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    Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine

    4.3 (2.6k reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine Photos

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    PINEAPPLES ISLAND FRESH CUISINE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Classy
    Loud
    Live music

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    Recommended Reviews - Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine

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    Nachos with pork
    Amy C.

    First of all... just go! Happy hour in the bar is highly recommended! Hubs enjoyed a Lava Burger (5/5) and a mango margarita 4/5 I had nachos with pork (4.5/5) and a watermelon margarita (5/5).

    Marco L.

    One bite of their fried calamari and you can tell why they have so many reviews and always crowded even at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. The calamari are huge but so tender and juicy, one of the best we ever had.

    Hilo Local plate (1/2 portion)
    Bo V.

    After visiting Akaka Falls, our party of nine headed to Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine for a late lunch. The place was quite busy, and we waited about 25 minutes for a table. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The ambiance is casual, with an open-air atmosphere and a bar.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Our waitress, Sandy, was super friendly and attentive. We ordered the Hilo local plate, fish and chips, a pineapple burger, kalbi ribs, jerk chicken wrap, fresh catch sandwich (ono) and other entrées. The food was delicious, and the portions were generous. I shared a Hilo local plate with my husband, and Sandy kindly offered to divide the meal and brought us two plates. We really appreciated her thoughtfulness. The beef ribs were tender, the BBQ kalua pork was tasty, and the house mango chili slaw was yummy. Everyone in our group enjoyed their dishes and their meals. I did notice that the menu on their website isn't updated, so several dishes were a bit more expensive than expected. Overall, despite the wait and outdated menu pricing, the great food, generous portions, and excellent service made it a worthwhile dining experience that we would happily recommend.

    We had an excellent dining experience! The food was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. Special mention to Nicole our server , who made our evening quite special and warm . This restaurant provides the perfect place for a relaxing meal. We ordered the chicken pasta , macadamia chicken , chicken jerk wrap and top it all we got the Hawaiian dessert. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a great dining experience.

    Nachos (no meat)
    Jasmin P.

    Loved the vibe of the restaurant, but I wasn't in the mood for the veggie options on the menu except for the nachos. However, the nachos were a big disappointment. The chips were really broken up, and there was just too much cheese for my liking. The cheese didn't even fully melt since there was just so much piled on. Ate what I could and genuinely felt bad wasting food. The portobello sandwich was decent, and the fries were good. If I came back, I'd probably try the veggie pasta. The service was okay, nothing that really stood out. We were able to find street parking easily, but we were visiting during the off-season (February) and went after typical lunch hours, so that may have played a part.

    David S.

    While visiting, this was our first stop and it was great. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The service, vibe and food were all amazing.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]We were able to get there in time for happy hour and had a great spot right at the bar.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] You can't go wrong with any food option here. They were all cooked perfectly, had lots of flavor and came out very quickly. If you're in the area, definitely go check them out. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Great local vibes[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]

    Menu
    Annie D.

    We made it right on time for HH at the bar. They ain't messing around here. The food came out FAST, fresh and hot! The coconut shrimp and coconut crusted fish were delicious. I was a little worried about the teriyaki sauce and grilled pineapple in the coconut crusted fish dish but it came together well. Pineapple Island is the spot for delicious, budget friendly and FAST eats in downtown Hilo

    Menu
    Cheri H.

    We stopped here for dinner while we were in Hilo after visiting the waterfalls. Almost everyone in my party ordered the coconut crusted fish and we were all very happy with our choice. It was so delicious! For dessert we tried a Hawaiian favorite dessert, Haupia Dream. It was fine but nothing amazing. The service was good, [[HIGHLIGHT]]the ambiance was great, and I loved the special tropical touches like the tiki style glasses.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We didn't get one of their pineapple drinks but those looked great! If we are back in Hilo I would definitely go back.

    Drinks Menu 12/2025
    Sherman L.

    Food 5/5 - Ordered calamari, fish & chips, and grilled fresh catch. Calamari was delicious, as the panko batter was flaky, and the calamari strips were tender without any chewiness. Fish & chips, the batter was good (not very oily) and the marlin fish was not dry. Steak fries and salad were fine. The grilled fresh catch was also good, although the slice of ahi did look a little small. Pina colada and pineapple no pow were refreshing. Price $$ - Price is fair with the portions that are served, other than the grilled fresh catch. Service 4/5 - Service is good, servers checked in to see how our food was, and did make a round to refill our drinks. Ambiance 4/5 - Interior is good with a pineapple colored theme and open atmosphere. Overall - I had a pleasant experience and will visit again.

    Fish an chips- Furikake style
    Daniel A.

    Fish and Chips were some of the best and loved having them with Marlin fish. Loved the Furikake style option with seaweed and sesame seeds over the fried fish. Delicious tartar sauce. Fantastic breaded sweet potato fries And one of the best part was the mango Cole Slaw. Sweet & tart. Live music started at 6:30 pm.

    Inside
    Trent O.

    [[HIGHLIGHT]]We loved our stop here. It was a cool open air restaurant, in downtown Hilo, in the middle of a few blocks of shops - right across from the supermarket.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We had a short wait for a table at noon, but were seated in less than 15. Our waitress was super fun and bubbly and answered our questions about the menu. We tried a few things, all of which were epic! The ahi tower was perfection - the tuna tasty and fresh with a generous amount of avocado and crispy won ton chips on bed of basmati rice. All the sauces swirled around with some edamame. The burgers were delicious, and the battered shrimp app sooooo good. We had some pineapple margaritas which were spot on! There is an option to have your drink in a hollowed out pineapple for $5 up charge. All around perfect from all angles! Give this place a try!

    Fried shrimp
    Marc C.

    We decided to try this pineapple-themed spot because of the strong reviews, central location, and fun tropical drinks. The staff was genuinely lovely, and the indoor/outdoor setup nailed the vacation vibe. The food and drinks, though, were pretty uninspired. It hit the spot in the moment, but the whole experience leaned into the kitsch you'd expect from the signage and marketing. Menu-wise, I'd recommend the burgers over the fish and chips. We did love the fried shrimp! The flavor was spot-on and the dipping sauce was to die for, though the breading was definitely on the thicker side.

    Cherryl W.

    This place is amazing and service gives true island hospitality! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Love the open concept of the dining area.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The food was delicious, cocktails too, order the lava flow (strawberry piña colada). The food is delicious and we know cuz we went there 3 times for lunch and each ordered something different everytime. What I also love about this place is that they a gluten free and vegan menu! Shout out to Sandy!!!!!! BONUS! Local market just a short block away, another must see.

    The Hilo Local Plate (1/2 portion- because it was split)

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    Review Insights

    19 days ago

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    Donna S.

    Mahalo for visiting Pineapples. A hui hou!

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    2 months ago

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    Donna S.

    Mahalo for coming back. A Hui Hou!

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    1 month ago

    [[HIGHLIGHT]]Amazing ambiance, food, service, everything![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We even got lucky with some live music. 10/10!

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    11 months ago

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    Page 1 of 66

    Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine

    Do you have parking? We will be there during Merrie Monarch, Thursday 4/24 for 11am reservation.

    Hello Shirley. We do not have designated parking. There is street parking on Kilauea Ave and Mamo St, as well as behind the restaurant. Plan to arrive a little early as they also will be closing off many of the streets around us as well. We look… 

    Is pineapple restaurant open on Christmas day, december 25th, 2024? Thanks

    Hello Jef. We are closed on Christmas and Thanksgiving. I heard WSW in the hotel will be having a brunch on Dec 25.… 

    We love Pineapples, and are planning on coming the end of the month. Do we need a vaccination card to come in and have dinner?

    We were there a couple days ago. No vaccination cards required. They take your temperature upon entry and require you to wear a mask when you're not seated.… 

    Do I need a reservation for lunch?

    Reservations are definitely recommended anytime. If you show up early for a reservation and they have space, you're golden, but if you don't have a reservation, it can be a loonnng wait!

    When is Happy Hour?

    3:00

    How loud is it at dinner? Is it hard to hold a conversation because of the noise level?

    We got takeout out twice. But when we picked up food it seemed like it was pretty loud, from what I remember it was pretty busy and a very hip and happening place to seat.

    Would like to place a take out order but phone has been busy for last 45 minutes- any other number we can call?

    Per Ang L's tip, no take out when they're very busy...

    Do they have AC?

    It is an open air restaurant

    View All 10 Questions

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    The Hidden Nene

    4.6
    (139 reviews)
    0.1 mi
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    I had The Hidden Nene bookmarked when I was planning out my trip to Hilo and I couldn't be happier…read morewith my experience at the speakeasy. My wife and I stopped by for pre-dinner drinks and we absolutely loved the drinks that we were able to try out. I started out with a cocktail called the "Spam Dram", a crispy Spam fat-washed barrel-proof bourbon, combined with seared Spam and nori syrup and topped off with a spam musubi garnish. As one might guess, this drink was presented in a spam musubi tin, and atop the bed of crushed ice was an *entire* spam musubi. The drink was a perfect representation of spam musubi in a glass -- sweet, savory, and full of umami. Props to whichever bartender put together this creative drink. The next drink I ordered was the "Smoky Bear", another bourbon based cocktail. This one had bird's eye chili essence in it, and was much closer than your traditional Old Fashioned, except it had an incredible amount of smokiness and a punch of heat to it as well. If you enjoy stiff drinks with complexity, look no further than this cocktail. While we were seated at the bar, we overheard somebody close to us mentioning a password special that had been posted on the Instagram page of The Hidden Nene. We checked their latest story posted two hours earlier and the password special for the day was a "fizz me baby one more time", a strawberry and yuzu gin fizz. My wife ordered this cocktail as her second drink and loved how refreshing the drink tasted. Overall, if you consider yourself a cocktail connoisseur, you owe it to yourself to check out The Hidden Nene if you're in Hilo.

    The coastal town of Hilo hides the fantastic speakeasy, The Hidden Nēnē. Head down the stairs by…read morethe green door, and it becomes less hidden, and you can see the sign for the basement level bar. The underground space is low green lighting, a long bar, and green velvet bar chairs. We went during the day, so they were not busy, and were able to sit at the bar. The service was quick, relaxed, and friendly. The cocktails are upscale priced, but well made. They do offer a full food menu, we did not order any food on our visit.

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    A full bar
    A full bar
    Caviar on salmon blini.
    Caviar on salmon blini.
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    Hilo Town Tavern

    Hilo Town Tavern

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    Came here on a night where they had live Hawaiian music. The speakers were super loud, but the…read moremusic was fantastic. It took a while for the waitress to take our orders. One waitress said that she was going to come back and then didn't return for over 15 minutes plus. My friend got the Loco Loco over tater tots, which was very filling and delicious. I got the ribs. Initially the only rib that was hot was the end piece and as soon as I cut it, the remainder was ice cold. I told the waitress who took it back to the kitchen, and they reheated it. The ribs overall were tasty, though not the most tender ribs I've ever ever had. I did like the French fries though it was cold after they reheated my ribs.

    After spending some time at Lyman Museum, we desired lunch and a Yelp search led us to Hilo Town…read moreTavern. Walking through the entrance we were greeted by a server who also doubled as a bartender. We proceeded to order the following: Mai Tai's, Jamaican Jerk seasoned chicken tenders (wife) and the Lava burger (me)...both orders with the hand cut tavern fries. Since the restaurant was fairly empty, our orders came out fairly quickly. Both of our orders arrived hot and were very flavorful. As we enjoyed our meals and sipped our deliciously strong Mai Tai's, we enjoyed people watching and eavesdropping on the conversations held by locals. Throughout our visit, the server did a great job of checking in on us. If you're in Hilo and have a yearning for some delicious food and strong drinks, I recommend checking out Hilo Town Tavern. My only regret is that we did not visit during a karaoke night!

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    Dim lights and brew
    Dim lights and brew
    New owner!
    New owner!
    Hilo Town Tavern

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    Puna Chocolate Company

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    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.

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    Entry to Puna Chocolate Company & Cafe
    Entry to Puna Chocolate Company & Cafe
    Inside Puna Chocolate Company & Cafe
    Inside Puna Chocolate Company & Cafe
    Storefront for Puna Chocolate Company & Cafe

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    Storefront for Puna Chocolate Company & Cafe
    Moon & Turtle

    Moon & Turtle

    4.6
    (871 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    Quaint local restaurant that has a creative menu with a personal flare of the Owner chef. Staff is…read morevery knowledgeable about their menu and makes excellent recommendations. My husband and I sat at the bar and enjoyed the excellent company of our bartender server who gave excellent descriptions of the menu items ...making our mouth water before we even ordered our dinner. At Her recommendation, we enjoyed the ricotta gnocchi's As our shared starter and the pan seared local Opah fish dish which was amazing.. Reservations are highly recommend as this is a locals favorite... so tables fill quickly.. and you don't want to miss this exquisite restaurant in service and food quality!

    I usually avoid writing reviews for heavily reviewed businesses, but I'm making an exception for…read morethis one as it was the best eatery my wife and I visited during our nearly week long honeymoon on the Big Island split between Hilo and Kona. We ordered the risotto, fresh catch (marlin), crispy rice, gnocchi, and finished off with the mac nut ganache mascarpone pots de crème. We did share a Lemon peel lemonade cocktail. The Lemon peel lemonade was basically spiked lemonade. Well balanced for being a tart oriented drink, but I didn't care for the floating bits. The risotto which comes in full and half order, was very rich and had chunks of mushrooms for flavor. We're glad we got the half as this was a heavy, rich, and cheesy entrée on its own. If you love risotto, you will love this dish. The marlin was perfectly cooked and balanced out with a locally inspired vegetable succotash. Fried bits of kalo were also added in for added texture. The special and new item, the gnocchi was the star of the show. This is by far the fluffiest gnocchi we've ever had. Crispy on the outside, little potato clouds of fluff on the inside. The gnocchi came over a tasty sauce with bits of fried onion for absolute perfection. The crisp rice was recommended by Yelpers and it was alright, crispy rice with a spoon of poke. Not bad, but did not live up to the hype. Get another order of the gnocchi instead. It's fairly rare to see pots de crème on restaurant menus, specials or not, so we had to get this. It came in a cute little glass jar, with rich chocolate and mascarpone flavor with a hint of mac nut. This desert was an absolutely delicious perfect end to the meal. You can make reservations online, street parking is quite limited, and it can get busy as the night goes on, so recommended to get an earlier dinning time. Staffs regularly checked in on us and were polite and efficient.

    Photos
    Limited seating so it fills fast - so make a reservation
    Limited seating so it fills fast - so make a reservation
    Market fish (Ono)
    Market fish (Ono)
    Market Fish - steamed mahi with garlic, ginger, scallion and soy in roasted bone congee with chili oil and wild rice

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    Market Fish - steamed mahi with garlic, ginger, scallion and soy in roasted bone congee with chili oil and wild rice
    Margarita Village

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    5 stars for mozzarella sticks in a hurry. When the craving kicks in & they can get it out to you in…read more3 min and in a to go box $10 for 12 of them

    Margarita Village LLC was totally not what I was expecting. I figured my boyfriend and I would walk…read morein to a Jimmy Buffet feeling type bar, but were instead walked in to a dive bar! Granted, the outside looks a little rough. There's mostly neon signs looking out at you from the dark inside. When you walk in, you'll notice the floors are concrete and that there are pool tables. Walking in, it seemed like the place has seen better days. However, looking at everyone in the bar, they all seemed like someone you could easily strike up a conversation with. My boyfriend and I were mostly looking forward to trying a margarita. We both ended up with a POG margarita. If you're unfamiliar with what POG juice is, it is Pineapple, Orange, and Guava juices mixed together. While the margarita was very strong, overall it was a delicious drink! We even got to try Lihing mui powder. If you go, look it up and ask for a glass rimmed with it! There is no air conditioning within the bar but we'd been there after sunset and didn't really feel hot. The bartender Kya? Kia? was so wonderful! After checking out the reviews, I did see some negative Nancy's on the platform talking about how this felt like a 'locals only' place. When I walked in, I made sure to strike up conversation with Kya and asked how her day was. Everyone on the island realizes you are probably vacationing. I was treated so wonderfully and Kya even gave me a recommendation for a hike in the national park. Be so kind to people and you will always make a friend! If dive bars are your thing, definitely check out Margarita Village! The margs are plenty!

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    Margarita Village
    Dozen Mozzarella sticks
    Dozen Mozzarella sticks
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    Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine - newamerican - Updated August 2026

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