Hilo Town Tavern

Finally checked out this popular downtown Hilo tavern and man the food was fantastic! We tried the pickle trio and the fish and chips. The burgers coming out of the back looked amazing. Good service, cool atmosphere, pool tables, outdoor patio, and live music was just beginning. Loved it

Great chill vibe. Food was tremendous. Staff was helpful and real and kind. Try the loaded tots and the hangover burger you won’t regret either.

The karaoke on the Wednesday night I was there was a lot of fun. Everybody was having a blast. I was just the quiet guy grabbing a bit of some chicken tenders at the bar, but I was happy that the atmosphere was very cheerful and jubilant. Put me in a good mood seeing people sing. The food was good, and the bathroom was good, too.

This place was just okay. We went on a Tuesday at 2pm and the place only had a few people in it, however, we waited almost an hour for our food. We didn’t have one consistent server but rather three. We had a server take our drink order, then another server give us our drink order, and another to take our food order. This made it feel very chaotic. When we order our food, we asked the server what came on the quesadillas and she said “she thinks it is just chicken but she will double check”. When we received the order, the quesadillas had beans, onions, peppers, and more on them making it feel that even our servers didn’t know what was going on. The food was decent but the service was not great.

After spending some time at Lyman Museum, we desired lunch and a Yelp search led us to Hilo Town Tavern. Walking through the entrance we were greeted by a server who also doubled as a bartender. We proceeded to order the following: Mai Tai’s, Jamaican Jerk seasoned chicken tenders (wife) and the Lava burger (me)…both orders with the hand cut tavern fries. Since the restaurant was fairly empty, our orders came out fairly quickly. Both of our orders arrived hot and were very flavorful. As we enjoyed our meals and sipped our deliciously strong Mai Tai’s, we enjoyed people watching and eavesdropping on the conversations held by locals. Throughout our visit, the server did a great job of checking in on us. If you’re in Hilo and have a yearning for some delicious food and strong drinks, I recommend checking out Hilo Town Tavern. My only regret is that we did not visit during a karaoke night!

You seat yourself. Welcoming staff and the food was flavorful. We ordered the cheese steak and the chicken club. Yummy 😋

This place was such a fun vibe on a Monday night! We came here and it was open mic night. Locals were singing and doing stand up comedy. It was such a blast. The food was amazing! We had the nachos, lava burger , burrito and lemon pepper chicken wings. My husband said the LAVA BURGER was the best burger he ever had. Sooo good! Even though it was busy, the service was very good too!

2025.08.23 - The ribs were kind of dry. The coleslaw nothing special. Super friendly wait staff. The two others also had a bit of underwhelming dishes as well. Mac Chicken (creative fried chicken with deep fried mac and cheese) was ok and Chicken Club (it was ok). All in all food was ok except ribs which wasn't that great.

We enjoyed an evening eating and drinking outside listening to a live band. Older crowd, great music, had to be careful as it was pouring rain and the tarps didn't all cover the eating area. Large selection of beers, including a very nicely priced beer tower. Equally wide selection of foods, their moco loco was great. The real highlight was the attentive service. Our server went above and beyond to ensure we wanted for nothing. She was wonderful.

Came here on a night where they had live Hawaiian music. The speakers were super loud, but the music was fantastic. It took a while for the waitress to take our orders. One waitress said that she was going to come back and then didn't return for over 15 minutes plus. My friend got the Loco Loco over tater tots, which was very filling and delicious. I got the ribs. Initially the only rib that was hot was the end piece and as soon as I cut it, the remainder was ice cold. I told the waitress who took it back to the kitchen, and they reheated it. The ribs overall were tasty, though not the most tender ribs I've ever ever had. I did like the French fries though it was cold after they reheated my ribs.

After spending some time at Lyman Museum, we desired lunch and a Yelp search led us to Hilo Town Tavern. Walking through the entrance we were greeted by a server who also doubled as a bartender. We proceeded to order the following: Mai Tai's, Jamaican Jerk seasoned chicken tenders (wife) and the Lava burger (me)...both orders with the hand cut tavern fries. Since the restaurant was fairly empty, our orders came out fairly quickly. Both of our orders arrived hot and were very flavorful. As we enjoyed our meals and sipped our deliciously strong Mai Tai's, we enjoyed people watching and eavesdropping on the conversations held by locals. Throughout our visit, the server did a great job of checking in on us. If you're in Hilo and have a yearning for some delicious food and strong drinks, I recommend checking out Hilo Town Tavern. My only regret is that we did not visit during a karaoke night!

Great, best bar in Hilo! Better waitresses, free pool, and live music. Best burgers in town too!

Located in the heart of Hilo Town on Keawe St. love music nightly, large seating areas one semi outdoor with a stage. Ordered two burgers that were cooked just right, juicy and delicious. Service was efficient and staff friendly. 3 stars for not honoring Yelp deal of 10% off food.

Big Beerded Brute at the bar was excellent! He had the beer and seltzer and specialty drink list memorized. Who needs menus when he's around! Give him a raise! for Baywatch marathon too!

We've been here in years past and had a much better experience but this trip was a complete different experience. The restaurant was not at all crowded, there were maybe six tables of people total inside and out. We ordered our beer and after a few minutes decided on the pork nachos. I asked the wait person about the two cheeses mentioned on the menu, one was liquid cheese and the other one was mixed cheddar cheese. Told her we didn't want any of the liquid cheese and to just add extra cheddar cheese instead. No problem. So literally 40 minutes later finally they came. We kept wondering why I was taking so long because the restaurant was not busy and it doesn't take nachos nearly that long except here maybe in Hawaii? None of the cheese was melted, in fact the entire nachos were lukewarm at best. It's possible that only took them 10 minutes to make it and 30 minutes to sit on a shelf somewhere? To make matters worse there really wasn't that much cheese on the nachos so the taste and the texture was decidedly off. We also had an issue with the fact that there was very little pork on the nachos. When I think of nachos I think of lots of ooey gooey cheese and stuff on the nachos that you need a fork to help you with. Was not the case. We also noticed there was an issue with a table next to us where one patron had taken a couple of bites of his burger and left the rest on his plate. When the waitperson finally came over I don't know what was said but he didn't want to eat the rest of it and from the looks of it she might have taken it off his bill. Coincidence, maybe, or maybe the kitchen isn't putting out good food. I hope they do better, this is a nice pub/tavern and they do have a really good beer selection.

Thanks Akeem - great service, yummy food and mellow environment. Great place to stop and get some bites while chilling.

Really solid find especially since so many Hilo restaurants close so early. This place serves up pretty good American food (wings, burgers, fries, etc.) for not that expensive. Big portions too! Ordered the Lava Burger and Crispy Cheeseburgers. All their burgers are double stack (two patties). Both were pretty good. Somewhat greasy but that's not unusual for burgers. Wings were good as well! The sauces and rubs complement the crispy, juicy wings well. It's clear that the wings aren't just frozen/ones they causually reheat and serve to customers. Overall recommend!

This was a last minute "it's late, we need to eat some food before heading back to our room." It was a Thursday night, and it was also karaoke night! We walked in to a man with his three dogs on stage, crooning at the top of his lungs (highlighting this was the right choice). We opted to sit outside - which, in Hawaii just means "less of a roof over your head" since the windows were open, and we were close to the pool tables. The food was perfect - just that made to order perfection, and they delivered me some malt vinegar for my fries. Seasoned perfectly, and paired with a couple drinks - it was a perfect end to a Thursday night.

Booooooooooooo! Too much speakers facing the entertainers. Can't even hear the main vocal mic.

We needed a place open late for dinner and this place worked out great. Our server was patient with us and very attentive. He didn't mind when we couldn't hear him well (live music) and when our son spilled water. My husband had the appetizer chicken strips and even though the portion wasn't big, they were very tasty and weren't panko like older pics. He also had the tots that came with our son's pork sandwich, and those were great too. My son was pleased with the bbq pork sandwich, it was huge! And I'm nervous about getting steak from a bar but the ribeye was tender and seasoned well. Overall great food, service and live music too!

Sometimes bar food just hits the spot :). My favorite dive bar in Hilo! True blue I love them so much. Always reliable and full of aloha. Proudly our trusted chicken wings stop (& our only wing stop in Hilo. Not many places around to get chicken wings actually). So many flavors/sauces! Come for that, and burgers, and kanikapila night (live Hawaiian music), and the one and only Hilo bar with free karaoke. My go tos: Spicy BBQ Chicken Wings Other chicken wings The Hangover Burger Chicken Club Sandwich Chicken Tenders Taco Salad Jalapeño Poppers

Laid back and unpretentious small town bar feel. Straight forward familiar food. Definitely going back.

Oh the things I think. I would've gave 4 stars if there would've been any sort of customer service. When we walked in there were 2 workers talking that never looked up to even greet us. The server was nice but it was hard to tell who worked there and who didn't. A name tag or similar shirts would've been nice. All the tables we tried to sit at were way too wobbly and/or sticky. On top of all that the server charged a different table on our card. As we were leaving he stopped us and fixed it. Not a big deal but we've never had this happen before. Now the good - we loved the atmosphere and think it's worth everything else to try out. The live music was great and there was a lot of people there just for them.

Amazing apps! Our pup enjoyed her water bowl with a few loaded fries. Mary was the friendliest, most welcoming server with fantastic suggestions.

I'm sorry you thought I'd like it; 1st of all I tried it many times and: I've never put my elbow down without it sticking to something and Big tall, drunken "kids", (I'm 5'6", 65 yo) practically steamrolled over me without seeing me or nary an apology but the Biggest turn off is the unbelievable amount of cigarette smoking going on! I'd to try out the bar menu as I luv pub grub and I'd try my hand at some stand up comedy at an open mic night, but it's not possible with the courtyard smokers.. Sorry..

There aren't many options for late night restaurants in Hilo these days, but Hilo Town Tavern is a solid spot to check out. The double smash burgers and fries here are awesome, great selection of beers and drinks, and the Monday night we were there the bar was packed for open mic night. Walk up to the bar to order food and drinks from the friendly staff. Street parking available. I'm glad we stopped in for a late night dinner and drink. Will definitely be back.

THIS PLACE WAS SO COOL! They have indoor and outdoor seating perfect for whatever vibe you're feeling! They even have live music playing sometimes. definitely worth checking out. OH and the food is very good!

Walked in, was greeted and told to sit anywhere. I did, server did not come over for 10+ minutes and was very stressed. Looked around, only 3 tables had any people and two of them just walked in. Took our order for drinks finally then 8-10 minutes later; still no drinks Walked out. It's not hard, when you make someone wait initially just be prompt with your service once you do greet them.

I had a fabulous night at Hilo Town Tavern- the Hawaiian music on Tuesday night( same guys 19 years) were over the top!! Locals got up to Hula- Amazing!! They had a spaghetti special that was fantastic. To top it off our waitress, Mary was kind, attentive and on the ball. Come join us on a Tuesdays 6:30-9 But get a reservation because the word is out.

They have evicted the gallery in the back of their business, I am angry about it, I was literally dropping off my art for a show when the owner rudely went through taking a video of the gallery as I was there, interrupting our meeting. The door was open to let me in and he told her to shut it. He has been accusing her of doing nefarious things to get the foot traffic in the gallery that has fallen off on the bar. My friends have told me they don't perform at the open mic now because of bad new owners, people who were regulars are unhappy with the new owners and not going. Shocking how bad they treated the gallery owner. The photo attached is one of my art pieces hung for my Halloween show set to open Oct 4th that I now have to go back and take home.

The food was delicious and hot. Would get the hangover burger and waffle fries again. Love that they had the Maui coconut porter...it's hard to find porters. Tina had a wonderful attitude, but our beers sat at the bar getting warm and came when our food was ready. The bartender should have brought them to us. He wasn't tending to anyone else. We didn't get the sauce for fries either. Overall we'll visit again.

Staff told me I could sit wherever I wanted so I did. Ten minutes later no one came to see what I needed. Didn't even get water. The place wasn't busy but there were mostly tourist. Maybe I was the wrong color.

Food quality & the wait time has gone done considerably . Over 1 hour wait. Got there on a Sunday afternoon. There was one other table with about six people that just finished ordering and they had their drinks and a couple at the bar. We were a party of four. After about 10 minutes or so we ordered two drinks and four entrées at one time. Within another 10 minutes or so the two drinks were served. More than an hour had gone by and our food still had not come. At this time requested the food be changed to take out. We had ordered two burgers, one taco plate and one chicken tender with a side order of fries. Burgers were ok. Chicken tenders had no seasoning and tacos were just satisfactory nothing I would try again. Also, the taco plate was supposed to come with three tacos, and there were only two! Pretty disappointing because we have eaten there quite a bit and I can tell it's just not the same Bummed out

Laid back water town type of bar. Great customer service with an extremely welcoming feel. We ordered the typical bar staples with a little twist to them...chicken wings, sweet potato fries, a cheesesteak and a cookies n cream ice cream pie dessert. The food was good. Yelp reviews led us to this restaurant/bar. To be honest, we were not impressed with too much of our Hawaiian food since we've been here. The prices here were somewhat high but definitely cheaper that everywhere else we've eaten. Our meals with gratuity ran us just under $70 bucks. We had absolutely no leftovers whatsoever. No doggy bags this time. Our two waiters were cool and maybe we will be back for live music and entertainment this Saturday. Oh I forgot to mention that there are like three pool tables available for paying customers. I should have taken more pics of the entire restaurant, stage and billiards. If we end up on the other side of the big island, we will definitely drop in again.

We just happened to stop by while walking thru downtown Hilo and found them. We have a big dog and only go to dog friendly places. They were more than welcoming of our dog and us. They brought our dog a big water bowl with ice water and we ordered doggie patties which came with rice. We had fries and salad which were fresh and so very tasty. We found out they have live music on other bites so we are coming back on Tuesday for Hawaiian music night with our dog. Would recommend the place to anybody. Great food, great service, great aloha atmosphere!

I myself am a server and I never make a review but i had to for this. I waited nearly 1 hour (50 min) for these veggie spring rolls when i was told it would be about 10-15 min. I had waited so long so of course i ate it. It was open mic night so the vibe was nice until i started watching servers not know where any food was going, it FELT like they were just actioning food, and watching everyone else's food come before mine. I hope the orders just didn't come in all at once for the kitchen. I would have just appreciated at least having waters refilled and occasionally checked on instead of having to flag down whatever employee was passing by.

Didn't even make it to the food after the rude service after we walked in and sat down

The food was fire! We could eat there at least once a week if we were local. The burger was cooked to perfection and their signature "Tavern Sauce" was just the perfect amount of sweet and savory. We actually dipped our fries in it. The were the crispiest and most seasoned fry we've had in awhile. As for the wings crispy and juicy. The house sweet bbq sauce was delicious! As for the staff they were amazing! Very kind and attentive, but gave you your space. Loved the DJ and all the 90's hip hop hits he was dropping.

Service has definitely changed with the new ownership. The table was super sticky, I asked the waitress for a cloth to wipe the table and we didn't get one, I went to the bathroom to make my own wet paper towels to clean our table. It took 30 minutes to get our drinks (2 beers and 3 sprites) it would have been faster if we went to the bar to get it ourselves. Then our food order took almost an hour to be brought to our table, the food was meh. Burger had no flavor, the kids meal included fries so we chose that for our kids and there were literally like 10 fries on each plate and a small measly burger ( even my kids said we should have went to McDonald's) and by the time our food was served everything was cold. Numerous times while we were waiting for our food I walked to the bathroom to wash my hands and get wet paper towels to wipe our table and our server was standing in the hall hanging out talking story with a friend (I really should have said something to her but I didn't wanna seem rude or like a karen) We sat there for another 20 minutes after eating waiting for our server that was no where to be found to get a takeout plate and our tab, I had to ask the bar for a takeout plate for our cold fried food so I could take it home and throw them in our air fryer. The topper of the cake was when we got our bill the total was $160 dollars !?!?! I looked over the bill and the order seemed correct so we payed (mind you we had to find another server to pull up our tab and pay) only to notice the server put there were 6 of us at our table (there were only five) and there was an automatic 18% gratuity charge. A $26 tip for the worst service I've ever received? Never again will I take my family there to have a meal. I'm a former employee at the tavern and the food used to be good, and all around ambience there was great , not no more. *id like to note that we enjoyed many of our Friday night dinners there as a couple , with the awesome Hawaiian music band that would rock the joint, we were disappointed to find that they no longer have hawaiian music and it was a new band (he was god though)

Completely ghetto. Do not open a tab there and expect to grab a second drink. Waited and waited before finally just deciding to close out my tab. The cashier (couldn't be a bartender) had to blame "the line of people" that just walked in even though I watched someone who was standing outside get their drinks before me despite already having been patient after asking for my 2nd rounds of drinks twice.. It was like being held hostage. Couldn't get my card back, nor could I grab a drink. Maybe it's cool for someone who is underage with a fake iD to be deal with this type of crap but if you're an adult who wants to be served properly at a bar, move along

10/10!!! Absolutely delicious and unique burgers. Not your every-day beef patty on a bun!! FRESH! HAND PATTIED!! GRASS FED!!! LOCAL BEEF!!!!. 2 patties. Bacon is layered between the patties AND on top. Then topped with Crispy mac and cheese (crispy fried cheese layered with macaroni and cheese and tooped with more crispy fried cheese). All on a Brioche bun with lettuce, tomato, fried onion strings, and blue cheese. Oh! Mylanta!!! 10/10. One of the best burgers on island. Ps. They have fresh, hand-cut french fries too! Did I mention the pool tables are free???

I am in Hilo for a couple days. As a person with some interesting food allergies, eating out is always a challenge. I often call places first to see if they could accommodate. When I arrived I immediately loved the vibe. The music playing was enjoyable and I just loved the way it looked. My bartender/server was nice and remembered me calling. I ordered a cheeseburger with no bun and a side of rice. I enjoyed my meal, beverages, and the atmosphere. If you head to Hilo check out Hilo Town Tavern!

We were seated right away but the food took a ridiculously long time to arrive. Server was attentive and kept apologizing, but when the food finally arrived, it was for 2 of the 4 of us there. They were almost done eating before the other two meals arrived. The pork in the tacos was very good - smokey BBQ, tasted like it had been cooked for hours, but there was as much onions on the taco as the meat - had to scrape it all off. The black beans were really good but the rice had zero flavor. Other items were ok. The waffle fries that came with the burger were just average, but there was one sweet potato fry that was also accidentally included on the plate, and that was absolutely delicious. The tavern had lots of seating inside and out and seemed to be dog friendly. The music was strange - kind of a cross between EDM and death metal. We were expecting more of an Eagles/Jimmy Buffet playlist from the vibes when we originally walked in.

Excellent buffalo wings, great service, great mango margaritas. Good vibe & friendly service. Highly revommend...

New owners aren't very friendly. Food quality not the best and service sucked. If you wanna catch something while drinking from an unclean cup... come to the Hilo tavern

The food here is crazy good. For Hawaii prices are great as well. Most people were there for drinking but plenty of space for sitting down to eat.

Friendly bartenders! It looks like a good late-night place, but we left at 9:09 PM as we were tired. Ordered the poppers. They were tasty! We might go here for some nighttime fun (DJ).

Taking a neighbor island trip out to Big Island and we decided to stop by Hilo Town Tavern to grab some food and drinks. We came right at opening and it's a chill vibe! All my local people, I know you'll appreciate the names on the drink lol. I got the Utu Bang ($13), and if you're a sweets person, this drink is for you! Food is good, satisfies your hunger and the prices are decent. I wouldn't mind coming here next time I'm taking a neighbor island trip!

It's a tavern. Pretty self explanatory... Lot's of fried food. Pretty much the entire menu. I visit this place pretty frequently because there is not a lot happening in Hilo at night. On this visit: Fried Pupu platter: onion rings, fried cheese, waffle fries, spring rolls. All fried- came out hot. Three sauces. Great value for the money. Him: Western Bacon Cheeseburger w/ bbq sauce. He liked it but too much bbq sauce for his taste. If you like it saucy! Go for it! Me: Burrito without any proteins. Uneventful but I still took it home and ate it the next day. I added lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, and some salsa and it was delicious. There is an inside and outside eating area. Most people choose outside unless it is packed. Often there is some form of entertainment outside at night. Free pool tables. Big single person bathrooms. Waitstaff is very polite and efficient. Drinks: I order the same drink all the time. So nothing special there.

My wife and i decided to stop by this afternoon for a late lunch. We walked in and there were only two people at the bar. To be expected at the time we showed up. The waiter told us to pick a seat and we did. Got us waters. Was timely in getting our orders and communicated well. My issue lies with the food. First off, the place was hot, super warm. I get it's Hawaii and no one uses AC, but it was extremely uncomfortable in there. The pork spring rolls were luke warm and tasted gross. But i ate one cause i was pretty hungry (might've been my downfall, get to that later). My steak came out, i ordered medium rare. The steak was cooked blue. Outside looked like it was cooked well, but the entire center was raw and cold. I asked for it to be cooked more. It came back out after 5 minutes or so and the center was less raw but still raw and barely like warm. Medium rare should have a warm pink center, not a cool raw center. I wouldn't have rated it a one star though if it weren't for the fact that I've been to the toilet about 7 times this evening, my guts are churning and turning upside down. I'm extremely gassy and using the toilet to the point t of pain. I'm very sure that i have some form of food poisoning, and I'm very confident it either came from the steak (more likely not) or the pork spring rolls (pretty sure they did me in). They took the steak off my bill, i happily paid and thanked the server since it wasn't his fault. But at the end of the day i will never return for food, and i do NOT recommend anyone else eat there if you want to enjoy your food. Unless you like taking the gamble that you'll be on the toilet the rest of the night.

Saturday - September 2, 2022 We stayed at the Grand Naniloa - DoubleTree location in Hilo. It was about a 10min or less drive from our hotel. Parking can be found either in the parking lot which is right before the location or along the street side. We had no trouble looking for parking and it's FREE as well. All along this Hilo town area you'll see a bunch of bar/restaurant locations on this street. When you enter this location they will greet you & ask if you'd prefer to sit in the outside area or inside the restaurant/bar. We decided to sit inside which we probably should've chosen the outside because it was pretty hot. Unless it was just the seat we decided to choose & that area was just really hot but we didn't want to move either. Lol but overall it was still great, they played reggae tone music which was like a throwback for all the song I've listened too growing up. It was a nice trip down memory lane. Our server Lei was very polite and awesome with being our server for the night along with her fellow coworkers everyone was basically welcoming. I would recommend this location if you're in the mood for good burgers which is why we ended up here. OUR ORDER: Curly Fries - definitely a step UP from Jack n crack lol ahhh so ONO Onion Rings - perfect shaped onion rings & seasoning was just so gooood Western Burger - BBQ sauce on the side & it was a great tasting sauce which went great with dipping my fries Spicy BBQ Bacon - Very delicious and the chicken tasted way better than other chicken sandwiches I've had Tavern Cheeseburger - House sauce was pretty good & it made the burger taste great I'm glad I ordered bacon to go with. Bacon is just great for the soul lol 6-Piece Teriyaki Garlic Wings - Great combo with the wings Keep in mind everything is Ala Cart when you order your food. Which is why we ordered 1 curly fries & onion rings to go with our burgers, we shared it amongst the 3 of us. Overall the food was FOR DA WIN location is definitely a bar vibe but children are welcome as well. What more can you say Great music & Food = GREAT TIME.

Hayden James Band is amazing. So glad i came in. Great bar staff. No ATM so i just ran a tab on my credit card.

My wife and I have been going to the Hilo Town Tavern for over 13 years and always enjoyed our monthly visit. But today the new staff (owner) was extremely rude. so much so that we left and will not return to spend our money. As a ret business owner I know that customers keep the lights on. Good luck with an attitude like yours.

This Bar rules .- Great bartenders funny and cool - Atmosphere is chill. Had a blast will definitely be back when we get back to Hilo.

Very good burgers. Beer great also. Definitely we will be back. Tavern sauce was outstanding

This place is outstandingly great!!! Our dreadheaded bartender was an amazing over the top, professional and personable individual. The atmosphere was a whole vibe... HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! The staff an a complete entire was awarding..you can't fail here.

We waited for an hour for our order to come not complete and waited for another 30 minutes for the rest to come out. Way too long for not great food that was cold when it arrived. Server spilt vinegar dressing on a burger and didn't completely replace it. Disappointed in how long it took and it was so so slow. Wouldn't recommend.