Our favorite restaurants on the Big Island of Hawaii
Amazing Food at the Beach Tree Restaurant at the Haulālai Four Seasons Resort
As our home – Maluhia Hale at Hualālai is on the magical resort of The Four Seasons Hualālai we are very partial to all of the restaurants the resort has to offer. There are four – Ulu, The Beach Tree, The Resident’s Beach House and The Hualālai Grille. You can’t go wrong with any of these and the first three are all on the beach with perfect views of unbelievable sunsets. Liesa’s Favorite - The Beach Tree has daily live music and often a hula dancer. Dave’s Favorite – The Resident’s Beach House is ultimate barefoot elegance where you can literally kick your shoes off while enjoying delicious resort cuisine from fresh island fish to a great burger. On any given day we could be at one of these restaurants for lunch or dinner!
KONA:
Ultimate Burger – Across from Target. A quick bite place when in town running errands. I love the fresh fish burger and Dave loves the cheeseburger (of course!).
Magic’s Beach Grill - Authentic, fresh and vibrant Big Island flavors. Perfect spot on the water for lunch or a sunset at supper.
Jackie Rey’s Ohana Grill - Jackie’s has been a long time favorite (since 2004). The food is absolutely delicious! Try the fresh catch with ginger lime beurre blanc and you won’t be sorry!
Foster’s Kitchen – Relaxed eatery with ocean views. A locally sourced menu and was featured on Diner’s, Drive-Ins and Dives. Dave recently tried the stuffed chicken with Kona Coffee Red Eye gravy and thought is was delicious!
Poi Dog Deli - Very tasty sandwich place for lunch!
HiCO Hawaiian Coffee - Trendy coffee shop with delicious coffee and tasty snacks!
WAIMEA/KOHALA:
Merriman’s – Simple, elegant, delicious – this place has excellent reviews. Expensive for dinner but a bargain for lunch!
Pau – Local casual vibe, inexpensive and a great lunch spot.
The Fish and The Hog - Try anything with the brisket - so so good! My favorite is the smoked brisket street tacos.
Kohala Burger & Taco - Kawaihae - Best fish tacos! Of course you have to have the Dole Whip too.
WAIKOLA VILLAGE:
Pueo’s Osteria - Delicious Italian-inspired in a lively atmosphere.
MAUNA LANI:
Tommy Bahama at The Shops at Mauna Lani - Fantastic local produce and a great menu! The lanai is a lovely space.
HāLani at the Mauna Lani - we love this spot for breakfast! A beautiful spot in a relaxed setting. I can’t get enough of the Proscuitto & Pesto Toast.
HILO:
Pineapple’s in Hilo - Island-inspired fresh cuisine including local caught fish. We love this spot as it is the only open-air restaurant in Hilo. They have very fun drinks served in pineapples.
VOLCANO:
Thai Thai Bistro & Bar - Authentic, very delicious thai food. We love this place!
HONOKAA:
Gramma’s Kitchen - We recently discovered this hidden gem and it was delicious! We have now visited a few times and is a great stop for lunch after the hike up the very steep road at Waipio Valley. This place is basically a Hawaiian version of an old-fashioned American-style eatery. The loco moco here is simply amazing and we can’t wait to taste it again!
Fantastic charcuterie board at HiCo Hawaiiwan Coffee
Your Place! – Vacation rentals are a popular option on the Big Island. Our preferred grocer is Costco and they have high quality fish and meat. You’ll find amazing fish, fresh poke and good beef everywhere you go but surprisingly other groceries are quite expensive. It all needs to get shipped in! That said we prefer KTA or Foodland over Safeway if we need to get things in smaller format. Target and Walmart actually have the best pricing and are further options.
Amazing Focaccia bread
made by my son Matt. You will just have to visit the Big Island when he is here and place an order ahead of time for bread!