Great food!! Mexican music played while eating outdoors. Their birrias are the BEST!!!…read more My go to for traditional Mexican grinds.

Woh. Attitude & slow service…read more The food was fine. TACOS: The taco prices are reasonable. BURRITOS: The burritos are not big enough to justify the price. NACHOS: The nachos are good. THE SERVICE THO OMG The service was very poor. Maybe it was just a bad day for the girl taking orders. THE VIBE The ambiance is a parking lot loaded with flies and puddles. Definitely not a date spot. FINAL THOUGHT If the service is routinely this bad and there are always 1,000 flies, I recommend eating elsewhere.

This taco stand is a hidden gem! The owners are so nice and kind, originally from Southern…read moreCalifornia now in Hilo. Serving up excellent delicious tacos with perfectly seasoned meat, rice, and beans. The variety of homemade delicious salsa sauces adds an extra kick to every bite. Their service is outstanding, making the experience even better. Highly recommended for anyone craving a fantastic authentic Mexican taco combo with top-notch service. This was only their 4th weekend in business and they have the food quality and flavors down! My husband and I shared the 4 taco combo with 2 carne asada and 2 al pastor - so flavorful and better than a lot of the taco spots we've had in California.

Best carne asada meat I've had on island, food was fresh and they made it fast! Will definitely go…read moreback to try the other menu items.

We are a family with Hispanic heritage from Southern California, so we know great Mexican food…read more This is quality, delicious Mexican food served with creativity and care. Highly recommend!! Worth the drive, especially combined with a trip to Akaka Falls!

Really good spot leaving from the falls, we stopped in for lunch and had no wait - it was right…read morewhen they opened. Just two people working and they were both friendly. Food was made fresh and took about 10 minutes! It was a lot of food too. I would've liked more cilantro and lime for the tacos, and maybe a bit more salt in the beans and rice, but overall it was great. The drink was our favorite! Plenty of seating, quiet, and quaint.

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.

My coworker recommended this place. No question ask, I went there the next day and it was…read moredefinitely worth the drive. The vibes, foods, staffs. Will definitely be back!

The first day we stopped here, they unfortunately sold out. So we knew we had to return. Luck was…read moreon our side the next day. Well, we did show up a lot earlier than the day beforw. In fact, we were there around 10am. But hey, it's never too early for a taco, right? We got the battered fish tacos which were fantastic! The standout was the dipping sauce/pepper it came with. I'd take a bottle home if I could. It's located in a lot with other food trucks so it's hard to miss, but parking can be tight. Service is friendly - we were given chips and salsa while we waited. Highly recommend.

The food was flavorful and spicy (but not too spicy!) The three pepper cheese blend on the chicken…read moreenchilada was amazing! Mai Tais were fantastic and the service was attentive and not overbearing! So glad we had the chance to try out this little spot!!! 10/10, would eat again!

Coco's food is delicious and authentic. The margs are da bomb. The service is quick and attentiveread more

Searching for a spot before visiting the botanical garden we saw this place. Glad we did. The…read moreservice was friendly. Cubano is outstanding, so fresh and flavorful. Get the ulu Mac salad. Tacos were best when you add some of their homemade chili water. Not too hot, just the right flavor. And the Pickles. the pickles, pickles, pickles. Not sweet not dill. Just the right blend. We ordered extra We washed it all down with i'ilokoi iced tea. Some other reviewer said it was the best meal they had on the island and we agree.

Made a pit stop at this little gem! All the sandwiches were amazing and the tacos were also great!…read more The kitchen was located inside a little store that sold beverages, snacks, and little gift shop trinkets. We got the food to-go and ate outside at the picnic tables. We got to eat in the company of the local stray cats! We would absolutely come back here!

Had a really nice meal and cocktails, excellent and very friendly service from Soleil! Shout out!read more

Timing. I was the only one in there and it took 45 min. To get my Ribeye. I sent it back. Looked…read moreboiled and tasted like propane. Really disappointed. I might comeback... someday

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.

We stumped on this place looking for a quick lunch pick up and I was pleasantly surprised because…read morethe poke bowl was so delicious!! Ahi was super fresh and just a right amount of seasoning and spiciness. I had to go back very next day for another poke bowl . They have burgers too and kids enjoyed their food too. Definitely I will be back again when I come to Hilo!

After stopping by Kula Shave Ice next door for some shaved ice, I did a loop inside of Poke N Sides…read moreto see if there was a quick savory snack I could pick up. Having just discovered ube coconut for the first time at another poke spot on the island earlier on my trip, I was filled with excitement when I saw the purple mounds of uala in the fridge. I ordered a 4 oz portion in a small plastic cup and immediately regretted that I did not order a larger size after trying out the first bite. The uala here is delicious! I loved the consistency and texture -- smooth and creamy, but there were still chunks of potato throughout that had not been completely mashed up. There was plenty of shredded coconut mixed in, along with some fresh scallions for a bit of freshness. While I can't comment on the poke, the uala itself is a five star in my book and is enough to get me coming back for more if I'm in the area.