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I would comment that Kaleos did have very salty meals. Which I could look past for that delicious fried cheese app.... but I can't go anymore based on the last couple years of terrible food and service.
Dayna
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Dayna Robertson
At Home Hawaii
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Have been back twice now.
I can say the music has not been terribly loud.
Service is rotten still.
Place was empty at 5pm on a Friday and seemed the host was miffed when we said we had no reservations...pretty pretentious for a place which was empty.
No water refill until after meal was finished.
Manager/host was talking to some guy about his personal car the entire meal when he wasn't eating behind the counter.
Prices were good.
The kitchen was quick.
The kalbi was the best I've ever had, the fried fish dish (not sure of the name) got great reviews.
It is too bad to see the service be so poor in what is otherwise a nice restaurant.
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Ate there last week. Had a black and blue medium, it was raw in the middle, cold, bloody. My friend had a Haiku salad with no raisins, no mandarins, no cheese, no walnuts at all. Really? $12 worth of lettuce? Done.
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If I HAVE to dine out in Pahoa, my choices are:
1) Nings Thai.
2) Uncle Roberts on Wednesday.
There are no other choice to me. Sometimes Pahoa Fresh Fish/Subway/BK, but the pizza in Pahoa is among the worst.
Best to stick to dining at home in that area in my opinion
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After taking a long break from Kaleos, having family in town necessitated taking the risk...
It was great! The service was fast and friendly, the food hot and appropriately seasoned, and we enjoyed ourselves.
Hopefully they have turned a corner and it wasn't just a fluke.
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WE went to Hilo Bay Cafe yesterday for lunch. Had the best soup I've ever had there. Combucha squash and coconut soup. Man, it was great!
Jon in Keaau/HPP
Jon in Keaau/HPP
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Leslie is back at Kaleo's full time and is no longer doing the Naniloa thing in Hilo. Seems good for Pahoa!
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We had a good Swordfish and Chips there today. Haven't been in months. Only 2 other people there at lunchtime. Quick friendly service. There are some nice new staff and some old familiar faces. Glad Leslie came home to Pahoa.
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"
Leslie is back at Kaleo's full time and is no longer doing the Naniloa thing in Hilo. Seems good for Pahoa!"
I can confirm that Kaleo effort is no longer needed at the Naniloa so hopefully, the restaurant will get back to what it was.
The new restaurant at the Naniloa is Hula Hulas and isn't bad:
http://hulahulashilo.com/
The deviled eggs are very tasty!
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11-27-2023, 03:20 AM
(This post was last modified: 11-27-2023, 03:32 AM by garymatt.
Edit Reason: spelling
)
This is a new post to an old thread.
We have been going (very sporadically) to Kaleo's in Pahoa, as early as our having bought land in Puna, before we started building. That is darn close to twenty years ago. Another reason for writing here is to avoid any confusion about this being the Pahoa restaurant and not Orchid Land. We went to O L once at their beginning and once about a year ago for a Wake gathering in the afternoon. The food, the seating arrangement, and the service all came together admirably to ensure we'd have no reason to go back. The might be a little unfair. Sparse infrequent food of some kind showed up.
This older thread also pretty much mirrors our experiences.
I have no clue who Leslie is- RE: "Leslie is back at Kaleo's full time" but such a statement may help explain the real roll of the dice we have experienced over the years.
The one thing we work at very hard for is the consistency of getting a table at the Lanai section, ie. the semi-long section you enter right off the parking lot. That one choice solves the problem of loud music and most of the noise of a crowded or really busy night.
We have sat in the main dining room a capable of times when being part of others getting the table. It was memorable only for all the wrong reasons.
I have never noticed a salt problem but the fear of disappointing food has always been a worry after our third visit. Over all I would say that maybe 2 out of 3 or at least 1 out of 2 in a bad year has been a good experience for food.
Our experiences with staff have always been excellent even though we are not recognized very often. Recognized that I tip well I mean. Also, somehow when it is both my wife AND I, we seem to stick in memory. Alone I am just another fat, white, bald, married looking guy.
I sometimes get one of the rib choices but I have continued to believe, "don't get any kind of steak meal ever" at a restaurant in Hawaii. I digress.
Tonight we are going for our Anniversary. I am glad that the menu - and prices - still looks very familiar at the online one I saw. I only hope the posting is recent.
I learned otherwise after looking online then calling and ordering at Boogie Woogie pizza. Still worth it.
I hope to post a follow-up note later.
