83 Best Restaurants in Big Island, Hawaii

Beachy yet upscale, the restaurant has an in-house beer sommelier who advises on the perfect pairing with your food choice, which can range from fresh catch, steak, burgers, and sandwiches to crab cakes and escargots; many dishes incorporate Hawaiian touches. This sports bar offers a 24-tap digital beer tower and 10 TV screens. An innovative frost rail on the cocktail bar keeps your drinks cool. Patio seating outside offers additional dining options. There's a second location in Kona.

From its upstairs, open-air dining room decorated with kitschy surfer chic, this new restaurant invites customers to enjoy views of the pier and a bustling corner of Alii Drive. Fortunately, an excellent, extensive menu makes it well worth a stop; fresh fish plates including fish tacos are a sure bet. The clam chowder is some of Kona's best. Try the smashburger (a cooking technique that adds flavor while reducing grill time) or the marinated sirloin or New York strip. Death by Chocolate is the dessert to die for. They also serve breakfast from 7 until noon, and there's a happy hour as well as live music nightly. Great prices keep the locals coming in. 

Unquestionably the fanciest spot in Honokaa, this cozy Italian bistro known for its pizza and other options feels like you've taken a step into Florence. Wood details, a full bar, travertine finishes, antique furnishings, pendant lighting, and a fantastic stone pizza oven combine to create a thoroughly welcoming atmosphere. On the menu, pizzas and calzones dominate, but there is a full selection of pastas, salads, and sandwiches. Prices are surprisingly affordable. Local entertainers play on weekends.

Ocean breezes flow through this open-air, bayfront restaurant on Alii Drive, known for a quality menu infused with Cajun and island influences; almost all dishes are made to order and feature non-GMO, hormone-free, or USDA-certified organic ingredients. A must-try is the seafood pesto puff pastry on the appetizer menu, and for dinner, the steak house pasta (creamy mushroom pasta topped with a New York strip steak) is a good bet. Signature cocktails blend freshly muddled fruit and fresh juices with no commercial mixes. With happy hour daily from 3 to 5, and live entertainment nightly, Foster's Kitchen is a cool spot to enjoy a sunset cocktail or late-night libation.

On the docks at Kona's sleepy harbor, this open-air restaurant is an authentic place to grab a beer and a bite after a long day fishing, beach-going, or diving. The venue is nothing fancy, but it's one of the best spots in Kona for fresh-fish sandwiches, a variety of fried fish-and-chip combos, and even burgers. Frosty 18-ounce schooners of Kona Brewing Co. ale cannot be beat price-wise anywhere on the island, either. Come early, though: it closes at 6 and on Sunday at 5. Happy hour is from 3 to 6.

Tiny and locally owned, this sushi shack in the heart of town has gained an incredible following and specializes in "reverse" (rice on the outside, nori on the inside) rolls, filled with three or four ingredients of your choice. It's super popular and gets crazy crowded, so expect a long wait—but it's worth it. (Wait times can exceed an hour, but they let you know how long before you order.) Hayashi's has been in take-out mode only since COVID-19 (call to confirm this), so you have to phone your order in. The restaurant also makes fantastic party platters that you can order in advance.

Overlooking Hilo Bay from its towering perch on the waterfront, this popular, upscale restaurant with great water views has a sophisticated second-floor dining room that looks like it's straight out of Manhattan. A sushi bar complements the excellent selection of fresh fish, pork, beef, and vegan options. Premium wines and sake are available.

What this casual pub-turned-burger-joint lacks in space and parking is more than made up for in burger choices: more than 22 varieties of gourmet burgers, from a bacon ranch burger to a southern BBQ burger. Many of the ingredients come straight from the Big Island, and non-beef selections such as fish burgers are available as well, so it's definitely worth checking out.

It figures that the best laulau (pork or chicken wrapped in taro leaves and steamed) in West Hawaii can be found at a roadside hole-in-the-wall rather than at an expensive resort luau; in fact, this humble family-run eatery was featured on the Food Network's The Best Thing I Ever Ate. Plate lunches to go include tender chicken or pork laulau, steamed for up to 10 hours. The kalua (earth oven–baked) pig and cabbage is delicious, and the lomilomi salmon features vine-ripened tomatoes. Owners John and Janice Kaaloa grind their own poi sourced from taro in Hilo and Waipio.

This authentic little pizzeria with tables inside and outdoors might just make the best hand-tossed pizza on the Kohala Coast, if not the whole island. The New York–born owner does not scrimp and has even imported special pizza ovens and dough machines from New York, as well as Fontanini-brand ingredients, to give his pizzas that extra pizzazz. Try the Dr. Goody, named after a beloved local ER doctor. It's baked to perfection with ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, banana peppers, sausage, arugula, garlic, and mushrooms. The chicken pesto and Gorgonzola are other standouts.  Because each pizza is custom made, there might be a wait. For the quickest service, order online and pick up. 

An ultrapopular destination with an outdoor patio, Kona Brewing offers an excellent, varied menu, including famous brews, pulled-pork quesadillas, gourmet pizzas, and a killer spinach salad with Gorgonzola cheese and macadamia nuts. The sampler tray, a good value, offers four of the 10 available microbrews. Try the notable Hefeweizen. If you're staying in town, purchase beer to go in a half-gallon jug ("growler") filled on-site from the brewery's own taps. 

Dig your toes into the sand and enjoy one of the most happening, entertaining, and memorable bar/restaurants on the Kohala Coast. There's something for everybody here, whether you want cocktails and pupus (appetizers) for sunset or a fine-dining experience; highlights include Black Angus truffled New York steak and the chef's signature gazpacho topped with macadamia nut pesto. The atmosphere is super-casual—you can dine in your beach togs, and there's always something going on: the blowing of the conch shell at dusk, the lighting of the tiki torches, tropical cocktails served in Hawaiiana ceramic ware, and live entertainment featuring stellar Hawaiian recording artists.

With vintage memorabilia and a bluesy soundtrack as a background, this cool deli in a tiny strip mall has a lot more to offer than the average sandwich shop. Yes, there are gourmet sandwiches, salads, and wraps, but Poi Dog's wide-ranging menu extends to an impressive list of wines, craft beers, ales, and pilsners from all over the world. On the lighter side, they have a great mix of hard ciders as well. But there are also kombuchas, coffees, and other nonalcoholic beverages to choose from. Hailing from New Orleans, the proprietors love to bring a touch of the Big Easy to Kona, which you'll feel throughout the place. 

With the bar in the front and the dining patio in the back, Quinn's may seem like a bit of a dive at first glance, but this venerable restaurant serves the best darn cheeseburger and fries in town. The menu has many other tasty options, such as fish-and-chips and beef tenderloin tips. If time gets away from you on a drive to the north beaches, Quinn's, which stays open until 10, awaits your return with a cheap beer and a basket of fried calamari. Drinks are strong—no watered-down cocktails here. Breakfast is served from 7 to 10:45 during football season, and it's sure to be lively, especially if the Green Bay Packers are involved. Park across the street at the Courtyard King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel and get free 90-minute parking with validation.

Upstairs in a historical building, this seafood tiki bar has been a hot spot for years, known for a dynamite and well-priced bar menu with tasty pupus, signature seafood dishes such as the coconut shrimp and poke burger, and even a prime rib special on Tuesday. Don't let the retro appearance deter you; this place is frequented by legacy celebrities whose names you know or whose records you've bought. Service is impeccable. Happy hour runs daily from 3 to 6, and the calamari is a standout. 

A local institution, this casual place is famous for its malasadas, the puffy, doughy, deep-fried Portuguese doughnuts without a hole, best eaten hot; there are also cream-filled versions, including vanilla, chocolate, and coconut. For more than a snack, go for the Hawaiian burger, with a fat, juicy slice of sweet pineapple on top, the overstuffed burrito, or some decent house-made pizza.

Locals flock to this downtown Kailua-Kona restaurant for good reason: the poke is the most onolicious (superdelicious) in town, and the many other seafood offerings are just as stellar. Poke does not get more authentic than this, and you can get it by the bowl or the pound. Sandwiches, burgers, desserts, and salads round out the gourmet menu. A kids' menu features affordable burgers, poke bowls, and sides. Happy hour runs from 3 to 5. 

In the heart of Hawi, this popular restaurant provides a historical setting in which to enjoy a menu brimming with Hawaiian country flair. Most of the entrées feature fish and chicken prepared several ways, although if the kitchen gets busy, you might get a mediocre plate. Bamboo accents, bold local artwork (both for sale), and an old, unfinished wooden floor make the restaurant inviting.

Beautifully designed, this venue provides a relaxed and elegant setting for alfresco dining near the sand, with its boardwalk-style deck, outdoor seating under the trellis, and enormous vaulted ceiling. The menu features brick-oven pizzas, gnocchi with Keahole lobster, seafood entrées, steak, and farm-fresh salads; there's a kids' menu too. The tropical Peletini martini is a favorite, and at dinner, the premium wine list includes the Beach Tree's own signature reds and whites. Live Hawaiian music is featured nightly. Reservations are highly recommended. 

A hands-down island favorite, this casual brewpub from owner and veteran brewmaster Tom Kerns churns out premium ales, lagers, and specialty beers from his on-site brewery in Waimea. With a focus on fresh ingredients, the brewpub's menu includes burgers, poke, fish tacos, burritos, and quesadillas fresh to order. They have plenty of seating both inside and out. 

This beloved local-style restaurant has switched to drive-up only and serves huge portions of pork chops, diet-busting loco moco (meat, rice, and eggs smothered in gravy), and an assortment of fish specialties at very reasonable prices. At this writing, the drive-up window is open until 2 pm, but you can call to confirm. 

Established in 1948, this casual spot is famous for its tasty loco moco, prepared in more than three dozen ways (with different meats, chicken, vegetables, and fish), and its low-priced breakfast and lunch specials. The word "restaurant," or even "café," is used loosely—you order at a window and eat on one of the outdoor benches provided—but you come here for the food, prices, and authentic, old-Hilo experience. You can stuff yourself for $5 if you order right.

Located in a beautiful high-ceiling venue in the vintage S. Hata Building, Café Pesto offers creative pizzas with ingredients such as fresh Hamakua mushrooms, artichokes, and Gorgonzola. You can also make a full meal of the Asian-inspired pastas and risottos, fresh seafood, delicious salads, and appetizers. Products from local farmers feature heavily on the menu—Kulana free-range beef, Kawamata Farms tomatoes, and Kapoho Farms lehua-blossom honey. Happy hour is 2–5 pm.

The largest open-air tiki bar in Kona has the absolute best view of Kailua Bay in town. This is the perfect spot to relax with a pupu (appetizer) such as the coconut-crusted shrimp or "Hapa" poke bowl, or to dig into something more substantial like the kiawe wood–smoked prime rib. The Breezeway Lounge is excellent for watching giant surf or breaching whales, and Don's hosts first-rate Hawaiian performers on Thursdays. During happy hour from 4 to 6, the famous mai tais are only $8. Save room for dessert; the mud pie is deliciously sinful, or order one of the luscious dessert coffees.

Hilo's best Chinese restaurant specializes in seafood but also offers many other Cantonese treats, including salt-and-pepper pork, Mongolian lamb, and vegetarian specialties like garlic eggplant and crispy green beans. The food is good, portions are large, and the price is right, but don't come here expecting any ambience—this is a funky, no-frills Chinese restaurant, with random pieces of artwork tacked up here and there.

Though it sits on a patio by the pool, this beachside restaurant and beach bar with gazebo is not just for pupus and cocktails. The island-infused dinner menu features excellent entrées, such as the grass-fed Kulana beef tenderloin brochettes, plus plentiful seafood dishes and greens from local farms. Lunch is also served.

The only full-service restaurant at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott offers a farm-to-table, island-inspired menu. Photos of surf breaks from around the world adorn the walls of this casual, spacious open-air restaurant, which has plenty of patio seating with sunset views. The circular bar is a good spot to enjoy a cocktail while watching the tiki torches light up the gardens.

Come hungry: there’s a reason the line is usually out the door at this popular hole-in-the-wall eatery in a shopping center downtown. Not only does the Hawaiian comfort food hit the spot, it’s affordable and served in sizable portions. The heavily “local” menu items include fresh-fish specials, poke bowls, and Kalua pork hash served with fried rice and eggs. There's another location in Waimea. 

A Kona icon since 1969, family-owned Huggo's is one of the few restaurants in town with prices and atmosphere comparable to the splurge restaurants at the Kohala Coast resorts. Dinner offerings sometimes fall short, considering the prices, but the pupus (appetizers) and small plates are usually a good bet. If you're on a budget or just want lunch, Huggo's on the Rocks, next door, is a popular outdoor bar in the sand, and the burgers are pretty darn good, too. It's also Kailua-Kona's hot spot for cocktails and live music nightly.

This place is usually packed for a reason: the more than 36 craft brews on tap, plus an upstairs and downstairs bar with plenty of outdoor seating. Take in the oceanfront view with amazing sunsets while chowing down on stone-baked pizza, fresh salads, fish-and-chips, fish tacos, burgers, stone-baked subs, and lots of appetizers. The steamed clams are a highlight, along with the soft and warm Bavarian pretzels. For dessert, the Maunakea Mud Pie is a winner. During the annual Kona Brewfest, they offer festival draft brews to try. Great live entertainment rocks the house nightly.