I've been wanting to try this place forever, but they don't take reservations and usually we don't have time to wait. Finally we got there early and were able to get a table right away. Menu and drinks were nice. Seating at high tables rather uncomfortable. We enjoyed an assortment of pupus, and they were hit and miss. The salad was great. Tacos had excellent sauces and toppings, but meat was dry and chewy. Ahi carpaccio not very good at all--fish didn't taste very fresh and portion extremely small. I loved the two sides most of all. Housemate pickles were all amazing, and the roasted kalo and cassava were the best I've ever had. This will give any potato a run for it's money. Overall? I didn't feel like the value was there, other restaurants within a few blocks have great food and cocktails that are less expensive, and a more comfortable atmosphere. But I'm glad we tried it. read more

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Great food! The service is also great. Prices were a little high, but it was all worth it. Ambiance is like a normal bar's. Great place to eat for a vacation, and the wine tasted great! read more

Very good food. I love their Italian flatbread, Ahi Carpaccio and clams. Very good service, too!

Great ambiance, friendly staff. Hilo and every town need a place like this that is open "late" especially on a Monday when we went. We had the charcuterie plate and caprese bites, all delicious,. The red blend wine was great. The ice cream was a pass however for next time. But definitely worth a stop! read more

I've been sampling on other items even when it's happy hour. I was hopeful cause on the hype of the reviews. And visited again few times more in order to change my mind. But the food is overall ok especially the price and how they promote local ingredients. I've tried oysters, sour dough bread, all tacos, 3 diff flat breads, oyster mushroom, shrimp ceviche and the cassava one. The only thing I enjoyed most was the oysters . Tried some of their drinks as well. I think to justify food and the price is their happy hour honestly however it limits on the food options since it's just tacos and margaritas. Customer service is nice and friendly. read more

Update to my previous review. I was able to walk in without a wait on Sunday lunchtime. Food, beer, & service were all great. Bartender Sarah was very knowledgeable & attentive even though she was prepping for a busy day. read more

A great place to share small bites and get delicious one of a kind drinks. If you don't mind the price tag it's a fantastic spot.

Best bar program in Hilo hands down. Always decent selection of libations for how little space they have to work with. Bartenders have always been on top of things and the foods always on par. Hope to see them in business for many years to come. read more

Had an amazing time there! Brittany (Sabrina) was an awesome bartender. Great vibe and if you don't know about good food, try the cheese board. Open your eyes to other possibilities than just junk food. read more

Food was amazing! Four of us ordered different things and we all loved our dishes. Call out on the tacos and roasted pumpkin. Small place with limited seating. read more

The food here is adequate, though overpriced. Maybe the best value for your money if you're trying to get out of the burgers and deep fried fish tacos routine that blinders Big Island tourist fare, but that's more of an indictment of Hawaii's food scene than praise for this restaurant. The interior renovation looks very nice, for what it's worth. read more

Was recommended by a friend on Kona side for craft cocktails, and I am so happy to have checked it out! This little tapas restaurant/bar has delicious food options and FANTASTIC cocktails!! Sarah took care of us and every cocktail we had was phenomenal!! read more

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The food at The Temple Bar was excellent! We ordered the pumpkin, the oyster mushrooms, the chicken street tacos, the kalo & cassava and the caprese bites. We couldn't decide what we liked best. If you are in Hilo, you have to come here you won't be disappointed!! read more

The server Serena was awesome. The food was great. The drinks were good. But damn we need fresh moving air in this place. Add fans!!

the Temple restaurant is the best service and cocktails in Hilo !!not to mention the food 5star !! Austin is the best one in this restaurant!! That guy is so nice and helpful and does his job for a 10 star !! read more

This Temple Bar has some of the best food in Hilo Town. We ordered the pumpkin salad, oysters, ahi carpaccio, mussels, and garlic shrimp. All were excellent but you gotta try the garlic shrimp. The bar tender (sorry for not asking her name) made our sons excellent mocktails. This place is extremely family friendly with excellent customer service. We came in a second time and bar tender remembered the drinks she made for the kids without us asking anything! Y'all rock and thanks for putting on Cobra Kai! read more

We wandered into Temple Bar when we had some time to kill before our dinner reservation, and we had the best time. Ambiance was awesome, staff were friendly, and we fell in love with the pickle sampling platter. We had such a good time that we came back the next day to hang out there again!! They have a solid cocktail, beer, and wine menu, and the food was excellent. Def one of our trip highlights. read more

Amazing spot in a town with limited options for good food, atmosphere and drinks. The bartenders are friendly, cool and make great drinks. They always have good/interesting beer and wine options. The food is fresh, wonderful, creative and reflects a local flare with Asian and Mexican tones. Try the tacos, fried rice, garlic shrimp and the tako salad as well as the kalo and cassava side. Little gem in Hilo. read more

I'm so frustrated I never visited this Bar/restaurant in all times I've been literally doors down from here. (Maybe it's a new joint) lemme first say, Christian is hands down a fantastic mixologist! He made a Spicy whiskey smash that I could drink for days! The street tacos, pretty good. The backyard pumpkin salad- OMG-so good!!! I love love spice, but even not as spicy as I prefer, it was perfectly flavored. Kind of my new favorite salad. The atmosphere is bright and beautiful. Full on hipster place, but in the best way possible. I don't come to Hilo often, but this will, hands down, be my go to place from here on out. read more

This is the best kept secret in downtown Hilo! Amazing cocktails and service! The lounge atmosphere is a wonderful departure from the polarized diacotmy of upscale tourist trap and dive bar comfort. Our cocktail Sherpa was Shane, and she was simply astounding. Having met her twice, she never misses a beat. We were welcomed as strangers our first time there, and welcomed as friends the very next time. The level of hospitality is unparalleled. We will definitely make the trek for this again! read more

Went here for my birthday and wow I had such a good time. Great wines and the food is superb. Pricey but you are getting deliciousness. Servers are friendly and helpful. The location is small but it works. They are next to Jackie Rays. read more

Been here a handful of times, and the drinks, food, and service is always bomb!! Get a flatbread and enjoy their tap selection! Had a great Smokey Old Fashion here!! read more

So, I really hated to see the crêpe place close up. I had a few good nights there and enjoyed their live music. I was a bit put off when a new place opened up and I boycotted for a while in protest! But then I was coerced into going one night by some higher-echelon friends. This is just before pre-Covid. I was impressed. The space is smaller than the crêpe place before but it is modern and friendly and clean! I have been twice Post-Covid, and the owner is very careful about number of people allowed in, sanitation, and overall keeping things as safe as possible. Major props for that! Favorite item on the menu that I have tried so far - the Gouda flat bread. Smokey, a bit spicy, all sorts of flavors popping. Really good! Sometimes they have cold crisp oysters which are a real treat. You'd think walking by that this would be a pretentious place, but it's not. It's friendly and a change from the typical Hilo feel. I'll be back - many times. read more

Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! If there was a con... it would be that it is a small establishment; however, being small maybe it's biggest advantage. Nevertheless, the service was great. The waiter/bartender (Austin/Layla) were very kind, polite, and on top of their game. I'm normally a Coors Lite drinker, however, Austin provided the perfect substitute, considering they don't sell my beer. I enjoyed his recommended beer - IPA, pretty good. My wife and I ordered the ceviche - perfect! We had the ribeye, collards, and fried rice (w/garlic shrimp)... everything was perfect! This is the kind of place you have no issues leaving a 20% tip or more. The food was simply great. All around, nice little establishment (clean) to have a few beers, food, and walk away delighted. Will I go back? Absolutely! -Santiago read more

Cool place for great small plates and drinks with a awesome staff. Super friendly place close to the Bay! Great flatbread pizzas! Must try

Just stopped here for dinner! Was very impressed with some. of the inventive cocktails! The lychee rose martini is a must-try! The ceviche is also juicy and fresh. The oysters were a welcome surprise and come with dollops of local Hawaiian seaweed The flatbread was excellent and even better with leftover sea weed tossed over. The dessert capped off a splendid meal. And the hostess Sara was bang on with the recommendations Highly recommend read more

The restaurant was completely empty at 2:30 pm, yet the guy in the black chef coat, who was busy looking at his phone and failed to notice me standing by the "Wait here to be seated" sign, told me my options for seating, because I was dining alone, were to either eat at the bar facing the bottles of alcohol and the tv screens - and not the open window view - or, I could sit on a low couch and awkwardly try to eat my meal from a low table that was beyond an arm's length away. When he reluctantly said, "Well, you can sit at the table if you want" he also then talked crap about me to a man sitting at the bar, saying "Well if it was busy I would have told you no, off top". The condescending attitude combined with his disregard for normal, friendly customer service compelled me to say, "No thank you, I think I will dine elsewhere" and exit the empty establishment. Dine here if you enjoy being made to feel you've inconvenienced a service-industry professional simply by coming in as a smiling customer.. read more

Outstanding. This place is my speed. Great cocktails, beer selection is on point and the food is fresh, delicious and fun. Sarah and Jon were gracious hosts and served us with aloha. Both very knowledgeable and friendly. Good and drinks came out quickly and everything was done very well. This place is a chill atmosphere and the vibe is just right. Great spot for a date, dinner, snacks or drinks. I don't think there's a dress code but put on an aloha shirt ;). read more

This place is great. Haven't been back to visit the family in a while and happy to see places like this killing it!

Food was good. The place was cool. But waaaaaaaaaay overpriced. I would go back. But just a little expensive.

I live in Waikiki but I've had to come to Hilo a couple times in the past month. Both times, I chose to visit the Temple bar. I've had different bartenders but excellent service and drinks each time. I will definitely return each time I have extra time in Hilo! read more

Amazing food and incredible beers and drinks! We were so pleasantly surprised. We had heard it was great but we were very happily surprised. So happy this place is in Hilo! read more

WHAT A FIND!! Surfed Yelp to find an open lunch spot in Hilo after visiting Akaka Falls and came across the listing for Temple Bar and decided to give it a try. So glad we did. It's a tiny, tiny little gem of a place, inside with an open air feel due to large open windows. We are more wine drinkers than beer/cocktails and found several good choices on the list including one of the best rose wines I've ever had. Not sure if our server was the owner/manager but he was very knowledgeable of the menu, the farm to table history, and just genuinely made for a pleasant and relaxing experience. The word "amazing" is often overused but it definitely applies to the menu choices here. The tapas style portions were great for getting to taste a number of things without getting too filled up. We ordered the ahi carpaccio, the beef carpaccio and the mussels. All were delicious - the mussels were a definite standout. We are staying on the opposite side of the island but have toyed with the idea of making the 65 mile drive to Hilo for one more crack at this place before we leave - it's that good. read more

Great place to stop and have a beer and food when in Hilo. Only one block off the main drag. The two owners work the bar and kitchen

We had reservations at Jackie Rey's and didn't realize this was just next door! Great atmosphere, service was excellent and our waitress extremely engaging!! We didn't order anything off the menu but their small plate menu but it all looked amazing! I would definitely recommend as a great chill, pau Hana go to place! ! read more

As of this writing, most of the restaurants in Hilo close at 8pm, and some of them are quite hard to get into (due to the increase in visitors at a time of continued, if lessened, COVID restrictions). That is not the only reason why the Temple Bar, which stays open until midnight and is walk-in only, is so welcome. The other reason is the excellent food and friendly service. The place is small, with about six high-top tables, a couch seating area that they called their "lounge", and some bar seating. We visited twice, and both times began in the lounge area but moved elsewhere as seats came available. We found that three plates at this tapas-y restaurant were enough for the two of us, and each time got one flatbread, one salad, and something else. Highly recommended! read more

The Temple has selections you can't find anywhere else, the brews and beverages have been thoughtfully procured. Beautifully renovated space with modern and industrial touches in one of Hilo's grandest downtown buildings. Come dressed up or dressed down, you'll feel welcomed here! read more

We really enjoyed this bar while in Hilo. Such friendly service, fantastic drinks and food. This slightly upscale little place was exactly what we were looking for for a date day. You can tell the Chef has an attention to detail and fun flair with the selection. Definitely would go back ! read more

I should have read the menu more carefully, unfortunately it was on my phone instead of a sheet of paper. Was hoping to have a nice meal instead I got charged a dinner rate for a couple of slices of undercooked meat and 6 pieces of lettuce. The drink my girlfriend ordered was excellent. I left hungry and disappointed. I miss the crepes and food of the previous restaurant. read more

So definitely check this place out! The drinks and food are amazing. The mussels are off the hook when they have them. Try the smokey flatbread for a super awesome unexpected surprise, love it! Great speciality drinks. A unique addition to our downtown Hilo! read more