Measuring over 4,000 square miles, the Big Island has a lot of ground to cover. Naturally, you’ll want to spend your mornings and afternoons here outside, so you’ll need a satisfying lunch to keep you fueled up. for your island adventures Here’s a list of our favorite spots on the Kohala Coast for a tasty lunch on the Big Island.
But wait, there’s more. We’re here to help demystify some of the unusual words you might see on menus like furikake, laulau and lilikoi — and explain which meat is being served and why. And possibly most importantly of all, provide the fun facts on the origins of local dishes.
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For more suggestions on best restaurants on the Big Island, the best things to do on the Big Island, and the best places to stay on the Big Island, click here.
Feature Photo: Cafe Pesto
Queens’ Marketplace, 69-201 Waikoloa Beach Dr, Ste A-1, Waikoloa
A similar but even more casual concept than the existing Tommy Bahama shop and restaurant in the nearby Shops at Mauna Lani, the new Marlin Bar at the Queens’ Marketplace has a sports bar vibe and wide-ranging island-sourced menu. Start with a dip of Kahuku corn from Oahu’s North Shore or salad with Hirayama Farm greens from Waimea, mango and hearts of palm, and follow with miso Kona kampachi or a steak and Hamakua mushroom flatbread.
64-705 Waikelehua Pl, D-11, Waimea
Park-like Olikai Center in Waimea hosts two new food trucks run by a husband and wife. His mother’s Lebanese recipes helped create the menu for Tabouli, while her New England roots inspired this lobster shack and lobster pond. While you can take a live or boiled whole lobster home with you, nosh on the hefty lobster roll with homemade potato chips; in Waimea’s occasionally New England-like cold weather, you can enjoy food from both food trucks in a pleasant covered area with patio heaters.
Olikai Center, 64-705 Waikelehua Pl, Waimea
Formerly a fixture at the Parker School farmers market, this family-run outfit now shares its delicious Lebanese cuisine from an outdoor dining compound down the road. The entrees are simple but satisfying: Grilled kofta (beef and lamb meatballs), grilled chicken or falafel, in pita wraps or on plates with rice, fattoush salad or fries, respectively.
Kamuela Business Center, 64-1032 Mamalahoa Hwy, Ste 101, Waimea
Whether it’s beef tataki, filet mignon, sloppy joe or a cheeseburger, you can be sure the meat has been locally raised without antibiotics or hormones, as are the lamb, pork and chicken dishes here at this cozy restaurant inside an actual butcher shop. Lunch is more casual, with chili over rice, sloppy joes, smoked brisket plate and banh mi with teriyaki sliced beef and chicken liver pate among the go-to options.
Pizzeria: 55-3406 Akoni Pule Hwy, Hawi
Food truck: 61-3628 Akoni Pule Hwy, Kamuela
Hidden on the rear lanai behind two quaint storefronts in Hawi, this New York-style pizzeria with counter service and occasional karaoke has added a food truck in a Kawaihae boat yard that’s more convenient for Kohala resort visitors as well as the local paddlers and fishermen. The daily trio of pizzas, available by the enormous slice or whole, always include cheese and pepperoni, with a tantalizing special such as bacon, jalapeño and honey drizzle.
45-3625 Mamane St, Honokaa
The historic Main Street of Honokaa town is worth perusing all on its own, but this compact restaurant makes the perfect start or end to your stroll. Its specialties of gyoza dumplings chicken karaage and ramen with locally sourced noodles and bone broths (and a veggie version with red miso) have branched out to include similarly tasty rice and cold noodle bowls and steamed Hirata buns with a variety of fillings.
There are lots of microbreweries popping up on the islands lately, and Big Island Brewhaus is one of the best. The food here is just as tasty as the beers — the menu of Mexican-style dishes and standard pub fare is made from locally sourced ingredients.
This 1912 building was restored to create this beautiful cafe, offering the perfect ambiance for a leisurely lunch. There’s an ohia wood-fired pizza oven in the kitchen and a menu full of the flavors of Hawai’i Regional Cuisine. There are so many tasty choices — coconut calamari, locally sourced salad, award-winning pizza, saffron risotto — how do you choose just one?
65-1227 Opelo Rd., Waimea
808.885.6822
Chef Peter Merriman is one of the godfathers of Hawaii’s farm to table movement, and Merriman’s is leading the way for culinary excellence on the islands. Their lunch menu has all the fixings of a great midday meal — we recommend the Caesar salad to start, followed by the fresh-catch fish sandwich and accompanied by a couple glasses of chardonnay.
Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection, 68-1400 Mauna Lani Dr, Kamuela
CanoeHouse isn’t the only restaurant at the Mauna Lani with a killer ocean sunset view, but it’s the most casual, with picnic tables, Adirondack chairs and a predominantly sandwich-and-salad lunch and dinner menu. But as part of the Auberge Resorts Collection, anything culinary gets special attention, so the bacon in the Smoked BLT benefits from a guava barbecue glaze, vegetarians can enjoy tofu poke or falafel tacos, and the poke and seared ahi wrap boast impeccably fresh fish.
64-1056 Mamalahoa Hwy, Waimea
The simple and moderately priced menu of burgers, milkshakes, fries and ice cream here in this former bakery café (said to be owned by tech tycoon Mark Benioff) is an homage to In-and-Out and other places where keiki (kids) can grab a snack on their way from school. Since the Tropical Dreams factory store closed to the public a while back, this is also a great place to sample a variety of their delicious flavors.
