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Seaside Restaurant
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
65 reviews for Seaside Restaurant
Review Highlights
"The freshest and most delicious fish on the Big Island."
(in 9 reviews)
"I went with the Macadamia encrusted Mahi Mahi."
(in 11 reviews)
"and Seaside is always the BEST bet for fresh fish."
(in 7 reviews)
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65 reviews in English
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Review from Ariana T.
Glen Burnie, MD
1/8/2012
When you go into the Seaside Restaurant, you aren't going to be awestruck with all of the things that normally accompany fine dining. You'll see a display case selling t-shirts. You'll see some places where the wood might need a bit of a paint job. You'll also see that there is a wait. If you go to the website, they recommend making reservations and you'll know why if you try to go there without them. Even with reservations, you might be waiting 10 minutes. It's ok. Wait. The menu is simple but delicious and many of the items come from the owner and operator's own aqua-farm, which you can see if you visit while it's still light outside.
Appetizers:
If you like Calamari, it isn't stringy or more breading than meat. It comes with lemons and a simple cocktail sauce. It's tender and filling and extremely tasty.
The clams are cooked in butter, garlic, and white wine with tomato chunks and they're delicious. So good, in fact, that once we were done with the clams, we wouldn't let the waiter take away the broth because we were too busy soaking up the remnants with the freshly-baked ciabatta bread that comes with the meal.
Clam chowder was the soup of the day on Friday. Creamy, delicious, and filled with clams and potatoes, it was everything you ever wanted in a bowl of soup and then some.
Entrees:
Cajun seasoning surrounds to large, seared Ahi steaks on a bed of vegetables and pasta. It was perfectly cooked and seasoned. I'm not even a fan seared Ahi but this was pretty good.
Bacon wrapped scallops: It's scallops wrapped in bacon. Do we even really need to talk about this? You get six of them and they're mouthwatering morsels delivering flavor punches to your face.
I had the macadamia nut encrusted mahi-mahi with a wasabi and sweet-chili sauce. I asked for the sauce on the side because I'm not a fan of anything with horseradish or anything that resembles or has touched mayonnaise. It turns out, I didn't have anything to worry about. It's made with heavy cream and if there is horseradish, the sweet chili sauce masked it well. The fish by itself isn't spectacular until you add the sauce, but then it's perfect. It also comes with a mountain of rice (brown or white). I'm serious. It's basically the Everest of rice mountains.
Dessert:
After all that food, we didn't have any room for dessert. We told the waiter we couldn't do it, but maybe the next time we came in. He asked where we were from and upon hearing Maryland, he left and brought us back the taro and guava bread pudding. He placed it down on out table in a to-go box and triumphantly said, "You're not going to find THAT on the east coast. It will never be as good as it is right now, either. So. . . eat up!" He put some spoons down, and even though my stomach was bursting afterwards, we chowed down on the best bread pudding I've ever had.
Price wise, you're looking at about $35 a person if you're getting a drink and splitting an appetizer. Even if you're on a budget, I think the cost is worth the experience. -
Review from Kali M.
12/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
They delivered another table's stuff to us, then just took it from ours to the other after it had sat in front of us for 5 min (the amount of time it took for them to return to our table to check on us so that we could tell them the food was wrong).
One of our group waited 10 minutes after everyone else's food had arrived to receive his.
Food was overall fine, but the sauce on my bacon-wrapped scallops was nauseating -- not exaggerating. After one bite I said, "it tastes like trash!" and gave bites to some others to corroborate.
On the flip side, our waiter was friendly and nice, quite patient especially given the size (10) and needs (a couple hard of hearing, one annoying) of our group.
The atmosphere was sort of "this is the space and budget we're stuck with, but let's try real hard to make it look schmancy."
Bleh. -
Review from Matthew M.
Fort Lee, NJ
11/29/2011
I went here during my vacation in Hawaii this past week after a very long day that consisted of climbing to the top of Mount Mauna Kea and hitting up Apuna Beach. I'd been wanting to come to this spot for a while, and really didnt want to go to a touristy seafood spot in Hawaii. I HAAATE the touristy stuff.
This place is quaintly located right across from the ocean on a bay front in Hilo. I was staying just down the street near King's Landing...so the location was great too.
Upon entering, i have to say that it doesn't look like much. A few cars scattered in a gravel parking lot, a hawaiian dude just lounging on a chair near the entrance, and kitchen workers coming in and out of a side door...I wasnt sure what we were in for...but once you enter you can see how deceiving the outside really is.
The inside is HUGE. I went with my friends Shilpa, Aditi and Nida at the end of the day and we thought we'd be the only ones in there. BOY were we wrong.
Lots of people, families, locals etc inside enjoying the quaint decor and awesome service. The menu is great. A broad selection of meat, fish, chicken and veggie dishes and appetizers that all sound GREAT. I went with the Macadamia encrusted Mahi Mahi...got it with rice and could not have been happier. GREAT seasoning, rich but not too rich...really a great way to end the day.
Shilpa had the Grilled Mahi Mahi in Garlic butter sauce and it was awesome. Aditi had sushi and definitely liked what she had.
Nida had an Ahi Poke (pronounced "Poke-ay" by the hawaiians) and it was really tasty...but I think its too much of a good thing and would probably be better served as an appetizer (it may have actually BEEN from the appetizer menu).
In all, a great experience and really good food. Portions were Big (as are most portions in Hawaiian restaurants) and the prices...well mine was 25 bucks, Shilpa's the same. Definitely not cheap, but worth it if you're in Hawaii and want to experience the real deal.
If i ever go back to Hilo...i'll definitely be going back! -
Review from Khara L.
Las Vegas, NV
1/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
Great Food, Great Service....A little on the pricey end but when your brother is paying, it tastes exceptionally good! LOL :-D
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Review from Tiana A.
HILO, HI
Cute little restaurant overlooking a fish pond. Service is hit and miss, but it's the food that keeps me coming back. Tender calamari strips and fresh poke to start. The shrimp mushroom bisque was very taste. The sauteed mahi with pesto never disappoints. Cooked to perfection and accompanied by warm, fluffy rice. For dessert, I shared in a slice of Kona coffee mud pie. Wonderful and totally worth the calories.
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Review from Kristen W.
Keaau, HI
1/3/2012
We just ate there for my birthday and it was both of our first times eating here despite having lived here for over a year and a half. At first glance it was a little alarming. It didn't help that I overshot it and nearly drove right by it. It's basically a house and looks pretty unassuming from the front. Once inside they seated us overlooking the pond which was really nice, especially with the birds flying over the water (and the airplanes taking off behind them!). The decor definitely improves as the night gets darker and you have a nice warm lit ambiance. But enough about the decor and on to the food!
It's probably ironic that both of us came to a seafood restaurant and ordered prime rib, but it's my birthday and I'll eat what I want to. The prime rib was your standard prime rib, delicious with amazing au jus. I had a salad before that with the oriental dressing that I absolutely loved. It was a simple green garden salad, but the dressing really made me want to gobble it all up and I usually just pick at salads. But the HIGHLIGHT of our meal was the escargot - buried under delicious, warm gooey cheese and just the right amount of flavor with some perfect crostini...we are definitely returning if only for the escargot alone :)
For Hilo, it's a nice restaurant. We were very happy with our food, service was fine (nothing stellar, not horrible), and the price was just fine for our celebratory dinner. -
Review from Gordon P.
Sherwood - Tualatin South, OR
1/27/2012
WHAT? What? Where did I go wrong? How does this place get these reviews? We went last week 1-19-12 . The minute I walked in it hit me, all the tacky Christmas decorations where still up and lit and having to walk by a store room and dirty prep kitchen didn't set the mood for fine dining either. Ok I'm now at a window table looking over a brackish pond and a fish dock in much need of repair. There was however entertainment, a very lively Mongoose was about the dock doing what I failed to understand but fun to watch never the less. On second thought maybe the pond wasn't brackish maybe it was just the grimy filthy windows which looked as if a good cleaning of the glass hasn't happen in months! The waiter drop off a menu and upon opening I noticed all the prices where in the $25.00 and up side, now these amounts are far from over priced for fine dining but the prices where in steep contrast to the scratched and hazy Plexiglas covering the soiled and winkled black table cloths, I should have got right up and walked out! But no I ordered the Mahi-mahi, the fish was fresh and cooked well but the overly sweet Wasabi chili sauce did not serve it well. The pasta was overdone and dry and the veggies well I didn't even go there. Ok the ball is in your court, follow the reviews and go or?
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Review from Patrick L.
Kent, OH
12/29/2011
Great food and service. We went late (7:30 reservation, they close at 8:30), and they were out of the mussels and some fish listed on the catch of the day board. Mahi Mahi, steak and prawns and braised ribs were all good, as were the steamed rice and veggies. Good local beer on tap. Would give 5 stars but for the missing items.
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Review from Patrick L.
San Diego, CA
6/12/2011
Came here based on Fodor's review. Said it was freshest place to get seafood in Hilo. Location is cool as it's on the water with egrets flying all around. So if you're hear at dusk you get to see them pretty active. Apparently this place is also a fish farm and they raise most of what they serve. So off we went.
Was disappointed that they ran out of Aholehole and Poke. That was goiing to be my entire meal. So skipped apps and had the Mac crusted mahi mahi instead. Good meal slightly expensive but not crazy. My wife had the sushi - good but not exceptional. My whole meal was jaded by them not having the two things I specifically went there for.
I'm glad we came here once but wouldn't necessarily come back again - unless of course I could try the Aholehole.
P.S. Coqui frog in the parking lot is cool. -
Review from Karl K.
Honolulu, HI
9/12/2011
I held my birthday dinner a few years ago with some of my classmates. I normally hold my party on Oahu, but that year, I was in Hilo at the time and celebrated with a different crowd.
I called from Honolulu to set the reservation for eighteen diners. The restaurant set us in a private dining area (that was a huge plus!) and we ended up with fifteen in attendence.
Hilo people, at least those I know, are humble and unassuming folks who tend to "hold back." I had to urge them to order whatever they wanted - I gave them the "run of the menu." Especially since some of them had yet to dine at Seaside.
Appetizers: if you want sashimi, just order it. Beverages: beer, wine, cocktails, whatever. Entrees: steak, seafood, whatever you desire. Desserts: no need watch calories, just order. AND DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE BILL. I'VE BUDGETED FOR THIS GALA EVENT.
Once they all loosened up, everyone enjoyed a relaxing evening of food, drink, and social interaction. It was over four decades since our high school days and there was a lot to catch up on, even things that never got a mention at recent class reunions. It turned out, in every sense, to be a mini-reunion of sorts. People got to try new things - sharing pupus; trading stories; sampling dessert treats. My tariff for this? Under $650, tip included. I will probably do it again next year, after I throw my Honolulu party. -
Review from Amy L.
League City, TX
9/16/2011 1 photo
We have been to this restaurant for dinner twice with friends and it is fabulous! The staff and ambiance along with the food are all excellent! They have great fresh fish of the day specials with unique sauces-YUMMY! I believe I had a macadamia nut crusted mahi with a lemon caper butter sauce. My husband also tried a steak and lamb there and he was thrilled with both. For an appetizer try the calamari, it is some of the best we have ever had. They also have a nice wine selection and the bread pudding is out of this world! I think it is one of the nicest places to eat in Hilo.
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Review from Gary P.
Diamond Bar, CA
7/21/2011
My wife and I ate here last week. The halibut was just OK and the pasta was overly garlic. Waiter service service just OK. Junk yard dog at the front door was fun for us -- we like animals, but would turn off most patrons. Restrooms EXTREMELY dirty and the restaurant wasn't much better. The only good thing about this restaurant is the view, but the aroma in the dining room is a turn-off. We would not return.
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Review from Shreekant P.
Glen Mills, PA
9/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
Came in here after a long day of sightseeing. Got the specials which were the grilled Ahi, and Mahi. This may be one of the better seafood places in town, but it would be unjust to give 4-stars compared to Philly and NYC restaurants when that food quality is so much better. Food was average, service was good, prices reasonable (for Hawaii).
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Review from Brandon B.
Chicago, IL
7/30/2011
Probably the only meal in Hawaii where I didn't feel like I was paying too much for too little. I was so full I had to go home crash. The service and atmosphere was higher end than most of the places in Hawaii without any tourist flair. The view of the egrets flying and gathering on the tree structures outside was amazing, and we walked out on the deck while awaiting our order to take some pictures. Not too hard to get into on a busy night, a little off the main strip but that's probably why its so special.
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Review from Edwin N.
Hilo, HI
9/11/2011 4 Check-ins Here
The Furikake Salmon is one of their signature dishes. To me the prices are a lil' on the pricey side but overall 3 stars. I'll give a half a star for the view. Enjoy!
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Review from Nam N.
4.5 Stars.
The honey and I enjoyed our annivesary dinner at the Seaside Restaurant. He raved about it during his last trip and I was eager to give it a try.
The restaurant itself rests upon a "pier" of a pond in a two story, quaint style building. Parking is a bit slim so you may need to park across the street. The restaurant farms its own fish on the premises which lends to super fresh products.
We were seated at a nice window table that overlooked the pond. Unfortunately it was pretty dark so I couldn't see much, but I appreciated it nonetheless.
We each ordered one of the specials of the night. I had the Ono with a Macademia Nut Pesto served with Garlic Noodles and a Fresh Salad with Papaya Seed Dressing. He had the Moi Chinese Style with a bowl of Clam Chowder. While we waited for our entrees we had piping hot rolls (YUM!) and embarked upon a bottle of the Grove Street Cabernet Sauvignon. Our server alerted us that the kitchen was running a tad slow due to some staffing issues---however, I found that our food came out in a pretty good amount of time.
My Ono was SUPER fresh and had the texture of a firm swordfish or mahi mahi. There were parts that seemed a tad overcooked but for the most part, it was quite juicy. I LOVED the Macademia Nut Pesto--so bright and "herby". I cannot wait to try making my own version with the huge bag of mac nuts that I brought home. I also really enjoyed the garlic noodles and salad dressing. But the show stopper was the bf's Chinese Style Moi. I had some serious FOOD ENVY!
The Moi was prepared whole and I think steamed with a ginger-soy sauce and sprinkled with scallions with all kinds of goodness. The fish was so absolutely tender and moist.....and wonderfully seasoned. SO GOOD! I think my mouth just watered writing about it! Hands down, one of the best whole fishes I've ever had (and trust me, I've had a lot in my lifetime!) Something about the simple preparation and super fresh Moi made it so darn delicious. I would definitely recommend any of the Chinese style fish from Seaside as I'm sure it would be of the same quality.
Why only 4.5 and not 5? Honestly, the hostess was really rude and standoffish when we arrived and when we left. It was a really special night for us and to begin (and end) it in such a fashion was really disappointing. I know we all have our off days from time to time but when working the front of the house of the restaurant, you kind of need to step up to the professional level and deal with it when your shift is done. She did not represent the restaurant well.
Nonetheless, I am sure we will come back on our next trip to the Big Island. You just cannot beat the quality of the seafood.
Super Ono!Listed in: Big Island Adventure....
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Review from Tommy D.
Long Beach, CA
8/11/2010
Help me...I am too stuffed to even write a review. When I edit this, I'll include more detail on what I ate.
My family were looking forward to this place for our whole trip to Hawaii. Not much happening in Hilo, but Seaside is one of the best places I've ever eaten on the planet!
Start off with a walk around the ponds where they raise some of their fish that they serve. They started out as the Nakagawa Fish Farm and grew from there. The owners can bee seen hanging around outside the kitchen near the front door.
They have really fixed up the decor in the past few years. It is comfortably stylish inside but still has a very local feel. The staff were EXCELLENT and attentive. Our waiter was also a fisherman who loves to catch and eat! He was sharp as a tack too! Pre-med at UH.
Try the panco fried calamari for starters. Its not the small stuff, but the big strips. I don't usually like this style but I was very good!
In our party we had Butterfish (black cod), Ono (Wahoo), Mahi Mahi, and I had the fried ????? will edit later (farm raised reef fish).
The fish were simply prepared and not over sauced and cooked JUST right!
Their other things look great too, but when you go to a place like this GET LOCAL fish! This is Hawaii, surrounded by the bounty of the sea! -
Review from Mari A.
Hilo, HI
5/8/2011 1 photo
Charming but pricey, this homely restaurant offers excellent and attentive service and LOTS of different fish entrees. GOOD place for food in Hilo, generous portions. favorite appetizers: calamari strips, escargot, ahi poke. favorite entrees: mac nut crusted mahi, pan fried moi (when available), blackened ahi, furikake salmon, bacon wrapped scallops, and prime rib.
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Review from Brian A.
Honolulu, HI
4/13/2010 8 photos
Very old style dining. It actually looks like just a large old house that maybe could be a local style diner. It's located right on a scenic pond, partially carved out of volcanic rock. The large pond house all kinds of different fish from trout, moi, aholehole, and more. There are also smaller ponds where truely massive koi wander about. In the middle of the large pond, there's a small tree that a ton of egrets call home. They tend to glide across the pond every now and then and their white feathers stand out from the darkening afternoon backdrop. It's very serene. The crashing ocean can be heard right across the street.
Once you get inside and walk your way down the hallway, you get to one of the several dining room areas overlooking the pond. It has a slightly dated decor. We sat down and were promptly greeted and informed of all the specials and catch of the day.
The restaurant is known for mainly their seafood, so that's what most people ordered. The Chinese style steamed opakapaka was excellent. One of my aunts likes the lamb here, which is served with a pyramid of rice. Their prime rib was also very good. They give you the additional option to grill it, which I've actually never had before. The girlfriend had the misoyaki butterfish which she also enjoyed. In addition to the main course, they give you a soup or salad and choice of rice or pasta with your selection. It was a ton of food.
The service was attentive and very cordial. They have their own medium sized gravel parking lot located right off the street.
Overall this place rated as very good and tops my list as one of the better restaurants in the Hilo area. We will definitely be back on our next visit.Listed in: Hawaii's Old Sleepy Hilo Town
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Review from David M.
Honolulu, HI
4/19/2011
Visited Hilo and heard that this original eatery was one of the best places to eat in town. I heard right! The food as well as the ambiance was great! Set upon it's own aquaculture facility, from the outside the Seaside Restaurant looks like an old beach house that's about to collapse at any second. That's only until you walk in! Inside you find a beautiful, clean dining room setting that features a panoramic view of it's own fish pond. Right before the sun set we could actually see fish jumping out of the water throughout the pond. Its awesome to think that you'll be enjoying some of them for dinner!
Starting the night we enjoyed some ICE cold beers! You gotta love any place with cold beer. Anyways, we started with their fresh escargot. I have to admit they were quite good and we could never get enough. Next course featured some simple salads and a cream of broccoli soup that was the low point of the evening. It was quite ok because it left more room for our delicious "fresh" fresh fish entrees. I had the Chinese style steamed uku and my gf had the deep fried aholehole. Both entrees were generous in portion especially the aholehole which served 3 whole fish. I honestly devoured all of my uku and two of my gfs fried fishies. It reminded me of growing up with fried menpachi and aweoweo as dinner once a week at least. Other entrees on the table that were also enjoyed included kataifi shrimp, prime rib, and shrimp scampi pasta. The wine list there was also pretty decent for a small local establishment. For dessert we had their signature mud pies. Holy crap good! That's how good they were.
Overall we had a great dinner and even better experience. The service was a little slow but very accommodating, especially for the children. 5 stars. Wish it was on Oahu! -
Review from Carina T.
Honolulu, HI
Broke the mouth, seriously! Go there if you are a fish lover.....you won't be disappointed. I recommend making a reservation, earlier the better cause the parking lot is small and this place is popular. Oh, and you'll get to hear the infamous Coqui frog for free.
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Review from Wayne S.
8/13/2010
The gravel parking lot welcomes you to a well known restaurant almost in the middle of no where. Once you enter the restaurant, it feels as though you have moved though time. The atmosphere of the is great, the food was great and walking though the ponds was fun.
Eat your self to happiness. -
Review from Arnold E.
8/2/2009
Fresh fish is the name of the game at the Seaside Restaurant. The surrounding pools aren't just for show, people. The Seaside also 'farms' its own fish! How cool is that?
Anyway, we stopped by for dinner during a local trip to Hilo. According to a cousin, this place is one of the few fine dining establishments in Hilo (good to know). Overall, it's a nice restaurant and definitely a surprising find in Hilo. As this was my first visit, I was impressed most by the level of service (which was very attentive).
The food was just okay in my book. I ordered the butterfish with miso sauce and was mildly surprised by my dish: deep-fried butterfish drenched with miso sauce. I suppose I expected something along the lines of butterfish misoyaki. Despite this, the fish was still tasty. If they went a little easier on the sauce, I think I might have enjoyed it more.
Overall, the Seaside is a good choice if you ever find yourself in Hilo. I'd quickly return just for their fresh fish. As a nicer "sit-down" restaurant, just make sure you don't show up in your t-shirt, board shorts, and slippahs. Dey no like dat here. -
Review from Jackie M.
Sylmar, CA
10/16/2010 1 Check-in Here
We walked in only to be greeted by a rather snobby young hostess. She was just as "pleasant" when I came up to pay the bill. Hostess aside the food was excellent and the service was quick and the waitresses were friendly. I would definitely come back if I return to the Big Island. The calamari strips were delicious as was the sauteed ahi tuna with pasta!
The hostess is the only reason I didn't give 5 stars. -
Review from Janelle W.
Detroit, MI
12/19/2007
The freshest and most delicious fish on the Big Island! Many of the fishes on the menu are farm-raised in the ponds surrounding the restaurant! (These ponds make for great little excursions for kids who get antsy waiting for their meal to be served.)
Entrees are prepared with much attention to detail, quality, and presentation. Every entree I have tried at Seaside has been EXCELLENT!!! Portions are large and service is friendly and timely at this family-run restaurant.
Parking is somewhat tight, especially during peak hours, holidays, and graduations. But the parking attendant is especially helpful and will ensure that you will park safely and securely. -
Review from amanda E.
Oak Harbor, WA
9/25/2008
This restaurant was absolutely delicious! I will definitely come back here, if I make it back to the Big Island.
We didn't make reservations the night that we went (on a Thursday in September) but you may want to, especially if you are planning on going later in the evening (we went around 5:30 and there weren't very many seated) but by 6:00 it was getting packed. We ordered the steamed manila clams as an appetizer, and it was delicious. For our main courses I ordered a special: bacon-wrapped scallops with linguine. It was probably one of the best orders of this dish that I have had. The scallops were not over-cooked (there were six of them) and the linguine was delicious. My fiance ordered another special: the NY Strip steak (7 oz.) and Prawns. The prawns were head-on, tail-off and battered in a mango-chili crust. It was absolutely delicious. -
Review from Gwen K.
Hilo, HI
8/31/2009
Took my parents here on their visit...Dad ate the mahimahi special and mom had the ahi special...I stayed with the furikake salmon over pasta....it was super good! The parents loved this place. They were looking for fresh fish to eat....and Seaside is always the BEST bet for fresh fish...They loved this place and want this to be the first stop next time they are in town!
Bank on making reservations, as this place is a local favorite! -
Review from Linda L.
Issaquah, WA
12/17/2009 6 photos
Overall: THE best dinner I had whilst on the Big Island!
We stopped here on our way back to Kailua-Kona after viewing the lava flows and it was totally awesome! It was another eatery that "The Rough Guide" suggested for us, which didn't fail to disappoint. This restaurant is only open for dinner and is situated on a 30 acre fish farm!
The Seaside Restaurant and Aqua Farm's specialties (not surprisingly) are fish, fresh fish. They did a decent variety of fish/seafood entrees, including black Cod, Chinese style prepared fish, blackened Ahi, scallops and shrimp as well as steak. I opted for the special Mahi Mahi with macadamia nut pesto on rice ($26), and J had the Cajun Ahi with pasta ($25), both entrees came with either soup of the day or salad, we both opted for the French Onion Soup.
The French Onion soup was as close to authentic that I've had in the US. It was just a beef stock broth with tiny bits of sweet, caramelized onions and two pieces of French bread nicely soaked in it. It surely wasn't the usual cheese crusted abomination you usually get for French Onion soup.
The fish entrees were surprisingly substantial! The fish here is FRESH!!! My Mahi Mahi was grilled to perfection, the rice truly delicious and so were the sautéed vegetables. J's Cajun Ahi was also perfectly cooked, seared on the outside whilst still red on the inside - it was well seasoned and tasted like that of a good steak!
There's always room for dessert - J chose the brownie topped with ice-cream and I had the cheesecake. Both were absolutely divine, bar the vanilla ice-cream - it wasn't of the best quality and had ice crystals in it - so 1/2--star off for that. But, apart from that, everything else was perfect. The total for a dinner for two with two fish entrees and two desserts came to around $80 (inclusive of tax and tips). -
Review from Sky S.
Aiea, HI
12/14/2009
Nice cozy, casual/fine restaurant.
I visit there few times for lunch.
I was surprise that our waitress was well mannered.
I know it's a good thing but felt kind of mismatch because our hostess was sloppy.
So, I wasn't expect this place to be "fine" restaurant.
The location is nice.
Build right over the ice pond.
Nice natural breeze.
Kids jumping into the ocean, their laughter.
(They can be annoying sometimes, especially big girls in bikini. NO!!!)
Ducks swimming by, begging for bread.
If you sit by the window, sun will be beating down right on your face! So choose your seat wisely.
Their hamburger comes with slaw and fries on ciabatta bread for cost of $10.
Their special is about $12-$20. Not bad.
If you're sick of making long line at Ken's, you can relax here at Ponds. -
Review from Alan N.
Douglas, NV
8/25/2009
Great service with great food. I had the cajun tuna and if was great!!
This was the best place we ate in Hilo during a 10 day trip. Get the fish it is what they do! -
Review from Kathleen P.
Tampa, FL
8/11/2011
This is a great restaurant. The ambiance, its history, and most of all the fresh and delicious food. My husband and I had a peaceful, memorable meal here while visiting family on the Big Island. Now, we recommend it to everyone we know who is heading to Hilo, and everyone has agreed it is a place not to be missed.,
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Review from Amanda Z.
11/15/2010
Had an enjoyable family dinner at Seaside the last time we were in Hilo. We started with the calamari strips (delish!), escargot (didn't try, sorry I can't stand the chewiness, although I did dip bread into the butter/garlic broth and that was tasty) and ahi poke (yummy) to share. I ordered the blackened ahi salad. Unfortunately I didn't care for the cajun taste (duh, should've read the menu better), but luckily I got to taste many other dishes (miso butterfish=GOOOD, teriyaki butterfish=pretty good, teri chicken=good). I guess they have sushi there, because lots of other people had it on their tables, but I didn't see it on the menu. Before our dinner we had a chance to see them feeding the fish outside in the ponds, that was neat!
Listed in: Local kine grindz in Hilo/the…
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Review from Stefannye S.
Long Beach, CA
6/21/2010
We came here instead of going to Pond's like we originally intended and it was the best decision we made. The food is excellent and very fresh. We had both the calamari (which come in HUGE pieces) and the spicy ahi roll. Both were delicious. It's a little hard to see their little fish farm at night but we were so concentrated on the food it didn't matter. Both the hostess and the waitress were extremely friendly and service was quick.
My suggestions: make a reservation because this place is popular with both tourists and locals and be careful not to pass it, it's in a house so it doesn't look much like a restaurant from the outside. Also, it's only open for dinner which is a bummer, I'd love to have breakfast or lunch here. -
Review from Karen W.
Oakland, CA
3/26/2011 2 photos
I would give it a 3 and 1/2 star if they had that and I'm generous. They disagree but I tend to disagree. The fish was fresh and delicious. 3 of us had the miso butterfish with garlic pasta. We started with wine and 3 appetizers: escargot, calamari strips and volcano shrimp roll. If you like cheese the escargot has melted mozarella cheese and the shrimp roll had cream cheese. They were tasty. Salad was good but papaya seed dressing tasted like mustard dressing. Fried aholehole was tasty and grilled ahi with macadamia and basil pesto was made just right. Scallops were good but small in size. Best part was the taro sweet potato bread pudding with coconut cream sauce, deeeeeeeeeeeelicious! Chunks of delish taro.
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Review from Angela M.
Kapaa, HI
3/21/2010
When you first arrive to this place with the gravel parking lot, you don't expect much and wonder if who all these people on Yelp are that think it's a fabulous restaurant. A bit of junk scattered here and there outside. You walk inside and it doesn't change much at first.
Then they take you to the back dining room. What a view they have of the water with a Koi pond below.
They were a bit busy or had a new food runner or something because we had not even ordered and we got a platter of calamari placed in front of us. I thought, "wow, great place" until I realized that they could not be giving me something free so called the waitress over and found out they accidentally gave us someone else';s order. We ordered escargot to start. A table who ordered after us got their escargot first (another mix up?). Anyway, it took forever and arrived after our salads. It was delicious if a little out of order in service.
I ordered a glass of wine that the waitress also forgot about but did catch herself as I was about to remind her. Must have been the forlorn look on my face as my mind screamed "where's my wine?!"
We ordered King Crab, Duck Breast, Steamed Moi, and Teri Chicken for the kids.
My daughter loved the King Crab. The Duck was cold and overdone. It was like it was sitting in the window waiting to be brought to the table or perhaps waiting for the other entrees to be complete. A potentially good dish had it been served at the proper temperature. The baby bok choi on the dish was also completely over done. The steamed Moi was perfect except that they used dried shiitake mushrooms. Why? When you have Hamakua mushrooms right down the road? My kids teri chicken was dry and over cooked.
Still, it was a decent meal and although I was disappointed because I had expected so much more, I am willing to write this off as an off night and will return again on my next trip to give them a chance to redeem themselves. -
Review from Jay S.
Encino, CA
4/7/2011
More 3 1/2 stars but since it's Hilo I have to push it to 4. The food was good would highly recommend the prime rib. The fish special was okay. It's a bit of a dive location and feels a little dingy but had a nice view overlooking the pond. Overall it was good time and worth going since Hilo really only has a few decent restaurants.
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Review from T D.
Simi Valley, CA
4/27/2011
The food at the Seaside Restaurant is delicious but I will not be a frequent customer due to the fact that at $25 minimum per person I expect the restaurant to be clean. The location is ok but would be much nicer if it was well taken care of. The bathrooms weren't as clean as they could be, I don't expect complete spotless bathrooms but like I said with the prices on the menu I want to have a great experience all around. The Seaside is a first impression for many tourists getting off their cruise ships and you would think that the owners of the restaurant would try to make it a great experience. If they made as much effort in appearance and cleanliness as they do with their menu this would be an amazing restaurant.
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Review from Sf Momm Y.
San Francisco, CA
9/13/2010
3.5 stars....
this place is a true favorite with the locals, it's worth a try, just to check it out. The idea that their fish is grown on-site is a fallacy since only one item on their menu fit that category on the night we were there.
The parking lot is a lil dirt lot across from a cute local beach. The decor it kitchy beyond compare (we were in the red and black "chinese style" room), but it's fun to sit on the water.
Note to parents: they have both a koala car changer in the bathroom AND highchairs are also available.
Their fish portions are gigantic (think roy's) and the ono fish that I had was good, but probably because the entire dish had a stick of butter in it. The rice served with the fish was way too soft for my tastes.
Oh, and, they should stop making sushi, period. The tekka maki was terrible: rice was too soft, tuna in the roll was too warm, and the 6 pieces were of all varying sizes. So odd. I should have known better than to order sushi- but since most of the sushi in HI has been decent, I took my chances.
Cool display case of memorabelia from the history of the place. Also cool to know it's family-run.
They open at 430 for dinner (this was in sept)- if it's a big group,be sure to make a reservation.Listed in: Big Island with kids under 2
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Review from Raj S.
San Jose, CA
1/8/2010
If you are staying in Hilo then you should surely try out this sea food restaurant. This place has more local feeling that any other restaurants I tried in Maui or Big Island. We made a reservation and headed to this place early. I was pleasantly surprised by the location, situated middle of nowhere - right close to the pond where they do fish farming. But the fishes they serve are not from this pond - FYI.
We had a full course meal here. Well I was in Hilo, which has hardly any night life, so I had tons of time to kill :) We ordered a bottle of wine and the calamari. The calamari was extremely fresh and it melted in your mouth - so so good. By now, my expectation for sea food in Hawaii had gone up.
The entree was good not exceptional (and hence the 4 star). I remember ordering the macedonia nut crusted Mahi Mahi and savoring every moment of it. No doubt, Hawaii has some of the best sea food restaurants in the world. Can't wait to visit again. -
Review from Melissa D.
Hilo, HI
11/2/2010
This is one of my favorite seafood restaurants on the Big Island. The fish is always fresh and the furikake salmon is unbelievable. The escargot is delicious and the service it always good. It is not the prettiest from the outside, but the food makes up for it!
