Don’t feel like cooking tonight? Take a look at these must-try restaurants of Kailua-Kona, where residents enjoy fresh island bites every night of the week, then ask yourself what’s stopping you from moving to the Big Island.
Huggo’s
Huggo’s has been a Big Island standard in fine dining for over 50 years, a landmark that remains one of Kona’s premier waterfront restaurants.
Try the Hook, Line and Sinker – Huggo’s rotating daily special featuring only the freshest fish and ingredients. The ingredients might change, but one thing’s certain: these dishes will wow your mouth. (Macadamia Nut Crusted Ono with Lemon Aioli and Fresh Basil Pesto? Yes, please!)
Heads up: Huggo’s is first come, first served (but you can text ahead for wait times).
For a more casual dining and entertainment atmosphere, try Huggo’s On the Rocks. This toes-in-the-sand restaurant offers a fun, relaxed vibe while still emphasizing island fresh foods. Plus, On the Rocks has live music every night from 6pm to 10pm.
‘Ulu Ocean Grill
Another fine dining option, ‘Ulu Ocean Grill is the inhouse restaurant at Kona’s Four Seasons Resort, but you don’t need to be a hotel guest to make a reservation.
Featuring locally-caught seafood, the menu fuses Pacific rim flavors with Pan-Asian cooking techniques. The restaurant works with over 160 local farms, meaning that 75% of the food served is sourced from the Islands of Hawaii.
Signature dishes include local snapper, Hawaiian poke, charcoal bbq octopus, misoyaki kanpachi, and broiled king crab leg.
Don’t miss ‘Ulu’s Friday Night Market where Executive Chef Richard Polhemus serves up delectable interpretations of Asian-Pacific Night-Market cuisine in an atmosphere of oceanfront elegance.
Kona Brewing Company: Kailua-Kona Pub & Brewery
If you’re the kind of person who believes calories should be imbibed as well as eaten, try the brewpub at the Big Island’s most famous brewery. After touring the original Kona Brewery, grab one of their world-famous beers and munch on a tasty hand-tossed pizza.
Can’t choose from the 20-some beers on tap? Order a flight and sample a few! From the Longboard Lager to the Fire Rock Pale Ale, one of these “pints of paradise” is sure to quench your thirst.
Island Lava Java
This “upscale greasy spoon” is a great place to book brunch if you had a few too many beers at KBC the night before.
Grab a freshly squeezed juice and one of Island Lava Java’s World Famous Cinnamon Rolls. (Seriously, don’t miss trying their on-site bakery which bakes pastries, breads, scratch desserts, and pizza dough every day.)
Island Lava Java is a proud supporter of local food producers. Their menu sources from grass-fed Big Island Beef, Ni'ihau Lamb, Kona Kampachi, Big Island organic goat cheese, as well as locally grown organic lettuce and produce. Plus, Island Lava Java serves 100% Kona coffee and organic espresso grown on their nearby farm.
Surf (& Turf)’s Up
Food is an essential way to experience community and local culture. If this list has your stomach growling, you know what to do. Book a trip to Hawaii, make some dinner reservations, and enjoy Kona’s finest bites.
Once you’ve had time to digest, let’s chat about how you can have more freshly caught ahi tuna in your life.
Aloha, and welcome to Hawaii.