Went to HBC last September for business. I had the Traditional Chirashizushi $32 and my client had the Fresh Catch and Chips $20 and a glass of cab $10. I think the prices for the. Food went up by $5 each due to inflation. My chirashi was decent. Fresh and plentiful. Some side dishes would have been good. The menu is quite extensive at this restaurant. Beautiful views and lots of parking. Service was very good. read more

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Love this place! Stopped by for a couple of quick drinks before heading to the airport. Bartenders were so friendly and fun, I felt comfortable because of their kind service. The view is absolutely gorgeous. Interior is nicely decorated. I felt very fancy enjoying some of their specialty cocktails. I liked the Hibiscus and the Pineapple Express! I prefer sweet/fruity alcoholic beverages and these were perfect for me. There's lots of parking all around, you can enter with the stairs or in the back parking lot there is an elevator too. I can't wait to come back again and try more of their beverages. Hopefully next time I visit, I'll have more time to try some food too. read more

Hilo Bay Cafe - Speciality cocktail: hibiscus - New American Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Great service Great food everything was perfect Will go again when on Hilo Very clean inside read more

Veggie Pot Pie - da bomb! Always good food and service. Great location. Lovely view of bay

I would have to agree with 3.9 star rating. The view is very nice as is the restaurant. The food here is very good and reasonably priced. The sushi needs some polishing. Service is good. Nice place to hang out and have brunch. We have yet to try the dinner menu, looking forward to it. read more

Ordered the fried chicken which came on cornbread in the cast iron skillet with the sweet heat pickles. Very, very good! I can't remember what everyone else at my table ordered but we all enjoyed our food & drinks. Great spot in Hilo, def recommend! read more

We truly enjoyed this dining experience and I feel like it's been hit or miss...but this was a HIT! Service was on point this time and food was AMAZING! We had onion soup. Beet salad, duck breast, fried chicken, ribs, and sushi...oh yah, AND DESSERT! Special of the night (and highlight) was the strawberry mascarpone shortcake with basil and liliko'i drizzle...kids fish was ALOT OF YUMMY TOO read more

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I took my husband here for his birthday. This was his first time, he is a professional sous chef for one of the islands best restaurants. From the seasoned popcorn that was waiting for us before we took our seats, through the appetizers, main course and dessert, he was very impressed. I was afraid he wouldn't like one of his dishes because he's so particular but he loved everything. For our appetizers we ordered the warm bread du jour with balsamic olive oil & clam chowder We also ordered drinks, I ordered the ty spritzer, very sweet but tasty. & my husband ordered a flight of beer. We ordered the same main dish, the angus rib-eye. Which was seasoned well, the side veggies & starch were also seasoned well. Lastly we split a mud pie that was so delicious. The torte was perfect & not over done. & our server included a candle as we were celebrating my husbands birthday. On top of the great food Ayeshah was a great server & the atmosphere was clean and spacious. We are definitely coming back read more

Hilo Bay Cafe - New American Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Expensive but very good. Amazing waitstaff and a really good menu. Super good sushi too. No tofu tho. Always ask for a table on the lanai for a view of Hilo Bay and the volcanos. Poppy was our very good waiter. Love the ambiance here. read more

I never even ate here, but won't be back after being ignored and treated with disdain because they were between shifts. I stood in the lobby for about 5 minutes before this young woman said they weren't serving until 5pm. Just not a very friendly atmosphere. It would have been helpful to know on their yelp page that they shut down at 3pm to change over for dinner service at 5pm. Even though it seemed nice, had a view, just the way I was treated will keep me from returning during any business hours. read more

Reservations are recommended. Try to book the lānai for the beautiful ocean view. The outside and inside is simply decorated which gives off a nice aesthetic to the place. Ample parking. Keep in mind, you have to walk up about three flights of stairs to the restaurant. If your not able to walk up the stairs, they do have an elevator. I would check with the restaurant though to make sure it's working. I've never seen anyone use it before, so I'm not sure if it's actually in service. I've been here a couple of times and thought some food menu items was okay while others were super 'ono. Service is slow at times when busy, but the staff was nice and knowledgeable about the menu. In my opinion, the specialty sushi rolls are not the best. Try to stick to the nigiri sushi. My husband loved the tamago nigiri. This time, I got the kalbi cheesesteak with fries and I thought it was pretty good. One time, I had the french onion soup appetizer and that was pretty good as well. My mother in law orders the crab cake salad all the time when she comes for lunch. Just be prepared to take your time at this place as they are a little slow paced. The view made it all worth it, so soothing and relaxing. read more

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This is a really cool restaurant. The seating on the patio has great views. All the food we ordered was executed well. Service was acceptable. Kid friendly. Free parking onsite. Definitely worth checking out. read more

We decided to give HBC that second chance, and boy am I glad we did! First, our server Zoie was fantastic. She was friendly and informative, she came by often, but not too often (you know what I mean) and every item we ordered was right and delicious and hot and just right. All four shared several apps and each had different mains and they were all perfect. HBC would get 5 stars except that drinks other than water arrived at the table with a straw in them. It's a pet peeve of mine, and it automatically takes away that fifth star. But we'll definitely be back. It's nice to have another good restaurant to which we can bring visitors. read more

Food- Poor. We've gone there since they opened. We used to go when it was Restaurant Nihon. Their menu has been becoming progressively more mediocre. Was good 7 or 8 years ago but it hasn't really changed. Their entrees taste like they came out of the freezer then cook in a plastic baggie in a microwave. The crab cakes are good. Forget the rest of the menu. Btw, without notice they have dropped sushi which was the savior of their otherwise poor menu. With that gone, Hilo Bay Cafe has become something of a rip off. Seriously. This is an honest review. Service- Poor to Mediocre. At one point I nearly yelled to get the waitress's attention and it didn't work. She continued on by. Had to ask for water refills. Toward the end of our meal, we hadn't seen anyone in the room we were in since the food came. No one. This aspect was especially poor in consideration of the next element of this review. Atmosphere- Terrible. We were seated indoors in the room that has booths in the lower side and a large table in the upper area. There was a group that may have been having a baby shower or something. About 8 or 9 women who behaved like inconsiderate children. They had finished their meal then carried on dragging chairs around loudly, taking pictures and talked/laughed loudly for about 40 minutes which went on from before we got our food all the way until we were finished. Needless to say, the nice birthday dinner we had hoped for was completely ruined. When I raised the issue with the waitress, she simply said that there is no time limit for people to leave. She asked if I wanted to speak with the manager. I said yes. The manager, while somewhat apologetic, offered no acceptable response. She offered to put a code next to my name in their system to say not to put us next to large parties. I questioned why I would need a code next to my name for this restaurant to consider their patrons. Their job is to ensure a positive experience for their guest regardless of some kind of silly "code" which was a lame offering to placate an unhappy customer. Summary- It all added up to a poor to terrible experience and a tip commensurate with that experience. Sayonara, Hilo Bay Cafe. We'll await your closing and will try the new restaurant that takes your place. Shouldn't be long. read more

We come to visit my brother very often and always stop here for lunch. We like to eat at their long bar because it has an awesome bay water view. They have fantastic sushi and very healthy minded menu! I had the crab cake salad today and hubby had their twist on a hot pastrami sandwich.it's has very friendly sta read more

Hilo Bay Cafe - Crab cake salad with fried wontons - New American Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Great drinks, great raw fish options, and many other unique dishes on the menu. The staff member working with us was kind, attentive, and helpful. Ambiance and decor inside the restaurant are beautiful as well. Outdoor seating on a covered balcony is also offered. Would recommend trying it! read more

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If you're looking for a meal on this side of town I would certainly recommend! Great service, kind staff, delicious food and even had vegan options! Great location :) give it a go! read more

We happened to visit Hilo Bay on a sunny Saturday morning for brunch. The views are spectacular of the bay and the mountains! It is so lush and green around it. The food was fantastic! We ordered poke, tataki, fish and chips and some cocktails. The tataki salad was so fresh and the fish was fresh. The poke was the best of all the ones we have had in last 12 days in Hawai'i. The cocktails were innovative and service very friendly. Highly recommended! And our server Cayenne was excellent as well! read more

Hilo Bay Cafe - Poke - New American Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Service is great, ambiance is amazing as are the cocktails. The food is good, but a little pricey.

We love everything about this place. On this last visit, I had made a reservation (party of 2) and we were seated promptly at a table with a view of beautiful Hilo Bay, as I requested. Everyone we encountered was friendly and went out of their way to make us feel comfortable and welcome. Husband's french onion soup and fresh catch/fries/salad was excellent and the fries were nice & dark, just the way we like them ... (notice "we"). My lime/coconut drink, peppered beef carpaccio, and chicken pot pie/salad were all excellent. My only regret was that there was no room for dessert because it all sounded so good. As we were leaving, the hostess made sure to ask if everything was okay and to thank us. One of our favorite places. read more

We were looking for a nice restaurant and saw this one on Yelp and we tried and had a great night. The atmosphere was good. It is always full, so better if you book a table if you don't want to wait. We wanted to be sited inside so we didn't have to wait much, around 10 min. The waitress help us with the menu and we ordered Edamame, hand cut fries (the portion was huge), and 3 different rolls californian twist rool, kilauea and makai. Although it isn't the best place were I have tried sushi, the food was great. Our favorite roll was the kilauea roll. The fries were fresh and hand cut and the dip was nice. Also the edamame were different, chilled with garlic and sesame and the combination was great, not the conventional stuff. read more

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Came in with 2 adults, 2 kids and the lady at the reception asked if "our party was all over 21". I said: "yes and we are with 2 kids". She said: "ah I'm sorry we are fully booked." Might as well have said sorry we don't accept kids here instead of just lying in my face. So I guess if you have kids do yourself a favor and don't eat there - they just discriminate who you are and who you are coming with. read more

It's very busy here, it's best to make a reservation in advance, the food and service are excellent, highly recommended. read more

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Cool upscale-vibe place that is on the bay though there is a large yard between the restaurant and water that fishermen and others use as a picnic spot. Friendly service and plenty of parking. We arrived early for our reservation but they weren't able to accommodate us much before - there is a small but nice waiting area that we could have taken a drink to had we desired. We had a fun moment with our server when our son sent a fork careening off the edge of the balcony, leaving us mortified, and she admitted to accidentally losing a lava cake over the same edge! One of a few authentic moments with a server on this trip. We enjoyed the bread and balsamic vinegar, Brussel sprouts and mushrooms (cooked fairly well, just a little bite to them), ahi rolls served with wasabi and soy, buttermilk fried chicken with a nice little rice and perfectly blanched green beans, cast iron cauliflower gratin (bland, and the cauliflower was a bit too underdone) and the mushroom pot pie (tasty, but the pastry didn't stand up to the rest of it). The food was good but it didn't stand out like you would expect given the prices at some of these mainly locally-sourced establishments. There's just something missing and I can't put my finger on it. I'll go ahead and note that I'm starting to think we are spoiled as it relates to the food scene back home! The restaurant scene is also teaching me a bit about Hawaiian culture and what it's like to live here as it relates to the food chain! read more

Food was delicious. Service is as a little slow but very friendly. It really is a great restaurant. Will go back.

If you're looking for a classy place to eat with a spectacular view I suggest Hilo Bay Cafe. The service was phenomenal and the gorgeous panoramic view of Hilo bay is picture perfect. The food was yummy, the sushi was good but not my favorite, the potato salad was delicious!!!!!!! read more

Hilo Bay Cafe - Quinoa veggie burger! Peep that potato salad!!! - New American Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Their sushi menu is amazing.. quality and just like in Japan..lots of fish and small rice. Good menu for a mixed crowd, salads, entrees and drinks will keep everyone happy! read more

Just one word, wow! Usually food places in Hilo don't really impress me, but this place was top notch. The atmosphere was modern and the food was delicious, comparable to places on Oahu like Roys (in my opinion). Our party ordered several platters of sushi. My hubby cannot eat seafood so he ordered the vegan warabi sushi and pork belly sushi. My parents ordered the soft shell sushi. All three selections was yummy and hubby was very happy to eat sushi that was non-seafood and tasted good. I ordered the crab cake salad as my entree, mom and hubby ordered the prime rib and dad ordered the Mediterranean chicken. My crab cake salad was so ono. The cakes was meaty with real crab meat. The salad's dressing was oriental with large won ton chips layered between fresh salad greens. My hubby said his prime rib was really good, flavorful and soft. My mom said it was one of the best steaks she ever ate. My dad must've liked his chicken, for he didn't talk while he ate. His piece of chicken was huge and said it was really good. We finished our dinner sharing the confection platter, a trio of petit fours, chocolate tart and strawberry shortcake. Service was impeccable, our server was friendly and engaging and our waters were constantly refilled. Will visit again next time we are town. read more

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Found this place based on yelp reviews and SO glad we went. Service was incredible, our waitress was super sweet, definitely kid friendly and checked on us the perfect amount. Quinoa burger was delicious, just messy. The Brussels sprouts YUM, you NEED to try them, and I absolutely loved my hummus salad - a surprisingly delicious vegan meal that was fresh and wonderful. Gosh and chips were awesome according to the two in our party that had them. Five star for everything EXCEPT, and this is a big except. And if dinner and service hadn't been so good I would have knocked down 2 stars due to desert. 5 of the 8 left after dinner and one of us ordered the chocolate chip cookie desert. 45 mins later and we are still waiting, so I pay the bill and ask for it to be packed up to go instead of bringing it to the table. I take my baby down and put him in the car with me. Ten minutes later, the other person came down with their cookie and ice cream boxed up. As soon as they get in the car I said - I smell something burned. She opened up her to go box and the cookie is straight up black and charred. I am really bummed it took us an hour to get one desert and it ends up completely inedible so we wasted not only our time but also our money. Make a reservation, try the hibiscus drink and the trade winds drink, Brussels sprouts and mushrooms (even if you don't like mushrooms, trust me on this) and hummus. But skip desert. Unless you have a lot of extra time and time on top of that for them to remake your cookie. And if you have them pack it up to go, check your food before you leave. read more

Hilo Bay Cafe - Drink menu - New American Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Food delicious. Enjoyed the exceptional "Oxtail soup", out of this world. Don't think it's available every day but worth checking. The other dishes delicious as well. Service efficient, owner present and visited our party. Pleasing us highly. Ambiance slightly less than ideal as expected for busy crowded older business. read more

They will not guarantee your reservation. If you are planning a special night this is not the place to go. We made reservations by phone two weeks ago and asked to be seated outside for our special occasion. When we arrived we were given the smallest table in the back room while there were two outside tables unoccupied. We inquired about those tables and were told they were reserved. When we asked why one hadn't been reserved they claimed that because they take reservations online that sometimes they're system overbooks and could not give us further reason as to why those tables were being held for someone other than us. Even though we were there in the restaurant they said they needed to hold the table for patrons who had not arrived yet. They barely offered an apology after acknowledging that they were in error. When we finally chose to leave they said that they hoped we'd come back again. WHY WOULD WE? read more

Went Saturday eve. Last night they served sushi. They are losing 4 chiefs. About 6 months ago we went and the meals were served at different times. One was never served. We were told kitchen had a new crew. The food was half as good as it had been first past 2 years. Seems like they are having a staff problem. Last night we ended our so-so meal with some sort of strawberry lemonade sorbet. Horrible! Tasted like chemical. Hey guys throw this one in the trash. Get it together with your staff. Going down hill. read more

If I could give 10 stars, I would. This is the best meal we've had in a long time. And we've NEVER had such a good meal at such an affordable price point. 10/10 creativity 10/10 flavor 10/10 presentation 10/10 wait staff 10/10 decor/ambiance (AND we sat at the bar!) We had many dishes including: - Parmesan Custard (tomato and eggplant chunks topped with parmesan cream cheese custard accompanied by tomato and pesto sauce and wedges of warm bread. The bread was perfectly crusty in the outside and soft on the inside. The creamy custard was shaped into a perfect cylinder atop the eggplant chunks. Altogether: amazing) - tiger roll (perfectly crunchy) - grilled shishito peppers side (charred to perfection) - grilled broccolini side (beautiful smokiness) - lychee-lavender margherita (delicately balanced) - cast iron macadamia cookie + ice cream (really more of a fresh made cake ) Compliments to the chef, Joshua, and our amazing bartender and waiter Cat. All of the staff was incredibly courteous and kind. read more

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Service, attentiveness and food quality has definitely gone down lately since we've been eating here over the last 4 years. We were seated in the hot sun with a baby with little regard to finding a solution after politely asking. One of us had to get up twice to find napkins while the hostesses were just talking amongst themselves. Unfriendly server. Seemed understaffed for servers yet so many employees standing around talking. No one cleared dishes, they just kept piling up. Not a fine dining establishment. Management needs to step in on this one. Used to be our favorite place and we'd recommend so many guests here, but this will probably be our last visit. read more

The setting was nice, next time I will request a table on the lanai. The food was good as well as the service. The ambiance was definitely not stuffy but nice. I would eat there again. read more

The food was hit or miss. My folks liked their dishes and were happy. I had the miso butterfish salad. There was probably about one oz of fish in it. Very disappointing. The waitress was awful. I'm not sure if she was having a bad day or her ear stretchers were too tight but she had an attitude. It kind of ruined our night. That's a bit of cash to spend too have a bad night. read more

Food was great and reasonably priced. The service was great and the view of Hilo Bay was nice too

HBC has never disappointed us. Whatever we ordered to eat tasted amazing!! Staff was awesome, especially Sushi Chef Roy and his crew with him. Looking forward to our next visit! read more

Ambience was good/relaxing. Service was good. However, server could have been more knowledgeable on food. I asked a question regarding their Chirazushi and all I got was "a big poke bowl." It was not a big poke bowl. Food was okay. Others in my party had the ginger chicken which was super dry. And food took a very long time. read more

The atmosphere and view here was definitely worth it! I made a last minute reservation for a little birthday dinner. Originally tried somewhere else in the area however that fell through. However everything happens for a reason. I enjoyed this place. I walked in told them I didn't have a reservation because I didn't think my reservation submitted. However it did, they got us seated shortly after at a great table, on the patio, overlooking the bay. I wanted to try every handcrafted cocktail which they had. They all sounded so good. I got the chance to try 3 of them. All amazing! The food was good as well. I found this place was a little pricier for the Bay Area... assuming you are paying for the atmosphere. The table service was a little on the slow side for sure. They have a few kinks they need to work out. The severs didn't seem to have much personality and their facial expressions more so looked like they weren't happy with their job. read more

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