If you're planning a stay in Hawaii's biggest small town, there are various vacation rentals in Hilo you can choose from. While at this coastal town that is the largest settlement on the island of Hawaii, sample local food and have a meal at these restaurants.
Hilo Bay Café
With the belief that "local and organic ingredients are better for the earth and for you," Hilo Bay Café is a favorite among locals and Big Island visitors. The café has garnered praises from magazines such as Food and Wine, Gourmet and Sunset, and has likewise won the prestigious Hale 'Aina award for several years. Their lunch menu, served from 11 am to 2:30 pm, features appetizers like ahi poke with sweet potato chips for $11; salads like local organic greens with puna gardens heart of palm, cucumber and tomato for $7; and entrees like grilled kulana ribeye steak, tomato confit, arugula, gorgonzola fondue potatoes and demiglace for $16. Their dinner menu, served from 5 pm to 9 pm, features dishes with fresh fish from Hawaiian waters and grass-fed beef from the Big Island. The café also has an extensive wine list and house special drinks like cilantro-cucumber margarita with Jose Cuervo tequila and fresh lime juice.
Kuhio Grille
Kuhio Grille is the "home of the 1-pound laulau," a Hawaiian dish consisting of meat wrapped in lu'au (taro) leaves and steamed for hours in an underground oven. This local gem of a restaurant serves authentic Hawaiian cuisine through dishes like saimin, miso-saimin, loco moco, taro corned beef hash and their famous fried rice. They also serve Japanese specialties, such as their homemade mochi that come in flavors like azuki bean and passion fruit. Don't forget to try their Kanak Atak, which consists of 1-pound laulau, kalua pork, lomi salmon, pickled onions, haupia, rice and poi - all for $16.99.
Low International Food Inc Restaurant Bakery & Catering
When you visit Low International Food while staying at your vacation rental,
don't make the mistake of judging the book by its cover or in this
case, the restaurant by its exterior. It might look run-down but this
local landmark serves food so delicious that people say, "You can't go
to Hilo and not go here!" Aside from serving typical Hawaiian dishes
like kalua pork, loco moco, teri beef, fried mahi mahi and Spam musubi,
they also dish up local-style plate lunches that draw inspiration from
Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Filipino and Portuguese cuisine.
However, the highlight of this eatery is their bakery, which makes
their famous sweet bread. Their sweet bread comes in various flavors
such as taro, mango, ulu (breadfruit), coconut, passion fruit and the
well-liked rainbow flavor - a swirl of guava, mango and regular
sweetbread. Don't forget to take some sweet bread boxes home with you -
they make good presents for your friends back home.
Tickle your taste buds by grabbing a bite at these Hilo food joints. Vamoose.com can help you sort through the different Hilo rentals so you can find one that is perfect for the vacation you have in mind.