Ponds

A Very Pleasant Lunch Ponds is a no nonsense eatery with a rustic dining room, great views and very good food. My one complaint is that the information on their website is several years old, and many of the items we were interested in were no longer available and prices were considerably higher than expected. That said, I still recommend Ponds. The Beer was about as cold as it could be without being frozen. The Crab Dip was especially good. The Calamari was nothing special, but good enough. The star of the meal was the Mango Cheesecake - simply the best we have ever tasted. Give Ponds a try - I think you will be glad you did.

We went on Sat. 5/09/26, and were immediately seated, for my 12noon reservation for 2. The kind and patient bartender Shawn, brought my friend her cocktail in a timely manner. I had the Shoyu Pork and it was juicy and meaty, & accompanied potato salad was amazing! My friend had her favorite Meatloaf w/mashed potatoes and loved her meal too! 2 professional chefs, even came out of the kitchen to extend warm gestures, and asked how our food was! And the natural unfiltered incredible view, if you're sitting by the window in the bar area, is a breath of fresh air! To be able to witness the happy keiki and kupuna enjoying the water, and also watching the beautiful ducks swimming around, is very relaxing. Mahalo nui loa, to entire staff of Pond's, for allowing such a wonderful lunch! Will definitely return!

Ruben was an amazing waiter. The food was beyond the high expectations from the personal recommendation of a local I know. Teriyaki Steak was like butter, it melted in my mouth. Lilikoi cheesecake was remarkable. 11 out of 10, will definitely revisit every time I'm in Hilo.

The place is beautifully located by a quiet lagoon. Akepa is a great sweet waitress with a smile that can enchant. Atmosphere of place is friendly and beautiful. You want to have good food and relax then this place is a big stop for you. They have limited menu but they make up for that easy. I enjoyed my afternoon here for sure and wouldn’t mind coming back again soon to enjoy the view and a drink. If I were Akepa’s boss. I’d give her a promotion! The customer service is awesome

On our last night in Hilo we stopped here for an early dinner. We liked the atmosphere and our service and food were both top notch. My husband and I shared the crab & spinach dip appetizer, then he had seafood gumbo and I had the crabe cake salad. It was the best food we had since we've been here and highly recommend it!!

Took my wife her on our first night of our honey moon! The theme inside was excellent! We got a window seat and was able to see out into the water. Food tasted great, along with great service made a good first night. We had walked over from the hotel next door. Maybe will be back some day.

We had such a lovely experience at Ponds Restaurant in Hilo! The food was absolutely delicious — the salmon was perfectly cooked, the steak tender and flavorful, and the macadamia nut pesto pasta was outstanding — rich, fresh, and full of local flavor. The portions were hearty and beautifully presented. What really made the evening special, though, was the warm and friendly staff. Everyone was so welcoming and attentive. You can tell they truly care about their guests.

This restaurant is a charming waterfront Hilo classic. We finally stopped in for lunch after running into one of the chefs who recommended the fish and chips. They use Opakapaka and tempura beer batter. I got the Captain's boat which had two pieces of fish, two big shrimp and two big scallops with garlic fries. Everything was delicious. We also got the same fish with lemon caper sauce. Great views, good service, prices were on the higher side but good quality food.