A Little Hidden Gem Filled With Aloha…read more Hana Hou Restaurant was honestly the best food experience we had during our entire 8-day trip to the Big Island. We stayed in Waikoloa Village and explored Kona, Hilo, Volcano Park, South Point, the Green Sand Beach, and the Black Sand Beach, so we had plenty of opportunities to try different places. And somehow, this little hidden gem ended up being our favorite. We're from the Los Angeles area and were traveling with my husband and our teenage son, and from the moment we walked in, we felt something different here. The service was genuinely friendly, the employees seemed happy to be there, and there was such a warm aloha spirit throughout the restaurant. That kind of genuine hospitality was missing at some of the other places we visited. Even something as simple as sitting down for a cup of coffee on the morning of Day 5 of our trip felt like a pleasure. The vibe was relaxed, welcoming, and local. You could feel that this was a place connected to the community. And the food was AMAZING. My son ordered the pizza, and it was HUGE -- so big that he had enough left over for the next day. My husband had the chicken, and I ordered the noodles. Everything was delicious. But I have to talk about the papaya. I do not like papaya. At all. I was just craving some fresh fruit, so I asked what they had, and they told me they only had papaya. I figured, okay, I'll try it. It was HANDS DOWN the best papaya I have ever had in my life. I loved it so much that later in the trip, when we stopped at a fruit stand and I bought papaya, I was immediately disappointed because it wasn't even close to the papaya we had at Hana Hou! We've been to Maui and Oahu before, and this was our first trip to the Big Island. If you're traveling around the island, I highly recommend making a stop here. Don't let the fact that it's a little tucked away fool you -- this place is a true hidden gem. We're so grateful we found Hana Hou. The food was wonderful, the people were wonderful, and most importantly, we felt the aloha spirit here in a way that really stayed with us. Mahalo, Hana Hou, for being one of the highlights of our trip!

Service was good and food was even better. It's a hole in the wall find with a variety of food. The…read morebeef and fish are local. We had the catch of the day which was ginger scallion ahi tuna, Mac salad and dill slaw. All wonderful and fresh! My husband has the blacked ahi tuna sandwich and it was fresh as well. This place was a wonderful find after a full day of driving and hiking to Green Sand Beach and playing at Black Sands.

This was one of the stops on the way to the volcano. It was recommended by a coworker of mine, so I…read morewas glad the stop was part of our tour. They're known for their sweetbread and malasadas, but they also have hot food and ice cream. We shared one of their pork platters. It was pretty good. Pork was super tender! There were 2 portions of pork, which seemed a lot, but I was left wanting more. We also got one guava malasada. This one is just their flavored sweet bread, coated with sugar, no filling. It was so light, fluffy, and delicious! Not heavy or oily. Dare I say these are better than Leonards in Waikiki? I regretted just getting one, because getting in that line again to order more would take too long. Oh that's another thing... Your mindset needs to be on island time because you will wait more than 10 minutes for your food. The place is small, but the property is huge. All dining is outdoor in their patio and two gazebo-like structures. There are two lines to place your order, which helps with the crowd: one by the main door, and the other by the patio. If you like up by the main door, you'll find all their sweet bread loaves, rolls, and snacks. If you line up by the patio, you'll find their pastry case. Either way, you're doomed to pick up more than you came there for. This place is a must! Make the drive. It's so worth it!

A tale of two experiences…read more.. The service? Let's just say the malasadas were warmer than the welcome. We asked for the custard-filled malasadas and the aunties in front ranted "why everyone calls it custard, it's not custard, it's vanilla" in a very annoyed voice. We also felt a little rushed while ordering, which caught us off guard. I was expecting a little more aloha and a little less hurry. Now the malasadas? Oh my goodness... absolutely worth the trip. Call it vanilla, call it custard--I honestly don't care because it was delicious. Soft, fluffy, filled with creamy goodness. I'd happily come back for the malasadas. Hopefully next time the aloha is as warm as the pastries. Mahalo!

Had my favorite Volcano Burger and it never disappoints. With a side of their delectable and…read moreunique tasting macaroni salad that could almost be placed in the burger at your discretion. Mighty tasty, mighty good. Flavor is powering, rich in spice and heat. May require some facial adjustment, as first introduction can feel intense. Pepsi in a bottle as Dr. Pepper was unavailable. A satisfying and welcoming revisit. Thank you : )

We ordered Fish Tacos (Ahi) side of fries and BBQ Burger with Bacon, side of Onion Rings…read more Fish was great way too much cheese though. Burger Patty was good but the bun was soggy Onion rings and fries were awesome.

This was a great surprise! We came here to go to da bead shop, we parked right in front of this…read morerestaurant before they opened, on the way back they had opened up. We each got something different my favorite was the cheesesteak ! The bread is amazing (they make their own bread and you can tell) I added their own spicy mustard and it took the sandwich to the next level, My sister has the mushroom burger and she loved it too. We also had a keki menu the chicken and rice my two year old was thrilled. We ended the meal with two cookies a rocky road and a macadamia we loved the macadamia we took one to go.

No matter how hard I tried, it seems that our food just disappears within 5 minutes. I LOVE their…read moreCoconut Curry. Big chunks of Ono, plump shrimp, and mouth watering curry sauce. I just cannot resist. Can't take my time, nor pace myself. It is so good, you'll want more when you cleaned your plate. Do try their desserts! Lilikoi cheesecake is a must, but also raspberry Lava Cake was heavenly. Wonderful service. Great food. Every time we eat here.

Kinda bummed they only had a limited choice of food since it was a Monday, but what we had was…read moregreat.

The southern most bar and restaurant in the US…read more We stopped by the bar/restaurant after hiking around Volcano National Park, it is on the way back to Kona. The bar has a local feel, you can spot the tourists. The space is a good size, airy with a center bar, a couple flat screens with the games on. Super friendly staff, hustling while still giving great service. Our server recommended a hard topical juice, which I've never had and was great. The drinks and food came out quickly. My friend and I split the fish and chips, made with Ono, which is a bit meatier (be prepared if expecting flakier fish) and was fresh and hot, with plenty of lemon and tar tar sauce. Mahola to the wonderful, hard working staff! Great place to stop if you are in the area, with a side brag of the southern most drink.

Just stopped at South Kona Grindz on our way from Black Beach to our resort in Kona and had a great…read moreexperience. Sit in the backyard/patio and you'll feel nature all around you and Hawaiian music in the background. In this day the weather got a bit darker and cool, so we sat there looking around taking in so much beauty. It was so relaxing! The menu had variety and the prices very reasonable. We had the veggie burrito, fish and chips and bbq sandwich. Everything was fresh and delicious. Too bad they didn't offer alcoholic drinks because I was really craving a Big Wave, but it's ok since I they did have local coffee. The lady kindly served it in a to-go cup and off we went. Great little place with Hawaiian vibes and good food!

Service was super friendly and our server was very accommodating, answering my multitude of…read morequestions. Food was excellent: I loved my Ono plate with fresh, hot sweet potato fries and hubby loved his Taco Tuesday Ono tacos. Don't miss their chips and pineapple salsa! Location is a little off-putting- doesn't look like much when you park and enter, but the back patio has a stunning view of the beautiful rainforest. Very casual.

They do an amazing job I keep getting the katsu curry alls perfect. Flavor rice texture curry…read moreflavor. I highly recommend you check them out. Great prices as well.

Good food stop before heading to Volcano National Park…read more This place was better than the fancy one in Kona we had lunch at the day before! I'd definitely stop here again, the ladies were all so nice and service was great.

Good coffee with excellent customer service! I prefer to…read moresupport small businesses that are reliable, consistent and serve with a smile.

Stopped on our way to the volcano national park from Kona and coffee was great they used coffee…read moreiced cubes in the iced coffee! burrito was also great! They freshly made blueberry scones which we demolished fresh out the oven!

Had a great experience with our server Jon. Not only did he help us with our beer selection, but…read morehe helped this tourist group navigate the vulcano must sees and hike, full experience. We had the macadamia nut crusted fish with fries. The crust had a crispy crust and our friends said it was delicious. We had the penne pesto pasta and added some grilled shrimp, added price. The shrimp were (thumbs up) dollar size. The pesto pasta sauce had a great flavor, but it was very watery. Would have loved for those flavor to shine a bit more. Overall we had a great time, with good food and a great server. Definitely recommend

In past years when I did the circle island tours we always came here for lunch and it was always…read moregreat, so when I planned a family trip I reserved dinner here as I knew we'd have a good view of Kilauea. The food was good overall - but you are paying touristy prices. Things my party tried: - Kona kampachi and lobster - this was my pick and it was great! The fish was perfectly cooked and loved the sauce. They include ginger and Japanese pickled veggies, which I love, but it may not be everyone's cup of tea. The lobster tail half was also a good size and hit the spot. My only gripe was I didn't have a small lobster fork, so had to dig into the lobster with my fingers. - my BiL devoured the rib eye and said it was good. - my brother really enjoyed the stuffed chicken. It was my second option.. and I won't lie it looked really good. - my SIL for the pesto pasta and added steak. The pasta was meh, but the steak was great. - the kids menu were hits. The mahi mahi comes with fruit, but the hot dog doesn't. It was just odd that fruit wasn't available for all kids menu options. - shrimp scampi pizza was pretty good. Nice flavors. All in all a great family dinner spot with great views. The staff was really friendly too! Would I come back - definitely!