Hana Hou Restaurant

What an incredible hidden gem! This restaurant may look unassuming, but it delivers an unforgettable dining experience. Our waitress was fantastic—she described each dish and patiently answered all our questions. The chef’s talent shines through every bite. The fish was perfectly moist, and the hash browns (cleverly named “tot stix”) were delightfully crispy on the outside and tender on the inside—a brilliant mix of textures and flavors that were both balanced and utterly delicious. Even the decor struck the perfect note, complementing the meal beautifully. Highly recommended!

Absolutely outstanding. Stopped by on our way to the black sand beach and so glad we did. The service was great, place was very clean, and the food was amazing. The kobeyaki chicken was so incredibly good, couldn't recommend it enough. I'd go out of my way for that dish again!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️This place knocked my socks off! After traveling all day, this food was not only comforting, but absolutely incredibly delicious! Brent and Leslie were wonderful servers as were the chefs and the man who brought out the food. 🐟🐠The blackened ahi had so much flavor, it was like a punch in the mouth! The ono was also delicious and buttery and with a little of the hot sauce, it was perfection! 🍋The lilikoi lemonade was so good, I had to get one to go! The cherry on top was the Ube pie! It was light, fluffy, buttery, silky and the crust was perfect! The salted caramel mini cupcake was also very delicious, but I will be back to get another slice of that pie before I leave the island! The bathrooms were also very clean and the artwork was beautiful. 12/30/24 Came back for my husband and my 18th wedding anniversary dinner and last night on the island to get one more slice of Ube pie, but they were sold out. Ordered the Pog and Ka'u and they were both really good, but mixed together when better! Everything was superb, but the Blueberry pie set it off! It was sweet, had the textured topping, and the flaky crust. 🤤 Try the Lilikoi pie with a little bit of the Blueberry sauce from the Blueberry pie🔥 Got a Dynamite pizza to go to try. This is HANDS DOWN, the BEST restaurant on the Big Island and we traveled it all! Mahalo for the PERFECT anniversary dinner and experience! 💚

Little hole in the wall place that we stopped at because the prices didn't look bad and it was nearby. We made a very smart decision to stop, the food was great, we got the special which was a teriyaki-style fried chicken and it was amazing! My grandparents got a sandwich and enjoyed that as well. The desert was fantastic. Our server was excellent and accommodated everything we needed.

Update: We went back again this evening and met Mark the owner, very hospitable, our waitress Donna was super and there was live music by Dan. It just gets better every time. I got salad with Shrimp and lilikoi vinaigrette dressing and my husband got the ahi tuna special. Both were very delicious!!!! Amazing meal at Hana Hou. I came for the Loco Moco and it did not dissappoint. You can get it with pork or beef, I chose beef. It came with mac salad that was so creamy and delicious. My husband got the Huli Huli chicken with rice and mac salad. It was perfectly cooked, so tender he effortlessly pulled out the bones. They have specials of the day, fresh fish of the day, today was ahi tuna day. They also have homemade desserts, desserts, desserts, so many delicious ones we each got 2. One for there and one for home. They offer a variety of beer, wine, liquor drinks and yummy lilikoi lemonade. Seating is inside and outside. Our server was the best and helped guide us through our questions. This is Hawaiin style food that is fresh and hot and Fantastic in a quaint little restaurant, I highly recommend!!!

Hana Hou Restaurant is an absolute gem! The ambiance is so cute and charming, perfectly capturing island vibes. The food was fantastic, delicious and made with care. The service was exceptional, with genuinely happy and friendly staff who made the experience even more enjoyable. The whole place radiates positivity and warmth. Definitely a must-visit spot in Naalehu!

Best food we’ve had on the island! Loco Moco and Lilikoi pie were fantastic! The beef was so good and sourced just down the road. Don’t hesitate to stop here for a great meal. Thanks for the hospitality Big Zane and Terry!

We shared two plates with my husband and kids. We had a very nice time. Don’t forget to try the dessert. It was delicious. We got our desserts to go. This place will be in our memories forever.

The food was amazing!!!!!!!! My family all had a different dish and we all agreed that they were all great. Service was great! Friendly, cheerful employees. The owner/chef came out to talk to us. We also got to hear about their fresh fish and see pictures of their fishing excursions. A+++++++ service We will definitely be back when we return.

One star for being here and another for being open. No stars for charging upfront, at the time of order before food is ready. No stars for issuing a buzzer and not using it to inform food is ready. When food is on the counter for a while cooling. Don't try to collect tips when you don't even care to let us know when it is ready.

Mark, the owner and host, met us with a smile as bright as the Hawaiian sun. The perfect personification of Aloha! The food IS GREAT- delicious pulled pork and oversized sandwiches. The desserts are home made and delicious! EAT HERE!

The garlic shrimp is devine! It's a locals place. Lots of choices. The grands had pizza...so tasty. There were lots of bakery goods, too. I'd visit weekly except it's a 10 hour flight.

This is one busy restaurant in Naalehu, Hawaii, the southern most city in the USA. It's also probably one of a few here. Bring cash because they charge 3.99% for credit card payments! Ambiance is very casual. Most tables are for 2-4 pax but am sure will do their best to join tables in order to accommodate larger groups. There are only 3 people I see working. The lady in front is a cashier, a hostess who seats the customers and takes orders as well. The other two are at the back cooking. Because of this, our order took a long time to be served but she had warned us ahead of time. We had the Smash Burger and the Deep Sea and both were very satisfyingly delicious. But considered pricey for a small restaurant in a small town.

Loved the food! Kinda reminds me of an elementary school that was converted into two restaurants. There's only a couple restaurants here in Naalehu, and it didn't disappoint. Definitely a small town feel, perfect:)

What a hidden gem in the small town of Naalehu! Tasty food, very friendly service, and really feel at home here. I loved my Pastrami sandwich. It was full of flavor with fresh ingredients. After a long day at a beach and hiking the mountain, we were hungry and Hana Hou filled our tummy good. The only regret se had was that we cleaned our plates and didn't leave room for the desserts! They have some delicious looking, freshly baked pies, cakes, and cookies. I would stop here again to try other dishes like garlic shrimp, furikake chicken and all the desserts!

I didn't know this was the southernmost restaurant in the USA! It was a nice surprise stumbling upon this place on the way home from black sand peach to Kona. This was one of the few restaurants on the way back before hitting a very windy road. I'd describe this place as having delicious comfort food that's homecooked and delicious! We were treated by warm hospitality and got seated right away on a Friday evening. I got the shrimp plate and husband tried one of their fish burgers. Food came out in 10 or so minutes and there was a live band starting to play. My shrimp plate came with nice portions and was nicely seasoned. My husband's sandwich was a good size and so good. We demolished nearly all of our meal and only left a bit of rice to take home. They had a great pastry/baked goods section at the front but we were too full to order any. I heard other guests enjoying some sweets and raving about them - I hope we can come by here one day and try it!

We had a lovely lunch today in Naalehu on the way to volcano park. So fresh! Loved the chicken salad wrap. Macaroni salad was on point! My husband really enjoyed his juicy smash burger and potato tot sticks. Nice and crispy. Loved getting my ice tea with a bite of pineapple and lemon. Finished up with a tart creamy Ka'u lime pie for dessert. We also really enjoyed talking to the new manager, Mark. Excellent service and great dining experience.

The bomb smash burgers, macaroni salad and deserts! Loco moco legit as well! Highly highly recommended!!! 10 out of 10 !!

Sadly the pizza is nowhere near as good as it was a year ago. We ordered the same as we always get one bite had moldy tasting green bell pepper. The crust is still good but nowhere near as delicious as the garlic buttery crispy cornmeal on the bottom as before. The service improves every time we go and I especially love when they have live music.

For the Southern most restaurant in the US, this place is really lacking "Southern Hospitality" (pun intended). In all seriousness, I imagine 95% of their clientele are tourists, which means it will be their first time dining at the establishment. So inherent rules, such as "if you want to dine outside you need to order at the counter" are not implicitly known. The host/waiter (he filled both roles) was rude, not accommodating at all, and impatient with all patrons. Do not eat here. Take the photo at the "southern most restaurant sign" and eat somewhere's else. No one will know and I won't tell. Ok ok I will tell, but who cares.

The food is good fare , try their pizza! Service is counter order and they deliver to your table. It has a nice tropical atmosphere, old school style. The macadamia nut cream pie is to die for!!!!! Bring cash and save the 4% credit charge.

We had the best food and service at this cute little restaurant. Our server, Terry, made our visit extra special with her attentive, friendly, and humorous personality! We became instant friends for life. The food was delicious, and thanks to Terry, she helped us choose the best of the menu. I had the House salad with Blackened ono and Reneè had the Lemon and Garlic Shrimp with rice and side salad. Both salads came with Lilikoi vinaigrette. I'm on the island for another week and will definitely be back!

Been here twice and it has the BEST loko moko! It also has other great dishes as well and is well worth stopping by for a bite to eat. The staff are amazingly friendly and it's just a great place.

Grandma June approves of this wonderful restaurant. Lots of good food and good vibes. I never recommend drinking gravy until today. I also recommend buying a teeshirt.

It was a quick stop for lunch. A bit pricy but food and service were good. I like the lightly breaded shrimp. Corn bread was huge and super tasty.

Shrimp: 8 pieces w/ macaroni salad and white rice Pizza: 14" Alfredo sauce base, toppings included tomatoes, shrimp, lobster, spinach and a pesto drizzle This pizza is definitely worth the price. It comes with a perfect amount of each topping so every bite has a different flavor. The pesto isn't oily, the crust isn't too thick or chewy, AND the pizza doesn't come out smelling fishy despite the lobster and shrimp ! I brought it home and left it on the counter and it still didn't smell at all. *I recommend a pan for reheating to get that crust crispy and to also get gooey cheese ;) Overall, we got our food fairly quickly even though the place was relatively busy. We took the last table available for indoor seating. Outdoor seating is also available! They give you a buzzer for when your food is ready. The restaurant has a cozy atmosphere. Would definitely love to come back and try the rest of their menu!

There are just so many tourist traps on the island disguised as legit businesses that have great reviews, but just such poor service/food/experiences that I'm definitely starting to take Yelp and Google reviews with a grain of salt here. Luckily I can say without reservation that this is not the case here. I first ate here five years ago, and then again today. The food has been absolutely amazing every time. Totally worth the money (and it's not cheap), with quality ingredients and great service. Their baked goods are made in house and are just out of this world. I had a piece of the cherry pie, and because I am not a complete idiot I had that first. Being a grown up rocks! I followed that up with the pork which was just fall apart tender and smothered in a rich gravy. It's not a quick drive to get here, but it's totally worth making the trip at least once when I'm on the island.

Chicken Salad Wrap Pineapple Fried Rice w/ Shrimp Stuffed Papaya Deep Sea Plate Hot Pastrami Sub POG Juice (Passionfruit, Orange, Guava) Lilikoi Lemonade Last min eat before we board our plane. The chicken salad wrap was good but nothing special, and the pineapple fried rice w/shrimp was plain but a member of the fam did like it. The deep sea plate could have used a little bit more of fish, was tasty though. Hot pastrami sub, can't really mess that up, and the POG juice and Lilikoi lemonade was refreshing. We sat outside, it was really nice!

This place was delicious! I had ahi poke appetizer and it tasted amazing, so fresh. We order their ahi/shrimp plate and pastrami sandwich...best food we had in Hawaii! Highly recommended

Stopped by for lunch today as we explored the southern areas of the big island. Food was great and we got to meet one of the new owners. He and the other owner relocated here from Lahaina, Maui to start over after loosing everything. Super nice guy.

Hana Hou was a perfect place to stop for lunch on our way to tour the volcano. The server was friendly and everything came out quickly. Our group ordered the Chicken Salad Stuffed Papaya, a pizza, a shrimp and mahi plate and a hamburger steak plate. Everything was delicious! We really enjoyed the house lilikoi dressing. Portions were a little smaller than we expected but enough. We didn't get to try the deserts but they all looked amazing. Definitely worth stopping in!

Amazing find on our drive from Kona to Volcano! Pulled over for a quick bite and it did not disappoint. Ordered the ahi tuna to start and I had the fish sandwich served with pasta salad. My boyfriend had the gobbler sandwich. We couldn't help but notice all the people coming in and ordering dessert to go so we asked for the most popular to our surprise it was a Macadamia Nut Pie. Wow it was good- worth the stop for lunch!

What a blessing to have this great restaurant available before the drive back to Kona. The drinks were generous and the food was so delicious. There was music for us since it was Friday night. A lot of great looking pies. A family atmosphere with friendly staff. Next time I'll plan to eat there!

the food was good, the service was very good, ambiance was kind of road side diner... cute. The big draw is having a meal and drink in the Southern most restaurant in the USA

This is a small diner type place, seating is on the minimal side. The food was good! Also the desserts (silk pie, Mac nut pie and kau crack) were good too! 2 of the folks in the group had loco moco and said they would come back for that alone. Grilled fish and grill shrimp were great. Mac salad was very good too - they added peas and it has less mayo (divisive I know). The pineapple they served was baller! It was ripe, aromatic and sweet, a product of Hilo. I don't see why people give it bad reviews with service - the person who took our order was very pleasant and service was prompt. The entire group would come back if we lived near here.

Food was so good! The service, even better. Stopped off on our way to the Volcanos National Park for some lunch. Kids enjoyed the smash burgers. We ate the Ono special plate which was delicious. Loved the choice of desserts too they were beautiful and tasty. Enjoyed chatting with the chef briefly also, very nice guy. A must stop for those in the area!!

A must for anyone visiting the big island! The lunch plate and lilikoi lemonade were unreal but the real winner was the macaroni salad! Hands down the best I have ever had! The service was also great and the owner Patty was super sweet and personable! The restaurant was very cute and clean!

The food is really good. The service is slow. If you're willing to wait upwards of an hour for your food, this place is great. If you're in any kind of rush, skip this one and go somewhere else. For context- my family came in around 2:30 on a Sunday. The restaurant was not busy (maybe 3 or 4 other parties there). My family's food took an hour (1 sandwich, 1 salad, and 1 fried shrimp plate). Longer than I'd usually wait for a meal, but fine with me as we weren't in a rush. But I would have loved to know ahead of time which is why I leave this review!

This place is absolutely amazing, the food is worth the the wait. Must stop naalehu, Hawaii. Lunch Hana Hou!

My family had the grilled Ono fish plate, the shrimp plate, and the shredded pork plate. The food was amazing and the portions were huge!

We make the drive from our house in Volcano to enjoy the great comfort food served at Hana Hou. Sundays they open for breakfast and my Garden Omelet and home fries were perfect. My wife had the Corned Beef Hash which she also enjoyed. The homemade toast with lilikoi jelly yum! The owners is cooking and daughter is serving. The restaurant is super clean. Full bar...

We ate here yesterday and the food was amazing, drinks were great, and the customer service was the best. The manager was so friendly! If you are in the area, don't miss out on this gem.

We just got back from Hawaii and when my family rated their favorite restaurant of the trip, we rated this one as our favorite. Great sandwiches, pizza and pie. The pie was so good. They also have this clearish hot sauce I used on my sandwich that was sooo good. They don't sell it but if they did I would have bought a few bottles. Super beautiful drive to this spot and well worth the few extra miles to get to it. We got the cherry pie and macadamia nut cream pie and both were fantastic!

We stopped by for lunch based on a recommendation from a travel guide. It did not disappoint. My husband has the special Hawaiian rotisserie chicken and I had the pastrami sandwich. Both were excellent as was the coconut cream pie and lilikoi lemonade. This place is a real gem! Do note that they charge a fee for credit cards so bring cash if you can.

What a cute place! We were greeted by the owner and seated right away. Got lilikoi lemonades which was very fun! Owner was so kind and gave us lots of great recommendations. He had just taken over the restaurant 12 weeks ago after needing to relocate his family after the Lahaina fires. He's doing a great job with the place! Got the loco moco, huli huli chicken, and ahi burger. Gravy was a little salty but everything was delicious. The mac salad was also great. After hearing that I liked spicy food he offered me some pepper water which was good! I recommend giving it a try if you enjoy heat. We were looking for a nice local place to sit and hang after green sand beach and this was perfect! Great job guys, can't wait to come back :)

Delightful! Sorry that we discovered this little gem on our last night in Hawaii. The food was excellent, the service was personal and sweet, and the desserts were beyond compare. Live music was ok but too loud - doesn't really matter. Try this place!

The southernmost restaurant in the US! Food was homey and satisfying, but nothing too special to write home about. We did enjoy the coconut shrimp though! Would highly recommend this out of everything we got. In addition to the coconut shrimp, what gives this place the extra star for me was their pies! We got a key lime and mac nut pie to share.. and WOW, they were decadent. We kept going back forkful after forkful until they were all gone. We agreed that we loved the crust of the key lime pie more- I believe it was a graham cracker crust. Both slices were huge, creamy, and not overly sweet. DEFINITELY treat yourself to a slice here!

YOU MUST TRY THEIR PIZZA!!! My family of three was able to share it as a meal with two pieces left over. The crust is delicious and they make their pizzas thick with toppings.

Overpriced, portions are small, $3 service charge on credit cards. Food was ok - we had a chicken curry salad wrap which would be good if we actually had more than a few spoonfuls of chicken salad and not a handful (!!) of red onions. Turkey sandwich didn't have much turkey but a thick layer of bread which was dry. Each sandwich was $20 with a small side of boring Mac salad. You're better off going to the bakery across the street whose prices are half the ones at this restaurant and better quality.

My wife and I went recently and it was such a pleasant experience. The food was good and the service was friendly and helpful.

This recently updated restaurant is a long-standing gem in the community. If you happen to be nearby on a Saturday night, they have a special dinner menu that offers excellent, upscale entrees that have a home-cooked feeling to them. From baked chicken, seafood and prime rib to homemade bread and excellent drinks, this is one of our favorite places for special dinners. On other nights, they have delicious pizza, and the stuffed papaya with chicken salad is also wonderful. If you aren't able to save room for desert, you can take some treats to-go. For years, my friends and I have been enjoying their mac nut and coconut cream pies. And last month, I believe, it was a chocolate peanut butter pie that took our breath away. Recently, they added breakfast on the weekend and we look forward to trying that, too. Highly recommend stoping here if you are able!

The food and service were great. We loved hearing the new owners stories on how he came to own the business. If your driving the south shore this is great place for lunch.

I noticed you only responded to positive reviews. The negative reviews contain much information about improving one's business and acknowledges their feelings after paying money for food and service. I know it's difficult to hear, but it's good feedback as well for the most part.

incredible staff and incredible food! don't listen to any negative reviews! i will come here every single time i'm in town! there's both indoor and outdoor seating with beautiful scenery. try it out for yourself!

The food here is great. Loco moco is good. I recommend the corned beef hash here. I definitely recommend the chocolate peanut butter pie. If you are a human whose body is a large percentage water, I strongly recommend just getting your food take out from this restaurant. the manager's bottled water (from us, by us) policy makes no sense. I grew up in a town that had a common mountain spring wells, so the other reviews where the manager responds that the water fee is to pay for the wonderful spring water is ludicrous. The employees are a little terse about explaining it, but it puts them in a rough spot having to enforce a ridiculous policy that rubs guests wrong.

Stopped here on the way back from the National Park. So glad we did. Not only was it authentic but the service was wonderful. The food was great as the pie was amazing!!! Go for the Mac nut cream!

A gem in the travel between Kona and Hilo. Eaten there a few times prior to covid. I am impressed in the food quality and facilities. They have my business. Don't be in a hurry quality takes time. Worth the wait.