Don’s Grill

Okay guys, if youre looking to eat out but also want food thats similar to a home cooked meal? Come to Dons Grill. Tastey food that warms the heart. Service is great and our waitress made us feel welcomed and like family. Our food came to us quickly too! …and of course their signature mud pie is awesome, especially if youre a coffee lover.

We arrived in Hilo at 7:20 p.m. and after picking up our rental car, we searched Unilocal for a place to have a late dinner. Don’s Grill was open, so we gave it a try. Being a former Hilo boy, I immediately ordered the double Loco Moco. It was ono and the meals my wife and daughters ordered were excellent as well. And the service was really awesome. Our waiter had a good attitude despite the fact that we showed up about 45 minutes before closing time. I recommend Don’s Grill highly.

When you crave your aunties’ cooking but don’t have aunties that cook that well… Come to Don’s. He makes some reliable and flavorful local comfort food. Nothing fancy, just family kine casual. Diner style food and plating, big portions and moderate prices. Some folks consider it cheap. Hm. It matches portion size for sure, but for diner food, a $ 14 salad is just a tad steep for this girl.
My uncle and aunt go to Don’s every Friday for lunch. Fridays are my favorite days too, because of his warm chicken spinach salad. It’s only offered on Fridays. (The specials board is in the front where you walk in.) The chicken is good and the spinach leaves are always fresh; it’s big enough for a satisfying full meal or two smaller meals. The dressing is so perfect. I love the garlic-​like bread it comes with and just everything about this simple salad that I can’t resist if I’m in the area on Fridays. My aunt loves it too, but still prefers the Caesar salad. It is a damn good and large Caesar. She pokes around the menu a lot but has favs she cycles through, like the Reuben sandwich, hot turkey sandwich and the fish. Uncle tends to stay with the tripe stew special or another exciting special of the day.
My second pick on the menu is the entrée with half of a whole rotisserie chicken. The rotisserie on the bird is really well done and it’s a HUGE half. The plate comes with mashed potatoes or rice and steamed veggies or a salad. It reminds me of The Lahaina Chicken Company’s rotisserie chicken. A lot of protein, simple and tasty. I also love the turkey and gravy with cranberries entrée. The taco salad is another option for me. Big, super fresh ingredients, great taste; I like the taco meat here better than at Ken’s. The spareribs make the hubby very happy. They are superior on a good day. Like granny does it. You see, it’s food that fulfills you in more ways than one. We definitely cheat a little here and go all out as if we were kids again. Local comfort food at its best on the island. An 80s and 90s mom’s modern kitchen. Frozen steamed veggies and all. Sometimes those pair better with diner food. Know what I mean?
Sometimes when I’m craving and too lazy to make, I get the spaghetti. It’s a local style bolognese how I see it, thick, hearty and meaty. The garlic bread might be the best part, it’s the bees knees. I need two, pretty please.
And of course, can’t leave without a piece of their mud pie. The best. Best. Best. Best. Best mud pie in Hilo.

We love Dons Grill. Super fast service and good food. The staff is also very friendly.

I’m shocked at how absolutely wonderful my visit to Don’s Grill was yesterday.
We were seated quickly, had our orders taken in a timely manner. The waitress brought all of our food out at once, every time. Drinks, entrees, and dessert. We were always getting refills of our coffee and water… even after we paid the bill. (We were waiting for a family member in the bathroom.)
I absolutely demolished my pork cutlet. The fries were deliciously crispy, and the gravy on the cutlets wasn’t too salty or bland – just right. My mom ate my vegetables for me and she enjoyed them. What surprised me was that all of our food came with a little bit of honeydew melon… it was the best darn melon I’ve tasted. I had never been so happy eating at a restaurant before.
My grandma did not finish her French Dip, but when we asked for a take out container, they had given her a fresh cup of au jus to go. They even put the strawberry sauce for my cheesecake in a separate container, to make sure it would store properly.
I’m so in love.

It was very good. I had the pasta and it was very tasty. Finding it and parking there are two different concerns for those out of town visitors. Yet the service was quick.
I would like to say that the bread was very good. Two rolls were delivered and delicious. Even the garlic bread was yummy. I’m looking for more words to describe the wonderful bread.
The menu was vast. I did not know that the expansion of breakfast was extended. It can be discerned that this is more of a local’s place and not quite embracing the commercialization that other eateries possess. It’s very nice coming across a local place that still thrives. I did like the orange added with the pasta.

This is my family’s favorite place to eat! Fastest service in town. You are greeted as soon as you walk in the door and the wait time is usually quick — even for large parties. Don really knows how to take care of his customers. Even as the owner, he still works the floor. The food is consistently awesome. Desserts are always amazing. Breakfast is served all day and their French toast is so so ono! I have tried about 70% of the items on their extensive menu. Their specials are also great. My only gripe is that their fresh fish prices are so high. Almost $ 18 for a plate of fresh ahi or ono. I remembered when it was $ 11… Then $ 13… And now $ 18! Luckily it comes with soup/​salad and bread and a drink during dinner which I guess makes it a little easier to swallow. We have been patronizing this place for over 15 years and we will be customers forever! We love Don’s!

This place will not disappoint! The staff is incredibly nice & accommodating, the food is delicious & your get your meal very quickly. I highly recommend the beef stew.

With my flight delayed quite a bit I killed time in Don’s and the staff was very friendly and accommodating. There was a mad rush of Senior citizens starting at about 5pm which made for a real cute experience.
I had the classic teri-​chicken plate then with still more time to kill indulged in the mud pie. Food and service was solid and the crowd made for a nice authentic old tyme Hilo outting.

Good local restaurant in Hilo. They have the standard comfort local food — like saimin, loco mocos (several kinds), sandwiches, soups/​salads, entrees (like their well-​known ½ rotisserie chicken entrée). They also have a good variety of desserts and a small but decent offering of wine. The prices are reasonable (my special of the day was a little over $ 13 for fresh grilled Ahi). They also serve breakfast. Located conveniently near the Big Island Candies company, you can schedule your BIC treat sampling and lunch all on one street. Nice staff and decent local fare in no-​frills fashion, this is definitely a good local restaurant if you are in the area.

If you’ve ever thrown Spam on the grill… yooooou might be a redneck.
Don’s Grill is a staple dining spot for locals in Hilo. Although I haven’t been there in a little while, it’s always a place that you know will have good food and great service. My biggest worry when going there is being able to find parking, just because of how busy it can get sometimes.
Don’s has a very light and casual atmosphere, with very friendly and helpful staff. I really can’t recall one bad experience that I’ve ever had with their people (or their food).
Speaking of their food, they do it pretty well, I’d say. My go-​to order when I’m at Don’s is always their create-​a-​burger, where you basically just get to pick the toppings you want on your burger, including different types of veggies, cheeses, and bacon (obvs). Now, I’m not here saying that it’s the best burger out there, but it’s certainly a pretty good one. Coupled with the feel good atmosphere and generous helping of fries, it makes for a pretty great meal. Of course, I am also a little biased. I mean, that create-​a-​burger is basically a part of my childhood.
The burgers, believe it or not, aren’t the only things on their menu though! They also serve things like reubens and even spaghetti. Sort of a swiss army knife of a restaurant where if they can make it well, they’ll serve it. And you know what? No complaints here.
If you’re a local, I’m sure you already know about Don’s. But, if you’re maybe not from this side of the island, or are visiting and want to sit down somewhere for an affordable and filling meal, be sure to check out Don’s Grill.

This is a really good place for friends and family. Good local food, and customer service is really nice. Not a good place for vegetarians or vegans.

From the previous posts and reviews, i have to say it is accurate for this establishment. The service, food, and value is spot on. Place is clean, staff friendly, and service is quick. Great selection of local food and good portions. i had the french dip again. My go to dish. They are consistent. if you haven’t eaten here yet you should. Enjoy..

Nice family place with lots of options to choose from. I had the chicken teriyaki, others has the grilled liver, beef stew, pork, and fish. Comfort food menu in a casual environment. Service was really good and we all had a really nice time. As Mich as folks wanted to try the mud pie, we were all too full. It is close to the Hilo airport, so a convenient place to meet others.

awesome place for dinner, stopped here before i went to the Airport. Pretty busy, seems popular to local folks. Staff is nice and friendly, service is quick. I ordered the Seafood Curry and it is pretty good. Setting is very Diner like

Stopped here based upon other Unilocal reviews. Great food and very excellent service. I had the Loco Moco and it was sized very appropriately. I would come here again. Did I say they had excellent service? They have excellent service!!!

Don’s Grill was perfect for our meal right before we got on our plane. They were fast, friendly, and the food and wine were delish! Great home cooked meals, with quite the variety to choose from! Oh and the mud pie… DELISH! Thank you Don’s Grill for making our last meal in Hawaii a perfect one.

Two words: CONSISTENT and FAST!
My go-​to spot for steak. Yes, you read it right. STEAK! The chef (s) definitely knows my temperature, time and time again. It’s not grilled or anything but it is definitely yummy! The servers are very nice. I love eating at Don’s because the food will always taste the same as I got it the first time I fell in love with it. The price can’t be beat! Free drink with every entrée and a dinner roll. If you have room, you must try Don’s ice cream mud pie. Soft coffee and chocolate ice cream pie with a Oreo cookie crust. YUM!
No frills. Clean restaurant. Diner décor with booth seating. My only gripe: frozen vegetables!

Don’s Grill is the place to go for a good home-​cooked meal. Their menu is made up of local and American flavors, including sandwiches, loco mocos, and entrée plates. The food is very reasonably priced for the amount of food you get. The entrée plates are the best for your buck because you get an entrée plate with steamed veggies and a starch, bread roll, and drink! For dinner, the entrée plates also come with a choice of soup or salad. My favorite entrée plate is the teriyaki chicken (only $ 9.95 during lunch). It’s probably the best teri chicken I’ve tasted. Don’s Grill has always been consistent with their food. Every time I’ve ordered the teri chicken it’s always tasted the same, so it’s not like the taste changes with the cook.
Consistency can be a good or bad thing. For Don’s Grill, consistency is good because you always know you can expect quality food. However, the food has stayed the same in all the years I’ve been there and probably since they’ve opened. In this sense, maybe it’s time for a change? Then again, if it ‘aint broke don’t fix it, right?
A few of my other favorites at Don’s Grill include:
–The taco salad — a huge fried taco shell bowl that holds ground beef, lettuce, olives, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, and salsa.
–Hot turkey sandwich — slices of turkey on white bread, covered in brown gravy and served with a side of mashed potatoes and cranberries. Thanksgiving on a plate!
–MUD PIE! Make sure to save room for the mud pie. It’s a homemade pie made from coffee and chocolate ice cream with an oreo cookie crust topped with whipped cream. Basically heaven on a plate.

My first visit. Very clean. Diner décor. Open up the menu and first thing is a big wine list, surprisingly. Service was good.
I had the hot turkey sandwich… big plate of sliced white bread, sliced turkey of some type, and lots of brown gravy. Not gourmet in any respect, but I ate it all. Comfort food. I’ll try something different next time.
My friend that took me there says he always order the same thing, the liver plate.