The service last night was bad. I haven't been there in over 6 months but I liked your bar being a upscale installment in Hilo. The 19$ old fashion did not have the 1 whiskey cube in it and the flavor wasn't appealing as it once was. Your bar felt like "any bar in Hilo" as your staff catered to their friends and did not take our order for quite some time. This is an honest opinion as a patron that has come prior and been impressed by your staff and drinks in my visits. read more

Super cool little drinking spot in downtown Hilo! Definitely a must-hit spot if you are out here at night, especially if you are in the mood to be a little fancier. They have a great cocktail list & wine list. Not a ton on their food menu, but it is all done well. The oysters were prepared beautifully! read more

Very nice staff and good food while here in Hilo! We ordered an assortment of appetizers and they were delicious

This place blew my mind! Everything is such high quality and flavorful and the menu is so creative, definitely an experience. We ordered Deviled eggs stuffed with yolk-crab filling topped with smoked pecan wood bacon garnished with balsamic truffle reduction, caprese bites and Pipikaula crostini bites.! Ola brew dragon fruit cider behind. Drinks were all top-notch. read more

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My favorite bar in Hilo!! Their food menu and specialty drinks are very unique. The relaxed ambiance and attentive service that it provides is what sets them apart from the rest of the bars/restaurants here in Hilo. The employees are always very friendly and kind. My favorite dish would have to be their pork belly poke. It's always cooked to perfection. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and a whole lotta flavor! Their phantom red wine is amazing! You can really taste the berries...it's not too sweet or dry but just right! And my personal favorite is the Hawaiian Mule! the whiskey mixed with ginger beer gives it such a smooth taste. Just squeeze that slice of lime in there to set it off and you're good to go! bottoms up!! read more

The Temple Kitchen + Bar - Scratch Made Sourdough Pork Belly Poke Pan Fried Kalo and Cassava - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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wow what a great place -- great food, great chef, great staff. was really surprised at the quality of food in both freshness, taste and presentation. Its something I would have expected at a fine dining place in Kona but Hilo -- was really a great meal read more

The service is great, and food is ono. I had the charcuterie tray and fish tacos. I especially enjoyed the charcuterie.

Best food and drinks in Big Island ,would definitely come back and recommend this places , as Mexicans we approve their tacos are legit!!! read more

Excellent service, they really know their cocktails, great atmosphere, a must in Hilo read more

The Temple Kitchen + Bar - temple bar Cocktail: Devil's Soul - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Stumbled upon this place yesterday and had such a good experience that we came back today! We enjoyed the ceviche, ahi, mushroom flatbread and the whole grilled shrimp. Everything was absolutely delicious! My husband was a big fan of the Alaskan Pilsner while I enjoyed the viognier white wine. They have craft cocktails as well, cute atmosphere. 10/10 read more

The Temple Kitchen + Bar - Mushroom flatbread, well, what was left before I remembered to take a picture - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

The best meal in Hilo, by far! We've dined at several other restaurants in the area before we finally wandered into The Temple for a happy hour cocktail on Valentine's Day. Of course, this beautifully-appointed place was packed with happy couples and groups of friends celebrating love and aloha, but they did not turn us away. Instead, the amazing Chey, who was already slammed working the entire room by herself, kindly worked her magic and created two seats for us. The wine list, beer and cocktail choices are extensive and bartender Abigail did a masterful job of turning us on to some sublime wines that made this night even more special. We weren't planning on staying for dinner until Chey turned us on to the food menu. Wow. Just wow! As we watched artfully-presented dishes arrive at nearby tables, we wanted to try everything. The dishes we did try: the torched tako salad, street tacos, and egg fried rice were fresh, lively, interesting and delicious. Compliments and 5-stars to Chefs Luis and Kyle. Mahalo to the crew at The Temple for elevating dining in Hilo to the sublime. Note: reservations are recommended. read more

Great place , small and intimate! Good food and drinks! Refreshing to see something like this in a small Hawaii town. I felt like I was in Santa Barbara or some small bar in the city on the mainland. Mana made our experience there a great one, mahalo! Definitely be back when we come Re visit the Big Island read more

We stopped into Temple around 4:30 on a Friday. We were able to get a seat pretty easily which was great. We ordered the garlic shrimp with fried rice, pork tacos, Belgian mussels and a charcuterie plate. The food was fantastic- all of it. For drinks we had the Sazerac and an old fashioned - also fantastic. The service was great The food and drinks were amazing I would highly recommend read more

We ate here on one of our last nights on the Big Island - food was EXCELLENT and our server and all other staff we interacted with were delightful! read more

We took a day trip over to HPP to go to a nursery and decided to try this place in Hilo for lunch with our friends. It was really cute with a very modern feel in an old Masonic Temple. The menu is a nice range of items and the service was great. We loved the Kumamoto oysters, ribeye carpaccio, torched tako salad. There was an issue with the tacos ordered but it was swiftly remedied by our server. She was absolutely fantastic. The drinks were definitely spot on. Do wish the blt bomb was a sandwich instead of a salad because it would be a great one. read more

Big shout out to Sarah, she recommended a couple things and after trying them, my gf and I had to stay for a couple more drinks. Sarah is a phenomenal bartender, every drink exceeded expectations. If you're interested I started with my go-to (Moscow mule) Hawaiian mule in this case. My gf started with Hilo Rain. I moved on to 'Through the looking Glass' after she tried it she got her own version. Things started to blur here, after my grape rosemary smoked old fashion. I ended the middle of my day with a 'Fisherman's breakfast' (Bloody Mary)..... *chefs kiss* I'm sorry if you never get to experience it. I'm so happy for you if you do! read more

The Temple Kitchen + Bar - "Fisherman's Breakfast" - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Best drinks and ceviche ever!!! Loved and the staff is amazing, highly recommend our waiter Sarah!! read more

The Temple Kitchen + Bar - Martini liliko'i - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Not good. The most concerning thing is that our server, during COVID, removed his face mask while he was in the kitchen and came out with it down, then wiped his nose with his hand before putting his mask back on, then proceeded to use the same hand to grab glasses to pour water. As a former server myself, if you touch your face you MUST wash your hands, Covid or not. Some other issues: the ceviche, while good, was very difficult to eat from a beer goblet, especially with bottom-of-the-bag crushed tortilla chips - there's a reason ceviche is served with or on a tostada. We ordered the tacos (3 to an order), and were told that we could not mix and match the meats - annoying, since the meats are almost certainly prepared and kept warm in a steam tray. However, this being a tapas style Restaurant with dishes clearly oriented towards sharing, the order of tacos comes 3 to an order which isn't good if you have 2 or 4 people in your party. We inquired about adding an extra taco but were told that wed have to order an entire extra order - for just the 2 of us. They're 3 for $10, we'd have gladly paid $4 for an extra taco. We ended up just cutting the 3rd taco which was frustrating and unsatisfying, not to mention they denied themselves an opportunity to increase our tab. The food was good, but the lack of hygiene and unwillingness to accommodate reasonable menu requests made this an overall negative experience. read more

Great food, drinks, service! Leila rocks, she took care of 9 of us and always had a smile on her face. read more

The Temple Kitchen + Bar - Torched Tako Salad - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

This place is super cool. Went on a Wednesday night and it was packed. They don't take reservations so we waited down the street at Hilo Town Tavern for 30 minutes and played pool. Our bartender/server, Austin, was very friendly and had some great recommendations. The Clams de Espana was to die for. Great broth for dipping bread. We also had the Torched Taco Salad, which was also very good. We would've ordered more, but they were out of a few of the items we wanted to try including their lamb taco special. Our drinks were phenomenal. I can't remember what they were called, but you can't go wrong with any of them. It's a tiny place and quite loud if it's busy, so I wouldn't recommend it for an intimate date night. Although kids are allowed, I wouldn't bring them at night. We were seated at a large couch and there was a kid sprawled out sleeping next to me. I give the food, drinks and service 5 stars read more

The Temple Kitchen + Bar - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Excellent food! Oyster mushrooms, tape and cassava, carpaccio oh my!! Loved the food and atmosphere

Absolutely delicious food and amazing cocktails! Chef and bartenders are incredibly creative. Solid staple and will be back!

Don't, do. Not. Order the street tacos. It's a 4 plate, $60 regret for this family plate. Pork taco was strange, small, dry Same for the brisket tacos - dry and chewy Something like a mole on tacos was an attempt at I don't know what Simply put, average of $5 a taco? For tortillas that were hard to chew (def not fresh) and dry chewy meat. Stick to the drinks read more

Chose this place over Jackie Rey next door and regret it very much. Service was fine. Ordered caprese bites, seared ribeye and ribeye carpaccio. 25 min after we ordered my boyfriend got his seared ribeye and waited for me to get my carpaccio. Five min later nothing, we asked about my carpaccio and it hadn't been prepared, they said they must have missed it. We decided to eat what we did get and leave hungry. I think its over priced, there's other restaurants around where you can get quality and more quantity than here. read more

A few months ago my friends and I went to happy hour and they sat us down. We ordered our food and was having a good time when the waitress suddenly came to our table to close our tab because they table was reserved at 6:00 and we had to either move the the crowded couches and sit separately or leave. Very disappointed. read more

Beautifully delicate flavors. Ceviche had a nice sweetness from ?(orange?). Both the Ahi carpaccio & oysters had a good heat. In a great way. I can't wait to try the rest of the menu!!! A nice small intimate spot. Although a bit pricier than most, you won't be disappointed. A must try. read more

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This place is CHEF KISS!! The service, amazing! The food, amazing ( get the pickle sampler)! The alcohol, amazing! Serena is not only amazing but beautiful with a beautiful soul! This place made the humidity worth it!! 10/10 recommend! read more

My wife and I love this place! Low key, clean and classy. GREAT pupus and very welcoming staff. Little on the pricey side but that's what keeps them separate from the "bar scene". This is our go to spot when we need time with each other to just unwind. read more

Service very slow, customers appear to be related to the staff. We had to wait one hour for ice cream pudding. The bar allows children who were running up to the bar and out of control. It was a hot mess NEVER going back again. read more

I honestly believe this is the best bar I've ever been to in Hawaii and among the best anywhere. My wife and a couple friends were in Hilo for a few the day and asked around for the best place in town to go for some drinks. Everyone (including a waiter at another bar) told us to go to "The Temple". We found this bar in a beautiful heritage building near the north end of Keawe St. The atmosphere of this place was unlike anywhere else I've been on the island. Our server was absolutely amazing! She made sure that our food and drink were exactly what we needed. I had the opportunity to get to know the manager who took time out of her busy evening to ensure that we were happy and having good time. I can't wait to come back next time we're on the Big Island. Thank you! read more

Always amazing, every time! Great great, excellent drinks, good vibes. The perfect place to have a craft beverage over an interesting conversation with some homies read more

This place is amazing, down to earth, the vibe is amazing and the food is delicious. The head chef is awesome and very friendly. Oh, and did I mention that the food was amazing! Prices are cheap for this high end top of the line food!!!! I come here every time I visit from Oahu!!! The temple is the shit!! read more

Excellent food all around. My venison was outstanding, so was my wife's flatbread. Good wine list. Beer choices okay, but could be better.

Small, clean, simple, classy place. Prices are on the high side, but if you're willing to treat yourself to the quiet ambience on a comfortable leather sofa... this is the place! Can't wait to go again... ~ Great atmosphere. ~ Great service. ~ Delicious cold appetizers w/ nice presentation. ~ Fantastic bar! We were lucky to snag the sofa coz I don't like sitting on bar stools.... read more

Gorgeous little bar/lounge. Was a little surprised at the bouncer at the door but he was really friendly and was able to find us seating at the lounge quite fast. My fiancé wanted the Hazy Little Thing but unfortunately they were already out. That didn't stop the group, we all ended up having something. I got a dragonfruit lychee cider which I was excited about because I love dragonfruit and lychee but unfortunately it tasted so strongly of the alcohol I didn't taste any of the other two flavors. I'm really picky when it comes to drinks though so I understand. Our waitress seemed slammed and there was an incredibly loud group of people that were kinda ruining the vibes, but honestly, this place is so pretty and so nice for a Hilo bar I was still really pleased with the experience. I got the bites in the picture which were delicious and beautiful. All that being said, the drinks and the food was quite expensive. There were only 5 bites and it was almost ten dollars. I totally understand the cost cause it's delicious but my (fiancé's) wallet suffered. read more

The Temple Kitchen + Bar - Caprese Bites - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

This review is specifically for the beer selection from the perspective of someone who has visited many craft breweries across America (didn't try the food so can't comment on that). This place pretends to be an upscale, hip, arty place but doesn't deliver with any substance. If you're a craft beer aficionado, you're likely to be severely let down by the selection of this place, it's basically the exact same beers distributed to any other sit down restaurants on the island. There were two beers out of eight or so on tap that I couldn't immediately find in bottled version from the local supermarket, the cucumber kolsch by Kona Brewing and a dunkel from Ola' Brew. I appreciate their taplist seems to be just Hawaii breweries. That's where the excitement ends, however. For the price of one beer you can buy a 6 pack of the same local brew at Foodland. The incentive of visiting a craft beer bar is to have access to rotating small batch kegs of beers that are typically not available in bottled distribution. It's nothing like the craft beer bars on the mainland where you have between 50-100+ regional beers on tap. Even the Anheuser-Busch Biergarten (a subsidiary of one of America's lowest rated macro brewing companies) in St Louis has more diverse selection (20 different beers on tap) than here. Half of their beers are the mainstream bottle offerings from Kona Brewing. I'm not sure if ya'll know and it may blow your mind, but Kona Brewing is not considered 'craft beer', it's actually owned by AB In-Bev CBA, the same company that owns Budweiser. Kona brewing has even been sued for falsely alleging their beer is brewed in Hawaii when in reality 95% of their product is brewed and packaged on the mainland because it's cheaper. The cucumber kolsch actually tasted like Budweiser. Zero cucumber flavor with only a hint of generic adjunct lager malt. I almost thought it was poured from the wrong tap. I've had some amazing cucumber beers such as Oakshire's cucumber berlinerweiss or even Cucumber Crush by 10 Barrel Brewing. But there was nothing notable in this beer. There are also 22oz bottles available - seemed like some good options except the prices, which were 3x (!) more than from the local grocery (every single one on the menu was available at the store as well). I suppose it's fine if you mind spending $30 on a bottle of beer, but you can get that exact one for $10-$13 at the store and be able to enjoy it in a more relaxing and 'chill' environment (for perspective I've seen that same beer for ~$5/22oz bottle on the mainland, so it's not anything 'extraordinary'). I could see how having 7-8 beer selections may seem like an impressive selection if you're not really into beer or if you haven't traveled America much... What would redeem this place (because the potential could be there) is if they had their own micro-brewery attached offering small-batch one-off beers and/or have a more diversified selection of artisanal beer varieties. read more

Creme brulee, sourdough and pickle sampler all yummy. Beer good but not ice cold. Fun atmosphere- a mix of locals and visitors. We went for drinks and bites but should have gone for dinner and hungrier to try more items. read more

Completely enjoyed the experience. From the chill vibe, lovely drinks, delicious bites and awesome service from Abi we will absolutely be back. A MUST visit if you are here on vacation or a local. Will not disappoint. Local flavor that can compete with mainland experience. Ps loved the vocals coming from the kitchen! read more

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PAT! And everyone else at temple bar CRUSHED IT TODAY! We felt so welcome! We asked Pat to be creative with a Cocktail and he wowed us! He's such a good listener! This place is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Loved feeling so at home on a place so far away. read more

This was our second stop here and we loved this place! The seared rib eye was delicious. It's just a "pupu", but I ordered it as my meal. Very flavorful and the smoked salt was great. My wife ordered the side Cesar and the egg fried rice which she also said was great. There are plenty of drink options for most tastes. We were also pleased with the friendly and timely service. Our waitress/bartender was on her own, but she seemed to handle all the customers just fine! This will be a go-to stop for us on future trips to Hilo! read more