Love the location. I walk by regularly and the music is soothing and relaxing. I recently tried their malasadas and it's awesome. It's different than others but I love it. Also try their cinnamon stick it awesome. #hawaii #restaurants read more

Nice place good food great atmosphere food is hit or miss super friendly staff music most nights love it

It's well worth the stop for what is probably the best wings in Hawaii. I got excited when I saw Carolina Reaper Wings on the menu and knew I had to stop there. The bar was very friendly, and had a decent split of locals and tourists. The bartender, who was also waiting tables, was kind enough to let me know that they had a new chef that day who was just learning how to make the reaper wings. I ordered a dozen, split between reapers and buffalo. Both set of wings came out pretty damn good, with the reaper wings having a bit more sauce, which always makes me happy. The buffalo sauce had a sweet tang to it. The reapers were smokey and decently spicy, but not crazy (if you enjoy eating raw habaneros). A local at the bar said his reaper wings weren't as spicy as they used to be, so maybe they'll kick it up a notch. My only suggestion would be to turn down the temperature on a fryer a little since the wings seemed a bit overdone. The service and food were still great, and it seemed like a really fun place to hang out at if I were in town longer. read more

Hilo Town Tavern - 6 Carolina Reaper Wings on the left, and 6 Buffalo Wings on the right. - Music Venues Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Six stars for the live Hawaiian music, bar and crowd, two for the chicken wings. We came by around 7pm on a Tuesday and the band was playing a lot of Gabby Pahinui classics with beautiful harmonies and solos. There was also a group of hula dancers from Mexico who happened to be visiting and performed a few songs. The locals were friendly and socialized with us. This is the kind of bar I was looking for all week to have a more local experience. read more

Had wings and salad. Live music. Couples swing dancing. Music has a singer and instruments. Will come back.

BEST WINGS ON BIG ISLAND!!!! Best flavor selections best all around. Great atmosphere great place. Usually friendly bartender, and good music. read more

Been to Hawaii a few times and this is by far the worst food I've had on the islands. It seemed like they microwaved it a few days ago and then microwaved it again today to heat it up. No pog for mixed drinks either. Only use the bathrooms if you have to. read more

The vibe and variety is excellent, lots of great music to be had. The food is magical and taste like a bacon flavored unicorn. The bar itself has the best design out of any in Hilo by far, its got pool tables and an outside area (helpful for us smokers). Part of what makes this place so enjoyable is the owner Issa, he is very personable and makes the bar feel like a home away from home... Go there. Go often. Its a community more than just a bar / restaurant even though Its amazing at those things too. Side note, everyone that works there has a great attitude and is very helpful. read more

This place keeps the nightlife​ alive here in Downtown Hilo. With awesome comedy shows, rock shows, and even Hawaiian​ music, this place keeps the party going. Great venue to take a date when you've got nothing to do and they usually have something going on every night. Food is great. Mondays are open mic nights, so come and share your talents with a receptive crowd. I've been playing there for years and its always fun to try out new songs and just enjoy the scene. Mahalo to the staff for keeping this place rocking. read more

Best drinks ever!!! We got the wings, veggie platter, and house fries and we were set. Everything was delicious.

Great little tavern with good drinks, awesome music and fantastic food. The service is TOP NOTCH! Nani is the absolute best!!!

The food was amazing! The staff were friendly and the bar tender makes a fabulous Long Island.

I love this place. It has an inside bar and outside patio. Both feature live music at different times. Bar is sometimes crowded. The onion straws and poppers are excellent. read more

So, stumbled upon this gem. Great service and atmosphere. Laid back bar night turned into a great Karaoke night. A good mix of local and visitors. Very cool vibe. If you happen to come upon this location, don't miss out! read more

This place is good if you're looking for a nice little dive bar to go drink at but the food is TERRIBLE! Also they had no servers and we had to keep getting up to go order and ask for things we needed. If you're hungry and want a good quick meal this is not the place to eat. I suggest going to Lucy's or Kens pancake house instead. And then going back here if you're wanting to have drinks with the locals. read more

I read (most of) the reviews and don't understand the four-star rating at all. Too many negatives IMO. For one, I hate loud music that keeps you from having a conversation. And, did you see the French fries? Yuck! I live close by (in Papaikou) and eat out frequently. FYI, I've never been here and won't in the future. There are too many really nice places in Hilo to bother going to a dump. read more

This is not a good place to have dinner however the entertainment was great with local Hawaiian musicians and the drinks were strong. The bouncer was very rude to me and the food was not very warm and took a very long time to get out granted it was Friday night. read more

Ive been here quite alot usually i do not have a problem but there is nothing worse than to be in a bar/restaurant and feel ignored. I was going in to have a couple of beers and a cheesburger, as soon as i sat down at the bar the bartender was right there asking what i wanted, i put a $20 down and ordered a beer, she gave me a beer right away took my money and gave me change, the only eye contact she made is when i ordered a beer. I kept trying to catch her eye to order a burger but their was no catching it, plus the place was slowww. I finished my beer and was their for another 5 - 10 minutes to see if an empty glass would catch her eye but no go. So i left and went to burger king. I usually spend $30+ when i go here, i usually end up buying 3 beers or more depending on conversation and i always leave 30% tip. I will probably go back, but I will be looking for another place to go more regularly. read more

This places gives Hilo a much needed atmosphere. From the music to the shows to the artwork, I appreciate their effort. Wife and I have stopped in for beers and food and have always had a pleasant experience. Luv the dark wood bar, open air courtyard and pool tables. read more

A really good mai tai was enjoyed. The music is good in the evening. This has to be one of the better bars in Hilo.

Food not good. No flavor. Horrible service and over priced. Wouldn't recommend to anyone.

Music wasn't worth cover. ATM isn't even working... They won't work with me on paying cover at bar with CC. Place seems to suck anyway if you're from mainland... read more

As a new transplant to Hilo, I've found the Tavern to be a great neighborhood bar with really tasty bar food- the sweet potato fries are addictive! Live music and other random events keep it interesting. Kitchen and bar staff have been more than welcoming and Nick is always friendly, engaging and can make a mean drink. Good vibes and good food! read more

Nice to have a relaxed place to sit down and have a beer and a burger when spending the day in Hilo doing errands or touring. Service was good; food was ok (I had the wings; they were pretty goopy with sweetened sauce, I'd order something plainer next time); beer was cold. But it looks like a bar, smells like a bar, is about as clean as the average bar. Probably wouldn't mind this at night time, but was a little depressing for lunchtime. read more

Jason was the bartender and very welcoming and kind. My wife had a Beaver Bomb shot. The wing s were phenomenal. Was hoping for live music but the karaoke didn't start until 7:00. We will stop by on Tuesday for local Hawaii music! read more

Good place for drinks, not too expensive. Sometimes shady people hang out here week nights. Some food, the nachos were good. ONly place open late in Hilo. read more

Bacon cheese burger was great. Beer was good and cold. Excellent service. Thanks for everything

i love the Chicken Wings in there, so many different marinates. The atmoshpere is also nice. In the evening Life Bands. The waitress just took really long to notice and also to serve. read more

Location- okay. Though I'm sure there are much better views on this side of the island. My drink was pretty good, I had a lychee margarita. I would have loved to see a li hing mui rim on this drink, that would have bumped it up in my book for sure. My husband had a Bloody Mary which he couldn't drink or even keep down because of how much horseradish was put in it. Our food wasn't anything memorable- but our service.... was terrible. I don't know if the server was new? But it was probably the most awkward dining experience any of the three of us has ever had. She literally had to force speaking to us when we left saying have a...um GOOD AFTERNOON (while not looking at anyone). read more

Chill bar. Has the feeling of a local's hangout, but definitely welcoming to all. Really impressed with the attitude and attention of the bartender- Monday afternoon shift. Love the kimchee and wings were tasty. Go there! read more

Great bar in downtown hill that's open until 2 in the morning, has well priced drinks, friendly staff, amazing live music, a beer garden, three table pool hall, and constantly changing local art. Theres something cool happening every day and drink specials that change frequently. The new owner is constantly bettering his business and its a clean and cool spot for everyone to come out and unwind. read more

Hilo Town Tavern - One of the walls where different local artist put up pieces to show off their talent. - Music Venues Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Found this place just driving thru Hilo and needed a drink. Friendly staff. Lots of Kona Brewery beers on tap. The chicken wings are much better than any Buffalo Wild Wings. Come in several different sauces. I great hang out on the other side of the Island. read more

Great food here. Well worth the drive from the kona side. I think they have the best nachos I have ever had. They make the chips there. I had the bacon cheese burger. It was great. Even had a little spam with it. We ate at umekes it was also good but we think hilo town tavern was the best food we had on the island read more

Great wings, great service. Perfect junk food stop. Good pool tables in the back. Stopped here 3 times while in Hilo. The Hawaiian Chili pepper garlic wings are really good read more

Found this place on Yelp and as usual the reviews were on the mark. Excellent food, drinks, service and value. Had the Ono poke special and wife had pulled pork grilled cheese. The fish was fresh and delicious. The pork was flavorful. Good sized portions. Great specialty drinks. We'd love to come back at night for more food and to see the entertainment but our ship sails at 6. Prompt, friendly and helpful service. read more

Hilo Town Tavern - Ono poke - Music Venues Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Last stop in town before heading back home tonight. Wings and sloppy sliders were really good. Daughter said that her hamburger was 6 out of 7 stars. If we're ever back on the island, definitely would be back. read more

We loved this pub food! The fries were fresh and crispy. The wings had flavor galore. We loved the ginger and teriyaki wings. My husband really enjoyed a juicy and delicious steak as well. read more

Great live music, local vibes, friendly folks. Liked the open back patio with stage, covered but still outdoors. Also liked the open art gallery/store and the mural in the patio area. read more

This place has the best beer of any bar in Hilo. It semi-recently changed ownership and the food has taken a turn for the better. So far I've only tried the fish and chips. The portion was a little smaller than I'd hoped but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality. I'm looking forward to trying more of the menu here. read more

I rarely give Hilo bars/nightclubs a decent rating because quite frankly every bar here is meh on overall experience. This is caused by a monopoly on activities to do during the evenings. You can go to a movie, Go get coffee or you can go to a bar. Tavern is such a place although they shine from time to time and fail to shine from time to time. Nowadays this is my first stop shop when I'm in business for bar hopping. The amenities consist of a main indoor bar area complete with a small dance floor, stage and a handful of seating. The outdoor patio area features another bar service area, tented dance floor, stage and additional seating. Also a pool lounge but no darts and food is served during select hours. The food. Ive eaten here only a handful of times. It was nothing wonderful but it was not terrible. Simplified: "not noteworthy" The drinks. I feel ripped sometimes if certain bartenders are working. They have a light touch when it comes to pouring drinks. There are a few bartenders that pour average but i would never go so far as to say they are generous. The mixes and shots and all that are pretty standard in taste quality and they have a select number of beers on tap. The service. Is good for the most part. There is a server here that i do not like or trust. He chargse more than other servers. He also tried to sell my friend a pitcher full of the mat under the guise of a pitcher of beer. He also purposefully gives incorrect change from time to time, be wary. If they are busy the services is terrible. They need to have more than 2 bartenders, they need to take all the barstools away when its that busy because its impossible to order. They have no floating waitress so you must brave the mob to get a drink. Because they are so short handed the servers tend to get snippy. I had one server last night be so flat out unbearable up until i gave her a 8 dollar tip. Its almost like bidding to be served lol. The atmosphere like MVs, is pretty eclectic especial during school seasons. You get a good college following at this bar. You have a fair deal of locals and its not rare to find visitors and business people just passing through. Oh and also Pahoa-aians I don't know how they hitch-hike all the way into town but they sure get here alright. The parking is not as bad as you would think. Downtown Hilo is dead EVERY night after about 7 or 8. there will always be parallel stalls available down the street or angled stalls near the park at the next left. *Saint Patties day bonus review! Heres a little bonus insight into the world of the Hilo Town Tavern on any given Saint Patrick's day. The place is packed pretty tight by about 9pm and of course its a sausage fest ( mostly heterosexual male crowd). It would take you about 15min to get within ordering range unless you are sitting at the bar. I don't know why anybody would want to sit at the bar during a time like this because you would constantly have to deal with people reaching over you shoulder, money and drinks dangling precariously over you. If it were up to me Id say get rid of the barstools keep the traffic flowing. There is no floating waitress so you must go to the bar and get a drink. The waitstaff of 2 is spread so thin you can expect to wait in a line for about 10 - 15 min then get ignored for at least another 5. Don't even think of starting a tab you will not close it till the bar closes. Its that bad. Those poor overworked girls are so understandably unpleasant. Even if you give them a good tip they won't say thanks or even smile a little. If you are lucky the owner (Rhonda Nichols) will barge in drunk, cut in line in front of you and like 3 other people then start pounding on the bar demanding to be served. SERIOUSLY!? you own the fucking bar. If you are weak of bladder or bowels just don't even bother, its a nightmare to go the restrooms. On the plus side it is a decent crowd and the bands are normally fairly good. Maybe one day you will see me and my band Rocking it out on Saint Patties! read more