7 Best Restaurants in Kailua-Kona, Big Island

This tiny place is the real deal. Yes, your tab might be a bit high, but it will be worth it because authentic, always-fresh poke doesn't get better than this. Enjoy bowls that include two selections of poke, one side, and a scoop of rice. The plates offer more choices. Try the award-winning Wet Hawaiian, which incorporates roasted kukui nuts or the Spicy Garlic Sesame, made with spicy Hawaiian chili pepper, garlic, and sesame seeds. Occasionally you will see a "Closed—Gone Fishing" sign on the door but consider that a good thing. They catch much of the fish themselves, sometimes the same day they serve it.

Ocean breezes flow through this open-air restaurant on Alii Drive, known for a quality menu infused with Cajun and island influences. Almost all dishes are made to order and feature non-GMO, hormone-free, or USDA-certified organic ingredients. A must-try is the seafood pesto puff pastry on the appetizer menu, and for dinner the steak house pasta (creamy mushroom pasta topped with a New York strip steak) is a good bet. Signature cocktails blend freshly muddled fruit and fresh juices with no commercial mixes. With happy hour daily from 3 to 5 and live entertainment nightly, Foster's Kitchen is a cool spot to enjoy a sunset cocktail or late-night libation. It's a good sign that you see a lot of locals here; it's got an elevated reputation among residents. 

This open-air restaurant in a vintage 1920s-era building at the historical Kona Inn Shopping Village offers a beautiful oceanfront setting on Kailua Bay. The view and the bar are Kona signature icons, and it's a great place when you first land in Kona to have a mai tai along with some appetizers or to enjoy a calamari sandwich, clam chowder, or salad at lunch. They are still adjusting to staffing issues post-pandemic, but your patience will pay off if you stay, just for the location alone. It's the place local residents take visiting friends to impress them, it's that good. Dinner is also available, but the entrées can be hit or miss.   

The largest open-air tiki bar in Kona has the absolute best view of Kailua Bay in town. This is the perfect spot to relax with a pupu (appetizer) such as the coconut-crusted shrimp or "Hapa" poke bowl, or to dig into something more substantial like the kiawe wood–smoked prime rib. The Breezeway Lounge is excellent for watching giant surf or breaching whales, and Don's hosts first-rate Hawaiian performers on Thursdays. During happy hour from 4 to 6, the famous mai tais are only $8; the pina coladas are $9. Save room for dessert; the mud pie is deliciously sinful, or order one of the luscious dessert coffees.

In the heart of Historic Kailua Village, the open-air Hawaii location of the popular Monterey, California restaurant offers an expansive menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a vintage building with a bayfront view. Inventive fresh-fish specials as well as simple fish-and-chips are among the local favorites. The lunch menu is tantalizing, especially the seafood entrées. There's also a comprehensive wine list, plus a happy hour menu chock full of great choices and prices.

With cocktail bars both upstairs and downstairs, oceanfront Island Lava Java serves eggs Benedict for breakfast; fresh fish tacos for lunch; and pasta, Big Island beef, and seafood for dinner, plus towering, fresh bistro salads. There are also pizzas, sandwiches, and plenty of choices for both vegetarians and meat eaters. Portions are large, food is made from scratch, and most of the menu is fresh, local, and organic.

Perched above a shopping center with sweeping panoramic views, this open-air restaurant has lots to offer besides spectacular views from every table in the house. The slow-roasted rack of ribs is the star of the show, and the locally sourced fish-and-chips is a close second. Be sure to try the famous Key lime pie or Mighty Dozen doughnut holes with some 100% Kona coffee. Their fun tropical cocktails such as the Lava Flow are best imbibed with an epic green-flash sunset happening and tiki torches flickering.