Located at the airport by Gates 1-4. Pros: * sit down indoors and grab n go option. * offering their signature poke * outdoor tables available * grab n go turkey & cheese sandwiches on Hawaiian sweetbread - it was very fresh. Tasted great on the airplane. * grab n go pasta salads Cons: * confusing on which counter to pay at. There are two cash registers. One by the three seater bar and the other by the grab n go area. Turns out you can order & pay at either. read more

Umeke's Koa - Turkey Swiss sandwich - Wine Bars Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

To be fair; the service is fine. The island woman here is very nice. There's a grungy looking irritating haole-mite who works the bar side and she looks like she's been rode hard and laid wet. Super rude. Lotta drugs. Stay away from the grill; cooked food here is horrible. Really. The packaged food is your only savior. Bottled sodas safe. If a big name company comes in here to Kona Airport, and invests in a 'real' restaurant, then guaranteed it'll do well. This is an ancient airport. read more

Located inside the airport, a great place to hang out if you have a long waiting time before boarding. It's nice and cozy place with a high turnover of in and out customers. I've tried Poke Nachos before and it was good. But this time, I had the Smash Burger Ahi with home made potato wedges. I like the concept and it did taste good but I think I'll stick to the Smash Burger for hamburger instead. I guess I'm more traditional. Overall, it was just okay. I would definitely be back to try other items. read more

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It was ok and really the only option. Umeke's outside of the airport is an entirely different experience so I wouldn't not compare the two. This location is ok for airport food at the end of the day. I had the teriyaki beef plate. It had thick pieces of beef not like traditional thinly sliced beef. Sauce was good but the beef was over cooked and a little dry. For the price I would probably stick to the grab n go items. read more

This was basically the only restaurant in Terminal 1 and also right next to our gate. You order at the counter and they call out your number when your food is ready. It's self seating and there's plenty of tables inside, plus stool bar seating, and tables outside as well. I got the chicken katsu and it was not that great. It didn't have the typical crisp breading and the katsu sauce that accompanied it tasted like BBQ sauce. My husband got the grilled mahi and enjoyed it. The macaroni salad wasn't too bad as well. The portions are fairly big so if you're not that hungry, I suggest sharing. read more

Umeke's Koa - Inside bar area - Wine Bars Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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The only restaurant in the big island airport left much to be desired. Prices were high as to be expected but also it felt like the quality was not there. BF got the CheeseBurger and fries and I got the Breakfast bento ($15). I thought the bento was the best bang for my buck. It was the cheapest item on the menu! Even if the food was fine, I know it's at the airport, the steep prices did not justify it. I've paid less for more and didn't even go in with high expectations! I went in with very low expectations and was still disappointed! Service was fine. The bar was popping. It was pretty crowded. read more

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Umeke's is one of my favorite places to eat. The food has always been great & the fish always fresh. Did not have time to go to the restaurant this Kona trip, but saw they had one in the Kona Airport. It was confusing where to order from, if your eating in. The staff was friendly & helpful. It is a limited menu. I ordered the Furikake Garlic Chicken w/one scoop rice & mac salad. The plate looked Ono, but the chicken was way too salty. I ate 1/2 my salad & rice to try and lessen the salt taste of the couple piece I did eat. Needless to say I did not finish it. Hopefully this was one time thing. Alot of people coming to the airport will be having Umekes for the first time & if the food is not good, they may not try the restaurant. Which would be a shame. read more

Umeke's Koa - Furikake Garlic Chicken - Wine Bars Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

There was a different cashier today she was very nice. She's my favorite cashier in there! The cook was friendly too! Got my usual teriyaki chicken but they forgot the furikake I still enjoyed it. read more

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It was busy at 1pm on a Friday. It was hard to get a seat inside. There are tables and chairs outside but it can be hot. They have a small bar inside. Got the grilled ahi belly with garlic mayo, rice, and egg macaroni salad. It was fantastic. Fresh and delicious. The person at the counter was not only the cashier but was also helping with cooking, calling out numbers for orders that are ready, and cleaning the tables. When it's busy, the line and wait can be a bit. Eventually, it slowed down when some flights left. Because of the space and service, I'd give it a 4/5. read more

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Nice to have vegan options but the food is not very good at all. We went expecting to be able to order food based on a pic that was posted of a real menu but found out the real menu is from the actual restaurant in town (Kona) not from this airport kiosk. Staff fine and nice, just very limited menu. The grab and go food was marginal and no idea of expiry dates. read more

Umeke's Koa - Wine Bars Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Didn't have time to try their main location so I'm grateful this one is in the airport since I heard a lot of good things about their Ali'i Drive location. I didn't think it was so bad. In fact, the ahi belly was pretty bomb lol. Not gonna lie, the service did kinda suck, but this is more of a get in and get out spot so I wasn't expecting anything great. We live on Oahu so we're used to the prices. Curious to find their Terminal 2 location that others mentioned. We ate at the one by the Southwest terminal. read more

Ahhhh home sweet home! I love getting off the plane and while everyone else goes to get their luggage I come here and get poke nachos. Then once I'm done with my nachos my luggage is waiting for me and I grab and go. Thanks Unmeke's for many years of an amazing experience and all the aloha you give me and my family. WE LOVE YOU! read more

Umeke's Koa - Wine Bars Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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As far as airport restaurants go, this one is OK. It is in an airport, so you have to expect prices to be a bit higher, but while waiting for the flight to board, we sat in the AC, had better than decent poke and a beer. All in all, not a horrible last impression of the island. read more

Do it if you must eat something before a long flight. Of course Better if you have other options. Since we had only an hour before a 6-hour flight, we decided it's better to eat a bit just in case our plane was delayed or something...our previous 3 flights were all delayed for more than an hour due to overbooking, mechanical problems or weather conditions. The dining area was crowded but air-conditioned. The checkout line moved relatively quickly. As for the food, we fell for the marketing and got the Daily Special: grilled ahi belly and Korean chicken. Both plates came with a scoop of rice and a scoop of macaroni salad. The grilled ahi belly was small and not filling. I asked for garlic sauce but got the spicy mayo. The Korean chicken was deep fried and left under the heat lamp for so long it's almost inedible. Anyway it did keep us not feeling hungry hence the 2 stars. read more

Umeke's Koa - FRONT: Korean fried chicken (like eating rocks...dry and hard!) BACK: Grilled ahi belly (decent but very small portion) - Wine Bars Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Airport poke. Who knew?? Our morning flight to the island ran out of food options, so we were starving by the time we arrived in the afternoon. We got the spicy ahi, seaweed salad, mac salad, and cucumber kimchi on the side. It was so fresh and delicious!! It was so good that we had it again right before we departed. Noticed some tourists were not very kind. Remember to treat the staff like people, even if you're in a bit of a rush. read more

Terminal 1 Umekes- Only one poke available but it was 7p so not upset about that. However, as others have said the older lady was very rude. I waited for a couple minutes thinking she war busy getting others food ready when she grunted and said to checkout on the other side. I hadn't ordered food yet so I I said that and she still wouldn't make eye contact and just said, "Other side". The bartender I was directed to, well she wasn't very pleasant either. Both seemed like they hated life and didn't want to be there. Food price was much higher than the umekes in town. $40 for one corona, a scoop of poke, rice, and one side. read more

We found this place right after being up from the airport. What a great place for local fish. We ordered that Makai Platter so we could get a great sampling of the best this place has to offer. They did not disappoint. read more

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I got the KOA fries with the avocado ahi and spicy mayo. All of the prices were pretty expensive, but it was expected for airport food. The fries itself were crispy, and the toppings like lomi salmon and avocado were really good on top. Would like to try their main location on the island. read more

Umeke's Koa - KOA Fries - Wine Bars Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

As a paying customer who purchased both fries ($8) and ice ($1.50) to enjoy my beverage, I was surprised to hear I would be charged $4 for a disposable paper cup. The ice was served in a pre-frozen bag, which obviously wasn't suitable for holding liquid. As my soda continued to leak even after double-bagging, it was unclear to me how this was the best way to serve paying guests. While I understand the need to charge for ice, I would suggest offering an option for in-dining customers to use a house glass or be given a disposable cup. As a local, I find it outrageous that this is the acceptable standard in Hawaii, as the cashier continued to argue it was ok because there are signs outlining the policy on cup service. No shame- we can do better! On the contrary the fries were great, the ambiance was relaxing with both indoor and outdoor seating. I hope this policy will be revisited by management to better serve our guest who frequent through KOA. read more

Umeke's Koa - $4 empty paper cup for their regular policy for paying customers - Wine Bars Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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Absolutely awful place. The workers are beyond rude and I was sick from the food. They also closed early even though there were still 5 flights scheduled to depart and this is literally the only place to eat. Don't waste your time or money here. Eat before you get to the airport. read more

Go to the one in terminal two, not terminal one. This review is for the one in terminal one next to the Southwest gates. I went to this one in terminal one due to a sandwich board with "poke" pointing to the right. Big mistake. The older lady was very rude and just kept making sneering faces at me every time I asked her a question. She was also on her cell phone a lot. Granted the younger lady was much nicer and helpful. I left for my gate in terminal two which is when I noticed a second Umeke's Koa. The people in this one are much nicer and it was definitely crowded. Note to self to stick to terminal 2. read more

Food is ok for the airport, service is "outstanding". Cashier was rude to all the customers and with attitude as if someone slapped her in the face. Definitely not the best impression before you leave Hawai'i. read more

For airport food, not bad. Of course it's really the only game in town for eating something normal at Kona Airport. Tried the loco moco. Nice sized patty, cooked well with some decent seasoning, set on top of a good pound of rice. Gravy and egg on top for $20. A side of macaroni salad would have rounded this dish off, but still ok without it. read more

Leaving the Big Island? Stop in here for a poke bowl! If you want beer... the beer line is long. Good thing we were just hungry! Well seasoned and flavorful! read more

Umeke's Koa - Large Poke bowl - Wine Bars Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

This may be an airport restaurant but it's delicious! The original was a diner drive in and dives site and I can tell why. I got the teriyaki plate and it was so so good. Tender and flavorful. Also their Mac salad is so good. A ton of food for the price! Yum. read more

Umeke's Koa - Teriyaki chicken lunch plate with Mac salad. - Wine Bars Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Continently located in Kona next to Kona Brewing and Kona Chocolate, this is an easy stop to get lunch/dinner when you want to eat a fresh catch of the day. They have a great seafood selection, and several to choose from that are caught that day locally. There can be a wait so plan ahead. Staff has always been great. It's not huge and seating is indoor and outdoor. We've been twice now and had good experiences both times. This time we did the poke and fresh catch of the day fish sandwich. Both delicious! read more

Overated and overpriced. We ate fried chicken at the Kona airport and the least I can say is that it was very dry and tasteless. We ordered two more plates and they were not good either. Since its the only restaurant at the airport we did not have option. Service was okay but we had to throw the food. I heard some good reviews of this place but I really doubt if they are real. read more

Amber was our server and she was so sweet and accommodating and took her time to talk to us ! Great welcome to and departure from Kona thanks for serving us !! read more

Stopped here on the way home to Oahu. Waiting for our flight we decided to get a drink and pupus. Tried the Koa fries which was loaded with spicy poke and a bunch of sauces. Now I'm a salt person but these fries were salty overload. Too much salt and too much sauce. Tried digging underneath for the fries that didn't get any sauce and poke and even those were too salty. So disappointed. The fries, if plain, would've been great. Not your ordinary type of fry. Also, I totally understand the work and hours that the staff may put in working there but I thought they were border line rude. Even being a local girl, the girls that waited on me were not friendly at all. Thought this place would be a nice change from the only other place at Kona airport to get a drink and food. Not!!! My suggestion is to stay outside at someplace else for food and drink and wait last minute to check in to fly out. And don't even try and go in Umekes if you're not buying anything to eat and drink there. There's enough signs, in every window, to tell you not to. Just sayin..... read more

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The service was awful. The lady that checks you out has an attitude and is not very friendly. I wanted to order more but she just had such an ugly attitude I didn't even want to. The food is already expensive, least they could do is be nice. read more

Ordered the Teri Chicken plate lunch and a bottle of water. Came out to $30, damn Gina. Got the food and the plate only had one scoop of rice. Since when did we lose the second scoop of rice? That meat to rice ratio has to be on point. Ran out of rice before I finished the chicken which was a tragedy and the Mac salad had no taste either. Bring back the second scoop of rice for 30 bones worth of food. read more

Umeke's Koa - Teriyaki chicken plate lunch - Wine Bars Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

I waited in line for 30 minutes to buy a non alcoholic beverage. The line moved so slowly that I stepped out of line without buying anything. It would have been another 10 minutes or so for me to place my order. I don't know if they don't have enough people expediting or what, but that's ridiculous. read more

I recently had business in Kona and stopped by Umeke's in the Kona airport for lunch. I enjoy all seafood but decided to have the Lau Lau plate with mac salad. It was terrific! I have eaten many Lau Laus on all the different islands and this is one that I can highly recommend. The Lau Lau itself was a good size and the flavor of the meat and leaves were spot on! The mac salad and rice were good. The lunch with a drink was $29.25. I have made my own Lau Laus many times so I am familiar with a good flavor, consistency, and texture of a Lau Lau. The restaurant itself is very clean and cool with a lot of windows and a high ceiling. It is a nice lunch spot at the airport. The lady taking customer orders for the food was very nice and helpful. One comment though is that the high chairs and tables next to the windows by the entrance of the restaurant are unstable because the floor is textured and isn't completely flat and level. So the tables or chairs could rock back and forth depending on its location on the floor. Again, the Lau Lau Plate was so good that the following week when I was in Kona again for business, I stopped by Umeke's for the Lau Lau plate. read more

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Quite sad there are only two places to eat at this god forsaken airport and this is one of them. The food is basically inedible, no full bar with Barefoot wine as their top tier selection LOL and if that wasn't bad enough the service is just awful. Lady at the counter seems to be constipated and completely unaware of the concept behind the words "costumer service". The ambiance is dark, dirty and uninviting. The only reason this place still open is due to their monopoly as one of the two restaurants at a small airport. What a waste! Bring your own snacks and avoid this dump. read more

The poke here is extremely fresh and tasty. Enjoyed the ahi poke and lomi-lomi salmon plate. It is pricey, but in keeping with the fact that it's the only restaurant at the airport, and is a walk-up-to-order setup. Was a reasonably comfortable, air-conditioned place to wait for our flight back to the mainland. read more

0 stars if I could. This place is a complete disaster of a bar. It is the smelliest place I have ever been. Honestly it should lose its liquor license. It is so gross... I hope they give the airport license to a competent provider. Absolutely embarrassing. read more

Got the chicken teriyaki. The rice was undercooked and crunchy. Chicken was stringy. I ended up throwing it away, and munching on my granola bars. Not recommended. read more

Poor customer service, the workers are very unprofessional. The music is so loud and they talking story to each other so loud trying to talk over the loud ass music. This person on receipt decides to sweep floors around and under ppl eating at their tables while eating. So rude. Sad Umeke's KOA. read more

Terrible service. Waited 10 minutes in front of line before being acknowledged. Was charged $15 extra for something we did not buy. Flies everywhere. Food wasn't even worth the money spent. But again, worst of all was the customer service. read more

Honestly the best food we had. I am vegan so choices were few on the island. Really good Mai Tai.