ʻŌhelo Café

Reviews

Reviews are sorted by relevance, with the most helpful and insightful feedback listed first for easy reference.

  Andrew Kumar
4 weeks ago
sooooo expected big island and national park mark ups aside, this place was decidedly middling. not sure what the local alternatives are, but the food quality was definitely lacking. the service was kind, flexible and attentive, but one of our servers could have used a shower. The hallway to the bathrooms smelled like a McDonald's at closing time (due to the kitchen mats hanging there). the Ceasar salad was pretty good, nice dressing and fresh hearts of Romaine. the garlic bread that came with it was a pass. The Mac nut pesto pizza was a pass. Both due to pack of flavor and bread/texture that left me wanting. the single tall lillikoi marg was refreshing, especially with the lihing rim. Again, the staff had great attitudes and were super kind!

  Rose Carmichael
4 months ago
For how expensive it was, I was really disappointed my pork chop was overcooked. The seasoning was good, fresh Broccoli and mashed potatoes were really good.They had a large party that night and all of the appetizers were sold out, which was also disappointing.

  Laila Moir�-Selvage
6 months ago
Delicious, elevated food menu sourced locally! Great wine sleep and excellent service. Highly recommend for a lovely dinner or lunch experience. I typically make a reservation but they have also extended seating outside if you go spontaneously before or after visiting Volcano National Park. Loved the fresh Ka u caught Ono with seasonal veggies I got recently!Parking: Large gravel parking lot with plenty of space in addition to some spots right in front.

  Bob Urso
a month ago
On a positive note we were able to be seated immediately during prime dinner time, perhaps that was telling. After 10 minutes of trying hard to find options on the limited menu that appealed to us, my wife and I decided to leave for a different venue - the couple at the table next to us had done the same a few minutes before. Probably a great option for pizza and beer but that was not what we were looking for.

  Super Tax Genius
a year ago
Know kidding the best place on the Big Island. Everything on the menu was amazing! They have great fish and steak and pasta and you might miss the wood fired pizza but their crust is AMAZING!!! We ordered two pizzas to go just to get more of it.The bar drinks are awesome and they just added some delicious dessert pizzas!Super fun and friendly staff!

  Patrick Jourdan
3 months ago
More

  Ryan Gurr
a year ago
We are here on our stay in Volcano. The cafe is attached to a convenience store, but don't be deceived by its looks. The service was good but the food was spectacular.We had the seafood pasta which was full of flavour and huge shrimp and we had the special long tail red snapper which was spectacular. Highly recommended, only wish that had been open Tuesday and Wednesday night so we could have eaten there every night!

  Laila Comolli
a week ago
The blond young hostess was so rude from the moment we walked in (smiling, and eager to enter what looked like a cute restaurant) that I was tempted to skip dinner altogether. She was beyond rude from the first words with no apparent reason whatsoever. Absolutely ruined our experience. The pizza was fine, though overpriced, but not out of typical range for Volcano.

  Kohl Terpening
2 months ago
More

  Andrew Johnson (AJ)
5 months ago
It was our first night in Hawaii and we'd been travelling from New Zealand for 19 hours. We needed food. We needed beer. This place was a GREAT choice and the best and most relaxed place we went to in Volcano. Very seriously: if you want a meal in the evening in Volcano that is down to earth, friendly, yummy, and worth the money, this is the place. Other places exist, but they are NOT as good. Trust me on this.Watch out for their opening hours, they're closed some nights and then your options in Volcano very much, much smaller.

  Marcela Hartmann
6 months ago
Excellent food and service. All waiters were extremely fast and kind. I had the pesto pizza and it was delicious - the crust is really good. I definitely recommend.Parking: You can park right in front of the restaurant.

  Niu Jia
4 months ago
More

  Ryan bauman
a month ago
More

  Sarah Maynard
5 days ago
More

  Saudia Tate
3 months ago
great meal and awesome service. they were short a cook this time, so half the menu wasn t available. I had the fish burger with delicious roasted potatoes and a mango margarita! The margarita was a too tart for my liking but still very good. (: A great little spot, highly recommend if you re in the area!Vegetarian options: You can modify certain dishes to enjoy! Ask before ordering because my potatoes came with cheese and I wasn t aware.

  Jack Hilton
5 days ago
Blink and you'll miss it, which would be a travesty because the service is great, the meals delightful, and the desserts fantastic. I highly recommend you try their dessert sampler, which comes with chocolate mousse, creme brulee, and O'helo napoleon (a pastry smothered in homemade whipped cream and berry compote). Worth every penny.Parking: There are a few marked spots directly in front of the entrance, with additional parking in the dirt lot to the side.Kid-friendliness: High chairs/booster seats are available.Wheelchair accessibility: The entrance has a ramp.

  Mara Miller
a year ago
White pizza...add chicken, Roma tomatoes, capers and artichoke hearts . The Kau fish burger and potatoes were delicious. And the made-on-site baked Alaska, with lilikoi (i.e. passionfruit) ice cream?!? Try it NOW!!!Vegetarian options: Made-to-order pizzas, with locally-grown produce as much as possible.Dietary restrictions: Their pizzas are made-to-order and staff is accommodating...I'm sure they have something for everyone.Parking: There's a large gravel parking lot to the left of the building...plenty of free parking!Kid-friendliness: My son ate his whole pizza and loved it! No kids menu or activities, but he did fine in the restaurant.Wheelchair accessibility: There's a ramp out front.

  Taylor Cash
a month ago
Came for lunch-great food-horrible service. Waitress was uninterested in doing her job. Sat around forever before ordering and she never came back after dropping the food. We eventually had to ask someone else for the bills, despite our waitress wandering around an empty restaurant. She couldn t do a simple bill split for six people. Burgers were great, though.

  Keith Par�
6 months ago
More

  Jim Krieger
3 weeks ago
More

  Carson Malley
2 months ago
Starting when we got ,there they were out of most things. ordered are drinks it took a long time for them to arrive. But they were very tasty. When I asked nicely for they seafood pasta she said they only had one so I got the overpriced pork chop and my friend got the steak after when we got are food. The waitress gave me and my friend the wrong food after when we got are food I noticed that the pork chop was pretty salty so this is my review on my night out

  Drew Wilkens
a year ago
We showed up with no reservations, but were able to be seated almost immediately. My wife and I were talked into the pork roast special. (See photo). We were glad we were! The entire meal was very flavorful and the pork was very tender. Our server was fantastic! Unfortunately, we can t remember her name. The receipt says Amanda, but we don t think that sounds right. Anyway, it hit the spot! I also recommend the Rosemary Old Fashioned w/Makers. Perfect end to a long day of Volcano National Park exploration! Thanks, helo Caf� and staff!

  Beth Cooper
a year ago
Wow - this unexpected gem was amazing! What wasn t amazing was how my family watched the staff being treated by customers. People were rude and entitled and occasionally ridiculous. Two of the people who wrote reviews tonight about the rude hostess were together and we were waiting and observed their entire interaction. The people got there about 12 minutes before their reservation time. The hostess explained that they were still waiting on a table to open up and it looked like it would be about 20 minutes. The man got upset and argued that they had a reservation and shouldn t have to wait and she explained that they were early so really it would probably only be about 5-10 mins past their reservation time. When she said she was sorry, he responded, are you really sorry? Because it seems to me you are just being obnoxious. She was literally just doing her job. He was so rude to her (I would have cried and quit), that another staff member came out and told them they wouldn t be serving them tonight because of his verbal abuse. Then they came on here and wrote two bad reviews. I was impressed by the way they stood by their principles and stood up for their server! She didn t do anything wrong and was still nice despite the way he treated her! Please remember to be kind. The staff was above and beyond nice to us just because we treated them like human beings. There was only one server and she was swamped - a little patience goes a long way! We found the staff to be kind and appreciative and welcoming.Bonus - the food was incredible! Seriously delicious! The cauliflower appetizer was amazing, the pizza crust tasted like some sort of puff pastry, and the desserts were to die for! We dug in too fast to get pics of the desserts (even the fancy baked Alaska), but it was the best meal we have had on the island.People seem mad about the masking and vaccination requirements. I found it refreshing to find an establishment that cares more about public health than making an extra buck. It was really nice to see a place taking it seriously when everyone seems to want to pretend it s over. We usually ONLT eat outdoors so when we were needing somewhere to eat and our options were extremely limited, knowing everyone indoors was vaccinated and the servers (and some customers) wearing masks, helped our anxiety level a bit. If the requirements annoy you, please remember that the individuals you encounter likely aren t the ones who made the rules (intended to protect you and those around you), and please don t take it out on them! These are kind people who are overworked and in the service industry - please be kind!

  Chui T
4 years ago
Stopped here on the way back from Volcanos National Park. Service is friendly and there was no wait. We had the wood fired cauliflower with a side of fish and the Fuji apple bbq ribs. Best cauliflower I ve ever had - super creamy sauce - you can definitely taste the truffle oil. The fish and ribs were both a little dry but the sauce for the ribs was also really good, sweet but not too heavy. Overall, nice food and atmosphere a little on the pricier side.

  Melanie Guerra
10 months ago
More

  Gwen Patterson
a month ago
More

  Mecque Leonard
4 months ago
More

  Steven H
a year ago
More

  Dawn Fleishans
5 months ago
More

  Jordan Offutt
5 years ago
This is a fantastic little spot. First, let me say that the price point here is higher than any other option in the area. If you are dining on a budget and not prepared to spend $100 or more on dinner for 2, then please be aware that's what this option is. Your appetizers are in the $12-15 range, salads in the $9 - 12 range and entrees are $25 and up.The hours are a little in flux right now because the village is seeing less activity due to the closure of the park. They are currently closed for lunch and open up for about 4 hours each evening (Tuesday excluded) for dinner.We didnt have a reservation, but were still seated immediately as we got there about 10 minutes after opening. The restaurant filled pretty quickly after we arrived.Service was phenomenal, and everything we would expect from a $25 - 30 a plate restaurant.Food has incredible flavor. Get the Woodfired Cauliflower. The sauce was unbelieveable. Order extra bread to sop it up. I also ordered a house salad. Everything was incredibly fresh, however it was extremely heavy on the onions. Be advised if that is an issue for you.The lamb was incredible. It had a flavorful, herb crust and was cooked perfectly to order. The demi glaze had a very rich flavor with a pop of rosemary. The Hamakua mushrooms were very meaty and a delight in the dish. The woodfire flavor was delightful in both this and the cauliflower.The vegetarian pasta also did not disappoint. All the dishes have a fresh herb punch, so the flavors are bold.Well worth the visit.