Great cocktails quick service. Food service was fast as well. Music was pleasant background enjoyment

What to say about one of the oldest and most respected restaurants here in Kona? It, along with the Kona Inn are places embedded deeply in the history and memories of people that grew up here and have come here for special occasions for multiple generations. I am happy to share that it remains a classic and unique experience for locals and visitors alike. Last night we decided to go since we were celebrating a friend's recovery from open heart surgery at Queens six weeks earlier and even though it was the July Fourth holiday weekend we had an excellent meal. Seated next to the crashing surf with a sweeping view of Kailua Bay we enjoyed cocktails as the sun slowly set. We were fortunate to be taken care of by Joe, who as it turned out had worked there 17 years and he made some good suggestions. The sizzling mushrooms were a delight. My wife had the lamb shank, and I had the pork chop. Both were amazingly tender and tasty. Our friends had the signature Teriyaki steak and pasta with Kauai prawns and ended up wishing they'd had ours. The signature steak has great flavor but flank steak is not as good as a ribeye grilled at my place, or so they told me. They are somewhat spoiled. ): But we all had a great time and were especially pleased with Joe as we went down memory lane and caught up on mutual friends. We're grateful that Eric and his team have kept this and the other restaurants they own top notch. Also well worth noting is that its employee ownership program ensures the legacy of quality will continue. Parking here is a challenge but there's free validated parking and then if you don't mind a bit of a walk there are other options. I forgot to ask about parking as we parked and walked this time because the lot was full but that's not surprising given it was a holiday weekend. Mahalo. read more

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Came in with no reservations but they had plenty of seating. Lovely live music and a beautiful view. But food is very bland for the price range. Food 1/5 E Ku'u Aloha "My Love" $16 - Yummy cocktail. Clam Chowder - Lack flavor, didn't do it for us. Poke - Expensive and just okay, nothing special. Taro chips were really the main seller for me. Garlic Shrimp - Expensive for nothing special. I can't believe this is as best as the dish comes. Service 2/5 We waited a while before our order was taken, service overall was really slow. Our server seemed a bit defeated, I think he was exhausted and I felt kind of bad for him. For my birthday they gave me a nice little cheesecake. Ambiance 5/5 It was already dark when we dined it but the view was nonetheless peaceful and gorgeous. We sat near the ledge and listened to the waves hit the rocks. read more

Huggo's Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Came last month with a friend who was in town visiting and enjoyed our experience! Wouldn't say it was the best dinner we've had but it was good for Kona. Service was great, sunset view is excellent but does get a bit warm. Food is pricey for what you get. Sesame crusted ahi was good, probably wouldn't get again. My friend had the seared Kahakai which she said was good but wasn't impressed. All in all, 5 stars for ambience, maybe 3-4 stars for food. read more

Huggo's Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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Great place to for ocean front dining. Service is excellent. Food is okay but I would to try the other items. Glad they provide 2 hours of validated parking. read more

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Fantastic seats right on the water, just before sunset. Our server Katie was fantastic. The meal was amazing! Great fish, great steak, great dessert! Must do in Kona! read more

Huggo's Restaurant - New York Steak - Seafood Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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We have walked past Huggo's so many times, but have never ventured in, and doing that (walking past) was a mistake. We got delayed by the airline (two days in a row), so they put us next door and we ended up with two back to back so long to Hawaii dinner. The place is definitely upscale, but it is also right on the water by the heart of Kona, so you don't have to dress up, but if you want to, you won't feel out of place. I had the lamb shank one day and the seared ahi the next, and both were great. The girls liked what they had both nights, and cocktails are good, with the same (basic) options that you might find at the sister restaurants On the Rocks or Kia. The location is very pretty, wide open to the ocean with great expansive views and lots of wood in the construction. It is definitely going to be on the option for any time I want a "nice" restaurant on the big Island. Prices are a bit higher, but considering the elevated cost for even mediocre food, it isn't all that expensive. read more

Huggo's Restaurant - Lamb shank - Seafood Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Came to this restaurant on a whim...glad we did. I walked in and noticed that there was a huge wait...which to me means good food. The location is right on the water and a perfect place to watch the sunset and have a drink or have a beautiful dinner. The drinks are tasty and the food was good, fresh and enough to fill you up. read more

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Had a reservation for 8:30 on a Wednesday night. Was easy to make and change reservation but recommend doing in advance to make sure you get the time you would like. Sunset would be great here. Lovely atmosphere right on the water, beautiful at night and I'm sure more so during the day. Open air. Food was great. I am not a steak person, however the signature teriyaki steak was great and I highly recommend. My one complaint was the service, it was a little slow. We ordered a virgin pina colada and it sat on the bar for a while which caused some the ice to melt. They also give out bread which is a nice touch. The bread was tasty. I also wasn't a huge fan on the bamboo rice, I think I would prefer white rice. read more

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AMAZING!! Our server was Joe and he was wonderful, very welcoming, helped us pick what drink on the menu and had wonderful choices. The pork chops were life changing, tasted amazing i recommend ordering. The desert we had was the coconut and the cake, the cake is MASSIVE, but is so delicious as is the coconut i would recommend both, but id also recommend order the cake if you want to share. The lighting, vibe, and feel of this restaurant is phenomenal. The waves crashing next to you and a live performer singing is very relaxing. I recommend sitting by the ocean so you can watch the crabs and fish it's entertaining. Would come here again!! read more

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Our first restaurant experience on the island yesterday-- tried to make a reservation on OpenTable, which said they're walk in only-- walked in to find that we needed to reserve on OpenTable (???); there was also no one picking up our call to reserve. Either way, we took our chances and came in without one-- pretty stoked with the beautiful view the restaurant provides. We were placed on the waiting list and sat at the bar, our order was taken by one of the two bartenders, who kept running back to a large party on the floor to serve their table. When she'd come back to the bar, I asked if she was our bartender in hopes the air could be cleared as it seemed she wasn't tending to bar.. She said she was and continued on ignoring us completely long after she took our order. Wasn't communicating needing any help to her fellow bartender, who I eventually flagged down to help us (this is a half hour in). He was also not putting two and two together/we were not on his radar.. Y'all, their bar is not huge. Our appetizer arrived, no silverware in sight (no water, no drinks, nada lol). Sat another 5 mins waiting before we flagged the guy down for help. My mocktail order was a basic 2 ingredient drink-- finished with club soda.. Ended up with sprite. Ok! I was glad to receive a glass at all. The appetizer was local ripened tomato and Maui onion salad-- though it ended up being our favorite dish of the eve, there was barely any dressing, the mozzarella was not fresh as described on the menu-- it was quite grainy. Fennel was a great touch in there tho. We were eventually moved to a table-- where we proceeded to wait another 20 minutes for a server to approach us. There was so little awareness around us, I asked a server who passed us 56x if she knew who our server was. Out of a black hole came out our server, and proceeded to take our order like we'd just been sat. ***deep sigh*** I work in restaurants, I know I can get critical and wanted to just enjoy the rest of the eve-- we came there for a celebration after all. I got their Grilled Heirloom tomato and my partner got their curry pasta-- my tomato was cooked in some parts, raw in others, the shrimp I requested to add on were so salty I couldn't eat them. The vegetables were rubbery, the mashed potato's were dope; but by then my mouth had been so salted out that any salt in the potatoes was too much; plant protein it came with was also dry. I realllllly wanted to like it. Turned to my partner to check on his dish, he's not hard to please (he'd happy with chewing on a microwavable frozen meal) to find he was having a hard time getting through his curry pasta. The runner that was scheduled that night was the kindest, more communicative mofo I've ever met. I wish I got his name; every dish he dropped at every table around us, he did so warmly, informatively, communicating wait times, THESE THINGS MATTTTTER! They did drop a complimentary white bean dip with seedy crackers which was the star of the table. Holy shit it was delicious (I did have to add a fu*k-ton of salt there). At this point, I didn't bother speaking up about the food being bad to our server-- the fact that we barely touched our dishes didn't raise any flags for her-- and I was done feeling like anyone cared (except for the food runner at this point). We were just ready to go home. This would've been a 1 star review had it not been for said runner + Heidi, a host up front who was super helpful and informative about their parking lot on our way out. It was heartwarming. Listen, I don't know if everyone was having a shit day.. but we felt like we did not matter to anyone to pay mind to. If you're celebrating a big event (honeymoon, anniversary, birthday)-- I strongly suggest you do not take your chances here. The view was breathtaking.. that's it. read more

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Arrived in time to catch happy hour that ends at 6pm. Limited bar seating but has a great ocean view. It's an upscale version of Huggos on the rocks. Tried the pualani and it was refreshing where the bartender only used lychee juice as I didn't want it too sweet. Will have to come back and try the other cocktails and food read more

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The food was delicious not fantastic for the price. But the sunset was lovely. Marley was a great waitress, and the drinks were good. read more

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Place was right next to our hotel so barely any walk to it. The restaurant overlooks Pacific Ocean so sunset views here would be a good idea. Their indoor seating is very boho style and very cool. We just stopped here for the drinks which looked super cool too. read more

Huggo's Restaurant - Cocktails - Seafood Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

We had an excellent meal at Huggo's this evening. Michelle was our server, and she was awesome. They bring out a very generous basket of a focaccia type bread and some savory crachers with two spreads. We ordered Longboard beers and the sizzling mushroom skillet to share. We each had a pasta entree. Mine was the capellini, and I opted for the half portion, which was still quite a lot. It was loaded with shrimp. My husband ordered a larger serving of the other pasta with calamari. It was so huge he had trouble finishing it. It was our 25th anniversary celebration, so we enjoyed a special dessert. Their Kona Lime Pie was about the best lime pie I have had anywhere, and I am a big fan of key lime pie in any variation. Be sure to include this place on your list of must visit places in Kona. read more

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We were at "On The Rocks" venue yesterday and weren't too happy. So today we ended up at Hugo's Restaurant and had a different experience. 5 stars for the venue. The venue was nicely decorated, and the view was fantastic at sunset. 5 stars for service. Our server, Hana, was super passionate about his work. He knew his stuff, and thank you for your work. 3 stars for their drinks. What happened? Yesterday's drinks next door, which is owned by the same knucklehead, were half the serving size. That sucks, that we come back for seconds for 1/2 the size that we paid yesterday. I felt cheated ans this ruined the entire experience! 5 Dessert; the dessert was amazing, just like yesterday. 5 Stars for entertainment. Amazing entertainment! A single musician but played like he was in a 5-person band. Love your music!! read more

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Had a wonderful experience at Huggo's when celebrating my birthday. The food and service was exceptional, from the Poke tower to their signature teriyaki steak. I'd highly recommend both. Our server, Hana (sp?) was amazing. He gave us great advise on the specials, menu items, and had the expertise/experience to help the bar staff make the perfect Vesper martini -- hard to find. Everything was topped off with a beautiful sunset. read more

Huggo's Restaurant - Sunset from Huggo's - Seafood Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Mahi Mahi fish & chips to die for, light panko coating. Delish coconut slaw, waffle sweet potato fries, oh my!!! Been there twice already read more

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Huggo's was a beautiful restaurant to eat at and celebrate my parents 30th anniversary. The views were spectacular all around. Our server was very friendly and attentive with getting our drinks and food out in a timely manner. We started off with the house bread basket and sizzling mushrooms. The cocktails were delicious! I ordered the grilled spicy mahi mahi with sweet potatoes. It was tasty but definitely spicy. I also tried my husband's lamb chops which were cooked perfectly. Everyone enjoyed their dishes as well as the stunning views! I regret not getting dessert but next time! Highly recommend for a romantic date night or family celebration! read more

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Huggo's went above and beyond to make our dining experience special. We were celebrating a special occasion and Marley, our server, made it extra special. She was very attentive to our table, was patient with all our questions, and had our orders to us quickly. The view from every seat was amazing. Right on the water and there was also live music. We were lucky to get a table, as it was a popular location. The food was also amazing. I ordered the mahi-mahi and it was perfectly prepared and was so delicious! The drinks were also really well made and tasty! I ordered the Gilligan's island inspired drink and was not disappointed. I would highly recommend this place for a romantic dinner and will definitely be back! read more

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Brunch on Sunday 11am.. beautiful seating Oceanside. No special brunch menu but good food. Recommend by a local and others. Mahi mahi fish tacos are delicious with a tasty coconut slaw, which I also had as my side but fries are an option too. The seafood chowder served in a sourdough bowl was mild, super creamy and packed with seafood. Well cooked. We enjoyed this spot! Music at night and there's a larger restaurant at night open at 5 a bit upper scale but your Hawaiian shirt is fine! The bar and outdoor seating is great as well. I really wanted to try the kahlua pork quesadillas but fish tacos won the battle. The food at the bar /outside is prepared in a food truck and served in bamboo steamers the Hawai'i vibe is all over. Pay to park will hit you as finding a free parking spot will be blocks away. Be prepared to pay by the hour for parking ($15-17 2 hr block) and confirm on App or with hostess that you are in the restaurant, little lot and a some paid spots out front if you can get them. read more

Stopped in for a cocktail, light bite, and dessert. Staff was really nice. We were asked if we wanted to be seated inside or outside. We chose outside. Great views! Although looked like great views from inside as well. My cocktail was amazing! Ube limeade and it was really pretty too! Had the FRITTO MISTOO which was Calamari, Argentinian Red Shrimp, Artichokes with Chipotle Aioli, Jim Jaew Sauce. It was really good! Excellent service. Definitely would order again. Dessert was key lime pie. I hate to say it but it looked way better than it tasted. It was also really a really pretty dessert. It really lacking on lime/tartness. It was creamy just the right texture, just lack of flavor on the key lime pie, everything was great. Would definitely comeback to try other menu items and another Ube limeade! Great cocktail menu. I'm just not a fan of Mai Tai but I heard they have an award winning Mai Tai. Parking can be a challenge. Get there early to find parking which they will validate. Street parking also an option. read more

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This spot is always a hit, and it's probably one of the best places to hang out in downtown Kona. It's right on the beach, and the service is always top-notch, along with the food. They also have a fantastic Happy Hour where you can soak in the sunset. Plus, they usually have live music, so you might want to check it out. I've been coming here for over 20 years, and it's still my go-to favorite. read more

Walked in on Wednesday around 4:50pm Hostess (tall blonde) ask if we had a reservation and we said no she said we don't have any tables (all tables were empty but 2) but she will see were the "other walk- ins" were seated and said they could sit us in the sun, we said no then she found a table that was partially in the shade and you can only stay 2.5 hours (only wanted it for an hour) so we took it but it was still in the sun, she said we could lower the shade but it was electric and no one lowered it, so we left. She made us feel like lower class citizens. She needs to take a class on restaurant service etiquette. So we went next door to Huggo's on the Rocks and were immediately seated at a shaded table. We had an great time except for the beer was a at room tempature not ice cold like it should have been but the waiter was great. read more

All I can say is wow! What a magical way to end our anniversary vacation by having our last dinner of the trip here. We made reservations a couple of weeks ahead for Wednesday @5:30pm in order to hopefully get a sunset. Not only did Mother Nature not disappoint but the Hawaiian spirits were smiling on us at the end of the meal...a majestic manta ray came to visit ...Atmosphere = 10+ Food: 9. There's a reason why the Teriyaki Steak has been on the menu since 1969. At medium rare, the meat was very tender and the sauce w/ a hint of sweetness matched well. The rice was fluffy and moist. Service: 10 (Thanks Marley!) read more

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Craft cocktails, amazing sunset views and everything we ordered was really good! The sunset alone is worth the reservation! Good service, good view, and good food! read more

Food was sub par and very expensive. Do yourself a favor, buy 2 rib eye at the nearest grocers and grill them at your condo, home, or place of stay if you can. The best thing here was the sunset view but it wasn't worth the $350 cost of a 2 person meal that you can make yourself for less than $50. Dining outside is very hot and uncomfortable, so if you like to sweat this is the place. Lots of bugs and feral cats at your feet while you dine. Also, they are not great at refilling water. We are all about supporting local, but this place is t worth the cost. It had good reviews on Facebook, YouTube, and other places but now having dined there, think it must have been the owners and their family that gave it rave reviews. Steer clear and try something better. read more

Unfortunately leaving this review is not what I wanted to do.. We had a reservation at 5 pm on Wednesday March 11. We arrived at 4:56 pm. We were supposed to be a party of 4 but our other family members couldn't come. We checked in with the host and told him the above. He said that's fine go have a seat and come back at 5 to check in?? Wtf? Ummm ok. There were several empty tables that we could see. A party of 4 came in right after we sat out front and were seated Asap. You can't tell me they had a reservation at 4:57 pm. So we chose to go sit at another restaurant who welcomed us without an issue. At 5:34 the rude snarky host called and wanted to know where we were? I explained due to his behavior we chose to spend our money elsewhere. I hate pretentious restaurants that think we owe them to dine there. Never again! Fish hopper received our business that night and they were great! read more

One of the island's nicest restaurant to chase the sunset and sip cocktails with oceanfront views. Parking is nuts unless you happen to stay nearby and walk. Hospitality is simply an opportunity to show love and care. Servers are greeting customers with kindness and very welcoming, helpful but not intrusive. Food service was a bit slow on the Sunday evening we dined but the food was wonderful. I had the aged ribeye steak while the babe had the catch of the day. The cocktails are a nice variety of choices, particularly the ones with white rum are our favorite. The live entertainment entices you to stay longer and have some hulalalai ice cream pai or key lime pie. While it is always busy here, you can get seating relatively easy. Huggo's knows that if you do good it matters because it gets noticed.Thanks for being part of our vacation. read more

Huggo's Restaurant - Take a vacation each day until you return to the Big Island and Huggo's. - Seafood Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

The service was phenomenal. We loved our server. The food was incredible as well, worth the money. Family friendly spot overall but only two options for food for kiddos.. read more

Huggo's Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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Came here with my family, party of 5. Shared the Ribeye and a salad with my husband. Food and drinks were decent. I enjoyed the atmosphere. Server was nice but took awhile to get food. read more

Lovely experience. Beautiful views of the ocean. Attentive staff & lovely ambiance. Cute cat to pet and lower stress levels. Fritto misto was delectable ! I'm quite picky when it comes to calamari but the shrimp was cooked PERFECTLY it melted in my mouth. Dreaming of this I ordered the New York steak and it was cooked perfectly to my liking. All the accompanying sides were delicious too. Mud pie was such a HUGE portion omg. Wish there was more Oreo crust to ice cream ratio. Had to fight my bf for the crust parts Overall this place did not disappoint at ALL. As someone living in California who has access to the best food (in my opinion) this place hit all the boxes. The best food during my stay in Hawaii. I will be coming back for the shrimp. read more

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Parking can be a challenge. We made reservations for 6pm so we can watch the sunset. The view is beautiful. We ordered a cocktail, followed by garden arugula salad - plenty to split, Kanpachi (nicely prepared, moist and delicious), Kahakai Tofu (well seasoned)., We were tempted with Hualalai ice cream Pie but finished with guava sorbet. Our wait staff should be able to describe/answer questions on all menu items. Service was as expected for a busy night. read more

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I remember that the ambiance being by the seaside as me and my friend were eating was pretty stellar, and the seafood options at the time were pretty great, left feeling satisfied read more

Huggo's Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Top notch restaurant in Kona. We were sat right next to the water!!! Food was amazing. You can tell the sizzling mushroom plate was very popular and it was delish. Make sure to get the pie. Its a huge portion but so worth it :) read more

Must go in Kona. My super early reservation got us the best table over the water. Started off with house bread basket with a white bean spread and yummy labneh dip. Our server was very informative about the local fish, and the descriptors were spot on. The food was up to par with the view. We enjoyed our fritto misto (calamari, shrimp, and artichoke hearts) appetizer so much that we went back to the HBar another day just to get it. We also tried the sister property Lava Lava Beach Club, and see the consistency in quality of food, ambiance, and service. read more

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Got the reservation at 6. Came and parked in front of the rocks with validated parking. Got greeted by Ashley graciously. Got showed to the table on the edge with best view of the sunset. Cynthia is our server. We ordered the Huggo Mai tai and the Macadamia Mai tai and the Ube limeade. Cynthia got us the complimentary bread focaccia with spreads. We enjoyed the sunset with waves crashing on the rock underneath us. Came the order of dinner, seafood paccherie, Hugo's signature teriyaki, sesame crusted ahi, and ono (fresh catch one. All varieties with different flavors and big portion. The pasta shells are big with yummy calamari and plum shrimps on creamy shiso pesto sauce. The teriyaki steaks are too sweet and salty to my taste. It is served with steam green bamboo and grilled grape tomatoes rice. The hook line and sinker ono are grilled on bed of angel hair pasta with bamboo sour sauce on steam asparagus. The sesame crusted Ahi is served on top of fried yakisoba noodles. The orange plum sauce is interesting as well as the fried Kona avocado. We also got the complimentary cheese lime cake to celebrate our 29th anniversary. Cynthia also showed us the Amelia bird hunting for fish at night and the sea eels coming up to eat the shrimps. Too bad we couldn't see the manta ray coming Everyone left full and satisfied. We had a good time here. read more

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First off, you can't beat the view. Right on the water, waves hitting the rocks - it's great. Especially when you get to sit right on the water side like we did. We had a later reservation at 7:45 and it was a zoo when we arrived. By the time we finally finished it was quickly becoming a ghost town. We got sat in a great spot in the back near the water. Our server was friendly, but we couldn't help but notice the other tables around us that were sat just before us were getting served much quicker. A full 7 top was well into their apps before we got to place our order. Food was pretty good. Out of our group, the teriyaki steak seemed to be the standout. The shrimp pasta was pretty bland and watery. The daily fish special - Ono with a "mexican twist" - was fine though unusually pricey. The garlic bread starter was lacking - we were starving and it amounted to two hot dog buns cut into two pieces and soaked with butter. Your mileage may vary, we just weren't really super into our dinners. I looked at the menu for Huggos on the Rocks (the bar style place next door) and felt some fomo. read more

Huggo's Restaurant - Ono fish special - Seafood Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Went to Huggo's tonight with the family and it was outstanding. Had a wait as a walk in table but couldn't be mad at that. Once we got a table we were quickly approached by our server Katie and taken care of. We ordered the sizzling shrimp as an appetizer and though it was good, we thought it could use a sauce or a bit more seasoning. The rest of my family got the teriyaki steak and I went with the Chef Special of the Hook and Sinker dish with their fresh catch of the day Ono (wahoo). Simply, the dishes were superb. They were cooked to order and the sauces were perfect. The Hook and Sinker dish came with an assortment of mushroom based sauces, such as the mushroom soy jasmine rice, and it was one of the best dishes I've had in my rather short life. I made sure to eat slow so I could enjoy myself, and the sever Katie was even able to get Chef Savannah to cook up some more of their cheese stuffed mushrooms for me. Overall, the food was fantastic, the drinks were great, and our server Katie went above and beyond. She even gave us some recommendations on what to do in the area. If I don't go again before I leave the island, I'll be doing myself a disservice. read more

We went with our reservations so we didn't get a table overlooking the ocean. We had an amazing dinner and drinks at the bar. I had the Ube refresher which was so tasty . My husband had the signature teriyaki steak which was fantastic . I had the sesame crusted ahi which was so ono. Next time we will make reservations . read more

Huggo's Restaurant - My Ube refresher - Seafood Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii