The Fish Hopper is the product of Chris Shake and Sabu Shake, Jr., two brothers with hospitality in their blood. Their family has been in the business since 1950, when their father, restauranteur Sabu Shake, Sr. opened his first restaurant. The family prides themselves on serving innovative food with genuine hospitality and sourcing local, sustainable ingredients.
Located in an orange and teal building on Alii Drive in Kailua-Kona, The Fish Hopper sits right across the street from the ocean on the west coast of Hawaii. A small hanging sign denotes the entrance, next to large, open-air windows. Inside, the restaurant is decorated tropically, with lots of bamboo accents, and tropical fish sculptures on the walls. There’s a lounge area with a large bar and a couple of TVs adjacent to the main dining room. The dining room itself offers two seating options – rectangular tables and chairs, as well as curved booths against the walls. The tall booths offer a more private feel, while the tables and chairs may offer better views. Just outside, across the street, is the Pacific Ocean, offering a stunning backdrop to your dining experience.
The menu emphasizes seafood, often prepared with tropical flavors and island styles. They do have some steak and chicken options for non-seafood lovers. Appetizers include familiar favorites like crab cakes, fried calamari, and oysters. They also serve a variety of entrée salads, sandwiches, tacos, and burgers. There are a variety of pastas available, as well as fish, shellfish, steak, and chicken entrees. The dessert menu features tropical sweet treats ranging from chocolate macadamia nut pie, to lilikoi cheesecake, to sweet potato haupia pie. The drinks choices are diverse and abundant. In addition to beer, wine, and traditional mixed drinks, they also have an impressive selection of “exotic libations.” Also, open for breakfast, this is a popular spot to feast on omelets, benedicts, pancakes, French toast, waffles, breakfast burritos, and loco moco.
Here are some of our favorite menu items:
Dungeness Crab Benedict
Breakfast doesn’t get more decadent than this. A toasted English muffin is loaded with fresh Dungeness crab meat, topped with poached eggs, doused in hollandaise sauce, and finished with a sprinkle of paprika. What a way to start the day!
Crispy Hopper Calamari
Tasty, crispy, and fresh, we found our calamari to be tender and light. Served with tartar sauce, cocktail sauce, and lemon, they’re a nice way to start off your meal.
Local Monchong and Creamy Risotto
Creamy risotto mixed with artichoke hearts, tomatoes, and spinach anchors this dish topped with broiled fresh Hawaiian munching fish and finished with a beurre blanc sauce. The freshness of the vegetables balances out the richness of the risotto, while the sauce adds brightness, and the fish adds fresh ocean flavors.
Fish Hopper Signature Chocolate Macadamia Pie
This takes a traditional Hawaiian macadamia nut pie and elevates it to the next level by topping it with a chocolate ganache. The result is out of this world. We think you’re going to want to save room for this one!
Ultimate Seafood Bloody Mary
We’re not sure whether we should refer to this as a drink, or a whole meal perched atop a glass! Not only does this drink taste delicious, but it’s also spectacular to view. The drink itself is a tasty blend of organic cucumber vodka, chili vodka, and a house Bloody Mary mix. What takes it from good to absolutely insane is the exhaustive list of garnishes. Ready for it? It’s topped with an oyster, a bacon-wrapped prawn, a crab cake slider, crab meat in a lemon cup, crab stuffed olives, pickled green beans, a hot pepper, and a lemon. You honestly have to see it to believe it.
This popular oceanside eatery is a nice place to stop for an energizing breakfast, filling lunch, or inspired dinner. We hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we did.
Insider Tips:
-Reservations aren’t required, but they can be helpful on busy days. We recommend making one if you can.
-If coming for dinner, try to have a reservation time around sunset. The open-air windows provide unobstructed ocean views, and the sunset is truly breathtaking. This would be a great spot for sunset dining on a special occasion or night out.
-At the bar, happy hour is offered daily, featuring discounts on draft beers, well cocktails, house wines, mixed drinks, and several appetizers and small plates.