4 Best Restaurants in Waikoloa, Big Island

Beachy yet upscale, this restaurant has an in-house beer sommelier who advises on the perfect pairing with your food choice, which can range from fresh catch, steak, burgers, and sandwiches to crab cakes and escargots. Many dishes incorporate Hawaiian touches. The sports bar offers a 24-tap digital beer tower and 10 TV screens. An innovative frost rail on the cocktail bar keeps your drinks cool. Patio seating outside offers additional dining options.

Dig your toes into the sand and enjoy one of the most happening, entertaining, and memorable bar/restaurants on the Kohala Coast. There's something for everybody here, whether you want cocktails and pupus (appetizers) for sunset or a fine-dining experience; highlights include macadamia-nut-and-arare-crusted fresh island fish, baby back ribs, and the chef's signature gazpacho topped with macadamia nut pesto. The atmosphere is super-casual—you can dine in your beach togs—and there's always something going on: the blowing of the conch shell at dusk, the lighting of the tiki torches, tropical cocktails served in Hawaiian ceramic ware, and live entertainment featuring stellar Hawaiian recording artists. No reservations are taken, but if you have to wait, just take a stroll on the beach. 

Creative sushi and contemporary Asian cuisine take center stage at this entertaining restaurant at Queens' MarketPlace, where you can make a meal out of appetizers and sushi rolls or feast on great entrées from both land and sea. Though it has tried-and-true mainstays, the menu is consistently updated to include options such as Hawaiian ahi carpaccio and Japanese yellowtail nori aioli poke.

Fashioning itself after Hawaii's iconic shrimp trucks, this little place in the Queens' MarketPlace food court specializes in island-style fare, including garlic shrimp, teriyaki chicken, and kalua pig and cabbage. They are one of the few quick bites open in the food court and can get quite busy, but everything is made to order, so come with patience.