r/VisitingHawaii Big Island Guide

7-Eleven Kurtistown

Good place for pork hash and coffee on the way to VNP.

Volcano House

First stop at VNP. Have a look at any activity from the lobby.

Ratana's Green Papaya Salad

They make precisely one thing, and it’s great.

Tetsumen Ramen

Hilo. Best $20 bowl of soup you can get in the US. Vegetarian options which are OUTSTANDING – not just “here’s something for the vegetarians.”

Takenoko Sushi

Hilo. Take-out only – you’ll never get a reservation (they’re booked a year in advance). Best sushi outside of Japan. Same area as Tetsumen.

Suisan Fish Market

Hilo. My favorite poke on the entire island.

2 Ladies Bakery

Hilo. They make Japanese sweets mostly. Usually a line out the door.

Locavore Grocery

Hands-down the best grocery on the Big Island. Farm House has slightly better produce, but Locavore has an actual meat department.

Moon and Turtle

Local ingredients. Fine dining. Value prices.

Minit Stop

Minit Stop

KTA Super Stores Hilo

Sack-N-Save (Foodland) Hilo

7-Eleven Hilo

You should definitely stop and try a $6 tray of pork hash. People think I’m joking when I send them to 7-Eleven – it’s really, really good. If we had a 7-Eleven on the west side, I’d gain 20 pounds.

Our Founding Farmers

Way up in Hawi. Outstanding hand-made ice cream.

Big Island Brewhaus

Best craft brewery on the island, and Big Island beef burgers.

Dizzy Pita and Ippy's Barbecue

Same owner, same building. Dizzy sells good gyros, and Ippy’s sells Hawaiian Barbecue.

FORC

Fine dining. Known for sourcing local ingredients.

Merriman's

Waimea. The lunch special at Merriman’s is the best fine-dining value on the island.

GJ's Huli Chicken

Basically the same as Randy’s. Open more days of the week.

Waimea Butcher Shop

Combination restaurant and meat market – the best meat market on the Big Island (no real competition). Salami, cured ham, sausages, bacon and similar.

Foodland Waimea

Overall best big supermarket on the Big Island.

KTA Super Stores Waimea

Waimea Town Market at Parker School

Saturday only. Best farmers market on the Big Island.

Kamuela Farmers Market

Saturday only. Second-best farmers market on the Big Island.

Kuhio Hale Farmers Market

Saturday only. Another reason why you want to be in Waimea on Saturday morning.

Saturday Farmers' Market at Long's Keauhou

Saturday only. Run by an agricultural co-op. This is one of a few farmers’ markets which feature actual farmers, and not Costco food at Hawaii prices. (The Hilo market gets caught doing this CONSTANTLY.)

KTA Superstores Keauhou

The nicest KTA on the island. The Palani KTA has a better deli section, though. And the Waimea supermarkets (KTA and Foodland) have the best selection of local produce.

Big Island Abalone

The food truck is closed – you will need access to a kitchen in order to enjoy Big Island Abalone. This should be #1 on any foodie’s list, because these Japanese salt-water snails are nearly extinct in the wild. The only way to get these is to visit Big Island. Locals don’t know about this farm. Most tourists don’t, either. But Japanese visitors know – you will see them every single day, eating abalone sashimi and garlic abalone stew like they just hit the lottery.

Broke da Mouth Grindz

Famous for Garlic Furikake Chicken. Near the breweries in the industrial section of Kailua. They make a pork belly dish which is also excellent. Their kalua pig uses liquid smoke, though, so stay away from that.

Ola Brew

Brewpub. Famous for burgers.

Kona Brewing

Brewpub. Famous for pizza.

Minit Stop

Gas station fried chicken (many locations). This is the best fried chicken on the Big Island, and it’s a smart choice for “Let’s buy some food for the plane trip home.”

Matsuyama Market

Relatively inexpensive bento box takeaway. Superlative road-trip food.

Costco

The least-expensive food on the Big Island. Some local produce, notably Kauai Ama-Ebi shrimp (frozen).

Matsuyama

Kailua Kona. Japanese bento box lunches. This location is the only place to buy food if taking the most direct route from KOA airport to Hilo/VNP.

Teshima's

Kealakekua. Bento and breakfast, Japanese comfort food.

Farm House

Kainaliu (formerly Kainaliu Fresh Market). Small-family-farm, local produce. I’o Ranch beef. Ancient Valley chicken. Locally caught ahi (loin, belly, and sesame-crusted for an easy appetizer). Lots of fresh produce from family farms all over the Big Island. Every town in the US should have a grocery like this. Go here specifically for coffee-wood smoked hummus, babaganoush (when eggplants are in season), chocolate mac-nut spread, kampachi fish from the fish farm near the airport, local honey, and similar.

Randy's Huli Chicken

Outstanding barbecue. Kaiwe smoked meat. (Same with GJ’s in Waimea.)

Shaka Tacos

Captain Cook. Outstanding venison burritos from an island I cannot name. Eat as much venison as you want – it’s helping control the invasive axis deer. You’re doing two islands a favor every time you ask for Hawaii venison. Maui is one. Can’t say the other.

Sunday Farmer's Market in Captain Cook

Sunday only. Across the street from Kona Chips. Same as the Saturday market (different vendors, but just as local). There is usually a fish vendor here.

Manago Hotel

Captain Cook. Only open a few days a week, famous for pork chops.

Kona Chips

Captain Cook. Best potato chips on Earth.

Pure Kona Green Market

Sunday only. This is the best Sunday farmers market.

ChoiceMart

Next to Ace Hardware in Captain Cook. Local fish – they ALWAYS have local fish. You’re not going to want to break down whole ahi, but it is RELIABLY $5/pound for whole fish.

Super J's Cafe

Captain Cook. Hawaiian food, costs next to nothing. Lomi-lomi salmon and pork lau-lau. If you’re lucky, they have guava cake for dessert.