Liko Lehua Cafe

Were baited for the chicken risotto as the reviews mentioned it is good. But looks like it is a special item and they dont sell it everyday. Blacked Mahi was not blackened. It was seared very minimally. But the tartar sauce they gave was nice. Shrimp pasta was great but lots of salt. The food portions are generous and they do take customizations. Ask for recommendations as the staff is nice and go above and beyond to help.

I love a place that lets an adult order from the kid's menu. Cheers! That's a women-owned business understanding, for sure. The fish and chips were great, with the tartar sauce excellent! Wish they had the space for a bit more seating.

We came for the Lilikoi butter burger. It was delicious. We also enjoyed fried ice cream, cheesy, garlic fries. The lilikoi lemonade can be blended if you ask, and the lilikoi shake was sweet and creamy. The ladies at the counter were nice. We were stuffed and happy when we finished eating at the bench just outside the building. It was a good spot. Also, they gave us a sample of a Japanese donut with lilkoi cre on top-very good-slight sugar crunch on the outside and soft on the inside.

Really good food great portion size I had the fish and chips and my wife had a cheeseburger both were really good great little hole in the wall would recommend giving them a try!! Thanks again!!

The food was amazing! It is only for To Go orders but there is a little bench outside. The Buffalo chicken salad was the best I’ve ever had. Our kids devoured their burgers from the kid’s menu and my husband loved the Local Plate!

Hidden Gem for local food. Awesome bbq plates. Super friendly ohana vibes. The Mahi Pasta Alfredo was epic with them homemade butters. The bbq Chicken and Kailua Pork plate were super filling. Highly Recommend

Localy owned, female owned, generational owned and operated. This little spot is further away from the downtown area of Hilo in a residential type area, but totally worth the drive. Absolutely Devine and large portions. Their korean chicken is still something I think about! They also sell different handmade food items like Pineapple butter! While you're waiting on your food, enjoy reading all of the signs and messages posted on the walls of the building. They're hilarious and so touching. Their handshaken lemonade is SO good!

Food was amazing. Got the butter burger and Lua Lua both were delicious! Gotta support women owned businesses!

Loved the food and friendly service! We had mahi sandwiches and pasta. They were delicious! The pasta came with a tasty and generous side salad.

stumbled across this spot due to delicious smells while driving into Hilo (visiting the Rainbow falls) and when arriving we were greeted with their homemade butters! and OMG!!!! That's all I will say... support this family owned operation!!

A great, high quality spot on the side of the road. There's one uncovered picnic table, so if it's raining, you'll want to get your food to-go. We were, unfortunately, spending the day at the emergency room with a family member while on vacation and popped out for lunch. We walked the 0.8 miles here to get some exercise and unfortunately it did sprinkle while we were eating. Staff was friendly fly and gave us a sample of their menu item Butter which was soft serve vanilla ice cream with lilikoi sauce--delicious! I ordered the crab cake salad and the hubs got the surfer boy burger. The crab cake was enormous and delicious--deep fried crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. It came with lots of fresh romaine, cucumber slices, carrots and tomatoes with an aoli and balsamic dressing. Very good! But very hard to eat with a cheap plastic fork. The hubs said his burger was fantastic!

Better have phoned ahead for 11:30 lunch or 30 min wait. How are you out of fries??? Smiling staff unfazed by negative review

yummy food chill vibe! This was a fun place to stop and get some grub with the family

Food was amazing, friendly locals, the lilikoi butter with ice cream is amazing. Definitely a place to grab something to eat

Thank you Yelp for pointing us to this super friendly foot spot! Generous portions, decent amount of variety, and delicious soft serve. We also took home some lilikoi butter sauce and enjoyed using it on bread or mixing it in with plain yogurt in the morning. This cafe in Hilo is a wonderful women-owned business, would recommend! Our experience here is a warm family memory, thanks for the hospitality :)

This is NOT a walk up place for onsite eating. We placed our order and then proceeded to wait 45 minutes for our food, while car after car drove up to pick up their orders. They never explained that it would take so long for our order. Also, the salad was not a salad and just a box of lettuce with some roughly sliced carrots & cucumbers on the side. Very overpriced for what we received.

The best little lunch spot, ono food, friendly staff, even gave me a complementary ice cream treat. Always support local!

Ordered the Hapa burger with onion rings online. Got there on time and the food was ready. Burger was big juicy and had a nice size portions of fixings. The onion rings were big and crunchy, just how I like them. Overall, a delicious meal with good portions. Much better burger than burger joint.

Amazing food on the off-beaten path. We had the grilled mahi sandwich and crab cake sandwich and weren't disappointed at all. 15-minute wait and we ate at a little wooden bench outside.

Great otc food with high quality. The crab cake salad is a must get. Regards Beau Toichi

Absolutely delicious! The people were so sweet to my kids, too. Came back a few days later and bought the lilikoi butter and gift set because it made such an impression on us.

Went for the poi which I found out is only a special they have once in a while. Their menu is primarily western food. Their special that day was a Lilikoi burger which had a lilikoi sauce, cream cheese, bacon...say no more...sounds pretty unique to me. I also went with their take on Mac and cheese which kinda like creamy garlic pasta but still really good. The burger was amazing!! The patty perfectly cooked. Came with aioli which it didn't need but worked well with the fries. The staff were super friendly. Would def come back over and over for their specials and to try their regulars. Another must!!

If you ink you might miss this place. It is a yellow building that blends right into the surrounding homes. Barely even a parking lot to help distinguish this place from the rest of the homes. That said, if you slow down, there is parking on the right side of the building with a single park bench to eat at. This is pretty much a to go order only place. But you can head to a local park or the Boiling Pots viewpoint to eat. The park has covered seating and boiling pots has 1 park bench, but it it not covered. When we pulled up there were a couple of locals picking up food. One of them said,"Oh thank you! I love your food soo much." I got a Blackened Mahi Sandwich and my wife got the Hula burger. Both did not disappoint. We had gotten a burger the day before in a popular Hilo place with malasadas. They thought that burger was good and this one was even better! My Mahi was cooked perfectly and had excellent flavor. Definitely glad we found this place. Oh I almost forgot, they did something cool. In order to prevent the bun from getting soggy, they put a piece of wax paper between your meat and bun. So don't forget to remove it or your burger/sandwich may have a funny texture.

Our family loved our experience at Liko Lehua Cafe! Chia took our orders & she was amazing! She gave us samples while we were waiting, explained the history of the Cafe, and was so incredibly kind. The food was amazing. We had the Surfer Boy Burger, Hula Girl Burger, Fish & Chips, Mahi Mahi Sandwhich, and more! Everything was 10/10. We will come to Hilo just to eat at Liko Lehua Cafe!

Food is 10/10. Service 100/10. Super cute location. We had burgers, fish and chips, and sandwiches and everyone loved it. Best desserts too! Ice-cream with guava butter was to die for. And the mini donuts with guava and lilikoi butter. We will definitely be coming back here! :) Chai was the kindest person and took care of our large family.

Delightful unassuming burger shack with a picnic table next to the small parking lot. Order your food online ahead of time because everyone else does and if you don't, you will be waiting a long time. The food was great and served with Aloha . Pick up your Liko Lehua fruit butter here too.

Grabbed some lunch here and was a bit disappointed. My salad came with a small sized mahi fish and was bland if it weren't for the salad dressing on the side. The spinach pasta it came with was okay, but cooked well. The Buffalo chicken sandwich my husband got also had a small piece of chicken. His fries were on the saltier side, however he appreciated that they were cooked well.

I got the lilikoi burger and it was really fabulous. However the wait was quite long, and with no shade or seats, it felt even longer.

Amazing food, awesome friendly local service. I had the blt, husband had the mahi. Food was great. Limited seating but you can take the food to Rainbow falls and eat there under the gigantic banyan tree.

Friendly service. Nice little stand, bright and fun. They have a single picnic table by the parking lot surrounded by an olena and rosemary garden. We all really loved their food. Specials were Korean chicken and pastrami sandwich. The plate lunch came with potato salad and rice. My son doesn't eat potato salad, but this one he pounded. The mac and cheese had a nice garlic flavor. The Hula Girl burger was juicy and flavorful. Crab cake was 'ono. The aioli with the fries were the best!

Wow. Super authentic Hawaiian food in a random neighborhood on the edge of Hilo. It is just a little shack on the road. Order at the counter--most people seem to take it to go but there are two little tables on the front porch to eat there. The people that run the cafe are super nice. They suggested we go with the burger, and they were spot-on. I kid you not, this is one of my top five burgers of all time! The party was hand formed and of a very high quality of beef. The coolest thing: the burger was served with a piece of waxed paper between the bottom bun and the patty, to keep the bun from getting soggy before you eat it! Genius!! My wife had the mahi-mahi fish burger, which was equally delicious. We tried two of the sides: fries and the potato salad. Both were excellent. The fries were crispy and the salad had a nice curry egg flavor to it. We finished the meal with the lumpia stuffed with sweetened poi and served with a coconut butter dipping sauce. My boys loved them. Definitely one of the top five burgers that I have ever had. We will definitely go back the next time we visit Hilo.

So excited for Dawn and Matt and the newly re-opened Liko Lehua with new COVID procedures and ordering window. We ordered the special hamburger steak plate and the classic Greek salad with Mahi, which is always a must! The homemade patties and gravy is the best we've ever had! Very well seasoned and delicious! Liko Lehua offers a full menu and their famous butters are available for purchase! We're very happy to eat at Liko Lehua again and can't wait to go back next week!

Clean flavors, nothing fancy but I just love this place. The people who work here do a great job of serving fresh food with a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere. Mahalo!

My husband said doesn't look appealing, but I insisted. It was so good we even had it for dinner too.

We are still here sitting in the parking lot, and didn't want to leave without leaving a review for this amazing little place. We ordered Mahi sandwich, BLT sandwich with potato salad, crab cakes and small green salad. Everything was so delicious and fresh! The lady who helped us was very friendly too! We highly recommend this place!

I tried this place for the first time ever as it my first Time in Hilo i asked for recommendations for an office lunch and everyone was excited for Liko Lehua on Kaumana. I just took suggestions and got the Jalapeño Burger. When i picked up it was a little house on a small corner lot and had little parking lot. The girls were wonderful and service was great! The burger had a little wax paper kind sitting on bottom ensuring the meat doesnt soften the bottom Bun which i loves and never seen before so that was a plus :) Then I was told to try mix bbq sauce ( on the side) and Ranch (on the side) and spread. I absolutely appreciated that because its good.. a PLUS - i hate soggy sauce and was regretting on my way cos i forgot to ask if i can get sauce on the side so really enjoyed it! Meat was cooked as i liked it, thick and juicy, veggies were generous-- onion rings the side were amazing.. Highly Recommended this place and the Jalapeño burger! Im already craving another one MUST TRY IN HILO, MORE LIKE YOU MISS OUT IF YOU DONT! Again for sure!

Great food for lunch. Really nice people. Strawberry shortcake dessert was perfect. Definitely will go back.

Definitely not impressed. This place was much better as the original with the hot line. The Mac and cheese tasted nothing like the one they had at this location before...it was super bitter tasting, too salty, and garlicky, could not eat it. Even my kids refused to eat it. The Mahi plate was overpriced for 4 tiny pieces of panko crusted fish.

Great family owned place with fast and friendly service. Food was delicious. Definitely recommend

Best fish and chips I've had in my life. We stopped at this small eatery on the way back to Kona-side. They have a few tables inside and out, but otherwise there's a lunch counter setup. The menu is pretty big regardless with lots of options. I asked what fish they had, they said the magic word 'Ono ', and that was that. There was nothing fancy about the batter. It was just a light, mostly unseasoned coating that allowed the fish to shine. But main that fish was fresh as fuck. Fried up fresh, it was the fast food that wet dreams are made of. The fries with it were fine. My wife's barbecue chicken was apparently good. But man oh man do not miss that fish.

We decided to check this out after seeing a commercial on tv, and we'll definitely be back. Two of us had buffalo chicken sandwiches (which were excellent) and the third person had a cheeseburger. The burger was juicy with a soft, fresh bun and got 2 thumbs up from a normally picky eater. Try it, you'll be back.

"If toast always lands butter-side down and cats always land on their feet, what happens if you strap toast on the back of a cat and drop it?" ― Stephen Wright Marc M., I need to borrow Flash the Cat. Don't worry, he'll be treated like a King and I'll even use my amazing Liko Lehua Cafe flavored butter. This stuff is crack... CRACK! So yeah, I'm just here to review their gourmet butters for now. I was sent a lovely sampler gift with guava, lilikoi, Tahitian lime, mango, coconut, and pineapple butter. They're all pretty freakin' amazing and I love them all. I've been trying to ration this stuff out by using a modest amount on my toast and it breaks my heart to see the levels dwindling down. The only one that hasn't really been touched is the coconut one because coconut is the bane of my existence. Anyways, so yeah, buy their butters! It's delicious and it makes you feel like you're in Hawaii! Flash tested, Joyce approved.

We were looking for a plate lunch and found this place after our visit to the Volcano National Park. We had the following dishes the Garlic Roast Pork from the Hot Table, the Beefy Sandwich which was the special of the day, and the Chicken Katsu. All plates were fantastic! The Garlic Roast Pork was tender and the sauce was especially good. The Beefy Sandwich was served with horse radish sauce that was very flavorful. The Chicken Katsu was crispy and delicious. The ladies behind the counter were very kind and helpful they gave us directions for shopping and even recommended the shave ice place that we went to later that day (Original Big Island Shave Ice Co. Inc.). If you have been on the Big Island you know that it's expensive to eat out Liko Lehua is well worth the price.

This place was disappointing despite the good reviews. Ordered avocado blts that had no avocado on them... when I asked the lady why there was no avocado she said there was no avocado. Confused why she didn't say that upon ordering considering it was $15. Also got a chocolate shake that consisted purely of large NOT blended ice cubes for $8. Don't go here..

I like the specificvariety and quality of choices from salads to burgers and vegetarian choices. A family run business, so it has a "homey gourmet" type of feel. Would like the hours of service to be expanded because there were many times I would have gone there especially on the weekends. But they were closed:(

We are a family of 3 with a 1 year old. Their kid's menu is extensive from chicken fingers to burgers, but we opted for the homemade mac n cheese. It was so delicious we snuck bites from our daughter's plate when she was people watching. Ha! My wife and I shared the jalapeno pulled pork and it hit the spot. It had the perfect balance between heat and juiciness. The prices are a little high, but the tastes, amount of food, and service definitely made it worth the cost.

Prices pretty much went up though their food is still good and tasty. They no longer have the 2 or 3 choice steam counter options. You end up paying what a 3 choice plate used to cost for a single entree plate.

Food was fantastic! Recommend the beef. Very much a local place. Friendly staff. The burger & fish sandwich were also awesome. Potato salad was cold and also very good. Highly recommend.

Had a birthday function here for my fiancé. They provided us the private room which hosted 20 of us. The food and drinks were delicious (their balsamic cheesy bread is sooooo good) and the staff was very attentive. We were also able to bring in our own cake. I would highly recommend having a function here or stopping by to have lunch or dinner !

After a morning of zip lining at U'mauma Experience we were hungry for some local food. We yelped and my son said, "This place looks like a roadside dive. Let's go!" The 2 ladies welcomed us warmly...Ohana. Nothing fancy about this place...the food is made with Love and after a few days of resort food...I was ready for Auntie's cooking! I had the adobo, pork-n-peas, kalua pork, lomi salmon and rice. My son had lau lau, macaroni & cheese, smoked meats, BBQ chicken, potato salad. We sat outside and dug in! Da Bomb! Island Sized Portions...had enough leftovers for dinner AND breakfast! Can't beat the price for good food at a good price.

"Everyone has a right to a university degree in America, even if it's in Hamburger Technology." "If that quote were true, I would have a PhD (pretty heroic dimples (in my ass))" -Myself Straight out of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, Liko Lehua Cafe is one of those places that you'll hear about from only the most in-the-know foodies around town. It's a really tiny little place in a residential neighborhood that by all means doesn't even look like a food establishment, besides having a few tables outside and a little sign. However, if you do happen to notice it nestled amongst the houses, you'll be in for a real treat. Sporting a nice assortment of both local goodies and unique burger creations. They also have very delicious fruit flavored butters that they sell in a few different sizes. However, the main attraction for me at this place is most definitely their burgers. Having had what amounts to their bacon cheeseburger and their Island Boy burger (with steak/bbq sauce), I've not tried all of their creations, but I have definitely had enough to be able to safely say that I'm sure all of their burgers are delicious. My favorite that I've had so far is the Island Boy burger. It's basically a bacon cheeseburger, but it sports a nice generous helping of steal sauce under the melted cheese and bacon. The way that it's cooked, it's almost as though there's a bubble of sauce just trapped under the cheese, waiting to escape as soon as you bite into it. The bacon on the burgers has also always been cooked to perfection as far as I'm concerned. Another really cool thing that they do with all of their burgers is putting wax paper (or something like that) between the bottom of the patty and the bun. The goal of this is to keep the burger from making your bun all soggy by the time you get to eat it (which is a valid concern with these things, because they're very very juicy). Very ingenious! One last thing I'd like to touch on is their fries. Not really their fries though, so much as the sauce they include with it. That stuff is straight up addictive, I tell you. It seems to be like mayo with garlic and some other things in it. Now, I'm not usually a fan of mayo products, but this stuff is amazing. An extremely good side to an already good burger. If you've heard of them and know where they are, I'd highly encourage you to go check them out. And if you've never heard of them and think that this sounds like it's for you, do just the same, because you won't regret it. Just try to get there in time to get parking, because there's not all that much of it!

As good Hawaiian Food as you will find anywhere. The Smoke Meat, Mac and entire menu are to die for. Great, friendly and kind service. EAT HERE!

Very small place with no indoor seating. The food was good and the staff was excellent! They have a hot bar where you can purchase various types of meats and sides immediately. I got a pulled pork sandwich. The hubby got a burger. They also sell various fruit butter that you can ship or bring home. Ask for a sample!

So easy to miss the first time, so hard to pass up the second time. I would never have found this place except that a friend happened to pass by and try it. Situated on Kaumana in a residential area with really no other businesses nearby it is kinda tough to spot this place, s. It is in a small green building, a small parking lot, with just a couple of of tables set up outside. Anyone could miss this place. There is not much decor here, since the inside is pretty much just a counter where you can order. It's just big enough that you may be able to have 4 people at a time standing. The majority of what this place has is burgers and salads. I tried the crab cake sandwich and the hula girl (teri-beef sandwich). The fact that a place in Hilo sells a crab cake sandwich surprised me, the fact that it came with half a box of fries and was under $10 made me smile. The crab cake sandwich is a nice baseball size crab patty placed between two buns and served with seasoned fries. The flavor was definitely there, and the sweet thai mayo sauced that is served with it complements the burger well. The fries were flavorful but soft (I prefer mine crispy, maybe i'll try to ask for crispy fries if possible). The teri-burger was a bit salty for me and did fall apart a bit when it was bitten into. I think that may have been a result of the sauce. This place is definitely worth checking out and it is great for lunch especially if you find yourself on the top of the hill and your stomach grumbles.

Had the chicken fiasco pasta dish for lunch today. Very disappointing. Every other time I ordered a pasta dish there, it was excellent. So, I am used to getting perfectly al dente pasta, perfectly cooked vegetables, all seasoned with the deft touch of an expert chef. Today's pasta was mush, the vegetables were also over cooked, the dish was under seasoned and the worst thing was it was swimming in about a half a cup of oil. The serving size was very generous. But, there were only five 1/2 inch by 1/4 inch pieces of dehydrated chicken in the entire dish. Initially, I thought they gave me a vegetarian dish by mistake. Then I found the 5 small pieces of chicken and a bonus 2 pieces of chicken skin separately swimming in the oil on the bottom of the pasta. I cannot even imagine this was prepared by the same chef that prepared the quality of entrees I've had from this restaurant for many years. I'll still definitely go back as this surely must be a fluke because I never had a bad dish from this place, ever. Everybody makes mistakes and from my past experience with this restaurant, I'm sure the next time the food will amazing as usual.

Wow, what a find! Gene-o and I came for a late lunch. Good size menu, helpful counter person, and unique choices makes liko lehuas stand out. I had the laulau burger and got a sweet chili aioli for my fries. The laulau burger has lomi salmon in it also, creating the perfect amount moisture for this sandwich. There was no fat in my laulau (awesome) and the fries were seasoned with Hawaiian salt (not too salty). I am definitely returning, there is a crab cake sandwich that's made with blue crab! Can't wait, if I wasn't so full right now, I'd order it! Ordered delivery. Had the strawberry spinach salad special. Would be perfect with some sliced red onions! Greek salad was creamy. Got smores for dessert, made with a brownie! Still 5 stars!

I was pleasantly surprised with liko lehua cafe. I got the blackened chicken pasta, which was one of several daily specials on the Tuesday that I went there. The dish looked kind of plain (see pic). All it had was a flat piece of chicken on a bed of pasta with Alfredo sauce, a small slice of garlic bread, and a side salad. I was sad when I saw it. But then I ate it, and I got happy real fast. The chicken was seasoned perfectly. It was crispy on the outside, yet very soft and moist on the inside. The pasta perfectly cooked, not too hard and not overly mushy. The alfredo sauce complimented the chicken wonderfully. The garlic bread was just as good as any you would get at a fancy restaurant. And the salad, though somewhat plain, was a nice palette cleanser for the creamy alfredo sauce. Don't be put off by the rather unassuming look of this cafe. It's the quality of the food that counts, and liko lehua does not disappoint. Can't wait to go back!