Overview
Umekes Fish Market Bar & Grill is a Kona seafood and Hawaiian-favorites restaurant on the Big Island, with a bar, a fish-market component, and a dining room that leans casual rather than polished. The Google record and the restaurant’s own site both place it at 74-5599 Pawai Pl in Kailua-Kona, and the business is listed as operational. (umekesrestaurants.com)
For a traveler, the appeal is straightforward: this is a place to eat local-style fish dishes, poke, and island comfort food in a busy Kona setting, with enough of a reputation that it shows up in Food Network’s restaurant listing and on many traveler review platforms. The main practical question is not “what is it?” but “how crowded, how consistent, and how much of the menu matches your own seafood preferences.” (foodnetwork.com)
Cuisine & Specialties
Umekes sits in the lane of Hawaiian seafood, especially poke, with a broader menu that mixes fish-house staples and local plate-lunch style dishes. The restaurant’s own site emphasizes local sourcing and “boat to bowl” poke made from fish from Hawaiian waters, while third-party listings and reviews consistently mention poke bowls, fish tacos, lau lau, kalua pork, and mixed plates. (umekesrestaurants.com)
- Overall menu style: Hawaiian seafood restaurant with poke, fish market items, bar drinks, and a broader casual menu that also includes pork, chicken, burgers, salads, and shareable starters. (umekesrestaurants.com)
- Notable specialties supported by sources: Kanaka Poke, Heartbreaker, Poke Flight / Poke Sampler, fish tacos, lau lau, slow-roasted kalua pork, Uncle Nephi’s Smoke Meat, and Umekes Poke Balls. (foodnetwork.com)
- Drinks / bar: The restaurant has a full bar, and its site shows a drink menu; traveler-facing writeups describe it as a solid sit-down dinner spot with cocktails or bar service rather than a grab-and-go counter only. (umekesrestaurants.com)
- Price range: Google lists it at price level 2, and secondary sources consistently describe it as mid-range, with many dishes in the roughly $11–$30 lane and some multi-course or buffet-style offerings priced higher. Expect a casual-but-not-cheap meal. (menucollectors.com)
- Dietary usefulness / limitations: Seafood dominates the appeal, so it is naturally strongest for pescatarians and fish lovers. Vegetarian options exist, but multiple sources characterize them as limited compared with the seafood menu. (keauhouakahi.com)
Notable Features & Ambiance
This is a casual Kona restaurant with a laid-back feel, a full bar, and outdoor seating mentioned in third-party coverage. The setting is more about relaxed local dining than scenery; one traveler-oriented source specifically notes that the Kona location does not have a view, which is useful context for visitors deciding between food-first and view-first options. (foodnetwork.com)
- Service model and seating style: Sit-down restaurant with bar service, outdoor seating, takeout, catering, and reservation mention on the official site. The site also separates “Fish Market Hours” from “Restaurant Hours,” which suggests a hybrid retail + dine-in setup. (umekesrestaurants.com)
- Atmosphere and decor: Described by Google as “spacious” and “laid-back,” with traveler sources reinforcing a casual, lively Kona dinner feel rather than a formal room. (menucollectors.com)
- Practical features: On-site parking is indicated in local directions coverage, and the restaurant’s own site gives clearly posted daily hours for the fish market and restaurant. (konacoastvacations.com)
- Best fit: Good for a casual dinner, a seafood-focused lunch, or a visitor who wants to try Hawaiian favorites and poke in one stop. (foodnetwork.com)
- Weaker fit: Less ideal for travelers seeking a scenic oceanview meal, a highly vegetarian menu, or a quiet fine-dining setting. (keauhouakahi.com)
History & Background
The restaurant’s own site presents Umekes as a Kona operation built around local ingredients and Hawaiian fish, and third-party coverage says the Kona restaurant has been serving fresh seafood and food-fusion dishes since 2015. That same coverage identifies Nakoa Pabre as owner and chef, which is useful background for understanding the restaurant’s local identity and menu style. (umekesrestaurants.com)
Review Sentiment Snapshot
What People Love
Review summaries and traveler writeups consistently point to fresh seafood, especially poke, fish tacos, and island-style specialty dishes. Many guests also like the broad local menu, the generous portions, the bar, and the energetic casual atmosphere. The Food Network listing and multiple traveler sources both reinforce Umekes as a place people seek out for signature Hawaiian flavors rather than generic seafood. (foodnetwork.com)
Common Gripes
The main downside pattern is inconsistency. Tripadvisor’s summary explicitly mentions that while many guests praise freshness and flavor, some report uneven preparation, and individual recent reviews include both strong praise and very harsh complaints about overcooked or cold dishes. The negative signal is real, but it appears mixed rather than dominant, so it should be treated as a caution rather than a defining criticism. (tripadvisor.com)
Practical Visitor Tips
- Hours: The official site lists the restaurant as 11:00 AM–9:00 PM Monday–Saturday, while the Google record shows daily 11:00 AM–9:00 PM hours. That mismatch should be treated as a small freshness caveat; if timing matters, verify before going. (umekesrestaurants.com)
- Reservations / walk-ins: The official site explicitly mentions reservations, and third-party coverage notes takeout and catering. A walk-in should be realistic, but busy meal periods may be worth planning around. (umekesrestaurants.com)
- Best order strategy: If you want the strongest Umekes experience, seafood and poke are the core bets; a poke sampler or flight is a smart way to compare styles. (keauhouakahi.com)
- For non-seafood eaters: There are alternatives, but vegetarian diners should expect a narrower set of choices than at a general American restaurant. (keauhouakahi.com)
- Setting: Don’t go expecting a scenic view; this is more of a food-first Kona stop than a sunset destination. (keauhouakahi.com)
Verification Notes
- Official name and main contact details line up across sources: Umekes Fish Market Bar & Grill, 74-5599 Pawai Pl / Pawaii Pl variation, Kailua-Kona, (808) 238-0571, umekesrestaurants.com. (umekesrestaurants.com)
- Minor address drift appears in secondary sources: one source says 74-5599 Pawai Pl, while another writes 74-5563 Ka‘iwi Street for the restaurant context; the Google record and official site support the Pawai Pl address for this location, so the Ka‘iwi reference likely reflects nearby access or a separate associated site. (umekesrestaurants.com)
- Operational status is confirmed as operational by Google and by current official-site presentation. (menucollectors.com)
Sources
- Google Places record —
https://maps.google.com/?cid=2194425171572388139— retrieved 2026-04-01 — most useful for canonical identity, current hours posture, rating, price level, and operational status. - Official Umekes site / Kona location page —
https://umekes.com/— retrieved 2026-04-02 — most useful for the restaurant’s own description, current location listing, fish market vs. restaurant hours, and reservation/contact details. - Food Network restaurant listing —
https://www.foodnetwork.com/restaurants/hi/kailua-kona/umekes-fishmarket-bar-grill— retrieved 2026-04-02 — useful for signature dishes, bar/outdoor seating, and a concise third-party description of the food style. - Kona Coast Vacations local dining guide —
https://www.konacoastvacations.com/restaurants/kona-dining-umekes-fishmarket-bar-and-grill-in-kona/— retrieved 2026-04-02 — useful for owner/chef attribution, price expectations, menu examples, and local context. - Hale Hāhālua travel note —
https://www.keauhouakahi.com/umekes-fish-market-bar-grill/— retrieved 2026-04-02 — useful for traveler-oriented comments on the lack of a view, the poke flight, and vegetarian limitations. - Tripadvisor restaurant page and review summary —
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60872-d8069764-Reviews-Umekes_Fish_Market_Bar_Grill-Kailua_Kona_Island_of_Hawaii_Hawaii.html— retrieved 2026-04-02 — useful for recurring sentiment patterns, especially praise for freshness and complaints about inconsistency.
