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    Verna's Drive In

    3.4 (219 reviews)
    ModerateHawaiian
    Closed 8:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 2 weeks ago

    Verna's Drive In Photos

    VERNA'S DRIVE IN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Verna's Drive In

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    Reviews With Photos

    Michelle G.

    Friendly staff, quick service and close to our hotel. Food was good and reasonable prices. Convenient and plenty of parking. Forgot to take pictures of our food probably because we were excited to sit down and eat when we returned to our hotel.

    SMOKE MEAT!
    Josh F.

    Verna's Drive-In - Blink, and you might zoom past this hidden gem tucked away in an unassuming parking lot on the corner. I tried the Smoked Meat and Onions, and let me tell you, every last bite disappeared. The meat was incredibly juicy, and those onions were as sweet as candy. Count on it - this place has already won my heart, and I'll definitely be back for another round when I'm in Hilo!

    Menu
    Christine Z.

    Didn't realize they were still open!!! I thought they closed down during 2019 and I'm so glad to find out they're still going strong!! I used to come by at odd hours for the fried rice all the time LOL (still as fluffy and delicious as ever~ I'd almost forgotten the taste of a good hawaiian style fried rice ) Sorry no pics on the fried rice- ate 'em too fast haha. Around $6 for a side of fried rice; it comes in one of those little soup/chili containers, and it's sooooo good~ Glad they're still serving all-day fried rice (don't ask me about breakfast hours bc I have no clue lmao). I will say it did taste a bit different than what I remembered. Strangely enough, I got a strong, almost minty flavor/aroma from the rice while I was eating? My best guess is that they started putting cilantro into it bc that's the only thing that makes sense. Tasted great for the most part! 90% sure the menthol smell/taste is just cilantro messing with me again Branched out and got a kimchi burger as well this time- it's pretty simple, just a burger + bun + kimchi, but ohhhh my goodness it's so ono! Super flavorful, you can taste it's an actual beef burger and not whatever flat meat you get from McDonald's. It's a good amount of beef, and the kimchi is delightfully crunchy! I have the spice tolerance of a child, so usually I'm kind of wary of things like this, but I will say the spiciness of the kimchi was just right! Just enough heat to feel it, but not so much it overwhelms the flavor of the burger! Really adds a nice kick to the whole thing- I'm definitely getting another one of these next time!!! Prices are about what you would find anywhere else in Hilo, but actually worth the money. I'm cheap, so the $6 price for a burger still kills me a little inside, but considering inflation it isn't too bad. I mean, it's about what I paid at college for a burger. Considering I was just about to spend $15+ at McDonalds, $6 for a burger I'd actually enjoy eating isn't too a bad price to pay!

    Kohole plate
    Linda K.

    We ordered the Kohole plate (shrimp, fried chicken, and teriyaki beef). All were tasty, although the macaroni salad was a cut above. Plenty of rice and cabbage to round out the meal and definitely enough to share. Service was prompt, about 10 minutes with several ahead of us in queue. No lemonade, had to settle for fruit punch. No toilet for customers.

    menu
    Krajicek K.

    Since this place is within walking distance from our hotel, we decided to take a short walk instead of driving. It was a about 6:45pm local time and no wait to order. Got a BLT and hamburger Loco. It hits the spot. Fast service, good food, and very reasonable prices. Worth a return visit.

    Lornalee K.

    Amazingly fast service today. Friendly staff. On beautiful banyan drive Delicious choice. Chicken drummetts.

    Rohan D.

    This is where Loco Moco was invented, as legend would have it. I came here on a pilgrimage to overeat my favorite local dish before they closed forever and managed to slip on their final day. This was one of my saddest wonderful meals ever. The original Loco Moco. I can't even finish this review, I need to mourn.

    Smoked meat & onions, Teri burger, regular hamburger & not shown cheeseburger wrapped in lettuce  Everything 10/10 !!!
    Sierra C.

    Everything we had 10/10. Old fashion burgers were my favorite. Love the Hilo hospitality. Mahalo nui!!!

    Fish plate with macaroni and rice
    Jai R.

    Honestly I was not pleased with the fish platter, and I was expecting it to be better. Fish just did not do it for me, not sure what type of fish it was but it was not good. The macaroni was definitely good! This plate definitely left me disappointed however they did have other meals on the menu but I would suggest if you're a pescatarian not to choose this location.

    Specials menu as of 7/12/2024

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    3 days ago

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    6 months ago

    Best local burger joint! Within walking distance from the pier. The manager is amazing and the food is oh so ono!

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    2 years ago

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    10 months ago

    Not sure how this place is in business. The beef stew is awful, rude service and expensive prices. The trifecta.

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    1 year ago

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    10 months ago

    Food was incredible! Portions were very large and not badly priced either. Menu was very large as well with many options.

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    2 years ago

    Food was ok. My son ordered fried chicken with gravy for $18. It was a few pieces of soggy wings. He said it was meh.

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    The Kolohe plate is bomb. Ono local food that's been in Hilo forever! If you need a quick plate lunch or just want lunch, go Verna's

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    1 year ago

    Food was hot, fresh, and made to order. The service was fast and friendly. Walk up and order at the window...so simple!

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Lots of food options and a good place to stop by to get food on the go. Very affordable.

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    5 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Food is ono and it's choke food. They have too much to choose from that you'll have to come back.

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    Page 1 of 6

    Verna's Drive In Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Verna's Drive In

    Is the Mac salad sweet or more savory?

    It's not sweet at all. Pretty tasty actually, nice compliment to the pork.

    What are their Hours?

    Supa early (before Cafe 100) to supa late (after Cafe 100)

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine - Dynamite fish bowl

    Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine

    4.3(2.6k reviews)
    1.4 mi
    $$

    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.

    Photos
    Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine - Bar with loads of fresh pineapples

    Bar with loads of fresh pineapples

    Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine - Ahi poke tower

    Ahi poke tower

    Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine - Dr. Pepper

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    Dr. Pepper

    Cafe 100 - Super loco moco

    Cafe 100

    3.9(655 reviews)
    1.0 mi
    $$

    I planned for my husband and I to grab a quick bite at Cafe 100 before leaving Hilo. With more than…read more2000 reviews on Google and 30 varieties of loco moco, it was hard to ignore. Cafe 100 is a casual, local spot with window (staff) or kiosk (automated) ordering and plenty of semi-outdoor seating (i.e., you are technically inside and covered, but you can still feel the heat from outside). I will admit the menu felt a bit overwhelming at first glance because there are so many options available, but we visited on a weekday when it was not busy, so we were able to take our time deciding. Anticipating larger portions, we decided to share a mixed type loco moco plate along with a drink. That turned out to be a great call, as the portion was more than enough for the two of us, especially since we would not easily be able to take leftovers with us. This is casual, familiar comfort food done well. No complaints here, and I have already recommended Cafe 100 to a few friends :)

    Made a day trip from Oʻahu to the Big Island and had to stop at Cafe 100 -- home of the original…read moreloco moco. As a born-and-raised local, rice, gravy, and eggs will win me over every time, and I really wanted to love this place for the history alone. I'll be honest though -- the hype set the bar high, and I left a little let down. The regular loco moco was just okay. The hamburger patty tasted pre-made or frozen, though the gravy was solid (thank goodness). The beef stew also tasted pre-made and was lighter on the tomato flavor than I prefer. I ordered the steak as well (around $30), and it came out very well done. On the positive side, they offer a ton of plate lunch options, the space is extremely well kept for a local diner, and there's plenty of parking. It's covered outdoor seating only, but it's comfortable and clean. What surprised me most was the lack of visible history. I expected to see more storytelling about the loco moco origins -- photos, signage, staff sharing pride in it -- something that really leaned into that legacy. It felt a little missing. Still glad I tried it for the experience, but for me, it didn't quite live up to the legendary reputation.

    Photos
    Cafe 100 - Cafe 100 Menu

    Cafe 100 Menu

    Cafe 100
    Cafe 100

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    Jackie Rey's Ohana Grill Hilo - Brownie roll was ok - the brownie itself was hard and the chocolate chips didn't help.

    Jackie Rey's Ohana Grill Hilo

    4.3(1.3k reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    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.

    Photos
    Jackie Rey's Ohana Grill Hilo - Clean and inviting. This is a historical bank building.

    Clean and inviting. This is a historical bank building.

    Jackie Rey's Ohana Grill Hilo - Ahi Tartare Happy Hour. Amazing. I could eat ten more.

    Ahi Tartare Happy Hour. Amazing. I could eat ten more.

    Jackie Rey's Ohana Grill Hilo - Passion Flow

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    Passion Flow

    Verna's Drive In - hawaiian - Updated May 2026

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