Hilo Bay Cafe

Great location near a beautiful park with great views of the ocean. Gorgeous decor and excellent food. Temperature was a bit warm as all windows and doors were open, but not too bad. The most obvious way to get into the restaurant is by the stairs in the front, but there is also an elevator in back. Plenty of parking. Reservations are definitely recommended. Meal type: Lunch

I've thoroughly enjoyed everything I've tried at HBC, although it is definitely on the pricier side compared to many other places in town. They excel at accommodating dietary needs and are knowledgeable about vegan options. The menu is seasonal, so be sure to check online, as many of the photos here depict dishes that are no longer available. While their sushi rolls are quite good, they can be expensive. I highly recommend the sushi bowl, which features incredibly flavorful marinated local mushrooms and a variety of vegetables—it's the best value, in my opinion. The jicama lilikoi slaw is fantastic, and the vegan sorbet options are excellent as well.

Please note that many of the dishes shown in the photos are no longer available. The service and food were good overall, but I was only able to order sushi since most other options contained meat. As is common in many restaurants, the burgers were cooked on the same grill as meats, which I don't consider to be vegan-friendly.

I ordered the Mixed Greens Salad, Onion Rings, 'Aina Chirashizushi, and Warabi Roll, and everything was delicious!

We really enjoyed our last dinner here! I was a bit hesitant after reading some recent reviews, but both the food and drinks proved to be excellent. The portions for the kabocha kale salad, pork chop, and short ribs were quite generous. I highly recommend trying the first two; they were incredibly flavorful and unique! Our server, Anthony, was very friendly and accommodating. We even managed to create a mocktail with coconut rum called the Honi Honi, which turned out to be the best of all five drinks we tried. We were seated a little past our reservation time, and it was still a bit warm since the restaurant is open-air, but sitting out on the lanai helped make it more comfortable.