Best Buffets in Big Island

What's intriguing and progressive about the Ulu Ocean Grill Breakfast Buffet is that the menu's ingredients are approximately 75 percent locally sourced. This buffet is what you would expect with breakfast at the Four Seasons - delicious food, luxurious ambiance, and an exotic environment. From 6:30 t0 10:30 a.m. daily, you'll be treated to an abundance of traditional breakfast fare with flares of local cuisines. Enjoy the ocean views and later, the things to see and do of the west side of the Big Island. It's restaurants like these that keep the islands afloat, as the Hawaiian islands import over 85 percent of their food and supplies.

At the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel, you can indulge in a seafood celebration featuring an all-you-can-eat buffet on Friday evenings. Fill up on steamed snap and eat crab legs with drawn butter, chilled snow crab claws, a wok station with fried Dungeness crab clusters, tempura soft shell crab, steamed Alaskan snow crab legs and other delicacies including sake steamed manila clams, Washington state mussels and more. Also serving a carving station with prime rib, roasted breast of turkey and potatoes as well as a make-your-own ice cream sundae bar with all the toppings. The event takes place each Friday on the Ocean Terrace from 6 to 9 p.m. The price ranges from $62 for adults and $31 for children ages 5-12.

Long, white sand Hapuna Beach is the coveted beach on the Big Island, where locals and visitors alike go for sunny refuge. Overlooking this gorgeous beach and the blue Pacific is the Ocean Terrace Buffet, a casual open-air breakfast restaurant offering a thoughtful mix of healthy, creative items along with familiar favorites. Featuring a daily breakfast buffet and an extensive a la carte menu, the buffet provides the perfect start to a day that may be lounging by the pool or exploring the western coast of the island. This is the best bang for your buck in the neighborhood, and the food and views are great.

In addition to it's breakfast buffet, the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel is also famous for its weekend buffets with a seafood buffet that consists of snow crab clusters, mahi mahi fish, Cioppino mussels, seafood newburg, shrimp curry, oysters, salad bar, and much more. On Saturday and Sunday nights, a Hawaiian and Seafood Buffet expands the offerings to include such local favorites as huli huli chicken, lau lau, lomi lomi salmon, and chicken long rice. At this buffet you'll get to experience the variety of cuisines that represent the various cultures of the island. Sample a little bit of everything to experience real Hawaii.

In Hawaiian, "aina" translates to land and "kai" is the word for ocean. And the restaurant named Ainakai at the Sheraton Keauhou Bay which overlooks Keahou Bay and the Kona Coastline, is the perfect place to start the day. At Ainakai you'll see that guests enjoy lavish tropical buffets, chilled Island juices, fresh Pacific Rim fruits, and made-to-order specialty omelets and waffles all enhanced by Far-East favorite selections, warm aloha service, and of course, rich Kona coffee. The buffet is an extravagant array of different cuisines that represent the local cultures. This is the best buffet in central Kailua Kona.

Any west side morning should start with the breakfast buffet at Manta & Pavilion Wine Bar. This is the place for long, leisurely breakfasts and chit chat over made-to-order waffles and omelets, fresh tropical fruits and juices, healthy whole grain cereals and various delicacies from the pastry kitchen with a cup of Big Island coffee. This is the Mauna Kea's breakfast buffet, with its ocean-overlook and birdsong symphony, and this is what your family will remember. Later on in the day venture to the exquisite crescent shaped white sand beach out front. You won't have to venture any further for great food or beach time.

No visit to Nani Mau Gardens would be complete without an excursion to their tropical lunch buffet. They call it lunch, but with the timing of 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. it seems more like brunch to us. Even if you're not planning on exploring the gardens, the lunch buffet is always great, and offers a blend of different cuisines. Adorned with flowers and foliage, buffet tables are laden with fried chicken, pot roast, salads, fresh tropical fruits, and more. Regularly visited by both island residents and tourists, the restaurant is convivial and friendly, making the overall experience pleasantly relaxing.

Located in the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, the Queen's Court Buffet is a long standing favorite for locals and visitors alike. Offering a panoramic view of Hilo Bay, the restaurant has been recently renovated and now featured a beautiful Hawaiian and hula themed decor. Utilizing the abundance of what the island has to offer, they draw ingredients from the Hilo Farmers Market and other island farmers. The breakfast buffet begins the day with eggs, meats, fruits, pastries and breads, as well as an ala carte menu with specialties such as the "Hilo Hawaiian Special" omelet with bacon, Portuguese sausage, grilled onions, cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, served with passion fruit Hollandaise sauce.