First off, I am from Sinaloa, born and raised, and now live in California. I know what real Mexican…read morefood should taste like. Hands down, the quesabirria tacos and flautas are as good as they come--absolutely amazing. We happened upon this place on Yelp, and I was a little skeptical, but after the first bite, I felt transported back to Mexico. My entire family agreed that these are the best quesabirria tacos we have had outside of Mexico, and possibly even in Mexico. The flavors were amazing, and the consommé was absolutely delicious. We are regulars on the Big Island and normally do not eat Mexican food because we have never found a good spot, with the exception of Shaka Tacos. This place was really busy, and there was only one person working. She was doing it all--taking orders, collecting money, and making all the delicious food. She was never rude and was so pleasant. She said the cooks had called in and she was the only one there. Talk about dedication! She made sure everyone got their food, and it was made perfectly. I cannot commend her enough for all the work she did and for putting out an outstanding order of food. She is a real gem and should be treated as such! It is so hard to find good employees today, and her dedication and attitude inspired me. I wish we had gotten her name, but she said she is always there. If the food takes longer than you like, just be patient, because you are in for a treat when it comes out. Good food takes time, and the food is definitely worth the wait. We will definitely be coming back every time we are here. This place is a real gem. If I could give it more stars, I would. I hope everyone reading this takes my advice and goes to this wonderful place for the delicious food and the warm people.

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.

Philly Cheesesteak is absolutely delicious. The pastrami fries are equally as yummy. Staff are…read morevery nice and patient. Don't expect fast food just because it isn't a sit down restaurant. Yumminess takes time. They have chairs to sit on in the shade while you wait.

I ordered the vegan gyro because of a good review on HappyCow. When I called, they said that the…read moresauce is not vegan so vegan ones are served without the sauce. They still ended up giving me the sauce, though? And the food was fine, nothing special or filling. Not worth the price. The fries aren't vegan because of duck fat.

We were so lucky to find this spot during our trip around the island! The taco plate was delicious…read moreand filling. Drinks were spectacular too! The limeade was refreshing and the chai is a custom blend by the owners. The owner was friendly and we had a lovely time chatting. There is some outdoor seating available if needed! This food truck is tucked away a little bit, but just follow the signs and park on the street nearby. Casual, make sure to dress for the weather.

If you have ever heard the term "hidden gem", that perfectly describes Saucy Mama's food truck. The…read morefood truck is located about 17 miles south of Hilo airport in Mountain View on the Big Island in Hawaii. Use your GPS map and you will find the hidden gem. The truck is located off the street in a stationary position behind a chain-linked fence. "It doesn't move except during an earthquake", according to Rachel, the friendly, smiling, lovely woman who owns the business. Rachel makes all her food from scratch and her food menu changes each day, except for two main items that you can see in the images: Kalua Pork Taco Plate and African Peanut soup. My tacos were piled high with meat and the raspberry chipotle sauce on the Kalua Pork taco gave it a delicious tropical island twist. My plate consisted of one Kalua pork taco and one chicken taco that was covered in a pineapple chutney that I loved. The Hapa rice (a mixture of white and brown rice) was provided with Rachel's "Awesome Sauce". I mixed the Awesome Sauce into the rice and loved every bite. I also bought the African Peanut soup and let my brother-in-law taste it before me. He took his first spoonful, looked at me and said, "wow!". He took four more spoonfuls and followed each one with another "wow!". I brought a second portion home and everyone who tried it, including me, had the same "wow" reaction. Without hesitation, I suggest you try the taco plate and peanut soup (unless you have a peanut allergy). If you are not a fan of cilantro, let Rachel know since some items have cilantro on (or in) them. Since this is a food truck, and the 4 to 6 food item menu changes daily, you never know what items will be on the menu when you visit. I think you will find something delicious no matter when you visit. My brother-in-law had the spaghetti bowl and raved about how great the sauce tasted. It was a very large portion so his wife got to taste it at home and she also said it tasted great! I also bought 3 of the four 16 ounce soups being served that day: a Thai dish called Jok with shrimp, a meatless taco soup, and a creamy chicken and mushroom soup. All were yummy as stated by all the relatives with whom I shared the soups. Lastly, I bought two limeades, one of which included a blended cucumber, adding an extra layer of flavor to the already delicious, refreshing drink. There is so much to try at Saucy Mama's that I may need to return before I head back home to the mainland. The truck is open for business only Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday between 11:00 AM and 5:00 PM, so be sure to visit only on one of those three days. Did I mention that on the Yelp Top 100 Food Trucks list updated in July, 2025, Saucy Mama's was ranked 38. There are thousands of food trucks all over the United States so to be ranked 38 is quite a distinguished honor! Congratulations, Rachel!!

Fantastic malasadas, best on the island. Hot and fresh every time. Look for the food trucks!read more

A friend of mine who lives on the BI strongly recommended this malasada spot as she knows and…read moreunderstands my previous disappointment with two other malasada places on the BI, as well as the standard I'm used to from a particular spot on Oʻahu. She assured me these were made to order and, most importantly, not biscuits pretending to be malasadas. So far, we are winning! The location was easy to find, and on a Wednesday morning the line was minimal -- small kine wait. I ordered a dozen to share with our friends from Kentucky who had NEVER had a malasada before, so I was excited to introduce them to this deliciousness. First impression: these malasadas are HUGE. Like baseball-sized huge. And true to what I was told, they were made to order and came out piping hot! We ordered cinnamon and powdered sugar, which was new for me since I'm used to malasadas coated in granulated sugar. They were so hot that the powdered sugar immediately started melting into them. First bite? Not bad. Definitely NOT the biscuit like texture I experienced at another BI spot, so that was already a win. But they still didn't quite have that soft, pillowy texture I was hoping for. That being said, these were easily better than the other two malasada places we tried on the BI in the past. Our Kentucky friends, however, had absolutely no complaints. I'm pretty sure there were some squeals and happy dancing happening, so their first malasada experience was clearly a success. If you've never had a malasada before, this is definitely a good place to start. They're huge, made to order, served piping hot, and most importantly, not biscuit dense. Of the malasadas I've tried on the BI, these have definitely been the best. Oʻahu still holds my malasada heart, though. IYKYK.

A great little find on the way out to Richardson's Beach. Nice menu of different wonton flavors…read morethat are fried up as you wait. The lady and gentleman running the stand are very approachable & helpful with choices. We got 5 different flavors and the Smoked Ahi & Cream Cheese was the favorite. I could order just those by the dozen. We will stop by again.

I have not had the pleasure to eat here but I can tell you these two ladies are the most wonderful…read morepeople you will ever meet and Michelle makes amazing food. If you want amazing food and amazing smiles, you won't find a better place on the island!

There were several food trucks at an event but when I saw the title and smelled the smoke, I made a…read morebee-line for this truck. I really wanted to try the brisket and ribs, but that wasn't possible unless I bought two plates. Chef suggested the brisket, so I got that with two sides of corn. Would the rather flimsy fork and no knife be enough? Oh yeah! The brisket just about fell apart. It was moist, which is hard to achieve; usually it's dried out. It was lightly sauced, enough to complement the meat, not drown it. The corn ears were juicy, also not dried out. I'll be looking for this truck next time I'm on the Hilo side! Gotta try those ribs.

I love the spicy coleslaw, I love the moist beans but more of, the best ribs on the island…read more Brisket? You don't even need a knife. Dave and Mannilyn, keep up the great work. Mahalo, Don

Chef Paul was fantastic to work with for my sister's 50th birthday celebration. He was responsive…read moreand was able to accommodate her dietary restrictions (gluten free & vegetarian). He had a special lei made for her too! Food was delicious. It is scary to book someone, never meeting them in person, but I would highly recommend Chef Paul!

We had such a great experience with Chef Paul. He was friendly, professional, and knows his craft…read morewell. He delivered an incredible 6 course meal for our group of 6 and we loved every bite of it.

This was an amazing spot. The texture is just like snow. I would go every day if I could.read more

Went for shaved ice stayed for the conversation. Wow this place is A1…read more Owner told us what he recommended to order and let me tell you it was FIRE. He was super nice, we played some putt putt while we waited and as we ate he gave so many ideas of what to do. We already went to do 3 of his suggestions. Snow cone was so good I couldn't take a picture before I started....So you'll just have to go and see for yourself how bomb it is.

Get your reservation asap! Each entrée was amazing! Pasta De…read moreMarco was amazing! We also had the eggs Benedict, which had a great twist added to them!

If you're visiting Hilo, do yourself a huge favor and don't miss brunch at Paul's Place. This tiny…read morespot only has a few small tables (total seating for about 6 folks at a time). Reservations are mandatory, but a visit is well worth it! Paul is a sweetheart and an amazing cook. His secret ingredient is love. He really loves what he does and that passion for his craft really shines through to the entire experience dining at this small hole-in-the-wall. Don't expect to find air conditioning here, but definitely expect a delicious meal. My family sampled several favorites on the menu, including Paul's take on a smoked salmon benedict, his outrageous Belgian waffles, and the breakfast caprese, a really creative dish you'll only find here. Paul, thank you so much for a memorable meal! I hope to see you again if I'm ever back in Hilo :)