Cronies Bar & Grill

I would give zero stars except that the fried pickles, although sparse in quantity, were good. I'd say we received the equivalent of a medium-size pickle. For a $13 appetizer, the portion should be larger. The burger was a frozen, pre-formed patty. The onion rings are not homemade, either. Service was incredibly slow. The men's bathroom was so dirty and stained that the men in our group refused to use it. Everyone was very disappointed.

Food is great, as expected. Very fresh fish. Well presented. Atmosphere is very laid back. I wish you could see the sea more from the property. Overall great choice for dinner for a family of 4 with a picky eater.

Waitress is rude. Slow service, bad food. Don’t waste your money. The kitchen staff forgot the cheese on my sandwich and it was brought back with the cheese but it was just thrown in the microwave. Cheese wasn’t melted at all.

I did not eat here, just had drinks at the bar. Bartender was friendly and on top of business. Place is full of locals and has a very mellow vibe.

Their menu advertises their "world famous" Angus burgers. It is literally a frozen patty 😒 I don't know why the waitress even bothers to ask "How would you like your patty cooked?"...its going to come out gray. Don't bother eating here. You're better off cooking your own burger at home. Do better, Cronies.

Wide open bar area and second level with more tables. Small stage on the left side about mid bar. Main bar area is right in the middle of the building. Looks to be about 18-24 tables that seat mainly 4 and a few with 2. No outdoor seating. Live music is setup on the small stage by local artists every Thursday and Friday night from 1830-2030. Wife and I had two different burgers, one with rings and one with tots. Both had an upcharge for not getting fries of $2 per burger. Burgers were well cooked and very moist. Buns were soft and toppings were crisp and fresh. I added a fried egg and was not disappointed. Menu was normal bar food and some entrees. Looks to be 16 or 17 large TV's for sports and regular bar background music playing. They use Direct TV so each TV can be tuned to different events. Food service was fast, friendly and there was no wait for drinks or food. There are about 18-19 taps for beer and regular domestic selections in bottle as well. On a side note, the fees being added are getting quite overdone. Hawaii tax is not that much but add-ons for credit card and surcharge fees are getting out of hand.

Yay! This place was great. We sat at the bar and really enjoyed talking with our bartender. We had the nachos and the pupu steak. The steak was a bit overdone but with the help of a little steak sauce it was pretty good. The nachos were amazing. Give this place a try.

We walked into Cronies for lunch. We had no wait for a table and ordered our food. We placed an order for an appetizer and our meals. It took 45min for our food to come out and the appetizer came with our meal. All the food was very good!! The restaurant wasn’t busy at all and the servers were very nice but don’t go when you’re super hungry or in a hurry!!

Cronies Bar & Grill is my go-to in Hilo when i'm craving a great burger. If you aren't a big burger person, their other items are not to be slept on either. Their Mauna Loa Gravy-Cheese Fries is a perfect appetizer that can be shared amongst your whole party. If you're not that big into bar food, they definitely have one of the best steaks you can find anywhere in town. Off of their "not-so-secret" secret menu, the Lyman Steak might be the most delicious thing on their menu. They have multiple TV's that span across the entire restaurant, making it easy to catch all of your favorite sports. The ambiance of the restaurant is perfect for football Sundays! The servers are all great as well, but our server Mathew made the experience a 10/10. I recommend this place to everyone.

We had the Tamashiro burger which was everything inside, from bacon to two different cheeses, onion rings, mushroom, onion etc.

Cronies is amazing and such a great vibe !! Jason had absolutely great service and accommodation for us! Definitely would come back just due to the service! Jason is very polite and professional ! Thank youuu cronies !

Cronies has some of my favorite bar foods. I've always been a fan of the burgers. It's a mix of your classic burgers and one of a kind like the "loco burger". I was impressed with the service and how fast the food came out. I actually went with a friend who worked there so maybe that's why we were seated immediately lol. The steak and salad were also very good and the portions were bigger than expected. The prices have gone up from previous years but definitely a place to check out if you're in downtown hilo.

Good place to stop and rest, have a drink, and EAT Friendly and Aloha service in a very comfortable setting. TV's to watch sports, sweet and stocked bar or sit by the window to people watch. Food was great but come hungry and ready to eat! I will definitely be back while visiting Hilo. Mahalo

We went around 7:45 on a Saturday night and the place was practically empty so service was quick. The burgers are outstanding- can't go wrong with any of them! I'll admit I'm not usually a crinkle cut fries person but these were actually good. There's something comforting about a traditional American bar serving burgers when you've tried so many unique foods on vacation. Worth a try if you're in the mood for handheld food!

We enjoyed 2 meals here during our stay in Hilo. Excellent wait staff and food is exceptionally good for a sports bar.

When football starts at 7AM- this is a great place to come to ! A local bar that offers breakfast until 10 and lunch starts at 11! My husband enjoyed his Chicken Fried Steak with rice and I waited for lunch so I could have my Kalua Pork Nachos ! They were delicious ! Crystal was a great server and as our group grew she was attentive and entertaining ! We had a blast !

Server very friendly. We had the catch of the day, which was grilled ono and the Swiss mushroom burger. Both were excellent. For a sports bar excellent set up with many tv sets with various sports ... and it was not too noisy.

Ah Hilo! Such a mellow and friendly small town. Come here for beer and burgers and look out to see rainbows over Hilo Bay.

Our waiter was apologetic about being slow getting to our table. He said we came in at a good time because their afternoon rush was over. We ordered Chicken Teriyaki sandwich. It was excellent. It's a delish messy sandwich which falls apart. We had to ask for dinnerware so I could eat it. Fries were crispy and great Partner ordered French Dip which again was well prepared and tasty. Only comment really, is slow service. We waited for a while for our check and finally walked up to waiter station to get rung up. Over all good food. Service needs attention. Tip to manager: Don't keep taking in tables when the staff cannot keep up. Kitchen got backed up. People around us waiting for food. One table walked out because they could not get served.

Just had breakfast there on game day Sunday. Great food, awesome service, and delicious drinks in a very comfortable atmosphere with many screens! Always a treat to visit there.

Stopped in for a beer before visiting the Lyman Museum....came back (after a nap) to eat lunch. Patty ordered the fish and chips (ono), while I dined on a really good Beyond Burger with onion rings. Lots of televisions for sports viewing. I won't say I was "wowed" by Cronies, but I can't find a thing to complain about!

Nice sports bar open for breakfast during the NFL season. The biscuits and gravy are great! Regards Beau Toichi

Stopped by for lunch right when they opened. Restaurant was pretty empty since they just opened but still slow service. Food was mediocre, being gluten free, there weren't a ton of options. Fish was really chewy and tortilla was stale. Cheaper prices than other restaurants around but was hoping for a friendly atmosphere.

Best place we've eaten all week in Hilo! Great service, great food, and even better dessert. My dad is gluten free and had some of the best Gluten free options we have seen. They also had a gluten free chocolate lava cake as well. Would 10/10 recommend to anyone especially those eating gluten free.

I am SO DISTRAUGHT over my dining experience! Let me start off with, I come here often, I live here!! We had to watch our male server sit there and talk to all the other workers while he forgot to ring our food in, didn't ask us for 2nd drinks, dropped the check so fast as if we were in his way, then didn't even ask if we wanted Togo boxes. The bartender CLEARLY had something for my HUSBAND bc she WOULD NOT STOP STARING at him to the point him and I were both so uncomfortable. Not to mention the margaritas she made for (who she knew was for me) and had no alcohol in them. I'm not sure what this lady had against me, but something was very weird about this while dining experience. I will make sure not to come after 2 pm again

Cronies! I want to love you so bad. I want to give you 5 stars. You have good food, tons of tvs with almost all the games, and Guinness on draft along with several delicious local beers. But here is the situation; your wings are phenomenal and your waffles are atrocious. Don't force me to buy store bought freezer burned waffles every Sunday, in order to get your incredible wings. Serving them together and calling them Chicken and waffles is heretical. Until that option is available I'm going to Hilo burger joint for games... but I'd rather eat your chicken wings, watch you tvs, and drink your beer. Please?

Reservations were made for Mother's Day. The place was not busy at all for the time slot that was reserved. Our server Alyssa (sorry if spelled incorrectly) was attentive to our table. My son and I ordered the Swiss mushroom burger and fries. It was perfectly portioned and a really juicy burger. My other son ordered the keiki hotdog and fries. The bun was a little dry for him and the hotdog was a little on the thicker side.. a little big for a 5 year old. My boyfriend ordered the loco moco which he said was pretty filling. For dessert, we got the crème brulee bread pudding and that was really yummy. It came to our table warm. It was my first time eating there and my 5 year old really enjoyed the different tv's. Just so happened he got to sit in front of the one that had baseball playing on it. The restaurant is clean and has a lot of space. I also liked how we got to sit next to a window. Thank you Cronies!!

Just posting this review to remind myself that Cronies is overpriced mediocre (at best) food - even more so now that the last time I was there a few years ago. I had the half Cobb salad which was lacking in toppings and salads lettuce. My partner was craving a French dip which is why we chose Cronies - after ordering we found out that they are out of the usual baguette so a bun was used. The sandwich had no cheese - just tasteless meat on a bun with a tiny amount of sauce. The fries - which are now extra on top of the 17.50 for one less than mediocre sandwich - were okay but not as good as McDonalds. The best part of the meal were the fried cheese bites we had as an appetizer - but for 13.50 - still not worth it. Other places on the bay are similarly priced or less (70 dollars?!?) and much better. But if you want to see some sportsball - it might make up for all of that - might ... Our waitress was nice though.

Service was good. But, our waitress got a 8 tabletop mid way through our meal, we were ignored after that. We were sat immediately on a Sunday. The place was NOT packed. Drinks: Hendricks and Tonic with extra lime. Bulleit and Coke. Drinks were made well. Appetizer: Deep fried cheese bites. Basically little pieces of fried cheese. Unimpressed Meal: Beyond burger made with mushrooms and Swiss cheese. Lettuce, Tomato, onion on a brioche bun. Okay. A veggie burger is a veggie burger. Turkey Club Sandwich- Came with bean sprouts (my companion hates bean sprouts) He said the sandwich was good. Well made with the bread in the middle. His only critique was that it was cut into triangles. Tater tots were a $4.00 up charge. The sandwiches do not come with a side. This is mediocre at best. The food selection is ho-hum. The decor is blah. No ambiance. TV's are everywhere. So that's good... It's like the Spirit airlines of restaurants. They nickel and dime you for everything. $1.50 per drink during live events. I.E. sporting events at a sports bar 15% for Togo orders. No fries with the burgers. .50 for sauce (like you're at McDonalds) 5 drinks 2 sandwiches 1 fried cheese 1 order of tater tots $101.00

Our first time to eat here. Went for late lunch early dinner which is the perfect time to avoid big crowd and long wait. Good food and great service, with a short wait time for food to table. Large dining area and very comfortable. We got the ono fish sandwich and fresh fish ono salad. Good size portions and very filling. Dessert was 2 scoops of the goodie goodie ice cream which was ok (we're spoiled by Maui's guri guri which is 10/10 onolicious).

Lady wearing the mask and opening the door today 8/3 needs an attitude check. The lady who assisted me with my purchase, on the other hand was fabulous. She provided water without asking, was friendly, jovial, and just plain nice. Don't get service by the lady in the mask!

Great food, great service, great people. Loved coming here on vacation. Super friendly staff and a good place for drinks and a burger. Definitely would recommend on your trip through Hilo.

We stopped here for lunch on 12/30/2023. This was the "sports bar" recommended by our taxi driver. I made the mistake of not checking Yelp before visiting. I ordered the grilled chicken teriyaki sandwich and onion rings. The sandwich was bland even though it was the "staff favorite" on the menu. I guess that means all the other sandwiches are worse. More than half the onion rings were burnt. They weren't just dark brown, they were charred black. I was shocked that they even brought it out that way. Our server rarely stopped by to check on us even though the place wasn't busy. When she did stop by she couldn't even smile. Mostly she spent time huddled with the other servers talking. I gave this place 2 stars because the beers were cold and they did have sports on the tv, but we have dive bars at home with decent food and friendly service. I wished we would have gone to "Pineapples" around the corner. We stopped in for a drink on our way back and everyone in that place was so friendly. There was live music and all the food we saw come out looked delicious. Let this be a lesson, check Yelp first!

Popcorn ship definitely skip! Full of poop veins. Ordered the half ceaser and went next door for fish and chips! Mai tai is strong and delicious.

We had a very bad experience at Cronies. We waited 50 minutes to order. The restaurant wasn't busy. We ordered and food came out 45 minutes later. We had to ask for our food several times. The manager and other workers didn't care about our table. We had an elderly lady and a toddler girl with us. They only catered to tourist and didn't care about the locals. Very disappointing

friendly service! My husband had the chicken teriyaki sandwich. He definitely had the better plate. I tired a bite and it was delicious and flavorful. I had the fish tacos. If only they had some flavor perhaps blackened maybe better. they were okay. The drinks and ambiance was great as we were looking for a place that was airing the Kings game. A lot of sports and Televisions everywhere.

On our first day in Hilo on a recent trip my wife and I walked the shops on the Hilo Bayfront and did some shopping. We ended up at Cronies and decided to have lunch there. Cronies is more bar than restaurant I think because the beer selection of beer is more extensive than the menu, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The three of us had some really delicious local brews before ordering our lunch. My wife had a quarter pound hamburger with fries which was pretty good mainly because of the wonderful brioche bun. I had the fish tacos and my son ordered the steak tacos. In both tacos the protein was generous, fresh mahimahi and steak, but they both needed some zing. Hot sauce, spicy salsa, fresh jalapeño peppers or some white sauce would really be helpful. Good place to lunch and relax after a day of shopping in Hilo.

Came here for the football game and the TVs are nice. The audio for the game was on, but couldn't understand a thing. Not a huge deal, but would have been nice to hear the commentary since it was on, all we could hear was stadium noise. Our server was very pleasant, but it felt rushed - constantly asking if they could get anything else or if they could bring the check. We were trying to watch a whole football game, but also being mindful if there weren't empty tables or a line out the door. It was before the diner rush and there were always open tables around us and it didn't seem too busy; we would have left if we felt as if we were keeping the waitress from getting another paying customer. We don't drink alcohol so maybe that was part of it. Food was mediocre at best. Burger just seemed like a Sysco proportioned patty and didn't taste great and was greasy. Fries are an extra $3 for a tiny portion and underwhelming. They for sure didn't taste like fresh cut potatoes. Honestly reminded me of cafeteria food. Chocolate lava cake was alright - the ice cream was the best part though. View is nice!

Stopped here on the way back from Akaka Falls and decided to grab some lunch. We had the fish and chips which was plenty to share. And we had a blonde bikini beer. Best fish and chips I have ever had!

Here for a bite and drink, first and foremost bill was 70 something dollars and all I got was country fried steak, 2 beers and gravy fries!!! The beer was an astonishing $10.50 plus tax per I didn't know I was in a zombie apocalypse movie gah damn. Do I get paid for my part in the movie or prank? Food was mediocre at best. Absolutely do not come here if you want a better meal and better prices. I'm used to Mauna Lani prices and this not only shocked me but also appalled, dismayed and was left awestruck! The service was good but that's probably cause I was one of few in the restaurant so they had no choice All in all, arrive if absolutely necessary.

This is the cleanest sports bar, with the best, well-spaced (for covid) tables ever. Nice Jawaiian music to chill to while watching all the games - I can see a half dozen TVs from my table. Half cobb salad was spot on, and the waitress was kind enough to offer me tasting cups of several different dressings (creamy Asian and papaya seed among them - nomnom!). Still hungry? The "mini" burgers are 1/4 lb. AND they have GF buns. If you're gonna complain about price, move along! Remember that this is a small town and not on Oahu, the major shipping hub. Everything fresh is gonna cost you a bit more. The absolutely on point service though, was well worth a full tip and I'll be looking forward to being back with more of my ohana in tow!

I'm gonna start off by saying service is 10/10 because we did a walk in and only waited about 5 minutes. We were seated and brought water right away. I wish I knew the guys name who helped me when he had to bring me 4 different salad dressings because I didn't know what I wanted. He was super nice and patient and didn't make me feel like I was being an inconvenience. The food was delicious I liked my portion sizing since I got a mini bacon cheeseburger. The only reason I gave this review a four star is because the salad was a bit pricey for the size but overall I enjoyed my dinner at cronies and will be back when I'm in need of a burger fix!

Simply stop what you are doing and head to Cronies for the most incredible mouth-watering goodness called the Mauna Loa Gravy-Cheese Fries. Being a poutine freak ever since an accidental drive into Canada and an order of "whatever they're eating," at an old person's dive bar, I have forever been in search of that poutine magic of my yesteryear. Today, in Hilo, craving a beer before a downtown stroll, I rediscovered that old-time poutine bliss, but magnified in heavenly delight with the addition of deep fried cheese balls sprinkled with bacon bits, resting in memory-making gravy. Do me a favor and ask for Alicia. She is a great server who will "get it" when you have an emotional breakdown over the Mauna Loa Gravy-Fries and will recommend the best beers to help you recover! Enjoy!

My two friends and I came in last week Thursday for a couple of beers and appetizers, just a little bit of fun for the evening at the sports bar, right? Well you'd be surprised. Before I get into it though, our server Andy did an amazing job, working hard and had a great attitude the whole time. He took great care of us, the rest of the establishment did not. We ordered four beers in total, a lemonade, and three appetizers (chicken tenders, fried curds, and popcorn shrimp.) Total price of meal was nearly $100 before tip. The tenders ($15) are three per order, and did not extend a length of 2-3 inches. The shrimp was a tiny portion, and the individual shrimp themselves were tiny, even by popcorn shrimp standards, another 15 dollars. The curds were also a similarly small portion. As for quality all of the food was found lacking, no better than standard bar fare, but at double or triple the price. The beers were the most aggressively priced part of the meal, each $12 for a draft beer. This business sees it fit to charge twelve dollars for bud light. All in all would not recommend, the service was well done, and Andy is the only reason I'd even consider giving this two stars. Furthermore, business was terribly slow, few tables sat, even on a game night. Perhaps if you want to regain the local crowds, consider lowing the prices and increasing the quality and quantity of food. If that happens I'll be sure to come back, but until then, get your beer somewhere else.

Excellent service, great food. We went here after watching the canoe races and it was the perfect casual place to get lunch after a day in Hilo. We loved the onion rings and burgers.

Do not order the Caesar Salad. The small salad cost total of $19.50, mostly Romain Core, it was so small and the chicken breast for an additional $ was only 1/2 of a thin breast piece and dry. As soon as the Salad came, i was reminded of my mistake in the past of ordering the same and the dis-appointment. I am on KETO and I was still hungry after. My husband had the Burger and the fries that came with the burger was over fried and about 7 pieces for $22.50. Very soon we will not be able to afford eating out.

This place definitely gets the job done! Helpful and friendly service and food was good. Notable to mention that it's a bit of a sports bar, like Buffalo Wild Wings, with TVs scattered around the restaurant on the sports channel. Great place for causal group meet-ups and yummy food. They are also very good about sanitizing and keeping the place clean, which is always a plus. The wait was a bit long for the food- hence for the 4 star rating. Probably just about 30 minutes for all of the food to come out... if wasn't for the wait, I would rate this place 5 stars. Overall, this place is worth checking out for a casual lunch or dinner!

Quick takeout experience. Really yummy looking and tasting Swiss and mushroom burger. Fries were awesome too. Took a while but seemed busy enough. Clean and well located.

Cronies is my all time favorite burger place! I always get Swiss & mushroom burger.. it's so juicy I used to get the Teriyaki burger but it tends to get a little messy. Pineapple may not belong on Pizza but it does on burger!! Haha

Not the greatest service but I recommend Ruben's and locomoco Desserts are fun if they make it out in time. I've gone 4 times and my ice cream always comes out melted. Brad the male server is the best. Great service

Not a bad pub grub joint. Decent tap list. Acceptably executed pub staples. Plenty of TVs for sports. Service was a bit disheveled but not terrible. I would go out of my way to go back but not a bad option if in area.

Best food we had on the Big Island! Teri Burger, Onion Rings & Club Sandwich were all incredible. Highly recommend!!

Last night we dined in for dinner. I order the loco burger and my date order the Tamashiro burger

Most delicious food and brews! I haven't had a burger and fries this good in years! Try it out and it's open Sunday

Usually Cronies is a very decent restaurant. However I believe that good workers are hard to come by since tonight was a tough night. It was rather busy but we had to wait 50 minutes to get our drinks and then our food. I have to say that is unacceptable. I'm not sure what the problem is but there is surely a problem. The food was ok but the long wait kind of killed our appetites. I'm hoping that it was just an isolated incident and not something of a long lasting problem. If it is, then I'm thinking that people are going to shy away from this place. As I experience more and more disappointing outings, it's apparent that it might be better to just stay at home and cook my own meals. So sad but true.

Disappointing review for todays visit. Zero 's for the visit, but for the food. The food was their usual level of quality. The issue was the high sound levels. This was not an enjoyable meal for us. I have been coming here for a long time and this Sunday's (10/09/22) visit was by far the most pathetically loud visit EVER. So loud in fact, that even the servers were complaining that they couldn't hear us during our order. The decibel meter I have on my construction app returned levels in the 90-108 ranges depending on what was happening on the screens. I get that this is a sports bar, I get that this was a 'football-season-ending-jostling-for-playoff-spots' kind of week-end, but even my ear plugs couldn't hold back the volume this time. This sound level was making the whole environment tense for us, the servers, and other patrons were visibly plugging their ears. Some patrons waiting for seating left. Suggestion? Sports bars are by nature of the target customers loud and can often border on raucous, but the high, bare, and smooth concrete finish of their ceilings reflected and amplified the din far outstripping any of the intended dampening effects of the carpets hung on the common walls on this day. It's time to invest in better sound barriers to trap a lot more of the excess noise. I hope to see it soon

Food was okay slowly got seated , barely got checked on , place would be good if workers weren't operating in slo-mo