BEST VALUE FOR THE MONEY RESTAURTANTS
The common theme of the following suggestions is that they are convenient, more or less reasonably priced (by Hawaii standards) and the food and service ranges from OK to very good. These are the restaurants that we frequent. If you only try one of our recommendations, go to the Ke'ei Café—it's special.
- The Big Island Grill
- Bongo Ben's
- The Coffee Shack
- Drysdales
- Harbor House Restaurant
- Java (Huggo's) on the Rocks
- The Ke'ei Café
- Kona Brewing Co. & Brew Pub
- Los Habañeros
- Ocean's Sports Bar and Grill
- Original Thai
- Quinn's Almost by the Sea
- The Vista Restaurant
75-5702 Kuakini Hwy
Kailua-Kona, HI
You will know immediately by the size of the people eating in here that this is "big food." Very reasonably priced, copious amounts of food in the Islands style which is a mélange of American and oriental common foods, usually served with mounds of rice and/or macaroni salad. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Perfect place to take your teenager with the hollow leg.
75-5819 Alii Dr.
Kailua, Kona, HI
Located underneath the infamous Lulu's (the most raucous twenty's something bar in Town), Bongo Ben's is an open air restaurant and bar facing onto the main drag. Relatively inexpensive bar and grill fare. Sit at the sidewalk counter and watch the passing scene day, or night. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They serve food late.
83-5799 Mamalahoa Hwy (Hwy 11)
Captain Cook, HI
Set in a spectacular cliff side location on the belt highway heading south from Kailua Kona between mile markers 109 and 108, this is the perfect place for breakfast, or lunch if you are headed to "Pu'u Honua O' Honanau" (the Hawaiian City of Refuge), or Kealakekua Bay. Wholesome organic café menu, homemade bread and pastries. Open for breakfast and lunch. Very small and usually full, but worth a short wait for a table.
78-6831 Alii Dr.
Keauhou, HI
In the same shopping center as the cinema and Los Habaneros. The food here is pedestrian but edible and reasonably priced. They are very convenient for a fast lunch, or late dinner.
78-6831 Alii Dr.
Keauhou, HI
Set in the middle of the Kona deep sea sport fishing marina, this is a favorite lunch and after work hangout for locals. The food is pretty basic burgers and sandwiches with fries, but their claim to fame is really cheap frozen 20 oz schooners of draft beer. A schooner of Steinlager is $3.75, domestics $3.00, happy hour is even cheaper! Open for lunch. They close at the end of happy hour and really don't have a dinner menu.
75-5828 Kahakai Rd.
Kailua-Kona, HI
Java on the Rocks is a wonderful ocean front outdoor café for morning coffee and a light breakfast. They own their own coffee farm and serve 100% pure Kona coffee. Open for breakfast. (Huggo's, another proprietor operates in this location for lunch, dinner and late night entertainment.)
79-7511 Mamalahoa Hwy (Hwy 11)
Kealakekua, HI
Ke'ei Café (pronounce it "kay-ay-ee") is our favorite dinner restaurant. A little out of the way (between mile markers 112 and 113), few tourists will find it. Small menu but everything on it is better than average in quality, preparation and presentation. Imaginative and reasonably priced wine list. Open for lunch and dinner. They accept cash only, so hit the automatic teller on the way down! Dinner reservations advisable.
75-5629 Kuakini Hwy
Kailua-Kona, HI
The beer is exceptional and their pizza is better than average—good salads and sandwiches as well. You can order a slice and salad for lunch. Look for the "beer of the month" at $3.75. This is a very popular spot with no reservations, so get there early, or plan to hoist a brew while waiting for a table. Open for lunch and dinner. It's hard to find. Go north on Kuakini to the stop sign at Kaiwi. Turn right at the stop sign, go one block and turn right again on Pawai Place. The Brewery is at the very end of this street on the right side.
78-6831 Alii Dr.
Keauhou, HI
Order at the counter, service on paper plates, the Mexican food here is just OK, but it's close, fast and cheap. Open for lunch and early dinner.
75-5811 Alii Dr.
Kailua-Kona, HI
Big selection of draft beers and suitably greasy and spicy appetizers. The best happy hour pricing in town, with imported pints starting at $2.50. Big, noisy and congenial. Open all day but the time to go here is happy hour from 3 to 6.
75-5629 Kuakini Hwy
Kailua-Kona, HI
Another out of the way, hard to find place, the Original Thai is located on the backside of this shopping center. In a town full of mediocre Thai restaurants, this is the best choice for food, ambiance and service. They donŐt have a liquor license, so bring your own beer and wine.
75-5655 Palani Rd.
Kailua-Kona, HI
This is a very local downtown bar and restaurant. It has the ambiance of a waterfront dive, but the food is fresh, solid basic American fare and moderately priced. Great hamburgers, fresh fish and Kalbi ribs—and you must try "Quinn's potatoes," a house specialty. Open for lunch and dinner. Sit outside in the back garden.
78-7000 Alii Dr.
Kailua-Kona, HI
Beautiful view of Keauhou Harbor area. Standard lunch fare of salads, sandwiches and some local plate lunches. The food is better than average and reasonably priced. Open for breakfast and lunch. Also a great place to watch sunset during their happy hour from 4 to 6.