In other places, this would be a four stars but on Hawaii and near Volcanoes National Park this is…read morea 5. The woman behind the counter was very friendly and kind which can be difficult to find in this busy tourist town. Thank you so much! We were there Nov 10. The ambiance is casual. The seating area is outside underneath an awning. There are world maps outside so you can pin the location you're from. The food is very good value especially for Hawaii. I paid about $12 each for a sandwich that was packed with fresh ingredients. It can be hard to find good value meals around Volcano. This sandwich came with packets of mayo and mustard on the side. I appreciated they didn't add this to the sandwich beforehand. Honestly, if you're on the Big Island, you probably know by now how expensive fresh veggies are. These veggies were delicious and good quality. I've had trouble finding such good quality veggies even at higher price points. I hope they never change their selection because I thought the fresh veggie sandwich was great for the value. It was big and very filling. Again, I wish I had caught the name of the young 5'2ish woman serving me. Someone on the Big Island offered me a job because they said it was hard to find someone reliable to show up for a job at a gas station. They thought I was a local. Well, this woman was very helpful and friendly despite the long line of customers. Hope someone gives her a raise if she's an employee, because it sounds like good employees are tough to come by and she was definitely great.

So the Eagles Lighthouse Cafe is no more. Let this be a eulogy then. For starters, let's go with…read morethe praise. The food was great. Nice down home cookin', reasonably priced. Now for this. The place was festooned with Bible quotes, Biblical vignettes in the windows, and the three flags of Christian Nationalism garishly out front - the US flag, the Israeli flag, and the nationalist "Plea To Heaven" flag. All paradoxically in tatters and never taken in for good keeping. It did not give off a welcome Biblical vibe though - just one of "agree with us or take it down the road." The kitchen and counter personnel were usually fairly nice people who gave great service. The owners, when they were present, gave off something entirely different. Like you were inconveniencing them by being there. Short tempered and terse if they took your order. If you read the earlier comments, you will hear of them coming unhinged and screaming at some customer about something either overblown, or imagined. They refused to pay their employees properly, with something even close to a living wage. When the Hawaii legislature finally hiked the minimum wage, they stuck out an alarmist notice written in childish green marker that they were sooooo sorry but they "had to" raise their prices a bit because the mean old Hawaii house raised the wage. And of course taxes under Biden, yada yada. In the end, the ELC was a victim of the owners' disposition. It's a very bad business model indeed, when politics, religion and greed actually get in the way of doing business. My best wishes to the employees, I really hope they can find something decent to replace this experience. For the self righteous, sanctimonious greed of the owners and operators - as Jesus said, "Yeah verily, you have your reward."

We've been here twice. I can't believe I didn't write a review the first time!…read moreIf you come to volcano, don't miss out on the Kīlauea lodge restaurant! Tonight we brought our 20 year old kids, and they suggested we order family style. Awesome. We got edamame with futikake (seaweed and sesame seed). Delicious! Then we split 4 entrees. We voted on the ranking. Everyone liked all four dishes: 1. Fish of the day (ono) 2. Rack of Lamb 3. Steak 4. Shrimp fettuccini Oh, and we got some really good cocktails. And a delicious chocolate cake for dessert.

We are staying at the lodge attached to this Restaurant. We…read morehad planned on breakfast as they list breakfast and brunch. BUT, they open at 11. That's not a breakfast schedule and we won't be able to eat before we move on to Kilo. On to Plan B.

We arrived shortly before closing, but the staff were very kind and took our order for our late,…read morelight lunch. We enjoyed the mushroom ginger soup, which was flavorful and and a soup and fresh green salad combo. Everything was delicious, flavorful, and just right. And the pricing was affordable. Woo hoo! Seated amidst the interesting and unique art of the gallery, with views outside to the gardens, it was a calm and peaceful dining experience.

After what felt like a long half day at Volcanoes National Park nearby, my husband and I were…read morelooking for a little pick-me-up before heading back to the park after dark. We found Cafe Ono online, but realized it was closing soon. We decided to stop by anyway to check out Volcano Garden Arts, if anything, and we are so glad we did. The staff working at the cafe were so kind and still hooked us up with some caffeine, even though they were technically already closed - we really appreciated that. We got our coffee (good but nothing extraordinary tbh) and a snack, chatted a bit with the owner, and then decided to explore the grounds instead of sitting indoors the entire time. It was so fun to wander through the little shop (with their "please touch" policy) and gallery, check out the outdoor dining areas, meet one of the famous NZ bunnies (I think there were supposed to be 2 though..?), and walk through their forest and gardens. Even on a slightly rainy and damp day, the outdoor walk was enjoyable. The space is whimsically decorated with art, sculptures, and local products for sale, and at times it gave off an Alice in Wonderland vibe. We're not sure when we'll be back in this area or on Big Island in general, but if/when we are I'd love to return and explore again.

People seem to be all over the place on whether they had a good experience here or not. We…read moreabsolutely had an excellent meal. As this is the lounge, the food choices aren't fancy, but interestingly, the food is prepared in the same kitchen as the more upscale The Rim restaurant next to it. Had two great dinners at the Rim and tried Georges in between. Nothing fancy this meal, but the draft beers were cold filled to the rim, and the gluten free cauliflower pizza was nicely topped with plenty of fixings and cheese. A great meal with a window seat to the volcano offgassing.

Still love this spot - beautiful historic building with views that you can't find anywhere else…read more Good beer selection. This time, I ordered the fish and chips, and I can't stress enough how awful they were. I bit into the first one and had to spit it out - I couldn't even bite through it because it was so dry and tough. Like jerky. Several tiny pieces of curled-up "fish" were presented on top of a small plastic bowl heaped with extremely mediocre fries. I have never sent anything back in my life, but I couldn't eat this. We were about to go on a hike and I was hungry. I sent it back and instead ordered the somen salad, which was satisfying. The service was great and the fish and chips were removed from the bill. I would eat here again for the location and beer, but I'd only go with a pizza or salad. Reading the reviews now, I should never have ordered the fish and chips to begin with. They sounded so good, but they were so very bad.

We had a late lunch/early dinner here while in the area visiting Volcanoes National Park. Both of…read moreus had the mahimahi on sourdough sandwich and liked it a lot. The coleslaw was good also. And the beer. And the service. We watched the volcano vent on the tv while we ate. We came back that evening for dessert. I had a tasty lemon tart. I would definitely eat there again.

I'd say this a solid place to go. This place has a lot of charm. Friendly staff. A cool view of a…read morerad dog and cat on the patio. The waitress was attentive without hovering... Food was solid, good portions, I don't eat a ton so I had half a burger to share and half my fries (I saved room for a tart!!). I would say upscale diner food. Get here early for dessert tho, cause they were out of most of it once we were here on the later side!! NOTE: 18% Gratuity for parties of 6 or more... but unlike a previous review, the staff here actually works for that so I am less resistant to that charge...

The night of the 42nd volcano eruption, we enjoyed a front window seat to the massive lava…read morefountains! Created a great backdrop to a great meal. The restaurant is inside the very old classic Volcano Lodge; complete with wood fireplace. Staying in the lodge made it simple to have meals; we ate at the Rim two nights, one night at the more casual Lodge restaurant Uncle Georges Lounge. All meals were prepared very well. For the first meal, we ordered a couple of Mai Tais that were nicely flavorful. For appetizers, I can recommend the Furikake Seared Ahi; gently seared with very flavorful colorful condiments. Plus, the portion was relatively generous as well. The chef's entree special was an amazing local fish prepared attractively and tasting marvelous. For our second night, the volcano was no longer erupting and the crowds of watchers had left so the meal was far less hectic. Did a less extravagant meal of Big Island Stuffed Chicken (great stuffing of Feta cheese and greens!) and it was a great choice. (I had the Seared Ahi again!) Straying from fish my partner went with the perfectly grilled 12 oz Hawaiian beef ribeye. Finished up with a fun crème brûlée with lots of burnt sugar!. Not a restaurant to drive 1-2 hours to, but if you find yourself on the mountain, well-worth stopping for a great meal here. but try to get there when the volcano isn't erupting or you'll be trampled, pushed, and find nowhere to park.

So I haven't wrote a review in a while and I should get better at sharing my experiences. I had to…read morewrite this, know before you go your paying for the view of the volcano. Also know you can get the similar view from the other restaurant they have literally in the room right next to this one. Well there is a sitting room in between but the same view. No pretty table clothes but the same view and the food comes from the same kitchen. Our waiter was nice and pretty timely, the food was horrible. We were a party of three and all of us had the ribeye. First off they were out of asparagus so we had wilted spinach and fennel. So overly salted and the mash potatoes, they had to come from a box!!! The bread was good but the butter was excellent, the only reason this is getting two starts was our waiter and the butter!!! Our meal for three people nothing to drink but water the three ribeyes and one dessert for our 13 year old was 229.00. I don't mind paying for dinner when it's edible but we left almost all our steak on the plates and the waiter didn't even ask why. My recommendation is have dinner at the other restaurant get the view and pay way less. If you look at my review for tonight's dinner you will see I don't leave reviews just when it's bad. We had dinner in Kona tonight at fish hopper and it was excellent service and food with an amazing view as well.

Food 3/5 - Ordered a loco moco and fish & chips. Loco moco was fine, the hamburger patty was a…read morelittle thin and could use more salt, but for the price it's fine. Fish and chips are fried-to-order so it's nice and hot. Condiments are next to the pick up window and you can grab as much as you please. Price $$ - Price is fair with the portions that are served. Service 3/5 - Service is normal for a fast-food style restaurant. Ambiance 3/5 - Interior is fine, we visited around Christmas time so the interior was decorated with holiday festivities. Tables are kept clean and open. Overall - With limited options inside Volcanoes National Park, this is a quick and cheaper grub-and-go restaurant to continue your adventures inside the park, which is probably the main reason why you're visiting. I had a pleasant experience and would visit again.

This is a great affordable option in Volcanoes National Park! Although the food is just ok, the…read moreportions are large. You might be able to find tastier or more diverse food options in the restaurant or just outside of the park, but this is very convenient. The burgers are especially worth it. It is located inside the arcade area. It is open to the public. There is a seating area (about 3 circle tables that can sit 3-4 each) but lighting isn't great - it's either fluorescent lighting or the lights are off (I went twice and both the lights were very dim with some being off in the seating area next to the grill). Service is efficient. Both times I went there was only one employee working, but it was ok because I was the only customer.

Pad Thai excellent flavor. Good proportions. Summer roll…read morefresh and tasty. Yum. Eggplant site fry has lotsa veggies. All delicious. Arrive great as can't beat the location if you are volcano watching. Or just driving by.

Went to the Thursday Volcano Market today and tried Aunty Pons for the 1st time. Ordered the…read morechicken pad thai, summer rolls & spring rolls. All were 5 stars in flavor & portion size. Its gonna be hard not to order from the other food trucks next time we go.

TLDR - the staff are very nice and this place is very convenient when visiting the area, but I know…read moreI'll never come back. The food was tasteless and I don't appreciate when places try to get a double tip. Food options around the area are very limited, but I encourage tourists to take a chance and explore further. This place is a great convenience for people visiting Hawaii's Volcano National Parks and are starving after a long day of sightseeing. Unfortunately, I was very let down considering the great reviews it has online. This is a food truck, so as expected, the parking is extremely limited and there are only two picnic tables available if you choose to sit down and eat. The area is nice if you don't mind eating outdoors. When I went, there were only 2 people working in the truck. They were extremely nice and did warn us about waiting times. There was a long line of people so we had to wait about 25mins for our food. Honestly, this is not inherently a problem, but be ready to wait if it's busy. Now for the food and the reason I'm giving this place a low rating. I was allowed to mix the carnitas tacos and the chicken taco plate given that they're all the same price. The chicken had a nice spice to it, but every item on the dish was very bland. The rice felt dry, the refried beans felt like they were straight out of a can, and it could have all used some salt. But the big nono was that it appears they included a tip in their total before handing the machine over to you to add a tip and pay. Unless you tell me Hawaii's tax is close to 20% (which I know it's not), I find it very disrespectful when businesses do this to their customers.

Food takes a while, as they're just two people running the cart! I liked the birria tacos the most…read more The couple was so kind.

My wife and I drove out to the volcanoes and stopped in at the Crater Rim Cafe for a small bite…read morebefore heading back to Kona. We ordered the sunrise breakfast sandwich and it was one of the best sandwiches I've had. Simple, freshly made and delicious. It's an interesting cafe as it's part of the Kilauea Military Camp located inside the Volcano National Park. The dining area is clean and my wife stated the restroom has been one of the cleanest on our trip.

The breakfast buffet at Crater Rim was included for free with our stay at KMC, so we ate here every…read moremorning. The staff were super nice but the food was just meh/okay. Typical cafeteria offerings: liquid scrambled eggs (pretty bland), very thin bacon, steamed & fried rice, and crispy potatoes. They had Portuguese and breakfast sausage on a couple days. The fresh fruit was canned pineapple and the sliced melons were old. We did save a lot of money eating here but if I had to pay I would not eat here and drive to town for breakfast. We tried the prime rib and salmon one night for dinner and it was okay. There plenty of seating and the dining area is pretty comfortable. They had a coffee and drink station which was nice.