Don't let appearances deceive you � there are more than just burgers and fries at this unassuming restaurant. You will find dishes like stuffed chicken breast with bacon and pine nuts, and artichoke, garlic, and cream cheese ravioli. Lunch features salads, sandwiches, and comfort food entrees (try the vegetarian pot pie). An even balance of meat and meatless plates keeps everyone happy, and the waitstaff are happy to suggest wine pairings for your meal.
Local Expert tip: Check the dessert special
A family run breakfast joint, Full Moon Coffee serves up organic coffee, lattes, mochas, frappucinos, and Thai iced tea and coffee. Other healthy morning drinks include mate lattes (made with yerba mate), chai, ginger peach, fresh carrot juice, smoothies and coconut water. Fresh pastries, bagels and an early riser breakfast make up the food menu. This is a great way to start the day in Hilo and one of its newest restaurants.
Local Expert tip: Go for the local organic coffee
When you get a craving for a sweet treat on the Big Island, Kope Lani Coffe and Ice Cream is the place to go. Located in the historic area of Kailua-Kona, Kope Lani offers a wide variety of local ice creams (26 to be exact) and kona coffees that are sure to give your taste buds an authentic Hawaiian experience. The delicious ice cream concoctions include fresh coconut and coffee flavors that only the Big Island could produce. You can even purchase some of their famous coffee blends such as the Peaberry and "Extra Fancy" by the pound and take the refreshing taste of Hawaii home with you.
You'll almost certainly have a difficult time choosing which candies to sample here. Among the temptations are hand-dipped, chocolate-covered macadamia nuts, chocolate-covered coconut, chocolate-covered nut brittle, coffee toffee, chocolate-covered crystallized ginger, and guava rum truffles — oh my! Perhaps the best option is to get some of each and take them home for further testing. Good luck!
The combination of coffee and ice cream under one roof may seem odd, but it's actually a clever strategy. The 100% Kona coffee is for folks who need a morning jumpstart, while the island-made ice cream is for folks who need an afternoon pick-me-up. Obviously, the coffee is great, and the ice cream is just as good. It comes in a variety of intriguing flavors, like pineapple-coconut, chocolate macadamia nut, green tea, and lychee. Enjoy your choice in the slightly down-at-the-heels café, which has a loyal local following.
Read more about Kohala Coffee Mill and Tropical Dreams Ice Cream →
Regularly voted "Best of the Island" by readers of the local newspaper, Kope Kope certainly has a few fans. Tons of them, in fact, and they show up every day for a java fix and either a quiet moment of solitude or a bit of friendly conversation. Designed as a retreat from the hassles of the outside world, the café is appealingly decorated, and tables are arranged for maximum privacy. Accompany your coffee with a pastry or a freshly made sandwich.
Coffee fans love the Big Island for many reasons, and this place is one of them. You'll find freshly brewed, 100% Kona coffee here, along with an assortment of sweets and sandwiches. A great place to people-watch, it's situated directly across from the beach, where human activity is non-stop.
A great stop-off, Coffee Shack is little more than its name suggests — a nondescript place where guests can saddle up to the counter, order fresh-brewed Kona coffee, munch on carrot cake, and enjoy warm island breezes. In recent years, the Shack has earned quite a reputation as a breakfast hotspot, and for good reason — there are few better ways to properly kick off the day than with the help of homemade eggs Benedict, poi-bread French toast, and fresh-baked pastries.