Hilo Burger Joint

Classic Burger bar, nice ambiance, and optional outdoor seating. Wait to be seated area is very small in the entryway, it needs some more space to wait or a seating area outside for people waiting to get in. Meal sides are options of coleslaw, fries, soybeans or salad. I got fries. Pretty good, maybe a little too crunchy. $18 for simple meals, $21 and up for more expensive ones. Their flagship Hilo Burger is $21 an and comes with 2 patties, bacon, pickles, onions tomatoe and sauce. Good bang for your buck. Very tasty, and served on a large but light, Brioche bun. Overall a great Burger experience. I haven't had time to try the beer or Bar yet, but it looks nice.

The picture of the empty platter says it all…….this place is awesome……the food is amazing, the service is awesome, so kind and attentive! The atmosphere is supper cool!! I will definitely go back here, don’t know why the heck I haven’t gone here sooner! Will not disappoint! The menu is super big and the food is a great value. 🤙🤙🤙🤙

Nice place with a good atmosphere and live music, but it seemed to be understaffed. I ordered a nacho burger, and it tasted delicious, but the hamburger bun was cold—I think it wasn’t heated up enough. The staff was very friendly and customer-minded.

Great burgers made with local beef. They hooked it up on the beer flight! Theresa gave us great service with good recommendations. It's a little dark, but we sat by the window and it was good to go!

- [ ] The burgers here were really good. They have many different types of burgers for around $18 each. Which includes a side of either fries, coleslaw, edamame, or green salad. I got the pesto burger which I really liked but was disappointed that the mozzarella cheese was the smallest and thinnest single slice of cheese on my burger. My boyfriend really liked the patty melt burger with thousand island dressing. Our server was Marilyn, thought she was nice it always felt like she was in a rush every time she stopped by our table. She’s ask how we were doing while she was still in motion walking away. It wasn’t that busy at the time we were there for her to be acting like that. It seemed she never came to a complete stop when she’d come by our table. They have a full bar with seating inside and out our your can order takeout.

Surprised to discover great vegan, house-made options. The food was delicious and atmosphere was like a Hawaiian version of Cheers. Everyone seemed to know everyone! Highly recommend.

Specialty burgers of all different kinds. Very good. Waitress swapped meat temperatures but not that big of a deal. Wife ordered well done and I ordered medium-well. They have two specialty deserts every so often and they change them. We had the coffee cheesecake and spiced crème brûlée. Was very good both of them. Was skeptical of the coffee cheesecake but it was very very good after all. Don’t be afraid to try any of the burgers. They’re awesome. Staff was super friendly.

The service was Perfect. All the staff we interacted with were very kind and helpful! The food was delicious even the presentation The environment was cozy and clean There was a live performer which was also a nice added touch and they were very accommodating Definitely worth it!

It was delicious everything was amazing and it was all fully cooked and tasted perfect

I was just super hungry after a long day of hiking and site seeing. This grilled cheese really hit the spot for me so, I am rating this place 5/5 Fries were so crispy and the sandwich just tasted so good. I know it's very basic, but sometimes that's all you need. Place is semi spacious, service was good. 4/5 overall appearance.

My brother and i was visiting my brother-in-law, who is a local in Hilo. We've been in Hilo for almost a week and have eaten out most of our time here. We had a taste for burgers and based on the positive reviews and "awards," we decided to give HBJ a shot. We walked in, the place was not busy, at least 3-4 tables were emptied, we stood by the door for over 10 minutes without any staff acknowledging us. Several staff obviously saw us, ignored us, walked by us to take orders for seated customers. A wait-staff finally approached us and asked if we wanted to sit inside or outside, since it was a little warm for us, we said inside so he sat us at an open table near the entrance and left. He returned a couple of minutes later and informed us that if we want to eat inside, we would have to wait; why would you not let us know from the beginning??? He was not courteous nor professional, just downright arrogant and rude about it! We don't care how good your burger is or how many awards you've won! Treat paying, potential customers better! Train your staff better! Do better if you want to stay open for the long run. It's a small town, words will spread.... Good luck! Rhonda, do you not see the common thread in the customer/potential customer's feedbacks??? I did not write the review to make me feel good, I and others took our time to give you, the business owner some valuable insights so you can improve so stop being so defensive and put on the"big boi" pant and run a business like it's supposed to be ran. Quit making excuses!. Im over it n heading back to Chicago where I can enjoy a real gourmet burger. Bye n good luck!

I'm not a fan of giving negative reviews but I do believe in giving honest ones. We came from the mainland to visit family who is local to Hilo. We ordinarily will spend a minimum of $100 per person on lunch as long as it's good food and service, and we were a party of 3 on vacation. We walked into a relatively empty restaurant at about 1pm in the afternoon. First thing we noticed was the amount of tourists eating there... Next we stood there waiting to be seated for at least 10 minutes. No hello or acknowledgement from the staff as if we were invisible. After a while we started to feel unwelcomed. We did look like locals but I should think that does not matter... Finally after 10 minutes a man from the wait staff asked us if we wanted indoor or outdoor seating. We told him indoor since it was too hot outside for us. He reluctantly sat us on one of the indoor tables and walked away. I was personally looking to order all of their top specialties because I like to try the best each restaurant has to offer. I'm a bit of a foodie. As we were looking at the menu the waiter comes back to us and says we could not sit at the table and that we would have to wait for an indoor table and we would have to wait outside in the heat. The way he said it really felt malicious and discriminatory so we just got up and left. This was the very first and only time we experienced such animosity the entire time we were on the big island. If I could give negative stars I would. We walked down the street to a Chinese/Vietnamese restaurant that gave incredible customer service as well as great food (I had the Pho combination special).

The burger was great. Freshly made with great garnish and a nice outdoor seating. Server was quite nice.

It was ok I guess. No wow factor. Every few years I try it out, but it never gives me the feeling of wow I need to come back. That's just my opinion.

Stopped in for lunch and have the green chili burger with a regular bun instead of the ciabatta bun and a side of French fries. Very good!

The burgers here were really good. They have many different types of burgers for around $18 each. Which includes a side of either fries, coleslaw, edamame, or green salad. I got the pesto burger which I really liked but was disappointed that the mozzarella cheese was the smallest and thinnest single slice of cheese on my burger. My boyfriend really liked the patty melt burger with thousand island dressing. Our server was Marilyn, thought she was nice it always felt like she was in a rush every time she stopped by our table. She's ask how we were doing while she was still in motion walking away. It wasn't that busy at the time we were there for her to be acting like that. It seemed she never came to a complete stop when she'd come by our table. They have a full bar with seating inside and out our your can order takeout.

Burgers were nothing special - too much bun and not enough meat or toppings. Service was slow and overall functionality of the restaurant setup was very poor. Give some thought about how to set up a restaurant properly for better service and more tables in the future - a lot of wasted space inside. My opinion is to go ELSEWHERE.

BEWARE: They automatically charge you 18% "gratuity" without telling you before hand. Ridiculous. If you want to charge 18% either tell me before I order, OR build it into your prices. 18 PERCENT? ...tips should be based on good service. At my discretion. Not your (Burger Joint) discretion. This is scammy / shady behavior. Twice I've had bad waiter/waitress service here. I do not recommend. THE OWNER has no confidence in their ability to deliver good service and food.....hence the 18% bull-sh*t "gratuity" automatically added to your bill. Stay away

Small little spot in Hilo. A+ for customer service and having a variety of choices for your burger. The "house sauce" was really good. I didn't care for my burger but Maybe it's just me.

One of the best burger joints I've ever been to! Definitely recommend 5 stars! The service was exceptional and the vibe was great with live music.

Food is so good and they have a ton of great options and the staff.. omg so freaking friendly.

Just a bunch of jerks working here. Expect to be treated like crap. Avoid at all costs. Showed up to an empty restaurant and asked for a table. I don't drink but the server told me the only place is at the bar. I let him know I'd like a table and he told me to leave. Seriously? I called a manager to as and she said the place is full. It was completely empty!!! Lol. Go to McDonalds. Go to the mall. This 1-star toilet bowl needs new management. If you're a tourist, this place sucks and you'll be better off ANYWHERE else. Avoid at all cost. Filthy, rude, mediocrity in every aspect.

I never knew this place exist.. Hilo Burger Joint is located in Hilo town next door to the Kawamoto Store. Street parking only. Walking into HBJ you can almost instantly tell this is a cool Irish Bar/Burger Joint. They have a Full Bar and lots of seating inside and outside. My cousin brought us here as she loves the Gravy Fries. The menu is large and I really had a hard time choosing, but decided on the Green Chile Burger and a draft beer. The Gravy Fries came out first and I could easily see why she loved this, the gravy was on point, delicious. The wait for the food was just enough for us to inhale most of the fries. I ordered my burger with coleslaw, but you can get fries, salad or soybeans as you side also. The burger was juicy and cooked perfectly. It did lack a little salt, but everyone has different taste so a little shake of salt wasn't a biggy for me. The coleslaw could have used a little more vinegar in my opinion, but was decent enough. Overall loved the Irish vibe, burger and gravy fries. Will definitely come back again to eat. 4 Stars ****

Food is delicious! Service is friendly and great. Ambiance is fun, music is awesome, and a free burger on your birthday is such a blessing! Mahalo HBJ!

Yeap. Back in a pub/diner. Even though I told you they weren't our favorite. but sometimes you have to sacrifice to get a decent burger. And this one was pretty good... Local meat too, and that's always a plus in our book. These are messy burgers- not my preference since I prefer the well behaved kind. But still decent. Place feels and smells like a diner. But if you're ok with that or ok with sacrificing to have some good eats, well then there you go.

This is a must go to! I was told they had good burgers and something for everyone! It did just that. I had the turkey burger, although it did appear the bread was bigger than the patty itself and it lack condiments but with a lil ketchup and mayo it did its thing. I would still choose Hilo Burger Joint again. Another add was the waitress she was fabulous, kind and sweet. I went in the evening and the ambiance was quaint. Again a definite go to spot!

Got the new Curry gravy burger which you would think is going to be nothing but curry flavored. First, I tried the Japanese style green curry on the slide because not every curry is equal but it was fantastic and sold me on the burger; however, when I got the burger I was amazed by the fact that you barely taste the curry as it's so well balanced with all the other flavors that were kind of shockly good together. Curry+grilled onions+potato chips+yogurt+srirachi sauce was a crazy good combo that left me wanting more. P.s. The curry gravy was great on fries

Best burgers ever! Got the bacon cheeseburger and fiance got the wagyu. Both were FANTASTIC! Regular fries and sweet potato fries both amazing with great homemade ranch (I'm picky) and bbq sauce! Very friendly servers and cute little local joint. 20/10 would recommend!!!!

Burgers come standard with a 6oz Kulana beef patty that was once a lovely cow frolicking about on big island. The beef patty is fresh and juicy. You can sub the beef patty with chicken, salmon, or a meatless patty too. jalapeño poppers - served with Thai chili sauce. Can't get more local then that. Hahahaha c: Hubby got the "Fatty burger" with the gravy on the side. If you're a fan of blue cheese, you might want to upgrade to "FIRE" fries since it's blue cheese and hot sauce on top. Mushroom Swiss burger hit the spot for me. You can really taste the excellent quality of local beef. This joint is close by the airport and they have a great selection of beer and alcohol. Parking is limited in the back so keep your eyes peeled for street parking. Happy yelping and eating!

Called in a phone order at 1:24 pm, the lady said that the food would be ready in about 15-20 minutes. I get there right before 2pm. I go up to pay and the server said that it wasn't quite ready yet, and asked me to wait outside, but "it should be out shortly." I waited outside for about 15 minutes before going back in and checking on my order. The lady said she'd go check on it...never came out to let me know any progress. Went back in at 2:30 and asked where my order was. I saw it sitting under the heater in the kitchen. She went to quickly pack it up and give it to me. No apology for the wait, nothing. Our food is not even hot.

I pretty good local place either great burgers. Don't expect fast service, this is definitely island time. The burgers are huge....but the price will match that at over $22 a burger. I am sure it is a little tourist pricing mixed in with a tax just to visit the island. Overall pretty decent place, but price and service pushed them down a star.

We were looking for a good burger, and we found it here. We were here for lunch. They have a large selection of burgers. I order the greek burger made with feta, olives, red bell peppers and cucumber sauce with lettuce and tomato. I also opted for the side salad with the raspberry vinaigrette. The hamburger was cooked just right. The salad was fresh. Also, the service was fast. We'd go back for sure next time we're in the area.

After a day at the volcano we stumbled into HBJ on a Saturday Night after most places we wanted to visit had 45 min waits. This was a bit misleading. We were greeted and sat almost immediately, which we were excited about but didn't get a waitress for almost 15 mins. This was because there were only two on duty and the hostess. This could be due to a staffing shortage which I can understand and empathize with, but it did affect the experience and the ladies were awesome and hustling. We ordered nachos knowing it might take awhile and those took 35 mins to come out (our burgers came out 15 mins after that). Total wait time after being sat and waiting sting was 65 mins. As with most Hawaiian pupu's the nachos barely fed 2-3 much less 4-6. The burgers were large and tasty but did not break the expectation of a burger. Even the Wagyu burger I got was not elevated in a way that made it unique or anything other than a regular joint burger with "better" beef. At the End of the Day when you've spent all day hiking and walking a volcano you want to chow down and not wait for over an hour but I can understand playing the cards your dealt. The highlight of the meal however was the live music which took for mind off the hunger pains. The guitarist had a wonderful voice and played a mix of Hawaiian folk songs and stylized classics.

Pretty good! The burgers are excellent as well as the drinks! We came here after spending the day at the volcano national park and it was a best decision. The environment is super friendly and a great place to just hangout with friends with a beer or to get some food. Service is great. Friendly and welcoming staff.

I have given this place a try a couple times and each time it gets worse. First time was ok just rude server. Second time there was HAIR in my burger but it was a to go order so I didn't want to drive back to Hilo to complain. Third time placed an online order and as I waiting there for 30 minutes and received no help. And upon finally asking a server if I can get some assistance I received a rude response of well I came in through the side entrance. I assume an entrance is an entrance and per the online ordering prompt it states for pickup to go through the side entrance. Now- requested a refund and it was so difficult to get one. Wasted about 40 minutes. Definitely recommend going elsewhere.

Stopped here last weekend for lunch and had a fabulous California burger. They make their own bread, which was soft and fresh. Lots of creative burgers to choose from.

I read a lot of reviews to see where I could take my family of 11 people for my daughters birthday celebration in Hilo Hawaii. I read lots of great reviews about this place as well as that the birthday person received a free burger. As soon as we entered the establishment, the host kept contacting the server who wouldn't talk to us directly and would instead give her answers with somewhat of an attitude kind of like she didn't want to be there. we decided to wait for seating anyways. When we were sat I let the server know that it was my daughter's birthday, and she asked me for some type of ID that could prove that it was her birthday. I wasn't prepared so the only thing I could find was pictures of when I gave birth to her saying her birthday date on the birth card. That was sufficient, and then she pointed out the burgers that she was allowed to choose from. My daughter ended up choosing the Cali burger and I got the Kalua pork nachos. My mother ordered sweet potato fries and I ordered chili cheese fries. The Kalua pork nachos were very delicious as the pork was sweet. On the other hand, everything else was not good. The sweet potato fries came out burnt and the chili cheese fries tasted weird, but I'm not 100% sure what contributed to that factor. The Cali burger was very tasteless. The server ended up messing up another burger from somebody else in my group and everyone got the vibe that she didn't want to be there or she had a bad attitude. It was an older white lady with a mid length pony tail. There was another server lady whom was very sweet and just said Happy Bday to my daughter but we didn't get the pleasure of interacting with her anymore. When we were finished we waited for a long time for our check. I don't think I'd ever return due to the service and the fact that no one in our group thought the burgers were good enough to return to or memorable in any way.

Disappointed. We recently moved to Hilo and decided to order from here. My husband went to pick up the food and we were surprised by how "blah" it was. The appetizers (cheese sticks and artichoke dip) were both over cooked. There was no cheese left in the sticks and the cheese on top of the dip was hard and inedible. The two burgers were nothing to rage about but the fish and potato wedges were good (even though I asked for a side salad instead of the wedges). Hopefully, if we ever decide to try again will have a better outcome.

Good hamburger!!! Love the vibe. Service is friendly and fast. While waiting for our to go order, staff gave us free soft drinks in the bar. Will certainly come here, maybe, experience dining here, next time.

Food overall just bland. Mushy burger falling apart with every bite. Service was very slow. Zero hospitality. The ambiance outside was the only decent thing. Go to McDonalds instead.

Love the Hilo Burger Joint! The employees are always friendly and the food is always good. Huge selection of burgers and if you can't have the carbs you can take any burger and they will make it into a salad for you. Also they have a great rib eye steak dinner! The only complaint I have is the price it's a little high for burgers but everything in Hawai'i is expensive.... Also every time I go in there is a live band so great atmosphere.

The food here was fresh and delicious. We ordered the ribeye steak and California burger. We ordered both med-rare and both came out to the perfect temp. The ribeye steak was generously seasoned, which I love! It had the perfect char and was melt in your mouth. At $30 for the steak with asparagus, loaded baked potato AND a green salad, it's very well priced. The burger was done perfectly and the bun was nice and soft. The fries came out crispy and fresh. The place was clean and there is street parking right in front. The server was friendly and service was quick. They have live music, which is so nice to hear during dinner. Will definitely be back.

This place never disappoints! We visit Hilo Burger Joint everytime we are on the island. Today the hubby ordered the BBQ burger and fries and I ordered the Fish & Chips. There is an option to order the local fish but I went with the cod. Both were delicious and served hot and stayed hot. For cocktails, hubby chose a creme ale and I ordered the Lilikoi MaiTai. Both drinks were good but the MaiTai was a tad sweet still good but sweet. Our server, Erika, was a delight. When my hubby was asking about the different beers, Erika offered to bring samples which was so nice. Love this place! Forgot to mention, there is outdoor seating.

In Hilo there's really not much really foodie places but if you want great food good service this is the spot! My family came here for my birthday and they did an amazing job catering to us and all our needs with our lunch we ordered! Our waiter Dale was so attentive and did everything we needed! The burgers and wings were so delicious! I highly recommend this place!

I'm writing this as a safety issue for those who are sensitive to smells. I was sitting outside I think the Saturday after Thanksgiving. As I approached the outdoor lanai sitting area I smelled the heady smell of like fabric softener sheets. I was there for a while visiting with a friend sitting near the street. This smell came and went. I figured out it may be the smell of the cleaner they used to wipe the tables. It was very unappetizing. Also for a good 20-30 minutes a gentleman was using like a turpentine cleaner on the concrete floor. Very strong even though I was quite a ways from the area he was cleaning around a picnic table. People are eating folks! I'm sure this is not something you do to attract customers or to encourage them to come back. I'm a local I will never come back and if I was by myself I would have left. Rhonda, the turpentine clean up was right in the seating area as I mentioned. Not next door. In fact, it appeared as if you were supervising it. It was not next door. Unfortunately, you had control over it and decided to do it during business hours. It wasn't an emergency and that's why I'm posting it. If someone is sensitive to smells they may come across the cleaner for the tables. Maybe you could change the type of cleaner you use and make a different choice of timing when to do a paint up. Also, taking ownership of your choices and an apology would be nice.

Good burgers and salads, mediocre fries, rude server. After several days of carb overload, I needed a salad. The greens and homemade bleu cheese dressing were a nice change of pace. My boyfriend chose the bleu cheese burger and I went with the mushroom and Swiss burger--both good choices. I especially appreciated the grass-fed beef and the sweet buns. When we arrived, there was live music, but we wanted to talk, so we opted to sit outside. Our server seated us at a table right next to the ice machine, where a young woman was digging out ice. It was so loud that it became annoying, so we moved ourselves to a table farther away. Despite the fact that it was 6:15pm and no one else was seated outside, our server made a snarky comment. Then, when my boyfriend asked a question, she was terse with him. After that, service improved, which was appreciated.

The ambiance was nice and the service was quick. I think this is a good business, but I ordered the wrong thing. The French dip was pretty disappointing. The bread was dry and tasted terrible. I would still come back and you should try it too (just not a sandwich)

I've been enjoying food here for years. The bar is gorgeous, dark hard wood, and sets the tone of a European pub in a lot of ways. The service is usually very friendly, the vibe is mellow and a good place to have conversation and laughs. The fire and ice fries are one of my favorites and you cant go wrong with the burgers. I also appreciate that they have a Garden Patty and homemade vegan patty options for all of their burgers. They even have occasional live music. A great option for lunch or a casual dinner in Hilo.

Burger was burnt and goat cheese tasted weird, beer was almost room temperature. Asked the server about the weird burger taste and was told it was a fresh order. Server was very nice, good atmosphere but this is not the first burger that I've had that sucked, especially for a "burger " joint and almost 20 bucks! 4/4 visits were not impressive, won't be returning update: just got the check and they did take the burger off the bill at least

Instagram: KonaFoodie You've got to try the amazing burgers at the Hilo Burger Joint in downtown Hilo - they're absolutely delicious!

New owner, new better attitude. Nice to have good people take care of you when you go spend your hard earned money. Goods good, staff WAY better.

All I can say is... HILO BURGER JOINT...makes KILLER BURGERS!!! If you...LOVE...BURGERS...come and bring your appetite here! This place makes..."bomb" and "onolicious" burgers! The best I've tried in a looonnnngggg time! This is my sister in laws favorite burger joint. Now, it's my favorite in Hilo! She raved about the...AU JUS BURGER and she highly recommended it to us. I was practically drooling about this burger all morning! Yay, lunch time has finally arrived, and so we phoned in our order. My order- AU JUS BURGER with garlic french fries: my burger was cooked medium well just as I asked. It was well seasoned, tender and juicy! It came with a cup of hot au jus on the side. Dipping my burger in the au jus was delicious and messy! Although it was messy, it was sooooo goood! Lol...Thank goodness we were at my sister in laws house and not at the restaurant. I had to wash up after eating that burger! The garlic fries was ok. It definitely was not the highlight of my meal. It seemed like the cooks did not have time for the fries. The fries were a bit too oily and it tasted like it sat in the fryer for a while. Also, it looked like they just threw a wad of fresh minced garlic on the fries. It wasn't mixed in at all. My family's order- TERIYAKI BURGER with sweet potato fries- daughter enjoyed it. GREEN CHILI BURGER with sweet potato fries- husband enjoyed it. So, if you are hungry for a good burger, go and check out HBJ! You'll thank me for that!

I was a good burger, nothing extravagant or anything like that. The service was good as well. They were pretty attentive to us, but granted we were one of the few customers there at that time so I can't comment on how the service is when they're busy. Ambience with Chil see more of a dive bar.

Not my favorite by a long shot. We came in at their shift change, but there were plenty of other tables. Deciding to sit at the bar, our bartender was frantic, but the sweetest. Lots of burger and beer choices and the burgers are cooked to your preference, but our two burgers and fries were cold. The flavors were enjoyable and we were so hungry we ate them anyhow even though our bartender offered to have them redone. The restaurant itself has such potential to be a very cool place but it's a bit cluttered for my taste. Plus, the chairs and benches are so low to the tables and bar that we both (5' and 5'10") ended up sitting on our legs to be able to easily eat our cold food.

we have been coming here for years. gradually the service and quality has diminished. last night I ordered a side salad. it was a handful of lettuce, one tomato and two small cucumber slices when I asked the waitress to take it back. A bad salad is just that, but her bitter attitude is why we will never come back food is ok, nothing special and the live music is way too loud. No one in there was able to talk to their table mates pass this one up, unless you like being around a bitter waitress

Food or at least the burgers are awesome. Fries are little geady. Service is top notch and the ambiance is very good. Had some fish, cat h of the day. Oh my, So ONO. Highly recommend

First time here. Totally agree with the 4 star rating. Service is great. Food was delicious. Sat outside. Even with the traffic right there, you could hold a conversation. Salad greens were perfect! Juicy turkey burger and the Teri chunks were just right. These folks know how to make french fries. They were hot and as you'll see in any of my other reviews about french fries, we're done right. Golden and crispy as fries should be. They know how to leave them down long enough for them not to be soggy. Definitely will be back.