Pine Tree Cafe — Restaurant in Hawaii

The short story: this is a super efficient kitchen churning out a diverse selection of reasonable good foods at reasonably good prices to the masses.

The longer version: The is definitely something to be said for a kitchen that can meet great demand and still produce good food. This speaks to a work force with a strong work ethic as well as fantastic management skill. I'm not trying to knock that here, so please read it in that tone. If you have 45 minutes for your 10 person group to grab a bite before you need to book it to your Zipline your in Kohala that starts in two hours... This is the place for you. If you are wanting to come away with a meaningful culinary experience added to your vacation... Maybe not so much.

When we arrived there were perhaps 10 guests in front of us. Our order was taken, and food prepared in about 15 minutes. By the time our food arrived probably another 30 people had funneled thru the line. This is a very popular spot! I saw no one complaining about messed up orders, the prep team is clearly on point, but this comes with a caveat. There is simply no time to pay attention to the food, the orders are just cranked thru like it's on a conveyer belt.

Everything was good. Just that. I had the fish breakfast with ahi, hard eggs, hash browns and a side of toast. The ahi was well done (which honestly I don't really think ahi should ever be served well done, but there weren't really any options), the eggs were perfect, the hash browns were those thick hard triangular kind that come frozen and then deep fried, and the toast was toast. Good breakfast, nothing to write home about, conveyer belt did it's job. My wife's was similar with French toast and eggs.

There are tons at great reviews for this place and I can't help wondering if when things are slower maybe a little more personality comes thru, but as busy as they were I don't even see how that's possible.

Next time I need fast food I'd come here again before I would hit up a drive thru, but otherwise I feel like there are better places nearby to invest...

3.5 stars for the good food and good service we enjoyed at the local “legend”. Recommended by more than one person we met during a helicopter ride at the airport nearby. When we arrived we were stunned to find a huge menu board on the wall along with just as many additional choices posted on signs and white boards at the front counter. Expect to take some time making a decision. Lots of traditional Hawaiian choices like ono fish and chips, teriyaki chicken plate, kalbi beef, and seafood plate. But so much more-burgers, sandwiches, rib eye steak, liver and onions, fried chicken, roast turkey, bento, loco moco, on and on. The choices are immense! So after looking them over and asking some questions my wife chose the hot pastrami sandwich and my choice was the tempura mahi sandwich. Both sands came with a choice of fries or onion rings and either a green salad or Mac salad. Surprising to get rings offered with a sandwich-you gotta pay more for that at home. The sandwiches were nice size and both were delicious. Pastrami was flavorful with lots of pickles on the sandwich. Maybe too many. Greens and onion also. My mahi was cooked perfectly and came on a nice grilled roll with greens onion and tomato with a house sauce. Really good. The rings were plentiful but just your typical foodservice frozen variety. My wife’s green salad looked delicious but had to take it home-too full. Strangely my Mac salad tasted like it had tuna in it. They were much to busy to ask but I still enjoyed it. Maybe home made? I still enjoyed every bite. We also picked a brownie but again that went home untouched. Looked great. All in all a great lunch. May be back this week...

Pine Tree Café in Kona – A Hidden Gem!

We had such a fantastic experience at Pine Tree Café that we actually went twice during our trip. The first time was for breakfast, which we chose after reading reviews about their affordable and delicious. It did not disappoint — I had two fried eggs with Portuguese sausage on toast, along with hashbrowns, all at a pretty inexpensive price. The breakfast was simple, but packed with flavor.

On our last day, we returned for lunch and honestly wish I had discovered their lunch menu sooner! The location is perfect, especially if you're near the airport, making it a great spot for a quick, satisfying meal. I tried their poke bowl special for under $10, which came with a generous portion of poke and a side of their tuna Mac salad — absolutely delicious! My husband enjoyed a club sandwich, which he said was one of the best he's had.

The staff are friendly and welcoming, creating a relaxed atmosphere. While seating inside is limited, there’s plenty of outdoor seating to enjoy the lovely Kona weather. Plus, it’s a great place to grab a quick bite and either take it back to your hotel or enjoy it on the beach. I also loved their massive condiment station filled with all kinds of hot sauces — I wish I had taken a photo of it!

Overall, Pine Tree Café is a must-visit for great food, friendly service, and a convenient location. We’ll...