Pineapples Island Fresh Cusine

Pineapples Restaurant – Enjoy Island Fresh Cuisine in an Open-Air Eatery in Hilo
Local Expert's Rating:
4 / 5
The Bottom Line:

Well-known as the only open-air eatery in the downtown Hilo area, Pineapples Restaurant is the place to go for island fresh cuisine served with flair. Their exquisite preparations, artistic plating techniques, and excellent service all make for a memorable meal. Live music in the evenings completes the picture of perfection, as does their lively birthday celebrations.

- The HawaiianIslands.com Local Expert Team

For a unique downtown Hilo dining experience, set your sights on Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine. As the only open-air eatery in the area, it gives you an unmatched view of all the action while you dine. Their fresh island cuisine never fails to impress, while their full bar of tasty drinks allows you to take your meal to the next level. Friendly service and live music in the evenings bring everything together just right, making this eatery the place to land when you want the full package.

If you want to experience all the magic, it’s best to make reservations at Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine well ahead of time. The eatery stays full year-round, especially in the evenings when local musicians come to wow the crowds. Thankfully, you can easily book your spot by giving them a call. If you’d like to leave it all to chance, don’t be surprised if you have to wait more than an hour for a table to open up.

Once you get a chance to settle in at your table of choice, it becomes quite clear that it’s well worth the extra effort to dine here. The chill vibe instantly sets you at ease while the menu keeps you busy weighing all the options. Get ready for an amazing meal by whetting your appetite with an appetizer and drink of your choice. With that move, you’ll get a chance to see their culinary expertise in action.

In creating all their food and drinks, Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine always uses fresh island ingredients and imaginative recipes. Every last item comes out of the kitchen with flair, making it well worth taking a couple of snaps of your selections before digging in. As if that’s not enough to keep you satisfied with your dining experience, the servers go all out in bringing you whatever you need to have an enjoyable meal. In the evenings, live musicians join the team, sending soulful tunes across the eatery for your pure enjoyment.

Fan favorites on the menu at Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine:

Pineapple Pow
When you want to sip on all your favorite tropical flavors, treat yourself to the Pineapple Pow. This delightful drink starts by blending organic vodka, watermelon grenadine, orange juice, and pineapple chunks. After that, they pour it all in a hollowed-out Maui Gold pineapple and add whipped cream and fruit on top.

Poke Tower
For a mile-high flavor experience, you cannot go wrong with the Poke Tower as your appetizer of choice. To create this dish, the chef mixes up the poke featuring spicy ahi tuna, cucumbers, edamame, and carrots. Once it’s done, they add stack it in a ring over jasmine rice. Upon removing the ring, the tower gets a sprinkle of avocado and tomato chunks. Then, an unagi drizzle and crispy fried won tons join the party at the end.

Fresh Catch
When all you want is freshly caught fish done just how you like it, get the Fresh Catch plate. You’ll need to let the chef know if you’d like your fish of the day beer-battered, panko-crusted, or grilled to perfection. To that, they will add stir-fried vegetables to the side. Over the fish, they’ll pour on their signature mango chili lime sauce and beurre blanc sauce.

If you’re celebrating a birthday during your visit, be sure to let the staff know well ahead of time. They’ll whisk out a complimentary dessert complete with a candle. As that happens, the team sings their hearts out to celebrate the guest of honor to the fullest. After that, it’s time to make a wish, blow out the candle, and dig into the amazingly decadent sweet treat.

Insider Tips:
-Want discounts on drinks and more? Just come down from 3 pm to 5 pm daily for happy hour.
-The live music starts at 5:30 pm sharp on Thursday through Sunday each week.
-If you buy a bottle of wine at dinner, they let you purchase another to take home at half price.
-They stop offering takeout when the restaurant gets super busy. So, have a backup plan when you call.
-Do not leave your reservation requests on their voicemail. Instead, leave your name and number for a callback.