Big Island Abalone has been on our list of to-do's for a while and we finally booked the farm tour when we knew we would run errands in Kona. This place is close to the airport and very easy to find. Our guide Carlos was awesome - very knowledgeable and funny. We learned a lot in the one hour tour. We also got to sample seaweed, sea grapes and abalone at the end of the tour. We went to the food truck afterwards. Service was quick and the staff were really nice. We ordered 1/4 lb of the garlic butter abalone and 1/4 lb of the chilli garlic abalone. Both were great. Sounds expensive but I will say that we had abalone in a similar proportion in Monterey and paid more than double what we did at Big Island Abalone. We already have plans to stop at the food truck again on our way through Kona later this well. Well worth visiting. A must if you love abalone. read more

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Honestly, I didn't know what to expect on this tour, but it was amazing! Learned so much! It was fun! And my kids are still talking about it the day after. (We were there just yesterday) Held the attention of my 8 & 10 year old! Seriously felt like a well put together fun school field trip. I wish we had something like this on the mainland. Parents - you have to bring your kids. They'll learn a lot & have fun doing it. My kids are still talking about the abalone, the eyes & feel super smart deciphering which abalone are boys or girls. And if you don't have kids, go anyways! I learned a lot. Best part, there's a food truck on the premises to try the abalone + other stuff. Yes, it's a bit pricey, but YOU WILL NEVER HAVE SUCH TENDER ABALONE ANYWHERE ELSE!!! You need to stop by and try something off their menu. Garlic butter was our favorite, but my husband really liked the chili oil. The only thing I wished they offered - a summer camp for kids. I feel with such unique operations (go on the tour and learn about it), it's a great way to learn about sustainability, ecosystems, and more. Maybe someone will read my post and think about it. I'm sure parents would love to have their kids immersed in such a wonderful environment. Props to: Carlos. Thank you so much for our tour. My 10 year old loves marine animals & absolutely loved the tour. She can't wait to share with her teacher and classmates what she learned. If we return to the island in the future, we'll definitely be making another stop. read more

Big Island Abalone serves amazing abalone. I especially loved the garlic sauce that goes with the cooked abalone. Sea grapes were a unique addition to the meal. They recently closed their food truck so sadly are no longer serving the cooked abalone with garlic sauce. However they still offer live abalone for sale. Please bring the food truck back! read more

So glad our tour guide Kerry with Wasabi tours told us about this place. If you love abalone, this is the place to come. We got some small items to try and then went back for more. The prices are so reasonable and the service and atmosphere is perfect for a food truck stand. We started with 1/4lb abalone 2 different ways plus sea grapes. Unfortunately we just missed the last of the abalone sushi when we went back for seconds with more sea grapes and a nice 1/2. Lb more of abalone. Service was excellent and it was super helpful to have those table fly fans. read more

Big Island Abalone - Food Tours Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

This was such a unique and great experience! I had such a good time learning about the abalone farm and biology/lessons on abalone. The food truck is also delicious. I had a 1/2 pound of garlic butter with a side of sea grapes, absolutely incredible! Would highly recommend the farm tour. It's only $35 and 60minutes long. Totally worth it! read more

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Carlos was an amazing tour guide! He was very knowledgeable and it was obvious he enjoyed teaching us as much as we loved learning. It was an immersive tour with opportunities to handle and taste not only the abalone but sea grapes, and seaweed, not to mention we were able to keep sea shell souvenirs! read more

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A hidden gem!! I traveled a lot and it's so rare to see abalone on the menu served different ways. Absolutely loved this place! And it turned my abolone hater husband into a lover! He also loooooved the sake that was recommended to pair with it. Yum! read more

Big Island Abalone - Food Tours Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Didn't participate in the farm tour, but we did stop by the Big Island Abalone truck. It wasn't busy today, but we did notice some more cars pulling into the lot while we were eating. There is a covered outdoor seating section that is clean. The service was quick. We ordered the abalone sashimi x2, and a half pound if steamed abalone with chili oil sauce. They do have the steamed abalone with garlic butter, but thought that would be a bit too heavy. The abalone tasted fresh. Good texture. Not fishy at all. The chili oil sauce wasn't too spicy either and it paired well with the abalone. The papaya salad was on the sweeter side compared to other places but it was good per family. The summer roll (spring roll with abalone and shrimp) was also good- simple and fresh. Will definitely come again! read more

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Great abalone, would have loved to try some grilled ones but they didn't have any when we visited. The steamed abalone and sauces were so delicious though!!! They also have sea grapes to try. Seating is outdoor it was beautiful and sunny when we went! read more

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This tour was really informative! I had no idea that you cannot fish for abalone anymore and that what you see at restaurants is from a farm. Carlos did such an amazing job of making the experience fun and informative. My son really loved learning the process of how they breed, raise, and feed the abalone. We got to try some at the end as well! read more

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Abalone is very rare! This tour is even more rare! This cool tour is a one I've a kind, letting you hold live abalone, and see how they are raised! You can buy them, sample them and I even got a bag of amazing dulse seaweed for myself to snack on! read more

Big Island Abalone - Big island Abalone tour! - Food Tours Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

We stopped by to grab some abalone. It's located very close to the airport so it was very convenient. There are options for tours too if you're interested. But we didn't do that as we didn't have time. The abalone was reasonably priced and amazing! We got one order, ate it quickly, then went back for another lol. It was THAT good. Can't wait to have it again next time! read more

Big Island Abalone - Food Tours Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Nice food truck stand inside the abalone farm. We tried everything and they are all super delicious!!! Steamed abalone are super tender and fresh. Abalone poke rice bowl is our favorite! Highly recommend. Sea grapes are tasteless with a crunchy texture, something unique to try. Papaya abalone salad is super flavorful and tasty!!! Has a parking lot inside. They also offer BBQ grill where you can grill seafood urself if you want. read more

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Last day was June 7. The last of live abalone inventory. 70% off all items in store. Unforntunately, the Japan owned business decided to close Kona and its business in Hawaii. They had a few Tʻs and smoked abalone cans left. Donʻt know if they will sell to done but I was told on my visit on June 7, it was their last day. Mahalo to the Kona employees for making this business thrive. The service was always great. read more

My cousin and I enjoyed this tour! Our tour guide was Karen, and she was very informative. Karen was friendly and answered the questions whenever someone had them. The tour lasted about an hour. Beware of the mosquitoes around the area, but other than that, you are in shaded areas. My favorite part was sampling seaweed, abalone, and seaweed grapes! I also enjoyed getting to hold sea creatures (starfish and a cluster of abalones). It was my first time trying abalone and I liked it. Highly recommend doing this tour! read more

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My partner and I ended up being the only people on the tour and we got to talk to Carlos about the history of abalone fishing and farms. The tour is designed to be very educational and it didn't disappoint! Carlos's depth of knowledge was impressive and we came away with a great appreciation for the food and the industry. Definitely recommend. read more

Big Island Abalone - Carlos and some abalone - Food Tours Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Interesting tour. We learned about abalone farming and also got to sample the abalone. read more

Big Island Abalone - Abalone - Food Tours Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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Had an awesome tour of the abalone farm, learning about the inner workings and how they do things was very informative. The grilled abalone at the end was great!! read more

Big Island Abalone - Food Tours Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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Big Island Abalone is terrific! Carlos educated the group about abalone and sea weed production at America's biggest abalone operation. The electricity alone that is produced could service the entire Big Island. It was a great experience. read more

Awesome tour led by Carlos! We came for the abalone tour -- it is about an hour long and takes you through the process of farming abalone and how they have evolved in their process. It was super interesting to learn about and very engaging -- Carlos would bring out the abalone and we were able to hold them. There were also several other sea creatures that we held: starfish, shrimp and urchins. It was super fun for my 4 year old! At the end of the tour, Carlos brought out some abalone for us to sample. He also set out samples of sea grapes. I really enjoyed the sea grapes -- they were served with a dipping sauce and had a nice popping sensation when eaten. My partner really enjoyed the abalone, both canned and oven baked. We were given the abalone shells as a take-home gift after we ate them. Super fun tour -- highly recommend! If you want to just eat some abalone, they have a food truck set up next to them which is open daily except Sundays. read more

Great experience! Highly recommend as your first stop once you land on the big island. Ambiance - nothing fancy but exactly what you want when you find a local gem. Everything is fresh made right there on the farm. Garlic abalone was steamed and it was OUT of this world! SO BOMB! Not too chewy and made perfect to order. Abalone sashimi was also delicious super fresh and would HIGHLY recommend. read more

Big Island Abalone - Top: Sashimi abalone Bottom: Garlic abalone - Food Tours Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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This was a real highlight! We didn't know much about abalone going in, turns out we knew even less than we thought (we thought they were basically fancy clams? No!) Learned a lot of biology and fun facts, had an entertaining tour guide (Carlos) and enjoyed the seafood at the end - great idea to do the 3 pm tour and head to the food truck afterwards. I would recommend the poke bowl! read more

Such an interesting and informative tour! Carlos answered every question and demonstrated his vast knowledge about every aspect of the Abalone farm. We highly recommend this unique tour. There is nothing like this on the Island! To follow , savor Abalone at the adjacent food truck. A wonderful treat to end the visit! Adele & Dan read more

Interesting and informative 1 hour tour around an active abalone farm. Walking required; however, you are mostly in the shade because the farm is covered with canopies. Learn about the life cycle of the abalone and the bio-conscious farming techniques used. This tour is great for all ages since you are able to get hands on access and taste samples. @sturdygirlstyle #sturdygirlstyle read more

Big Island Abalone - Holding an abalone - Food Tours Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Our family enjoyed the tour and the learning. Now we have new appreciation of abalone and the process of growing one. We also learned about seaweed and other sea animals as part of this tour. It is only 1 hour long and highly recommend for those with children. read more

Big Island Abalone - Food Tours Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Folks, please don't miss this! Big Island Abalone is the largest grower of Japanese edible abalones in the world, and from a conservation standpoint, this is important. The tour was reasonably priced, our host was hilarious, we sampled abalone to our hearts content, we learned about the biology, cultivation, and conservation of abalone and the educational component was awe inspiring. We come to the big island 1-2 times a year and always make a point of visiting these folks. read more

Big Island Abalone - Abalone propagation tray - Food Tours Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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We did not do the tour which looks cool but we did try the food truck. Higher prices as expected with Hawaii and such. We had the garlic butter abalone and also sashimi style. Sashimi was tougher which I am not used to eating abalone but was decent. And the garlic butter went well with the grilled abalone. read more

Big Island Abalone - Sashimi with soy sauce and wasabi and then grilled with garlic butter abalone - Food Tours Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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If you like abalones, then this is the place for you ! The tour is informative and I learned a lot about the life cycle of abalones, what they eat, how long it takes for them to grow, where they live and the overall ecosystem of the Big Island. I do recommend making a reservation for the tour ahead of time. Parking is free onsite. Our tour guide was friendly and knowledgeable. I personally like abalones so I bought half a pound of steamed abalones from the food truck parked on site afterwards. I had a great time. It was fun and the abalone tasted delicious and very fresh ! read more

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Right after we got our rental car, we went here to have lunch and it was amazing!!!! The abalone was so tender and the cashier was very sweet. She helped us decide what to get. I will say that the sauces are not particularly special but that doesn't even really matter because the abalone was great. The sitting area was really chill and the view from the table was great. read more

Big Island Abalone - Galic butter, chili garlic, and abalone poke - Food Tours Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

One of the best places to visit on the Big Island IMO if you love seafood. Can't get anymore farm fresh than this. All the abalone is super tender and perfect with the garlic butter on top. The abalone sashimi (raw) is tender yet has a slightly snappy texture to it. We went on a Sunday afternoon and there were plenty of shaded outdoor tables. Great place to sit back, relax and have a few drinks with friends & family. read more

Big Island Abalone - 1 pound order of Abalone - Food Tours Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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THIS IS A MUST DO! Incredibly informative and interesting. The farm has been around for 20 years and it was fascinating! I don't want to over hype it; but the tour was way better than I thought it would be! You get to learn a ton about abalone and seaweed. And it's interactive (you get to gently hold abalone too). The tour lasts about an hour. The tour is also family friendly. My baby ended up taking a nap through most of it. The tour was shady and there was a nice breeze- perfect baby napping conditions. It went on the first of the day and it was 3 families all with babies/kids. The kids all had a great time. They also have a little food stand. I wasn't planning on eating abalone, but I did. I really liked it! read more

I've been coming here for years and absolutely love this place. Dropped by here today straight from the airport and learned that tomorrow is their last day. I'm so sad to see this place go. The abalone here is so fresh and prepared deliciously. read more

Excellent Food! The fresh abalone farm truck at the Big Island Abalone Farm was worth the visit. We ordered grilled abalone with garlic butter cooked to perfection! We ordered a pound of Abalone and got 12 small Japanese abalone grown at this farm fresh farm to table shared between two people that's 6 each wish we prefer rice or had some fresh French bread to go with it but we only had the abalones and sipped the juice from the shells scrumptious! Then we ordered! One sashimi abalone just to taste and it was good too but would stick to the grilled abalone it was the best! Wish we ordered 2lbs a little pricey but well worth the experience and good eats!! read more

This was the first time eating an abalone & it was so good with rice & fresh sea grapes. I heard they closed down ;( I was hoping to go there again when i go back to the Big Island read more

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How did I not find this place sooner! I've never had abalone before and have always wanted to try it, but it's so expensive or usually canned. Here you can try it right out of the water, at this amazing farm. We didn't take the tour, but did have a wonderful lunch. The four of us split 1lb ($45) of steamed abalone, 1 order of the double garlic (fried garlic and a sweet butter sauce $16), and the sashimi ($15). The steamed was by far my favorite though really not the flavor I expected, but it grew on me. Kind of like a sea-flavored steak, very rich. I guess I wanted it to be more salty or something, but glad I tried it. I would skip the sashimi next time, very hard and not much flavor (but, I'm not used to it, so might be excellent for others). The food truck is tiny and very popular, so go early. Might have to wait a bit, but great to have such a luxurious food in a causal and not too expensive way. Met a very friendly local women (former school teacher), who mentioned that they (the farm) does a lot to help the local school kids, and I thought that was sweet and a nice nod to them giving back to the community. Seems like she goes here a lot, lol. On the service side, the guy who helped us was new to the food truck (does other jobs with the farm), so it was a little frustrating ordering and just a bit chaotic, but no biggie. A fun place for families (they have a DIY grill area for day use, I believe it's reservation only) and right on the water, so take a little drive further to the seahorse farm or small park for some snorkeling and other fun, make a day of it! read more

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Wow!!! I was pleasantly surprised when my lovely sister returned home from the Farmers Market with a bag of fresh abalone from Big Island Abalone!!! Unfortunately, we got the flu when we arrived and haven't had an opportunity to go to the tour as planned, but, this was almost as good. We had a dozen of the size 7, and after watching a few videos, grilled the abalone in a ceramic smoker. Basted with butter, garlic and lime, it was absolutely amazing!!! Tender and flavorful and so easy to make. I'm sure that the education you receive from the tours will open your eyes to this delicacy. Next time we are in town, we will definitely make arrangements for the tour. Check out their website for more information. read more

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My family and I went on a tour this morning, and our tour guide Carlos was amazing! He was engaging and fun during his sharing of abalone facts and was super knowledgeable about the species, farm operation, and history. While it was very warm out, we stayed mostly in the covered areas. We also got to taste not only the abalone but some sea grapes and seaweed, same kind the abalone eat! If you are in the Kona area, I highly recommend a stop here to learn about abalone and farming. There's also an abalone food truck where you can order abalone a few different ways. read more

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This was a fun little pitstop. My partner heard good things about this place from his father and we were intrigued to try fresh abalone! It's a cute little outdoor shack with lots of seating. They offer different types but we were looking for a good snack at the time. This delicacy is on the pricy end but well worth the trip. The lady taking our order was so sweet, offered the nicest recommendations, and prepared our food so quickly. Definitely check this place out if you love seafood and abalone. The coolest part is you could possibly take a tour of their farm, and you can witness the outside area where they grow it! read more

Big Island Abalone - Food Tours Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

My husband and I didn't know much about Abalone but we do now. The 1 hour tour was amazing and Carlos is extremely knowledgeable about Abalone and the farm process. We got to hold live abalone along with some other sea creatures. Tasted live seaweed and abalone. I will be bringing family here on our next visit to this island. read more

Big Island Abalone - Carlos our tour guide. - Food Tours Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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Abalone Farm Tour Kailua-Kona SUSTAINABLE AQUACULTURE FEEDING THE WORLD The Abalone Farm near Cayucos, California was the first abalone aquaculture venture which began in 1968. I know because my father, John Perkins, was one of the four founders. It took a decade of trial and error to figure out how to successfully farm abalone. From this first abalone farm followed more abalone farms in Japan, Mexico, Australia and Kona, Hawaii. As I took the tour October 27, 2025, I was amazed how similar it was to the original Abalone Farm. Aquaculture can help sustainably feed the world. Big Island Abalone is a great opportunity to SEE this in person. Our guide, Carlos, was very knowledgeable. So many biology facts poured out as he gave our group a very hands on experience. Live abalone were put in your hand (if you wanted). Great for children. Other interesting creatures were shown in a show & tell fashion. We were also shown how they grow the algae seaweed food to feed the abalone. It was interesting and highly educational. The grand finale at the conclusion of the tour was actually eating an abalone! Steamed on a small BBQ in foil and then you pick one and pop it right in your mouth. The small abalone shell is yours to keep as a souvenir. I give this tour an A+. Don't miss it! read more

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