Overview
Jackie Rey’s Ohana Grill Hilo is a full-service casual-upscale restaurant in downtown Hilo, focused on seafood, steaks, cocktails, and broad crowd-pleasing dinner fare. It appears to be a stable, operational restaurant with a large review base and a long-running local presence. The official site emphasizes fresh fish, steaks, chops, burgers, salads, desserts, wine, and happy hour; Google describes it as locally sourced seafood and cocktails in a restored bank building with high ceilings and a vault. (jackiereyshilo.com)
For a traveler, the main appeal is that it reads as one of Hilo’s more polished sit-down options: a place for a proper lunch, happy hour, or dinner rather than a quick counter-service stop. The setting is part of the draw, and the menu is broad enough that it can work for mixed groups with different preferences. (jackiereyshilo.com)
Cuisine & Specialties
The food lane is best described as island-leaning American grill with seafood, steak, pasta, salads, and bar-friendly appetizers. The menu is not narrowly ethnic; instead, it mixes local fish and Hawaii-style items with familiar mainland dishes and a few Asian- and Pacific-influenced touches. Official menu language suggests a focus on fresh fish, “top quality” steaks and chops, and housemade dressings, while the dinner menu shows a steady lineup of pupus, salads, seafood plates, and specials. (jackiereyshilo.com)
Notable items and specialties supported by the menu and review patterns include:
- Ahi poke tower
- Mac nut ahi tartare
- Kalua pork spring rolls
- Korean-style chicken wings
- Lemongrass Caesar salad
- Weekly specials such as lamb chops, lobster tails, whole fried fish, prime rib, and surf & turf ribeye with lobster tail. (jackiereyshilo.com)
- Travelers also repeatedly mention rosemary bread, Caesar salad, coconut calamari, spinach ravioli with prawns, and lilikoi cheesecake in reviews. These are review-driven highlights rather than official signature claims. (tripadvisor.com)
Price-wise, Google classifies it at price level 2, so it looks like a mid-range restaurant rather than a splurge venue. A practical expectation is an affordable-to-moderate sit-down meal, with higher totals if you add cocktails, seafood, or specials. (jackiereyshilo.com)
Dietary usefulness appears fairly good for a mainstream restaurant: the official site and Tripadvisor both indicate vegetarian-friendly, vegan, and gluten-free options, though the strongest evidence is still broad menu variety rather than a specialized diet program. Raw and undercooked seafood warnings are standard and indicate some tartare/poke items are on the menu. (jackiereyshilo.com)
Notable Features & Ambiance
This is a dine-in restaurant with table service, a full bar, reservations, takeout, and happy hour. The space is part of the experience: the restaurant sits in a historic former bank building, with high ceilings, an old vault, and a prominent English bar that the owners highlight on their story page. (jackiereyshilo.com)
- Service model and seating style: Full-service tables, bar seating, reservations via Resy, and takeout/delivery options mentioned on the site. (jackiereyshilo.com)
- Atmosphere and decor: Historic, open, high-ceilinged, and polished rather than rustic. The owners frame it as an “Ohana” gathering place, while traveler reviews describe it as attractive and energetic. (jackiereyshilo.com)
- Amenities or practical features: Free off-street parking is listed on Tripadvisor; the restaurant is wheelchair accessible and accepts cards. Google also shows a strong review volume, which implies it is a well-known Hilo dinner stop. (tripadvisor.com)
- Best fit: Dinner with friends or family, happy hour, a date night that is not too formal, or a traveler wanting a reliable all-around sit-down meal in Hilo. (jackiereyshilo.com)
- Weaker fit: Visitors highly sensitive to noise, slower service, or tightly constrained budgets may be less happy, especially at busy times. (tripadvisor.com)
History & Background
The restaurant’s own story says Jackie Rey’s Hilo opened in November 2016 in the historic Kaikodo building, originally home to the Bank of Hilo and built in 1907 as the Hilo Masonic Lodge Hall. The owners say they ran Kona for 12 years before deciding to expand into Hilo, and that they sold the Kona location in January 2023 so they could focus solely on Hilo. That makes the Hilo unit the current core location, not just a satellite. (jackiereyshilo.com)
Review Sentiment Snapshot
What People Love
Review patterns are strongest around the food being fresh, generously portioned, and well-presented, with a menu that works well for mixed groups. Commonly praised items include seafood, poke, coconut calamari, bread, salads, happy hour snacks, and desserts like cheesecake or chocolate torte. Many guests also like the historic setting and say the restaurant feels like one of Hilo’s better full-service dining options. (tripadvisor.com)
Common Gripes
The most consistent downside is noise. Multiple reviews describe the open room as loud, with conversation sometimes difficult, especially on busy nights. Service is usually positive in reviews, but there are recurring complaints about it being slow at times. Price complaints also show up: some guests think the menu is a bit expensive for the area or that certain dishes are only average value. These downsides look recurring rather than isolated, though sentiment is still mixed because many other reviews are enthusiastic. (tripadvisor.com)
Practical Visitor Tips
- Hours posture: Google lists lunch on weekdays, happy hour daily from 3–5 PM, dinner daily from 4:00–8:30 PM, and later opening on Saturday and Sunday at 3:00 PM. The official site also highlights lunch, happy hour, dinner, and desserts. (jackiereyshilo.com)
- Reservation posture: The official site directly points to Resy reservations, so booking ahead is sensible for dinner or busier times. Walk-ins are likely possible, but the restaurant clearly wants reservation behavior to be available. (jackiereyshilo.com)
- Parking and location: The restaurant is at 64 Keawe St in downtown Hilo. Tripadvisor lists both free off-street parking and street parking, which is useful in a downtown setting. (tripadvisor.com)
- Best time to go: If you want a calmer meal, earlier lunch or early dinner is the safer bet; Friday nights may be noisier based on reviewer comments about the surrounding area and the room itself. (tripadvisor.com)
- Ordering tip: Reviews repeatedly favor seafood, poke, bread, salads, and desserts, so those are safer bets than expecting a narrowly specialized cuisine experience. (tripadvisor.com)
Verification Notes
- Official name, address, phone, and website all match the Google Places record: Jackie Rey’s Ohana Grill Hilo, 64 Keawe St, Hilo, HI 96720, (808) 961-2572,
http://www.jackiereyshilo.com/. (jackiereyshilo.com) - Operational status appears current; Google lists the business as operational and the official site is active with menus and reservations. (jackiereyshilo.com)
- No major verification issues found.
Sources
- Jackie Rey’s Hilo official homepage —
http://www.jackiereyshilo.com/— retrieved 2026-04-01/2026-04-02; useful for confirming current branding, menu structure, reservation posture, and basic identity. - Jackie Rey’s Hilo dinner menu —
http://www.jackiereyshilo.com/dine-in-menu— retrieved 2026-04-01/2026-04-02; most useful for specific dishes, specials, drink list, and pricing cues. - Jackie Rey’s Hilo “Our Story” page —
http://www.jackiereyshilo.com/our-story— retrieved 2026-04-01/2026-04-02; most useful for the Hilo opening story, historic building context, and the 2023 Kona divestiture. - Tripadvisor listing for Jackie Rey’s Ohana Grill Hilo —
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60583-d11871061-Reviews-Jackie_Rey_s_Ohana_Grill_Hilo-Hilo_Island_of_Hawaii_Hawaii.html— retrieved 2026-04-01/2026-04-02; most useful for recurring traveler sentiment, parking notes, and atmosphere complaints/praise.
