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Ceviche Dave's
Rating Details »
8 reviews for Ceviche Dave's
Oh my, what a find...
Order the sampler for $10 and you get 4 different types of ceviches with chips and bread. After talking to owner Dave, found out he is a Texas transplant via Mexico where he created his original ceviche dishes.
He was so cool that he even gave us a complimentary bowl of his homemade Cioppino. Really good, but I couldn't tell you what was in it because my girlfriend literally inhaled it.
Here's his Ceviche break down.
Ta'apuna - Fresh ono, with coconut milk, parsley, bell pepper, and cucumber. Very similar to a Filipino ceviche they have at Poleng in SF.
Abreojos - Shrimp, cilantro, onions, pecans, mandarin slices, and orange juice. Yumm.
Kohanaiki - Fresh ono, celery, cilanto, macadamias, sweet bell peppers, in a passionfruit juice. Wow! Exactly what I would think a Hawaiian ceviche would be.
Escondido - Fresh ono in a habanera sauce, cilantro, onions, sweet bell peppers, corn, and raisins. Ceviche Tex-Mex style.
Order a slice of their lilikoi (passionfruit) cheesecake and bring it to the beach and that's a done deal.
Don't do it!!!
I drove past this place one night and then I started fantasizing about all the wonderful ceviche the mainland has... I have had lots and lots of ceviche in my day, so I had lot to fantasize about. I fantasized and fantasized for a few days, and then finally I decided to head over and give Ceviche Dave's a try.
Walk in the door: I don't know if it was Ceviche Dave or what, but he was in the middle of a guitar lesson. Okay, cool. Whatever. But then he didn't stop what he was doing. Okay after 1 minute, 2 minute, I'm just staring at him and his disciple or instructor (I really couldnt tell who was teaching who). Finally, I said, do you guys work here?? Dave responds that he affirmatively does, but doesnt offer any help. I finally just spoke up and said well can I order some ceviche. I really should have walked out. I mean I normally would have, I don't know why I was succumbing to my food fantasies.
I told him that i'd never been there before and that from the brief description on the wall it didn't sound like the traditional ceviche found in the mainland, mexico, etc, I told him I was looking for a little bit more of a description, maybe a sample, a picture, I don't know, help me out somehow. He isn't a sales person, let me just say that. After that, and in between his convo with the other guitar dude, I decided I would just order whatever 2 first ceviches caught my eye.
In a styrofoam container he put one scoop of the one with some chips. Then he put the other kind in another container with some chips. 2 scoops for almost $20?? Are you f-ing crazy???
Got home, already irritated by this ceviche experience. Popped open the styrofoam container. NOT IMPRESSED. Not impressed by appearance, texture or taste. Not impressed by the chips. Nothing positive to say at all.
Want ceviche?? Go online and make it yourself. You're in hawaii, there is a ton of fish everywhere. All the ingredients are readily available, and trust me it'll be 10x better than his crap in a shack.
Seeing as how the other Yelpers were so pleased with this place (prob cuz it's so different but so similar to poke), I should open my own ceviche place, I can see it now "Ceviche Marisa's" ......
This place is definitely not for purists. But if you are a bit open-minded, "what they serve" is very good. It's like being Italian and eating Chicago-style pizza. Just don't think it's pizza! Think it's a quiche, and enjoy the quiche :-)
Ok, a long story short: they use high-quality local ingredients (fish, lemon juice, various fruits and veggies), to make 4 types of citrus-cooked fish. Ceviche *is not* poke: the fish is not raw.
My favorite: shrimp with orange juice and clementines.
Second favorite: catch of the day in coconut milk.
Then the others.
I recommend The Sampler (n. 7, I think), this way you get to taste all 4 of them.
PS. pretty hard to find, if you are not a local. Use the map!
3.5
I love ceviche. When a local told us about Ceviche Dave's (a "fast food" ceviche stand), we had to go! For about $7 you get a decent portion of ceviche (about 1.5-2 cups). They have about 7 different varieties on the menu. We had the Ta'apuna (fresh fish, coconut milk served with a baguette) and the Escondido (fresh fish in a habanera sauce with cilantro, onions, sweet bell peppers, corn and raisins, served with chips). This is not restaurant caliber ceviche but it's pretty good for fast food!
I have never written an online review in my life. But after reading a negative review on Ceviche Dave, I was shocked. I couldn't pass up the chance to share my Ceviche Dave experience. My family and I visited the Big Island this year. On the recommend of some locals we ended up having the most authentic Big Island experience over a meal at Ceviche Dave's, of our entire two week trip. The ceviche was outstanding. But more than that... Dave exudes the Big Island.... the story behind the Ceviche, the restaurant, all of it hand carved by Dave's love and sweat.... exudes mana.... Truly it was a sacred experience. The food alone would cause us to return. But there is much more... if a person only chooses to pause, to listen, to look, to ask questions. For those that really appreciate the Life, the Aloha that is availabile on the Big Island, a visit to Ceviche Dave's is a must...
I have to admit, I didn't know what ceviche was before my sister in law brought us here. All she told us was "trust me, you'll love it, It's like poke"...She was completely right! Very cool place if your looking for a refreshing alternative on a hot and humid Kona afternoon. Hard to explain what ceviche is, but from my understanding it's a citrus-based marinate, cooking process presented in salad form. You can't go wrong if you go with the sampler plate. The deserts are pretty amazing too!
When the guy at Snorkel Bobs told us about this ceviche place in a strip mall near them I was skeptical to the quality of the food they would have. Man was I WRONG! Dave makes some of the BEST ceviche I have ever had. Great combos of flavors...shrimp with orange, tuna with coconut milk and ginger, all kinds of yummyness. A pint sets you back about 8 bucks...considering ceviche at Fresca in SF costs $14 for 1/2 cup..you are SO getting your moneys worth. Dave is laid back , environmentally conscious and a darn good guitar player to boot. It will be my first stop when I get back to Kona!!
I had the best ceviche I've ever had in my life here. This place is a little hard to find, but it's totally worth it. I got the sampler platter and every item was amazing. The owner gave us a free cold pack for our cooler when we bought ceviche pints to go. The fish and shrimp are fantastically fresh, and the staff is very nice. Prices are lower than you would guess. The special was $7, and the sampler was about 10 or 11.
