Go Visit Hawaii

Today, we complete the series on how to find the best Hawaii restaurants with a visit to the Big Island. Since this is our final restaurant visit, I thought I’d post a dessert photo (right) from the Hualalai Grille at the Four Seasons. This chocolate dessert tastes even better than it looks.

I have to say that finding great restaurants on the Big Island seems to take a bit more effort from my experience. That being said, we’ve definitely found some winners. I think that the addition of the Queens MarketPlace in Waikoloa and the Shops at Mauna Lani have added some nice new alternatives for those staying around the Kohala Coast.

As with the other islands, we’ll start with TripAdvisor, move on to guidebooks, and finish up with my personal picks.

TripAdvisor

Thousands of TripAdvisor members rate Hawaii restaurants. I’ll organize the TripAdvisor restaurant listings by geography. Some of the geography they use is a bit odd, but we’ll make it work for us. We’ll start on the Kohala Coast/Waimea area and work our way around the island counter clockwise. So as not to create information overload, I’ll try to only list the areas that you’ll likely be nearby.

Kohala Coast (Including Hawi, Waimea/Kamuela, Waikoloa)

• Hawi and Kapa’au Restaurants (These small towns on the northern part of Hawaii have just a few restaurants.)
• Kawaihae Restaurants (There are only two restaurants listed here, but they very well liked and recommended by locals.)
• Kamuela Restaurants (This is where TripAdvisor uses some strange geography. They lump in restaurants in Waimea (Kamuela) with restaurants at the Mauna Lani resort area and Mauna Kea/Hapuna Beach areas.)
• Waikoloa Beach Resort Restaurants

Kona Coast

• Kailua-Kona Restaurants (TripAdvisor lists over 100 restaurants here.)
• Keauhou Restaurants
• Captain Cook Restaurants

Hilo Side

• Volcano Restaurants
• Hilo Restaurants (There are over 100 in total)
• Pepeekeo Restaurants (There is only one restaurant listed here, but it’s the popular What’s Shakin’ place that’s known for their smoothies.)
• Honokaa Restaurants

Guidebooks

• Fodor’s has an interactive list.
• Frommer’s also has an interactive list.
• Hawaii The Big Island Revealed is usually very reliable guidebook for restaurant recommendations.

Go Visit Hawaii Picks

The following restaurants are ones that I particularly like.

Most Romantic: Brown’s Beach House at the Fairmont Orchid is located right beside the beach, with lovely sunset views. I also like the Hualalai Grille by Alan Wong at the Four Seasons even though it doesn’t really have a beach view, the atmosphere, service and food are romantic. Another restaurant worth mentioning in this category is the Coast Grille at the Prince Hapuna Resort which has nice outdoor seating and a sunset view. We liked the lanai seating by the railing.

Best Sushi/Seafood: Sansei at the Queens Marketplace at Waikoloa

Best All Around: Roys at Waikoloa. The food is great here and the prix fixe menu is well priced considering it’s Hawaii. The atmosphere is pretty lively, e.g. it can get loud in this enclosed restaurant. We liked the tables by the window that looked out onto the lake.

Best Fish and Chip Shop: Island Fish & Chips at the Kings Shops at Waikoloa. They have very good coconut shrimp and pineapple coleslaw. There are some good outdoor chairs and tables here that look onto the lake and golf course.

One of Hawaii’s More Unique Restaurants: Kilauea Lodge in Volcano. The atmosphere reminds me of an Appalachian mountain lodge with the historic fireplace.

Best Popsicle You’ll Ever Have: Hamakua Fudge Shop in Honokaa

Best Cheap Eats: Cafe 100 in Hilo

Best Pub Hawaii-Style: Kona Pub and Brewery in Kailua-Kona

Most romantic place to have ice cream after watching a free show: The Shops at Mauna Lani. You can get ice cream from the Foodland Farms grocery store or from the Marble Slab Creamery ice cream shop.

Top of My List for Next Time: Waikoloa Beach Grill and the Vanilla Luncheon at the Hawaiian Vanilla Company.

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I know there are some nice very readers who live on the Big Island, so I’d love for them to share their recommendations in the comments.

There are some restaurants that I’d steer clear of and I’ll mention them in the comments.

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