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Exterior - Hau Tree at Mauna Kea, Kamuela, HI

Hau Tree at Mauna Kea

3.9 (387)
$30 and under
American
62-100 Mauna Kea Beach Dr, Kamuela, HI 96743-9706

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A photo of Hau Tree at Mauna Kea restaurant

Hau Tree at Mauna Kea

3.9
$30 and under
American
Kohala Coast

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 5 times today

About this restaurant

  • Healthy
  • Great for live music
  • Romantic
Just steps from the beach and ocean with your toes practically in the sand, Hau Tree is a casual open-air option for relaxed lunches and dinners on the Big Island of Hawai‘i. It’s complete with a gazebo-style bar perfectly situated for meeting friends old and new while enjoying cocktails, local brews and awaiting a glimpse of the sunset’s elusive green flash. Hau Tree’s menu includes sandwiches, fish tacos, salads, ice cream, and Mauna Kea’s famous Ovaltine Froth.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Daily 11:00 am–5:00 pm Dinner Daily 5:00 pm–8:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Resort Casual

Concierge
AI Beta

Our AI assistant, Concierge, is here to answer your questions about this restaurant.

Reviews

OpenTable reviews from verified diners

Reviews from people who have dined at Hau Tree at Mauna Kea.

3.9

3.9
(387)
  • 4.0Food
  • 4.0Service
  • 4.3Ambience
  • 3.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • Hawaii / Big Island

    Hot spot

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Hau Tree at Mauna Kea offers a stunning beachside dining experience with "awesome waterfront views at sunset." The ambiance is "fabulous" and guests enjoy dishes like "killer nachos" and "outstanding" chicken mole. While the service is "great," some reviews mention high prices and occasional slow service.
387 Reviews
  1. Jeremy

    Portland1 review

    1.0

    Dined on October 25, 2026

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 1
    People everywhere walking to and from the beach. This is the main entrance area to the beach from the resort. The umbrellas on the beach blocked any chance of seeing the sunset. Extremely disappointing

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  2. Dawn Gold

    Kansas City5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on October 20, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Hands down everyone loved the table guacamole and drinks. Service was great and sunset views fabulous.

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  3. Mark Gold

    Dallas10 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on October 19, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The sunset was beautiful. We are from Texas and thought the Mexican food was delicious.

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  4. Ann

    Unspecified1 review

    4.0

    Dined on October 18, 2026

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was good price was acceptable. Service is fine. Setting was beautiful. Would’ve been better if all of the beach umbrellas were not blocking the view. They do not serve coffee.

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  5. merritt Gold

    Houston6 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on October 17, 2026

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    Great food and ambience. Servers super nice just really slow. Chicken Mole was outstanding!

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  6. Robert

    Portland19 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on October 17, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    A Mexican beach restaurant on the beach in Hawaii? The ambiance was fabulous, the food very good, the wait staff very friendly and knowledgeable about the food and wine pairings with the food.

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  7. Karl Gold

    Las Vegas37 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on October 16, 2026

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 5
    I was anticipating a 3-4 star Mexican/Hawaiian Fusion event, but instead received a 2 star evening, only saved by nature herself. Food was okay, but no better than any decent Mexican trendy spot. I’m from SoCal, so we were especially disappointed by the lack of presentation and accoutrements. I asked for extra salsa or sauce and was handed an industrial sized bottle of Cholula. That was quite funny! Our waiter was seen one time when we ordered, and never again. The location on the beach is incredible, but this is baked in. This location deserves far, far better. This resort is nowhere near the quality and expertise of its Kohala Coast neighbors, despite the tradition and history behind it. Bummer!

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  8. Jamie Gold

    Dallas4 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on October 12, 2026

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 1
    Disappointed with where we were seated, with having made a reservation in advance. Children were running around all the tables screaming. Left a lot to be desired. Food was good though.

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  9. CAMERON

    Los Angeles30 reviews

    1.0

    Dined on September 6, 2026

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 5
    We had been looking forward to trying their full menu but when we arrived for my husband’s birthday dinner we were told that the chef decided to do an abbreviated menu on the grill for the Labor Day weekend / I would have appreciated being advised in advance as we did have a reservation- if I’d known this fact we would have gone somewhere else. It just went downhill from there. The waitress had attitude, the food that we ordered was mediocre - the guacamole and salsas were good but the chips bowl was a lot of crumbs- the quesadilla was okay, probably the best thing we ate - grilled chicken was dry, the ahi tostada was really poor- just a crisp tortilla with some fish on it, and my Caesar salad was pedestrian- bland, soggy and not worth $22… drinks were watery too. Soooo needless to say we won’t be going back or recommending it to anyone- we live here so they really don’t care- they can make it by ripping off their transient hotel guests. I’ll just take my money elsewhere. Only thing good about it was the fact that they offer a kamaaina discount, which does me no good going forward because we won’t be returning…

    1 person found this helpful

  10. Sally Gold

    Chicago3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on September 1, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great sunset views, sitting right on the beach is hard to beat. Tacos and Nachos were both tasty, and service is great!

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Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Daily 11:00 am–5:00 pm Dinner Daily 5:00 pm–8:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Resort Casual

FAQs

Yes, guests note a recent menu change toward a Mexican-focused lineup, and the current menus include Mexican-style tacos and specialties like cochinita pibil and enchiladas.

Yes, Hau Tree at Mauna Kea is frequently recommended for romantic evenings, with guests highlighting beachfront sunset views and special-date experiences like anniversary dinners and “a perfect date night.”

Yes, the lunch menu lists Vegan Black Beans as a plant-based option, giving vegan diners a clearly marked choice.

Hau Tree at Mauna Kea can be lively and occasionally busy, guests mention waits and a “lively atmosphere”, while visits with an empty beach felt peaceful and romantic.

The Mauna Kea–famous Ovaltine Froth is a signature at Hau Tree, it's listed on the menu and guests mention sharing the Ovaltine Froth as a fun, traditional dessert.

Yes, Hau Tree is family-friendly: the Lunch menu includes a Keiki section (chicken tenders, quesadilla, cheeseburger, grilled chicken, keiki tacos), and guests describe it as a good spot for families.

Hau Tree is an open-air, relaxed beachfront restaurant, toes-in-the-sand dining with sunset views, live music and a casual, vacation-ready feel that many guests praise.

One guest noted a very cute kitty walking around the restaurant during their visit.

Yes, guests report a happy hour that offers good value on appetizers and cocktails, with several mentions of it running in the early evening (around 5–7 pm).

Go to Hau Tree for dinner around sunset, reservations about 5:30–6:30 pm let you enjoy the open-air dining and gazebo-style bar with unbeatable beachside sunset views.

How FAQ content is generated

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Hawaii
  4. Hawaii / Big Island
  5. Kohala Coast

Make a reservation

A photo of Hau Tree at Mauna Kea restaurant

Hau Tree at Mauna Kea

3.9
$30 and under
American
Kohala Coast

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 5 times today
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