Mar 12, 2021, 4:44 pm
Last edit by: italdesign
Recommended restaurants, from north to south:
The Fish and the Hog in Waimea, https://www.fishandthehog.com/
Merriman's in Waimea, https://www.merrimanshawaii.com/waimea/ book ahead on Open Table
Seafood Bar and Grill, Waimea, https://seafoodbarandgrill.com/
Hale l'a Da Fish House, https://www.yelp.com/biz/hale-ia-da-fish-house-kamuela - open 9-5 Mon - Fri, poke
Manuel Malasada, malasada truck that parks on the side of the highway at 1 Puako Drive, 9 to 5:30 Tues-Sun, closed Mon
Manta Restaurant, Mauna Kea Hotel, https://www.mantarestaurant.net/ Call to book
Meridia, Westin Hapuna, https://www.meridiarestaurant.net/menu/ book on Open Table
Canoe House, Mauna Lani, https://aubergeresorts.com/maunalani/dine/canoe-house/, 5-9 pm - booked thru April 11
Napua, Mauna Lani Beach Club, https://www.napuarestaurant.com/
Lava Lava Beach Club, Lava Lava Beach Club. https://lavalavabeachclub.com/bigisland/ For a fun beachy "sand in toes" experience, with tables right on the beach, and some nights live music. Just keep expectations in check on food and service.
Pueo's Osteria, http://www.pueososteria.com/#welcome Italian food up in Waikoloa Village at Waikoloa Highlands Center, this place also features outdoor, semi-covered dining.
'Ulu Ocean Grill, Four Seasons, https://www.fourseasons.com/hualalai/dining/restaurants/ulu_ocean_grill/
South of Airport:
Patricio's Mexican, http://www.patriciostaqueria.com/, 10:30 - 8
Fish Hopper, Kailua-Kona, https://www.fishhopperkona.com/ Daily, 7am to 9pm
Da Poke Shack, https://dapokeshack.com/ Daily 10am-4pm
Archived Thread: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hawaii/284220-big-island-consolidated-south-kona-kona-north-kohala-waimea-restaurants-thread.html
The Fish and the Hog in Waimea, https://www.fishandthehog.com/
Merriman's in Waimea, https://www.merrimanshawaii.com/waimea/ book ahead on Open Table
Seafood Bar and Grill, Waimea, https://seafoodbarandgrill.com/
Hale l'a Da Fish House, https://www.yelp.com/biz/hale-ia-da-fish-house-kamuela - open 9-5 Mon - Fri, poke
Manuel Malasada, malasada truck that parks on the side of the highway at 1 Puako Drive, 9 to 5:30 Tues-Sun, closed Mon
Manta Restaurant, Mauna Kea Hotel, https://www.mantarestaurant.net/ Call to book
Meridia, Westin Hapuna, https://www.meridiarestaurant.net/menu/ book on Open Table
Canoe House, Mauna Lani, https://aubergeresorts.com/maunalani/dine/canoe-house/, 5-9 pm - booked thru April 11
Napua, Mauna Lani Beach Club, https://www.napuarestaurant.com/
Lava Lava Beach Club, Lava Lava Beach Club. https://lavalavabeachclub.com/bigisland/ For a fun beachy "sand in toes" experience, with tables right on the beach, and some nights live music. Just keep expectations in check on food and service.
Pueo's Osteria, http://www.pueososteria.com/#welcome Italian food up in Waikoloa Village at Waikoloa Highlands Center, this place also features outdoor, semi-covered dining.
'Ulu Ocean Grill, Four Seasons, https://www.fourseasons.com/hualalai/dining/restaurants/ulu_ocean_grill/
South of Airport:
Patricio's Mexican, http://www.patriciostaqueria.com/, 10:30 - 8
Fish Hopper, Kailua-Kona, https://www.fishhopperkona.com/ Daily, 7am to 9pm
Da Poke Shack, https://dapokeshack.com/ Daily 10am-4pm
Archived Thread: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hawaii/284220-big-island-consolidated-south-kona-kona-north-kohala-waimea-restaurants-thread.html
Big Island: Consolidated "South Kona-Kona-North Kohala-Waimea restaurants" Thread
Mar 14, 2021 | 12:09 am
#16
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Poke
For poke fans, Umekes in Kona is the best. They share owners/cooks with the Kulena Rum Shack in Waikoloa Beach, so you can do a poke sampler and flight of rum there if you don't want to venture to Kona.
Pau Hauna Poke is also a local favorite for to-go and is located around the corner from Costco.
Pau Hauna Poke is also a local favorite for to-go and is located around the corner from Costco.
Mar 14, 2021 | 6:12 pm
#18
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Pre-flight stop at Pau Hana Poke might be a good idea since you'll be stopping at the Costco to gas up your rental before your departure.
As for shave ice, One Aloha in Kailua-Kona is our current favorite but we've not been in a few years; really nice folks running the place. If you're not interested in such a long drive, we've been meaning to try the Original Big Island Shave Ice in the King's Village.
As for shave ice, One Aloha in Kailua-Kona is our current favorite but we've not been in a few years; really nice folks running the place. If you're not interested in such a long drive, we've been meaning to try the Original Big Island Shave Ice in the King's Village.
Mar 14, 2021 | 7:21 pm
#19
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Mar 14, 2021 | 10:35 pm
#20
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The other famous place for malasadas on the island is the Punuluu Bake Shop on the south side of the island. Also a good place for lunch with good food and space to est outdoors and under cover.
Ive had good shave ice on Oahu but none on the Big Island.
Mar 15, 2021 | 10:39 am
#21
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Mar 15, 2021 | 3:48 pm
#22
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I put together a map of the poke places and included the place for huli chicken. I noted Kona Airport to give a sense of where these places are.
- Hale I'a Da Fish House
- Kuleana Rum Shack, same owners and cooks as Umekes
- Pau Hana Poke, around corner from Costco
- Umekes in Kona
- Da Poke Shack https://dapokeshack.com
Mar 16, 2021 | 12:29 pm
#23
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Anuenue Ice Cream & Shave Ice
Anuenue Ice Cream & Shave Ice
Mar 16, 2021 | 2:56 pm
#24
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Here we go with a map for shave ice. I've added Mauna Kea Hotel (self serving, as we will stay there) as a marker.
- Anuenue Ice Cream & Shave Ice, north of Mauna Kea Hotel, across from Fish House Poke
- Original Big Island Shave Ice in the King's Village
- Ululani in Kailua-Kona
- One Aloha in Kailua-Kona
Last edited by SanDiego1K; Mar 17, 2021 at 8:58 am
Mar 17, 2021 | 4:29 am
#25
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Sorry; I may have misled you on where the Original Big Island Shave Ice Company (OBISIC)'s new store is; it's in the King's Shops mall in the Waikoloa resort (250 Waikoloa Beach Drive); very much closer to the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel.
Mar 17, 2021 | 8:59 am
#26
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Mar 17, 2021 | 6:54 pm
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Mar 25, 2021 | 12:53 pm
#30
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Reservations Needed
With a surge of tourists on the west side but restaurants, especially those with indoor seating, still stuck with COVID capacity restrictions, it is very tough getting tables within the same week, let alone same day you want them. Many places use OpenTable for bookings up to a month and a half into the future, so if there's a west side hotspot you're looking to dine at, lock in a reservation as soon as you can.
The days of walking in and dining at places on a whim like Manta, Merida, U'lu, Beach Tree, CanoeHouse, Merrimans, Roys, Tommy Bahamas, Seafood Bar, Sensai, and Brown's Beach House have passed.
One place oddly still not taking reservations is Lava Lava Beach Club. However, I was pleasantly surprised by no wait for an "indoor" table there in the drastically reduced inventory around the bar the other night. They have plexiglass dividers between pairs of stools at the bar while they have 2 long high tops available for socially distanced eating/drinking there. While the beach scene was packed, and they said it'd be a 90 minute wait for a table there, the bar level was empty and we could be seated immediately. They don't have their full menu back yet, and they did away with a happy hour menu, but they still have their most popular dishes, like sizzling shrimp, and drinks like the Coconut Girl and Bambucha Maitai, available.
The days of walking in and dining at places on a whim like Manta, Merida, U'lu, Beach Tree, CanoeHouse, Merrimans, Roys, Tommy Bahamas, Seafood Bar, Sensai, and Brown's Beach House have passed.
One place oddly still not taking reservations is Lava Lava Beach Club. However, I was pleasantly surprised by no wait for an "indoor" table there in the drastically reduced inventory around the bar the other night. They have plexiglass dividers between pairs of stools at the bar while they have 2 long high tops available for socially distanced eating/drinking there. While the beach scene was packed, and they said it'd be a 90 minute wait for a table there, the bar level was empty and we could be seated immediately. They don't have their full menu back yet, and they did away with a happy hour menu, but they still have their most popular dishes, like sizzling shrimp, and drinks like the Coconut Girl and Bambucha Maitai, available.