Sack N Save Hilo — Attraction in Hawaii

If you live off-island be prepared to have your mind blown by grocery prices in Hawaii. I've literally seen $9 gallons of milk here before. It's insane. Sack and Save (or Sack & Sizzle as we like to call it) is probably the oldest grocery store in Hilo town. It is fairly small but has everything you need. Prices are in line with Hawaii (meaning 2x 3x higher than mainland)--but they have various items on special every day/week--like most grocery stores.

Frequently I go there just for beer and poke to go--which are every day staples on the big island. (Back in the states Poke is the hot new trend; at least a dozen Poke places have opened up in Houston in the past couple of years--where there was literally zero befor that.) Go back to the fresh fish counter in the back corner and you can choose from several different types of poke--either a la carte / by the pount--or over rice. For like $7 you can get a delicious, healthy lunch. I get it to go and take it over to Coconut Island or Richardson's w/ a six-pack of Kona brew and have my lunch or dinner w/ a killer view.

I give Sack & Save 4 stars mainly because it can be a little dingy at times... but that's partly because it's OLD. The parking lot / front of the store could use a good pressure washing and a coat of paint... and maybe some big pots of flowers or something to liven it up a bit. If you compare it the Safeway on the edge of town--which is much more typical of a huge, modern, mainland rocery store--it really feels old and dated and even dingier. BUT... that's part of the charm. AND... it's super convenient. KTA is just down the block... but MUCH smaller than the...

Customer service lady, she's new unprofessional and always pretending that no customers exist, you make me stand long time waiting on someone to assist me but good thing the other cashier at the checkout lane helped me....next time I visit the store I will make sure I get your name. She walked away when she noticed someone is about to do transactions like she doesn't know. So STUPID, why get the job if you don't want to do it? Good you get to get free time walking around and make customers stands invisibly. That's a second time I stand at that customer service counter. Worse...

What an interesting place; walked here to grab some squid for fishing bait, but we got to see way more than anticipated. They kind of have a security guard at the door due to the homelessness in the area. Was able to witness a smoking homeless guy try and get in but quickly dodged to the side to grab two can out of the trash. When we were checking out our squid, same smoking homeless guy had a basket full of stuff and was doing... Stuff..

Anyways, probably not my 1st choice of grocery stores, but they have squid for...