Kona Restaurants
Where To Eat in Kona
Big Island Grill: Kuakini hwy. Local style and standard lunch menus. You can get good Saimen (large bowl of Japanese soup), Teriyaki style dishes, burgers, American sandwiches, salads. Fresh made diner food – with a local twist Hawaii-Japanese twist.
Outback: Casual steak, seafood and burgers – Australian style. On Ali’i Drivei n the Coconut Grove marketplace.
Fish Hopper: overlooking Kailua-Kona bay on Ali’i Drive (in old town Kona). Everything from steaks to seafood.
Harbor House: for burgers and seafood. . They are at 74-425 Kealakehe Pkwy, Kailua-Kona.
Lulu’s: Casual for lunch, dinner. Turns disco at night and gets a little wild. On Ali’i Drive in the Coconut Grove marketplace. 75-5819 Ali’i Drive.
Kona Brewery: for pizza, burghers and of course, beer. In the old industrial area (turn down Makala from Hwy 19 going into Kona).
Ultimate Burger: in the “Kona Commons” which is a new outdoor shopping center in Kona. They make their burgers with Parker Ranch beef, all natural, homemade buns and different toppings.
Don the Beachcombers in the Royal Kona Resort has a good burger (and other dishes) with a great ocean front dining atmosphere.
Huggo’s –open for dinner only. Because of it’s location, overlooking Kona bay, this is a popular place for sunset dinners. Steak, seafood, salads.
Basil Pizzeria: pasta and pizzas, overlooking Kona Bay in old-town Kona… just past the Hulihee Palace on Alii Drive
Bubba’s: A mainland chain restaurant, this is one of Kona’s inexpensive restaurants with the best seaside location on Ali’i Drive, for lunch or dinner. The food is popular for burgher lovers, sandwiches, salad eaters, and shrimp lovers. [Nice Chicken Cobb Salad.] Indoor and outside terrace seating with Kona Bay close enough to get your feet wet. Casual.
Kona Brewing Co.: a pub and café restaurant. Good beer, brewed there…and home-made pizza. There are brewery tours (for a fee). This is in the Kona ”old industrial area” which is the first of Kona’s shopping districts, south of the airport. Turn into Makala Street from Route 19 approaching Kona. You get to the pub on Pawai street.
Quinn’s: if you feel like fish & chips, then head for Quinns. It’s a pub and a restaurant directly across from the King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel on Palani Road, downtown Kona.
Kanada Kava: Kava bar, appetizers, poke (Hawaii-style fish in many different preparations.)
Kava is a drink made from the root of a plant, Awa. It is natural antidepressant and relaxant.
El Maguey: Mexican food…said to be more authentic than other Mexican restaurants on the Big Island. It’s on Kaiwi Street in Kona’s “old industrial area”. Kaiwi Street is signposted on the Hwy…it’s where you also find the International Market…also clearly signposted from highway.
Bite Me Fish Market: From the Hwy turn into the Honokahau Small Boat Harbor…it’s between the Kona airport and Kona village center. Bite Me is a casual harbor restaurant overlooking the fishing charter boats. There you’ll find the freshest fish right off the charters that you can eat there or take home. There are tables inside and outside under umbrellas. Drive into Honokahau Harbor from Q.K-Hwy / Rt 19.
Lotus Cafe: Asian style natural foods cafe. Organic food. Northern Thailand, Burma, India, Indonesia. They also make gelato, smoothies, juices and serve Kona coffee. They are in the Koloko shopping area (at the top across from Costco).
U-Top-It : This is a little “local” place in the “alley” behind the Lava Java café on Alii Drive…at the Coconut Grove shopping and restaurant area. There is parking close behind in the northern section of Coconut Grove. They have an assortment to choose from omelets, to stir fry to quesadilla and burgers, crepes and more.
Montre: A place for dim sum – Thai and Japanese. It’s in the Kopiko Plaza
More Thai and asian style:
Thai Rin Restaurant: Ali’i Drive overlooking the Kona bay
Kona Taeng On Thai: Ali’i Drive.
Original Thai: Kuakini Highway
Bangkok Houses: Kuakini Highway