Hawaii: 20 Big Island meals for less than $20

Prices: $9-$18

Spend a lazy afternoon watching the sun sink into the Pacific from the luxurious overstuffed chairs and couches of the Luana Lounge, an indoor-outdoor bar and lanai at the Fairmont Orchid hotel on the Kohala Coast. And don't worry too much about the price. Just make sure you arrive between 5 and 6:30 p.m., when a happy-hour special means pupus (appetizers) and drinks are half-price. Then, for an afternoon at least, you can pretend you have a trust fund and spend every day lazing at expensive resorts. While you're here, stroll the grounds and visit the beach — hey, you're a guest! Our menu favorites were wings ($15, but $7.50 during happy hour) and spring rolls ($10, but $5 during happy hour.) Don't miss the chocolate beignets (think New Orleans), warm and wonderful, made with Kona chocolate sauce and topped with butterscotch ice cream ($9).

We loved: the view and ambiance.

We didn't love: the absence of a sign on the main highway indicating the hotel's location.

Luana Lounge at Fairmont Orchid, 1 N. Kaniku Drive, Kohala Coast; (808) 885-2000, http://www.fairmont.com/orchid.

12--CAFÉ PESTO

Prices: $7.50-$16.95

Our panel of experts agreed: Don't miss Café Pesto. And we second the recommendation. Café Pesto and the other light and airy cafés on the Kohala Coast and Hilo have a well-deserved following. They offer healthful, diverse menu items, interesting flavors, pretty presentation and affordable prices. There are salads, pastas and a variety of hand-tossed pizzas; our favorite was the Southwestern ($13.95), a thick-crust pizza heaped with tomatoes, fresh cilantro, barbecued chicken and Big Island goat cheese. The atmosphere is pleasant too. Fresh flowers decorate tables, there's an upbeat soundtrack, and Hawaiian furniture and posters add tropical flavor. We recommend a lunchtime visit, when prices top out well below our $20 limit; at dinner, some entrees are as high as $36.

We loved: the bright, pleasant atmosphere.

We didn't love: waiting for a table.

Café Pesto, Kawaihae Harbor, South Kohala Coast; (808) 882-1071; or 308 Kamehameha Ave., Hilo; (808) 969-6640, http://www.cafepesto.com

13--BAMBOO RESTAURANT & BAR

Prices: $9.95-$18.95

Tibetan parasols, strings of Christmas lights and acres of bamboo screens brighten the picturesque century-old building that houses the funky Bamboo Restaurant & Bar in tiny Hawi at the northern tip of the Big Island. The restaurant is so well known locally that diners drive an hour or more for the grilled fish ($15.95), barbecued pork ($9.95) and Thai coconut prawns ($9.95). The building, once a hotel, later a dry goods store, offers an interesting backdrop for the dining room and upstairs art gallery. Dinner prices are too high to be included in our survey ($13.95-$33.95), but lunch will fit your budget. The restaurant makes a good stop on the way to the Pololu Valley Lookout at the end of the highway.

We loved: exploring the upstairs art gallery.

We didn't love: the slow service.

Bamboo Restaurant & Bar, Highway 270, Hawi; (808) 889-5555, http://www.bamboorestaurant.info

14--KOHALA COFFEE MILL & TROPICAL DREAMS

Prices: $2.75-$6.85

It's not exactly 31 flavors — only 10, actually — but on a hot day, who's counting? Tropical Dreams ice cream, made in nearby Waimea, is an island favorite, and this small shop in the village of Hawi is ideally located for sightseers touring the northern end of the Big Island. Yes, we know, ice cream isn't really a meal. (If you want something more substantial, you can get a burger for $7.25 at the Kohala Coffee Mill, which takes up half this shop.) But if you're in the mood for ice cream, Tropical Dreams is a winner. Try one of the Hawaiian flavors: Kona coffee, macadamia nut or chocolate coconut macadamia nut. It's $3.55 for a scoop; hot fudge sundaes are $6.85.

We loved: the creamy texture.

We didn't love: the lack of some standard flavors.

Tropical Dreams, Highway 270, Hawi; (808) 889-5577.

15--HAWAIIAN STYLE CAFÉ

Prices: $5.95-$10.95

If you're really hungry, visit the Hawaiian Style Café in Waimea for its huge portions — and pay $10.95 or less for them. While you're here, you'll be breaking bread with the locals at a diner that's loaded with character and Old Hawaii flavor. The café, in a rundown strip mall, doesn't look like much from the outside, but the dining room is cute, in a tropical-backwater sort of way. And you won't believe the portions. Looking for a giant Spam loco moco (rice, topped with Spam, a fried egg and lots of brown gravy, $7.95)? How about a huge Portuguese sausage and ham omelet ($8.25)? Hawaiian Style Café is open only for breakfast and lunch, so be sure to get here before 1:30 p.m. Besides a giant appetite, bring cash; credit cards are not accepted.