"What is a light year? The same as a regular year but with less calories." At the back of my mind, the thought of a "Kozmic" ice cream treat entered my mind. At home, while devouring two ice cream sandwiches from the freezer. My deep connection to the universe created this outer space thought. Really, did it? (can't stop laughing, need to continue writing) ... Or is it just my imagination? To crave ice cream? From someplace called Kozmic Cones? *---*---*---*---*---*---*---*---*---*---* ...que the music from "The Twilight Zone"... *---*---*---*---*---*---*---*---*---*---* Coming back to this planet, let me bring you to a place called Kozmic Cones. Located across from the Hilo Public Library. With lots of parking, a dining room w/ counter service and get this, even a drive-thru. Serving local style plates, burgers and fries, daily specials. And sweet treats, lots of them. The "stars" of this establishment, the ice cream sweets shine bright. Kozmic Cones calls these, Kozmic Treats. Ice cream, creamy soft serve. My favs...here we go. Nutty Cone dusted with finely ground macadamia nuts. Go for the large, skip the small size. Sundae, either hot fudge or chocolate. I always add a sprinkle of macadamia nuts on-top. Strawberry Slush Float and Coke Slush Freeze. Freeze = slush blended by hand with soft serve and milk. Oreo Orbit, but without the cup being turned upside down when served. Don't be fooled by the name because there's a whole lot more offered here other than ice cream. Let's start with the burgers. A handful of options to choose from, order á la carte or make it a combo known as a Martian Meal. Includes fries, drink and a Martian sundae. Enjoy your sundae later by receiving a token to redeem when desired. And then, there's the plates. Local-style, yummy plates. That comes with one of the best potato-mac salads anywhere. I buy it by the lb, it's that good to enjoy as a side dish at home. Beef stew, ohhh with white rice and pot-mac salad. Teriyaki Beef, marinated goodness and you can purchase it cooked or uncooked by the lb as well. Korean chicken, drummettes dipped in a sauce that also reminds me of a Deli that did it well in Waimea. I always order extra Korean sauce on the side. Korean Katsu, ask for the sauce on the side + order an extra one. Keeps the presentation neat and katsu less "wet" when enjoying. Kozmic Bento, with a variety of meats on furikake rice. See my photo. And, their Fried Chicken. Last, a Tuesday special, Sweet 'n Sour Spareribs. If you're lucky, you'll get one cause they sell-out fast. Only a certain amount is served during each meal period, lunch and dinner. I have to appreciate the system that's used to effectively deliver the menu items in a timely manner. With only one small kitchen for both counter service and drive-thru, this place rocks! Quicker than a local chain in the Plaza who has two large kitchens, respectively for their take-out counter and dining room. Like national brands with a drive thru, each car's order is timed with a countdown. And I've heard the owner mention it various times when it gets too long, hands-in and helping along the way. Well done! I see the employees hustling, multi-tasking. Taking orders on the headset while making an ice cream treat or packing-up an order. And, all shakes and slush freezes are blended the old fashioned way. You can watch for yourself and witness while waiting at the drive-thru window or at the inside dining counter. With all of this in-mind, grace is given in times when something below par happens, which is rare but does occur. Presentation may be simple but, does the taste score higher? It always does in my eyes. And, to keep putting-out food quickly, cooking methods are used to minimize wait time. A balance between quality and effective delivery. I have to give the kitchen and front teams credit. Proudly serving the local community, this is an island-owned + operated business, not a franchise. With a system created and paired with a unique menu built from scratch, that makes it special in my eyes. So, did I convince you to visit Kozmic Cones for a sweet ice cream treat? Or a yummy plate? I hope so. A place that has a menu offering local-style plates + burgers + a variety of ice cream treats, complete with a drive-thru. The only one on this island? Possibly. Come down, take the time to sit and relax in one of the booths after ordering. Or drive-thru for grab 'n go. Have your senses and taste buds blast-off to another galaxy. Garner appreciation with an open-mind, looking beyond what you're just eating. And I hope you see. Because in my eyes, they do it well here.

They have my "ono's" on certain days, and you gotta get there early, otherwise you're having a samich

A classic little dine-in shop with plenty of comfort food! I came here to try their chili dogs and slush floats, and I really loved their Blue Vanilla Slush Float! Really good portion/prices too, I'll definitely re-visit in the future! - Miguel Morales Photography

I can't eat ice cream because my gallstones might act up, but I do know ice cream. Kozmic Cones serves soft serve ice cream (and lots of food...not much of it vegetarian), and Patty was hankering to try it. She opted for the mac nut (see picture). Patty said it was delicious. Definitely worth the drive-thru wait. She did agree with other reviewers that the cake cone seemed stale. I took a bite of it. I don't think stale is the right word. In my experience, there are two types of cake cones: crispy and papery. Kozmic serves the papery kind...the kind that won't lacerate the roof of your mouth.

I was visiting the big island for the first time with my daughter and it was her birthday and unfortunately, I wasn't able to get her a cake so she opted for ice cream after dinner and ended up finding this place on Yelp. I was glad that they had a drive-through because we were all wet and we didn't want to get out of the car. She ended up ordering an Oreo cone and I ordered the nut covered Cone. I took my first lick and I didn't want to share. It was so delicious that we went back another night to grab more nut covered cones. You can choose between a small or large and you can definitely tell the difference in size.

Shoutout to the Kozmic Cones workers who stayed open past closing for our large group. They were very friendly and worked hard to get our orders made! Kozmic has the largest ice cream portions around town! I got the butterfinger orbit, which came with tons of ice cream. I liked how the toppings were swirled in good.

After a day full of hiking and much adventure, my friends and I wanted to top it off with a sweet treat. We decided upon Kozmic Cones after seeing the photos Mac-nut rolled soft-serve cones. To our surprise, we found that this spot also doubled as a fast food joint as well. To compliment the sweetness of our ice cream cones, each of us got an order of fries, the perfect vessel for scooping ice cream into the mouth. Wow oh WOW were we surprised at how delicious the fries were!! So delicious, in fact, that we visited again the next evening just to order another round of fries! The mac-nut rolled ice cream was also tasty. Just the kind of sweet treat one would want after a long day of hiking and sight seeing. Overall, Kozmic Cones hit the spot! Great place to visit in the later hours of the day and if you're looking for something that won't dent the wallet and will satisfy your palate!