It wasn’t sleepy Hilo Town this past Saturday.
The rain was on schedule…
John Cruz…
Donna’s Smokin BBQ Shack…
Baby Back Ribs, 5-Meat Chili, Mac Salad, Rice ($10)
Juicy juicy, tasty and slightly tangy. Great ribs! Chili was really good too — very thick and hearty with a slight kick. I need to check Donna’s Smokin BBQ Shack later. It is located in the Keaau Village Market.
Ever since the 55th Annual County Fair, it’s been my civic duty to review the loco moco at the local county fair. I call it quality control. The loco moco at the 55th was one of the worst loco mocos ever. Impressively, they did a decent job on the 56th (last year).
Again this year, the Keaukaha Warriors were responsible for the loco mocos.
This was the double fried rice loco ($8). It looked almost exactly like last years, but once I started grinding ‘um, jus wasn’t the same.
Fried rice was undercooked — still slightly hard in the middle of the rice and mushy on the outside. Also, either the gravy or the fried rice was too salty. The patty was the same old premade frozen patty, but at least they kept it juicy. The eggs were nice and yolky.
The breakdown?
63%
A nice individual brought in lunch for our office today from some tortilla factory in Shipman Business Park (industrial area between Hilo and Keaau).
What’s the name of this place?? I’ve heard great things about here but all they said was a “Mexican place” or “tortilla factory”. Hopefully some of you guys can help me out.
UPDATE: This place is called “Emma’s”. Thanks guys. 
Here is a pork quesadilla with beans, rice, guacamole, and salsa (hidden underneath). The tortilla is what seriously shined. It was the freshest I’ve ever had — very moist, super soft, and so delicious! The pork was tender and perfectly seasoned. Lots of gooey cheese smothered with some thinly sliced onions and peppers. The sides tasted really fresh too. Very satisfying.
These guys/gals (whoever they are) really know what they are doing. I hear you can also buy very cheap and good fresh tortillas here. So what’s the name of this place?
P.S. Thanks for lunch! It was great.
Good morning from Ken’s House of Pancakes!
Presenting the Sumo Loco (and keiki fries). This is what you call a heavy breakfast. Can you finish one?
From the menu: 6 scoops rice, choice of spam (4), 5 oz. Lean “Home Grown” beef patty (2), or 6 oz. mahi-mahi. Gravy + 3 eggs any style.
We chose the traditional beef patties, cooked medium. If they don’t ask you how you want it cooked, let them know because otherwise, they cook it pretty well-done.
Knowing I couldn’t finish a sumo loco by myself, I brought some help. I really don’t think Bev pulled her weight though. 
We tried and tried…
… and this is about how far we got (note Bev still had some left in her smaller bowl we used to share).
Ken’s fries go so well with their loco mocos… so crisp!
Definitely one of the best loco mocos in Hilo, whatever size you get.
94%
Related Post: An earlier visit to Ken’s House of Pancakes
Ken’s House of Pancakes
1730 Kamehameha Ave.
Hilo , HI 96720
(808) 538-1877
Open 24 hours.
I found a couple of old photos from Ling’s Chop Suey House back from my starving student days. And as lots of locals know, Ling’s has amazingly massive oyster chicken plates. Howz dis??? Hardly can fit in da plate!
This is so not healthy! But it is sooo good! The chicken is super crisp and moist. The sauce is light and not too sweet. The only thing is I wish it had a bit more oyster flavor. Other than that, it’s awesome and can feed you 3 times. This work of art costs only about $8-$9.
I’m making myself hungry! I have to stop now.
Ling’s Chop Suey House
Puainako Centre
Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 981-1689
What? This place is one of the most popular restaurants in Hilo and I never even covered it yet! I have a backlog of photos of various places so I better start posting more.
Cafe Pesto has always had good food and has a great location in the Historic S. Hata building near the Farmer’s Market in Downtown Hilo. I love how it’s casual yet still fancy… good for a nice dinner date, party or a quick lunch. Ambiance is warm, open, and comfortable. Sounds fill the room with kitchen noises and neighboring conversations.
My three favorite things here are (and they do them very well): Beer, Pizza, and Salad. Yes, I’m a simple guy.
There’s a nice variety of beers on tap from local breweries and this is a Pipeline Porter from Kona Brewing Company which has 100% Kona Coffee in it. You really can taste the sweet coffee flavor. I loved it! Very smooth, dark and frothy.
Chicken Lolla Rosa ($10.95) – Grilled free-range chicken tossed with organic baby greens, local sweet onions, vine-ripened organic tomatoes, dressed with a cilantro-caesar dressing. Wonderful combination of flavors. The chicken was flavorful and perfectly grilled. The cilantro-caesar dressing was the highlight of this dish and had a really refreshing dominant cilantro kick.
Ahhh, the pizzas… the first one is the basic Pizza Margherite with just cheese (12″ for $10.95) and it is a great to have with a salad. The second one is the Pizza Luau, which has kalua pork, local sweet onions and pineapples (9″ for $10.95). Both are excellent. The crust is what makes the pizzas here so good; very bubbly, crusty and chewy. One of my favorite pizzas in Hilo.
Reid from Ono Kine Grindz also went here recently. Service has generally been good the past times I’ve been here, but unfortunately he had a different experience. 
Café Pesto
S Hata Building
308 Kamehameha Avenue
Hilo, Hawaii
Telephone: 808.969.6640
www.cafepesto.com
Comments? Suggestions?
Please send them to james@bigislandgrinds.com
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