The Big Island of Hawaii - Hawaii with Kids - page 191

and its stunning view of the bay. Plus they are very family-friendly and their
kids' menu is very low priced.
Overlooking Liliuokalani Gardens and Hilo Bay, 123 Lihiwai St. & 808/969-1133. Kids' menu, highchairs,
boosters. Reservations recommended. Main courses $9-$20; combination dinner $17; kids' menu $4.50. AE,
DC, DISC, MC, V. Mon-Sat 11am-1:30pm and 5-8pm.
Queen's Court Restaurant AMERICAN/BUFFET Many of those with a
“Not me!” attitude toward buffets have been disarmed by the Queen's Court's
generous and well-rounded offerings at budget-friendly prices. A la carte menu
items are offered Monday through Thursday, but we recommend taking the
family to the Hawaiian, seafood, and Dungeness crab/prime rib buffets. For real
bargains, try the lunch buffets.
In the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, 71 Banyan Dr. & 808/935-9361. Highchairs, boosters. Reservations recom-
mended. Fri Hawaiian lunch buffet $13; Mon-Thurs prime rib/crab buffet $25; Fri-Sun seafood buffet $28.
AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Mon-Sat 6:30-9:15am and 11:15am-1:15pm; Sun 6:30-9:15am and 10:30am-1:30pm
(brunch); daily 5:30-9pm.
INEXPENSIVE
Ken's House of Pancakes AMERICAN/LOCAL This is Hilo's favorite
family restaurant. The only 24-hour coffee shop on the Big Island, Ken's fulfills
basic dining needs simply and efficiently, with a good dose of local color. It's sort
of a Hawaii version of Denny's. Lighter servings and a concession towards
health-conscious meals and salads have been added to the menu, a clever
antidote to the more than dozen pies available. Omelets, pancakes, French toast
made with Portuguese sweet bread, saimin, sandwiches, and soup—what they
call a “poi dog menu”—stream out of the busy kitchen. The waitresses will treat
your little ones like their favorite nieces and nephews. Wednesday is prime rib
night, and Sunday is the “All-You-Can-Eat Spaghetti Night.”
1730 Kamehameha Ave. & 808/935-8711. Kids' menu, boosters, sassy seats, crayons. Most items less than
$7; kids' menu $2.25-$5.85. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Daily 24 hr.
Miyo's JAPANESE Often cited by local publications as the island's “best
Japanese restaurant,” Miyo's offers home-cooked, healthy food, served in an
open-air room on Wailoa Pond, where an idyll of curving footpaths and green-
ery fills the horizon. Kids will get a kick out of the open sliding shoji doors bor-
dering the dining area, which are left open so you can take in the view and gaze
at Mauna Kea on a clear day. There's no kids' menu, but they will do child's por-
tions (at half-price) of anything on the menu, which ranges from sesame chicken
and vegetable tempura to vegetarian shabu-shabu (cooked in a chafing dish
at your table, then dipped in a special sauce) and noodle and seaweed dishes.
Special diets (low-sodium, sugarless) are cheerfully accommodated, and no
MSG is used.
In Waiakea Villas, 400 Hualani St. & 808/935-2273. Highchairs, boosters. Lunch main courses $4.50-$8.95,
combinations $7.50-$9.25; dinner main courses $5-$11, combinations $8-$11; child's portions half-price.
MC, V. Mon-Sat 11am-2pm and 5:30-8:30pm.
HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK
EXPENSIVE
Kiawe Kitchen PIZZA/MEDITERANEAN Although it has a somewhat
limited menu, this small eatery is a great place to stop for hot soup or fresh salad
after viewing the volcano. The pizza is excellent (all fresh ingredients) but pricey;
I recommend the insalata caprese and a bowl of soup for lunch. Dinners include
lamb, pasta dishes, a vegetarian item, and usually beef. The menu changes daily