Waiakea Center is a small V-shaped retail strip in Hilo. At Waiakea Center’s midpoint is a food court, and various retail stores fan out on either side. A Wal-Mart, Office Max, and Ross Dress for Less are anchor stores making Waiakea Center a big draw to locals and tourists alike. While pictures of a Walgreens store are still on Waiakea Center’s website, the store has been closed for over a year.
Visitors to Waiakea Center report that it is clean and has good curb appeal. Additionally, they felt safe when shopping.
Let’s explore some shops in Waiakea Center, so you have a better idea of what’s available.
Hawaiian Shrimp Company
This food stand sells various shrimp-based recipes accompanied by healthy side items. Think of Hawaiian Shrimp Company as healthy fast food.
L&L Hawaiian Barbecue
This fast-food restaurant serves Asian and American fusion food and has chains across the United States.
Oshima Surf and Skate Hilo
This family-owned and operated store sells surf and skateboarding apparel. They also carry innovative and creative T-shirts and other souvenir-type items.
Lemongrass Express
Fresh Asian cuisine awaits you at Lemongrass Express. Their menu has appetizers like calamari, crispy fried spring rolls, and beef potstickers. Salads include Calamari Salad and Orange Chicken Salad. Local favorites include Beef Ribs Kimchi with fried rice and Furikake Chicken. They also have a wide variety of noodle soups like Spicy Beef Ribs Udon Soup and Chicken Udon Noodle Soup.
Fun Factory Inc
Your children will love spending time in this arcade playing various games and trying to win prizes.
Fast Food
You’ll find national fast-food chains like McDonald’s and Domino’s Pizza at Waiakea Center.
Kalbi Express
Craving Korean food? Head on over to Kalbi Express. The menu has Korean BBQ and spicy combo plates like Kalbi & Spicy Pork Plate, Spicy Chicken & Korean Chicken Plate, to name a few. All plates come with four vegetables and two scoops of rice. The menu has smaller portions, too.
1 Plus 1 Cafe
This fast food store sells Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine. Diners may choose from Roast Duck, Duck and Roast Pork Mein Soup, Summer Rolls, Special Chow Mein, Crab Rangoons, and House Special Chow Funn.
Waiakea Center also has national chains like The Vitamin Shoppe, GameStop, T-Mobile, and Great Clips, to name a few. And we might add that Wal-Mart is a full-service store and has a grocery section. Waiakea Center also offers a wide variety of retailers with healthy fast food options that are reasonably priced. Toss in the big-box stores, and you can see why this shopping experience is so popular.
If you’re looking for a shopping area that has everything you’d need in one stop, we think you’ll be pleased to visit Waiakea Center.
Insider Tip:
Parking can be congested. Some visitors suggest entering from the backside of Waiakea Center for better parking spots. When leaving, they suggested turning left to get to the highway easier.