Menu prices online are not the price you will pay in person. Expect to pay double. They say they haven't updated their menu online in a long time. read more

If your looking for amazing pulled pork, look no further. I ordered the Pulled pork plate with rice and macaroni salad. Everything was on point. The Pulled Pork was juicy and had the perfect amount of sauce, the rice was perfect and the Mac salad was a perfect side dish. If your in Hilo, I highly recommend Vernas Drive in. read more

Verna's Drive In - Pulled Pork - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

The food here is pretty ok. I love the "Kamuela" dish. I totally recommend it. Their burgers are not the best, but then again I am not a big fan of burgers. It is open 24hr and while sometimes the wait is long, I think is worth it for late hours of the night. There is parking available but is rather small. There is also a sitting area that covers you from the rain. Sometimes that sitting area is not the cleanest so bring napkings to wipe the spot. Overall if you are in Hilo, why not try it? Is close to the airport and hotels. It wont break your wallet either. read more

Verna's Drive In - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Food is ono and it's choke food. They have too much to choose from that you'll have to come back.

Friendly service, huge servings of food. Definite local spot. We had the teri-hamburger steak loco moco and the Portuguese sausage loco moco. Delish. read more

Verna's is a no frills kind of place but the food does not disappoint. Great option for a tasty plate lunch on a budget. On my trip I sampled the loco moco and the pork plate lunch. The pork was served with a savory mac salad and rice. Perfect for a quick bite. I get the establishment lacks curb appeal but give it a chance. read more

Verna's Drive In - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Loved the teri hamburger steak. Gravy was good too. Gonna try it all when I'm back in Hilo.

Honest good Aloha people.... my wife lost her new apple watch on the beach...One of the staff picked it up and had it waiting for us....wouldn't accept gratitude reward saying..."you got to know their are good people here..." we will be going back for food... Mahalo Vernas.....much gratitude!!! read more

This was the first time I've been to Hawaii island in over ten years when we took a family trip it when I was a kid. Everyone suggested this place so we stopped in before flying out. Ordered the roast pork which is my fave and was not disappointed. Omg the shredded roast pork was so moist and tender and the brown gravy was flavorful without being too salty. The Mac salad on the side reaally just brought this dish together. Classic local favorite done right. I would recommend you get your plate and go cause this whole in the wall kinda place only has an outside seating area and naturally lots of flies. The girl at the order window was a sweetheart and made great suggestions and gave us the run down of the menu. I would 10/10 come here every time I'm on island. 10/10 recommend for everyone! read more

Verna's Drive In - Roast pork plate with extra gravy. - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Came here twice while staying in the Hilo area and I actually enjoyed this place a lot. It's your classic hawaiian drive through restaurant with plate lunches, big breakfast combos, and more while staying on the cheaper end. The food is also made very quickly so you can be in and out in less than 15 minutes. My favorite thing here was definitely the Kolohe special plate which is just a plate lunch with teriyaki beef, chicken katsu, and shrimp. It was very appetizing! Would recommend this place to grab food for the day as restaurants in Hilo close very early and you will likely not be able to grab dinner anywhere if you come back late from any attractions. read more

Very disappointed in this place. I visited this place the other day. Its been a while since i came here. I ordered 2 cheeseburgers plain with fries. Cost me $17.00. I got the food and the burgers had everything on it. I had to take it back and have it remade. The stars goes to the attendant that serviced me. The cools need to get it together. read more

We swung by after we had been treated rudely by the hostess at a snooty place up the road. We were on the hunt for a good burger and the reviews were good. It was only a short wait in line to order and the woman who took our order was so nice and the time it took us just a few minutes to get our food. We ordered double cheeseburgers and they were surprisingly good and the fries hot and crisp. I sure feel we got our money's worth. read more

Wait time was quick and the food came out piping hot. Their Terri burger with egg and cheese is incredible. Super greasy and ono. Their fried noodles could have had more flavor. I added a shoyu packet and it was better. Normal Hawaiian fried noodles. Their Korean chicken is super flavorful. I wish they made it with boneless chicken but it was packed with flavor. I'm not a huge Mac salad fan but theirs is super tasty. read more

Amazing tasting local food , great pricing and so many delicious options I had to order two meals . Friendly service . One of my favorite spots for a take out meal read more

So bomb. Gravy burger, french fries, & kona mudslide ice cream all hit the spot. Service was very kind and welcoming too. Mahalo!

Hamburger steak wasn't to my liking and the baked spaghetti didn't care for it but this is just me

I do like a good garlic fry and a good chilli fry and these guys don't disappoint on those sadly the cheese burger tho packing great flavor it was kinda small but still delicious good clean seating area and good service timeing the only problem I have with this restaurant is that the lady at the order window was kinda sarcastic it would seem but it was a hot day so I'll give it a blame on the weather the fry sizes are perfect tho most places give u way to little but these guys do perfect proshions I will definitely come back and I do love that u tast 0 grease what so ever in there food read more

This place is definitely under rated! I waited 6 months just to eat the Roast Pork Special and it was definitely worth every bite!! It was also my bf first time eating the Roast Pork plate and he instantly fell in love with it as he is a picky eater. We also ordered the Chili Cheese deluxe fries which comes with onions and tomatoes! To die for! A hole in the wall that is worth the money for, which isn't expensive at all! Lots of food that won't have your wallet screaming. read more

Verna's Drive In - Roast pork special!! - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

I usually go here for a breakfast sandwich which usually comes with bread , cheese and mayo I always order without for some reason today 5/14/2023 @ 10:30am the lady taking the order really had a problem doing this stating if I ordered this item in this particular way she would not do I have done this everyday for the last 6 weeks spending $7.50 per day and sometimes $14 .Then when the order came she asked if I wanted wrapped proceeed to argue with me when I said yes this money spends everywhere so I will not be returning she said she didn't care as a tourist just wanted others to know breakfast is the only items that are worth the money other items remind you of dog food , also this us mot the usually morning person . What bum for customer service You've been warned it is strictly her fault she is doing a job she hates read more

Excellent customer service, fast, cheap eats that taste really good! Must come and try!

Like Verna's says..........."IF NO CAN....NO CAN. IF CAN, VERNA'S! " Lol!!!! How's that for a local style slogan???? I was in Hilo today..............and upon finishing up my jobs, I only had about 45 minutes before I had to head back to the airport to catch my flight back to Oahu. I had to look for something fast, so I decided to stop by at Verna's Drive Inn. I've eaten here before, but it's been a very, very long time.........for today's lunch I ended up ordering the Korean chicken with brown rice, and it also comes with a scope of mac salad. What can I say about the grub............the Korean chicken was outstanding! Great sauce over the slightly crispy chicken drumsticks & wings........a hint of sweetness too! On the down side.........the brown rice was "rock hard"!!!! I choked down a bit of the rice before I gave up eating it........I guess I should have taken the regular rice? As for the mac salad.............I did not partake, as I just hate mayonnaise! Service was a bit slow, as it was not busy. But I understood why it took a little while to get my plate lunch..........they make it fresh for you when you order it. Just a tip - Only outside seating, as this is a drive inn, and not a restaurant. You order your food, and find some outside seating on the side of the building. They have a few large picnic style tables where you can sit down to eat. Lots of parking in the private parking lot, as this little hole in the wall drive is placed smack in the middle of the parking lot, so the parking surrounds the drive inn. Gave this place a "3", as I had to take a point off for the "hard as rock" brown rice...........If the rice was perfect, I'd probably have given them a "4". Overall, not a bad place to get a good plate lunch. I will be back again one day............maybe I will eat at your other restaurant in Keaau? read more

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I had the roast pork and shoyu chicken. I like local food but this didn't sit well afterwards. The chicken was cold. It was convenient but I do not recommend this place for good local food in Hilo read more

Never had anything I didn't like from here! Impossible to beat the prices! Friendly staff and quick service on top of everything else!

Fast yummy and great prices! Best place to stop when you arrive on Big Island! The plates were huge and yummy!

I got the Roast Pork special and it seems like I got half the size that people from the other photos got. I don't even think there was any stuffing. The flavor was very good, but the portion looked like keiki size. For $13 not very good Vernas. read more

I have not eaten here in over 10 years. So I honestly forgot what their food tastes like. So here's how it went down. I read the menu and was greeted nicely when I was ready to order. Simple order, a chicken katsu plate and a large unsweetened ice tea. I also thought I should get something for my friend since I'm picking him up and ordered large curly fries. 5 mins later a guy walks to the order window and had ordered 2 plates of something and then he both waited. It had been about 10-15 for me while the guy was at least waiting for 5 mins. And then he got his order before I did. How is that? His order was bigger and he ordered later but still got his food before I got mine. And it was just the two of us waiting for food. I brushed it off and waited, after about 3 mins I was told that they were outta curly fries and they asked if regular fries were okay and I said "sure". I was a bit disappointed because my friend loved curly fries. He was okay with regular fries though. So 5 mins had passed and I finally got my order. They gave a hefty amount of napkins and I thanked them and left. So it took about 25-30 mins for my food, pretty bad for me. They did though apologize for the wait. And for a couple more of details. As I was waiting I decided to peer into the ordering window and see what their working kitchen looks like... it was pretty bad. I had seen a guy touching sliced spam and kamaboko (Fish cake) with his bare hands, I know he could have washed his hands but I don't know that! I'm pretty sure you're required to wear gloves. And now for the food, I've saved the worst for last! My fries were overdone and past the ideal crispness of fries that everyone loves. Curly fries cost a bit more than regular fires and they didn't even bother to give me extra to balance it out. As for my chicken katsu plate. I can officially say that has been the WORST chicken katsu I ever had in my life! The burnt one my sister cooked a while ago tasted better than the poor excuse of katsu I was given. Holy S**T it was so bad. The meat tasted so fake, it tasted like the frozen chicken patties that Tyson makes. There was no crisp to the chicken's breading and the meat had these weird tubular things inside of them! Just look at it in the picture I post with this. Look carefully into the red circle! There sauce that comes with the chicken was way too sweet and it was very runny. The mac salad was pretty bad too, a bit too much on the mayonnaise and it couldn't hold its shape very well because the salad was not thick enough. The unsweetened iced tea tasted pretty bad too, tasted really artificial. Not as artificial as the chicken katsu though. If I could give 0 stars I really would but sadly YELP isn't like that. Overall experience was really disappointing. I couldn't finish my food so I dumped the rest. I would not come here again. IF CAN... then don't go to Verna's go somewhere else. IF NO CAN... then still try go somewhere else. read more

Verna's Drive In - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

This steak and shrimp plate was 17.00. Pay is not the problem here but the amount I received for that price was ridiculous, not to mention the salad was sour... is this how you treat your ongoing customers like myself who comes to your place of establishment all the time... thats just wrong read more

Verna's Drive In - 17.00 for a plate you'd like to hope that they are serving you like an adult size amount of food. - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Always one of the places I eat at when I am in Hilo. Roast pork is the bomb. Pork is roasted and the pork is moist and very flavorful. Whatever you you guys do to make the Roast pork don't stop doing it! read more

Verna's Drive In - Pork Cutlet - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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If you take the morning flight to Hilo and don't eat breakfast before flying out, Verna's is the place to go. Don't spend over $10 for a combo at the Honolulu International Airport Burger King! Get a filling breakfast for half the price at Verna's. It is right down the road from the Hilo Airport and right across the street from the famous Ken's. This was my second time to Verna's...the first was for dinner which we had a long wait but my second trip was 7:45am...no line! I ordered the spam with over easy eggs with hash browns. When I opened the container, there must have been a big smile. Three slices of spam, two over easy eggs and two large hash browns. Dang...and less than $5! It is a typical Hawaii drive inn. If you have a large party, this probably not the place to go. But if you are looking to take out, then Verna's is the place for you. As the saying goes, "If no can, no can. If can Vernas" and "Verna she goes"! read more

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Really loved what we ordered! I'm mad because this is walking distance from our hotel and we came here for dinner on our last night in Hilo. The kamuela (one of their specials) was extremely good!! Would recommend coming here! Loved it so much I wanted more. If you're staying at scp Hilo hotel this is walking distance! read more

Verna's Drive In - Kamuela (fried noodle, Teri beef, and Mac salad) - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

I laughed when I saw the reviews of this place because this is not to everyones taste or style but it fits me just perfect. It is an old stone block green ( ugly green too) roadside building that most people would drive right by. You drive up onto a dirt parking lot ( it is hard compact dirt so no expense was spared) and.see this funky looking building but our tour guide from kaiimana tours ( forgot name but is superb) took us here when we asked for authentic food. Now you order thru a window and pick up thru another one and sit at stone tables ( cuts down on the theft quite a bit I imagine) so you dont need a tux or anything but bring your appetite as the food is unbelievably good and damned cheap too. No jacked up tourist prices here. It doesnt look like much but stop anyway you wont regret it. read more

any place that serves gravy burger I will hit up. Every time I go home I will stop by Verna's then head on down to onekahakaha fo eat and swim. read more

Yum! What bad could be said about this tried and true plate lunch spot in Hilo? The food takes a while to come out, but trust me, it's worth it! I've dined here several times while in Hilo. Its conveniently located just one mile from Hilo International Airport, so come pick up before your flight, or stop here for your first bite on island. We found the cashier, who it was her first day, to be extremely friendly! We ordered the plate lunch that included teri beef, fried butterflied shrimp, and chicken katsu. The breading they use for their shrimp and katsu is out of this world! All the plate lunches are served with 2 scoops rice and mac salad. They also give you a little container of kimchee. The winner of the day, though, is the burger! They are well known for their juicy and delicious burgers with "special sauce!" We shared a cheeseburger and fries, and that was our favorite part of our meal. The portions are generous. I was able to save half of my plate lunch to eat later on the plane. I would definitely come here with a big appetite! read more

I had about 35 minutes to eat lunch before getting back to work. Dang. Waited almost 25 minutes for one chicken Katsu plate and a small drink. Counter was not crowded at all. Service was ridiculously slow. Was it worth the wait?? Nope!! Chicken Katsu was more like chicken cutlet, no panko!??? I won't be coming back here again. read more

Such killa eats always! Best loco moco and chili dog!! Cheeseburgers are mean eats too. Outdoor diner setting, go up to window and order food and they'll call your order. This is a pretty good spot for take out cus they only get 3 picnic tables on the side of the building. Right before keaukaha so get your plate lunch here before or after hitting the beach!! Love Verna's read more

Awesome prices and selection. Tastes great!! Withthe selection of everything you might want. Always open. Ice cream, Hawaiian dishes, japanese dishes, all in typical American drive in from years ago... but you walk up to the window. . Outdoor seating is covered. read more

Verna's Drive In - Chicken katsu $9. - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Every time that I'm in Hilo, I go to Verna's for the pasteles and the arroz con gandules. This time I am disappointed with the small size of the pasteles and the price. If you charge so much for the pasteles, please make them bigger. I am a loyal customer when I go to Hilo. That's my 2-cents for the day. I ordered 6 pasteles and 1 carton of arroz con gandules and spent $60.00 bucks. read more

Overall average average or a little below average food here. Their Lau Lau is not freshly made they're Keokis expensive frozen laulau which I actually like and the kalua cabbage had no flavor at all so after I added a lot of salt and pepper. Before Covid I used to done in and their tables were always sticky. Too bad they stopped selling their seafood plate especially the breaded oysters. read more

For almost anyone who is coming to visit Hilo, whether it be by plane or cruise ship, Verna's (much like Ken's) is a very hard place to miss. Situated right at the end of Kanoelehua Ave. and the beginning of Banyan Drive (where most of Hilo's hotels reside), it's prime real estate for bringing in tourists. All that said, I think Verna's is actually more popular with the locals than it is with any tourists that come here to visit. Being a modest drive-inn, you know Verna's has to have been in town for a very long time to get a location like the one they have. And you can even tell in their food. It's not just the typical Hawaiian plate lunch foods that Verna's makes. They make the really local local food; from kalua pig and cabbage plates, to smoke meat and onions, to lau lau and loco mocos, just to name a few. Even if you don't want to eat the more traditional local foods, they have all sorts of other things as well. Even breakfast foods! That's really not something you find a lot at a drive-inn around here. The people at Verna's are pretty much always friendly, so there's no intimidation factor when you're feeling like some good food and don't want to deal with unsavory individuals. Seating is available if you want to sit down there and eat, albeit in limited quantities. If you were to ask me, I'd suggest that you take your food and make the extremely short drive over to Liliuokalani Park or Coconut Island to have your meal by the ocean. You really can't go wrong with that! Now, as they like to say, "If no can, no can. If can, Verna's!" Give 'em a try, local or otherwise. I'm a fan. read more

Verna's Drive In - Some great Korean chicken - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

terrible quality over the years. i ordered a club got two ends, completely done different cut once. no ham. never coming here again. and i used to work here. wish i could get a refund. yet no one answers the phones. read more