Kuhio Grille
111 E Puainako St,Ste 106A, Hilo, HI, 96720
Kuhio Grille Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Hilo for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Hilo for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
111 E Puainako St,Ste 106A
Hilo, HI, 96720 - Phone (808) 959-2336
- Website https://www.kuhiogrille.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :6:00 am - 10:00pm
- Mon : 6:00 am - 10:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Kristin G.
If you enjoy bad service and bland food by all means this is your kind of place! I believe they are cooking food for people with the taste buds of a smoker of 30 years. I have never in my life ever left a restaurant without tipping. I guess there's always a first for everything! I literally was not welcomed upon arriving, I waited for about 5 minutes to get seated, mind you it was not busy at all. Once seated I hadn't gotten a menu for about another 5 minutes. Then when finally asked to take my order the woman seemed irritated that she was wasting her time jotting down my simple order. Maybe ordering directly off the menu was a bit too difficult? 10 more minutes goes by and we get water, the adult cup was the appropriate size my two year old drinks out of. Food comes out maybe 15 minutes later. So now we have been here about 35 minutes. Food is cold and hard, I don't dare send it back...I may never see it again! Over easy eggs have no yolk, it was harder then yesterday's left over Easter eggs, my taro corned beef was so cooked it was unrecognizable. And the hash browns were just browned right out of the frozen bag onto a skillet. I ordered the half order of fried rice for my son, which was literally just white rice mixed with chopped spam and eggs in a bowl and tossed a few times then set on the plate. I never saw my server again, she was far too overwhelmed with a 10 top that was seated 10 minutes after we got there, yet had finished eating by the time we got our food. They even got their check at their table. I had to go to the counter and ask how I can pay for my meal since I never saw the server come and ask how things were or refill the tiny water cup! Needless to say in the tip line, she got a big fat zero! Stay far far away, don't waste the time or money on this place, you have been warned!
(1)Hunter P.
Kuhio Grille was an overall good restaurant. The service was very good and the wait wasn't very long. My problem was that the restaurant was very small and didn't seem very popular. I also believe the food was good but it wasn't amazing. In my opinion, I would think this would be the kind of restaurant if you were on the road in a two hour drive, this is the restaurant you would go to to stop and have lunch.
(3)Angel B.
Kanak Atak = winner! Love this Hawaiian plate! On top of the ono flavors of the laulau, kalua pig, pickled onion & lomi (which are always fresh & flavorful), they always have the freshest poi and yummy haupia (which needs to be bigger). It is so much food, my bf & I usually split it and there's usually a little bit left over. Of all the things served in this plate, kuhio grille sometimes needs to work on their white rice (what's up with that?). Also like the chicken katsu and the fried rice. But we so love the Kanak Atak, it's just wrong not to eat it when we go there. Because this place does get packed, we tend to just call ahead and place a take out order, then eat at home. That way, we can tell them what time we're gonna pick up and it's less stress. Also, when we eat it at home, when we're pau, we can just unbutton the jeans, roll on over to the couch and moe moe. (Thus the name) No pics because once we smell the food, there's no stopping for photos - dive right in and grind! Never had a problem with service when we have dined in. We have always been acknowledged when we enter, waitstaff has always been pleasant if not friendly and the food has always been fresh.
(4)Irene K.
Kuhio grille is my go to place if I'm hungry, too lazy to cook, and don't really want to think too much about what I want to eat. The service is reliable and fast most of the time, except when the place is packed, which is usually around lunch times during weekends, but that's kind of understandable. They offer a good variety of food and always taste delicious. I wouldn't say that their food is something to write home about, but it's always consistent in taste and portions. I usually either order the Yakitori chicken with their friend rice or the Nabayaki udon. Their pancakes are my favorite in Hilo and I also regularly order their veggie omelette. One of my friends likes to order their taro hash, which has unique and savory taste. Their tempura don isn't bad either, offering 4 shrimp tempuras and some vegetables. The price overall is average, but you do get a good portion of food. This place will definitely stay on my go to list when I'm hungry and in a hurry.
(4)R M.
Just visited family again and made several stops here again. The chicken lau lau is super good. Huge portions, and perfect home style food...still just like mom made.
(4)Vernon Y.
I've been a visitor to Hilo, Hawaii where I have family and friends living there. I have made steady trips to the Big Island for work as well. I need to share this with the owner of this establishment and or their management. Kuhio Grille is a known local food establishment where you can find that one pound Laulau or their tasty fried rice. I have visited Kuhio Grille at least five different times with family members to have breakfast and dinner. At thoses different times, they were busy. I couldn't help to notice that the service and welcome feeling was "missing." I don't know why? Busy? Or is it management? What do you value? I'm a believer of supporting local businesses in the area. It is hard for the local mom and pop stores to survive in these trying times. Good service with a smile goes a long way. It brings people back. I know for myself being local it does. I hope for this local business, in trying times in Hilo, Hawaii......can improve.
(1)Laurie H.
Came twice during Merrie Monarch week with 50 of my closest friends. They were very kind to fit us all in....inside/outside/everywhere. Many people want to come specifically for the laulau and love it. I found a special of agedashi tofu that was absolutely delicious - ordered it both times I came. You know what I ordered with it? A side of hash browns. Why? First, they serve breakfast all day, so why not? Second, there aren't a ton of options for non-meat eaters; and Third, hash browns are one of my favorite foods on earth. And you know what? Kuhio Grille's hash browns are the best hash browns I've ever had. Truly. Perfect crispiness on the outside, still a little soft on the inside, excellent flavor. I'm sure someone will tell me they're fried in pork fat or something....just don't....I don't need to know... Anyway - strange meal combination - agesdashi tofu and hash browns - but it worked for me!
(3)Ciana Y.
Of all my years coming here, I was amazed at how quickly my order came out tonight. Literally 7 mins from when I ordered, our waitress brought out our plates. Amazing...& as usual, it was onolicious. (Kalua pig with fried rice & chili cheese fries).
(5)Peg C.
It's taken me almost two months to recover from my amazingly relaxing kick-ass vacay on the Big Island. Sigh. Now I can finish all the Yelp reviews I've been wanting to do. Favorite eateries in Hilo: Cousins (take out only) and this place. Now does all the food at Kuhio Grill knock my socks off? No. Do I love it anyway? Yes. This is an old school favorite of locals. Just take a look around. The Hubs and I went there five times and I'm pretty sure we were the only tourists each time. It's comfortable, homey, friendly. Favorites from the menu include the one-pound Lau Lau, the yakitori chicken, the fried rice (pricey but worth it), and the homemade CREAM PIES. Oh, cream pies, you taunt me during the day and when I sleep... Get the banana cream pie or the chocolate peanut butter cup pie, if available. Heck, get both! So, so good.
(5)Tom W.
Not happy with the rush for the dinner order. Not happy with the continual change of waitresses. Not happy with the prepared fish batter, and oily presented order. Not happy with semi cooked items. Not happy with the high costs of items on the menu. Not happy at all ;-(
(1)Crista P.
My most recent trip staying with family, we came here couple times while we stayed. The service is fast, and the food is good! The thing I loved the most is probably the chicken skins! I found that usually in the day they have them, but if you come late they are almost always sold out. The chicken skin taste exactly like chicharon so if you love that, you'll love this! I haven't tasted the gizzards but that kinda grosses me out anyway lmao. Fried rice cost a little extra but nonetheless taste awesome as well. Very clean restaurant I'd definitely come back.
(5)Jake C.
Yelp 365 Challenge 2015 #73/365 Kuhio Grille is a great place to have any of your three meals of the day. They serve some mean loco mocos, and are known for their "One Pound Lau-lau". We would always come here for brunch after church, and it would be PACKED. They've been around a long time and know what it means to serve good, consistent, local food. If you want breakfast, they have that. They have lunch & dinner as well, and an ever-changing specials menu. As far as service goes, the servers are always polite, and attentive, and the food never takes too long to come out. The prices here are pretty great, especially for the portions that they give, which are huge! You can get a double fried rice loco for 14.99. Talk about a kanak attack!! I myself have actually never had the one pound lau lau, but being that it's one of their staple items, make sure you give it a try! Seems like every time I come home I make a stop at Kuhio Grille, and it's always a good experience.
(4)Barb A.
Great food and even better service. The place was packed when we arrived yet our waitress made us feel like we were the only ones there! The food was so good! I ordered the fried rice loco moco and my wife had the patty melt. Both were great! We will be visiting here again when we return to the Big Island!
(4)Quang D.
Lau lau was just so so. Soggy and needed salt. Very nice staff though! And it'll do in a pinch after a late movie in the mall.
(3)Mary-Ellen M.
Having good allergies makes dining out a challenge and when the staff goes out of their way to make sure that you have a safe meal that is really good, it leaves a great impression on you! The waitress went straight to the owner who came out and greeted me and was ready to walk me through the menu to ensure that I could find something to eat. I had the Pork, Tofu, Watercress Stir-fry and it was excellent! Definitely going to remember this place for a long time! Excellent meal and outstanding service!
(5)Jennifer S.
If I have the chance, I come here for breakfast when I'm in town. I usually have the fried rice topped with two eggs. The portion is big and you can't go wrong. This time, I chose the ham and cheese omelette, with hash browns. They dice up the ham and put a slice of cheese, folded in. It reminded me of something I'd make at home. Comfort food.. The waitstaff are the best. They're friendly, personable and keep the refills coming, which is always a plus in my book. Located in a strip mall behind Prince Kuhio Plaza, Kuhio Grille is a place where locals grab their simple, good eats.
(4)Lindsay F.
I've been here a few times and probably ordered something different every time. Every time I leave satisfied and happy I came. I like all the maneki neko decor. I only miss one star because I haven't ordered that thing you just can't get anywhere else, just good things I won't mind eating again. Service is always sweet and friendly. One of the most solid places to grab a meal in Hilo, and that is harder to find than many realize.
(4)Krisinda K.
I don't usually come during busy times so I don't expect to be waiting for an hour for a simple loco moco but boy was I wrong. I used to come here all the time with my grandparents and get some fried rice and loved it because as a kid, all I wanted was fried rice and I wanted it fast. Normally, they delivered on that expectation. These days, I'll be waiting for 30min or more for a plate of fried rice that just isn't how I remember it to be. This one waitress that we get always has this half smile that's very inviting but I always have to repeat my order to.
(2)Phyllis H.
One star. Food: Greasy laulau. Oil just oozed out onto my daughter-in-laws plate. Salty also. Son had the garlic shrimp pasta special: pasta over cooked, oily, shrimp not peeled and over cooked. I had the Korean chicken special. No flavor. Chicken cutlet was crispy but there was absolutely no sauce! Fried rice tasted sour. We usually clean our plates, but we left most of our food in the plates! Very disappointed in the food flavor, quality and service. Service: Our server never did a call back or re-filled our water. Never did get our chili pepper water either. Another waitress was more attentive. For three plates, $55 bill was wasted. Won't be back anytime soon. The only reason we came was because Hawaiian Style Cafe was closed.
(1)Randall S.
I used to wonder how folks on the Big Island survived for so long without a Zippys nearby. Now I know, they have Kuhio Grille. Their food portions are generous and very good. My friends have been teasing me for years because I have yet to finish a double Loco Moco with fried rice at one sitting. Anything on their menu tastes great and their most popular item has to be their famous "1 Pound Laulau". I don't know how anyone can eat that much with only one stomach. This is an old style restaurant with a well-laid out, easy-to-read menu. (So if you're looking for a Denny's type menu with 5000 items, you're going to be disappointed.) They always have specials so you may want to check those out before settling on something from the menu. The service has always been good for me and the waitresses are efficient and cheerful. I've always been fascinated by their collection of Manki-Nekko (Good luck cats) on the wall and wonder if that's why they're so successful. It's worth the time and effort to taste some of the best food in Hilo!
(5)Marty P.
The service at this restaurant is pretty on point. They are quick to take orders, bring food, fill your water cup or refill coffee. I'm not super impressed with the menu but I do enjoy the oriental salad dressing and the lava cake with ice cream. Waffles are yummy for breakfast too.
(3)Colleen O.
It is a real disappointment to come to a restaurant where no one pays attention to who walks in the door. The employees who wait on you have no pleasantry about them its as if they have other places to be. If this is the case then move on. This is really not a place to dine at any more...prices are more expensive than before and the quality of food has gone down. They need to reevaluate customer their customer service! Does it hurt to smile once in a while and make suggestive selling...to robotic! No ALOHA!
(2)Fran C.
This use to be one of my favorite grind places on the Big Island. I haven't been here for sometime now ( try over 8 years now), and I must say, a lot has changed. The most notable thing I noticed, was that the restaurant has gotten bigger. Kuhio Grille use to be a small hole in the wall joint. I flew to the Big Island today to do some work in the Pahoa area, and upon finishing my job.........I decided to pop into the Kuhio Grille for some late breakfast grinds. I ended up ordering breakfast #2, that consisted of two pancakes, eggs (anyway you want them), & either bacon or spam.......of course a local bruddah gotta get da spam! Overall, the breakfast was just okay for me..........eggs & spam was good, but the pancakes although fluffy, I gotta say it was very dry. I should have gone to Ken's Pancake House instead............ My breakfast ($8.99) & a coffee ($2.95) came out to just under $12.00 bucks. Not sure if it was worth it, but it's nice to visit some of my old stomping grounds. Service was fast & friendly. There is a lot of free parking in the Prince Kuhio Mall parking lot. I will have to come back one day to try their one pound Lau Lau...........sounds interesting.........
(3)Tristan I.
Been going here for years and they never fail to impress. Favorite is their chicken Katsu and their fried rice. Also like their Kalua, yakitori chicken. Good service and always try their best to accommodate you.
(5)Hawaii P.
Good place to get local Hawaiian food. We take all our mainland visitors here for a local style plate. Friendly staff.
(4)Dean Y.
Loved the laulau and fried rice combination plate. The side order of mac salad was a bit of a disappointment since it was lacking in flavor. But I was glad to see "The home of the one-pound laulau" doing well after so many years. Our wait-person was friendly and helpful.
(4)Jason T.
I should ve ordered the LAU LAU!!!! Thats what my cuzz got, and it was real good. I ordered the mix plate. The yakatori chicken was Ono. But the katsu chicken and grilled ono was junk. The waitress was nice, and I would go back.... For da LAU LAU
(3)Brooke C.
I had bad experiences here. Not necessarily with the staff because they are always kind, but with their food. Terrible eggs, undercooked spam, and gross rice. I couldn't even finish my breakfast. My mom ordered corned beef hash and it completely lacked flavor and tasted like dog food. Not returning
(1)Jaime T.
I think it's over rated. My food is ok. I ordered a won ton min and yakitori chicken....it was ok. My girls ordered burgers and fries. Smaller diners make burgers just the same or better. My son ordered the chili cheese fries and I think the person I saw wagging her food in a take plate had better looking chili than my son. My husband ordered the chicken katsu and Teri pork. I could get the same quality at home. Service is ok. Where's my knife? We only four forks and no their silver ware. I'd have to be hungry hungry to come back...
(3)Leina K.
LOVE LOVE LOVE. This is the one place I NEED to go to when I visit Hilo. I'm not sure exactly what it is between the katsu and fruit punch, also a must have is the salad with the basic oriental dressing. I used to buy containers of the dressing just to have at home.
(5)Toshi I.
My review is about 7 months late. I'm back from a Yelp sabbatical. LOL. I recall that the food here is good and homey with Hawaiian faves like loco moco, fried rice and Spam n Eggs. We came here for dinner with relatives. The atmosphere is casual. This is a cafe located in a strip mall. I would definitely come back to try the oxtail soup and breakfast.
(3)Teri K.
We waited over half an hour just to get a loco moco and boneless Korean chicken which had very little taste!! Got my loco moco 10min before the chicken even arrived. Those seated after us(party of 8) all got their food before us! Unbelievable. Some of the waitresses provided horrible service. I'm not coming back again.
(1)D D.
An always stop for breakfast whenever I'm in Hilo. Pancakes are the best! Almost as good as the amazing staff who have so much aloha. They always make accommodations to serve you the way you like it.
(4)Sara A.
I really enjoyed the food at Kuhio Grille. The menu is not extensive but offers a variety of food from Japanese-inspired dishes (sushi, tempura, noodles) to sandwiches to local favorites (laulau, oxtail soup, etc.). Breakfast is also served all day. There is something for everyone here. On our recent trip to Kuhio Grille, I ordered the patti melt sandwich (hamburger with swiss cheese, grilled onions, and special sauce on toasted rye bread) and my husband ate the chicken katsu. We were very satisfied with our food. Lots of food that made us full, all under $20 including tip. The atmosphere is nice inside. Tables are a little close together and it can get crowded, but thankfully they also offer outside dining. You can't miss the huge wall of good luck Chinese cats as you walk in and can't leave without trying the peanut butter mochi.
(4)Andrew T.
I know, you thought Wendell's had the biggest laulau. (A laulau is a traditional Hawaiian dish, typically pork wrapped in taro leaf.) Well, Kuhio Grill is home of the one pound laulau. You can read about Kuhio Grille history here kuhiogrille.com/about.ht ... My first visit, we went for breakfast and enjoyed that so much... we went back for dinner the same weekend ....and I had one of the best dishes I've had on the island. I seriously felt like I should walk into the kitchen and compliment the chef. (I didn't). It looks ... strip mall blah.... from the outside. Anyway, it's nice and cool inside, generic diner decor with a few interesting touches. A beautiful portrait of an old Hawaiian man tending his taro patch in Waipio Valley at the turn of the century. I asked the waitress about it and she said it was the owner's grandfather and the photo has been reproduced in the Smithsonian (or something). For breakfast I had the taro corned beef hash. It was interesting and delicious. My friend had the french toast... which was good but unmemorable. For dinner my friend had the teri beef dinner which he said was the best teri beef plate he's had on the island yet. I had a special of beef and tomato over crispy noodles and this humble dish was one of the most delicious things I've eaten on the island. Finally we ordered this kind of boring-looking haupia custard square of dessert and WOW this was delicious and again, one of the best desserts I've had on the island. I thought my friend was crazy to order it but after a few bites I was like "OMG this is really good" and WHOMP it was gone. Yeah, you're going to pay a few dollars more here than at a plate-lunch drive-in place, plus tip, but we thought it was well worth it. Service was friendly and efficient, particularly the busboy who had a warm Aloha spirit. My friend who knows stuff says they have great tempura.... when i told him i didn't see it on the menu he told me it's a separate menu you have to ask for. What did I feel could be improved? The restroom was just OK. Oh yeah, also I think $4 to substitute fried rice is too high. Mashed potatoes tasted boxed. And finally, I loved the house Oriental dressing but on one night, I suspected it gave me a bad MSG hangover. So, if you are sensitive to MSG you may want to talk to your server about that issue.
(4)Jessi M.
The dishes looked really great for meat eaters but I was not able to choose from much (other than a fresh papaya). Would not be back. It is kinda divey in the diner sense.
(2)Brennan T.
Kuhio Grille is one of the only restaurants in Hilo where you can always get Hawaiian food. Definitely try one of the Hawaiian plates, which give a good variety of food. The Hawaiian food is good, but not like how your aunty would make it. I love when they have the korean chicken/fried rice special. Delicious, savory, and generous portions. Service is always good too.
(4)g p.
Great homestyle feel to the diner. I came here twice during my trip to big island. I enjoyed the fried rice, loco moco and teri pork. Lots of variety on the menu. Great service both times we were here. Will visit again!
(4)Mitch T.
Delicious food! Probably the first and only place I know that sells Deep Fried Chicken skins as a starter, and it is delicious. Choose from the local favorite, loco moco, or how about some poke fried rice. Always a local choice- the 1lb Laulau. Yum! The place can get crowded, but well worth the wait. Lots of parking and they do not take personal checks.
(4)Tabbie E.
I came to have one last dinner with my in law before I left back to my island. The food is normally always good but the serve this time seriously sucked! "Ashley" I believe was her name on the receipt was horrible! The only thing good was she greeted us & took our order. She didn't check up on us, or even say "thank you", "your welcome" she had no manners as a waiter & I would know because I work in a restaurant myself. She didn't smile, she just had a blank stare on her face like she wasn't even happy. Idk if I want to even come back & eat here if I visit again.
(1)Leanne L.
Ummm- yummy laulau... And fried rice is good... And the cream biscuits? Those are the best!!! Plenty of choices and big portions!
(3)Dee M.
Went there the day before my Brother's wedding and we were a party of about 22. They are very friendly, attentive, and fast. Creamy biscuits were ONO! Nobody complained about their food, we had to share a few plates because some people couldn't finish. Nice folks!
(5)Liv A.
Home of the 1 pound Lau Lau! Kuhio Grille is located in a strip mall with easy parking. The hawaiian plates were inexpensive and tasty. I shared a lau lau plate with a friend and it was just enough for a late lunch. Other friends had the siemen and beef rice plates. The service was good and we enjoyed our meal there.
(3)Lisa L.
First off I would like to say this place has awesome service. Thank you Kuhio Grill for making our dining with little ones great. I had the oxtail soup which was amazing, broth flavor was delicious. Would I recommend this place for a quick to eat dine in "yes"!
(4)Nik O.
Not bad, but definitely not a place I need to ever go back to. They were half empty at peak breakfast time, which should've clued me in, but grandma likes kuhio grille so we went anyway. Clean and cozy but mediocre food and service Dumb to put the daily specials only on a board outside the door. I had to walk outside again to read it since they didn't have it posted anywhere else. Good variety of classic breakfast food and local favs but nothing stood out as interesting except the taro corned beef hash and eggs. That ended up being terrible - not much corned beef, what little they had was canned. End result was single under seasoned and not crispy enough taro cake. Eggs and side of hash browns were fine. Sweet bread French toast was just ok. Large portion of thick sliced bread that was a little burnt, bacon and eggs. Their coconut syrup is pretty blah and watery compared to the awesome thick coconut syrup at kens.
(3)Paul M.
First time here and I'd say it is good. We shared the big plate of laulau, lomi salmon, Kahlua pig, pickled onions and rice. The laulau was huge! As far as taste goes; not bad. The Kahlua pig was a bit salty but with poi it was good. The laulau was over cooked leaving the pork inside dry. But with poi and chili pepper water it was good. The lomi salmon was spot on. Our service was terrific. Very friendly lady and didn't mind all of the questions. I'd definitely go back.
(4)Pammy L.
Before restaurants in hilo started popping up on yelp we went to eat at kuhio grill several times during our visits not knowing where else to eat... and yes they have AC!!(unlike ken's). During our last visit I ordered the oxtail soup which I usually order here and enjoy, but unfortunately this time the soup tasted like it had way too much fish sauce so I had to add lots of ginger to balance out the flavor. Service was friendly and waters were filled quickly.
(4)Steven B.
Went to Kuhio Grille for the first time. I had beef&pork Laulau with brown rice and a small salad. The food was very average. The Laulau was kind of fatty and a bit over cooked. The rice was dry. Service was terrible. Our waitress disappeared and we had to ask another waitress for service. We had to ask for more water. I had to ask for my salad which was forgotten by the waitress. To make matters worse, the child in the booth behind us shrieked loudly over and over throughout the whole meal. I don't think l will return.
(2)Will M.
Good for local and hawaiian food. Had the huge 1 pound pork lau lau, it was moist and flavorful, a bit on the salty side though but still very good.
(4)Mika K.
I want to love Kuhio Grille as much as I used to but they've been letting me down lately. I loved KG because they were always opened when I needed them and their food always satisfied. I don't eat four legged animals, but I love lau lau and KG came to rescue with their chicken and fish lau lau. Their food is still good, but their service has been getting worse and worse. Lately, we haven't been getting water and we've been a little neglected by the servers/waitresses. I know I sound like a whining baby, but if I'm paying for some customer service, I better be getting some customer service.
(3)Victor H.
We were ending the day after a trip to the top of Mauna Kea and stumbled upon this place. The place was packed so that was a good sign. I ordered the Oxtail soup and the wife ordered the mixed plate. The mixed plate was OK and Chris especially like the Korean shortribs. My oxtail soup was actually good and consisted of plenty oxtail. I'd try this place again just to try something new. I need to find out what's their popular dishes are.
(3)A L.
The chicken sukiyaki (with tofu and vegetables) in a cast-iron pot ("Nabemono") that I enjoyed tonight (Friday) was the best, the heartiest, the most satisfying, and the least expensive dinner I've had since arriving on the Big Island (which was last Saturday). I've been to a different restaurant every night for dinner, and they all seem to be trying to be fancy or cool or locally-sourced/organic or whatever. Well, at Kuhio Grille, the fluorescent lighting and plain decor strip all pretension away so that the focus is on the food. The place is filled with clientele who are local. I would give 5 stars instead of 4 except that my friend's teriyaki pork arrived at room temperature rather than hot.
(4)Kimberly U.
Definitely should visit if you are a tourist in Hawaii! Service: Friendly they are fun people! Food: Really fatty hawaiian food! But definitely worth a try because it is quite delicious. The korean chicken was good! be adventurous. The bread they sell there is also really really good and addicting. Take some home! I think it comes with a dip. Price: average diner price. not too expensive. Atmosphere: I feel like a lot of locals go here. Its right next to the mall where I saw Ryan Higa aka: Nigahiga from youtube who was really friendly btw! it was so cool! HAve a great time!
(4)Bacchus C.
Good food, good price. I had the Loco Moco. Gravy could use a little more flavor. Over all great for my lunch break as fast food is more expensive on average.
(3)Vincent W.
This restaurant definitely satisfies if you're looking for authentic Hawaiian cuisine and your cruise/tour guide dropped you off for Walmart! It's filled with locals, and the prices reasonable. I enjoyed my saimin and my sister loved the laulau. Only thing was the service was a bit slow and we had to wave at them to notice us...but the food was good.
(4)Aaron B.
Very complete menu with a lot of great local food. Can get crowded on evenings and weekends. I've tried many of their menu items and have never been disappointed. Tip: get at least a small order of fried rice with your meal. It's some of the best I've ever had.
(3)Tammy P.
Great food and service. The house salad dressing is so good, and the server even said we can get french if he didn't like it. No way, stuff was yummy. And she explained everything on my one pound hawaiian laulau plate. I felt bad not being able to finish the greens. Oh and ask for the tobacco like sauce...tasty. and cheesecake is sweet and tastes freshly made.
(5)Terry K.
Yelp Challenge 365 #43/365 Oh NO!!!! Now then, I preface this review by saying I am from the city of Hilo, home of this Kuhio Grille. That said, I am embarressed with the quality of food and level of service. Have a become a metro snob? Have I forgotten humility and my grass roots? You be the judge. After my flight into Hilo and picking my mother up, I ask "where's breakfast?" She suggests Kuhio Grille. I've been there before; it was okay, never thought to go back again but I say "ok KG here we come". This time, its not crowded and there's no waiting line (Hmmm scratching my head... what happened? this is normally a busy time for them) We get seated and order. My mom orders scrambled eggs with diced ham; wheat toast... Even the most beginners of chefs/cooks would be hard placed to screw this up. Well they did! The merely forgot the ham. I offered to send it back for her but she felt it was "ok" never mind about the ham.... I order half an order of eggs benedict. OH BROTHER! the hollandaise looked like something they tried to defrost and didn't work..yet, they had the simple nerve to serve it. It was little yellow chunks of yolk swimming on this clear liquid which tasted like lemon.... I SEND IT BACK. I asked our waiteress if she would eat something like that? She looked at it, then looked at me and said "well, I don't eat eggs benedict so I don't know what it should look like..." My replacement was Sweet Bread French toast with side bacon. ANOTHER BIG MISTAKE.... French toast was not grilled enough- it was still sopping in that egg bath they use.... NOW I AM PISSED (and Hungry and Irritated) but to appease my mother I say very little. The booth next to us heard my every word and the gal tells me not to feel bad because the sc rewed up on her pancakes and she's on her second replacement meal. With all this anxiety and JUNK FOOD AND STUPID SERVICE, I choose not to purchase a couple desserts I saw in their revolving refrigerator... And their One pound Lau Lau? What's with this? Who wants to steam their One pound lau lau only to put half back in the refrigerator because One pound was too much for one person? Or, do they enough clientele who eats One pound lau laus? The worst part of all this is no one said very much. I felt like the complaining bitch... sheesh! Moral to the story? Don't waste your time at Kuhio Grille, Waste your time standing in line over at Ken's Pancake or Michelle's Diner... all within the same proximety of each other. Sorry Kuhio! Sorry Hilo! but if I had to peg the worst experience this year? Kuhio? You're it! ps- 1 star belongs to the parking lot. Abundant parking.... why not? It's in the shopping mall
(2)M D.
Had breakfast before catching our flight out of Hilo on 10/12/13, what a great way to start the day, I highly recommend this place the breakfast choices were great, the service was excellent and the cost was very reasonable.
(5)Frank L.
Order the Katsu Chicken, it's moist, grilled thigh meat. Pork cutlet was crispy but too thin with a bland gravy. Nice local fare recommended by our helicopter pilot Joyce.
(3)Jonathan N.
Wait staff is very polite and the food was ONO! The food took a little while to come to us but I guess you cant rush a good thing! If you're looking for local favorites, this is the place to stop at!
(4)Chris H.
In search of local flavor in Hilo, Yelp guided us with its invisible and benevolent hand to Kuhio Grille. Nestled in the deep confines of Kuhio mall, the décor is sort of a diner cum Maneki Neko (lucky cat) store cum Cracker Barrel - it's not much of a looker. But to a pair of diners from New York City, this was truly exotic. To our untrained palate, the famous 1 lb lau lau, or Kanak Attak ($16.99) - steamed pork wrapped in tender taro leaves - was on the very salty side, but meaty, porky, and hearty. A side of even more kalua (steamed) pork, poi (taro porridge), rice and lomi salmon turned this plate of food from merely an overindulgence of pork to a smorgasbord of Hawaiian favorites. Another local favorite, saimin is a veritable United Nations of noodle soup, incorporating ingredients from multiple cultures from around the Pacific Rim. Kuhio Grille's version ($6.29) is a bowl of Japanese kamaboko (fish cake), Chinese egg noodles and cabbage, and American spam which are plunked into a bowl of hot chicken broth. It's a cheap, filling, complete meal of proteins, carbs, veggies, though on the slightly bland side. However the best part of the restaurant, is the people. After a quick scan of the dining room - families happily chowing down on saimin, old folks sharing an early bird special of lau lau, and serious looking surfers, I relaxed, sunk my shoulders and tried to blend in. Exceptionally cheery service helped lighten the mood. Full of lau lau, poi, and saimin, for a brief happy moment... I *was* a local.
(3)T Z.
Generous portions of food with friendly service and customers. I really liked the dressing in my side salad. For dinner, I ordered the combo with fried shrimp, teriyaki chicken, and spam fried rice. It was enough for two meals. My favorite was the dessert with coconut and taro. I took a picture (posted) but didn't bother asking for the name. For me, this dessert alone is raising the rating to 5 stars. It was my favorite in the Hawaiian islands.
(5)TinkMossy K.
The "Little Man" and I decided to go to Kuhio Grille for lunch. He ordered the fried rice only, and I had the fried rice with korean chicken. It was ok, he enjoyed his and ate all of it. Me, being the fried rice "fan" and always looking for good fried rice, I wasn't that impressed but it was still good. The meat in the rice could have been bigger pieces and there could have been more taste to it. The korean chicken looked better than it tasted. It was good, but I've had better. No taste. Sorry. No doubt I will go here again, I will just try something different.
(3)Pat M.
Picked up frozen Laulau ( the famous one pounder). Flew home to Kauai and had one for dinner. I was a little concerned about frozen Laulau, but it tasted so ono. Good thing I bought 6 of them!!!
(4)Jason M.
Wanted something simple and fast. Came in and was seated right away. Friendly staff and fast service.
(4)Steph D.
Horrible service! Went there for an early dinner & never got seated although it was not busy. A middle aged couple came in while we were waiting to be seated & were immediately given a table & menus! BS! Will never go here again
(1)D Y.
Casual, local fair...When we're in Hilo we visit Kuhio Grille for breakfast or lunch at least 2 or 3 times. I have not been disappointed with my orders: fried rice, teriyaki, laulau, fried noodles... Also their scrambled eggs are delicious! NOT rubber eggs.
(4)Mike Z.
Went to the Kuhio Grille for the first time. I've noticed here on the Island, decor is not a high priority for many restaurants, and this place was no exception. Old chairs and tables, bad lighting etc. I can overlook that if the food is good. It isn't. My friend had the fish sandwich and honestly, McDonalds is better. I ordered the pork loco moco. I came out about 5 minutes after my friends sandwich. Nothing to write home about and for the price we won't be coming back. I will say however, the service was good and friendly. They checked on us several times.
(2)Jonathan L.
If you look in the dictionary of the word "ripoff" Kuhio Grille would probably be the first definition. We came here since we wanted some local food where we can't get in O'ahu but boy were we mistaken. We saw the specials on the wall and everything was about 10 bucks and above. Since it was that pricey I thought they would give a lot of food....WRONG!!!! This place reminded me of a Zippy's or a Liliha Bakery where mostly everything is local food (ahi poke, bbq chicken, katsu, etc.). It was pretty empty when we arrived at about 1pm. I ordered the local moco (about 10 bucks) with fried rice and my co-worker ordered the Chinese oyster chicken with fried rice (about 16 bucks). When we got our food mines was super small. It was about two scoops of rice, one egg, and one patty. I thought it was pretty rip off and it wasn't even that tasty. My co-workers "chinese chicken" is chicken katsu with oyster sauce on top. He was pretty upset as well because there chicken katsu was less expensive than what he ordered. One of my pet peeves when gong out to eat is when the tables are wobbly. The tables in this place is wobbly not only that but the one next to us were wobbly as well. I probably won't come here again.
(1)D.C. P.
Kuhio Grille is not a tourist spot but definitely a local joint. My GF and I were the only tourist there. Although we were not locals, we still got treated like we were which was cool. The restaurant is located in a shopping center. The interior looks like it's overdue for a bit of an update but I did not mind it at all. The staff is very friendly and attentive. The food for the most part was good. My GF wanted to be adventurous and tried the laulau. Oh the disappointment on her face when she took her first bite. It was not what she expected and did not finish her food. I ordered the combination plate with katsu, yakitori chicken, and substituted the regular rice with some of their KG fried rice (which by the way cost $3.99. I think this was a pretty expensive substitution). For me, I was totally the opposite of my GF and enjoyed everything on my plate. The katsu had a nice crust and the chicken was moist. The yakitori chicken had good flavor. The fried rice was totally comfort food and reminded me of my mom's fried rice. Being the nice guy that I am, I shared my food with my GF :) I would have given this place 4 stars but the laulau was a disappointment. I think it's an acquired taste and you need to be used to the flavor and texture of the dish. Overall, I thought Kuhio Grille was a good restaurant.
(3)Elizabeth K.
Their Kalua pig... I dream of it. I think when you go to the Kuhio Grill, you have to know what to expect. This is more "cafeteria" style than cafe. You order at the register and then the food is brought to your table. It isn't like a sit-down, cloth napkin, server waiting on you type of place. Just go and enjoy the EXCELLENT food and the huge portions.
(4)Gary F.
Disappointed with return visit. Food was not nearly as good this time. It appears to have declined in the 1.5 years since I was last in Hilo.
(3)Jon W.
Kuhio Grille is an extremely local, friendly, clean and convenient diner. Solid Hawaiian diner food at a good price. I have had the loco moco, chicken katzu, teriyaki chicken, and a few of their other lunch specials. It's open till 10:00PM and is a good value. (I have only been here for lunch and dinner, so this review is solely based on that. My experience with the service here is that the food comes pretty quickly especially for a restaurant in this area. I am sure I will be back here when I need a quick low cost decent meal.)
(3)Valerie C.
I admit: I only had the coffee. But, I won't defend my usage of the word "hella" in a post on a foreign restaurant [foreign being not of California!] and just say: EVERYTHING MY FRIENDS ORDERED LOOKED HELLA GOOD. Being of Chamorro descent and growing up in the Marianas, I know some legit rice plates when I see it. Kuhio--and quite frankly, many of the mom-and-pop shops on the Big Island--doesn't fail to deliver. Everything seemed like comfort food and everything reminded me of a childhood memory. I only wish I came hungry enough to eat some of it!
(4)Arnold E.
One-pound lau lau? Challenge accepted! We ate here one night during our recent trip to Hilo and I really liked the food here. With a fairly extensive menu, I was conflicted. Loco Moco Monster, One-Pound Lau Lau, or giant bowl of saimin? As a fan of lau lau, I had to try this one first (I'll save the others for future visits). The lau lau tasted fresh with its chunks of pork, beef, and butterfish. The accompanying side dishes (poi, lomi lomi salmon, and rice) and a bit of haupia made for a dinner that really hit the spot. Service was a bit spotty (they forgot to bring out my drink), but forgivable. With ono kine grindz like this, I'll definitely be coming back for more. Maybe they'll have a two-pound lau lau next time?
(4)Mary C.
Dinner last evening ended with mixed reviews. Arrived about 7:30 and were immediately seated. We ordered the yakitori chicken with fried rice and the tripe stew. Green salad arrived immediately and the oriental dressing was awesome. Within 10 minutes our meals arrived. The yakitori chicken was okay, tasty but nothing special, 2 deboned thighs. The fried rice was bland. I remember the rice used to be tasty, but there wasn't any taste to it this time. The tripe stew had lots of potatoes, a few carrots, and six tiny pieces of tripe. The potato salad was good. Service was quick and food arrived quickly. Total was about $25 plus tip, I thought a bit high for what we got.
(3)C. K.
Really good Hawaiian greasy spoon. Located next to the chains Jamba Juice and Starbucks, this is convenient and comfortable.
(4)Dania-Maria K.
We were seated promptly, even though the restaurant was pretty busy. Boyfriend order the Kalua pig with fried rice and mac salad. It smelled so delicious! I ordered the hot Udon with tempura. Oh my goodness. I couldn't wait to make it to Miyo's for Udon, so I just had to order it here. I don't really have anything to compare this particular Kuhio Grille Udon to, but I thought this one was delicious. The broth was so tasty and comforting...and the noodles too! All very yummy, as well as the tempura which was crispy goodness. All in all a deliciously satisfying lunch. Also, I found the drink glasses increased in size, this is really great (better than tiny ones you get at other restaurants). I highly recommend checking out Kuhio Grille! It seemed more peppy than other times I've gone, we really enjoyed it! The menus have been changed now as well. They now have color photos of some of the dishes offered. Oh! They also sell more desserts from what I could see. We bought the peanut butter mochi on our way out. It is pretty good!
(4)Jewelyn T.
Came here in August... while visiting for the summer... I came here for breakfast one morning because I was craving the taro corn beef patties! Well... they didn't have the things to make it, so I ended up getting the standard bacon and eggs. I use to come here alot years ago when the office I worked at was next door... I use to like their corn bread. The fried rice is OKAY. on the pricy side. I won't be back! I'm dissapointed! If you're visiting Hilo, stop by here and experience local kine grindz for yourself. lots of variety. parking is free.
(2)Ryder D.
It's not my kinda food, but the service is friendly and fast, and their pancakes are delicious! And at a much better price than the nearby iHop
(4)danielle l.
EUNICE, you have fans! She was sooooo sweet soooo helpful. LOVE HER! The foods good... if you get the saimin get the pork on the side... teri pork? I forget but it's really good. Usuals, loco moco is hard to get wrong. Their deserts are pretty killer so maybe save room. A little pricey it's true..
(5)Lisa K.
We've traveled the Big Island in search of our favorite lau lau using flavor, size and price as the basis for our selections - and as of today our new leader (surprisingly dethroning Super J's in South Kona which are STILL quite delicious and a close second) as Kuhio Grille serves up a beautifully cooked one pound plate of pure pleasure. Tucked into a strip mall next to Yogurtland and Starbucks and across the parking lot from Sears, friendly fast service and affordable tummy-filling goodness satisfied us after a day of hiking waterfalls. We even snagged a few pre-frozen lau laus to take home. Mahalo!
(4)Donna M.
We ordered the LauLau fried rice special and they served it with water in the plate. It was like eating soup. It tasted horrible. The manager said "that's how we serve it". I left a note for the owners to call me and still have not heard from them. DO NOT EAT HERE! Famous LauLau was TERRIBLE!
(1)Joie P.
Great place to grab some good food. I've only in on the Big Island for a week and I've eaten here three times already! I really like the Kalua pig plate with two scoops of brown rice, macaroni salad. The portions will more than fill you up. I also had the special, Filipino Plate which was adobo pork and squash with pork. Good eats! Great location.
(4)Lori K.
Kuhio Grille is offers pretty good local food. It's not the best I've had, but it does the job when you're hungry. The saimin is ok. The noodles are more on the chewy side, which isn't necessarily a bad thing... I don't mind. The broth is light and tasty, but I think I'd like a little more substance in the bowl besides the noodles and mustard cabbage, which I'm not a huge fan of. My dad, who is a loco moco monster, said his loco moco was just alright. On the other hand, the fried rice is delicious! I could eat that rice all on its own and be perfectly happy. Overall Kuhio Grille serves decent food for a reasonable price. Not a bad choice, but I might consider trying other places before I go back.
(3)Jason N.
This place was a staple for me while in college. Happened to stop by for lunch today. The food is as good as I remember. The place has gotten a bit bigger then before with a similar expansion in the menu. The fried rice loco moco with it's different iterations of meat is wonderful. Kuhio Grille's fried rice local style is well made with a moist product that is not over cooked or under flavored. The gravy is dark and smokey in taste which makes the loco moco. The gravy is a welcome addition to just a plate of fried rice as it adds to the flavor and overall taste of the dish rather then detracting from it. All in all the place is as I remember it with good food and friendly service. I will continue to eat here whenever I am home.
(4)X X.
This is an odd review for me to give. They have a huge menu and the food that I have had there is good (cheese omelet, hash browns, and bread pudding), but I don't know what a few of you mean by the portions being generous because it is far from it. I was expecting the sizes to be Ken's sizes, but it's half or less of that. You should have seen how little my omelet was and how few hash browns were in my order. My bread pudding was tiny too. So it's basically good food, but expensive for what the size is. For slightly more I could have had the same thing, just as good, but more generous portions at Ken's. Will stick to Ken's for my go to breakfast in town. On the other hand the workers are very nice, there is plenty of parking, and you can sit outside (even though you are essentially staring at an empty department store and parking lot). Wouldn't go back to.
(2)uilani c.
Friendly diner-type place with standard diner-type food. I ordered one of the breakfast specials and a side of Portuguese sausage. When I ordered I was told the crab omelette had imitation crab...OK with me but the price was a bit high at $8. The sausage side was $4.95 for 5 pieces. Homey diner with average serving sizes and Alan Wong prices. I was hoping the breakfast "special" would include a choice of meat and starch. But alas, no such luck. Breakfast for one totaled $15. Pretty sure I won't be returning to this eatery.
(2)Roseann E.
1. Waited forever. 2.Menu was not updated. 3.When you get your food its oh yay...............................................Â....... 4.I ordered HOT saimin and it was cold. 5.Price for a horrible saimin, ridiculous! 6.I actually had to go up to the register to send back my food because the waitress totally ignored me. 7.I don't need to say more.
(1)LeeAnn M.
Known for their "One Pound Laulau" Have stayed away from that in recent years. good stop for an inexpensive breakfast. Standard eggs, rice & meat for under $5. I have been on an endless quest for the perfect patty melt, going back to Dick's Coffee Shop days in Hilo. I was disappointed that my Patty Melt was on the dry side and the bread was 20% larger than the burger. So I will not have that again and will still be on a quest for the ultimate patty melt. Try their peanut butter mochi which can be bought at the cash register. In spite of the Patty Melt, I will return here to try something else....
(3)Jensen S.
Came to Kuhio Grill for breakfast with my family. I can't remember what I ordered, the only thing I remember from here is eating the "Cream Biscuit" It's pretty much cornbread with some cream in it. They grill it so it nice and warm and delicious. That is all. Get a cream biscuit.
(3)Jackie H.
Nice local place in Hilo. Met up with my auntie for breakfast. Food was good but not the best, I would go back but its not somewhere I would need to revisit if you know what I mean. They had your typical Hawaiian breakfast foods and the prices seemed ok. Service was fine, decor in the place was ok but again nothing here really wowed me or made me wanting to come back again. If you're in the area and don't want to get macdonalds or something this place is fine but again nothing spectacular. I actually preferred Ken's pancake house saimin to the one here
(3)Karen B.
Last night in Hilo, we were looking for traditional island food and we found this place. Looks a bit like a dinner, situated in a strip mall, but looks can be deceiving! The ladies were warm and friendly. The Kailua Pig was awesome! Teriyaki pork was delicious! Macaroni potato salad was tasty and the fried rice was an excellent choice for a side dish.
(5)Dominic L.
Known for their 1lb. Lau Lau. But I had their special pork adobe and pork squash soup. Good to go. The AC was cranked up freezing my butt but overall pretty good. !
(3)Alan H.
Hm, Well i got their one pound lau lau, and i'm not sure if it was just my personal taste, since i'm from the mainland, or if the food was made wrong, but it wasn't very good. It came with lomi lomi salmon and poi and some type of spicy onion strips. I got the pork and beef lau lau, which tasted a bit fishy. The taro leaves were also pretty mushy. The lomi lomi salmon was ok, but it reminded me a lot store bought salsa, with more water. And the poi was sour, i definitely don't think that was how it was suppose to be. My friends who went said the food they got (burgers, fried rice, etc) was okay. Its hard for me to recommend this place based on the experience that I got, but if i'm desperate or i'm hungry and in the area, i might give it a second try with something i'm more familiar with.
(2)Eric Robert R.
Food is delicious (ono), but somewhat overpriced for what you get and the blah ambiance. "Local style" environment with 70's decor, and friendly, but somewhat confused staff. Still, I keep coming back for the fried rice.. and other local favorites. One odd experience I had was it took 3 different people to get me flatware, water and finally my meal. Hey, like I always say.. you adjust to Hilo and not the other way around ;)
(3)Jessica C.
The home of the one lb. lau lau. I'd really like to weigh the lau lau we got to see if its the true weight. Either way all the food we ordered was good. The bf ordered the Kanak Attack which comes with lau lau, kalua pork, lomi salmon, poi, rice and pickled onions. Everything on his plate tasted great. My favorites were the kalua pork and lomi salmon. His faves were the lau lau and pickled onions. I ordered chicken katsu with brown rice and potato mac salad. Between the two of us, we had the perfect hawaiian plate lunch. I think the portion sizes were more than enough. There was still food leftover on both of our plates once we were done eating. If you're on the Hilo side of Hawaii, I'd definitely stop in if you're looking for some good hawaiian food.
(4)CalaMari A.
this local style diner is probably best known for its boneless Korean chicken and fried rice combo, and although they advertise their one pound laulau, I've never had it. Not a place I'd eat at every day but when the craving hits I barely take a breath between bites to savor the home style goodness. get some peanut butter mochi too, it's yum. this place is kinda pricey for diner style food.
(3)Brooke J.
I was looking forward to coming here after reading all of the good reviews. This was easily one of the biggest letdowns I've had on the islands. They were known for their lau lau, so rather than do my standard see if the can make Kalua Pork test, I went for the Hawai'ian plate. Huge frowny face. The lau lau itself tasted frozen then thawed. I wonder if they ran out and dipped into their ready to ship supply. There were a *huge* number of taro leaves to filling: the ratio was all off. There were maybe 5 pieces of beef in my beef pork selection. Mine wasn't salty at all, and that's the way it's meant to be for lau lau BUT no salt to be found on the table. Normally you'd solve that by asking a server for help. I ate with a large party though, so she had her hands full. So I fell back on trying my best to mask it by adding the pickled onions and copious amounts of the table vinegar. Neither of those had flavour, and I left wondering how that was possible. The lomi lomi salmon again had no flavour. The poi tasted like it was bought in, and possibly from a bag. The only redeeming thing on the plate was the haupia. I love haupia, this also tasted possibly bought in, but at least I could finish something I was given. It was a tiny, tiny portion in a ketchup side cup, though. The woman next to me had a plate of tempura that smelled and looked right on the mark. So they can do better in other areas.
(2)Kristina M.
It is the only place where I have had fried rice with chopped up spam in it, but it didn't taste too bad. The food was prepared fresh and was ok.
(3)Daralene I.
We were in need of some authentic Hawaiian for take-out, so we stopped here. AMAZING selection, and everything we had was really good for a really good price. I had the short rib special, and the meat was so succulent.
(5)Amanda G.
I have mixed feelings about this place..... I really liked their spam fried rice, we even went back a second time for a snack. Their ahi is grilled to death, and the service on one of my two visits was a rude. On my first visit I asked the waitress if the ahi cold be done a little rare,(i had noticed in a few other local places that the ahi was cooked until it was so dry you could choke.) She said ok, but looked oddly smug. When it came out it was,(not surprisingly) dry as a bone. When i asked her if that was just how they made it there, she laughed. Her remark was basically, "I've never heard anyone ask for it that way.Only once a person from Maui did, locals never ask for that." She ended that with an annoying smirk. Whatever lady....She could have just told me how it was cooked when i ordered. She really pissed me off. Luckily, on my second visit, she wasn't there. The service was still slow, (as it is at most places in Hilo.) The spam fried rice is damn tasty though. (I never thought I'd say that about anything with spam.)
(3)Victoria Y.
First meal on the island. Pops ordered the 1 pound lau lau. Didn't get to try any but both my parents were big fans. I ended up sharing the spam fried rice with my sister which wasn't bad. They added some char siu pork. Overall, really clean but the setting is really like a coffeeshop. Service is great and the people here are really friendly. Save room for dessert as they have a vast assortment! TIP-Bring a sweater if you come here because the AC is on blast at night..
(4)Jim D.
Awesome- fried rice and the pork is delicious! Friendly service and family oriented.
(4)Marisa N.
I've eaten here a handful of times, but have never been impressed. I gave it another try this past weekend, as I was craving a lau lau. I ordered the one pound chicken and fish lau lau. I would argue that the lau lau's we received were no where near 1lb. Maybe 1/2 pound?? My brother ordered the Kanak Attack, which is a Lau Lau, Kalua Pork, Lomi Salmon and Haupia. $16.99. When he got his food, I was in disbelief. The portions were so small, I couldn't believe they would entitle this dish the Kanak Attack. Nothing like the piled high Kanak Attack's I've seen on O'ahu. They serve the haupia in this little plastic shot glass thing, which amounts to about one taste of haupia. Service was good, but not good enough for me to disregard how overpriced it is, nor how small the portions are.
(3)Shannon F.
Pretty good eats. Went here once last year while visiting family. I had the 1 lb. Lau Lau plate that my uncle encouraged me to get. ONO!!! Ate a little of my cousins leftover chicken katsu too! I'll give it 4 stars for now, being that I only ate here once. Good food but next time I wanna try a "trickier" dish. Either way, the place was packed with Locals, so that's always a good sign. * Bonus* Got to meet Jason Scott Lee (Dragon, Lilo & Stitch etc), who was eating outside when we left.
(4)Shannon G.
If you are in Hilo and want to try good local Hawaiin cuisine without the luau show then you can come here for all your meals; even unique breakfast ! Don't expect ambiance just diner tables, good food, and very friendly local staff. Try the lau lau combos and poi; this is good old school hawaiin food; hard to find this kind of place in Hilo area.
(4)Bruce A.
Very disappointing breakfast today. Was ignored from the time my lady friend and I sat down, until we paid. Never got water. Had to get our own menus. Almost had to get our own drinks. Fried rice was much less than what we are used to from previous visits At the end of the meal was the first time anyone came by and asked if we needed anything. Service was terrible, because we were served well after 5 other groups had received their meals who sat down well after us.
(1)Char B.
Awesome spot with excellent, friendly service and reasonably priced traditional Hawaiian fare. Kalua pig and Kuhio's famous one pound lau lau are a must. Located across from Walmart and next to Jamba Juice and Starbucks. Shaka bra and Mahalo!
(4)Jerry F.
It was just ok. Not really what I expected. The food was ok. I was told it was a local place, so I was up for it. I probably wouldn't return. This was my first visit to Hilo, so who knows. But, it seemed the food was not up to par with the rest of my Hilo experience.
(2)Tricia M.
Service was good. But there was hair in my husbands food an they didn't reimburse us for his plate atleast. They gave us a stupid dessert. His plate was $13. An he wasn't even full what kinda shit is that.
(1)Kevin H.
Best laulau in town. Lots of leaf. Good with hawaian chilis. Onolious,
(4)Ruth T.
Don't order the prime rib unless you want 20% meat and 80% fat. We took a group of people and the food was less than decent. There won't be a next time for us.
(1)Jesse W.
Great family restaurant, usually always busy. The restaurant expanded (doubled in size a few years back, prices also went up), food selection is great - you can find something for everyone! Their specialty is the "one-pound lau lau" - I tried it once, wasn't bad - it came with poi, lomi lomi salmon and other various side dishes. I usually order their fried or korean chicken plate, made to order and comes out very hot! Most dishes can be upgraded to their fried rice (from white rice), I will order this about half the time. Atmosphere is clean, service is excellent. The only qualm I have is that prices are alittle high. The selection of homemade desserts is excellent - the sweet potato pie is purple and tastes awesome! I wish they served alcohol, there are many occasions when we will eat elsewhere simply because we want a beer with our meal-
(4)Emily S.
If you are ever in Hilo I would go and try eating at Kuhio Grille that place is so good the service is good and the employees are so friendly and nice but sucking thing about it is that they have pepsi boooo but they have my favorite loco drink POG!!!! I love my POG....
(5)Michael D.
After being stuck on the cruise ship for 4 days now I was jones'n for a plate lunch. We hopped the free Hilo Hatti shuttle to Kuhio Plaza and tracked down Kuhio Grille. Here is what I found: Food: If I was a 6'4 Samoan this place would be great. The portions was Huge! You will definitely get your money worth here. My GF got the Chicken Katsu and I think they cooked the whole chicken just for her plate. The Kalua pork is a definite must have if you go here. It was juicy and full of flavor. Service: Everyone greeted us with a smile and we were served quickly. If I am in Hilo again I will have to stop by here.
(4)Luke O.
Good local kine grindz over here! Hungry guys can go for da 1lb Lau Lau over here which is filled with da load of porky goodness. Fried rice is tasty over here too... good for breakfast or sub da 1/2 order to any meal. Good stuff. Peanut Butter Mochi is a good dessert... so good they might not have any left!
(4)Veronica P.
Home of the infamous 1 lb. lau lau. I was so looking forward to Kuhio Grill because it seems like I have been on a quest the last few years trying to find a place that puts butterfish in their lau lau like back in small kid time. Unfortunately Kuhio Grill also did not have any butterfish in their lau lau, but was tasty nonetheless. It's not like a huge piece of butterfish would be in the lau lau, but it helps to add another layer of flavor to the pork and taro leaves, bringing some brinyness and some richness to the dish. They do have several types of lau lau available such as salmon or chicken, but I was here for the traditional one. The staff is very friendly here although somewhat on local time.
(4)Patrick J.
Not sure what happened because they used to have good food and service. They served me and my friend raw chicken katsu and there was virtually no service. For the prices they are charging I don't plan to come back anytime soon
(1)Marvine M.
Kuhio Grille offers standard Hawaiian food for moderate prices. Their pork & watercress special is pretty tasty. Shrimp plate was pretty good. Ordered their chicken katsu for take-out as a beach day lunch & it was still 'ono' even after it was cold. Not many restaurants can say that. My most FAVE thing on their menu --- is their PEANUT BUTTER MOCHI. It's mochi with peanut butter filling instead of the common azuki beans. If you're craving the peanut butter mochi, you need to get there earlier in the day. I've been disappointed more than a few times when I didn't get there until the afternoon and they were SOLD OUT for the day. :)
(4)Chelsea L.
Nothing too fancy here. Good, simple, diner-style food with lots of local flavor. Very low key, lots of hearty/greasy food. Great waitstaff.
(3)Brandon R.
When did this place get so crappy?? So horrible and very over priced! Wait help is horrible and fried rice lacks its former luster. Poor thing, Hilo looses yet another once-great eatery.
(1)Kim N.
I came here for the breakfast special before 7am. It was very cheap and filling. There were only a few tables occupied, but they were very fast and friendly. Other than the special it may be a little pricey, but if you're up early and looking for a cheap meal go here.
(5)Jennifer B.
The food here is decent. I had the combo luau which was pork wrapped in greens and smoked, which came with some good fried rice. Nothing spectacular, but it's a good value and the service is pleasant.. It's a great local place, so if you are looking for an authentic Hawaiian meal away from tourist traps, this is a good choice.
(3)Daniela A.
I actually really like Kuhio Grille! They have a great variety of entrees, desserts, breakfast items and local treats on their menu AND they are open until late. Best of all, though, is they have GREAT mochi- some of the best I have ever had, in fact, all home-made (and different flavors, including azuki bean, peanut butter, passion fruit, strawberry. They have different flavors every day) by these adorable Japanese grandmas. It's a local Hawaiian restaurant with a lot of Japanese specialties. It's very informal but pleasant with a lot of Aloha spirit.
(4)Dean S.
Went back to the islands to visit my family and ate here for the first time(maybe I ate there before and just don't remember). I must say I was somewhat pleased with the food. I wasn't expecting much but everything was actually pretty tasty. I ordered some hibachi chicken, which was basically Teri chicken with some mac salad and rice. It sounds plain but it actually had a lot of flavor. My brother had the Kanak Attack which is basically the one pound lau lau with poi, lomi lomi salmon and other stuff. He loved it since we never get to eat fresh hawaiian food here on the mainland. There are Hawaiian restaurants out here in California, but of course it's not fresh. Now compared to other restaurants in Hawaii, I don't know if it is all that good, but I was satisfied for the price. Also, the service was pretty good, food came out quickly(not on Hawaiian time) and our waitress was really funny!
(4)vernice l.
We enjoyed the food here. The portions were huge and filling. The saimin was good and DH liked his loco moco. We also tried their breakfast specials and it was good. We brought home a frozen "one pound lau lau" home and it was tasty. I wish I was in Hilo again!
(4)M H.
The Kuhio Grill doesn't pretend to be anything other than what it should be, a local place that is clean, has good services and tends to serve excellent local style dishes. Can't lose here....portions large, food tasty and prices are good. The only problem is their egg dishes. Either overcooked, undercooked or in the case of omelettes, dry as a bone. Skip the doffee...have some at Starbucks next door first. But everything else is great. Wait staff is also nice and even polite to tourists.
(4)Josephine W.
I am giving this place two stars because I only have had breakfast here and nothing else so far. Their breakfast gets only 1 star from me though. I order corned beef hash, hash browns, and eggs and here's what I got: undercooked, canned corned beef hash (which a lot of places serve but it was very undercooked and lukewarm), a greasy-ass over-medium egg (they might as well have deep fried it), and a rectangular shaped hash brown (like a McDonald's hashbrown) that tasted like it had been dipped in the fryer 3 times. First of all, the meat should been heated properly before being served; second of all, if an egg is fried right, it should never be greasy; and THIRD of all, as a restaurant, they should serve real hash browns. I know most places serve frozen hash browns but if I wanted a McDonald's hash brown, I would gone there for one and paid 2/3 the price! And for what it's worth, the hash brown tasted like pure grease that was 3 days old. My fiance warned me about breakfast there but i had to try it for myself. Oh yea, I ordered orange juice and the waitress came back and tossed a personal sized Tropicana on the table and a cup. I said, "Thanks, but you can keep the cup, I'll just drink out of the oh-so-convenient bottle!" I really wanted to ask if refills would be free if I used the cup, but I have this feeling she wouldn't have found it very funny..... For breakfast, go to Ken's or even IHOP for crying out loud! I haven't written this place off for lunch yet though. They are, after all, home of the one pound lau lau!
(2)Karen J.
Our Aunt took us here for an early breakfast before we went hiking. There was such a large selection on the menu, I was a little overwhelmed. So she ordered for me. She ordered the breakfast special of Portuguese sausage, eggs, and their fried rice. My husband was a little more brave, he ordered the 1lb lau lau. My dish was good, it was good because of the fried rice, yum! My husband ate all his Lau lau he loved it, he was seriously considering getting the frozen package to go so we can take it home with us to California.
(3)Tom D.
Don't waste your time and money going here for breakfast. I reiterate what Josephine W. had to say. I went to Kuhio Grille with two business associates. The first attempted to order oatmeal with fresh papaya. The waitress informed us that they only had one papaya available and that it was overripe and mushy. So, basically they were out of papaya. For those who don't know, this area of Hawaii is papaya central. They sell for 6 for $1.00 in the local market. Inexcusable, particularly when we were there at 7 a.m.. I ordered their local sweet potato hash with hash browns and eggs. The has was cooked to death and the has browns were the patty variety that you get at McDonalds. This is fine if you're only paying a few dollars but this breakfast was $9.00. I'm amazed that people actually go to this place for breakfast.
(1)Dee P.
This is one my fav places to eat saimin. Altho sad to say the more I go, I find the food a bit salty. One dish was so salty I swear if I had high blood pressure I'd be a gonner today! :-(
(4)Fred P.
Great, local food. Very good and prompt service. Strip mall embiance is not the best, but if you want to see how and what locals eat, this is the place.
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