Kohala Burger & Taco

We only had the pineapple Dole Whip (which was completely amazing!!) but I wanted to write a review because we got there too early but because the machine was already up and running, they served us anyway. Thanks guys, we really appreciated it!

Great burgers, not greasy and very tasty. We tried the original and hula burger, both very good. We also tried the ahi beach style tacos that were just as good. The place is small so we had to eat on the benches outside but it was fine. Waited about 15 minutes for our food. Will be back for more burger and tacos!

Came here on a whim on Valentine’s Day. Their crab taco was delicious and the Dole whip was amazing. Their fries were pretty good and we were able to sit outside with our dog. We’ll definitely be back!

This place is really good and recommended. Expect to pay about ~$ 20 per person for lunch.
Tip: the daily specials that are actually what you likely want are on a sheet of paper held on a clipboard on the wall opposite the menu wall.

Stopped in on our way to the north shore a few weeks ago. Small place, but a gem. We had tacos that were delicious, fries, and a dole pineapple whip. Yum!
The service was amazing — the guys were fun, informative, and running around like crazy serving everybody.
Can’t wait to get back!

Bacon Mushroom Burger on a Brioche Bun was excellent. Bacon freshly cooked crispy and not overly done, portobello mushrooms cooked to perfection and the onion rings crispy on the outside and nicely done on the inside. Dole pineapple whip was the icing on the cake.

$ 46 for a cheeseburger & fries, ahi tacos swimming in crema, chips & salsa and 2 sodas in a dirty, crowded counter service shack served by a girl in a filthy shirt. I didn’t realize it til now, but $ 14 burgers are only ok with me if they come with table service in an otherwise fancy restaurant. This one was just an average burger. The tacos were pretty awful, imo. The ahi was stringy and I could barely taste it because there was soooo much crema, even after I scraped off as much as I could. Tourist trap.

Ahi-​mazing! We got the special, the blackened ahi tacos. Literally the best tacos I’ve had in my life, and I am more of a steak tacos person, not that into fish. Loved the service and the lady who works there even have us some advice for our travels the next day and saved us some headache since the waipio valley is closed for dengue fever.
The people who wrote the reviews saying it was average burger joint, shouldn’t have gotten a burger! (Even though the burgers I saw looked fantastic.) Always get the special. They sell out for a reason. We will be back!!!

Best fish tacos ever. Period. Cannot wait to come back and try more on the menu. Well worth the drive from Kona town.

Great spot for lunch. It can get busy and locals come here which is always a good sign! The tacos are great.

Yes yes and yes. I’m not a fan of resort food and I love checking out the local spots. #KBAT is a great local joint! Get the burgers. Get the tacos. Get anything. It’s fresh, it’s delicious, it’s something I want again. And try that taco sauce.

So delicious! Ate here on our last day waiting for our late flight! Food was excellent! I was sad all the lemonade was gone! We liked the coconut shake more than the pineapple shake! We got pastor tacos, Avocado bacon burger and fries– they all were excellent. The other reviews on here are crazy when they complain about price– it’s Hawaii! I thought it was actually pretty cheap for Hawaii. Restaurant was clean, workers were friendly and it seemed like they had a lot of locals coming in which is always good to see!

Food was good. Burger was good but a bit overpriced. They give you a lot of pork in the kalua pork tacos, which is good.
Our issue was with the service. If you know the food is going to take 45 minutes to prepare, you should let the people ordering know beforehand. A lot of people were waiting around for almost an hour not knowing when their food would be ready, and the teenage server had a snarky attitude. Maybe just a busy day!

After visiting Hawaii Island for the past 15 years, my wife and I finally «made the move» last year. Reality, however, has us adhering to a pretty tight budget and we only eat out maybe once or twice a month. It’s a treat.
After dropping off this weeks trash at the Puako transfer station, we thought we’d treat ourselves to lunch nearby and drove up to Kohala Burger & Taco since we’ve never tried it before.
We had high hopes for KB&T since we live nearby and thought it might be a good «go to» place. Unfortunately we were disappointed.
I had a «standard» burger, fries and a Pepsi. My wife had one of the «specials» of the day, Rangoon taco’s.
The burger was, well, as it said, «standard».
Not really great, nor bad, just smack dab average.
The Pepsi was just a Pepsi, the Heinz ketchup was just Heinz ketchup, the burger was just a burger. The fries as well, were just the run of the mill frozen variety.
My poor wife. She was so looking forward to her first fish taco’s ever. After falling off the vegetarian wagon, following our move to Hawaii, she started eating fresh fish here.
The fish taco «special» was some kind of «rangoon» concoction. Two deep fried, somewhat greasy, folded tortillas filled with maybe 5 or 6 tiny cubes of fish and melted american/​velveeta like «cheese». It was more like a quesadilla or grilled cheese, something a kid might like. If this is their «special», we can probably pass on their «regular» menu items.
Overall, we were disappointed, wallet was about $ 23 lighter, not sure we’ll try this place again.

Oh my gosh! This little place is amazing! The line goes fast and it’s worth it. The pineapple shake is a dream. The onion rings were great. My husband had a burger and I had an ahi burger. We didn’t leave a crumb on the plate. And the people that work there are super nice. We’ll absolutely be stopping in her again! Don’t miss this little gem.

I had the tuna poke burger and the family all had the beef burgers and fries. Nobody was disappointed and everyone left happy.
The dole pineapple whips are An amazing non dairy «shake».
Burgers are expensive, but worth it and a nice break from the resort over priced food. $ 75 for lunch for 4 people.
The entire staff was welcoming with the Aloha spirit.

Excellent burget, very tasty. Great tasting ranch at an excellent price. Every one in my party enjoyed there meal. I am visiting from the East Bay and would definitely return

Came here since it was pretty close to the hotel and wanted a quick lunch. Glad we found this place! The food and service was great!
Ordered:
jalapeño burger with grass fed beef and onion rings — this was amazingly delicious! The brioche bun was nice and soft! The onion rings were super crunchy and had the best batter!
Baja style tacos — this was so good! 2 tacos and I had difficulty finishing it. Fish tasted so fresh and good
Dole whip with vanilla ice cream is the best combination ever! Hubby loved it and he’s usually not a fan of dole whip. I wish we found this place earlier!

A tiny hole in the wall place, with a lot of character, great food, and friendly staff.
I was going to order the standard fish tacos, but the staff pointed out that they were just cod and that the special was mahimahi. I chose that instead and boy was it tasty.
The two tacos came with rice and beans and my table had a bottle of their homemade sauce – which went perfectly with the tacos. My wife had one of their burgers and gave it a thumbs up too.
We checked in on Unilocal and earned BOGO pineapple whipped ice cream.
The place was busy with locals, so you know we found a real local winner.

I’m actually quite puzzled by how this place has 4.5 stars. I tried this place with some friends after a day hiking Pololu Valley in Kohala because of the ratings and because there aren’t a lot of food options in the Kawaihae area. However, the food was only mediocre and the prices quite high for the quality and portions.
A friend and I shared a cheeseburger, fries, and a burrito. I was excited about the burger, but it was quite small and pricey for a hole-​in-​the-​wall restaurant on the Big Island. I suppose the restaurant is geared more toward tourists who are willing to pay more than locals. The burger was okay, but nothing to write home about. The fries were fries, and the burrito was also quite small. The «crispy chicken» in the burrito seemed like frozen chicken tenders that were tossed into a deep fryer. I left unsatisfied.
Redeeming point: If you check-​in on Unilocal,you get a free cup of Dole whip (pineapple frozen yogurt).