Loved this place, stopped by on a day trip to the Big Island to see Mauna Loa when it was erupting. Great vibe, beautiful view and fast and friendly service. My son had one of their pizzas and I had the fish tacos, both were excellent! Definitely will be back on our next trip! read more

I wish I knew your name, but we had the best service here. It's been a minute so I can't remember her face quite so much. Dark curly hair? But short hair, I think. Whoever she is, she exudes aloha. If she was having a bad day, you'd never be able to tell. I just am so impressed even after all this time. I swear she made the food taste better than it was (sorry!). We just had breakfast here. The Lilikoi stuffed French toast, the pull apart cinnamon thing, the regular bacon and egg breakfast.. the Lilikoi stuffed French toast was mediocre, but everything else was pretty good. The pull apart could've used more icing but it was still delicious! The view also made breakfast lovely, as the stretch of ocean and the cool breeze along with it just was a cherry on top of a beautiful morning. There's nothing like the waves rolling up and the sun shining high above it. I'd honestly be back here for the atmosphere. I'm sure other things on the menu are great, and for example.. I'm really eyeing out those pancakes. That's for another day, I suppose. I'll just have to fly back to Kona ASAP! read more

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Poor service. I came here to get some coffee around 10am, the place had a great location on the beachfront. Food looked ok and unique so I was excited to try it out. I put my name in and they said it would be a 10-15 min wait, well 30 minutes later I'm still waiting for them to seat me while I watch them seat people who came after I did, just ridiculous. After watching some lady walk up and ask for a seat and get immediately seated while I was still standing there was the last straw so I left, it was another 10 minutes until the text came that they were ready to seat me. read more

The menu posted on this site was not even close to what they actually offered. It's like a bait and switch, offering a vibrant menu on their web site, and a very limited actual menu at the restaurant. Nothing but burgers and sandwiches. The on line menu offered lamb, pork chops and some steaks..... Was told when checking in that they don't offer high end meals?????? We went elsewhere obviously. The pic of the menu posted is not what they offer. read more

Island Lava Java - Menu that doesn't exist - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

This 3 star has a variety of reasons. Let me first say the macadamia nut crusted fresh catch and the fish tacos were fantastic. The service was ok, our waiter was very nice but I feel like he had too many tables or something. The real ISSUE was the entire time we were here (an hour) the bartender NEVER EVER put his mask on (I had a view the entire time) In a town where they have such tight restrictions for Covid to see someone that had contact with almost every persons food I was appalled. read more

Great food with an unbelievable view. Service was excellent. We always make a Lava Java stop when in Kona. We ate a ribs appetizer, onto fish & chips, & cheeseburger with sweet potato fries. All great! read more

The restaurant has recently stopped printing menus, although they have continued to raise prices. The menu is available on an iPad that the waiter can get for you but it is very difficult to use. Many menu options were not on the iPad, and some menu options were repeated at different prices. When asked, the waiter said it was the same dish (side order of pancakes) at $10 and $12. When asked, the manager said that paper menus were coming but he had no idea of when. I suggested that they could be printed and he admitted that would be possible! Great. I will miss their excellent salads. P.S. My experience using the QR code to view a menu from my phone is that I end up getting lots of spam and other unwanted messages from the app that get's installed, one reason I refuse to do so. read more

Great food great atmosphere right on the beach can't get any more of that laid-back Hawaiian feeling that this.

This place was horrible for the price! What a waste of a 30 minute wait. The food was flavorless, the burger was so rare we sent it back and it came back still rare! Fish tacos were also not good at all. We do not recommend this place. read more

I really wanted to love this place, but in the end it was not bad. I would give it 3.5 stars if that was an option. The Ahi Poke bowl was certainly very fresh and top quality Ahi, but it seriously lacked flavor. It was a fresh and healthy meal, but a flavorless one. The Guava BBQ ribs were good. The view is wonderful, but I was distracted by watching the staff and the operations. Despite having only 9 tables seated and being very well staffed, the host is telling everyone there is a 45 minute wait for a table. I've managed several restaurants but I can't for the life of me figure out why they're running things this way. I saw 9 front-of-house employees and 9 parties seated. This doesn't add up. read more

Unimpressive. Maybe if we had gone for breakfast? But we went for lunch, and couldn't figure out what all the hype is about. The food is ok but uninventive and frankly boring. The service is corporate and impersonal. There are much better options in the area. read more

This restaurant is beautiful! Great ocean view and wonderful food to go with it. My friend and I got seated promptly and we had this wonderful hummus for an appetizer. For dinner, she had the fish tacos and I had the house salad and sweet potato fries, which was wonderful. Whoever thought to pair macadamia nuts with goat cheese was very smart. Our waitress was really sweet, and although our drinks took a while to get refilled it was totally worth it for the food. The atmosphere is great and if you're looking for a healthier option this is a good place! read more

Island Lava Java - Island Lava Java Salad and fries - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Fresh and tasty food. Fast friendly service. We sat at the front and had ocean views.

We stopped here for breakfast and we enjoyed it so much we had to go back before leaving town. The upside down pinapple French toast was amazing! The waffle with all the fresh fruit was delish. The fruit smoothies, my nephew and I could not have enough!! Great beach front view and service. There was a minor problem with our order but the manager handled it personally in such a way, that it did not affect our rating. They definetly know what customer service is all about! Aloha! read more

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Went here for breakfast, the waitress was really nice and got our food out so quick even though there were so much people. The pancakes were really soft and delicious and the morning view with the ocean makes it so much better. read more

Best things about this place were the lovely gentleman singing and playing tunes, the view and not being rushed to leave. These got it an extra star (particularly music). Had my doubts but went for breakfast yesterday. Not sure why it took as long as it did to seat people, there were free tables but whatever, it was a few minutes waiting, looking at the view. Ordered basic breakfast, eggs scrambled, Portuguese sausage and potato as starch. Best thing on the plate was the wholewheat honey bread - really tasty. The rest was kind of gross. Also a large latte, while not the worst I've had it's not the best either, wouldn't return for it. People nearby asked for hot sauce when their food arrived, their waitress went to get some; after 5-10 mins wait they finally flagged down someone else who got them some right away. In short go to Daylight Mind, everything is better for about the same $. read more

Island Lava Java - Basic breakfast (scrambles eggs, sausage and potato) large latte - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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The food is good but the service is sub-par. There were plenty of wait staff milling around but our group felt neglected. The QR code ordering system was handy for splitting the bill, but a disaster in practice. Some in our party got their meals at least 10-15 minutes before others. Waters went unfilled and empty plates sat there for a while. Too bad. read more

Many places are busy in this area. They did have a 45 minute. We were greeted with pleasurable people and our server was outstanding and attentive. Outstanding Hawaiian hospitality. I don't recall our servers name but she was a redhead and outstanding read more

To start, Not enough staff to serve costumers. The Fish&Chips were the worst I've ever had. Fish sticks had consistency of a dry eraser and tasted horrible! BBQ ribs were moist but completely bland and terrible sauce. Coleslaw was tasteless and tartar sauce was super salty. Only positive thing was the sweet potato fries. I could have enjoyed (4)delicious Subway sandwiches next door for the same $21.00 wasted on disgusting food at Island Lava** Would most definitely not recommend!! read more

Wow- what a place! I came here on my last day in Kona before my flight. It was the perfect breakfast. Their portions are large so I split the island style pancakes with my partner and got a side of potatoes. You need to get the pancakes Island style!! It is fabulous. Get there right at opening or make a reservation- this place is popular. read more

Ambiance 5 stars Food 5 stars Service: Arrival 5 stars Dining 2 stars Maybe we came on a bad day, but servIce could have been better. Willing to give it another try, but won't have my hopes upp read more

Third time ive gone too this place my server MARK was excellent always on time always checked on us, all and all was a great person in general. he is the reason why i give lava java a 5 star great service and to the chefs amazing food Mahalo nui loa Sincerely Malino ching read more

One of the first things I wanted to do in Hawaii was to dig into some fish tacos. Checked Yelp and saw that this place was popular, with high ratings. Driving by, you could see that it was indeed, popular! We got a prime seat outside looking out at the ocean, separated by only the main roadway in Kona Village.The street is a busy one but quiet as far as vehicles go. Not one honk. Living so close to LA and being there all the time, I was not used to this quiet peacefulness. I loved it. The service was great and the food was tasty! I got the ahi fish tacos with sweet potato fries and black beans. They do not serve alcohol here but I was very happy with my ginger iced tea. I also loved the little cup of mango salsa that the fish came with and ate that on its own! M had the ahi fish sandwich with a salad. Delicious. Lots of value with the fish size. A smoothie here runs about $6 but he loved his pineapple ginger drink. The restaurant is moving locations in a couple of months to a larger spot with an even better view and they will have their liquor licence there. Lunch was $50 but it was a treat. Excited to return! read more

Island Lava Java - Dining just feet from the ocean - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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Really great breakfast joint! We have loved it and have come back twice already! Really good drinks! My husband who is an eggs Benedict connoisseur loved them. Service was always great, loved that were were able to order and pay from they app! Make sure you use the app to pay because you do get money back! We got 12$ back our first time we used the app! read more

This was the worst experience for us on Big Island. We came in around noon and it seems the restaurant has a nice view. We asked if we can go upstairs but they didn't allow us because it was not busy enough, which was fine. We ordered a couple of Mai-Tais. During that process, my wife asked the server what are the most popular drink here. She was responded by a weird look like she asked a ridiculous question. The server answered saying everything is popular. My wife didn't like the drink and didn't touch it pretty much. The server came by and asked how things are going and we told her that we didn't like the drink. She said OK and turned away. This was the first time we've ever encountered anything like this. We are not expecting everyone would give us a replacement drink but at least something to offer? We ordered the guava ribs and the salad with seared ahi. So disappointed. The salad was so bland that I think I can recreate a better one with the salad bags in Safeway. What's more disgusting was that when we asked for check(which didn't happen for a good 5 mins, they just ignored us when we raised our hands and even yelling for a check), the server handed me a pos machine with 20% tip checked as default and said "just sign and confirm". EXCUSE ME? It's not like they didn't ask for a tip when they said that. I had to change it but the screen was so dark that it was very hard to operate, not sure if that's intended or not. And when I did that the server asked me if she didn't anything wrong and I gave her the direct feedback. This place is shady, with bad food and service. I suggest people avoid. read more

Ocean front outdoor dining, beautiful view, fresh tasty food, great beer and cocktails- I recommend the Paniolo if you like a little kick. Authentic and quality customer service. We wanted to go someplace casual and festive for my husband's birthday. We swung by a place down the street that was too crowded and hectic (on the rocks), and so happy we came here. We highly recommend. Felt safe during the increased COVID case count too. read more

Barely two stars. The Waikoloa Village restaurant has suffered from the pandemic and the service and food quality have gone way down. I can understand and accept increasing the prices. But no aloha - just an irritating app that takes your order. No more pancakes the last 2 times we came -- just weird deep fried (yes, deep fried and dry) waffles. Very disappointing. read more

The view is amazing. We ate breakfast upstairs, and the view was slightly blocked by the telephone wires, so try to sit on the lower level by the front railing. If I were eating lunch or dinner there I would choose to sit upstairs at the bar. The tall barstools should give a better view. The kids had the keiki pancakes and bacon and were happy with that. My husband had the island style pancakes but they were out of strawberries and bananas(!!). They were still good with the macadamia nuts and coconut syrup though. I had the breakfast stack (I forget the name). It had eggs, avocado, bacon and salad on it. It wasn't hot but still tasted pretty good. The coffee was good. In summary, the food was ok but the view was excellent. The service was about average. read more

Just not impressed with the breakfast. Lunch/dinner maybe different.. could've spent less at Denny's An would've be more satisfied. Save the $8 for the fruit bowl, An go down to the farmers market (2blocks down). You can get double the fresh fruit for the same price. read more

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We enjoyed several meals here including brunch on the weekend. There's an ocean view and friendly staff. read more

Island Lava Java - Mango Moon Pono Mai Tai - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

BREAKFAST This is my friend's and my favorite place for breakfast. For some reason I still haven't gone for dinner though and I've been going here for years haha. Eggs Benedict is my favorite breakfast food and they do it the best. They put it on a croissant, so simple and so good. I always get a side of potatoes. Sometimes if I want something lighter I get the Hoku croissant sandwich, it's so good! Make sure to get a side of Mac but pesto with it! My friends get pancakes a lot which are yummy too! Great options! Mimosa Monday's mean $5 mimosas! They are pretty yummy! Options for the juice are great too. Smoothies and a hard pass!! Not good, taste like ice haha. Coffee is OK, I'd rather get regular drip coffee from there and get a latte from a coffee shop. The view is the best, can't beat Lava Java's view or eggs bene! read more

Excellent service at this breakfast place. Our server got my boyfriend's order wrong and she came back with the correct order and took 50% our bill for her mistake. We were so grateful but told her she didn't have to. She did anyway! I got the Waipio Stack Breakfast and he ordered the Belgian Waffle Breakfast that came with Portuguese sausage. Everything was good, simple and nicely presented. Prices aren't bad for a touristy spot. read more

Island Lava Java - Waipio Stack Breakfast - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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We absolutely loved and frequented Island Lava Java in Waikoloa Village and were excited to try the one in Kona for Farther's Day breakfast. Huge mistake. We ordered fish eggs Benedict, garden omelette, and kids pancakes. Food came cold and tasted awful. So awful that I had to spit it out into a napkin. Potatoes were burnt. Coffee was cold and tasteless. We will not be back. read more

Great breakfast place!! Fantastic view, good food and yummy coffee!! Very friendly staff!!

This is a very nice place situated right in downtown Kona on Ali'i with the road between you and the beach. Great ocean view! No a/c but lots of shade and fans. Chock full of tourists! I had the luau omelet with rustic potatoes and Portuguese sausage. Hubby had the lava java breakfast with a Belgian waffle and Portuguese sausage. My omelet was a thing of beauty and tasted delicious. The eggs were cooked perfectly, light, and not crispy. They wrapped around a generous filling of shredded pork and pineapple bits. Amazing combination of flavors! In contrast to that taste sensation, the potatoes tasted like they had been prepared much earlier and held in a steam tray. Hubby's waffle was soggy but the batter had good flavor. The Portuguese sausage was tasty but the serving was only three thin slices. This would be four star place but food in less touristy areas has been phenomenal and cheaper. Also, the bathrooms are upstairs if you have mobility issues. Service was excellent! read more

We hit this spot for breakfast on our first morning on the island. We had a great waterfront view from our table along the rail and the food was scrumptious! The banana, macadamia nut, coconut pancakes were wonderful along with fresh fruit and applewood bacon. Of course there were lots of yummy choices! You can't go wrong!Great start to our vacation! Highly recommend! read more

Food here is straightforward nothing bad just nothing amazing. If your alone getting a seat at the bar is a lot faster than waiting for a table. You may sit at the bar for a solid 20 min before you get service. And throughout your experience you get to watch the bartender enjoy cocktails .. at 10am on the clock. Aside from this it's got a great atmosphere. read more

We ate here twice in a week during our stay. The first time, we just ordered on the app and the food was delivered without much interaction. The second time, our entire family of 15 was seated at 2 separate tables and they refused to let us sit together because of regulations. That's fine, but the service employee who let us know was incredibly rude. I simply asked if we could move our table together since it was our first meal "out" as a family since we'd been cooking together at our vacation rental. Whoever I interacted with was incredibly rude to me about a very simple question. The server was nice and food was good, but unfortunately one rude employee really soured the night for me. As a family in the restaurant industry, we would be appalled if one of our employees talked to someone like that. read more

Food is fine here. But it's more for tourists. So don't put too much expectations. That's why I only give 4 stars. 3.5-star is more accurate. You could hear live music here all time. That's a good thing to enjoy. read more

Great clean and delicious food. Right in front of the ocean. The place gets very busy so it's recommended you make a reservation. Walk in and sit at the bar. That's what I did. Cool breeze and fun playlist. There is big screen TVs to watch SPORTS. . Their muffins are huge and can be shared. Super good!!! Had the vegetarian sandwich and their appetizer ribs. Both phenomenal. read more