Ponds Hilo in Hilo

Food and ambiance is great, just a thing with the service, they will prioritize americans with service and food. We ordered our food ahead and 3 tables just came and they straight away take their orders and gave their food. Kinda racist restaurant and made us uncomfortable.

Our favorite place to dine with friendly staff and awesome service. Always good food and great choices.

Drinks are good. Food was absolutely abysmal. I had the ribs and they were so overdone that they were rubbery. The sauce was splashed on and hardly there. The service was great. But food quality for dollar value was trash.

Staff was very friendly. Atmosphere wonderful, music was good and not too loud, the breeze was great! Food was nice.

Although this would usually be called a dive, it had a fun and friendly vibe as well as high quality food. Clams were well done, drinks were strong and cheap, $5.50 for a vodka soda. Great fish. Waiter was super friendly and brought the kids fish food to throw out to the Koi. Good people watching and view of the ponds. We all had a great time and highly recommend if you are in Hilo to check it out.

We arrived at 2:30. The lunch menu ended at 2 according to the website but what I ordered from the dinner menu wasn’t available until 4. We ordered an appetizer and a salad. Our entrees came our 30 minutes later but our appetizer and salad never did arrive. My husband has to get up twice to get our water refilled. It wasn’t busy and they seemed to have plenty of staff. We asked for the salad and the appetizer to be taking off the ticket. They took the appetizer off but not the salad. They refused to credit us for the salad that we did not receive. Will never go back. It’s a beautiful place but needs much better management.

They are doing a lot of things right here but the food is just okay. The atmosphere is great, they had incredible live music, and the service was amazing! However the food was very bland especially considering the price. I came with a big group and we ordered a variety of dishes but all of them just lacked flavor. I wouldnt come back for the dinner but I would for the desserts. We got the bread pudding and creme brûlée and both were delicious

Stopped in for a lunch to go. Picked up two orders of their fish and chips, one adult and one Keikei. The staff was friendly and food was brought out quickly. They gave our kids a pair of small fish food cups to feed the fish in their pond while the food was prepared. Excellent service and food was delicious.

They kept refilling our waters, we thought our plate came with veggies but they gave us it anyways without any hesitation, the food tasted so good. I would definitely come again! Amazing service.

What a beautiful view while you enjoy delicious cocktails, yummy appetizers and fantastic dinner. The best views are around sunset.

The bar tender and hostess get the two stars. That’s it. The establishment is very dated and dirty. It needs a paint job and furniture at the minimum. The food is so bland. It is very overpriced also. Even for a “tourist” establishment. I never use salt and I had to put so much salt and pepper on the sauce to get any taste. I bought the seafood linguini and the sauce tasted like Ragú from the jar. The “catch” was not fresh, it was soggy so obviously frozen and cooked. Looking out at the bay was nice. This place has such potential! The included garlic bread are simply crustinis and the salad was very small.

Awesome restaurant for nice evenings. Very calm and lovely athmosphere with live music and a kind service. The food is cooked freshly and gets to your table quite quickly. The restaurant has a very cozy feeling because of its pretty decoration. Sadly theres no wifi for guests. The main reason this isnt a five star review is because of the foods quality. It comes at a very high price and honestly was a bit disappointing. While the prime rib steak was soft and delicious, the teriyaki steak was very dry and hard to eat because of the lack of flavor. The appetizers were okay, I can recommend the crab cakes. Honestly I think this would be an easy 5 star if that one steak would have been a better.

We came to ponds due to all the rave about it online. Unfortunately our dinning experience is nothing to rave about. The restaurant is VERY dated, mismatched furniture, the dining chairs are very fragile if you try to lean against them. Just a warning, the food tastes like the place looks from the outside. We got sat in the corner of the restaurant; where we were forgotten about for most of our stay.For appetizers we ordered the crab cakes along with the hot crab and spinach dip. The crab cakes were ehhh tasting it was really the peppers that gave it flavor. Dip was cold, thick as if it has been sitting for a while, and the bread you get with it was soggy. My husband then felt very sick after eating it.We ordered the special to share: prime rib and lobster with crab crust on top along side garlic mash and salads..My husbands prime rib was cold and 10% fat. We tried to tell the server, but he was the only server for the entire restaurant, causing us to wait about 10-15 min before we could let him know.The new plate he got for my husband yet again didn’t seem fresh…Potatoes were not garlic, lacked any flavor what so ever.Now to the lobster(seafood dinner).. My lobster was so over cooked I needed a handsaw to cut it… Hardly lukewarm, hard to chew and digest.. We spent $120 for 3 dishes that just ended up making us sick to our stomachs the rest of the night.Literally only enjoyable piece of food was the tiny side salad included in our meal. Even the dinner rolls were wrinkly, soggy, almost as if soaked in butter prior. Definitely didn’t live up to the hype. I’m not sure where the rest of the people in this review section were eating.

Great little place in Hilo especially if you ever stay at the doubletree since its a fairly close walk. The food was good and the staff was really nice. Decent prices as well!

Best view, nice service, vibeBut I won’t recommend cocktails thereDishes were amazing 🥰

Loved this place. Sat by open windows looking out over Ice Pond with families picnicking and children swimming, ducks and a turtle in the water below our window! The food was beautifully cooked and there was a great range on the menu. I had an appetizer as my main dish and it was more than enough. Our waitress was friendly and fun and we even met the chef :)

The best restaurant we visited In Hilo and the whole big island. Starting off with the host, Kevin, who was so kind, hospitable and just made us feel so welcome as we entered and even went above and beyond by helping my husband who had gotten some ant bites by bringing him water and napkins to soothe him and also brought my younger sister and I some fish food pellets for the koi fish right next to our table. The setting at this restaurant is beautiful and peaceful with beautiful ocean views. The waiter, he was tall and had glasses was equally hospitable, fast, and so nice he even gave us the recommendation to see the rainbow falls nearby and made my family’s day! The other server we had, Kairo or Kairon I believe was so sweet, respectful, and so fast with his service as well. These three men really set off the tone to our first Hilo seaside dinner and we are very grateful, they really deserve recognition. Second, the food was amazing! The fish and chips were the best I had my whole trip, the seafood linguini was just perfect, huge shrimp and delicious sauce. The clam chowder is to die for as well with the complimentary rolls they offer. My mom is so hard to please, a passionate cook herself and she loved every plate at the table. Thank you Ponds for your amazing staff, service and food. A MUST TRY ON YOUR VISIT TO HILO :)

Really wanted to like this place. Live music is just the atmosphere we were looking for. Went on a Thursday night to take advantage of the lobster surf and turf, but the waiter never came back to check on us. My steak was overdone and dry. My husband wanted dessert and we had to order through the busboy who didnt understand English too well. Ponds was highly recommended but we were highly disappointed.

We decided to have our anniversary dinner here recommended by a highly, regarded local business owner we met in Honokaa. We made reservations the previous night for 6PM and requested a corner seat by the window. The staff who seated us were very accommodating. We were seated in a corner table with a nice view of the koi and ice ponds. There was a live musician and he was very good.The reason for the 3 stars was the poor service we received from our main waiter, Ruben. He seemed to pay little to no attention to my husband and I, while he made sure to pay extra attention to the larger parties. I assume he was expecting a bigger tip from the larger parties and was selective of how much attention he gave. We were seated first but our dinner order was taken after he took the orders from the 2 parties that were seated after us. He made sure to ask if they had received their soup or salad but we he did not ask us and we wind up getting our main course before our soup and salad were served. He never came back to ask how our food was. The busboy was very good and provided good service.The food was excellent (we ordered the lobster special with pasta and the crab crusted opakapakaexcept for the cold soup served. Dessert was delicious - creme brûlée and the housemade lilikoi cheesecake.I was very disappointed with the poor service from Ruben especially spending our hard earned money on our special night. Luckily for him, my husband is very nice and gave him a decent tip. Otherwise I would have left $0 tip. I would recommend this place but hopefully youre not in a small intimate group and Ruben is your waiter.

Great location and service. Good food. What else you need while on a vacation, my family and I had fun eating here. The restaurant doesnt look all that good from outside and I wish they do something about it soon.

Worst food we ate the entire time on vacation. (10 daysIt was not worth the money, about $130 for 3 of us. It wasnt even worth $10 in my opinion. We all took about 3 bites and the rest went to waste. Only saving grace was the drinks.

My husband and I went for dinner and were seated next to the open window, which was nice. You could see the little bay area and the ocean. The waiter was outstanding explained the menu and the specials to us made some changes for us to what we ordered, the drinks were great and the food came very quickly. It was really a great place to have dinner.

What a great spot - right on the water, tempura fish and chips are excellent, good full bar, great friendly service - what more can you ask for!? Kevin at the front was very sweet and gave us recommendations for attractions in Hilo.

Went for drinks and lunch. Had a Hawaiian Mojito that was very refreshing. Ordered Crab Cake Salad that was delicious and was do large I could only eat half. My husband had Kula Pork Sliders made with sweet BBQ sauce and had a side of their tasty potato salad. Great place for lunch or dinner with a beautifu "pond" view!❤🏝

Place looks like it would have been amazing in the 70s. Has a view of water, but food is lack luster and road noise was so loud, even through the walls, I almost wet myself the first time.

NOT a place for locals …….Overpriced for the quality that this kitchen delivers.Chicken Alfredo with no Alfredo sauce, some dry pieces of Chicken thrown on top and some burned garlic bread 2x = $58.00. Had requested to speak to a Manager with has yet to happen.Hint: no need anymore, bc I won’t be rolled again like that for my hard earned $$$.

One of our best restaurant experiences in Hilo. Being gluten free can be difficult in Hawaii and Ponds made it so easy. They gave me several options. It helped that our server was also gluten free. He ensured that everything brought to me was safe to eat. I found the balance of garlic and butter in the mashed potatoes perfect and not overdone like many other fancy restaurants. My steak was a little more cooked than I like but I will take the blame for that because I ordered medium instead of medium rare like I usually do (Im always cautious the first time at a new restaurant because I dont want it too rare). The steamed vegetables had the perfect crispness and were tossed with mac nuts which enhanced the buttery flavor. My husbands fish and chips were only $18 and more than he could eat. The fish was fresh and flakey. The tartar sauce had a different tang than what we are used to but was enjoyable. The fries were tossed with garlic and herbs. The creme brûlée was perfectly smooth with a nice crunch on top. Most tables have a view of the ice ponds which look beautiful in the evening light. We went on a Saturday night and had a live musician singing local songs. Very beautiful! We found the price to be comparable to most other restaurants in town and less than a couple of the others we like to frequent. Definitely will be returning soon!

A good spot for lunch. A little pricey. If the service would have been better I would not have minded so much. Parking was easy.

Extremely disappointed with the staff and payments . I consider this as a scam . I paid for a group of ppl as a company . Wanted to leave the tips . Instead of the option - to chose how much I leave - the staff added (written by handthe amount of the money they assumed they should get . No option , no choice . Thank you . Lesson taken . Never again.

Great food. Great Steak. Great view! We sat in this oceanside restaurant where the staff were friendly and attentive. I had a great steak and some veggies and enjoyed what I would describe as a must visit spot in Hilo. It was a perfect, first-evening introduction to Hawaii.

Nice place but still not worth it for the price. Food is average

Amazing experience. Such a cool place on the water with great service and a friendly knowledgeable staff. Gave us many recommendations and the food was phenomenal. Will definitely keep this as a regular place for when I visit! The soup, the pasta, the potatoes are just great!

Beautiful location over the water. Food was good. Wine selection was fabulous.

Presentation nice and service nice. Food tastes bland. Way way overpriced. We will not come here ever again. I was able to experience so many more restraunts with a 360 dollar bill that was paid here. Really disappointed.

Loved the food there, delicious and not too big portioned. They give you a complimentary appetiser but ours was so big we thought he accidentally sent out a dish to the wrong table. He couldve said something like this is complimentary or something, we were so confused lol asked a lady what this was and that we didnt order it but she had no idea lol.So the server tries to up-sell their lobsters and stuff showing pictures - I dont like that lol.The dishes we got were escargot and marinara pasta. Both super delicious and very saucy pasta, loved them! Cocktails were very nice, the views were excellent although we went at night, big spacious area and beautiful live music. 4.5 stars! It was a great start to our stay in the Big Island.

By far the best restaurant I tried in Hilo! Had a beautiful view of a small run off from the bay. The seafood linguine was to die for! This place is close to hotels and the airport. My mai tai was pretty average but who cares when the food is this good! Hope to visit again next time I’m in Hilo.

Great atmosphere and delicious food! Staff was very friendly. Will be back again😁👍🏼👍🏼

Staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Our server suggested the special with turned out to be amazing! Be sure to try the crab and spinach dip with toasted bread.

Ponds sits along Hilo Bay and a city park. The restaurant has a fresh water pond running under the building with Koi, Turtles, and other small fish. I ordered a Cesar and the Pesto Macadamia Pasta and Stephen had the Fish and Chips (local fish). We split an appetizer of Calamari. The food was underwhelming for the price point. The Caesar wasnt any better than a kit I could have bought at the grocery store. At the very least I expected the croutons would had been made on site. Not open a box and toss them on top. My pasta was done al dente the way I like, but was ruined by an overly thick pesto sauce that didnt allow the taste of the Macadamia nuts to shine. The bread on the side had no cohesion to my meal leaving a mystery to why it was on the plate. Lastly, there was nothing special about the fish and chips. Although, the tempura batter was crispy not greasy. If I had a "do-over," I would just go for drinks and an appetizer. Except not the calamari too rubber for our taste.

Food was very good, the staff are really friendly and kind. The table setting, environment, cleaniness all good. Only complaint is that they didnt let us know the price for the specials, we did not expect the lobster dish to be $70 per person when all the other entries were less than half the price. We had a great time but that was a very expensive meal.

Great atmosphere! When I asked about the special I saw when we walked for the lobster dish it came very highly recommended by the server. The dish was tastey but when everything on the menu ranges from $25-$35 and your bill comes and the special is a $70 dish its a little bit of a shock to someone traveling on a budget. Learn from my mistakes if you want to get a little more bang for your buck.

Such nice servers. My family and I came for lunch and the food and drinks were definitely worth the money. They give more than your moneys worth. Id recommend it for everyone.Pictured is my Passion Mango Martini. I drank some before taking the photo, it was filled to the rim. Great for people who like sweet fruity beverages.

We loved it, foods was good, and coctails were awesome nice setting for good dinning, we are going again...

Great service, great food. Very friendly staff and manager. Has a bit of Italian feel to it

Excellent food and service! The restaurant has a large koi pond and the server provides a cup of food that you use to feed the koi from your table! A very unique experience.

Live music daily (background volume just right, not overtaking guests conversation, gorgeous ambience around sunset, relaxing view of koi pond and sea turtles, friendly staff with Aloha smiles.Tips: food was excellent, but must try cocktails and desserts

Had a great dinner here. The atmosphere was great being on the water and pond. Seared Ahi and fried mushroom for appetizers. I had the shrimp pasta and my man had the NY strip. Then bread pudding and brownie for dessert.

Two enthusiastic thumbs up for feeding the fish and turtles in the koi pond! The premium seats are at the window overlooking the bay. The breaded mushrooms were extraordinary. The mashed potatoes were a hit for our little one. The lemonade is fresh squeezed and you can add fruit. This is a definitely a good dinner option. And yes, open during the pandemic!

Its awesome!! Came with my family and some extended members. Was able to sit us quickly during late lunch hours. Had the artichoke crab dip as an appetizer. Was expecting chips for it, but they served it with 6 small garlic bread slices. Pretty good. Ordered the fish N chip crazy calamari. Pretty good, but during our ordering the waiter thought i wanted the appetizer version of the calamari. Still pretty good either way!!

Went here for our anniversary/ my Birthday ( April 5the food was exquisite and the service was superb. I will recommend them to everyone! Thank you for a beautiful experience and a memory of a lifetime. Best Cesar salad I have ever ate in my life!