East Side Eateries: Ma'ona Restaurant and Grill

Tucked away in a little corner at Hilo Shopping Center - a small strip mall located at in the heart of Hilo at 1235 Kilauea Avenue - you will find Mā’ona Restaurant & Grill. This hidden treasure in Suite 180 offers a variety of local favorite plate lunches like teriyaki chicken or beef, kalbi ribs, roast pork, loco moco, chicken katsu, just to name a few - all served with two scoops of rice with mac salad on the side. If you can not decide what to eat - or if you are really hungry - they offer a “Can’t Decide Combo,” where you pick two or three items from the local favorites list.

The “grill” in Mā’ona Restaurant & Grill is where the fun stuff happens. Talk about large, juicy, made-to-order, cooked-to-perfection burgers, Mā’ona Restaurant & Grill serves-up half-pound, local, grass-fed beef patties on sesame seed buns, with a generous portion of wide-cut steak fries. The offering of burger toppings is simple and classic, including cheeses such as American, Swiss, Jack, and bleu; your standard lettuce, tomato, and onion; and crispy bacon and/or buttery sautéed mushrooms. There is the BBQ Burger, served with American cheese, grilled onions, bacon, and topped with Mā’ona’s house BBQ sauce. The Bacon Mushroom Swiss is my personal favorite and is self-explanatory. I may not be a fan of bleu cheese, but I have heard many praises for “Da Bomb” - Mā’ona’s signature burger seasoned with their spice rub, topped with bacon, sauteed mushrooms and a classic bleu cheese.

Mā’ona Restaurant & Grill is open seven days a week, 10:00am to 9:00pm Monday through Saturday, and 11:00am to 6:00pm on Sunday. While the menu may not be anything “special,” the burgers are definitely “broke da mouth,” as a local would put it. Give them a try. Granted, this Hawaii real estate agent is no credible food critic.

Mā’ona Restaurant & Grill

1235 Kilauea Avenue, Suite 180, Hilo, Hawaii 96720 | (808) 969-3939

Open Monday through Saturday, 10:00a-9:00p, Sunday, 11:00a-6:00p

Reservations: Optional