I have to agree with the previous Yelper that the Kalua pork here is outstanding! Â We were staying at the Mauna Kea for a week and decided to take a drive north along the coast. Â We were here around lunch time so we gave it a try. Â My wife had the Vietnamese salad with chicken and I had the Kalua pork quesadilla. Â It's the best pork I've ever had and the BBQ sauce they served with it was great too. Â I topped it off with some of their passion fruit iced tea and it was the perfect lunch. Â I only wish I could find its equivalent back here on the mainland. Â Oh, the staff here is funny and super nice. Â It's a must-stop if you're in the area. Â Mmm... pork!
Review Source:This place is basically high priced medium to good quality dining. The service was mediocre.
Here's my experience-
It was a long drive. My wife and I were checking out some parks not too far away, so it wasn't a big deal. I wouldn't drive out there to Hawi just for this restaurant.
I ordered their pina colada, and it was tasty but kinda heavy. Seemed like their special ingredient was ice cream. I also ordered a seafood sampler dinner. It included scallops, shrimp and broiled fish. The fish was excellent. One of the three deep sea scallops was perfectly prepared, the texture on other two was a little off - probably they were slightly overcooked. None of them had any distinctive seasoning or braising. The shrimp were OK, but unremarkable. They just tasted like store bought jumbo shrimp to me. Nothing remarkable in the preparation. They just seemed to be prepared straight up - no flavored boil or anything like that. They came with a wasabi sauce I wasn't crazy about.
Now for my big gripe - the entree I got was very expensive (over 30 bucks). When the server brought it out, she said "Oh, by the way, this was also available in a smaller  portion." I totally would have gotten the smaller, more affordable portion given the choice, but she didn't tell me until after it was prepared.
A final piece of advice, don't assume there's gonna be anything to do in Hawi before or after your dinner. The earliest reservation here is 6pm and nearly all of the surrounding shops close at 5pm.
Like others have said, it's probably best to come here for drinks and appetizers. And before five if you want to do any local shopping.
I was torn between giving a 2 or 3 star review, but I'm assessing a one star penalty on the waitress who was too lazy to walk back from the kitchen to ask me what size entree I wanted.
The art shop upstairs was interesting.
Don't leave the big island until you visit this place. Â We drove up there on our last day to see the cliffs where the road ends just past Hawi. Â Stopped here on our way back with our three little girls. Â Food is unreal. Â Great, casual atmosphere. Â Little town is awesome. Â Doesn't feel like you're around a ton of tourists. Â We ordered the coconut shrimp appetizer which was unreal! Â We then splt a half rack of ribs and the Ono thai coconut plate. Â The tastes were amazing. Â All local food and vegetables. Â The service was great. Â Very friendly, welcoming folks. Â Great kids menu as well. Â I'd strongly recommend this place before you go spend more money at Tommy Bahamas or any of the other 'over priced' restaurants near the big hotels. Â We will be back next year! Thanks for a great last meal
Review Source:I'm not really sure what the hype is, but is it worth the long drive to just eat here? NO.
However, if you are visiting the area and want to stop by anyways, I recommend the kalua pork BBQ burger and the lilikoi mojito. I looked around and it seemed most people were dining on this.
I think it's the owners that helped us and were super friendly, but not so much the others. It looked as though they were being forced to be nice and provide good customer service. It didn't seem very genuine to me.
I'm really conflicted about this place...so I'm just rating it 3 stars.
Another DO NOT MISS on the Big Island. Or at least it was on my last visit.
I've generally gone for lunch, which is a little cheaper than dinner and not quite as "fancy". The pulled pork sandwich literally sets the bar for pulled pork in my world. I've had barbecue in Memphis, Chicago, Kansas City and Southern Illinois and I haven't even come close to finding a pulled pork sandwich as sweet, succulent and melt-in-your-mouth good as at Bamboo.
The drive getting there from Kona ain't bad to look at either...but most drives in Hawaii ain't too bad to look at...
Hawi is such a cute town and Bamboo is a decent if a little pricey restaurant to try for happy hour or dinner if you are there. Hawi feels very authentic even though you know that it's kind of jazzed up for tourists. Something I've learned, and maybe this makes me a bad person, is that I like my Hawaii a little Disney-fied. Not full on San Francisco Tonga Room fake, but just a touch. Bamboo definitely is made for tourists but doesn't feel like the Tiki Room.
They have a happy hour with discount appetizers and drinks from 4-6 that was a winner since all the food in Hawaii seems totally overpriced. Their chicken satay gyoza were really great and seemed house-made. For dinner, my husband had the kalua pork and cabbage plate, which was really heavy, and I had the vietnamese salad. I didn't like the dressing on the salad - seems like Hawaiian chefs love to put that very sweet  gooey chili sauce on everything- but the server brought me 3 other options when I asked for an alternative. Super nice of her! They are known for their lilikoi (passion fruit) mixed drinks, and even though I was pregnant and had my margarita virgin, it was still sweet and refreshing. It's not San Francisco food, but we're spoiled and we know it.
Totally overrated, older waitresses super rude, food coming Fwrong and the top was the 18% tip automatically added to the credit card when the check came leaving us with no option but to argue with the rude waitress. So no more time to waist in this restaurant. Probably the good reviews are because there is not many options in Hawi anyway for food. After a 38 dollar forced tip I feel good to write a review to make people aware. I wished I knew all of this before the absurd experience.
Review Source:A great place with a fun, island atmosphere and friendly staff. Everyone was very attentive and helpful. The food was unique and tasty. I had a Vietnamese noodle salad, which was fresh and tasty. We were all too full for their amazing looking desserts, but they offered mini versions of many of them, which allowed us to get little two-bite treats. A very nice feature.
They also have a cute little shop with souvenirs and handmade crafts, so don't forget to check that out before you leave.
The Bamboo Restaurant is well worth the drive up to Hawi ... get there early and wander through town - very old Hawaiian feeling with lots of cool art galleries for browsing. The shop attached to the restaurant is great for gift shopping too.
Now to the restaurant itself ... the staff are very fun and friendly, and the food was excellent. The Big Bamboozler appetizer sampler is a great way to start the meal, the salads are unusual and very fresh as is the fish, which can be ordered in full or petite sizes in a number of different styles. The crispy polenta style was wonderful - get the full size and take home what you don't finish!
They also have a happy hour with reduced prize Kona Brews and wines. The mai tais and other tasty rum drinks weren't on the happy hour special, but worth the splurge!
Good lunch! Â Couldn't decide what to get so I got the appetizer sampler, The Bamboozler, which comes with a salad, 2 prawns with coconut thai sauce, 2 of their awesome pot stickers and 2 pieces of the pork quesadilla. Â The prawns were just ok, the sauce was good though, the rest of the apps made up for it! Â So good!!! Â The lilikoi margarita was delish as well. Â Only issue, besides the mediocre prawns, was the service. Â About 4 different waitresses stopped by to see if we were ready to order, we weren't and it was a little annoying, but we couldn't get ANYONE to take the check! Â Servers passed us by and we couldn't get their attention, we finally had to get up and ask the hostess, who was setting up for dinner, to run our credit card. Â Would have been 4 stars otherwise.
Review Source:We initially found this little gem on the Food Network app 'On the Road' - apparently Ms Rachael Ray visited here for $40 a day.
The trek to this small town/village is worth it. Â The Hawaiian hospitality is immediately realized at the door with the super sweet hostess.
I am not a huge seafood person but after this trip I am a convert! Â Fresh coconut flakes on a piece of deep fried Mahi Mahi was one of our dishes. Â That dish came with mashed potatoes, and veggies. Â
Our other dish was Mahi Mahi in a lemon caper sauce served with polenta triangle pillows along with asparagus.
Both dishes were divine - packed with flavor and left me not wanting to leave any tasty morsels (or sauce) behind.
Take the drive - enjoy the amazing food in this historic hotel. Â You can even buy the cookbook and enjoy the gift shop/gallery!
PS - have them tell you the Rachael Ray story - you will NOT get out of there for less than $40 #justsayin
We come to this restaurant every time we are on the big island and it never disappoints. Â The servers are all local and so nice. Â Even through they were busy for an off season night everyone took time to visit and answer questions without rolling their eyes. Â I had a dish similar to what I normally have but with a twist. Â It's a fish, whatever the catch of the day is, with a creamy caper and they said artichoke sauce but i didn't see any artichokes and the absolutely to die for grilled polenta with goat cheese. Â It's worth the trip just for that. Â For dessert I had the Belgian chocolate mousse tort, OMG. Â Worth every calorie.
Hubby had nori sesame crusted shrimp which I tasted and dipped in a citrus sauce was delightful  He finished with their version of key lime pie which was so good I thought he'd lick the plate.
It's a bit pricey but for my money well worth the drive. Â You could save money by doing lunch instead or the happy hour they have Tuesday through Thursday.
My husband brought me here driven by childhood nostalgia of vacations with his family. Â Decor was standard kitschy 1950's Hawaii. Â The waitress seemed super stoned, but I've learned never to expect great service in Hawaii - so that as whatever. Â I'd read lots about their lilikoi margaritas (seriously delicious - worth stopping in for) and their potstickers (totally gross - gummy, straight up nasty). Â We both tried the nightly special - a tenderloin with a Kona coffee sauce. Â I can't tell you exactly what was in the sauce because I had mine on the side, and the waitress trailed off into Neverland before she finished describing it. Â According to my husband, it was bitter - like old coffee grounds. Â It ruined the steak and he couldn't eat it. Â The food was shitty. Â Stop in for a lilikoi margarita and move on.
edit: Â I never said I was served coffee cream sauce (read original post) and I never said my mom makes better potstickers - wtf? Â Hey Joan - Here's a fun fact for you - Over 90% of unhappy customers don't take the time to complain - they simply don't come back. Â Considering you've had people taking the time to complain about the exact same problem (poor food quality for the money) over (at least) the past 5 years, maybe you should spend less time making excuses and/or taking cheap shots at your unsatisfied customers and putting that effort toward improving the food quality/customer service. Â Or keep doing what you're doing and get into pissing matches with your customers - it's an excellent way to bring in potential business.
Very pricey and small portion. Â The restaurant used to be hotel and the history is written allover the menu. Â Pretty interior decor and friendly staff with a smile. Â Ordered grilled chicken plate and the appetizer sampler. Â The food was not spicy (again) There is a gallery on the second floor which is a must visit.
Review Source:Great food; reasonably priced (for Hawaii); and probably the most attentive service I've ever had in a restaurant. Well worth the 30 min. drive from the Kohala resorts.
My kaulua pork was one of the best I've ever eaten. My wife and son had the fish special (Ono) and couldn't stop raving about it. Also try the lilikoi margarita. The atmosphere of the place makes you feel like you are in the Hawaii of the past.
Excellent local find.  Friendly service.  Superb food.  Mai Tais were outstanding. Our  group tried the coconut crusted ono (fish) served wtih sauteed vegetables and brown rice. It was one of the best meals of the week.  The kids loved the atmosphere, which was colorful, cozy  and hospitable.
We tried a few desserts as well, and they were equally amazing. Â Raspberry sorbet, cheesecake (YES!) and I forget the third one because all I can do now is think about the dreamy, ethereal cheesecake with a buttery macadamia nut crust and perfect filling.
Enjoy!
We are out and about doing the sightseeing adventures, traveling around the island, and got really hungry. My wife saw this place and wanted to give it a try. The customer service was okay, but not great. If it was not for the environment they would get 2 stars.
Pros: environment
Con: Overpriced(7.25 for a small salad), big bamboozer 15.95. Total for lunch, 2 adults $42.45. Not really impressed by the food.
The bathrooms was a step above a bathroom in a shack.
When choosing a place to eat I can't lie but the bright building caught my attention. I thought that it would be a great place to relax and have a meal. It used to be a hotel and might have housed ladies of the night back in the day. The building has a lot of character. The bathroom is cute too....it has a toilet seat that looks like it has sand and shells in it. There is a sign on it that says something like, "Please put the seat down so others can enjoy it."
I didn't know what to order because I wanted a little of everything so I ordered The Big Bamboozler. It came with 2 potstickers, 2 Thai Coconut Prawns, and 2 slices of Kalua pork quesadillas. The shrimp was my favorite! Â They were pretty big! I also couldn't get enough of the Lilikoi iced tea. I'm glad they were generous with the refills.
We ended the meal with the White Chocolate Passion Fruit Cheesecake. It was delicious!
This was a great Restaurant. The ' naked chef' listed on the specials board was our tour guide at the Eco tours across the street. My friend had the local fish curry- which was caught on the dock behind the restaurant. Seriously... so fresh.
I had curry too and it was deli sh. The drinks are house specialties and everyone was friendly and the service was fast. It is a great local place for tourists with some crazy inside decor.
If I am back in Hawaii, I am coming back!
This was a lengthy drive from our Waikoloa Beach resort for a meal but definitely well worth it. Â We read positive reviews everywhere and were interested. Â I thought it may be a high-end fancy restaurant by a celebrity chef but it's more comfortable, unique and relaxing.
We drove right by the restaurant on our way through this one-block town of Hawi. Â We were considering spending more time there but realized it was really just some art galleries and an ice cream shop.
The restaurant opened for dinner and there were tons of people there all of a sudden. Â The decor is really unique and feels like a Mexican restaurant back home but with Hawaiian decor. Â It feels really casual and relaxing with top-notch service and food.
The staff was super friendly -- they seemed to be from the same family. Â Service was excellent.
We ordered exotic drinks with their signature passionfruit juice (bottle on the table as a suggestion -- we left having bought two of them). Â I had a mai tai and my wife had a martini -- both using the juice. Â I ate a fish dish and my wife had vegetables. Â Both were excellent.
Having dropped a good amount of money on food (and well worth it), my wife then spent $50 in unique Hawaiian items next door in their gift shop.
We both loved this restaurant and will definitely return some day.
Bamboo was fantastic and well worth the drive from Waikoloa. The restaurant had an old style beach house feel with cheap Christmas lights and a native staff. Like many restaurants in the area, they claim locally grown food is served whenever possible.
The margaritas come out in a bamboo mug and feature and original mixture of fruit flavors from the area. Very good, but sweet.
I ordered the special, which was an Ahi trio consisting of ceviche, pan seared, and another preparation that I forgot. The ceviche was my favorite of the trio, but it was all fantastic. I also sampled some fried shrimp that was served with coconut milk sauce and also sampled a stir fry noodle dish that was tossed in coconut sauce. Both were great mainly due to the coconut sauce. One item of note was that both the ribs and chicken/pork combo were sold out by 7:00 and must be good dishes.
The desserts were very good, of course. The Belgian chocolate mousse and cheesecake/key lime pie mix were the best and the mocha cheesecake was disappointing relative to the other two.
I don't give out five-stars very easily and I highly recommend this place.
Unfortunately my family and I did not make it past the hostess. Â
Here is how our experience went... Around 730 PM my family and I (a party of 6 adults) walked in after enjoying a small walk around beautiful Hawi. Â I smile at the hostess and she asks us in a very abrupt and rude manner, "Do you have a reservation?" ( I should mention here that Hawi is a very small town that seems to depend mostly on tourist dollars to keeps its restaurants and galleries alive.)
I laugh (thinking that she must be joking) and my father interjects with a friendly smile and a jolly, "No... did we need one?" Â My fiance looks into the dining room... he notices few open tables. Â
The hostess says, "I should spank you... "
I laugh a little more (thinking NOW she MUST be joking), "We needed to make a reservation???"
Hostess: "Yes... I have no room for you."
Needless to say I turned on my heels and ushered my family out.
She did NOT SMILE. Â She did NOT tell us how long the wait would be. Â She did NOT give me a reason why she could not seat my family and I. Â
My experience here was not good and I can't say that the food was worth anything because I was not allowed to eat here with my family.
Bamboo was the best meal we had during our stay on the Big Island- and we had a lot of good food that week.
We drove into Hawi on the way to check out Polulu valley. Â We were pretty hungry first stopped to try and get a late lunch around 3 o'clock, but unfortunately they were closed for a short period between normal lunch hours and happy hour. Â A host/server recommended a place we could go for a quick bite, or suggested we come back after 4 for happy hour. Â We decided we'd check out Polulu valley and then come back for happy hour.
We worked up a pretty big appetite hiking down to the valley and back and by the time we got back to Hawi we were hungry! Â We got to Bamboo and were seated and ordered several pupus: Korean chicken wings, pork quesadillas, artichoke risotto, and thai coconut prawns.
At $4 a plate they were pretty good serving sizes (except the prawns were $9). Â And they all were DELICIOUS. Â The chicken wings were the perfect blend of flavor and texture, the quesadillas were fantastic and the risotto was just amazing- it had artichokes, tomatoes, and capers in it. Â I could have just eaten the risotto non-stop.
"Well, let's just take a look at the dinner menu. Â Just a look... Okay that looks good, that looks good, that looks good. Â Looks like we're staying!" Â
Our service was wonderful. Joan, the owner, frequently checked in with us to make sure everything was going great. Â She was very friendly and she told us some very funny stories. Â The busser was extremely FUNNY- she had moved from Waimea to Hawi because Waimea was getting to crowded. Â Our servers, both for dinner and happy hour were great. Â Basically, almost everyone in the restaurant at one point was talking to us (it wasn't terribly busy). Â
For dinner I had the Aloha Asia style fish (fish of the day was Ono). Â It was really tasty. Â I don't think I've ever had Ono before so this may just be how it normally is cooked, but it was just a little tough. Â It didn't detract from the awesome flavors though. It was served in a shittake broth with rice noodles. Â It kind of made a spicy (mild) fish soup toward the end which was quite good. Â Needless to say I cleaned my plate.
I also had a Pina Kohala which was tasty and made with a secret ingredient. Â While I'm not 100% sure, my guess would be Kahlua. Â It was tasty!
Overall, 5/5 stars for pupus, 5/5 for service, 4/5 for the dinner, 3.5/5 for price (although 4.5/5 for happy hour).
Fun little town, Hawi is.. and this restaurant is all about that. The decor is like walking in to a big hut with bamboo wallpaper all around.. nice little lamps on the tables. Â They also had a fun little gift shop at the same location that is upstairs. Â
It was pretty busy when we showed up to eat..
We went for the papaya salad. It was full of flavor and very big..
It was also a pretty doggone hot day so I had a couple of strong margaritas in their best coconut cups  which were very good indeed...
Bamboo is pretty much the only act in Hawi town for semi-fine dining. I would say it is a little overpriced for what you get, but that is expected on vacation. The staff is very friendly and attentive.
Try:
Lilikoi tea
Any of their fancy cocktails
Fresh locally caught fish
Kalua pork quesadilla
I like the cordon blue stuffed with kalua pork. It can be a touch dry but the flavors are nice. I had the shrimp and chicken wonton appetizers, price for what you get. I prefer the shrimp to the wontons.
There is an art gallery/shop inside which is neat if you are looking for gifts for people back home as well.
Hello Heaven! You come in a coconut cup with tequila and passion fruit?! So I went to Hawaii knowing full well I am a margarita fan and I would stick out like a sore thumb ordering them instead of some sweet volcano crazy drink. But we stopped here for lunch (thanks yelp!) and it was awesome. The topper was their famous passion fruit margaritas (we recommend blended, no salt). The original drink was created here and it was so delicious that we came back here again after our exhausting hike up Waipio Valley (yes we walked up around 1pm in the heat) and needed a refreshing bev. Now dont get me wrong the food was good too but i will forever remember them for their drinks.
We ordered teh Big Bamboozer. The shrimp with the coconut sauce was out of this world. Give me a big bowl of rice and laddle that over it and I am completely set! We also shared the thai style papaya salad with fresh fish of the day.Hello deliciousness! Hawaiians sure know how to cook fish right!
The next time we came my friend and i got the fresh fish sandwich. BOMB! So good! Our other friend got the kalua pork & cabbage. It was ok, think she liked ours way better.
Now service snob that i am i do have to say they are great! Our waiter even remembered us from a couple of days earlier and knew exactly what we wanted to drink. Is that good or bad? Good in my book!
Def check this place out!
We took a quick trip to Hawaii and I don't think I took in anything other than Tuna and Kona beers. Â I'm not sure if high mercury levels will help or exacerbate whatever's going on in my liver. Â All right, I'm exaggerating, I also had a series of mai tais and every other variety of fish they put near me including, in an awkward moment, one of the koi at the hotel. Â
Anyhoo, Bamboo was great and I very much enjoyed my entree, the 'tuna trio' and the really, really, cold pint glass.
We found Bamboo in the Hawaii guidebook. Â We were waiting when they opened the doors for lunch. Â The fruit punch they serve is amazing and if I recall the food and service were pretty good, too. Â Worth a stop even if you're just driving from Kona to Hilo, as we were.
If I recall they pride themselves on fresh local ingredients, always a winning formula! Â Also there is some interesting local history on the walls documenting Hawi's former life as a sugar plantation.
Bamboo is an adorable, quaint restaurant in the little town of Hawi. The history tells that this restaurant, originally built in the 1910's, was partially responsible for the recent revival of the village which had been left deserted since the 90's.
What's remarkable about this place is that they are committed to supporting the local farmers and fishermen. We had two types of salads with fish (ono) here, which were both amazingly fresh and tasty. I didn't know that vegetables could taste so good. I thought it was cool that the green peas (I think) were brought in by one of the waitresses whose grandfather grows them in the backyard.
There's also a small gallery in the building featuring local artists. Don't forget to check out the paintings and photos on the wall, too.
Anyway, the place is so warm and welcoming that you won't leave this place without exchanging a few smiles. I love it.
Cute yummy place -- 'd definitely go back!
I would support this joint regularly if I'm on this island :) Â There's always rice and veggies on a platter, which makes me feel at home. Â I tasted the Kalua pork w/ cabbage and my own was a fresh fish of some sort, which was flavored (not too heavily and hence) perfectly. Â Mmmm... this was just what I needed. Â and the kona coffee w/ macnut cheesecake was light for a cheesecake.
The portions are not mainland US size, but I was fine with that. Â It's real casual, and they don't hide the food behind some fancy shfancy decor which I like. (wow, feed me some descriptive vocab while we're at it.) Â The town of Hawi is very cute; I was worried about finding it but you drive here and you'll see Bamboo Restaurant like right there. Â hehe. Â The drive is nice 'cause you see a totally diff landscape. Â Just be ware of the hideously uneven car tan!
I'm surprised to see all 5 star reviews so far for Bamboo...perhaps we went on an "off night". Â My travel book and our hotel concierge both highly recommended it so we made the 45 minute trek to the tiny town of Hawi. Â The town and the restaurant were very charming. Â The service was ok...we were attended to regularly, but I didn't get a welcoming feel from our server. Â
The high point by a landslide were the Mai Tai's. Â They were excellent, with the perfect amount of juice to rum and topped with fresh pineapple. Â Hubby and I each had 2 they were so good. Â The other redeeming quality at Bamboo was the entertainment. Â A local Hawaiian singer/guitarist "Annette" was performing the night we were there. Â She was extremely talented and her mom (who accompanied her because she didn't think it was a good idea that she drive by herself all the way from Kona) even did an impromptu hula for us. Â It made the trip worth it.
The food was mediocre. Â We started with Caesar salads....we could have gotten a better Caesar salad from a bag of salad at the grocery store....the ingredients did not seem fresh and they most definitely did not use homemade croutons. Â I ordered the fish of the day, Ono, with a macadamia nut crust. Â It was fine. Â The fish was very dense...never had it before but it almost seemed overcooked. Â It was accompanied by red potatoes that had zero flavor. Â The most tasty thing on my plate were the steamed veggies that seemed to be infused with garlic and butter. Â Hubby ordered steak and shrimp. Â Steak was low quality and the shrimp was laying on top of barbecue sauce (not what Hubby was expecting). Â The prices were high (to be expected on the big island) and certainly not reflected accordingly to the quality of food we received.
One other thing I found annoying about Bamboo is that they did not have any prices listed on their drink menu or dessert menu. Â Seriously....give someone a clue about how much you are going to charge. Â Given the quality of our dinner food we skipped dessert. Â
Not sure I would even give it a second chance...
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