Gill's is one of my favorite spots in the area. The food is consistently great--especially the fish tacos and fish and chips. They also have some of the best French fries around, cooked in tallow. The atmosphere is laid-back and relaxed, and the lanai out back is a fantastic place to sit, especially when they have live music. It's just a great combination of a fun, casual vibe and seriously good food. Definitely a place I keep coming back to. read more

We loved this place so much that we kept coming back. We tried the Maui venison burger, fish sandwich, and animal-style fries, and everything was amazing. The whole place has such a fun treehouse-like vibe with a relaxed patio, and the staff was always incredibly friendly. I also love that you can bring your own alcohol and enjoy it out on the patio. Great food, great atmosphere, and just an easy place to hang out. Definitely one of our favorite casual stops of the trip. read more

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Wow. Gill's Lanai was even better than expected. Yes, it's a bit pricey for a "fast casual" "order-at-the-counter" kinda place but the food is so fresh and delicious, I have no qualms with their pricing structure. I would happily eat here again in the future. That being said, the food wasn't fast, but it was totally worth the wait. I had one of the best quesadillas I've ever had in my life (with kalua pork and goat cheese). The rest of my family tried the fish tacos, fried fish sandwich, and Maui venison burger. No one was left disappointed. This was truly one of my favorite meals on the Big Island and I think what made it so good was just how unassuming it was. There's a reason it gets such rave reviews. It's well worth a stop. read more

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We had such a great experience at Gill's Lanai. The food was absolutely incredible--so fresh and delicious. We ordered the tofu tacos and the tofu banh mi, and both were amazing. They have great vegan options, but also offer non-vegan dishes as well. The staff was truly wonderful. It was raining when we went, and they even brought our food out to us in the rain, which we really appreciated. The atmosphere is so cute--you can sit upstairs under all the lights, stay dry, and just enjoy the whole vibe. The only downside we noticed was that the price for sides of sauce felt a bit expensive. But overall, such a great spot with amazing food and kind service--we'd definitely come back! read more

Gill's Lanai - Hot Dogs Near Me - Kapaau, Hawaii

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INCREDIBLE FRESH FISH!! I had the fresh catch of the day (AKU) and might I add I've never had Aku?!? And I was pleasantly surprised! Texture and flavor was delicious- similar to ahi!! This location is perfectly placed off the road BUT don't be fooled! It is not "empty" there's a whole upstairs patio with plenty of shaded seating areas! The food came piping hot and did not take long (15 min tops - 3 orders ahead of ours). The patio space was my favorite! It added the outdoor vibe and didn't take away from the food experience! read more

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My partner and friends decided to eat lunch here when we were on the big island. This is one of those mom and pop places that is worth the drive just to try. The fish tacos were excellent. The grilled fish and slaw were very good. And I had a simple burger, hot dog, and fries. So good. The lady who helped us was really nice and patient. This place is not by any stretch fancy but the lanai they have set up for you to eat at is an awesome place to sit and chat. It is covered and spacious too. Really enjoyed this place. read more

Worth the drive from Waikoloa (~40 mins?). We got 3 plates of fish, a crispy beer battered fish sandwich, crispy fish tacos, and grilled fish plate. Everything was delicious, the fish taco was similar to the fish plate (but served on a taco). The grilled fish in comparison had more flavor than the fish taco. But you can't go wrong really, it was all so good. Park along the side of the street, and walk up to the counter and place your order. They will give you a number and you can either sit right there (a few counter seats and 2 small tables and 2 chairs each. Or head up the driveway (a little bit of an incline), walk up and around and you will find a covered patio with a few more tables and seating, but if you keep walking up, you will find more seating in yard type situation and a 2 bathrooms in the back. And a bar (which wasn't open when we were there). They had signs there are live music on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. read more

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Yummy and everything is super fresh. We had a catch of the day ( Mahi) sandwich and the catch of the day "bowl". Both came with fries. The fries were piping hot and excellent. The bowl was strips of fish with black beans, cabbage, tropical salsa and a creamy sauce and is served on a plate. read more

Gill's Lanai - Mahi Catch of the day sandwich and excellent fries - Hot Dogs Near Me - Kapaau, Hawaii

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Delicious fish tacos, both the catch of the day Baja style and the grilled plate option. The ambiance was The nicest we've seen. Highly recommend. The animal style fries were soooo good but soo big. Def good bang for your buck. read more

Gill's Lanai - Fish tacos - special catch of the day & the 2 tacos plate - Hot Dogs Near Me - Kapaau, Hawaii

Everything I've had at gills has been amazing so far! The fish tacos, love the pineapple (? Mango?) salsa and tortillas, all the flavors complement each other so well and the fish is cooked perfectly! Fish sandwich- perfectly crispy fish, not too much batter, good amount of tartar (and pickles!), all around great sandwich. And great fries- crispy on the outside and soft inside. Tofu banh mi was soooo good too, I love all the pickled veggies, and the fact it comes with spicy pickles on the side! Mmm and the sun tea, perfectly sweetened. 10/10 would recommend Gills! read more

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Awesome local lunch spot! The fresh catch (Marlin) fried fish sandwich was great. Their patio feels like you're sitting in the jungle read more

Gill's Lanai - Fresh Catch Fried Fish Sandwih - Hot Dogs Near Me - Kapaau, Hawaii

Wow - the beef tallow fried fish and chips were amazing! The fries reminded me of the old McDonald's fries back when they still used beef tallow. The batter around the fish was nice and crisp with a great slightly beefy/buttery flavor and the fries were divine. We had a nice kombucha on tap to wash it all down. read more

Gill's Lanai - beef tallow fried fish and chips! - Hot Dogs Near Me - Kapaau, Hawaii

If you're looking for a great meal, Gill's Lanai is a fantastic spot to check out. The food is excellent, and the staff is incredibly kind, quick, and helpful. I actually spilled the unsweetened iced tea I ordered, and they didn't even hesitate to bring me a replacement and help clean it up right away. The atmosphere is amazing, too--you get vibrant, tropical views from both the cozy patio and the upper deck. Overall, it's the perfect place for great food and beautiful scenery! read more

Gill's Lanai - Lil Mack burger - Hot Dogs Near Me - Kapaau, Hawaii

One of the very best and most creative and refreshing takes on fresh catch bowl's I have ever in the islands! Absolutely Michelin level, 5++ stars. Looking forward to visiting Kapa'au just so I can try more of Gill's creations. read more

Cute little roadside joint that cooks with NO Seed oils! Found it on a recommendation from a local and she was so right. I had the fish tacos and they were absolutely amazing. My husband had a grass fed burger and beef tallow French fries. Both of us talked about the food even after leaving. The waitress was super sweet and friendly as well. If we're ever in that area we will definitely be back. read more

Wow, what a find!. The best fish and chips we have ever had. We were in the area hoping to eat at Bamboo, they were closed so we had a great opportunity to try a new place. The fact that this restaurant uses only natural tallow foe all their dishes made our meals not only spectacular, they were super nutritious too. We will definitely be coming here every time we visit Hawaii. Mahalo to the Gill's Team! Well done! read more

Gill's Lanai - Don't pass it by. Best Fish & Chips. - Hot Dogs Near Me - Kapaau, Hawaii

The grilled fish tacos and fresh catch bowl (with catch of the day ahi tuna!) were perfectly cooked and melt-in-your-mouth flaky. The mango salsa and slaw on the side were fresh, light, and full of flavor. We loved the casual dining style and the picnic tables and open yard were very family friendly as we had our very busy and curious 1 year old with us and didn't feel like we were bothering anyone. The staff was so helpful and kind, providing menu recommendations. Additionally, we loved checking out the nearby shops after lunch and embracing the island vibes of this cute little town. I'd highly recommend Gill's Lanai to anyone looking-this was one of our favorite meals while on the Big Island! read more

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Awesome place! Great fresh fish! The vibes are awesome for families and friends to hang out. Service was wonderful. read more

Gill's Lanai - Location - Hot Dogs Near Me - Kapaau, Hawaii

Vegan options - three options only but oh so good. We were so excited to see vegan options this far north. We shared a tofu taco plate with purple sweet potato salad. The woman who took our order was so careful to confirm we wanted vegan. There's lots of outside seating upstairs - lovely breeze and surrounding. We happened to arrive just as Joey was beginning to play the guitar and sing. The non-vegan food we saw looked good, too. We highly recommend Gill's Lanai! read more

Gill's Lanai - Tofu tacos with purple sweet potato salad. - Hot Dogs Near Me - Kapaau, Hawaii

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Great food selection, nice mom and pop restaurant, new deck for seating and enjoying with friends and family.

Headed out for the afternoon sights shopping, and eating .Found Gill's -one app said closed they were not. Ordered fish tacos and a banh mi sandwich. Chips and guac. Sat "upstairs " second level. Excellent meals. Happy adventurers! Added to my collection for when we return. That good- stop in!! read more

Might be the best fish tacos I have ever had. If not, they were excellent , and service was top notch.

I was SO looking forward to trying out Gill's Lanai after my solo hike at Pololu Trail. Though the hike itself wasn't long, it was moderately strenuous. I had Gill's Lanai bookmarked, so of course, I had to give it a try on the way back and timing was perfect. I got there right around lunch and it seems to be quite a popular place and I can totally see why. It's cute and quaint, and their service is friendly. All their seatings are outdoors, but most are nicely shaded. I had a bit of trouble deciding between whether I wanted a Banh Mi, a Poke, or Fish Tacos. These all seem to be popular menu items. I was feeling something lighter, so I ended up getting two fish tacos with their catch of the day - Tombo (Albacore Tuna I believe) and a side salad. I also opted for a Liliko'i Sunbrew Ice Tea. After ordering at the counter, they gave me a number, and served when ready. I love that they proudly serve locally sourced, organic (whenever possible) food and don't use industrial seed oils. The tacos were fully loaded. They really seasoned the fish and grilled it nicely. It's fully cooked, but the fish slabs retained it's moisture, so it's not dry. The tacos come with cabbage slaw, cilantro-lime aioli, and mango salsa - a combination that worked out fantastically. I generally prefer grilled fish over fried, so this was right up my alley. I feel that the amount of side salad they gave was generous at the price point, and I used the cilantro-lime aioli as dressing which also worked out nicely. My Liliko'i Sunbrew Ice Tea was the perfect pairing for my meal. It was lightly sweetened and had a nice subtly tart, citrusy flavor. The employee who helped me out had told me that they're able to adjust the sweetness if needed too. All in all, so glad I stopped by for a nice, satisfying meal! I would say it's the best tacos I've had in my Hawai'i stay so far! read more

Gill's Lanai - Fish Taco (close up) - Hot Dogs Near Me - Kapaau, Hawaii

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A great place for lunch. Great food, we had the fish and chips and the fish tacos and it's probably the best fish tacos we've had on the island. The service was fast and the people were super friendly. Nice covered seating area where we got a visit from a cute little gold dust day gecko(really cool). Would strongly recommend!! read more

Gill's Lanai - Delicious Fish tacos and fish & chips. - Hot Dogs Near Me - Kapaau, Hawaii

Had some great grilled fish tacos. Very fresh. Also enjoyed the Lilikoi sun tea. Strong Aloha spirit with friendly service and a beautiful upstairs lanai. Definitely coming back read more

This place has really delicious food! I got the mahi mahi burger and my husband got a cheeseburger.m, both served with fries. My husband said this is one of the best burgers he's ever eaten and he is a big burger lover! The fries were hot, cooked perfectly and tasted great! As a cool addition, Joey B. was setting up his instruments and band setup as we were eating. We stayed for a little bit to listen to him, he's really talented and has a great set up with keyboard, guitar, etc! Definitely come, this place is really neat and is just down the road from the Statue of King Kamehameha! read more

Gill's Lanai - Upstairs patio - Hot Dogs Near Me - Kapaau, Hawaii

We stopped here for lunch after a super fun ATV experience. My kids were eager to get back to our resort, but we promised them the local eats would be way tastier...and we were right. We ordered at the counter and sat down at one of their few tables, although they did mention they had more seating upstairs. My husband and I got the fish tacos, my daughter the fish and chips and my boys hot dogs. My daughter had food envy when she saw my fish tacos so ended up eating one, but the other one was sooo good. And I stole a piece of her fish, which was also super good even if i try to typically stay away from fried foods due to a sensitive stomach. I also stay away from sodas, but the rest of the fam was super excited about soda in glass bottles here as well. I've found during my few trips to Hawaii that the fast casual local restaurants tend to have the best food and this was no exception! read more

This place is Legit! Excellent quality ingredients treated simply with fresh toppings! I was so hungry I didn't get pictures of the food... sorry. The 2 fish taco plate came with a small side of black beans and chips. Honestly.... I didn't need the sides. The fish was incredibly flavorful and tender. Their relish/salsa on top was a sweet heat topping. So Ono! The size was generous. 2 tacos was more than plenty for me. In fact... next time.... I'll just share with my mom. Mom had the tempura battered fish sandwich which came with a huge serving of fries. Husband had the Fresh Catch Bahn Mi sandwich.... Which he said was fantastic. Then we shared the Furikake fries because we didn't realize my mom's would get a huge thing of fries. Thankfully my young cousins were with us and helped us eat it all. Highly recommend the Furikake fries! Ono-licious! Their plain fries are very good too. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Super small place so be patient if you want to sit. Would suggest takeaway if you can. read more

Gill's Lanai - Front / Roadside view - Hot Dogs Near Me - Kapaau, Hawaii

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The food was delicious. The ahi was so refreshing and great in the banh mi. I'd definitely come back here.

This is by far the best restaurant on the island. Food was delicious. The animal fries might be better than In N Out. read more

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Dropped by on the way back from Pololu Valley and wow, what a treat!! Enjoyed a plate of fish tacos and homemade chips along with a root beer float for dessert. Great seating up on the hill. Can't recommend this place enough. read more

The tacos were sublime and the staff couldn't have been friendlier! Highly recommend for anyone within driving distance! read more

Gill's Lanai - Kalua pork tacos - Hot Dogs Near Me - Kapaau, Hawaii

Food is amazing, ambiance is awesome & we love coming by for the live music! Super family friendly & an awesome place for lunch or dinner!

We stumbled upon Gill's Lanai on our drive to the Pololū Valley Lookout--and it ended up being my favorite meal of our entire 10-day Big Island adventure! The fresh catch fish bowl was incredibly fresh and bursting with flavor. And as a family of self-proclaimed French fry connoisseurs, we all agreed: these were the best fries we've ever had. Head upstairs and grab a seat on their beautiful deck while you enjoy your wonderful food! I also want to give a shout out to the friendly staff. Thank you for taking great care of our family of four. read more

We stumbled across this place by accident. We were on our way to a different restaurant but decided to stop here after catching a glimpse of their deck patio. It was a charming place with a nice breeze and helpful staff. We enjoyed the fish & chips and fish sandwich which we both agreed was the best we have ever eaten. The batter was light and crispy and there was a good portion of fish in each bite. Absolutely delicious! read more

Gill's Lanai - Deck patio - Hot Dogs Near Me - Kapaau, Hawaii

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I ordered the three fish tacos plate. These were the best fish tacos I've ever eaten. Service was very friendly and quick. You order your food at the counter and then they bring it up the hill for you. Such a nice place to eat. You can see the beautiful all around you. You must eat here!!!! The cold tea and the ginger drink were also very good! read more

This place did a wonderful job of accommodating my food allergies. actually my allergies were not an issue. wonderful to be at a place that takes care of the people. read more

Gill's just feels great. So glad this little roadside shack caught our eye on the drive to hike the Pololu Valley. We made a mental note and circled back for lunch. VIBES Love the positive vibes here - when the ladies in the kitchen are singing along to the playlist while cooking your food, you know that's gonna be made with love. FOOD Ahi fish tacos are stellar and taste super fresh, as does the admirably chunky fried fish burger. We also indulged in a creamy coconut shake and don't forget the zippy Jun root beer on tap! (Strawberry basil was 86'd already.) MORE VIBES From the upstairs lanai you can tell this place is ready for a great time with the bar and music set-up. There are also clean bathrooms up there. Street parking can be tricky but worth it! read more

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2nd time in 2 weeks eating here and what a joy. The fish tacos are incredibly fresh and flavorful so I just went ahead and got them both times because why not stick with a winning formula? Honestly the salsa that's on them is tangy and is what really makes them. Hubby got fish tacos last time and fish & chips this time but substituted onion rings for the french fries and WOW! Most flavorful onion rings we've probably ever had. The fish was also fresh and battered and cooked just right but the onion rings really put it over the top. Both visits the staff was incredibly friendly and helpful. They have a couple of drinks that are sort of like kombucha but aren't...tonight's flavors were lavender/something & juniper berry. Hubby got juniper berry and really liked it. They were kind enough to let us have tastes before deciding on ordering them. Love the casual side-of-the-road vibe. 100% recommend. read more

Gill's Lanai - Fabulous fish tacos - Hot Dogs Near Me - Kapaau, Hawaii

This place is everything I ever wanted out of a restaurant and more! Our group spontaneously ended up in the area during our vacation in Kona, but we are notoriously hard to please. We have high expectations for food and are always on the lookout for organic, local, and seed oil free places (which for the most part don't exist). When I read the menu out loud in the car everyone thought I was joking... fries cooked in grass fed tallow???? Local wild-caught and pasture raised proteins?? A dream come true This experience made our trip and it's a memory we will never forget. The owner was so friendly and every single thing we tried was amazing..... especially the fish and chips. So light and crispy, not greasy but still decadent. Everything was executed to perfection. Delicious comfort food where you don't have to comprise on quality or feel yucky after So happy we stumbled upon this special little establishment! read more