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What's Shakin'

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mlmeredith
mlmeredith
First Reviewer
5 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
2
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3
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This Is the Place!

  • November 1, 2009
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Capitanbob from San Diego, California
So, your on one of those beautiful, but never ending drives from the west side of the island to the east side - checking out the beautiful and diverse scenery of this magnificent island. Your almost to Hilo (or you just left) and you see a sign for a "scenic route". How can you pass up a scenic route when you are already on one of the most spectacular drives in the country!
We couldn't pass it up, as tired as we were, and it turned out to be one of the highlilites of the trip. We found this place and had to try it (especially after the previouse review)
The smoothies were to die for! The wraps were also deliciouse. The hospitality embodied the "Aloha Spirit". The perfect rural setting for a break and a bite to eat.
The road to the botanical gardes was closed due to construction on a bridge, but that was ok with us - What's Shakin' made the moment. Try this place - it's worth the search!
Editor Pick

Smoothies!!!!!

  • July 7, 2008
  • Rated 5 of 5 by mlmeredith from St. Louis, Missouri
Smoothies!!!!!

Gee, I wish I could say that we just stumbled upon What’s Shakin’ but that would be a lie. The truth is that we were on our way from Waikoloa to Volcanoes National Park via Hilo on the Mamalahoa Highway and our fearless navigator (fearless in the sense that he can read the guide book while in a moving vehicle without getting car sick) suggested that we follow the sign that said 4 Mile Scenic Drive to catch some lunch at this cool smoothies place. Agreeable driver that I am, I made the left turn onto Old Mamalahoa Highway and my taste buds were amply rewarded for the effort.

It’s a small wooden building with a wrap-around porch that provides ample shade, with picnic tables down below as well. The view is almost as pleasant as the food, as you look across the fields to see the ocean in the distance. But the food is excellent.
Our little group was more than delighted with the Papaya Paradise (fresh papaya, banana, coconut and pineapple), Bananarama (my choice) and Peanut Braddah smoothies, all made with fruit from surrounding 20 acres of farm. As I understand it, the only smoothie fruit that they use that wasn’t grown on their farm are the strawberries and blueberries. In any case they were some of the best smoothies I’ve ever tasted and at $5 or so, well worth it.

The food was excellent as well. I almost had to savor my macadamia-honey bran muffin crumb by crumb just to prolong the experience! The chocolate chip cookie please our chocoholic, and the Chicken Wrap (grilled, marinated chicken strips, black beans, cheddar cheese and a splash of homemade salsa wrapped in a tortilla) took care of the biggest appetite in the car as well.

The only downside to our lunch stop came from the radio inside the kitchen, as this was how we learned that the Kalapana Overlook we were aiming for had been closed due to a wind reversal that was drifting too much sulfur dioxide over that area. Bummer! But you got to breathe don’t you?

That’s the nature of Madame Pele, she may be putting on a show (the current flow is more than spectacular, I’ve heard) but Pele and Pele alone decides whether you get to see it or not.

In any case, What’s Shakin’ is worth the little detour. Just be careful when you leave. Somehow we might have missed a turn as the old highway turned into a rather rutty one lane farm road on us. You’ll still get back to the highway but not without a few questions for the navigator or driver.

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