A Very Positive Vibe Rocks Hilo

March 20, 2019, 10:27 AM HST
* Updated September 8, 10:52 AM

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Fun fact: I was a vegetarian at one time during they heydey of Laurel’s Kitchen and The Moosewood Cookbook, both great resources filled with helpful recipes. I even baked my own bread, and the Laurel’s Kitchen bread recipe (pg. 79) is still one of my favorites.

Why did I stop being a vegetarian? Well, in the early ’80s, vegetarianism was harder. There was more prep time involved, and there weren’t a lot of stores carrying the ingredients that I needed. Also, as a former farm girl, I missed eating meat.

Many of you may join me in feeling conflicted about eating meat. I was raised with it, but I like animals. Yet, I want to eat a healthy diet and I think that means having some balance, which means eating some meatless meals.

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That brings us to Vibe, one of Hilo’s newest restaurants—where they serve inventive, fresh, vegetarian food. Many items can be made vegan or gluten-free, too. Fans of the Ornish program will no doubt appreciate this.

“We believe that vegetarian food doesn’t need to be bland or boring,” Dylan Shropshire, a member of Vibe’s family-run business, told me.

Vibe’s mission includes shifting humans toward a plant-based diet.

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Interested in trying cuisine that won’t have you missing meat? Check out Vibe’s “Brisket” (homemade seitan) sandwich, at $12.95 or a Bacon-Blue (plant-based) Burger ($13.95). My husband loved the Mushroom-Swiss Burger ($13.95). A lover of avocados, I could not resist the Loaded Avocado Toast ($7.95). I still love you, Laurel’s Kitchen, but these beat the tar out of your Lentil-Nut Loaf.

CBD oil (Cannabidiol) is all the rage now—and Vibe has crafted theirs into doughnuts, baked fresh every day.

Vibe promotes food as a healing power and you will find an array of “ceremonial beverages”—kava, kratom and kombucha—on the menu. Family members or partners grow and make the all the products, which are all locally sourced. Vibe uses 100% Puna-Grown Organic Coffee in all coffee drinks.

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While you wait for your order, check out Vibe’s shelves in the back, where you can buy local, Hawai‘i-grown products.

Date night coming up? Try Vibe on a Friday or Saturday night, when live music adds to the atmosphere.

Service is friendly. “We try and treat everyone as family,” Shropshire said.

They are now featuring a BYOB mimosa bar and live music on Sundays.

Vibe is located at 750 Kanoelehua Ave., Ste. 1. Open 7 days a week: Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Ample parking. Casual.