After a long hike, this was exactly what we needed! The food was absolutely delicious, and the…read moreportions were huge, but perfect when you've worked up an appetite. Everything tasted fresh, flavorful. The service was just as impressive. Everyone was warm and welcoming, and our waiter was fantastic. she checked on us several times without being overbearing and made us feel genuinely taken care of throughout our meal. This was our first visit, but it definitely won't be our last. Between the incredible food, generous portions, friendly service, and beautiful views, this place exceeded our expectations. If you're in the area, do yourself a favor and stop by! you won't leave hungry or disappointed. Edit: Try their desserts!! we took it to go and immediately had to add this to our review

Ordered the Kanak atak with beef and pork option and overall the experience felt a bit overhyped…read more The laulau was bland, while the kalua pork was somewhat salty but more flavorful. The poi had a pleasant texture, though the haupia was too sweet for our taste. We upgraded from rice to fried rice, which was fine but unremarkable. Surprisingly, the pickled onions and chili water were the highlights, adding the most flavor to the meal. Service was efficient but felt rushed and impersonal. Our waitress checked in, but did so while walking away, making the interaction feel routine rather than attentive. Overall, the food was ok, but not memorable enough for us to return.

Called in a to-go order. It was a little strange the lady didn't ask for my name and told me was…read moreready (already?) When we went to pick up the order it took a while for someone to help us even though we were the only ones in there. The lady that helped us was really nice though. We got 2 beef stew phos. The portions were pretty good size and tasted pretty good. I liked that it came with a roll! The prices were reasonable too. I would like to try some of their other dishes.

The food for me wasn't flavorful. The pho soup just tasted a bit on the watery side. The amount of…read morethe pho was expensive for the portion received. My 9 year old ate 2 orders of pho, no comparison but back in oahu we all shared one meal (2 adults ans 2 kids). Hate the messenger, but why such small portions for noodles? I can't see spending $70+ dollars for 2 soups, summer rolls, and lumpia.

Just off the plane, hungry with no wait, this is the place to go!…read more Went here on a Friday, about 8 am. First time back home in years; my parents were hungry, so we stopped in here for breakfast. Our order: Mushroom & Swiss Cheeseburger -- ONO - highly recommended, one of their top sellers! Pastele Special with Gondule Rice - ono! Food was onoliscious and filling. I wasn't hungry, but I had a couple bites of each, and it was delish. I would order the mushroom Swiss burger again! I just ordered a black coffee because I didn't get to sleep on the plane and needed a pick-me-up. Auntie at the counter gave us another cup of coffee because she says it just goes to waste at the end of day. Auntie was so sweet and had amazing aloha service, mahalo auntie!! Currently living in the mainland, this is what I miss the most. Aloha everywhere :) We will be back next time we're in town! And to try the other recommended dishes. A previous customer's order came out when we got there, and it looked so good, one of the breakfast plates with fried rice! love their famous sign - If no can, no can, if can... VERNA'S! Mahalo nui and aloha!!! Chelle

5 Stars We were…read moregetting gas in Hilo when we noticed something that always catches our attention: a parking lot full of locals and a steady line of people waiting next door at Verna's Drive In. We figured that many locals couldn't all be wrong, so we decided to give it a try. I'm glad we did. I had the cheeseburger, and my wife ordered the Swiss mushroom burger. Both were excellent. The buns were nicely toasted, the burgers were hot and juicy, and everything tasted fresh. The French fries were exactly what you hope for: crispy, hot, and perfectly cooked. The surprise star of the meal was the corn chowder. I'll admit it wasn't something I expected to order, but it ended up being one of the best things we ate. It was creamy, slightly sweet, had just the right amount of seasoning, and was packed with flavor. An unexpected find at a burger spot, but absolutely delicious. The food alone would have earned a great review, but the staff took things to another level. After we left, we realized we had accidentally thrown something important away. We called the restaurant nearly 40 minutes later, and the staff actually went through the trash looking for it. Who does that anymore? That level of customer service is almost unheard of and speaks volumes about the people who work there. Now we completely understand why the locals love this place. Great food, friendly people, and service that goes far beyond what anyone could reasonably expect. If Google allowed it, we'd give Verna's 7 stars.

After living on this island for 20 years and vacationing before that for many years, we finally had…read morea mean at Uemeke's in Kona. I had the cajun grilled mahimahi fish tacos and my hubs had sweet and sour tempura ahi belly. They were both ono-licious!! I can't wait to try out the Express in Hilo since we live this side....

I've always heard great things about this place and have sampled the poke nachos a couple of times…read moreoff my friends' plates. Each time I sampled, I always told myself to go get it but never seemed to catch them the correct time and date until recently! It's located in the parking lot of Safeway and Target, closer to the Safeway gas station. Parking will never be an issue here. My roommate and I both wanted the spicy poke nachos, but we ended up deciding to also try their fish & chips too after seeing someone's order. The orders were HUGE; def worth the price paid. The fish & chips came with a bed of fries and 4 huge fish sticks with furikake and sauce drizzled on top. The fish was nicely cooked and fried, but kind of bland. The mayo sauce was really good! I wished there were more of it for my fish. Fries were delicious! The poke nacho was just as amazing as the ones I sampled off of. The nachos were really crispy and the poke was fresh. Wished there was a bit more poke tho. The ocean salad complimented the dish really well too. I highly recommend the poke nachos from here! They offer spicy, avocado, or both. Fresh poke and crispy nachos. P.S. The original restaurant is located in Kailua-Kona which is quite a drive away. Very nice to have an express food truck in Hilo!

Stopped at this takeout counter for the first time after working up an appetite in the mall today…read more The menu looks like there's a great variety of things to try. We got a chicken katsu loco to split between the two of us. At first glance the price seemed a little steep, but the portion size was worth it. There are a few tables within the restaurant area as well as a few tables out in the mall's main walking path to sit and eat at. It did take a while for the food to come out but food was delish! The katsu was fried perfectly and not too heavy or soaked in oil. The chicken was also flavorful and juicy. I was also glad they gave two eggs to maintain a good meat-to-eggs ratio since they gave so much chicken! So glad we stopped by and we'll definitely be back for more. We also saw signs advertising their online ordering, which would also be very convenient for future orders.

First time I ever try this Lokahi Local eats and I order the California Roll and the sushi was…read moredelicious. The service is amazing and I would go back to places again!!

Chicken karaage was really good, super juicy and tasty. The people were especially nice. Would def…read morego again!

Such a delicious spot!…read more Made to order juicy fried chicken karaage! We ordered 8 pieces to share, plus 6 wings and 2 side rice. So much food! Rice was made perfectly. Karaage was perfectly seasoned and crunchy. Enjoyed every bite! We were unable to finish it all, so brought it home. And we re warmed it in the air fryer and it was just as delicious! A must try in Hilo!

Food is Ono, service is great run by an ohana, and can't beat the scenery out at makuu market. Go…read morecheck them out. Super delicious food

They have the best burgers with a secret recipe apparently. Also the guy that runs it and his…read morefamily are amazing. Support local/ native Hawaiian business!!!!

Arrived at 6:30 PM on a Monday. 7 open tables...45% of the…read morerestaurant was open. A young lady dropped off water- didn't even acknowledge us... Order taken at 6:42 PM... Free bread and butter with Hawaiian Black Sea Salt= yummy Calamari- flattened steak (not tentacles or rings) lovely sauce 10/10 Crab Dynamite Skillet- 10/10 Shared the fried fish which was Opaka Paka that day. 10/10 The food here is always delicious. Sometimes the staff is not the most attentive. So really it more like a 4.5. The food is always on point. The drinks are always on point. The service somewhat on point. $200 meal before tip; 4 drinks, 2 apps, and 1 shared plate.

My coworkers with Hilo family highly recommended this place and when in doubt, do as the locals do…read moreright? Located on the University of Hilo's campus, this seemingly farm to table restaurant has a lot to offer. We ordered the House Salad, Fried Kalo, Fresh catch (Opah/moonfish) over noodles, and fish over Bolognese. We went extra on the fish as we've been eating a bit heavy and some lighter seafood was in order during our Hilo trip. We also got the pickled mango martini and sangria. Everything was very fresh, with local produce making up the crisp salad and delicious pan fried fish over yakisoba style noodles. The fried kalo is definitely different, as it's hard to describe not being a potato, with a different texture being crispy, yet fluffy and starchy on the inside. If you like fried potatoes, its worth trying. The fish over Bolognese had some conflicting flavors, but the fish was again tasty and fresh. Both drinks were quite citrusy, with the mango martini being a bit too tart for me. Staff was polite and efficient. Live music also happens, but it adds to the atmosphere rather than taking over. Reservations can made online and there's plenty of parking.