Hilo hot spots

During a quick media trip to the Big Island, we stopped at several popular destinations. The next time you’re in Hilo, check these out:

Popover Bakery & Café

This café is known for its light, airy popovers — pastries with a semi-hollow center and a distinct custard flavor. Customers can enjoy these delicious treats with a side of housemade lilikoi butter or in the form of popover sandwiches.

Popular sandwiches include breakfast sandwich with sausage ($10) — a savory medley of scrambled eggs, Portuguese sausage, breakfast potatoes and house sauce — and the “ABC” ($12), or avocado, bacon and grilled chicken melt with housemade pesto sauce.

Besides its signature popovers, the café also offers a variety of flatbreads, doughnuts (go for the s’mores, maple bacon or orange dream flavors) and scones.

Popover Bakery & Café
399 E. Kawili St. Ste. 102, Hilo
808-935-7874
popoverhi.com

Nector Café

Located within Wild HeArtist in downtown Hilo, Nector Café is a trendy spot for espresso, lemonade and smoothies, along with bubble cone ice cream sundaes, milkshakes, waffles, scones and more. Its menu has a wide variety of colorful concoctions, ranging from matcha lattes ($3.33) and brown sugar boba tea ($7.77) to “elixirs” with unique names like unicorn latte, mermaid latte and love potion.

Popular beverages include the cookie butter latte ($6.88) — complete with a cookie on top — and Heart ChakraLatte ($6.88) featuring matcha and rose with milk.

Nector Café
216 Kamehameha Ave., Hilo
808-933-4278
nectorcafe.com
Instagram: @nectorcafe

Kuhio Grille

“Home of the famous 1-pound laulau” is Kuhio Grille’s claim to fame. The local business was established at its original location in Prince Kuhio Plaza in 1995, but moved to its current location — with a scenic view of Mauna Kea and

Hilo Bay — in 2020. The eatery’s signature 1-pound laulau are wrapped and steamed in the restaurant’s kitchen and feature a family recipe.

Kuhio Grille is especially popular for its Kanak Atak ($26.99) — laulau, kalua pig, rice, poi, lomi salmon, pickled onions and haupia — and laulau combo ($18.99), which comes with laulau and a half order of its signature fried rice.

The biz also offers several different loco mocos, combo plates, tempura, donburi, udon and more.

Kuhio Grille
80 Pauahi St., Hilo
808-959-2336
kuhiogrille.com
Instagram: @kuhiogrille

Big Island Candies

No trip to Hilo is complete without a stop at Big Island Candies’ flagship store. The business is famous for its gourmet Hawaiian candies, chocolates and cookies — namely, its macadamia nut chocolate-dipped shortbread.

The Hilo store has a few exclusive treats that you can’t find on Oahu, however. Indulge in the signature ice cream pies ($9.15), which are currently available in two flavors — brownie bash and almond a la mode pie. Brownie bash includes Roselani vanilla ice cream drizzled with fudge topping and macadamia nut brownies in a chocolate or original shortbread cookie crust. Meanwhile, almond a la mode features a combo of Roselani vanilla ice cream drizzled with fudge topping and roasted almonds in an original or chocolate shortbread cookie crust.

Other Hilo-exclusive treats include milk chocolate-dipped ika ($11.50) and smoothies ($5.01), available in mango, banana, cappuccino and strawberry flavors.

Big Island Candies
585 Hinano St., Hilo
808-935-8890
bigislandcandies.com
Instagram: @bigislandcandies