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    The Cardinal

    4.5 (24 reviews)

    The Cardinal Photos

    THE CARDINAL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Reviews With Photos

    the front of the restaurant
    Darryl S.

    En route to Waipi'o Valley, we had to drive through the town of Honoka'a, and, being hungry, we looked to our trusty Yelp!-ers for some "vegan" advice in this rural part of the Big Island. As can (mostly) be counted, Yelp! readers offered-up a couple of choices for this little town. We're always excited to find anything in a small town that offers plant-based options, especially when hanger could be creeping in soon! (Lol!) Alas, the eatery that readers recommended most highly was nowhere to be found (another COVID closure, apparently; not on Yelp!, it was Google maps that noted it was "temporarily closed"). Such a pity! J'ai faim! J'ai faim...! Fortunately, readers also gave thumb's-up for The Cardinal -- which we drove by as it's at the very outside entrance into town and a bit off the main road; one of those places where if you blinked twice, you'd pass it by, or simply not notice what it was. Well, whatever the case, what a terrific find -- well, technically, we didn't find it, so thanks to my fellow Yelp! reviewers!! The whole Cardinal "motif" reeks of yesteryear charm. From the exterior, its mise en scène is wonderfully enchanting (in and of itself), with fanciful al fresco seating arrangements. Entering, I was ecstatic when I saw the 100% Plant Base sign in the window! The interior (aside from the de rigueur tables and chairs) boasts a large bit of floor space dedicated to browsing (and purchasing) a myriad of dried teas, herbs and spices, all presented in viewable containers, aligned upon rich-looking cabinetry. Walls are white-washed (for the most part), which lends to brighten what could be a heavy-looking space with all the dark woods. Various objet d'arts are used simply and sparingly to bring pops of color, as well. One large wall promoted a local artisan's photographic works on stretch canvases, all very tropical and befitting of the environs. As soon as you enter, it's like a switch is triggered in one's body to "slow down".... :D The woman who greeted us at the counter -- I don't know if she was the owner; although, I'm speculating she may have been -- was very friendly. As it turns out (from what I gather since I have a hard time hearing when being so calm; I just let Jay order, then I chime in with, "I'll have the same"--LOL!), it appeared that they weren't back to their full sandwich menu; however, the tofu scramble was available. (The pastries, bagels and such were available, as well.) We went tofu scrambles, natch, served on everything bagels. (I also had a Shaka drink of pineapple-mint [YUM!]; Jay had an herbal mocha [double-YUM!].) After a short time to admire the surroundings (check-out the "apothecary"; admire the photography), our orders arrived. Now, I gotta say that I was like, "Wowsah, that looks like some mighty ono kau-kau!!!" This was an everything bagel extraordinaire(!) that was overflowing, stuffed-to-the-brim, laden to the max, with tofu-scrambled deliciousness!!! The spices used in the scramble was unusual and flavorful, really enhancing what could've been very bland (as so often tofu scrambles turn out); it was really very much like an egg salad, in texture and flavor (honestly, I couldn't tell the difference). I don't know what brand of vegan cheese was used, but it worked perfectly with the sandwich. (Vegan cheese is a real hit-n-miss for us, mostly miss; so this was nice.) Bagel, too, was perfectly soft with that chewy exterior bite. It was quite simply the perfect bagel sandwich! We left stuffed and wholly satisfied! I know it may seem like I've rambled on an awful lot for one mid-morning visit to a coffee shop that serves bagel sandwiches; but...., there's not many places that have me feeling like I just had an awesome experience! The Cardinal helped to send me off feeling that way! As it turned out, it was the perfect elixir to get us motivated for our Valley hike...! Cheers! :D

    Morgan B.

    Don't want to miss this little gem! Just up the hill from the Honokaa town strip, this little shop has a great menu with different coffee options and an excellent selection of traditional and herbal teas. (The masala chai tea latte was perfection!) There's also a food menu in case you're looking for lunch or small kine bites. And tucked into a nice tidy corner is one of the best collections of bulk herbs and spices on island available to purchase, along with specialty packaged teas, accessories, and artwork. I almost missed this spot on my way out of town, but so glad I turned around to make the stop.

    Wall of herbs and spices for sale!  Huge selection.
    David D.

    Delicious Chai Latte! Friendly service. Also a nice view of the water! Great little tea and coffee shop.

    Carrot cake cupcake
    Jon H.

    Recommended to us by a local if we wanted something vegan and early in the morning, such a wonderful little cafe with a great ambiance, fantastic coffee, and my light bite was perfect for the morning without being weighed down. The gentleman and lady running the place were very informative and helped up determine what we wanted to do next on this part of the island, A+!

    Jackfruit tuna sandwich

    Not only is this the absolute CUTEST cafe on the island, the food is freaking delicious!!! The sandwich was so good, it would easily convert a die hard meat-eater to veganism. I've honestly never had better vegan food in my life. The owner, Yvonne, is a dream. She is so knowledgeable and passionate about helping others with her herbs! Seriously such a sweetheart too. Kayla, behind the counter is such a delight. Always a friendly smile and makes you feel so welcome the minute you walk in. This place should be a required stop when you come to the big island. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!!

    Lattes and gluten-free bagel with hummus.

    We loved this cute cafe! Really great coffees and food. Healthy, vegan and gluten-free options available. We enjoyed relaxing on the front porch, drinking our coffee and our snack. The staff were so sweet and friendly! Be sure to stop here as your drive through town!

    Coffee and Iced Chai Coffee

    Delightful coffee, tea and spices shop with ocean water view. Perfect cozy vibe. Non-pretentious chill. The chai coffee was special, and super smooth. Vanilla homemade GF cupcake with fresh berries and cream? Are it so fast, it didn't get pictured :)

    A little gem in Honokaa

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    3 years ago

    The cherry colada was outstanding and the interior has great ambiance. Avocado toast was delicious though a bit salty for my taste.

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    5 years ago

    The teas are fantastic, so is the service. I love supporting small businesses like this on the Big island!

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    6 years ago

    Small cute cafe on the road to Kona from Hilo! Nice for a cup pa and a bathroom break!

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    Ask the Community - The Cardinal

    Hawaiian Vanilla Company - Bread Pudding

    Hawaiian Vanilla Company

    4.7(445 reviews)
    4.7 mi
    $$

    My husband and I have visited the big island many times and I was looking for things we haven't…read morealready done. When I found this, it looked interesting. It turned out to be fantastic. The food was incredible. It was interesting to hear how they use vanilla. I almost never order a grilled chicken sandwich because they're usually dry and boring, but this one was not. It was one of the best meals I've had this year. The tour portion was incredibly interesting. I learned so much about vanilla. All in all, I highly recommend this!

    This is my second time doing this tour that includes a lovely meal. The last time it was about 8…read moreyears ago when it was family run and a smaller operation. Now that the family's owner's kids have grown up and moved away. They have lucked out by hiring an incredible do- everything- tour guy named Zach, who is just so filled with knowledge about the history of vanilla and the botany and post harvest detail details of the vanilla. He gives a fabulous tour that is very engaging for everybody. Zach is also incredibly jazzed up about cooking with vanilla and he and his family live on the property and he has been on board with the Hawaiian Vanilla Company since 2023. The have just become so immersed in the vanilla. He shares his recipes and findings with you via email after the tour if you're interested. He also serves up the luncheon which for us included either a vanilla black tea, unsweetened, or a vanilla lemonade or an on Palmer of the two and a starter of a vanilla, gee infused popcorn, followed by a Kristine with vanilla Gar masala and some other vanilla spices with the shrimp and then the main courseteriyaki chicken thigh, marinated in a vanilla a brioche bond made with vanilla and a holy, made with vanilla a salad topped with a balsamic vanilla dressing and a bunch of candied vanilla pecans. After you do the vanilla tour return to the main building and enjoy coffee with vanilla and Kareem and vanilla ice cream for dessert. I had been using the other sauce of the vanilla starter kit that I purchased the last time I talked about 10 years ago and I was very happy to get more beans and some tips on starting a new batch. They have a huge variety of extract made with different types of alcohol that you can smell and they also sell of course they are double strength extract, which is the bomb, but I prefer to make my own cause then I gotta tell everybody I made my own from their beans. It did rain when we were there but they provide umbrellas and if you don't feel like walking about 3rd mile on the hill too the vanilla growing area you can't get a ride in that six seater gator back-and-forth. I highly I recommend this tour!!!

    Photos
    Hawaiian Vanilla Company - Bread Pudding

    Bread Pudding

    Hawaiian Vanilla Company - The vanilla plants

    The vanilla plants

    Hawaiian Vanilla Company - Lunch appetizer

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    Lunch appetizer

    The Cardinal - coffee - Updated May 2026

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