Big Island Family Restaurants

We've got two words for you: banana pancakes. Great prices and even better island food keep this joint jumping. Parents will love the macadamia or coconut pancakes for breakfast and teriyaki chicken for dinner. Portions are gigantic. Expect to wait for a table, and when you do sit down, expect your server to move at a relaxed pace. (That's code for slow service, but chill out -- you're on vacation.)

There's a famous Hawaiian "go-to" dish called the "Loco-Moco" that was originally created at the Cafe 100. This delicacy is made up of a bowl of rice, meat (hamburger or spam) and a couple of fried eggs, all topped off with gravy. There's nothing low-calorie about it, but it's filling and very good!

Calzones, pizza, seafood, focaccia, vegetarian options -- You get the picture. This place offers great Italian food in a very family-friendly atmosphere and also has keiki menus. Don't rely on your GPS unit to find Cafe Pesto. You'll end up on the wrong highway. Call for directions to avoid an unwanted excursion.

Huli Sue's boasts outstanding barbecue, huge burgers and good ol' Texas side dishes. Warning: You won't be impressed with the exterior of Huli Sue's. It's just not much to look at, but bring an appetite, and you'll leave pleasantly stuffed. Overall, it offers great prices and a laid-back attitude.

You'll be hard-pressed to find a "best of" list on Big Island that doesn't include Ken's House of Pancakes. Visitors and locals alike love this place for huge portions, attentive servers, cheap prices and old-fashioned diner food (with a dash of Hawaiian here and there, thanks to the likes of guava syrup and Portuguese sausage). It's also open 24 hours a day.

Exploring a volcano makes a family hungry. When you're up for something really special, head for the Kilauea Lodge and Restaurant. The manicured lawns are trimmed with abundant flowers, and the restaurant's interior is somewhat reminiscent of a ski lodge with stuffed couches and a roaring fire. A recent evening's menu included lamb, meatloaf and New York steak. Reasonably priced keiki menus are available, and kids are given wiki sticks for entertainment while they wait for their meals. All the desserts are made in-house and are accompanied by Kona blend coffee. (What else?) It's open for breakfast, Sunday brunch and dinner. Reservations are necessary.

This is one of the best luaus on the island, especially since they happily welcome keiki. The location -- near the Ahuena Heiau, where King Kamehameha the Great ruled in peace and prosperity until he died -- is stunning. See the thatched Heiau (temple) and his hale (home). Modern dance choreography, paired with traditional Polynesian dance and Hawaiian music, creates a spectacular performance. The feast includes cuisines from the Island of Samoa, the Hawaiian islands, the Tahitian Islands and New Zealand.

Tako Taco Taqueria provides absolutely fantastic Mexican food, complemented with fresh island fish. The menu is brimming with seafood tacos, burritos, guacamole and, of course, margaritas. The prices are just as tasty as the food.