Hawaiʻi Island · Eat & Drink
Where to Eat on the Big Island
Shave ice after the beach, malasadas on the Hāmākua drive, poke by the pound, and Kona coffee tasted on the farm where it grows.
Food
Shave Ice & Sweets
Shave ice, malasadas, mochi, and island bakeries.
Shave Ice & SweetsHamakua Coast
Tex Drive-In
This is the essential pit stop on the Hāmākua Coast. Eat one hot in the car and save another for the Waipiʻo lookout.
Read more
Shave Ice & SweetsHilo
Big Island Candies
This is the classic Hilo omiyage (gift) run. Watch the shortbread get dipped, then stock up for everyone back home.
Read moreShave Ice & SweetsHilo
Two Ladies Kitchen
The strawberry mochi is one of Hilo's great bites, so buy more than you think you'll need.
Read moreShave Ice & SweetsHilo
Wilson's by the Bay
Simple and unpretentious, it's exactly what you want after a morning at the farmers market just down Mamo Street.
Read more
Shave Ice & SweetsPuna
Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Visitor Center
An easy stop on the drive between Hilo and Volcano, with free samples and a short garden walk to stretch your legs.
Read moreFood
Local Eats
Poke, plate lunch, loco moco, and diner breakfasts — how the island eats.
Local EatsHilo
Café 100
Eating a loco moco in Hilo is a rite of passage. Start with the classic.
Read moreLocal EatsHilo
Ken's House of Pancakes
Big plates and island syrups make this exactly the breakfast you want before a day at the volcano.
Read more
Local EatsKona
Da Poke Shack
If you're new to poke, start here, then take it straight to the beach.
Read moreFood
Coffee Farms
Kona coffee farms that welcome visitors for tours and tastings.
Coffee FarmsSouth Kona
Greenwell Farms
It's the best free introduction to Kona coffee. Take the tour, taste several coffees side by side, and you'll finally get what the fuss is about.
Read moreCoffee FarmsKona
Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation
Up here in the green hills above Kona, the organic, farm-to-cup setup sets it apart from the roadside tasting rooms.
Read moreCoffee FarmsKona
Hula Daddy Kona Coffee
A smaller, more personal take on the Kona coffee tour, where you can actually talk with the roaster and the owners.
Read moreFood
Farmers Markets
Tropical fruit, flowers, and island-made treats straight from the growers.
Food
Restaurants
Oceanfront dinners and farm-to-table tables worth booking ahead.
RestaurantsKona
Kona Brewing Kona Pub
The pub-only Backyard Batch beers are the reason to come. Skip what you can buy at home and order those.
Read more
RestaurantsWaimea
Merriman's Waimea
The best argument for eating upcountry: the farms are just down the road, and you can taste it.
Read more
RestaurantsKona
Huggo's
Book a sunset table, order the catch of the day, and watch the light go. This is the Kona dinner people come back for.
Read moreBook ahead
Tours that pair well
Getting around
You’ll want a rental car.
Public transit is limited and the best sights are hours apart. Pick up at Kona (KOA) or Hilo (ITO) and compare every major company in one search.