http://www.islandonoloagrill.com/blog/rss/feedsWe’re big on using local ingredients as much as we can. Fish pulled from Hawaiian waters!Wed, 06 May 2026 04:27:06 -0700http://www.islandonoloagrill.com/blog/post/what-makes-for-great-burgershttp://www.islandonoloagrill.com/blog/post/what-makes-for-great-burgersWe often hear from our customers that we have the best burgers in Kona, but many don't know what we do to make our burgers so good. We thought we'd let you know: 1) Fire grilled over lava rocks. Repeat, fire grilled! The burgers' juices make their own smoky flavors when they hit the lava rocks beneath them, and they don't soak in their own grease like they do when you cook them on a flat top. 2) Buns. We butter and toast every single bun. Oh, and our buns are Hawaiian sweet bread buns from Punalu'u Bake Shop, located right here on the Big Island. We call them Hawaiian MSG, as they make ALL of our burgers and sandwiches taste better! On a side note, be sure to go there and get their lilikoi malasadas. And don't get us started on their chocolate eclairs... Call ahead as they sell out! 3) Hand formed patties. This allows better penetration of the... 4) Seasonings. Different ones for each side of the burger. 5) Real hamburger dill pickles. There is a well known burger place here on the island that CHARGES extra for pickles, and they're not real hamburger dill pickles either. A few of our burgers don't come with pickles as we feel they' don’t go well with the other ingredients, but if you want them, we'll put them on for you. 6) Meat. It's gotta be grain fed. Grass fed sounds so right, but just doesn't taste (or feel) right. Plus, grass fed is too lean to be cooked over flames. The burgers end up being tough and dry. Ours are so moist that we have to place them on the top bun so they don't soak the bottom bun too much! It's also why we give our customers at least two napkins per burger! 7) Interesting ingredients. A few of the things our burgers are available with include; locally sourced goat cheese infused with macadamia nut pesto, roasted poblano peppers, jalapeno cream cheese, Applewood smoked bacon, and all natural peanut butter. We hope you come in and try one of our burgers. We think we have the best burgers in Kona (and maybe even the Big Island), but don't take our word for it. Search Yelp or TripAdvisor for Burgers in Kailua-Kona, and we're listed #1 on both!Thu, 09 Mar 2017 20:42:53 -0700http://www.islandonoloagrill.com/blog/post/the-second-best-thing-to-do-on-the-big-islandhttp://www.islandonoloagrill.com/blog/post/the-second-best-thing-to-do-on-the-big-islandGoing to see lava is the best thing to do when you visit the Big Island of Hawai'i, but not many people know that the best place on the planet to look at the night sky with unaided human eyes is located here too. If you go up to the Visitors Center on the flank of Mauna Kea at sunset, you'll be treated to a night sky like you've never seen before (if the moon isn't up, that is). Our island is 2500+ miles (3548 kilometers) from any dust source, so our air is really clean here. Combine that with the center's altitude of 9000 feet (3000 meters) so you're above roughly 80% of the Earth's atmosphere, the limited light pollution, and the fact that we're so far south that we can not only view all of the Northern Hemisphere's sky, but 85% of the Southern Hemisphere's as well, and you have an amazing night sky. The Visitors Center sets up telescopes every night at sunset, and better, volunteers and staff there give sky talks as well. On a clear night, you will marvel at the amount of stars you can see. Also, they take on a cold, bluish-white color that we've never seen anywhere else. Sometimes the Milky Way looks like a dust storm blowing in. Just amazing. You can find the road up to the Visitors Center about midway along Highway 200, also known as the Saddle Road. Just look for the sign pointing to the Mauna Kea Observatories. If you're driving up at night, beware of "invisible cows!"Thu, 23 Feb 2017 11:59:00 -0700