Overview
KaiLoki’s Restaurant Southernmost bar in the U.S is a casual full-service restaurant and bar in Ocean View on the Big Island, positioned as a practical stop for people traveling between South Point, Volcano, and the Kona side. The available evidence points to a local, road-trip-friendly place rather than a destination dining room: American comfort food, drinks, live-music/karaoke nights, and a laid-back bar-and-grill setup. (tripadvisor.com)
Identity-wise, the Google Places record, Tripadvisor, and other directory listings all point to the same business at 92-8754 Hawaii Blvd, Ocean View, HI 96737, with the same phone number. The only real naming drift is stylistic: some sources call it “KaiLoki’s Restaurant and Bar,” others “KaiLoki’s Ka`u Bar and Grill,” while Google’s label includes the “Southernmost bar in the U.S” tagline. (tripadvisor.com)
Cuisine & Specialties
This is an American comfort-food restaurant with a bar, not a narrow specialty kitchen. The strongest recurring food signal across review sources is fried fish and chips, especially ono fish and chips, plus burgers, chicken dishes, ribs, loco moco, grilled fish, and a few house-made desserts. Travelers seem to use it as a hearty, no-fuss meal stop where portions are substantial and the menu covers a broad comfort-food lane. (tripadvisor.com)
- Overall menu style: American bar-and-grill / comfort food, with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks listed on Tripadvisor; review snippets and menu aggregators point to family-style specials, burgers, chicken, fish, and bar drinks. (tripadvisor.com)
- Notable specialties that show up repeatedly: ono fish and chips, grilled ono or grilled fish, loco moco, chicken-fried chicken, ribs, fishburger, chicken tenders, and macadamia nut caramel chocolate cheesecake. (tripadvisor.com)
- Drinks: full bar, local draft beer, pina coladas, wine, and beer are all supported by the review and listing evidence. (tripadvisor.com)
- Price range: Google lists it at price level 2, and traveler reviews repeatedly describe the food as reasonably priced or good value, though at least one recent review calls it overpriced and disappointing. A fair traveler expectation is midrange casual dining rather than cheap plate-lunch pricing. (kailokis-restaurant-southernmost-bar-in-the-us.wheree.com)
- Dietary usefulness / limitations: There is some evidence of vegetarian-friendly flexibility in aggregated menu listings and one review mentioning veggie stir fry, but the core menu is meat-and-fish heavy. This looks like a usable stop for mixed groups, but not a strongly specialized vegetarian or vegan restaurant. (menulist.menu)
Notable Features & Ambiance
The experience appears casual, local, and unpolished in a good road-stop way: people describe it as spacious, airy, comfortable, and welcoming, with local-art decor and a bar-oriented dining room. It is especially framed as a stopover restaurant for travelers coming from Kona, Volcano, South Point, or the green sand beach area. (local.yahoo.com)
- Service model and seating style: Full-service dine-in with bar seating and takeout; aggregated listings also mention outdoor seating, TV, wifi, and wheelchair accessibility. (tripadvisor.com)
- Atmosphere and decor: Casual, local, welcoming, and relaxed; one firsthand-style blog post mentions paintings by local artists, and reviews describe a fun, comfortable atmosphere. (anikidesigns.wordpress.com)
- Amenities or practical features: Free off-street parking, wifi, television, credit card acceptance, and alcohol service are all supported. (tripadvisor.com)
- Best fit: A lunch or early dinner stop on a Big Island drive; also a plausible place for a low-key drink, karaoke night, or casual local meal. (local.yahoo.com)
- Weaker fit: Travelers wanting polished fine dining, a scenic oceanfront setting, or a highly curated culinary experience may find it too plain or too casual. That is an inference from the menu and review pattern rather than an explicit complaint. (menulist.menu)
History & Background
Meaningful backstory is limited in the sources I found. One blog post says KaiLoki’s is at a former restaurant site in Ocean View and treats it as a local casual hangout, but I did not find a reliable ownership or founder story, chef narrative, or documented relocation timeline. (anikidesigns.wordpress.com)
Review Sentiment Snapshot
What People Love
Review patterns lean positive overall: travelers repeatedly praise the fish and chips, generous portions, friendly staff, reasonable prices, and the fact that it works well as a convenient stop on the South Point/Volcano/Kona drive. Several reviewers specifically mention welcoming service, easy parking, and a comfortable local vibe. (tripadvisor.com)
Common Gripes
The main downside signal is mixed food consistency. A recent Tripadvisor review says the food was “overpriced but terrible,” which is the clearest negative, though it stands against a larger set of positive comments. There is also a light service-capacity signal in an older review noting the restaurant was busy and short-staffed, but that appears more situational than a stable pattern. (tripadvisor.com)
Practical Visitor Tips
- Current posted hours from Google Places are: Monday 2:00–6:00 PM, Tuesday closed, Wednesday–Thursday 11:30 AM–7:30 PM, Friday 11:30 AM–9:00 PM, Saturday 11:30 AM–8:00 PM, Sunday 11:30 AM–7:30 PM. (kailokis-restaurant-southernmost-bar-in-the-us.wheree.com)
- Tripadvisor also shows Friday hours extending later than the Google listing, so hours may drift; if timing matters, call ahead at the listed number. (tripadvisor.com)
- Best time to go seems to be lunch or an early dinner on a travel day, especially if you want the signature fish-and-chips or a relaxed stop between Kona, Volcano, and South Point. (tripadvisor.com)
- Parking appears straightforward and easy, with multiple sources noting off-street or easy parking. (tripadvisor.com)
- Expect a casual, local bar-and-grill experience rather than a destination restaurant with reservations and a formal service flow. Reservation policy is not clearly established in the sources I found. (tripadvisor.com)
- If you care most about food quality, the most consistently praised bets are the ono fish and chips and other fish dishes; the less consistent side of the menu seems to be where disappointment shows up. (tripadvisor.com)
Verification Notes
- Google Places anchor: KaiLoki’s Restaurant Southernmost bar in the U.S, 92-8754 Hawaii Blvd, Ocean View, HI 96737, phone (808) 929-7200, operational. (kailokis-restaurant-southernmost-bar-in-the-us.wheree.com)
- Name drift exists across sources: “KaiLoki’s Restaurant and Bar,” “KaiLoki’s Ka`u Bar and Grill,” and the Google-tagged “Southernmost bar in the U.S” phrasing all appear to refer to the same place. (tripadvisor.com)
- No major verification issues found. (kailokis-restaurant-southernmost-bar-in-the-us.wheree.com)
Sources
- Google Places / Google Maps listing for KaiLoki’s Restaurant Southernmost bar in the U.S —
https://maps.google.com/?cid=15670438678735544010— retrieved 2026-04-01T23:58:40.658Z. Most useful for the canonical identity anchor, address, phone, current hours, rating, and operational status. - Tripadvisor listing for KaiLoki’s Restaurant and Bar —
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60598-d21322352-Reviews-KaiLoki_s_Restaurant_and_Bar-Ocean_View_Island_of_Hawaii_Hawaii.html— retrieved 2026-04-02. Most useful for traveler-facing review patterns, dish mentions, price framing, hours comparison, and amenity signals. - Menulist menu page for Kailoki’s Restaurant —
https://menulist.menu/restaurants/ocean-view/kailokis-restaurant-and-bar— retrieved 2026-04-02. Most useful for menu-category evidence, specific dish names, and corroborating amenities like parking, wifi, takeout, and outdoor seating. - Yahoo Local listing for KaiLokis Restaurant and Bar —
https://local.yahoo.com/info-226998653-kailokis-restaurant-and-bar-hawaiian-ocean-view— retrieved 2026-04-02. Useful for compact operational signals, hours, and the recurring traveler framing as a stop on the Kona/South Point/Volcano route. - Aniki Designs blog post mentioning KaiLoki’s Ka
u Bar and Grill —https://anikidesigns.wordpress.com/author/anikidesigns/` — retrieved 2026-04-02. Used cautiously as secondary evidence for ambiance, local-art decor, live karaoke mention, and the former-site note; treated as a low-to-moderate confidence source.
