Vegan-friendly
Lacto
American
Chinese
Thai
Non-veg
Serves meat, vegan options available. Majority of Chef Tina's artistic food has a vegetarian option. Also every dish is prepared to order so every dish can be made vegan. Open Mon-Thu 11:00am-6:00pm, Fri-Sat 11:00am-9:00pm.
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168 Kamehameha Ave (at Waianuenue Ave ), Hilo, Hawaii, USA, 96720
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Last update on 25 Jan 2020 by grinberg
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19 Reviews
First Review by tomatochild
mizpuff
Points +386
Not the best - Edit
We tried the Thai pizza because it seemed really interesting. It had a good flavor, but was ice cold on the inside! It’s like they took premade cold filling and put it in the tortilla and only warmed up the outside wrap. Also no vegan cheese. The curry was ok, but nothing to rave about. We were also the only ones in there, and yet were told not to sit in the booths. Not the most welcoming environment or great food.
Read moreGuest
IrynkaJuli
Points +127
Excellent!!! - Edit
The garden curry with Avocado was just a dream!
Read moreGuest
dreaded.vegan
Points +136
Fresh, tasty, large, slow - Edit
Thai fusion food. Many vegan options, clearly labeled. The menu has tons of variety in general as well, and almost everything could be made with tofu instead of meat. After we ordered, we waited an hour for our food, and the appetizer came after one of the entrees. I got the feeling there was only one cook. The portions were huge, and the food was fresh and tasty. We were there from 5:30 to 7 pm, so they don't close at 6 like it may say on Happy Cow.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-02-14
Pros: Large portions , Tasty, Fresh
Cons: Slow
Guest
caronjuneen
Points +141
Wow! - Edit
The special Summer Mixed Fruit Salad was spectacular. The photo doesn’t do it justice. The combination of flavors with Lilikoi dressing was unique and wonderful. We also shared the Red Curry with pumpkin and hearts of palm (medium spice level) and it was delicious.
Read moreThe atmosphere is a little dingy and the music is a bit odd, but the food was truly awesome.
Pros: Fresh fruit flavor and presentation., Red curry., Delicious food!
Cons: Food came out all at once. Drinks came after food., Atmosphere is a little tired and dingy.
Guest
00misha
Points +390
Delicious! - Edit
We stopped by here on their 2nd day of reopening, and although the service was a little slow, the experience was still great! Apparently Tina cooks everything herself, so it’s easy to get exactly what you want. Food that can be made vegan (or is already vegan) is marked on the menu. I loved the Tom Kha, and their papaya salad was one of the best I’ve ever tasted! Massive, family-style portions too. Overall a wonderful experience.
Read morePros: Clear menu labelling, Very fresh food, Big portions
Guest
greenfingers
Points +56
Be ready to wait - Edit
Good food but don't expect it to be fast! I've tried a few different dishes and all were nice but the best was the heart of palm salad.
Read morePros: Unusual options on their menu
Cons: Slow
Cacfoster
Auntie Tina is the only one back there preparing the meals. Each dish is made with a lot of care. Definitely call ahead and they’re usually good about giving you a time frame. When ordering there, leave and go run some errands while you wait.
Read moreGuest
summersolstice
Points +479
Fresh veggies! - Edit
Tina is very sweet and i love the spring rolls here. There are always fresh veggies for sale from her backyard. The tofu wrap is also good but the sauce was heavy and a little much for me.
Read moreGuest
Kevbromley
Points +578
Excellent authentic food - Edit
Had the yellow curry with tofu which was exceptional. Beautiful veggies and flavours and I got it Thai spicy which was indeed Thai spicy!
Read morePros: Excellent authentic Thai
Guest
Cacfoster
Points +50
One of my favorite places in town - Edit
They go above and beyond for their regulars. The vegan salads are all amazing. The curries are definitely the best in town, once you go here you won’t want to go anywhere else!
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options
Cons: Salads are extra juicy for to go, be careful.
Guest
CRW
Points +655
Delicious - Edit
Everything we’ve had here has been excellent. I especially love the tofu wrap, which is a great value for how filling it is. The yellow curry with tofu is the best yellow curry I’ve ever had. It has terrifically layered flavor and a really satisfying texture. We also really like the Nut Medley salad.
Read moreGuest
nlhaigh
Points +637
Mouthwatering curries - Edit
Most awesome vegan Thai curry I’ve had in ages. My omnivore friends also loved it. We went back the next day we loved it so much.
Read morePros: Good vegan options, Friendly staff, Quirky decor
Cons: Sometimes they add too much spice
Guest
uschiverena
Points +576
5 stars! - Edit
Very good food and huuuuge portions! Medium spicy was quite spicy :D
Read morePros: a lot of food, not too expensive for the portion sizes
Guest
AnnetteMilligan
Points +22
I'd give 5 stars if I could.. - Edit
Fantastic food @ Tina's Garden tonight. The rice wraps with avocado, sliced up like sushi, were packed with great, tasty veges. Salad special tonight - scrumptious. So pleased to find tasty, local, organic & non GMO ! Yay! And a big shout out to the friendly, helpful waitress!!
Read morePros: Great options, Huge portions...share between 2 or 3
Guest
soltz
Points +16
Should be 5 stars - Edit
Should be 5 stars but this system is discriminating against any establishment not labled vegetarian. Although we found this place on Happy Cow, the max I'm able to give is only 4 stars. That's not right.
Read moreGuest
katroshka
Points +91
Good, fresh, Thai inspired food - Edit
Lots of veggies, huge portions. We really enjoyed the curries we had. It was pretty busy and reservations were mostly required so might be good to call in advance.
Read morePros: tasty food, big portions, good price for amount of food
Cons: serves animal products
Guest
RobinPLA
Points +117
Probably best option in Hilo - Edit
Serves Hawaii inspired Thai food. Most dishes are not vegan, but a handful are labeled as vegan or vegetarian. We tried the Thai pizza, papaya salad with coconut milk, yellow carry, and mango rice for dessert. All very delicious. Our picky kids liked the curry and coconut rice. The Thai pizza is a unique and delicious entre. Large portions. Island pace, but nice waitress. Cute and cozy restaurant. Lack of compassionate restaurants in this area makes this a good choice for anyone vegan in Hilo.
Read moreGuest
gaylef58
Points +72
nothing special - Edit
Nobody went out of their way for anything. No vegan options but things could be made vegan. Food was okay but nothing special. Was hoping for more...
Read moreGuest
robguz
Points +143
My favorite restaurant in Hilo - Edit
I love Tina's Cafe. Never had anything bad here, but some things are better than others. It is not traditional Thai so don't expect that. If you get nothing else, please try the Tina's spaghetti. It's one of my all time favorite things at any restaurant. Service is often so so, like I usually have to ask for water repeatedly. I'd avoid the asparagus and hearts of palm salad. They both sound better and more interesting than they are. Portions tend to be large to too large. They have changed recently and only have regular menus on the weekends. Other nights they just have a hot pot option so do not bother. It's actually pretty disappointing that they don't have full dinner every night
Read morePros: many vegan options, Tina's Spaghetti, Centrally located
Cons: Limited menu most nights
Guest
tomatochild
Points +72
Hawaiian-styled Thai cuisine, good for families - Edit
My husband stopped here for a late lunch/early dinner and had the place to ourselves. The service was a bit slow and inattentive at first, but after we placed our orders and the food started arriving the waitress was very good about refilling our glasses and checking on us.
Read moreThe menu appears to be mostly Thai items with a Hawaiian influence, such as curry and rice dishes with local fish species. Most dishes offer tofu as a protein option.
We had an order of the tofu spring rolls and a bowl of the tom kha coconut milk soup. The spring rolls contained lots of fresh vegetables -- avocado, cucumber, carrot, lettuce -- and were cut into multiple rounds. They also came with a lovely, sweet dipping sauce. The soup serving was enormous (and at $15, it should be) that could've fed a family of 6. It was also the BEST tom kha soup I have ever had. The broth was a little thicker and creamier, possibly because it was blended with pumpkin, and though it was missing the usual ingredients of traditional tom kha soup (onions, basil and cilantro), it had a beautiful, velvety flavor and texture and had other ingredients that complemented the soup nicely (like fresh spinach leaves). I was so sad to leave some of it behind because it was simply too much food for two people, and since we were staying in a hotel we couldn't take it to go.
I think this place is worth checking out, but keep the large portions in mind when ordering. Also, prices are on the high side, so expect to spend $20-30 for two items and drinks.
Pros: good local flavors, nice twist on Thai cuisine, easy to locate -- right on bayfront
Cons: service can be slow, pricy, portions too large for small groups
Guest
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