We went for dinner. We had reservations, so we were seated immediately. We were not having drinks…read moreso straight away ordered burger to share. Service was good and quick. Burger was ok, nothing extra ordinary. Ambience is good and I think they have good drinks on menu. Will revisit sometime.

The tables were sticky, picked the menu up and the words stuck to the table. The service was non…read moreexistent. Would have ordered more drinks, but our server was in the back with the kitchen staff. Our food came out before the appetizer, made it halfway to our table and was taken back to the kitchen to sit and get cold. Asked the person to bring our food back as we did not want to eat cold food. The beverages were great the best part of the meal. The corn ribs were horrible and should be taken off the menu, worst appetizer I've ever had. The loco moco with beef short ribs were good. The pork na his tasted Goff as well, although a bit on the cool side, definitely not

The vibe is so relaxing. Beef shortrib loco moco is also very delicious. The gravy is not too heavy…read moreand the egg is perfect. Kids waffle is only 10bucks and is made heartily. Whenever we are back to Kona, we go to this place for a proper meal.

The food here is excellent! I had dinner 3 times at HāLani during my stay. The service is also top…read morenotch. I tried the following: Ahi carpaccio: 5/5 I can't stop thinking about this carpaccio, it is so good! The eggplant and pine nuts add a beautiful touch. This is a must order. Wagyu skirt steak: 5/5 perfectly cooked and seasoned. I'd highly recommend this dish. The potatoes that come with are also solid. Grilled broccolini: 5/5 no notes, delicious Mediterranean orzo: 5/5 great flavor and perfectly cooked. All beef hot dog (Keiki menu): 5/5 Great hotdog! The bread is lightly sweet which comp This was my favorite restaurant on property!

So we went in for breakfast just as they got slammed with 20 walk-ups. Brandon and Frenchie…read moresurvived the onslaught with aplumb and delivered tasty, wonderful meals for us all. Try the french toast, the breakfast sandwich or eggs benedict. The wait is woth it and if you have conversations going it is quick enough to be just under an hour

We ordered the Sweet Bread French Toast with strawberry compote and the Mauka & Makai Benedict. The…read moreFrench toast was enjoyable, though fairly typical, while the Benedict was the standout dish, especially the grilled filet medallion lobster, which added a unique touch and great flavor. Beyond the food, the view created a pleasant ambiance and made for an enjoyable dining setting. Unfortunately, the experience was overshadowed by a cleanliness issue when our coffee was served. Both cups had visible lipstick marks on the rims. Although the staff promptly replaced them, it was an unpleasant first impression and raised concerns about attention to detail in dishwashing and quality control. Clean tableware is a basic expectation, so this was disappointing to encounter. Overall, we appreciated the food, the beautiful setting, and the staff's response, but the cleanliness issue significantly detracted from the experience.

We had a great experience at A-Bay's Island Grill, and a big part of that was Sadie. She was…read moreawesome! Sadie was bartending while also taking care of the entire floor, helping customers, waiting on tables, giving food and drink recommendations, and somehow keeping everything moving smoothly. She even invited us back for Karaoke Night! We've worked in the service industry ourselves, and honestly, Sadie was more efficient and attentive than what we've experienced at many larger restaurants and hotels in Kona with much bigger staffs. She handled everything with a genuine Aloha spirit, a great attitude, and a smile. She is a tremendous asset to the restaurant. If I were the owner, I'd be looking at giving her a raise and putting her in a leadership or management role. She clearly has the ability to increase efficiency and bring out the best in a team. Highly recommend stopping by A-Bay's Island Grill. And if you get the chance, make sure you meet Sadie. She's one of those people who makes you want to come back!

I made reservations ahead of time, but honestly, I don't think they were necessary. My family and I…read moresat outside on the patio, and there was live music, which was a huge plus and probably one of my favorite parts of the evening. The food was just okay overall. The kids ordered chicken tenders and fries and said they were good. My husband ordered an ono sandwich, which he thought was fine, and I ordered the kalbi plate. The kalbi was probably the highlight of the meal--the portion was very generous and there was plenty of meat. The macaroni salad though, could definitely use some improvement. The macaroni salad wasn't very good, and both the rice and macaroni salad portions were about the size of a small ice cream scoop. For a plate like this, I definitely think they could be more generous with the rice. Our server was nice, but not very attentive, so the service was just okay. Overall, the atmosphere and live music were enjoyable, but the food and service were pretty average. I'd give it about 3 stars.

The Kona Tap Room sits next to the lobby of the Hilton Waikoloa Village so if you're a hotel guests…read moreit's a very convenient location. The lounge has live music and very comfortable seating. They offer appetizers and a small menu of bar food. They have Kona beer, a variety of wine and a full bar. Drinks were good. The food was good and the nachos had a generous portion. The service was a little slow. It took a while for our food to arrive so don't come here if you're in a rush. Otherwise, it's a good place to relax.

Very limited menu. Food was not bad, but nothing extraordinary either. My dad and I both had a beer…read moreflight and the beers were pretty good. For a large resort the eating establishments are limited and none of them are great. Quesadillas and wings were fine. Sadly this is one of the few places to choose from when other venues on property are unexpectedly closed. None of the food was bad per-se, but there are just not many choices here.

You don't really come to Lava Lava Beach Club for the food--you come for the vibes! The beachfront…read moresetting, photo opportunities, live music, and gorgeous sunset make the whole experience worth it. I made a reservation around sunset, and it ended up being such a fun and unique evening. They even had games for the kids, which was a huge plus for our family, and there's a cute little shop where you can pick up a few things. The food? Meh. Pina Colada was good. I'll post pictures, but honestly, nothing was memorable enough to really discuss. Service was fine. Come for the sunset, music, beach, and atmosphere. That's where this place really shines!

Lava Lava Beach Club came highly recommended for its beautiful beachfront sunset ambiance, so I…read morebooked our table two weeks in advance after hearing how quickly reservations fill up. I'm glad I did! I made our OpenTable reservation for 5:30, knowing sunset was projected to be around 6:30ish. Right off the bat, this felt like the ideal place for our last dinner on the Big Island. Oceanfront dining, a beautiful sunset, and live entertainment featuring a slack-key guitarist and ʻolapa? Yes, please! We started with the ceviche, fritto misto, and Parmesan garlic bread. The ceviche was delicious! If you're sharing like we did, be prepared to break up the tostada with your fork to make it more like chips. The fritto misto was also a hit. Well seasoned, not overly breaded, and a nice ratio of calamari, shrimp, and artichokes. The Parmesan garlic bread, however, was mid. Nothing particularly memorable. For our mains, another friend and I ordered the sizzling shrimp. We weren't terribly hungry to begin with, and the appetizers had already done a pretty good job of filling us up. The rest of our party ordered a burger with sweet potato fries and Huggo's teriyaki steak. The burger was good, but not WOW, and the sweet potato fries seemed a bit stale. The teriyaki steak, on the other hand, was a winner. Our friend did a whole lot of yumming while eating, so I think that speaks for itself. Sadly, the sizzling shrimp didn't quite deliver. Some of the shrimp had sizzled a little too long, leaving them overly curled and not as tender as I would've liked. Some of that buttery goodness had also burned, discoloring a few of the shrimp. Not exactly what I was hoping for when I ordered a dish where the shrimp and butter are supposed to be the stars. Would I come back? Maybe. I absolutely loved the ambiance and entertainment, and I'm glad we chose this spot for our final Big Island dinner. Watching the sunset with good company and live Hawaiian music was a beautiful way to end our trip. Would I return strictly for the food? Likely not. There are too many local grindz I'd rather explore. But if I were traveling with friends who weren't feeling quite as adventurous with their food choices, Lava Lava would certainly be worth considering for the setting alone.

Christian was the best bartender I've had while visiting. He went above and beyond and was super…read morefriendly!

Such a beautiful location with great food. I'm glad we had good options while we were staying at…read morethe Hilton Waikoloa. We didn't want to drive too far, so came here. The coconut shrimp is delicious. The miso Kona kampachi was good and my steak tacos were also good. It was such a pretty and relaxing dinner with friendly staff. I would recommend if you're in the area.

What in the... hidden gem. This place is awesome, affordable, and has amazing service. Wish I found…read morethis place before. I honestly wasn't even hungry but ended up having food to go. Mark was funny, attentive, and great at what he does. Definitely come here!

We enjoyed Aloha Wine Bar .! . The bartender is Mark , nice and friendly which makes the whole…read moreexperience worthwhile . !. Next year if we come back to Big Island , hopefully we'll see him again !

This is a truly magical place. The view was spectacular. We sat under the canopy but looked…read morestraight out on to the Pacific. Tiki torches and all. The food was tremendous. The service was fantastic. I highly recommend it.

Ordered take out here recently by placing the order directly at the bar around 7:30pm on a weekday…read more Even though the restaurant was empty the food still took about 25-30 minutes. I did, however, order an old fashioned to enjoy while I waited. It was well-made and the bartender was not shy about the bourbon pour. For the food/appetizers, we ordered nachos, which were great. The light and crispy chips tasted house-made and reminded me of the Taco Light shells back in the day at TB. The hurricane tots were a hit with a generous amount of furikake tots! $18 for the kids grilled fish, rice, and steamed vegetables was a bit steep for the small piece we received but they said it was tasty. Overall, you're paying resort prices here but it's not outrageous. If you're looking for a drink or some apps in the evening, check out Luana Lounge. They are open til 11pm.

Pro Tip: Enjoy a Luxury Resort Without Staying There…read more Here's a little Big Island travel hack... You don't have to be a guest at the five-star Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection to soak up its incredible atmosphere. Simply tell the valet you're dining at Surf Shack, enjoy a bite, a drink--or both--and they'll validate your parking. The complimentary valet alone feels like a win. The resort is consistently recognized as one of the Big Island's premier luxury destinations. Once you've eaten, take your time exploring the property. Stroll the beautifully landscaped grounds, relax in the open-air lounges, wander the shoreline, watch the waves roll in, browse the upscale shops, and enjoy one of the most peaceful resort settings on the Kohala Coast. The ambiance is worth the visit all by itself. As for Surf Shack, the setting is fantastic. The food? Good, but definitely priced with a luxury resort zip code. We enjoyed our meal, but you'll likely pay a premium for what you order. So here's the hack: Pay for lunch... get the resort experience for free. Between the validated valet parking, stunning grounds, oceanfront setting, and laid-back luxury vibe, it's one of the best values on the Big Island if you know the secret. Just don't tell too many people.

We happen to be in town for Taco Tuesday. They offered fresh Al pastor, from a spit and a mushroom…read moretaco. I had two Al pastor tacos and they were heaven. The green salsa was a winner. We also ordered the fish tacos, which is always on the menu. They were fresh and delicious.