The bartender Eddie gets 6 stars but that's not diminishing a great lunch experience (dinner reservations were not possible on short notice). We loved the vibe, the food, the drinks, but especially the service. Our only niggling complaint would be that the spinach on the veggie sandwich was dominant and also either canned or frozen. That was the only let down. But just have another lychee martini! read more

Ponds in Hilo semi fine dining has assortment of seafood as well as delicious salads with your choice of salmon, and another consisting of pear and brie which was so delicious! The appetizers are also very delicious! The steak with lobster stuffed with crabcake was also really good but pretty pricy! read more

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Visited Big Island twice and this place never disappoint. They have specials which has good deal with great amount of food. I really like their prime ribs with lobster tail. read more

It was a very nice experience. Ruben was my server and was very attentive. The food was served in a adequate timeframe and was very good. The live music was excelente:) read more

Ponds Hilo - Grilled veggies and fish - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

On my first trip to Hilo me and three friends tried this restaurant based on a local's recommendation. We came on a Friday afternoon and we're seated right away. It's a cute place located on a pond. The menu has a lot of choices and I ordered the blackened fish wrap with garlic fries. I have to say the presentation of the food looked really good but we all agreed the entrees lacked in flavor. My fish wrap was slightly bland and I had to add additional salt despite it being blackened, but the garlic fries were really good and made up for it. If I were to come again I would probably just do appetizers and drinks. read more

Ponds Hilo - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Terrific service and delicious food at Ponds. The staff are so attentive. Wec were arrested at an inside table abs wanted a water view. So the hostess made it happen after a couple left. Koi FishSeared Ahi Tuna read more

Ponds Hilo - Kou - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Five years has passed since I was able to come to this wonderful Restaurant that represents something that was very popular in the Pacific Northwest and here in Hawaii in the 70s and 80s a casual but enjoyable place that serves good quality ingredients and a little bit of flair with a good bar. Because I was driving today I decided not to partake in the bar but I had opacpaca wrap which was good my partner and I enjoyed a brownie with ice cream for dessert. this place has local flair its not upscale it's not yuppie it's just good. read more

The food was so fresh and delicious. The service was fantastic. They were so friendly. And we really loved the ambiance. We sat next to a window on the water and they opened the window for us. The breeze was so nice and watching the koi fish and birds was so relaxing. We had such a nice visit. It was a great first stop after we got off the plane. P.S. Try the bread pudding! Amazing! read more

BY FAR THE BEST MEAL IVE HAD !!!! From the calamari,artichoke dip,and ahi to my main dish the SHRIMP SCAMPI man I cannot begin to explain how amazing every bite was even our desert was phenomenal. BUT THE SERVICE WOW WOW WOW our server was so smart and knew that menu so well he made me want everything on the menu. The boys helping him out where very sweet and attentive I was so happy they gave our two babies something to color with and food the feed fish!!! The mango lemonade was SOOOO good I'm a sucker for good lemonade hahaha thank you so much for this amazing experience YOU NEED TO TRY THIS PLACE!!!!!! read more

Ponds Hilo - SOOOO GOOD - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

All around terrible. Paid $200 for crap meals with no taste. A salad with a dressing that was absolutely spoiled and sour. My fish and chips was bland. We upgraded the fries to garlic fries, besides forgetting to bring the right fries when they brought it back it was smothered in butter and raw garlic. Save your money guys. This place is not even worth the one star! Did I mention service???? Our waiter looks drugged out or high..... Don't eat here! You're better off getting food from 711 and going to the beach for ocean view. read more

Service was terrible ordered an ice tea ...had to ask for sugar they brought the sugar then I had to go up to the hostess to ask for a spoon...I asked for a refill they took the glass into the back then brought out the same cup with no fresh lemon... The food was terrible crab cakes had no taste...opakapaka sandwich was over cooked and was most likely from the freezer. McDonald's makes a better fish burger. French fries were undercooked They brought out new batch..half raw and the other overcooked .the waiter claimed he saw the chef put them in himself . The cook/manager came out to our table (we did not ask for him) I we showed him the fries and told him how disgusting the food was. I had sent my plate back already so he knew we were not pleased and told us (they are having problems in the kitchen) I told him I am a guest and I don't care what problems you are having I don't need to know what problems you are having. Terrible food and terrible service read more

Ambience was great something about having dinner over a pond with fishes Service was okay Food was a bit pricey and serving a Cabernet wine cold in a chilled glass was not good read more

Good stuff. Old school beer and service. Just what Hilo needs. Great service and good prices.

Our family of five from Texas and Oklahoma visited Oahu and the Big Island for Spring Break! After a day of hiking Volcanoes, we had dinner at Ponds. We were probably not dressed quite right as we went straight there from the park, but we were seated right away. Once inside, we realized it was a nicer restaurant and a little on the pricey side. But the food was Amazing!! We had calamari to start with and steaks for our entree's. We also received some rolls with our meal..also very good..light and fluffy!! The server was very good, refilled drinks without having to ask and very attentive. There was live entertainment that we enjoyed listening to and the views from our table were great!! Would definitely recommend and will return if/when we visit Hilo again!! read more

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The location is really cute, decor, view, vintage bar vibes all great. Our server was friendly, food came quickly. The food itself is horrendous. We had the crab dip with bread. So greasy, way too much mayo and cheese. Bread was soaked in butter or margerie. We had 2 bites. We also had the fish and chips which has scallop, shrimp and fish. 2 pieces each one and fries for 29 bucks. Way over priced and so much bad oil grease. We felt sick after a few bites. The selection of wines is lame. And I really needed a glass to wash down what we ate. Hours later our tummies were still upset. Keep driving if you see this place. read more

Beyond disappointed with their customer service! Manager, Host, and Owner are rude and unapologetic. Too bad I have to give them even 1 star. I do not write this lightly. I have been dining at this location since it was Harrington's and will be ending a 40+ year tradition of celebrating special occasions here. I had hoped to continue the tradition with my son and make even more memories that he could carry onto generations to come. However, because of the poor customer service and lack of value felt from their management and owner, that tradition will stop and we will take our loyalty elsewhere. We had a reservation for 7:30p. While waiting, we saw several groups who arrived after us get seated. When asking what is going on and why others were seated before us, we were told by numerous people that it was out of their control and not their decision. We asked to speak to the person who made those decisions and no one came. Asked to speak to the manager and it took over 20 min for him to come. We were finally seated about 40 min late and still waiting for a manager to come by. When the manager finally came by, it was more of the same...more pointing fingers and the message of, "it's not my problem." The manager pointed the finger to the Host, so we asked once again to speak to the host, who NEVER came. Thankfully, our waiter, Shawn, saved the evening! He apologized and got our order in and out so fast. My 4-year old son, who was hungry, finally got to eat about an hour after our reservation time, thanks to Shawn for rushing our order. Shawn and his customer service is the reason why my family and I have been patronizing Ponds, since the restaurant used to be called Harrington's. I wanted to give Management the feedback of the service we received and let her know that Shawn saved the night. So, I left a message that evening for the Owner to call me back. Had to track the owner down at Ken's. When the manager, Andrea, at Ken's read my message and request for a return phone call, she immediately called me. She was another gem, very apologetic. I shared with her that had it not been for Shawn and herself, we would be having a different conversation, instead of one that we could have a chuckle about now. I finished the evening feeling better and hopeful that I could share with the owner that Shawn and Andrea were excellent workers! I waited 2 days, with no return phone calls. Not a message, nothing. So, I called. As soon as Debbie Myawa, Owner, answered the phone, it was with attitude. There were no apologies for our experience, just attitude. In fact, she blamed us, stating that according to her staff, we were so upset that they didn't know what to do. I laughed, stating that Shawn was able to defuse it in 5 seconds. She continued to meet me with attitude. I pointed out that we would not be having this discussion had her Host, her Manager, and HERSELF made a simple apology and asked for another opportunity to serve us again. She stated doubt, told me that she wouldn't blame me for not returning, demonstrating yet again how she and her manager and host were just giving us the double barrel middle fingers!!! Shawn should be the Manager and Owner! He demonstrates appreciation for the customer and acknowledges our value, and in a small town, that's important. read more

No salt/ pepper at table......the prime rib is not prime, too many complaints to list .....we have been here multiple times thinking it will be better.....and it's not read more

We had been told this was a good place so we went. The service was absolutely horrible. It was so bad as to color the entire experience. The food was mediocre, and nothing stood out. The location is nice, very nice fish pond to entertain the kids. We were completely disappointed. Kind of expensive too. The guy bussing the tables was good. read more

Came Here with a party of 8 service from staff was awesome. We all Ordered multiple Appetizers but came to the conclusion that the Calamari was The Best. They also offer a wicked escargot that always hits the spot. However there prime rib special was sub par as the steak seemed to be over done for medium rare and lobster was sadly overcooked as well. But we had such a good time enjoying cocktails and enjoying the beautiful view of the restaurant. We figured they were having a bad night. Overall decent eatery. But you will have to pay to play. read more

Do not recommend. It's an overpriced Applebee's but somehow even worse food. The most bland steaks, seafood, and potatoes of our lives. Lacking even in the most basic things like salt and pepper. Literally zero flavor to anything. The "garlic" mashed potatoes tasted like mashed nothing. The Sirloin and New York strip had no taste but were exceptionally dry. We paid $115 before tip for what amounted to dry, bland, disappointing food. I have no idea how this place is rated so highly. Maybe the menu has changed recently or they have a new cook or something. I can't can't get over how expensive it was for such low, low quality food. Our server was great and the live soloist was nice, so two stars for that, I suppose. read more

Ponds Hilo - Bland surf n turf option: flavorless sirloin, tasteless scampi, bland potatoes - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Remember that attractive person who had you on the hook and knew they did so they got away with treating you terribly? That's what our experience eating here was like. We made a reservation for 8 pm since we were going to be out late hiking all day with a request for a window seat near the koi pond. My girlfriend and I are photographers and had hoped to grab some photos of them for our trip. We were told that our reservation was in and we were good to go. We in fact were not. We showed up for our reservation and were informed there weren't any tables and we'd have to wait. Okay, not that surprising and we expected it with the slower pace of life on Hawaii. 30 minutes go by and we're still waiting for a table when they finally address us asking if we'd still like to wait or be seated in the middle of the room. We saw a table open next to the Koi Pond and said we'll wait for it. The hostess then proceeds to seat a couple that walked up with no reservation AFTER we had arrived. Then due to a lack of communication they split a 4 person table and tried to seat us there when we went back over our reservation for a window table. The hostess then agrees a table dead center of the room is a window table which makes zero sense. How is a table not next to a window a window table? The only reason we didn't leave is that every restaurant closes at 9 pm and we'd been dealing with this crap for 40 minutes. There was no way to make it to any of the other better restaurants before close so we finally settled for a different table off to the side and if you thought that's where the shitty service ended, you'd be mistaken. As the allegedly cocaine fueled Billy Mays used to say "BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE!" When they finally sat us they gave us lunch menus so we had to request the correct dinner menus which took 15 FUCKING MINUTES to do. It's not like our server was running a 5k to get the menus to us, the hostess booth with the menus was 20 feet away. When he finally did feel like getting around to his job I ordered a beer which took almost another 20 minutes to get. We sat and watched as other tables ordered, got their drinks, finished said drink and ordered again. Finally the waiter remembered another table was waiting and got us our drinks. We finally got to order dinner as well. I ordered a medium rare prime rib and the creamy potato soup to start. My girlfriend ordered the braised short ribs with the same soup to start. If you're keeping track of the time were past 9:15, we've got no other options for dinner so we're stuck in this hellscape of shitty service that's going down hill fast. Another 20-30 minutes later the server remembers we exist and informs us the soup is gone and asks what kind of salad we'd like. We both go with ceasar salad and no matter how low of a bar I set for my expectations, they succeeded in failing to meet it every single time. The salads came out warm and soggy. While eating our salads the hostess comes over and makes the most awkward and half assed attempt at an apology I've ever had to sit through. It literally would have been better to just flip us the middle finger than have us suffer through whatever that mess was. After that, we got our "meals" which were cold. At that point I couldn't help but just laugh at the absurdity of how shitty all of this was and expected a camera crew to run out and tell us we were on some stupid prank show but that sweet relief from this nightmare never came. Save yourself the time and frustration of this shit show of a restaurant and get some better tasting food at one of the hundreds of other restaurants. 0/5 stars. read more

I'm giving an updated review, this was our first time for dinner here (Thanksgiving), but about our 5th visit overall the past 4 yrs. Was torn between giving 3 or 4 stars as there were a few hiccups this visit, but haven't given up. We typically don't dine out on the day of actual holiday but took our chance this year. We were seated promptly at a nice corner window table as requested. Our server, I believe named Jordan ( whom we've had couple times before) once again friendly on professional level. We started with cocktails and an appetizer, hot crab spinach dip. My Manhattan was disappointing, usually garnished with orange peel and cherry had no garish and tasted like a whiskey/soda, hubby's vodka Collins was ok but had no lime. The hot crab/spinach dip was definitely more of a spinach dip but tasty. Hubby asked for coffee and our server said they'd have to make a fresh pot... ok, so he waited a good 10 mins. then finally asked a different staff person passing by, nothing, then reminded our server and finally arrived soon after. Our meals arrive by kitchen staff but as soon as he left table hubby realized that he got mashed pot instead of fries as requested. Luckily Jordan came by to check on us immediately and he came back with fries a couple minutes later. Although in the meantime I took a bite of my meal ( braised short ribs/mash potatoes/sautéed veggies) and it wasn't hot, ugh so he took my plate to reheat quickly. Came back hot and everything good. I would like to mention that upon order our appetizer and meals we asked Jordan to please make sure there was NO bell peppers in any of our food. The hot dip he recommended had bits of red pepper in it and pointed it out to him. He acted surprised but didn't apologize but said if we didn't like it he'd get us something else... but we ate it. My dinner plate arrived with chunks of red bell pepper on it too. I made a nice little stack on my plate without mentioning it again but that was disappointing not once but twice. My hubby enjoyed his bbq rib dinner as well. We really wanted to try the lobster or prime rib/lobster special but I just couldn't splurge that much,$78. After our meals we asked for more coffee and Jordan said that more was being made, once again a good 10 min. wait. We he returned he apologized for the mishaps of our experience and brought out a creme brûlée to-go. So we did appreciate his trying to end on a good note. Oh, and when we first ordered we asked if dinner rolls came with the meal and it would be coming. We got the appetizer and still no rolls, we had to mention a second time or I doubt we'd ever have gotten them. As you can see there were a few issues but we enjoy this place( love location) and only hope my comments will help correct them to continue returning. read more

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1. Had the "special" Rib Eye and lobster served with a house salad and soup. Salad was good as was the soup. The Rib Eye was horrible. No flavor and tuff. The Lobster was in garlic butter says and the lobster was dry and tasteless. The special was 92.00 and not worth it. The service was LOUSEY. Was sat at the table and after about 5 minutes water was brought to the table. After close to 15 minutes the waiter came to the table. Nice guy but just not the waiter you would expect. The salad and soup was brought out by an assistant waiter and he was prompt and helpful. We could not finish our meal. Ate about 1/4 of the steak and half of the lobster and none of the mashed potatoes. Ruben the waiter came to the table and asked if we wanted a to go box after we sat for about 15 minutes not touching our plates. Brought box's and then he talked to the band guy for about 5 minutes before we got the check. Ruben the waiter was a really nice guy but we must have got him on an off day and maybe an off day for the chief or cook. The ambiance was nice but not worth the price of the ribeye and lobster. Went to Burger King and got dinner after. I should have taken pictures. Based on my experience tonight I would not recommend the place. I gave it a two because the salad, soup and ambiance was good. read more

This place is amazing because of their staff and their drink specials... But their version of gumbo is quite literally offensive and is not gumbo. Would never eat there again. But hey. Cheap drinks? read more

Mediocre food and dated decor. Hilo seems hipper than this. Wish they would catch up to that. Still, the view is nice.

Between the fresh food, Hawaiian decor and the fresh koi ponds and the salt pond from the bay, this place is charming. Our server started us off by bringing out a sample of the day's soup which was seafood chowder and a little cup of koi food to feed the fish. It was a Thursday, which is lobster tail night. I had mine crusted with crab and hubby had the surf & turf. Both were delicious. For dessert we had lilikoi cheesecake. If you are in Hilo and want an off the beaten path, charming place with great food, Ponds is the place. read more

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Tried this by chance and wasn't disappointed. We shared the lobster and ribeye steak special. Wow! Great taste! read more

Ponds Hilo - Ribeye Steak, Garlic Potatoes, Veggies, Lobster Tail topped with Crabmeat. - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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The food was amazing. Only issue i had was the wait time. me and my husband arrived before 2 other couples and we got our food orders taken after those other customers which was a wait time of 45 minutes between our arrival and our food order. we also did not recieve our water and, utensils until after those other customers received there's first. Point being is that it seemed short staffed but i didn't feel welcomed as we were locals there. But...... the food was amazing. We enjoyed the food and never seen our waiter again until i asked for my check. all though we weren't treated good throughout the time we was there i still left a 30% tip becuz the food was on point. read more

Ponds Hilo - Kois at Ponds restaurant - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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My wife and I made reservation for dinner on Friday the 4th of Nov. @ 4:30. We arrived on time and was promptly seated. The restaurant was less than a quarter full . My wife and I sat there for a good 20 minutes and no one came to take our order. I tried to make eye contact with any of the workers but no one would look our way. My wife getting u set, so we got up and left. We were at pond's to celebrate a special occasion. I hope this has nothing to do with it, but I'm black and she is white. We are both locals from Hilo. This is the second time this has happened at this Restaurant to us. We are both confused and hurt by the treatment we have received here as locals.needless to say, we will not be going back there, ever again read more

Doesn't seem like much from outside but the inside has a nice view and breeze. Menu wasn't accurate as they seem to be updating some things. (We didn't mind) the sizzler plate was yummy, the fish and chips were good but there could've been some more seasoning. The workers were polite and helpful. read more

Ponds Hilo - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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this place is amazing!! best food, best service, awesome experience! 5 stars across the board! Love them so much!

We stopped in on Friday about 5:15 and sat in the lounge to enjoy our cocktails, pupus and great service. The view is lovely and peaceful. It's one of the few places that show cases their location and backs it up with great food, refreshments and service. A gem for sure read more

Went to the Ponds for my birthday. ordered their lobster pesto pasta special. The $72 lobster was dry, rubbery, and smothered in way too much pesto .Have been here many times before and the food quality is steadlly declining into your average. overpriced ripoff tourist trap the help seemed to be stressed and trying to hurry us to turn the table. this used to be one of the best eating spots in Hilo; not anymore. Go somewhere else. read more

Came here for thanksgiving and had a wonderful time!! Our server/ bartender was Abraham and he was beyond outstanding!! He took care of us well and knew his stuff!! The food came out soooooo good!! I'd recommend the prime rib and the braised short ribs with the Mac nut pesto pasta!! It was so delicious!! We will definitely be back!! Thank you Abraham for making this thanksgiving a great experience!!! read more

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Local bar, fried foods, great view of the pond and the bay, basically describing what you will get by dining at Pond's This was not my first visit to ponds, but my first visit for a quick drink at the bar and an appetizer. Beware, this is not an air-conditioned establishment. The windows open up to the clean,warm Hawaiian air and sunshine. That means on a humid day you will be sitting in a sauna. There's not much more I can say other then it's a place where the locals go, the small bar is crowded with local college students and residents alike. Depending on who's on staff, you may not get the "local" treatment. Just be aware, and take no offense if that should happen to you. Simply just ask if there's a place you can sit and someone will open up a seat for you. If you expect to be served or offer the seat without asking you'll be standing there all day. read more

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Not very good wait staff the last two times we have been there. And the food has been just OK. It's too bad because it is in a beautiful location and on prior occasions the food has been great. We will give it another shot read more

Normally go here for me and my husband's anniversary. Normally their service is good. Except last time we went. Sun was beaming in our eyes. No one asked us if we wanted our shade down or move us to another table so that we could enjoy our early dinner. But they did put the shade down for another group of people. Other than that the food is good. read more

I went to Ponds to celebrate my birthday for lunch. I was really disatisfied at the selection given for lunch. We arrived at noon, decided to just concentrate on appetizers, and the seafood pasta wasn't that great. The opakapaka sandwich had no taste. The service was okay, but had to request to see our server. We tip teally well and wanted a little better service. The window seat was nice. Please look into a broader selection for your lunch menu... read more

We went to Ponds on a very busy night, a Mother's day. Parking was a challenge, a little wait was expected. We had a table by the window overlooking a clean koi pond which was very nice. Service was ok, food was good. I ordered prime rib and my mom ordered shrimp scampi. read more

Found this place when visiting Hilo, HI with my family. We wanted to eat at a little hidden gem type restaurant & decided on Pond's. It has a koi pond with a few turtles in it which adds to the atmosphere. I recommend getting a window seat, they give you food to feed the koi fish. Atmosphere is 5 stars, service 5 stars, food is between 3.5 & 4; the prices were a bit on the high side as well. I recommend the BBQ pork sliders they were really good! The coleslaw was good & the garlic fries were very good! Stay away from the Rib-eye French dip & the burgers. read more

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