"Marty, Don't Be Such A Square. Everybody Who's Anybody Drinks..." - Back to the Future Cafe 100 in Hilo is not only iconic because it's been around since 1946, named in honor of the legendary Nisei 100th Infantry Battalion of WWII, but Loco Moco has been served here for 70+ years! Cheers to that! On my weekend visit to Hilo I had Cafe 100 as a must. The typical tourist, or recent transplant, just might not get it, but I do, having been here before. My Dad before me, and Uncle's before him. Why? It's simple, it's affordable, but what makes Cafe 100 so special to me is it's a throwback to the plantation days. A time well before iPhones, television, and Pacific Rim Cuisine. The simplicity of a time once was is why I go! And of course the iconic Loco Moco. Many stories swirl on origin of the Loco Moco, but one thing is certain is it's origins are from Hilo, Hawaii. I only heard the urban legend stories as told by elders or our Kapuna, but those that did the research confirm it was first placed on the map by "the Lincoln Wreckers Sports Club" a group of teenagers post WWII that would visit the now obsolete Lincoln Grill in Hilo. Wherever the Loco Moco story goes it always finds it's way back to humble Hilo town. On my latest visit I ordered the original Loco Moco... Hamburger over Rice, Eggs over Easy, Brown Gravy over everything! I add Lilikoi (less than 5% fruit lol) drink. The recipe sounds simple, it really is that simple, yet it's attention to detail and consistency allows Cafe 100 to call theirs the "original" Loco Moco for decades. It starts with Hamburger that is farm fresh, Rice just cooked, Island Eggs from KTA, and perhaps the most important, the Brown Gravy not over salted, the perfect consistency for the Rice to soak up all the remaining Gravy! Ohh! Cafe 100 is a "plate lunch" open-air diner popular with the locals, many descendants from plantation workers and farmers. A relaxed vibe from start to finish. The counter service always friendly and no one in a rush. Oh! My bestie also noticed that many variations in Loco Moco now, including Spam & No Meat options! Large parking lot for cars, monster trucks, or horses! In the end, I do admit Cafe 100 is not for everyone, especially the Waikiki tourists or fancy types headed to the Waikoloa Resorts, but I highly recommend to those seeking comfort foods from days long gone. Old Hawai'i. The simplicity of the Loco Moco symbolizes the simplicity of yesteryear. Maybe, just maybe, the old way was always the better way... Dedicated to my OG, Hilo girl, Terry K. read more

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The loco moco (regular) was pretty mediocre. I've had much better. Service was quick at least but portion small and flavors bland, with bad rice. read more

We saw Cafe 100 on YouTube and made a trip over from Kona just to have the loco moco here. My husband loved it! Cafe 100 is clean, the food is good and the employees friendly. I had a burger and fries. The fries were 5 star too. I recommend. read more

Cafe 100 - Original Loco Moco - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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I heard this is the OG loco moco spot in Hawaii so we had to check it out. It's a take out spot with outdoor seating and porter potty. You order at the front and seat yourself as you wait for your order. We got the super loco moco to share which was heavy amount of food and filled us two up with some leftovers (we had small bites earlier so we weren't extremely hungry). We saw that they have burgers and other items on the menu that we wished we had the appetite to try. The pricing is decent too, definitely more affordable than a plethora of restaurants across the island. The super loco moco comes with a ton of rice topped with brown gravy, two meat patties, Portuguese sausages, and spam. The meat patty was okay, I was expecting something similar to another spot we had in Maui but the flavor tasted like it was regular beef patties. Frozen beef patties perhaps? I make loco moco myself hence my slightly high standards. The spam was spam, but my favorite item would have to be the Portuguese sausages. This is more of a quick and easy meal that I see locals grab. Overall a comforting meal and would be back if I stay closer to Hilo area. read more

Not exactly the best loco moco i've ever had but it definitely hit the spot. This is exactly the type of place I think of when i'm in Hawaii and want good value (portion vs price) Hawaiian BBQ food. I recommend the Super Loco as that has pretty much all the standard meats (spam, hamburger, sausage). The macaroni salad was pretty disappointing though. read more

Cafe 100 - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Love the Goody Good and products with company logo. Business hours are irregular. Please maintain regular business hours.

Open air. Picnic tables. Counter service. Great local spot! Had the teriyaki chicken - was delicious!

I have been here in the past and the food was pretty good and was reasonably priced. I had some friends visiting from the mainland and before venturing into Hilo town we decided to stop for lunch. I suggested Cafe 100 because of my past experiences. We all got in line to order my friends had the terri beef and the other had a cheeseburger I decided on the beef stew. Obviously since I had been last the prices had definitely gone up, for 3 plates and two drinks it was over $50. My friend said her cheeseburger tasted like it was a frozen Mayes burger and my stew tasted like it just came out of a can like dinty more and my other friend who had the terrible beef said it was so dry it was like eating leather. She went to the counter to ask for some Terri sauce to hopefully moisten it up a bit and the told her the didn't have any terri sauce? Now I'm trying to understand if you order a Terri beef plate but there is no Terri sauce wouldn't that just be a beef plate? My friend took her plate back and informed them it was one of the worst meals she has ever had and couldn't eat it. They did refund her money but the whole experience was ruined and I was so disappointed that I actually recommended the place. Sorry to say I won't be back! read more

Excellent food and they give a LOT of food for decent prices. I recommend any of the different loco moco variations.

So DISSAPOINTING! $17.70 for a sad little fish sandwich and a boring little burger with wilted lettuce. One pack of mustard and one of mayo for two sandwiches. Nothing more. Be smart. Don't go. read more

Named in honor of the bravest battalion in U.S. Military history, a continuing source of local pride. Of course if those Hawai'ian soldiers ate here too much they would be too fat to fight effectively. On the other hand, I've seen some pretty tough mokes so what do I know? Well I know that this is some broke da mouth tasty local plate lunch. I don't call this place a hole in the wall, it's local aesthetic, clean and friendly. You can argue about where the best loco moco and burger plate lunch is, but this is one of the best and it's been around long enough to prove it. Aloha and mahalo! read more

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Cafe 100 is supposed to be the creator of loco moco so we wanted to give this place a try. Although their dining area is outdoors you cannot eat in yet. It is only take outs, and be sure to mask up. They have overwhelming variations of loco moco to choose from, not to mention a lot of menu items. We went with traditional loco moco with one hamburger patty, over easy egg, and white rice. We also got their special - grilled mahi mahi. I personally thought loco moco was a bit bland, but it was as expected. I think the real winner was the grilled mahi mahi! Meaty, flavourful, and especially with their homemade tartar sauce it was so satisfying. I believe this is their Friday only special. We went to a park across from Cafe 100 and ate our food. read more

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Food was delicious price is right on those portions!!! Had the Super Loco and the Beef Curry as well as the Liliko Drink. Staff was very efficient and kind! Ambiance was relaxed and more so Sunday morning brunch takeout vibes. A must go if you're on the big island! read more

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The Loco Moco is as advertised. Amazing delicious tasty. You need a mask to order here even though no open seating due to COVID , still. So it's all to go out of the window. We got the Super Loco- 2 eggs. 2 burger Pattys. With one egg. Portuguese sausage and lots of rice. Enjoy. read more

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Went to try something other than the local moco. Was very disappointed. My whole family didn't like what they ordered, the local girl teriyaki was more like beef jerkey. The shrimp was frozen from a box. Chicken Heaka was dry and un appealing. WILL NOT GO BACK AGAIN. Too bad read more

Loco Moco is always one dish we try to get when visiting Hawaii and was intrigued when we heard Cafe 100 may have been the origin of the dish. We were visiting Hilo and decided to give it a shot. The restaurant has an unassuming appearance. You order from a window outside. Currently, they are doing take out only. Super Loco: Comes with 2 hamburger patty, spam, Portuguese sausage, egg (cooked your preference) and Mac-potato salad. The Mac-potato salad was unique and I think you'll either love it or hate it. I actually thought it was pretty goo I've had better loco moco, but they do an okay job. Flavors were fine, but nothing special. I wouldn't necessarily make a trip to come here, unless you are already in the area. read more

Cafe 100 - Outdoor window where you order - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Call ahead because it can get crowded! And the phone line even says they may not answer the phone line if they're busy...but if you have time keep calling so you don't have to wait a long time. Really enjoy the gravy cheeseburger, even more so than the loco moco (shhhh). It's got a grandmas kind of cheeseburger flavor and the old school white bun, and the gravy is, well I mean these guys know loco moco so the gravy on the gravy cheeseburger is good. Enjoy the loco moco and chili moco too. Don't let the size fool you. It looks like a small square container but it's FILLING. If you're really hungry go for it but otherwise try it the size they serve before thinking you need to order another one. I might try one of the other derivative loco mocos next time, but i'm an old school person who just really enjoy a regular loco moco! Fries are good too! read more

I don't like leaving bad reviews but after spending the amount of money I spent, I did not get good quality food. Customer service was good. But the food was warmed up. Nothing was freshly made. read more

Cafe 100 - Quality of food was very disappointing - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Heard about the tourist "Home of the Loco Moco" spot, had to pay homage to one of the OG spots. AMBIANCE: Parking: Plenty of parking, plaza parking and some street parking. Seating: Lot of seating inside and out, great for groups. Feels: The spot is in the center of Hilo. Not too far away from the downtown area. The space itself is pretty well spread out from the parking to the restaurant. There's a good handful of outdoor seatings but limited due to COVID-19. Great place to grab and go to other spots in Hilo or this part of the island. FOOD: Loco Moco - Regular (Recommend) Yes, yes, yes. The classic: rice, patty meat, gravy, and egg. A savory, comforting, and fulfilling dish. If you want to keep things simple and safe, then go for the regular loco moco. Spam (Recommend) Yum! Spam is special in itself so it's simply delicious. Savory like a thick slice of bacon. Mac Salad (Recommend) Delicious! Home comfort mac salad. Cold and savory. CUSTOMER SERVICE: Ordered on the phone but it took a while for them to understand me. However in person, the pickup was smooth and friendly. I asked for a quick scoop of mac salad and they were able to add it to my bill last minute. TL; DR OVERALL: 4.5 Stars. Wonderful! Great choices, reasonable prices, and awesome service. For a taste of history, try some Loco Moco here in Hilo - Home of the Loco Moco. What's also great about this spot is the strong variety they have in dishes. TIPS: * Origins of the Loco Moco story - https://www.hawaiian-culture-stories.com/loco-moco-recipe.html read more

Cafe 100 - Loco moco, mac salad, Spam - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Cafe 100 is an establishment of Hilo serving the community with a multitude of different Hawaiian favorites like loco loco, Portuguese sausage, and teriyaki meats. With a menu that reflects more mom-and-pop-burger spot than fine dining this restaurant is meant to serve the people with tasty food for affordable prices. They have a large selection of different plates meaning a certain protein along with rice and Mac salad. Also, a large selection of different loco mocos and breakfast dishes. I wish I got some of those but we were loco moco'd out so we went with some of their other items along with a special. Here's what I thought about them. Suki-Q burger - think of it as a burger where the patty is replaced with teriyaki beef. They had a piece of lettuce and American cheese with the meat. It was good though a bit salty. If they had a smear of Mayo on the buns it would've added a creamy flavor that would've mellowed out the saltiness of the meat. 2/5 stars. Gravy burger - literally a burger with gravy and that's it. The buns surprisingly had good volume and weren't soggy. The gravy was flavorful and the burger patty was juicy. Great flavors but very one note. 3/5 stars. Grilled mahi mahi with miso sauce - this was served with white rice and Mac salad. The mahi mahi was cooked perfectly and went well with the carbs. However, the miso sauce has a very strong wine after taste, like it didn't completely reduce down. Still, it was tasty and had good mouth feels. 4/5 stars. Chili cheese potato dippers - the potato dippers look like twisty potato wedges and are a perfect vessel for the chili cheese. They used nice sized beans and the chili had a deep, savory flavor. This chili would go well with any carb from rice to bread. 5/5 stars. Overall when you look at the menu at Cafe 100 it can be overwhelming because there's so much to look at. However, this means there's multiple reasons to keep coming back and try something new. Come here hungry and open for multiple foods to try. read more

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This is use to be one of our go to places. Ever since I was a small kid and then with our own kids and now with our mo'opunas. Affordable, good food and great service. Today we ordered Chicken Hekka, Island Girl and Loco Moco. When we got home and opened the Chicken Hekka plate we was flipping out. It should've been called Chicken and bamboo shoots. It was a pile (not kidding) of bamboo shoots and some dried out chicken pieces. As for the Island Girl the Teri beef was dried out, no flavors. And the Mac salad had an onion flavor and watery. Cannot go wrong with Loco Moco, the reason for the two stars. I have had Cafe 100 Chicken Hekka and always liked it. My husband most of the time goes for the Island Girl. We threw our plates away. I know it's not original owners but did they change the way they are making their food? Such a disappointment. Can't get over the Chicken Hekka! Literally Bamboo shoots and pieces of chicken. No noodles whatsoever! Is this their way of making it? read more

We visited this place on a weekday night. There was relatively little wait, but one thing to note is there is no indoor or outdoor dining due to COVID. The cashier was super nice and patient in explaining the different parts of the menu, especially since we had people with food restrictions. We ordered the Oyako (Chicken) Loco, the Gardenburger Loco and the Gardenburger sandwich. We were not able to taste the Loco with gravy, as there were no non-beef substitute available. Overall the food was pretty good and the patties were super juicy, though I wish were able to taste the gravy. Overall, definitely enjoyed eating here and trying the Loco Moco if you can! read more

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One thing I love about this place is that it opens at 7AM, which is early enough to pick up some breakfast or lunch before hitting Volcanoes National Park. The Loco Moco here is probably the best I've tasted on any of the islands or ever for that matter. There's something about the seasoning on the patty, the egg, the gravy, and the sticky rice. I normally eat my moco with ketchup, but this one didn't need it. The Spam Moco is also quite good. Will definitely stop by anytime on the Big Island. Their menu is quite lare so there's gotta be something for everyone. read more

Cafe 100 - Loco Moco and Spam Moco - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Great comfort food. Good price with large portion of food. Loco moco is a must! Would recommend to anyone visiting Hilo

Five stars for crispy french fries and orange bang. Loco moco was nothing special but the kids wanted their childhood memories.

Are you sure this place is home of the Loco Moco? Stopped here on the way to Volcanoes National Park from Kona. The food was average, nothing special, but not bad. The eating area is outside only on picnic-like tables. There is shade. Order came out quickly. Portions are not big enough for sharing if you are hungry. Food is packed well to eat in the car if you want. read more

Cafe 100 - Regular Loco Moco with over easy egg. - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Home of the Loco Moco! A must try if you are visiting Hawaii. I really do believe that this is one of the best loco mocos in the state. There are many different spin off creations that you can try besides the traditional. Today we had the Terri burger loco moco for the first time. The sweet teriyaki sauce mixed with the brown gravy and creamy egg yoke was so satisfying. There is a lot of parking right in front of the restaurant. Just make sure you check the hours of operation before you go. You can't go wrong with any of the loco mocos on the menu. Hope you like it too. read more

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Prices went up again but food still good Fast service today at 12:30 Would be 5 if tables were cleaned... read more

Cafe 100 - Menu 6/5/2024 - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

We stopped here after shopping at Walmart. I was hoping they had kailua pork and cabbage but they only have it on certain days. The server suggested the katsu curry so we decided to get that and also a chicken sandwich with fries. Katsu curry was ok. I'm not really a big fan of curry in general. I'd probably try one of the mocos since that's wwhat they are known for. read more

Cafe 100, the home of loco moco. Cozy place with plenty of clean outdoor seating and parking. I had the Super Loco Moco. It was delicious. Eggs over easy done perfect and char on the burger with tasty gravy. I would order it with double patty next time. It was that good. They have an extensive menu of other Hawaiian dishes. I'll be back to try them. Service is friendly and fast. Need to stop at Cafe 100 and try the loco Moco. You won't be disappointed. read more

Cafe 100 - Super Loco Moco is a Loco Moco plus spam and Portuguese sausage - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

This place supposedly invented the loco moco. I don't know if that's true, but what I can say is that the loco moco here is delicious. I drove up 10 minutes before opening to an empty lot, save for a few cars in the employee area. I sat and waited in my car. When I decided to get out shortly after opening, there were already people ahead of me standing in line! And when I got in line and ordered, I turned around to see many many more people waiting behind me. All seemed to be locals. That says something to me. I ordered a loco moco for my mom and a super loco moco for me. Portions were generous and my mother enjoyed it -- high praise, as she's a picky eater! I had some leftovers which we saved and finished at dinnertime after a day of exploring Hawaii Volcanoes National Park! Great spot for delicious food and an authentic Hilo experience. read more

The Hawaiian comfort food, Loco Moco, is said to have been either born here at Cafe 100 or at Lincoln Grill. Today I got their beef stew which is the same as I've always remembered it. It has a rich, hearty flavor. Some say it's a bit too salty. I just wish it had a lot more cabbage and a lot less potatoes. read more

Cafe 100 - Beef Stew has a hearty flavor - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Delicious Hawaiian comfort food. Huge portions that are worth the price. For a very busy restaurant, I got my order pretty quick maybe within 10 minutes. They all working so hard in the back, kudos! Their breakfast plate is one of my favorites: smoked sausage, eggs & rice read more

I am so suprise! mini size = price reguler! this is TOO MUCH so dissapointed. taste same good. read more

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Loco Moco Heaven! My friends and I stopped to have breakfast here one raining Hilo morning. And when I say raining, it was pouring cats and dogs. Despite the weather, there was actually a lot of people lining up. We got there before the crowd came, but even in the rain, it shows they're a popular place to have breakfast. Cafe 100 offers your typical local food grinds as you would find at any local Hawaiian drive inn, but they are also known for their loco moco. They pretty much have menu board dedicated to just loco moco as well as side menus on display for special loco moco dishes. I forgot the name of my order, but it consist of two burger patties, two eggs, two spam and two Portuguese sausages, over rice and drowned in gravy. What makes a good loco moco is their hamburger patties and Cafe 100 tasted homemade which is a big plus in my books. Their brown gravy was very delicious and it's what also makes a great loco moco dish. The dining area where we sat at was pretty much an outdoor area full of picnic style tables. There were lots of tables to accommodate a bunch of people. I didn't get to venture on the other side of the restaurant, but it think it was the same seating arrangements. There are ample of parking so one does not have to worry about finding street parking. Definitely will be stoping here again when in the Big Island. read more

Cafe 100 - Loco Moco - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Overwhelming amount of menu items. And yet, service is super fast. Perfect portion sizes. The gravy on the loco moco was perfect, and I love the smaller sized offerings. read more

Been wanting to try Cafe 100 since I've heard this is where loco moco originated from and as simple as it was, it didn't disappoint. They are still only doing take out so be prepared to take it home or eat in your car if you're hungry. The egg was runny like it should be and the gravy is what made it good. They also have a good amount of gravy so it was easy to mix to get all of the rice covered in the gravy. I will say the take out container is TINY so be careful when mixing. Also it didn't come with anything on the side so if you want something else with it order a side dish. read more

Cafe 100 - Hawaiian Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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We got: * super loco: 2 patties, 2 Portuguese sausage, spam, 2 eggs -- it did feel a little bland. We could have used some hot sauce or something; the Mac salad was good: creamy without feeling heavy * Hamajang: soy chicken (moist and flavorful), fried chicken cutlet, fried shrimp, - came with great katsu sauce, mini sausages (kiddo loved these and wolfed them down); got this one thanks for Yelp pictures and my loving a good variety to try. Everything was yummy and it came on a bed of shredded cabbage. * Saimin -- good flavor and soup was very comforting Overall, good food and good portions! read more

We went there solely because it is touted as the inventer of loco moco. Upon arrival we were a bit disappointed because it was a walk up fast food joint with not much to offer other than some basic outdoor seating. As far as the loco moco, even with their gravy, we found the meat patty to be somewhat dry. We were neither over or underwhelmed with the best word to describe our experience as being meh. read more

I came here for dinner because I heard the loco moco was invented here. I naturally got the super loco moco, which includes not only the hamburger patty, but also spam and Portuguese sausage! This plate was HUGE, and it was soooo good!! The eggs were cooked exactly how I like it, there was a lot of gravy, and there was a heaping amount of rice and mac salad. I also had the oxtail soup, and it was also good! The meat was very tender, and the broth was very comforting. You can eat on premise, but I ate mine at the hotel. They give you a little box so none of your food falls over in the car :) read more