We've eaten at the White Guava a couple of times now, and have nothing but good things to say about it. My favorite thing so far has been the pumpkin curry, but I've also had the chicken katsu and it was very good. The sweet potato salad is sooo ono! We've also had the fried chicken and the fried mushrooms. The mushrooms are oyster mushrooms, and so much better than what you usually get! I recommend the Korean seasoning/sauce for them. For many entrees they offer a regular, large or small portion--even the smalls are pretty large. Service is friendly and the food is great--I highly recommend a stop here if you're in this part of Hilo. read more

The White Guava Cafe has become a favorite for us. It's in an old Pizza Hut building and serves, Asian, American food. All is fresh and has so much flavor too. We frequent it once a week and love the food, the great employees and the Aloha we feel while in there. Please remember workers are still hard to come by it seems - so a bit of patients is appreciated. We saw a man wait 3 minutes while the staff welcomed him and was clearing tables, serving orders and came back to him and he got upset and told him he would go elsewhere. Aloha is appreciated everywhere. The food is amazing at White Guava Cafe, fresh hydroponic lettuce create a wonderful flavor salad (which can be a side on most dishes), Smoked Teriyaki Chicken what what I had with a side of fries and fresh salad. They have the best lilikoi salad dressing and sometimes if you're lucky they have a lilikoi cream cheese butter that they serve with crackers as a free appetizer (only as available). Larger serving and always so Ono! This is a locally owned restaurant with local staff, so if you're looking for locally owned this is one of them. We have never been disappointed here, the restaurant fills fast so there might be a wait. You can call ahead and reserve a table too, so if you have a group thats a good idea. read more

White Guava Cafe - Burgers Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

There were 6 of us and we needed a venue for lunch when we were on a tight schedule. Although there was another big table that came just before us, we got served fast and left on time. Portions were so huge that I got to share the oyakodon and the salads. Others got the curry and shiitake chili. My favorite was the Korean mushroom. Friends from Honolulu was so amazed with the menu that they will tell others to check White Guava when they come to Hilo. I got to eat leftover salad for a couple of days since portions are huge! Thanks Dean! read more

Our fried chicken thighs with five spice sauce was perfection - one of our top three favorites after spending three weeks in Maui/Hawaii! read more

White Guava Cafe - Fried chicken thighs with five spice sauce! - Burgers Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Very good food. Large portions. Service was friendly. Nice atmosphere. We had burgers made just as ordered. Very tasty. Chili was good.

The best fresh green salad I can think of in Hilo and the chicken was good too! Staff is friendly!

Very good food, consistent, large servings and large side salad included. Local favorites and more, chef is the owner and he's there all the time! I had the Korean mushrooms- twice! And the chicken katsu is huge and looks amazing with a salad! read more

One year later: the food is still good, but the service has declined. They seem understaffed for Sunday afternoons. On one recent Sunday, we were seated but no one came to take our order. After I noticed someone who sat after us got their food, we just left. Soon after we tried again, and sure enough, no one took our order for 15 minutes and possibly only did so because we and other patrons were complaining to the staff. When asked about why they were taking orders regardless of when people were seated, the waitress said, "We don't know when people are seated." So they have no system and it shows. That day, I saw two other tables leave without taking orders. Also, there was still lipstick on my cup from who ever previously used it... gross. read more

staff is friendly, food is good, place is chill, variety of food and drinks, plenty of seating. read more

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My husband and I love White Guava and the staff. Good is made on site, and always tasty. It's becoming more and more popular, so at times they run out of favorites lines Coconut Curry or Fried Tofu; we tend to get there mid week so they always have our favorites. The restaurant is an old Pizza Hut and while some of the booths could be recovered we are happy that this gem is still open and serving some favorites. read more

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The chicken katsu was magnificent, I ordered the Xlarge and it's the largest serving I have ever had, 3 huge crispy and juicy delicious pieces of chicken w/fries and a large salad. The waitress was pleasant and the atmosphere was calm. read more

I have eaten here before and the food was pretty good and generous servings, however something is not quite right when it comes to the service. This time, when we arrived there were only a few tables seated, most of the restaurant was open. The waitress then informed us that we could not be seated and "would have to wait a long time" because they had a large reservation coming in. I could see the reserved table, but I could also see many open tables. Maybe they can only handle so many guests at one time and can't handle full capacity? Or they pick and choose who they let in? Whatever the issue is don't expect to be seated here even if it says it's open and half the restaurant is open. read more

My girlfriend and I wanted to try White Guava Cafe for her birthday. We got there and the waitress said three people called in sick so they were short staffed. We were seated in a booth and the chairs were sunken in. It turned out to be the original booths from Pizza Hut. I'm short so I found myself sitting toward the edge of the seat to be high enough for the table. When we got the menus, we were informed they were out of three entrees which was disappointing because they already have a limited menu. There is no pasta dish offered. However, our chicken katsu and curry dish were very good and tasty. I also enjoyed the sweet potato salad. I placed a take out order for my husband and the potatoes in the potato salad were hard and the French fries were soft. read more

I've been to this restaurant twice. First right after it opened when I actually had lunch. Yesterday, a friend and I went for lunch and waited for 25 minutes never to be seated. I counted five groups of people that walked out after waiting. Unfortunately it's the worst restaurant operations I've ever seen the front of house was having to load take out and told us she could not seat us without taking an order immediately after seating. So we ended up standing along with many other groups of people, waiting to be seated. Everyone gave up and walked out. The first time I had lunch here right after they opened it was OK. The best part was the dessert that was fantastic. I was looking forward to giving this place another try as it is close to the places I shop when I come in town. I really hope they get their act together as I believe they could be a hit if the food is decent because of the location. Plus it looks like they have their liquor license. There is plenty of parking it's in an old Pizza Hut, which would be really nice except they are storing their paper goods and other supplies out in the dining room. read more

Arrived for dinner on a Tuesday and was seated immediately in a booth. Staff was very friendly but it did take a while for them to come back and take our orders. However, the food was good enough to make up for it. We got the Hawiian BBQ chicken, dim sum burger, and Korean chicken. The Korean chicken was by far the favorite and highly recommend it. If you get the salad, the lilikoi dressing was very tasty as well. read more

Decided to finally try this restaurant. The bread was just okay, I can tell it's Hawaiian bread from the store, not homemade. The "pie" we tried was also not homemade. It tasted exactly just like chocolate pudding (that you buy in the store) and oreos crushed under (not alot). 1 star for that dessert! Because of this we were disappointed and not expecting much for our entrees. BUT We tried the fried chicken, salad and fries (Buffalo for me and Korean for my husband). And it was so delicious! Crunchy and perfectly seasoned. The salad was fresh and dressing so good. That is why we added a extra star (4 not 3) The Buffalo sauce does overpower so I suggest getting it on the side. read more

This was my fist visit to this restaurant and I was very excited. I Ordered the Mac 'n cheese and Teri burger. Unfortunately the Mac 'n cheese came out of a box; definitely not made from scratch and my burger was medium rare. I don't eat raw meat and I noted to the server that the burger was rare and his response was, "I (he) ordered it medium". He never asked me how I wanted my burger done nor did he apologize or sincere about wanting to resolve the issue. His response was that he could take the burger and heat it up for me. Due to the quality of the food and service, I will not return. read more

White Guava Cafe - Mac 'n cheese from a box - Burgers Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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The last two times I've been to this restaurant service has been lacking. Even when checking in to be seated it appears the hostess is ignoring. When ordering food with waitress, my steak was medium rare and not medium well which I ordered. At any rate the food was so so and could be better. Hopefully, your service will improve. read more

Came here for the first time and ordered takeout. Ordered the basics, chicken katsu and Korean chicken. First off, it's pretty expensive for a plate lunch ($17) so I was expecting big portions or something special. Portions were normal and there was nothing special about the food. It was odd that they don't slice the katsu so you just get a big chunk of chicken. The Korean chicken was a little too sweet and we got them with fries which were soggy as hell. Can't say there was anything above average from our order. Disappointed read more

Food was ok! I ordered the adobo fried chicken, it was flavorful! You could really taste the vinegar. My husband got the grilled chicken, but that was a little bland to be honest. We wanted to try the dim sum burger but they were out. read more

Very impressed with the food at White Guava Cafe. We ordered two types of chicken with rice and green salad. All of the ingredients were very fresh, the portions of meat were generous (but different sized portions can be ordered for your appetite level). Even though the chicken is breaded and fried it tasted great and wasn't heavy or greasy. Would definitely stop here for lunch again! read more

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As long-time residents, we've been to almost every restaurant on the Big Island, and this restaurant wouldn't even seat us, even though there were several tables available. After waiting for over 20 minutes, and not being seated, we walked out, and went to one of our favorite local restaurants, HILO BURGER JOINT, and we were seated cheerfully immediately. read more

Heard this placed open up and wanted to try it out. Salads are very tasty. My wife really enjoyed her Korean chicken salad. The smoke Teri chicken plate was on point. Two thumbs up for the sweet potato salad. Next time gonna have to try the steak or burgers. Would have given them 5 stars but they need to expand their menu. read more

White Guava Cafe - Smoke Teri chicken w/ sweet potato salad and brown rice. - Burgers Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Not much to look at but boy oh boy a lot to take in. Food and service are excellent. Make sure to get a plate of the home cut fries! Delicious. The Chicken katsu is huge if you get the large so beware! The dim sum burger is the bomb if it's on the menu for the day. Also, the sweet potato salad is to die for says the wife. Now, the just need to add some onion rings to the menu. Will be back for sure. read more

My mom was so excited for me to try this place and I can see why. The cafe is in the old Pizza Hut location and it was a bit nostalgic to me. I thought it was cool that they use insulated tumblers as their water cups (which is honestly genius cause it keeps your drink nice and cold). I love that they have lots of vegan options. Apparently the vegan options are so popular that the one I really wanted had already sold out. I opted for the Korean tofu and it was really good. Personally I thought it could've used more sauce but I was just so stoked to finally have a restaurant that finally served Korean tofu. Overall, it's a great spot and I recommend you check it out. read more

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I really enjoyed the Shiitake Chili. It's a meatless item with bulgar wheat and nice mix of spices. I especially enjoyed the Potato Mac Salad with just the right amount of Mayo...so delicious! I had a bite of the Dim Sum Burger too and will definitely need to order it the next time I visit Hilo. read more

Food was quality but in all honesty I think the sides has outshined the main dish. This review is based off of two visits. The side dishes of sweet potato and ulu (breadfruit) salad was awesome. The first time I went I got the special of Liliko'i chicken. The second time I went a month later and the specials were still the same, meh. - - Food proportion was exactly on point. It's JUST ENOUGH to have a healthy amount of food while keeping you still alright without having a hard time after because you ate too much. I see some reviews on here saying that the food isn't enough... it is. You guys just probably always overeat when you eat out. read more

Very impressive. Tasty food. Great service. You can usually taste the difference between someone just hired to cook food, and a place that takes pride in cooking a meal. This place is definitely the latter. The only downside is freeing up enough time to drive out here several times a week. It's also nice that many of the items have a choice between small, medium and large. read more

Arrived about 1:20p and completely full room, two tables of two ahead of us (2), was acknowledged right away by advising those ahead of us and advising about a 15 minute wait... only two servers, of which one, who we later found out was Lexi, who stopped to acknowledge us on our arrival. They both were hustling all awhile keeping us updated, who we later found out was Z. Within 15 min was seated by Z and quickly served water and a small dish of two multi-grained crackers with the yummiest lilikoi cream cheese (omg!) We let him know we were ready to order and he plugged in our order on his hand held and was off attending to neighboring guest, all the while with genuine attentiveness. I watched Lexi and Z work a complete full room with the utmost patience, but in rapid speed (if that makes any sense). Though completely busy, I observed Lexi's superb service when assisting a Kupuna patron by first stopping what she was doing, then with eye contact, listen to what he was saying, then answering and explaining (as I believe was the size of the portion plate) and all the while again, with eye contact (all her attention to him), all the while knowing the room was completely full of awaiting guests. As for Z, our server, from the first arrival update on wait time, mind you with extreme gratefulness for our patience and apologies for the wait, he was swift, informative and personable. Food arrived so quickly, Lexi served the Classic Burger (Medium Rare) and Z served the Korean Chicken. We were checked on twice by Z. Now here's a better timeline of my experience... Z came over and inquired if we needed anything else, dessert... we both just needed water, in which he had pitcher already in hand... so fast forward and it's a little after 2p and I look out the window I see Z leaving? What? Then about 2:10p I see Lexi leaving... I see there's a shift change and (2) other servers are on the floor... then I see the cook leave... hmmm??? I haven't gotten my check yet? How do I tip Z??? Complete panic... oh, by the way, I haven't put a dent in my dish as a regular is a two meal order (for me). So I'm waiting for anyone to attend to our table to inquire for a to-go-box.... Nope... I watch as the room is a quarter of the amount of patrons as we arrived and no one has approached... ok, so I "hui" one of the two (now mind you, there's three tables waiting for their check; all of which were serviced by Z and Lexi) and only two new tables to service.. Going on almost 2:30p and we inquire about the check who's server name on the check is "Jade"... hmmm??? You didn't service us at all! Who am I tipping??? ... Conclusion, will always go back if Lexi and Z are working (they Pau at 2p) and will try another dish each time (so Fridays between 11a-2p ) and when there again - I got your tip Z read more

White Guava Cafe - Korean Chicken, Sweet Potato/Mandarin Orange Salad and White Rice - Regular Size - Burgers Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Service really sucks here. Seating time is usually a 1/2 hour wait and no one acknowledges entering customers.

The pumpkin coconut curry was so ono! Sides I chose were brown rice & salad (lilikoi dressing). Recommend sharing the side salad; it's HUGE! As others mention, expect to wait. This appears family run and is popular especially with To Go orders. The wait is likely because the food is so good. My husband had the teri burger and he was happy. It wasn't super saucy & messy, typical of teri burgers. He suspects the sauce was built into the burger. Our servers were attentive and friendly. She even gave us a bonus chocolate cupcake each, stating with a smile "just because it's Sunday." We did dine on Father's Day, so maybe that's why...idk? If you can be kind and patient (they are hustling here), highly recommend. read more

Wait time to eat was about an hour wait. Food was good and plentiful and service was friendly just long wait time. I'm

Service was excellent... we went early and our guests came late . The server kept checking back with us and even brought their delicious bread snd scrumptious butter early!! My ado fried chicken and sweet potato salad was so ono!! read more

This might be the best plate lunch on the east side. Huge portions, great quality, fresh food.

The servers here are so pleasant and attentive! We loved the lilikoi butter and crackers complimentary appetizer. Korean and teriyaki chicken entrees were delicious and plentiful. The two servers that evening were so busy with take out and phone orders but were impressively still attending to our table. We will definitely come back next time we're in town. read more

People are really great. The food is good. My burger came with 4 slices of tomatoes and nice large lettuce leaves. read more

White Guava Cafe - Cheeseburger - Burgers Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Waitress took forever to take our order. Ordered drinks. Ordered burgers. Burgers were not great, good might be stretching it. Also after asking twice and finished with the ordeal still didn't bring my wife's drink. Also 50$ for 2 hamburgers and 1 tea. I would avoid this place like the plague!!! read more

If you haven't eaten here yet well you better come hungry. The food is excellent and they give you a lot. Only 1 person was working at that time but she was very gracious. Excellent service too! read more

Fried adobo and Korean chicken was good it was also super busy when I went. Their were only one person in front while the other 2 were preparing the food read more

No signage to wait to be seated Got our own menu inattentive staff Servicer got order wrong and when told of error food runner said "that's what the ticket said" . not helpful They should consider closing off kitchen read more