A Little Hidden Gem Filled With Aloha…read more Hana Hou Restaurant was honestly the best food experience we had during our entire 8-day trip to the Big Island. We stayed in Waikoloa Village and explored Kona, Hilo, Volcano Park, South Point, the Green Sand Beach, and the Black Sand Beach, so we had plenty of opportunities to try different places. And somehow, this little hidden gem ended up being our favorite. We're from the Los Angeles area and were traveling with my husband and our teenage son, and from the moment we walked in, we felt something different here. The service was genuinely friendly, the employees seemed happy to be there, and there was such a warm aloha spirit throughout the restaurant. That kind of genuine hospitality was missing at some of the other places we visited. Even something as simple as sitting down for a cup of coffee on the morning of Day 5 of our trip felt like a pleasure. The vibe was relaxed, welcoming, and local. You could feel that this was a place connected to the community. And the food was AMAZING. My son ordered the pizza, and it was HUGE -- so big that he had enough left over for the next day. My husband had the chicken, and I ordered the noodles. Everything was delicious. But I have to talk about the papaya. I do not like papaya. At all. I was just craving some fresh fruit, so I asked what they had, and they told me they only had papaya. I figured, okay, I'll try it. It was HANDS DOWN the best papaya I have ever had in my life. I loved it so much that later in the trip, when we stopped at a fruit stand and I bought papaya, I was immediately disappointed because it wasn't even close to the papaya we had at Hana Hou! We've been to Maui and Oahu before, and this was our first trip to the Big Island. If you're traveling around the island, I highly recommend making a stop here. Don't let the fact that it's a little tucked away fool you -- this place is a true hidden gem. We're so grateful we found Hana Hou. The food was wonderful, the people were wonderful, and most importantly, we felt the aloha spirit here in a way that really stayed with us. Mahalo, Hana Hou, for being one of the highlights of our trip!

Service was good and food was even better. It's a hole in the wall find with a variety of food. The…read morebeef and fish are local. We had the catch of the day which was ginger scallion ahi tuna, Mac salad and dill slaw. All wonderful and fresh! My husband has the blacked ahi tuna sandwich and it was fresh as well. This place was a wonderful find after a full day of driving and hiking to Green Sand Beach and playing at Black Sands.

PIZZA WAS BAD! I have lived in Naalehue for years and decided to try the pizza on day driving…read moredown S Point Road. Its a temporary outdoor vendor with a home type gas oven that would be used at home sets up at Ama's Kitchen. The couple the day my wife and I stopped it was a young European couple cooking. The 2 pizzas cost 48 dollars before the 5 dollar tip. The dough was very salty and not quite crisp with a soft doughy interior, the sauce was out of a can in front of you and basic. The pizza was only edible due to the fact it took 50 dollars to get them. It was really bad stuff if it came from a freezer we would have thrown out. Its a wonderfull area of Hawaii but a HUGE lack of conveniences like burgers subs supermarket etc. Food in Kau is very hard to find and none of it is a value unless you count the 5 dollar hot dogs at the intersection of S point Road and the highway Costco dogs at a remote site, toppings 1 dollar each! (yes ketchup and mustard 1 dollar) Avoid the pizza do your self a favor and dont feel ripped off!

Family owned and operated. Great portion of fresh fish w…read morecrispy fries and ono sauce for dipping. Fair priced and a place our family will use regularly for its quality. Mahalo nui, a hui hou

Just stopped at South Kona Grindz on our way from Black Beach to our resort in Kona and had a great…read moreexperience. Sit in the backyard/patio and you'll feel nature all around you and Hawaiian music in the background. In this day the weather got a bit darker and cool, so we sat there looking around taking in so much beauty. It was so relaxing! The menu had variety and the prices very reasonable. We had the veggie burrito, fish and chips and bbq sandwich. Everything was fresh and delicious. Too bad they didn't offer alcoholic drinks because I was really craving a Big Wave, but it's ok since I they did have local coffee. The lady kindly served it in a to-go cup and off we went. Great little place with Hawaiian vibes and good food!

Service was super friendly and our server was very accommodating, answering my multitude of…read morequestions. Food was excellent: I loved my Ono plate with fresh, hot sweet potato fries and hubby loved his Taco Tuesday Ono tacos. Don't miss their chips and pineapple salsa! Location is a little off-putting- doesn't look like much when you park and enter, but the back patio has a stunning view of the beautiful rainforest. Very casual.

Kinda bummed they only had a limited choice of food since it was a Monday, but what we had was…read moregreat.

The southern most bar and restaurant in the US…read more We stopped by the bar/restaurant after hiking around Volcano National Park, it is on the way back to Kona. The bar has a local feel, you can spot the tourists. The space is a good size, airy with a center bar, a couple flat screens with the games on. Super friendly staff, hustling while still giving great service. Our server recommended a hard topical juice, which I've never had and was great. The drinks and food came out quickly. My friend and I split the fish and chips, made with Ono, which is a bit meatier (be prepared if expecting flakier fish) and was fresh and hot, with plenty of lemon and tar tar sauce. Mahola to the wonderful, hard working staff! Great place to stop if you are in the area, with a side brag of the southern most drink.

Superb performance! Recommend alignment... good 4x4! Requires regear to 4.88's... Bigger tires…read more37's...

The service is quick, and friendly, I liked that you can pick more than one kind of fish in your…read moreorder. The fries are a nice side and their slaw was delicious. There's limited seating. We didn't try the desserts but a local "Lava Punch" of ginger and tumeric was awesome.

Good food. Good service. Excellent live music. Easy…read moreparking. Giant portions!! We had a lovely time and meal.

It's all about the ambiance. There are two huge fish mounted on the wall outside. Good for pics…read more The inside had a relaxed seafood/fishing vibe. The service was great! Friendly and efficient but not rushed. Loved the poke bowl and the poke on the nachos. Nice and fresh. Highly recommend the poke.

Came by here last month on our drive up to Waimea and really enjoyed the food!! Service was…read morefriendly too. Sweet potato fries were sooo good. Tried all the sauces and they were all delicious. Parking is in the back lot, it's a good idea to come when they open to beat crowds but there's plentiful seating inside.

Food 5/5 Strawberry Lemonade $9 - Yum! Absolutely delicious…read more Lava Flow $16 - Tasty and delicious. Spicy Poke Bowl $26 - Just okay, nothing special about it. The flavor wasn't kicking nor was it really that spicy at all. BBQ Sampler Plate w/ fries & grilled pineapple $37.95 - Good price point for a sampler. We've eaten a ton of BBQ around the US and the brisket was one of my favorites. The ribs had a sweetness I really enjoyed. Reuben Spring Rolls $16 - Not pictured but loved them! Chocolate Cake $12 - Since it was my actual birthday, my partner wanted to get me a slice of cake but boy are they huge. It was absolutely delicious but we had to take it to go. I would recommend they have smaller slices as eating a ton of BBQ and devouring a huge slice of cake is due for a heart attack. Ambiance 5/5 Got a nice table by the window minus the horsefly. Service 3/5 The lady who sat us and took our drink orders is extremely sweet and friendly. Our service was just okay, she didn't really add to our experience as if there was something on her mind.

We were visiting from Kona and stopped in Hilo for the day, We ended up at Mohala's and had one of…read moreour best meals of the trip. We ordered the half and half of Mahi and Oni fish and chips. Both were fresh and amazing. The Garlic Aioli was so incredible. BUT THE FRIES??? Best fries I've ever had. Truly an 11/10. The staff was very friendly and helpful!

Have come here several times and enjoyed the food and service. Today my husband and I came for…read morelunch. No service anymore, just a cold robotic machine like its McDonalds. We had a hard time ordering and the woman helping us was very nice and sweet. Ordered fish and chips...or so we thought. $16 for three small pieces of fish as shown in the picture. Apparently, if you order the three pieces of fish-no chips come with it. Even though the sign says "fish & chips!" We asked the cook if all we get is fish, and each piece is $5+, and he brought us out some fries which was super nice. I'm just disappointed in the changes to a cool little place.

Venison!!!!! This place needs to go national. Everything is great. The sauces!!! Omg.read more

Just wow! Not to overcrowd it but I think my community needs…read moreto know about this place. You guys the tacos are insane here. On this trip this is our third island, and I must say this meal was easily on top 3 meals we've had. There's a taco truck outside which is the kitchen area, and the outdoor patio area is a great spot to catch a sunset. If you're in a rush, you can order in advance.

Great food and great coffee- service was friendly and fast. The options for food were all local,…read morefresh ingredients.

We were looking for a sit down location with coffee and food. We chose this spot because of the…read morepictures of food but unfortunately arrived on a day where they were out of over half of the food options on their menu. And, despite hardly having anyone else in the restaurant, there was no real concern to seat us nor take our orders. There was only one person running the front - bussing, waiting, register, and cafe. They were really trying their best. When the food arrived, which was quickly, everything tasted great. Lots of available coffee beans to purchase, farm fresh. The bathroom and restaurant could also use a good cleaning.