The Big Island has restaurants that cater to all tastes and budgets, so whether you’ve spent the day relaxing at the beach or daytripping in the mountains, you’ll definitely want to enjoy the dinner meal. Here are some of our favorite options on the largest of the Hawaiian islands.
But wait, there’s more. We’re here to help demystify some of the unusual words you might see on menus like furikake, laulau and lilikoi — and explain which meat is being served and why. And possibly most importantly of all, provide the fun facts on the origins of local dishes.
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For more suggestions on best restaurants on the Big Island, the best things to do on the Big Island, and the best places to stay on the Big Island, click here.
Feature Photo: Merriman’s Facebook
1 North Kaniku Dr., Kohala Coast
808.885.5778
Located inside the Fairmont Orchid Hotel north of Kailua-Kona, Brown’s Beach House boasts spectacular views and live Hawaiian music. The restaurant can accommodate small groups as well as larger parties. The menu features fresh seafood and also specialties like Big Island venison. We recommend bringing a large group so you can sample as much of the menu as possible.
Kamuela Business Center, 64-1032 Mamalahoa Hwy, Ste 101, Waimea
Whether it’s beef tataki, filet mignon, sloppy joe or a cheeseburger, you can be sure the meat has been locally raised without antibiotics or hormones, as are the lamb, pork and chicken dishes here at this cozy restaurant inside an actual butcher shop. Lunch is more casual, with chili over rice, sloppy joes, smoked brisket plate and banh mi with teriyaki sliced beef and chicken liver pate among the go-to options.
8 Furneaux Ln, Unit B (downstairs), Hilo
Hilo’s hopping underground speakeasy is an emerald and teal jewel box serving an extensive list of modern and Prohibition-era cocktails, Wailuku Beer Works craft brews, a handful of choice wines and many spirits. The graze-worthy menu of charcuterie, small plates, soups and desserts shows equal expertise and includes local ingredients such as pipikaula (dried beef), papaya and mango.
Paradise Meadows, 93-2199 South Point Rd, Naalehu
Typically only open Fridays and Saturdays, the Pizza Pazza Italian street food truck is perfect for refueling before or after a trip to South Point, 12 miles farther down the road. Choose between pizza with deliciously blistered crusts and farm-fresh toppings or hearty calzones with similar fillings, or for a sweet pick-me-up, try the banana and nutella dessert pizza.
Hilo Bay Cafe’s second-floor deck is a wonderful place to enjoy a dinner of contemporary comfort food. The hamakua mushroom pot pie is a good choice to follow a bowl of the French onion soup and bread du jour. There are plenty of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options as well. Hilo Bay also has a sushi bar with a master sushi chef.
5308, 75-5828 Kahakai Rd., Kailua-Kona
808.329.1493
You really can’t beat the location — right on the water in downtown Kona. The menu features tasty entrees like seared and sesame crusted ahi and Molokai sweet potato ricotta gnocchi, and also includes a raw bar section. Vegetarian and gluten-free menus are available too.
74-5612 Pawai Place, Kailua-Kona
808.334.2739
This popular, casual pub is serving up hand-tossed pizzas and a wide selection of pupus (appetizers) in addition to standard pub fare. Kona Brew Co. has so many handcrafted beer flavors on tap that it’s probably best to start with a flight for the taste-testing purposes.
74-5599 Pawai Place, Kailua-Kona
808.238.0571
It’s certainly not the fanciest spot in Kona, but if you’re craving good poke, Umeke’s is the place to go. All poke is made with freshly caught Hawaiian ahi; on any given day there will be a half-dozen poke varieties to choose from including Hottie, with spicy aioli, onions, and Hawaiian sea salt, and Sweetie, with sweet shoyu glaze, onions, and furikake flakes. Non-poke people have plenty of options including Kalua Pork, fish tacos, a burger, and French fires slathered with garlic aioli, kukui nuts, furikake and green onions. You’ll be smiling even when the check arrives — in an empty Spam can.
Chef Peter Merriman is one of the godfathers of Hawaii’s farm to table movement, and Merriman’s is leading the way for culinary excellence on the islands. Their lunch menu has all the fixings of a great midday meal — we recommend the Caesar salad to start, followed by the fresh-catch fish sandwich and accompanied by a couple glasses of chardonnay.
Open by a husband and wife team in 2013, this stylish neighborhood spot in Hilo uses locally sourced ingredients to create an internationally inspired and continually changing menu. Reservations recommended.
