Readers of the Hawaii Tribune-Herald have voted in record numbers this year to name their "Best of East Hawaii" favorites!
The races were close, and we want to say a heartfelt "mahalo" to all those enthusiastic voters who made their voices heard.
And to the winners, congratulations! Your stories and photos in the Best of East Hawaii publication help us understand the hard work and dedication required to be named the "Best" in your field.
Businesses, services, attractions, cultural events and especially people like you are what makes East Hawaii a great place to live, work and play!
| Best of East Hawaii | |
|---|---|
| Art Gallery | Volcano Art Center |
| Beach | Richardson's Beach Park |
| Customer Service | The Pet Hospital - Hilo, Inc. |
| Family Entertainment Location | Prince Kuhio Plaza |
| Festival Event | Merrie Monarch Hula Festival |
| Museum | Lyman Museum and Mission House |
| Golf Course | Hilo Municipal Golf Course |
| Helicopter/Air Tours | Blue Hawaiian Helicopters |
| Inter-Island Air Carrier: | Hawaiian Airlines |
| Medical Facility | Hilo Medical Center |
| New Business | Moonstruck Patisserie |
| Night Spot | Karma HI: Sports Bar, Karaoke, Nightclub |
| Outdoor Market | Hilo Farmer's Market |
| Pau Hana/Happy Hour | Kim's Karaoke Lounge |
| Place to Get Married | Liliuokalani Gardens |
| Receptions/Banquets | Nani Mau Gardens |
| Visitor Attraction | Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park |
| Zipline | The Umauma Falls & Zipline Experience |
| Best Food Location | |
|---|---|
| Bakery | KTA Super Stores |
| Breakfast | Ken's House of Pancakes |
| Candy/Cookie Company | Big Island Candies, Inc. |
| Catering | KTA Super Stores |
| Chinese Food | Leung's Chop Suey House |
| Crack Seed | Kawate Seed Shop |
| Deli Sandwiches | SUBWAY® Restaurants |
| Cup of Coffee | Starbucks Coffee |
| Desserts | KTA Super Stores |
| Family Restaurant | Don's Grill |
| Fast Food | McDonalds of East Hawaii |
| Fine Dining | Hilo Bay Café |
| Fish/Seafood | The Seaside Restaurant |
| Hamburger | Burger King |
| Hawaiian Food | Kuhio Grille |
| Ice Cream | Baskin Robbins Ice Cream & Yogurt |
| Ice Shave | Itsu's Fishing Supplies |
| Italian Food | Pescatore Italian Restaurant |
| Japanese Food | Miyo's Restaurant |
| Korean Food | Seoul Station |
| Loco Moco | Café 100 |
| Malasadas | Tex Drive In & Restaurant |
| Mexican Food | Reuben's Mexican Food |
| Mochi | Two Ladies Kitchen |
| Pizza | Hawaii Pizza Hut |
| Plate Lunch | Blane's Drive Inn |
| Poke | KTA Super Stores |
| Pupus | KTA Super Stores |
| Sushi | Ocean Sushi Deli |
| Smoothie | Jamba Juice |
| Thai Food | Sombats Fresh Thai Cuisine |
| Vegetarian Food | Island Naturals Market & Deli |
| Vietnamese Food | Hilo Rice Noodle Soup Restaurant |
| Yogurt | Yogurtland at Hilo |
| Best Business | |
|---|---|
| Auto Dealership/New | Big Island Toyota |
| Auto Dealership/Used | Aiona Car Sales |
| Auto Parts | NAPA Auto Parts |
| Auto Repair Shop | Lex Brodie's Tire & Service Centers |
| Auto Sound System | Wizard Car Audio & Video |
| Bank/Credit Union | HFS Federal Credit Union |
| Bed & Breakfast | The Palms Cliff House Inn |
| Bicycle Shop | Hilo Bike Hub |
| Book Store | Basically Books |
| Building Supplies | The Home Depot |
| Clothing Boutique | Diva's Boutique |
| Construction Company | Isemoto Contracting Company Ltd. |
| Craft Supplies | Ben Franklin Crafts |
| Department Store | Macy's |
| Drug/Pharmacy Store | Longs Drug Store |
| Dry Cleaners | A Personal Touch Dry Cleaning |
| Elderly Care Facility | Life Care Center of Hilo |
| Employment Services | Altres Staffing |
| Equipment/Supply Rentals | Puna Rental |
| Fabric Shop | Discount Fabric Warehouse |
| Farm/Ag Supplies | Del's Feed & Farm Supply |
| Florist | Floral Mart |
| Funeral Home | Dodo Mortuary |
| Furniture Store | Yamada Furniture |
| Garden Supplies | Garden Exchange Ltd. |
| Gas Station | Bayside Chevron |
| Gift Shop | Lauren's Hallmark |
| Grocery Store | KTA Super Stores |
| Health Fitness Center | Spencer's Health & Fitness Center |
| Hardware Store | Ace Hardware Hawaii |
| Health Food Store | Island Naturals Market & Deli |
| Hotel | Hilo Hawaiian Hotel |
| Insurance Company | State Farm Insurance Company |
| Internet Café | Starbucks Coffee |
| Internet Provider | Oceanic Time Warner Cable |
| Landscaping Services | Five Star Maintenance |
| Law Offices/Attorney | The Law Offices of Robert Marx |
| Martial Arts Academy | Penn Fitness & Training Center |
| Mom & Pop Store | Pinky's 5 Eight |
| Mortgage Company | Island Mortgage Source |
| Nail Salon | Nicole's Nails |
| Plant Nursery | Paradise Plants Home & Garden Center |
| Preschool | Kamehameha Preschools |
| Print Shop | Hawaii Printing Corporation |
| Real Estate Agency | Coldwell Banker Day-Lum Properties |
| Roofing Company | Yama's Roofing |
| Rubbish Hauling | Leo's Rubbish Service |
| Self-Service Storage | Kuawa Self Storage |
| Sports Bar | Cronies Bar & Grill |
| Styling Salon | Sook's Styling |
| Surf Shop | Big Island Surf Co. |
| Tattoo Parlor | Native Flesh Tattoo |
| Tire Shop | Lex Brodie's Tire & Service Center |
| Travel Agency | Regal Travel |
| Trucking Company | Conens Freight Transport, Inc. |
| Veterinary Center | Aloha Veterinary Center |
| Watch Repair Shop | Bob's Jewelers, Inc. |
| Wireless Service Provider | Verizon Wireless |
| Best Professionals | |
|---|---|
| Auto Mechanic | Wesley Masuda at Car Tech Auto Repair |
| Car Sales Person | Pat Aiona, Jr. at Aiona Car Sales |
| Chiropractor | Harvelee Leite-Ah Yo at Hawaii Physical Therapy & Chripractic Clinic, Inc. |
| Contractor/Builder | Lloyd Rubio at Big Island Construction |
| Dentist | Chad Okuda DDS at Kawili Dental Group |
| Electrician | Kyle Nakayama at K&R Electric, LLC |
| Financial Advisor | Miles Nishimoto at Edward Jones |
| General Physician | Dr. Kevin Kurohara at Kevin Kurohara M.D. |
| Insurance Agent | Cary Ichinose at State Farm Insurance |
| Kumu Hula | Johnny Lum Ho at Halau O Ka Ua Kani Lehua |
| Pet Groomer | Amy Wong at Su Lin Kennels |
| Photographer | Reed Takaaze at RJ Weddings |
| Physical Therapist | Warren Arakaki at Arakaki Physical Therapy & Sports Rehabilitation, Inc. |
| Plumber | Wally Tamashiro at Tamashiro Plumbing |
| Radio Personality | Grumby at Native FM |
| Real Estate Agent | Ernest Medeiros at Ala Kai Realty |
| Tattoo Artist | Brady Hollowell at 202 Tattoo Studio |
| Travel Agent | Mike Malinowski at Regal Travel |
| Veterinarian | Dr. Alan Nagakura at The Pet Hospital - Hilo, Inc. |
| Best Place to Purchase | |
|---|---|
| Aloha Attire | Hilo Hattie - The Store of Hawaii |
| Antiques/Collectibles | Alan's Art & Antiques |
| Appliances | Sears Roebuck & Company |
| Computer Equipment | Office Max |
| Eyewear | Optical Dispensers of Hilo, Inc. |
| Fishing Supplies | S. Tokunaga Store |
| Floor Coverings | Carpet Isle Flooring America |
| Formal/Wedding Attire | Love 'N Lace Bridal Boutique |
| Gift Baskets | Big Island Delights |
| Greeting Cards | Lauren's Hallmark |
| Hearing Aids | Beltone Hearing Aid Center |
| House Paint & Supplies | The Home Depot |
| Jewelry | Zales Jewelers – Hilo |
| Leis | Ah Lan's Lei Stand (Airport) |
| Motorcycles | Ellsworth Custom Cycles |
| Musical Instruments | Agasa Furinture & Music Store |
| Office Supplies | Office Max |
| Oil Change | Firestone Tire & Service Center |
| Omiyage | Big Island Candies |
| Pest Control | Hilo Termite & Pest Control |
| Pool & Spa Equipment | Waterworks |
| Religious Books & Gifts | The Seventh Gate Religious Books & Gifts |
| Shoes | Tie: Macy's and Famous Footwear |
| Solar Energy Equipment | Drainpipe Plumbing & Solar, LLC |
| Sporting Goods | Sports Line |
| T-Shirts (Local Kine) | Creative Arts Hawaii |
| Used Books | Hilo Bay Books |
| Wood Crafted Items | Dan De Luz Woods, Inc. |
