First impressions of this place were conflicting. On one hand we were told to make reservations - we were expecting a more formal evening because of this. On the other hand this could literally be someone's house. Location was far from everything and we were unsure whether to stay or not.

Upon entering, we stumbled around a few minutes looking for a host or dining area. We walked through a bar, 2 kitchens, and finally found the seating area. Once seated, our server was very pleasant. The atmosphere was a little odd, but also had a nice charm to it. I ordered the butterfish and was very impressed. My friend tried the NY steak and was also impressed. Cost is about $25/plate and the portions were plentiful.

I hope to visit again!

expensive for what you get. The macadamia crusted halibut was cooked well, however the sweet sauce ruined the flavor [tries hard]. I asked the server if the blackened ahi could be cooked rare. "Yes!" and when it arrived it was well-done.
HOWEVER...you can do a lot worse in Hilo.

I usually order the fried aholehole, steamed mullet, or macadamia nut crusted mahimahi, but I just wasn't in the mood for fish, so I decided to try the prime rib, which I love and had heard was good here. It's not good, it's GREAT!!! It was tender, juicy, cooked perfectly, and even had an awesome rock salt crust!! It was some of the best prime rib I've had anywhere!
I almost always have a green salad to start my dinners, but the cream of Hamakua mushroom soup sounded so enticing that all three of us decided to try it, and it was a good decision for all of us. The soup was heavenly!! If it's available when you dine here, order it!
And don't forget dessert. It was hard not to order the Hilo Homemade ice cream, but the brownie delight and mud pie were the perfect ending to an awesome meal.
The Seaside is always on our itinerary when we visit Hilo, but now we even more reasons to dine here. We've always known they served great fish, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover that their prime rib is just as good!

This place doesn't look like much from the outside but if you get a table in the back over looking the water, you will have a much better dining experience. Food was very good and high quality. Initially, it seemed expensive but neither my husband nor I could eat all of our food. So, we had enough leftovers for a meal the next day. Staff was friendly.