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.

These guys are doing the best cheesecake I've tried on the island and possibly islandS. Yuzu Basque…read moreCheesecake is very, very special. Definitely of a great restaraunt quality. Once I'm in Hilo I take several to keep in my fridge. Keep it up, Hana Tako, thank you! P.S. It is sold by pieces. Couldn't find where I'd be able to buy the whole cheesecake though..

From the owner: Located inside KTA Puainako by the Deli, Hanatako serves Takoyaki, a Japanese traditional dish made…read moreof wheat batter with Tako (octopus) filling. Donburi (Rice Bowls) are also available including Chicken Katsu Curry Bowl, Karaage (fried chicken) Bowl, Katsudon and much more! Currently available after 3PM! In the morning around 10AM, we now serve Authentic Japanese Bento and Akadashi Miso Soup!

Their coconut soup is really creamy and delicious and full of beautiful vegetables. Friendly staff…read moreand cute atmosphere. Been raining a lot so got it for take home.

Our old thai restaurant closed down in Keeau and we've been on a hunt for a new thai place. We…read morehappen to see this stand on the side of the road and decided to try it out. We easily found parking. I had the vegetable coconut curry and my husband got the papaya salad and pad thai noodles. Everything was made to order and was pretty fast, the staff was friendly and helpful. My curry was really good and creamy it was a large portion that I took it home and finished the rest. The papaya salad was very refreshing. Our pad thai was really good but the noodles were a bit overcooked and a too sweet for my taste. Next time I wanna try to see if I can get it a little less sweet. But overall I wanna try more next time we are on the island.

Ala's Smashburgers are amazing. She doesn't skimp on the ingredients either. I tried this…read morepeanut butter guava jelly burger that was so good. Didn't think this was going to be a good combo but I was proven wrong. Find Ala on the Big Island on a Sunday at Maku'u Market or Sunday evening at the Lawn for the drum circle. She also does a number of other venues through the week. Support Hawaiian small businesses! This one is worth it. Also, Ala's place is set up like a festival stand which is fun to do. The service is top notch. Both Ala and Keoni bring the Aloha spirit to this business too! I watched them treat each customer with kindness.

This. IS. THE. PLACE. Located next to kaleos in orchidland…read more(parking lot) she's there Thurs (2-8) fri (12-pau) Sunday at Maku'u market. Local meat used. Truffle sauce I had with jalapeños was ridiculous!!!! Now if you eat, you know what I mean by I was SAD it was over after I finished. I thought of ordering another but since I know myself, I didn't. But that's how you know food is good! By far the Best Burger this side of the island. Trust.

I want it all! Let me preface by saying Linda and her husband (aka @sweetkine808) are for real…read morefoodies! Trust and believe me when I say if something is on their menu, it's INCREDIBLE! That said, let's start things off with that cannoli waffle (first pic) special! I'm actually gasping for air because that cannoli waffle left me breathless. Their homemade waffle shells are a work of art in itself, but that cannoli cream filling, which I'm going to assume had ricotta cheese in it, was absolutely sensational. The filling was velvety, rich, and sweet, and the ricotta cheese added a lovely mild nutty flavor. I also tasted a slight tang, so I'm wondering if they used mascarpone too. Whatever they did, they need to keep doing it! The chocolate chips not only added crunch but also added contrast because the cocoa flavor had a slight bitterness, so overall, it was very umami. Then they want to top it all off with whipped cream and caramel? Really! Just start a subscription service so I can subscribe. I will ask how long this will be on the menu, and I'll keep you all posted. I am OBSESSED, so hopefully, it's a permanent item, but if not, at least for another month Now let's shift focus to pic # 2, which is the MacChick with Maple Cinnamon Butter. So it's their homemade waffle cone stuffed with homemade mac & cheese, topped with fried chicken drenched in maple cinnamon butter. If I put you on to anything, let it be this! This is my new go-to MacChick (sounds like magic) combination. Heads up, @sweetkine808, I will be ordering this every time. The savory and sweet notes between the well-seasoned chicken and mouthwatering mac & cheese harmonized and blended so well with the sweet maple cinnamon butter and dusting of powdered sugar. I am not joking. If you see me in line, best believe I'm ordering this. You might as well name it the Kaliko Pic # 3 was the Chick-N-Sauce with BBQ Sauce Thoughts: Let me make this clear as well. Their fried chicken is really frickin good. That said, I need to ask if they make their own BBQ sauce cause this was ono loa! Pic # 4 was the Chick-N-Sauce with Ranch Sauce Thoughts: Honestly, what can I say at this point? I'm just going to give them applause Pic # 5 is the South Point lemonade which is a peach and lemon-flavored lemonade shaker. Pic # 6 is the Cherry Limeade Their lemonade drinks are so flavorful and refreshing. I can't wait to try them all. I may have to try that ube one next. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cogt_rhsOF1/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Super chill dude at the front. Best mac I have had this year, also massive servings. Service was…read morequick only 3 minutes to get my loaded Mac bowl

We usually order from KG Mexican food when they are at the Maku'u farmers market on Sundays. They…read morehave amazing food. The menu is small but in my opinion that's the best. It's not overwhelming and you know it's going to be fresh! I think I have tried everything on their menu & can say without a doubt I love it all. The service is always good. The chef and her husband take the time out to get to know their customers. Overall KG is always a good idea if you're craving Mexican food :)

I absolutely LOVE & ADORE these tacos BEST tacos hands down!! Will always eat at their place, the…read moreservice is so wonderful their are absolutely nice and amazing people. If you ever see them definitely get their tacos.

The ono fish tacos and burrito were so good! I highly recommend this place right off the bat. The…read morefood was fresh, flavorful, and everything on the menu looked delicious. Definitely worth checking out!

The food here is top-notch quality good. I have had everything on their menu and have not been…read moredisappointed at all. This place is a must try!

Food is alright but talking with Rusty getting to know him is worth the money. I told him let's do…read morea podcast one day and I will make that happen soon. He's a cool guy and has a big heart.

Solid burger and vibes! Can be a little dim in there for older people or people with bad eyesight…read morebut the ambiance was nice and there's an outside dining area. I got the bleu cheese burger medium rare, a solid choice that I was satisfied with and the crispy fries and sweet potato fries were yummy too! They offered a free birthday burger so that was such a lovely addition to my night, and the selection of beer was solid as well. Shout out to the bartender working on 6/18 when a drunken patron bothered our group. We were close to leaving anyways and I made sure to speak my mind to him, but the situation was handled well by the bartender and the staff was apologetic despite it not being their fault so hopefully the rest of their night went well! I will be back to try out more appetizers and other burgers as well

We're going to start by taking a star off right from the beginning. Why? If you log on to the…read morewebsite they have an immediate prompt about ordering online via the Toast platform, except t's never currently enabled. Whatever. We're staying close by so I drive over and make the takeout order in person. Super easy and a member of staff is there to take my order as soon as I walk in the door. After taking my order and payment, I'm told to hang outside at a red bench in their courtyard which I guess you could also eat at but also serves as their de facto holding pen as another guy is also out there doing the same thing I'm doing. After 15 or so minutes everything is brought out to me. Caprese Burger - California Burger - Bacon Cheese Burger Let me start with what's good. The burgers were all cooked to their requested temperatures. The fries were also decent as well and many packets of ketchup and mayo were put in the bag if needed. What's not good. The buns are not toasted so in a takeout environment they become straight up wet diaper soggy and it's also disconcerting when you ask for the bacon to be cooked crispy and it's served white/soggy/limp and barely cooked. Everything seemed nice enough inside and if ever back on the Big Island I would probably try HBJ again, but if you're taking online orders, please enable the platform and if not, remove the website prompt that you do and cook the bacon dammit, wet noodle is never fun. (3.5 rounding down)