Kona Mix Plate

We were back in Kona on February 25^th, and the first place we wanted to eat at was Kona Mix Plate. When we went there, they had a sign up saying that they had to close due to the economy. We were so sad. I hope that they open up again.

Day two in Hawaii.
After picking the Japanese side of the family and letting them settle in, I decided it was time to treat everyone to some standard Hawaiian food. Kona Mix Plate came highly recommended from Unilocal and a travel guide or two, so my hopes were high. Located in a strip mall, the place was a big room with a half dozen Walmart grade folding tables and a small counter to order at. The staff was nice enough to our party of 10, and it was easy to move a couple tables together.
Most of us, including myself, ordered loco moco. It was meh. The hamburger patty was cooked to well done, the gravy was on the bland side and the potato-​mac salad needed salt.
Of course I can’t compare Hawaiian food to real food, but I can compare it to Hawaiian food I’ve had in LA, which is much better.
Nothing to see here, move along.

Came here for dinner one night but didn’t realize they closed after lunch! So, we came back another time. I got the small chicken katsu and my friend got the regular Korean BBQ. However, we think they charged us for the regular but really gave her the small bc it only came w/​one scoop of rice and one scoop of mac salad! It’s supposed to come with two! :(Jeez.
My katsu was more bread than meat, though it came with more than enough to fill me up. Mac salad was so so. Korean BBQ was good but my friend said it wasnt as sweet as she would have liked. They have a good selection for lunch (again, no real Hawaiian food), and it seemed like a lot of locals frequent the spot.

Okay mix plate local food. I was impressed with the speed and the friendly staff. The terri beef and korean chicken were good. The mac salad was okay.
Not a long review, it is your standard type of plate lunch place that are alll over Hawaii. However, this is one that has good food and I would return if in town but wouldn’t drive to Kona just to eat there.

For first rate native Hawaiian food, this is a great place. Like most good family owned places, it’s a hole in the wall. run down, moms recipes, cousin behind the counter. the food is excellent! The service is personable, and the portions wont leave you hungry!

Best mix plate on the island for sure. Standard selection of sides. The Beef sandwich is AMAZING. Very nice people work here. Not super expensive… Oh, and they offer a green salad if you don’t want to carb-​load on the white rice. Awesome place to go for a massive lunch.

I know people love this place and I wanted to love it too but it gave me the worst heartburn and then nausea I’ve ever experienced with this type of food. Unfortunately, I also found the macaroni salad really bland and … I didn’t think it could be true … dry. Too bad, I wanted to be a fan.

Their Katsu was the best I’ve had in a long long time. I think the chicken Katsu stole the show. Very low key place tucked away in an obscure corner of a shopping center that isn’t even on the main road. Service was friendly and the place was clean. Both times I went, there were more locals than tourist types like me. Portions were ginormous and the food was great. But then again, the Katsu… Still dreaming about it…

In comparison to other nearby mixed-​plate to-​go restaurants, this place has some of the best mix plates. It was alitte hard to find as it’s tucked away in the corner of a small shopping plaza. Tried their sauteed fish, pork, and beef, all of which were good. Total was around $ 10 per plate, which is more than enough for one meal and possibly two for those with smaller appetites.

My boyfriend and I came here and grabbed take-​out to eat in our room. Their menu was extensive: lots of local dishes, chinese, korean, and all for great prices. We ended up getting 2 mix plates, trying out the chicken katsu, spicy pork, sauteed mahi mahi (in egg), and broiled mahi mahi. The 2 choice mix plates were $ 10 each. We also got an order of 10 piece fried crab shumai for $ 5 which was not a bad price. It wasn’t anything special– probably the frozen kind, but it definitely hit the spot. I highly recommend this place. Great prices, iced water while your waiting for your food/​or eating inside, and great food.

A friend on the big island suggested we eat here for good local food. I actually like L and L, and this one blew it away. The service was great, as was the food, and prices. Don’t go there looking for a fancy eat experience or you’ll be let down. Just expect some good, down home type food for nice prices. I will say, I Love Country on Oahu is a little better, but this one is right up there with it. Just wish they had one all the way over in SC.

This is a great mix plate lunch. The spicy korean chicken is the best. I have been going there since ’92 and it is still top notch. My wife likes the chicken katsu, but you really can’t go wrong. This is a local style restaurant so don’t expect anything fancy, but if you want low key and good food this is the place for you.
This is not open on Sunday.

this used to be the best plate lunch in kona
new owner increased profit margin

I love Kona Mix Plate! It’s one of the must visit places when I’m in town visiting ohana. Very local style and consistent. In this age of mass-​eateries like L&L it’s so nice to see the smaller places thriving. As a matter of fact there is an L&L nearby KMP so if you find yourself headed there, make the extra effort and drive a few more feet for a REAL local dining experience.

A great place to get GOOD loco moco and other local dishes. No ambiance, so if you’re fine with simplicity and no frills, you’re right at home.
I tried so many restaurants and stands serving loco moco and most of them have been only so-​so, but kona mix plate does it right. Love their macaroni salad, too.

On our very first trip to Hawaii on our honeymoon, we asked all the locals where the best plate lunch was. Unanimously, it was Kona Mix Plate. It has been one of the highlights of our trip ever since, usually with several visits in a week. Prepare for the weight gain, the portions are generous. I love the flavor of their mac salad, and all their dishes are tasty.
Four years ago, our vacation coincided with the owners’ vacation, so Kona Mix Plate was closed all week during our stay. How disappointing was that!

The place is plain and has a simple décor, the color on the walls were a dull yellow and green. The tables and chairs are simple too. The place can use complete updating to make it more pleasant to eat there.
We went 2 times and enjoyed it the first time better. Portions was good and price was under $ 15. depending on your order. We order a 3 choice plate for $ 12.75. and it was enought for 2 light eaters. The terriyaki butterfish was excellent; fried calamari was excellent; katsu chicken was thin, but excellent with the katsu sauce.
The 2^nd time there were 3 of us and we ordered 2 orders of the 2 choice plate for $ 10.+ and there was extra to take home. The bugogi was tasty, the kalbi was tasty, but I’ve had better; miso butterfish was good, but I liked the terriyaki butterfish better; spicy pork was good, but I had it better where the pork slices were thinner and flavor was better.
Overall…everything is made to order and I would come back and just order certain dishes only and take them home

I had read a lot of good things about Kona Mix Plate, however, the food was just average. The kalua pork was nice and smoky, but was lacking any real seasoning. It could have used more salt. The kalbi ribs were actually pretty good. They were marinated nicely and had a nice garlicky flavor and had a nice char to them.
I heard that they either changed ownership or management and their food quality has suffered a little bit because of that.

This is «mix plate» at it’s finest. The many chains that have been brought to the mainland to bring «local hawaiian flavor» all fail in comparison to Kona Mix Plate. If you like Hawaiian Mix Plates, then you have to have a taste of it in it’s purest form: Kona Mix Plate.
Everything on the menu is killer, but when I’m looking for a great Loco Moco, this is, hands down, the place to go.

trust the local flavor and check out kona mix plate. and now that L&L can be found everywhere from tarzana to tuscon, the intrepid traveling foodie should make the extra effort to find this lunch counter tucked away in a kailua strip mall.
teri chicken, fried mahi, katsu, kalbi ribs it don’t matter just gimmie gimmie it all to me.
with three scoops!