Best pizza on the Big Island of Hawai’i? A family-owned, local ingredient Italian gem in the quaint agriculture town of Honoka’a: Cafe Il Mondo.

After a day riding the waves at Hapuna Beach State Park and snorkeling at Two-Step—the big treat on the 2.5 hour drive back to our side of the island is a meal at Cafe Il Mondo.

The staff is so friendly, they wave at us from the bar as we prance in covered in sand and salt water. The chef at the pizza oven, Jeff, also shouts out a big aloha—his smile so wide and warm we feel like relatives.

Jeff cranks out a mean pizza from his blazing brick oven and doesn’t blink when I request an anchovy and wild mushroom extra-large pizza drizzled with truffle oil. The crust is chewy and airy—not doughy. The ingredients are topnotch and the produce for salads and toppings is usually locally grown. The Italian and Californian wines are full-bodied and wash down those cheesy slices perfectly. We eat the whole pie with no regrets!

Cafe Il Mondo @ (808) 775-7711

45-3580 Mamane Street, Honokaa, Hawaii

Directions