Breakfast was so delicious here that we came twice during our 1 week stay on the Big Island and ordered the exact same dishes! It's a beautiful space, open air with live music and friendly service. Some tables can get more sun than others but the second floor usually stays pretty shaded. I highly recommend the drag it through the garden croissant sandwich! The croissant is flaky and buttery and all the included ingredients are really great quality and delicious!! The island style pancakes are great as well - big portions, fair pricing and the added bananas, Mac nuts and syrup are amazing. Coffee is good and if there's a wait (there usually is), you can get coffee and bakery items to go (try the giant cinnamon bun!). read more

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Service here was friendly and attentive. My group of 3 adults and a child were sat down for Sunday brunch with out a reservation. The view was amazing and well made up for the fact we had to wait to be greeted by a server. The food was good and worth the price because it was more than enough to be shared with my little one. Definitely a child friendly environment read more

This has become our first stop when visiting the island. The food is always delicious, hot and comes with a beautiful view. Our server, Robin, was sweet and attentive. When on the island, we typically order a Blue Hawaiian our first day which screams tourist. Apparently the bartender knows that as well. No detection of liquor in the drinks. Next visit, I'm ordering a glass of wine. :) The highlight of the meal was the hubby's Luau Scramble; scrambled eggs with Kalua pork and pineapple. Hubby has mentioned how good it was again today. We are both interested in trying the pineapple upside down french toast next week. And let's not forget their cinnamon rolls. They are truly wonderful!!! Overall, this is a great place for a meal. Great food, people and view! read more

Island Lava Java - View from our table. - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Hostess was great, yet took a while before we saw waitress, we ordered drinks first per waitress prompting. Drinks came yet not together at one time. Then waitress took our order and not sure what happened, we were only a table of 4 adults, yet we sat there just talking for about an hour & watching as people seated after us were eating their meals. Our meal took maybe an hour to get to us and plate of food lukewarm, not hot. While obviously I cannot prove this but it felt like our order got lost or forgotten, we don't really know, but was my birthday and I wished I would've chosen a better place for us to eat in Kona read more

We wanted some sort of fish for lunch and this was nearby. Nice outdoor setting directly across from the water! We tried the blackened mahi mahi sandwich with sweet potato fries which was excellent and well cooked! Very juicy! And the poke salad which was a large portion and we had to take some home with us! Service at the table was a little slow to start but there was only one or two staff members so this is entirely reasonable. She was nice and attentive. The drinks came out quickly and the food shortly after that. Very happy with our experience here! read more

Island Lava Java - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

We went for Valentine's Day dinner (did make a reservation)! We were seated on the top level which had a beautiful ocean view, but the power lines are unfortunately right in front of your eyes. Service was a little slow, but there appeared to be only one server, and she was dealing with a fair amount of people. It was fine to wait a little and relax! Food was excellent. We started with the Guava Ribs which were featured on Triple D, and I had the Veggie Bowl with chicken which was delicious!! Dessert..... have the Passion Meringue Tart, it was fabulous and is large enough to share! read more

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While visiting this week, we patronized Lava Java THREE TIMES after being taken there the first time by a friend who is a local - two times for brunch and cocktails, and once for drinks and apps while watching the sunset. Great local vibe, excellent menu variety, and helpful and courteous staff all contributed to our repeated visits. read more

Server was very nice. The hostess the old white lady with glass very racists. Was very nice to all the white guests offering seating if the sun bugs them but the birds were pooping on our party and she told us to deal with it and rudely moved us saying she hopes we would stop complaining. What great service from the hostess who represents this "fine" establishment read more

The location is absolutely ridiculous. Service is good, not great though. That is what keeps this from a five-star. Because the food is pretty fantastic and priced correctly for the setting. Came here twice on our trip, once for dinner with a group of eight and once for breakfast for two. Repeat place for sure. read more

Island Lava Java - Big Island Basics... - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Delicious breakfast. The pancakes were delicious even without syrup! The service was prompt, polite and friendly. Love the morning breeze specially on the top deck area. So relaxing to just be and not have to hurry! Island time for sure! read more

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Pretty solid option for brunch - the restaurant is right near the ocean with beautiful views. I got the eggs Benedict and it was a great option! The potatoes on the side are a tad bit salty though, but if you're into crispy salty potatoes I recommend that. We got a french toast to share (it's realllly sweet so would def recommend sharing rather than just getting it on your own) but it was so tasty!!! I really enjoyed this dish. I also got an iced coffee which wasn't anything special. This place has long lines so I'd recommend getting there for an earlier rather than later brunch. Our server was also a little jumpy, which could be because there were so many people. read more

Island Lava Java - Island Lava Java Breakfast, Island Eggs Benedict - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Terrible. As my father used to say "The food was terrible and cold, and there wasn't enough of it". The service wasn't much better. Enough said... read more

Everything. I have dined there numerous time when visiting the Big Island. Food and ambience is great, especially the stunning views of the Pacific Ocean while dining. Servers are always pleasant and engaging. read more

Island Lava Java offers a great ocean-front dining experience. My husband and I arrived at 6:30pm just in time for the sunset at around 6:55pm. What made our evening better was our amazing server Aileen! She was so friendly and hospitable. We ended up ordering the calamari, fish tacos, and big island pizza. My favorites was the calamari with garlic aioli and the pizza. We give this experience 5 stars only because of Aileen's service - we would come back just for her! read more

Island Lava Java - Pretty sunsets - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Delicious food, even better views! Loved getting to have breakfast one the second floor overlooking the ocean. Service was helpful and the prices were very reasonable for the quality and area. Highly recommend stopping her for breakfast on your way to the volcano! read more

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First breakfast on the island! Service is five star, drinks are up there too but my luau omelette was lacking. Eggs folder over the diced and combined listed ingredients, not a lot of flavor despite the combo sounding delicious! I would go again for sure and try something different! Everyone else enjoyed their food. You order through the QR code and it's a seamless process. Individual menus are listed. The view from the upper deck is lovely and it's fun to people watch. We had ordered mai tais off of the normal menu and because it was happy hour Thursday they were a much better price - so the bartender walked upstairs to our table to tell us that and corrected our bill for us! Started the week off wonderfully with definite aloha. read more

Island Lava Java - Mai tai - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Breakfast was very tasty and the unobstructed ocean view was just what you'd expect for breakfast in Hawaii. Our server was friendly as well. read more

Island Lava Java - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Our favorite meal after being here 5 days. The staff sat us down with a beautiful view of the water during happy hour (3-5:30PM). I highly recommend coming during happy hour as their drinks are discounted, but their foods/appetizers are also pretty heavily discounted too. The food: We got calamari, fish tacos, and fish & chips. The calamari was THICK and super good, the best I've ever had. The fish tacos were super flavorful and not lacking in any department. The fish & chips were good, but a little smaller although the amount of fries easily made up for that. Overall, This was a great find and we might even be coming back here in the next day or two as a send off meal before we head back to the main land! read more

Island Lava Java - Fish & Chips - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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Pure deliciousness! Ordered eggs Benedict and requested the Kuala pork - amazing choice! Potatoes done to a crisp perfection! Grab a cinnamon roll for a sweet treat. Great bloody Mary! read more

Island Lava Java - Cinnamon roll! As big as your head! - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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We were first in line, once it opened. This place gets full quickly and the wait for a table can be 10 minutes or longer. So we knew better to come early for the breakfast crowd. It was our server's first time doing the morning shift. He was friendly and we had great service. Thank you , Fred M! Now the food...OMG my husband and I had the "luau scramble". I had it with bacon and potatoes and my husband got sausage and potatoes. It was SOooo Yummy! Friendly staff and great ambiance! A must to try, when visiting the Big Island! read more

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This is a beautiful place to stop and happen. It was kind of confusing. I use my GPS and it trying to take me someplace else but luckily I was able to still find it. You can see the water and watch other people walk by. The staff was extremely friendly, and they were more than happy to accommodate my request for a table with a view. We ordered the island scramble with the Portuguese sausage and brown rice. I also ordered a half a papaya, I'm not really sure what the line was for but once I tried it, I understood. The spot completely hit the needed island five. Thinking about coming back for lunch to try the poke bowl. Ordered two bloody Mary's in the best part was absolutely the bacon. read more

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We found this gem on our last day. So glad we were driving around and got lost. The atmosphere is great, all views are of the ocean. We were sat right away and were there during what you would think is peak breakfast time. I ordered the macadamia nut pancakes and let me tell you OMG!! They were amazing and that coconut syrup is to die for. My husband got the eggs Benedict which he said was fresh and very flavorful. If you're in this area don't hesitate to stop!! You won't be sorry. read more

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Made a reservation for my birthday dinner, parked in the parking bays behind the restaurant and registered as kamaaina for parking. When we arrived at the restaurant there was a private function which took up the top floor which was a disappointment as we were hoping to get a better view up there. We were seated at a table by the rail which was OK for seeing the sunset, but not so good when it started raining as we weren't under cover! We ordered lemonades (very tart), the coconut shrimp (crunchy with a nice dipping sauce) and a pizza. We didn't know the pizza were personal size, and the price of them definitely didn't indicate it, bit of a rip off really. The chocolate cake was OK. All in all it was just a little lack lustre, the waitress was hounding us to order or leave while we didn't want to rush. We wanted to watch the sunset, not dine and dash. I mentioned it was my birthday in my booking but nothing was said. Meh. Not the best place to celebrate. Aloha Jeff Thank you for acknowledging my review. Mahalo for your kind offer however Yelp Elite are unable to accept any offers to ensure they leave truthful reviews. Your coconut shrimp are delicious! read more

I was in with a friend on Sunday. The food was not even warm when it arrived - it was around noon. Also, there is a line item on the charge invoice that we paid and I did not notice it until later: Support and give $1. I do not think it is in integrity to add something to a bill that the customer did not agree to pay for ahead of time. I do not know what that is. Also we did not notice that a tip was automatically added to the bill. Since when is a tip compulsory? On a $47 bill $7.38 was added on a tip line. We did not notice this and tipped 20% in cash- which means we tipped 27% for cold food. Perhaps this information was buried somewhere on the menu, but we were occupied with socializing - not extensively reading the menu. I won't be a return customer unless you change this policy. read more

What a surprise! We were just seeking an early breakfast before flying out of Kona airport of big island and so glad we found this gem! Tip: reserve a table for ocean view, EVEN FOR BREAKFAST. Incredible view (even from a table further back on the patio, nice open air eatery with charming patio. Easy parking behind building. Gorgeous food! The croissant breakfast sandwich "drug thru the garden" kept me full most of the day! Very sweet and efficient servers. Definitely recommend! read more

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They were out of bacon at 10am..... which was extremely disappointing as this was the reason we came I was craving breakfast. What's breakfast without bacon ??? But oh well, we decide to stay & continued to order. The food came out we ate, and finished. By the time we finished eating my drink had arrived. Took 30+ min for my orange juice to come out. I got an alcoholic beverage that came out quicker. My boyfriend got the eggs Benedict. He hardly ate it as the Eggs on the Benedict were super over cooked. Overall wasn't a huge fan of the experience but the location was beautiful with ocean views and we both just ate the potato's on the plates. The potatoes were good ! read more

Amazing food and amazing service love the view to the ocean as well. Will definitely come back soon read more

Island Lava Java - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Came in for breakfast. We only had to wait about 5-10 minutes which is not bad for the area and the view. We were seated upstairs with a great view of the water. I ordered one of the fresh squeezed juices which took forever to get. I almost canceled it, but it ended up coming when the food came. I had the upside down pineapple French toast. It was a good portion and very good, a little on the sweeter side but still really good. My husband had the big breakfast with the waffle. Nice place with a beautiful view. read more

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The pancakes & Portuguese sausage. Yes. That was over two years ago & we are still talking about it. We came back today for happy hour. We were contemplating ordering a 3rd plate to reheat later for dinner but got so full on the fish tacos & ribs, we had enough left over to bring home. Service was incredible. The Mai Tai was tasty & strong. The view is gorgeous. Get the french fries. The ribs, fish & pineapple salsa are all really well crafted & cooked. The flavors all work in harmony on the plate. Pandemic notes: They are being incredibly safe. Masks are worn by all staff & required of guests when not eating/drinking. They have hand sanitizer out for anyone to utilize. They have spaced the tables 6 feet apart & sanitize in-between guests. read more

Island Lava Java - Happy hour Mai Tais, cheers! - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

It is our first time visiting the Big Island. My kids picked this place to celebrate Father's Day because of the high Yelp reviews. We were very excited and hungry. However, it took them very long to get us our food. By the time we got them, the food was all cold. There weren't too many tables, so there is no excuse for forgetting to get our food. Yelp, please add zero star option. Never again! read more

We went for breakfast on Saturday morning right before the King kamehameha parade. I'm not too sure why but the hostess pulled a couple from behind us (2 people) and sat them before us (2 people) and they arrived after us. Once we were seated it took about 10 minutes before were brought water which was not a problem at all. Our waitress, we didn't hear from her until about 25 minutes after being seated and all she said was "I'll be right with you". Ok that's fine we see you're busy. She didn't return until 15 minutes later. We ordered the guava yogurt bowl and the French toast. Honestly food was good, French toast was covered in a brown sugar syrup I think and pineapple and pecans and the yogurt bowl came in a halved guava with vanilla yogurt and granola, both were pretty good. However, we placed an order for coffee with the waitress at the beginning of our order and didn't receive it until we were completely done with our meal. It seemed to be a nice place but our experience I believe could've been better. read more

Beautiful restaurant with downstairs and upstairs overlooking the ocean. The atmosphere is perfect. Heard about the cinnamon rolls and they did not disappoint. Came for a coffee and the cinnamon roll and it was the size of a frisbee. Definitely need more than one person to share this with. Our waitress Nicole was so friendly. It looks like the breakfast menu is wonderful as well. I would definitely recommend Island Lava Java! read more

Island Lava Java - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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While visiting the island, my friends and I wanted to try a new place to have some breakfast and preferably water front view. So after searching on Yelp we chose Lava Java because it had good reviews. The food was ok, nothing remarkable or something to crave for but we enjoyed. read more

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Great food and beautiful view!! Very friendly and fast service. They usually will set you in front if you request and its so nice to watch the ocean while dining. read more

Fantastic food with large portions, and the pancakes are especially good. Service is very friendly. The location is central, with amazing ocean views from the top deck. read more

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10/10 food, great view, very nice and funny servers, still can't get over the food so amazing food. I got the seared ahi eggs benny and I just want to go back for more read more

So far, this has been my favorite restaraunt in my weekend in Kona! Our waiter was attentive, friendly, and handled our complicated check situation with ease. My Shrimp Carbonara had multiple different aspects that made it extra colorful & flavorful, and the toast was simply perfect. The calamari was also cooked to perfection. This place is also located right across from the beach with an amazing view and a lively atmosphere. Can't reccomend this place enough! read more

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Island Lava Java is an amazing restaurant in Kona island great for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner. We ate here in two separate days; one day for breakfast and one day for dinner. Breakfast: - Hawaiian Belgian waffle (5/5): The coconut syrup, fresh fruit, and macadamia nuts topped onto the Belgian waffle were a great combination! The coconut syrup had a wonderful aroma along with fresh coconut taste while the waffles themselves were soft and fluffy. - Big Island basics (5/5): This platter was customized with 2 over medium eggs, crispy potatoes, and crispy bacon along with sourdough toast. Despite ordering the eggs over medium, they were still runny and more on the over easy side similar to sunny side up eggs. The potatoes were perfectly seasoned with a light crisp on the outside and soft piping hot center. The bacon was crispy and not salty at all. This was a wonderful breakfast plate. - Iced macchiato (3/5): The description said it was similar to Starbucks, but it was overly sweet for our liking. A bit too much syrup and caramel and we couldn't taste the coffee in the macchiato. - Lilikoi lemonade (5/5): Amazing passion fruit purée mixed with lemonade. It's a bit tart and quite refreshing! Dinner: - Fiery calamari (4/5): Wonderfully crispy calamari rings that's lightly seasoned with fried shishito peppers! It was a great app to start with. - Shrimp carbonara (5/5): Loved this pasta dish! The shrimp and bacon were a great combination with the fettuccine pasta. It was al dente with a great creamy carbonara sauce. - Hawaiian pizza (4/5): This was a delicious personal sized pizza with fresh toppings. The kalua pork, pineapples, and onions on top of a thin crusted pizza was well executed. The crust was crispy. Service was a miss for breakfast, but a plus for dinner. It may just be a specific waitress with the delays over breakfast so don't let it deter you from coming to this lovely restaurant. Thursdays is thirsty Thursdays with all day happy hour! read more

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My wife's and my first time coming to Kona. We visited the islands of Hawaii many times. But the big island was a first. My wife and I stayed at the Royal Kona resort and found that their was a lot of great places near by to eat and drink. When we found the Island Lava Lava, it was better than everything else we had to eat including the service. They had the best soup of the day and the the fasted and most generous servers we had came across while in Kona. From the bartenders to the servers, everybody was so kind and really catered to what we really wanted as a guest. The food was amazing and probably the best I've had on the island. The view was absolutely amazing I would recommend this place 12 out of 10. Thank you Lava Lava for your hospitality. Looking forward to seeing you guys again next time. Aloha read more

Island Lava Java - Best service, best attitude, Best generosity on the island. - American Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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We came for breakfast on Sunday, upon recommendation. Service was good, ambiance was great with a perfect view of the ocean. The only thing I would have preferred was not sitting at a table located directly under a tree with birds perched right above us, but I sucked it up for the view. Food was okay. We ordered an eggs Benedict that was served on a croissant instead of an English muffin. It was pretty good and the poached egg was cooked medium, as requested, egg white firm with a runny yolk. The side of potatoes looked like they were fried multiple times. Not very appetizing. We also ordered a Belgian waffle. The waffle was soggy like it was originally frozen and heated up in a microwave. The bacon was slightly overcooked. The coffee tasted burnt. I asked the server about this. She says that's how the coffee tastes. She brought out another cup and sure enough, same burnt taste. We spent $55 (inc. tip) on a disappointing breakfast. This was our first time eating breakfast out and the last while here in Hawaii. If you can make breakfast where you're staying, do it. If not, maybe you'll order something more appetizing than we did at this restaurant. read more