs) being the highlight. I've come to expect anything fresh catch to be exceptional in Kona, but the mahi mahi here tastes ridiculously fresh, without a hint of fishiness to be found. I liked it so much I tried it also in fish sandwich form and it was even better!! I always love a big sauce bar, and the options at Pine Tree made me supremely happy. The best "sauce" has to be the pepper water, though--if you don't know what that is, you're missing out big time. It's definitely a pretty long wait for food, but it's absolutely worth it! read more

Pine Tree Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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Great place to buy provisions for flight back to mainland. Friendly service. Nice Hawaii seating and ambiance. Excellent selection. Reuben, shrimp bowl, mahi plate - all awesome. Easy parking. Easy spot to gas up rental car. Near airport. Nice chicken for the 2 year old. read more

This was my first food stop upon arriving in Kona as it's only about 6 minutes from the airport. It's a very casual establishment where you order at a counter and seat yourself. I got the two plate special with the spicy garlic chicken and boneless Korean short ribs. The spicy garlic chicken is not spicy at all--literally a 1/10 spice--but, it was delicious! The chicken was moist and juicy, and the "spicy" sauce was sweet and buttery. The short ribs were also very tender and flavorful. read more

Pine Tree Cafe - Spicy garlic chicken and Korean short ribs - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

I heard such good things about this place and wish I loved it more. I tried one of their fried chicken and fried fish combos. I loved how much they gave you, but I felt like the flavor was ok. I also tried their loco moco, which was good but nothing that blew me out of the water. Everything was cooked just fine and the overall meal was ok. read more

Pine Tree Cafe - Chicken Fish Belly Combo - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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Ono garlic chicken! I saw the reviews for it here online and it didn't disappoint. The chicken is fried and crispy with a delicious garlic sauce. It is served with rice and Mac salad or green salad. Excellent, kind service from the woman at the register. She was wonderful and gave my daughter a plumeria flower -- very sweet and my daughter loved it! Ambiance is casual. There is plenty of seating indoors. read more

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We ordered a small loco moco with a sunny side up egg and fried rice. 4.8/5! I loved the brown gravy, but a tad less would've been perfect! I still loved the flavor and the beef patty was cooked perfectly! The french toast with haupia coconut butter was absolutely divine! 1000/10! They use the Punalu'u sweet bread and it's amazing! Not pictured is an order of the Pine Tree breakfast with corn beef hash, fried rice and over easy eggs! Delightful! And another order of the Pine Tree breakfast with bacon and fried rice! The crispy bacon was excellent! Overall, I would highly recommend Pine Tree Cafe when you're in town! I see why they have such great reviews. This place is a gem! read more

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We visited this place on a Sunday afternoon and it was quite busy! We waited at least 40 minutes from ordering to picking up the food. The food was delicious and enough for two people. We dined outdoors along with our friends and family, read more

Pine Tree Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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No tuna in my tuna melt, was basically just a grilled cheese brought it back in then proceeded to return my sandwich a few minutes later with cold tuna and cold cheese. read more

For the amount of food, this is quite the affordable location, especially for a restaurant in Hawaii. I got the spicy garlic chicken bowl for about $10. The chicken is fried and pretty tasty. The bowl was just the right amount as it was pretty filling for me. The Mac salad here is phenomenal. Definitely get that. There's plenty of seating, both indoors and outdoors. After you place your order, you wait for your name to be called and you go pick it up at the counter. It's a nice, casual environment here. Lots of people! read more

Pine Tree Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Good little place quick lunch, food got out quick. Decent prices. It's not a sit down eat dinner spot for me but a quick easy lunch with a huge menu. read more

The Katsu chicken is really good! We also had the grilled Mahi Mahi. Nice large portions of food and really fresh. The restaurant is nice and big, which is good because they seem to be busy all the time. The only downside is the service isn't very friendly. Other than that I highly recommend this place. read more

Pine Tree Cafe - Mahi Mahi grilled with rice - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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Not as good as I remembered or recalled. Tried it twice and both times chicken was slightly overcooked so it was tough to chew. The katsu dip itself has a nice crunch but beyond that... I wish for the old days. See old pictures. Happened to have two other plate lunches that day and even comparing the rice, all of which aren't the highest quality, the rice here was lacking. read more

Pine Tree Cafe - Katsu dip and spicy garlic - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Wow I looooove the classic Hawai'i homestyle foods and wish I could've tried them all! I got the chili dog and it brought me back to memories of high school football games :) Must try and check 'em out! read more

Pine Tree Cafe - Chili dog! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

This place was so good! We were island hopping from home on Oahu and my wife wanted Willie's hot chicken but they were closed so we searched for something nearby and this had an extensive menu I figured we could try. Let's just say I am so glad we visited!!! We both got a sandwich, I got a Rueben with fries and she got pastrami with onion rings.the place was packed but our food was hot and delicious even though there was a bit of a wait. I also got us some snacks for the road a delicious brownie after our food was so good since we had a drive back to Hilo that night. So glad we stopped in, if we visit again I am coming back just for that sandwich. read more

Pine Tree Cafe - Rueben Sandwich - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii