Magics Beach Grill - Kailua Kona

Since our last visit, I've noticed a decrease in vegan options at the restaurant, including the removal of the ulu poke bowl, which has prompted me to lower my rating from 4 stars to 3. The restaurant's proximity to the beaches remains a huge plus, as there aren't many decent places nearby, and the prices are reasonable. The food itself was good, though not outstanding. However, sitting by the water and watching surfers tackle the waves was absolutely incredible. Ulu, or breadfruit, is locally grown and featured in some of their vegan dishes. For those unfamiliar, ulu has a texture similar to a potato. Although the menu isn’t specifically marked for vegan options, our server was quite knowledgeable and was able to accommodate our request for a vegan pasta dish. This review has been updated since my last one on February 1, 2022.

We often passed by this restaurant and thought it was just a small beach snack shack, but we were pleasantly surprised to find that it’s actually a lovely full-service restaurant that we had overlooked! We tried only the Brussels sprouts and 'ulu hush puppies, along with some local drinks, but there are several vegetarian mushroom and pasta dishes on the menu that we definitely want to come back and sample. With its beachfront location, the atmosphere is absolutely perfect!