Puna Chocolate Company is one of my favorite local chocolate artisan shops, conveniently located in…read moreDowntown Hilo. Since my time away, they have beautifully renovated the interior to have a sit-down booth area. I love the abundance of nene decor honoring our state bird, along with high quality chocolates made in Hawaii. The store clerk was very knowledgeable and described how each cultivars of chocolate differ in their taste profiles. We had the horchata 50% milk chocolate bar, and I don't have a picture because we devoured it in one sitting! Overall, Puna Chocolate Co. is an elegant, delightful, and elevated experience that rivals big names like Big Island Candies and Dandelion Chocolates in San Francisco. Highly recommend in stopping by!

I stopped by Puna Chocolate Company for an afternoon coffee and ordered an espresso. It wasn't…read moreterribly busy in the store so my drink was prepared in minutes. The espresso was strong, not overwhelmingly bitter, and had a good consistency to it. While sitting at the bar, I noticed that they had a Day Drink menu with a bunch of coffee and chocolate cocktails, including an espresso martini and a cacao old fashioned. For $14 and $13 respectively, these seemed like very reasonable prices. Definitely something I'll check out on my next visit. On the right side of the store is a gift shop, while the left side has a bunch of seating for patrons. I noticed there were a few people here with their laptops out, so I can only assume it's also a good place to work as well. The store seemed pretty quiet, street parking outside was easy, and the staff I interacted with here was friendly. Puna Chocolate Company is a good rest spot to stop by to escape from the busyness of Downtown Hilo.

Good job and very well shared information. This is a fun event to do for all including kids.read more

Our tour guide was Cortney. She's very knowledgeable (even through she says she's not) and funny…read more The tour takes you through their grove and she shows the various types of pods and trees. You go back to the house and learn about the process to make chocolate. It's part presentation and part video. Courtney will open a pod and you can taste the beans: the while squishy part tastes like apple jolly ranchers. The purple bean is bitter, so you have to swallow it fast. Then you get to sample different types of chocolates. Yum! The tour is about an hour. I think it's a good balance between information and keeping things going. I definite recommend for adults and our 6 year-old son enjoyed it.

Bigger of an operation now compared to back when I was growing up in Hilo. But they have always…read morekept the fact that you can walk in and see the workers hand dipping cookies and whatnot. They've not changed much besides having newer items here and there. They've classic chocolate dipped shortbread cookies are always a winner. Best part about visiting is that you get samples of their products if you just ask kindly! The staff are always so friendly and helpful. I wish they would bring back the Peanut Butter Crunch Bars!

Make sure to check this place out if you're in the area! We stopped by around 8:30 AM and honestly…read moreweren't even sure it was open at first--the building looks pretty dark from the outside because of the tint. But as soon as we walked in, we were warmly greeted by the wonderful staff, and the whole vibe completely changed. Inside, the space is bright, inviting, and thoughtfully set up. We were offered samples of their Kona coffee along with a couple of treats of the day, which was such a nice touch. As you walk around, you can actually watch them making their delicious goodies, which makes the experience even more fun and tempting. The shop was beautifully decorated for the upcoming Easter holiday, and they also had some really lovely gift boxes--perfect if you're looking to bring something home for family or friends. There's also a small area where you can grab drinks (and possibly ice cream too). I ordered a green tea latte, and it was absolutely wonderful. Overall, such a cozy, welcoming spot with great treats and friendly service. Definitely worth stopping by--whether you're craving something sweet or looking to pick up a thoughtful gift!

This place is a must stop if you are in Hilo! I will usually pick up their pre-packaged sets from…read moreKTA also but when I want their fruit mochi, I order ahead and pick up at their location. The strawberry mochi is always a favorite but we love the nectarine, pear, and melon ones too. Whatever is in season, I recommend getting! It is worth the price! Order ahead if you can, then you won't have to stand in line. And I always eat these up so fast that I forget to take photos!!

Don't do what I (tried to) do. They do not take same day orders…read more In Hilo for the day, and my awesome BIL agreed to take me to 2LK to get some mochi. Hubs has a sweet tooth, and I like the sweet mochi myself. The line to place my order was completely empty! All the folks standing around were waiting for their orders. I stepped in the tiny storefront and placed my custom order and then grabbed a tray of buttermochi that was ready to go. After paying, I asked how long was the wait time and the cashier said 20-30 minutes. Instead of standing around, I went back to the car and hung out with BIL and watched for the people who were before me to get their orders and leave. I waited outside for about 5 minutes before they called my name and my mochi order was ready to go. There were some tourists who came by who didn't want to wait for 30 minutes and were ready to turn around and leave, but I told them there were ready made packages that they could grab and go, the rest of us were waiting on custom orders. They were really happy to hear that and they bought their mochi and headed out. I will definitely call ahead next time I go to Hilo, the wait is small kine humbug, but the mochi is oh so ono! (translated: the wait is an inconvenience, but the mochi is very delicious).

Sure, they are very similar to Big Island Candies in ways, but yet they have their own specialty…read moreproducts which I enjoy. The gift shop in Hilo is small, but easy to navigate and purchase. Great place for gifts! Who else makes heart-shaped arare?!

Owner Carla my New Angle. My 80 yr old Sister and I were on Vacation on the Cruise ship recently…read moreand got lost walking in Hilo during there big parade. Carl was getting gas as I walked up to ask where we were and how to get back she handed me a Cookie from a box on the front seat and took the time out of her day to take us back to the Cruise Ship. I live in California and I don't think anyone would go out of their way like this Angel did. We made it back to the Ship and home safe and I will keep the cookie in my Curio Cabinet to remind me how Carla and the Hawaiian people are so thoughtful. Aloha AL Pedrani-Rio Vista, CA.

I swung in here for a coffee because I was looking for something local and had read several great…read morereviews on a number of different online sites. First off, the place smells amazing, and it's got a perfect little coffee shop/cafe vibe to it when you enter. The only downside to this place, especially with how busy they are, is their extremely limited parking situation. Other than that, staff was incredibly kind and, since it was my first time, they were very helpful in suggesting some popular drinks. Truth be told, I can't even remember the name of the drink the woman recommended to me (which I ordered), but all I know is it was DELICIOUS. A must try spot if you're a coffee lover in the Hilo area!

Very solid cappuccino, probably the best one we had on the island. They also have something called…read morehibiscus nitro mamaki, which is like a very nicely done iced tea. Amazing place, would def come back!

This market was a blast. Everybody was super friendly and nice and holy guacamole. Did you see the…read moresize of those avocados? I will say everyone was super friendly and kind. I was happy to get to try a couple of samples from some of the vendors and some educated me on a lot of different things that I didn't know about the island. There are multiple species that you don't ever see outside of Hawaii or often at least. Was happy to know that I'll never see an avocado of this size in Alaska, but it still made me sad because it did taste delicious.

Amazing fruit and veggies available Beautiful flowers and…read moreplants Huge and will take a nice portion of the day. Very clean

My husband and I shared: - Turkey, Cranberry, and Cream…read moreCheese Popover Sandwich - Pastrami Popover Sandwich - Ube Donut - Lilikoi Butter Mochi Both sandwiches were fantastic. I love popovers and it's such a great idea to turn them into a sandwich. I think I had a slight preference for the turkey one, but you can't go wrong with either. The desserts were a little disappointing. The donut was dry and the butter mochi was just ok. If you're in Hilo, come here for lunch!

Variable food quality. Some of the doughnuts were okay, the flatbread was pretty good, and the…read morepopovers were fine. Most of their "puffs" had quite artificial fillings, and I'd rather attempt eating a rock than one of their scones again. Service is an absolute mess. We ordered pickup via DoorDash and I'm convinced we were the first people to ever do that, because the employees were so confused by the entire concept. Overall, I don't think I'd recommend and we definitely had better breakfasts in Hilo.

Great place to try some free macadamia nuts!…read more I didn't realize how many flavors of macadamia nuts were available. The staff was super friendly and generous on giving away samples. Nice tour of the factory, gift shop and small eating area. The back has a nice wildlife sanctuary.

Trekked all the way over from Kona and was disappointed with the experience…read more If you have a Costco Membership save yourself the time and buy your Mauna Loa nut products there, much cheaper. If not, venture on over to the visitor center. There's free parking and clean bathrooms, plus if you have children you could kill a couple of hours in the outside self guided tour. They also sell some simple lunches and ice cream with an outdoor seating area where you can watch an informational video. There's an employee giving out free samples of multiple types of the Mac nuts. I did learn that the Hawaiian Host brand is their sister company.