Café Kalawe
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I remember when this place was a Zippy's, and then Dean's. I think I went to the Zippy's once since my parents lived down the street. But when my niece was out here, she stopped by and said the food was really good. They also had live music. So when I found myself heading home from my parents, I stopped here to eat cause I was starving! I entered and it was a little busy so it took a while for the friendly server to come give me a seat, and she apologized. The menu is pretty extensive with a lot to choose from. I decided on the Hapa Loco Moco, a corned beef patty and a hamburger patty. I also asked to sub the kim chee fried rice, which is extra. I also ordered a side of mac salad, which was good, but different. But the Hapa is really good! Rich gravy over it all. I do wish there was more corned beef than potatoes in the patty, but it was good. I do recommend getting the kim chee fried rice because it's AMAAAAAAAAAAZINGLY delicious! So full of flavor! The service was great! Lots of locals coming in as I was getting to leave. Great place to come to! Mahalo Cafe Kalawe!!!
Update on Cafe Kalawe this is my first time here ever since they moved . This was Deans drive in before and before that Zippy's. Day after Christmas took my sister and brother in law here for breakfast because originally we wanted to check another place but they were crowded. I ordered their Kim Chee fried rice omelette it was good came with toast or English muffin. I also ordered a side order of original pancake it was nice a buttery not bad . Nice amount of parking right in front of restaurant and they also have brunch items to choose from along with their homemade desserts . Unfortunately I was full from my breakfast didn't have room for dessert. Support local when in the area
Food was ready on time .. friendly workers but I ordered a $20 chop steak plate and there was more veggies than meat ... i get it its a breakfast spot but still kind of bad when the you can barely see any meat when u open the plate
The ham that my friend got was burned and tough like they used old pieces of meat that was reheated many times. My omelette is also cold. Actually both of our breakfast was cold when we got it. It's not too busy when we were in the restaurant that morning. Don't know why the food was cold when we get it. Not that impressed and probably won't go back if we will be in the area again.
We were looking in the area for somewhere for breakfast before heading to a botanical garden. This place had great reviews on Yelp so we stopped in and had an omelette and mini Loco moco. Both were delicious. The mini loco moco is the perfect size and very filling
Best loco moco in town and it's so well reasonably priced! Hapa Moco is the best of both worlds with the meatloaf-style party and corned beef hash patty. The proteins are super flavorful with a slight char taste to it which adds another dimension of flavor. On weekends, they also have live music by the owner which is a total vibe!
A very nice hole in the wall restaurant where Zippys used to be. We walked in and got seated right away. Unfortunately a lot of their menu options were no longer available for the day, but we decided to get our second favorite choices. The kalbi short ribs were nice seasoned and the misoyakk butterfish was also cooked really well. The chicken katsu felt a bit too fried or really crunchy for my personal taste but overall a great food and good price for the amount of food you get.
I can't believe I never wrote a review on Cafe Kalawe. For well over a decade, Raymond and his wife have been putting out simply good food. Known for their variety of Loco Moco bowls, and Chantilly pancakes. I have known Raymond for over 45 years. He puts his sweat and soul into everything they produce. They also have live music during brunch on Sundays as well as other days you can check there website for actual times. There is plenty of parking pro tip would be to go as soon as they open or in between breakfast and lunch they did expand their interior to accommodate a lot of people, but this place is so popular. It gets quite busy at times.
Update on Dec 26,2025. Came here to eat because the original place we wanted to go was 50 people deep in line. I ordered their fried rice with egg, my brother ordered Kim chee fried rice with a single pancake. My husband ordered spinach mushroom ham omelet. My fried rice was good and so much I took the half home. My brother's Kim chee fried omelet was ok the pancake was good. My husband omelet was ok too but the ham was in chunks instead of slices. He's side order bacon was good my brother made a comment and said next time we go order lunch.
There's nobody at 4:45pm ans that's why we come here at this time. Usuly they would run out of soyu chicke aroud 6 too
After searching on Yelp for a breakfast spot nearby the first thing that popped up at Café Kalawe so we went to dine in. Greeted by such friendly employees. We sat down for our menu and browsed. Lots of seating, i'm sure this place gets super busy at peak times but when we arrived at opening, there were only 3 other tables in use. I knew I wanted to eat something with rice and I haven't had loco moco in a few months so I ordered a mini loco moco and full order of french toast. Everything came out pretty quick. Loco moco looked and tasted good. My over easy egg was cooked perfectly. Only con was the patty was a little bit over cooked. The french was tasty and had a good amount of cinnamon flavor. Would come back again.
Love this restaurant & the staff are always so nice! They also have live music playing on Sundays which is nice and different. I've dined in before but recently ordered take out. I appreciate that they have online ordering & a drive thru! The food is always good and filling! Love the variety on the menu and love going here! read more
2 months ago
4 months ago
Very delicious food with very kind people!!! I ordered the moku moco, very tasty gravy and great portion size for big eaters. We also had an omelette, Portuguese sausage, hashbrowns, all of it was yummy. Highly recommend coming here before visiting the Ho'omaluhia botanical garden nearby! read more
I remember when this place was a Zippy's, and then Dean's. I think I went to the Zippy's once since my parents lived down the street. But when my niece was out here, she stopped by and said the food was really good. They also had live music. So when I found myself heading home from my parents, I stopped here to eat cause I was starving! I entered and it was a little busy so it took a while for the friendly server to come give me a seat, and she apologized. The menu is pretty extensive with a lot to choose from. I decided on the Hapa Loco Moco, a corned beef patty and a hamburger patty. I also asked to sub the kim chee fried rice, which is extra. I also ordered a side of mac salad, which was good, but different. But the Hapa is really good! Rich gravy over it all. I do wish there was more corned beef than potatoes in the patty, but it was good. I do recommend getting the kim chee fried rice because it's AMAAAAAAAAAAZINGLY delicious! So full of flavor! The service was great! Lots of locals coming in as I was getting to leave. Great place to come to! Mahalo Cafe Kalawe!!! read more
Update on Cafe Kalawe this is my first time here ever since they moved . This was Deans drive in before and before that Zippy's. Day after Christmas took my sister and brother in law here for breakfast because originally we wanted to check another place but they were crowded. I ordered their Kim Chee fried rice omelette it was good came with toast or English muffin. I also ordered a side order of original pancake it was nice a buttery not bad . Nice amount of parking right in front of restaurant and they also have brunch items to choose from along with their homemade desserts . Unfortunately I was full from my breakfast didn't have room for dessert. Support local when in the area read more
Business owner information
Muriel K.
Craig,…
1 month ago
Food was ready on time .. friendly workers but I ordered a $20 chop steak plate and there was more veggies than meat ... i get it its a breakfast spot but still kind of bad when the you can barely see any meat when u open the plate read more
5 hours ago
1 month ago
The ham that my friend got was burned and tough like they used old pieces of meat that was reheated many times. My omelette is also cold. Actually both of our breakfast was cold when we got it. It's not too busy when we were in the restaurant that morning. Don't know why the food was cold when we get it. Not that impressed and probably won't go back if we will be in the area again. read more
We were looking in the area for somewhere for breakfast before heading to a botanical garden. This place had great reviews on Yelp so we stopped in and had an omelette and mini Loco moco. Both were delicious. The mini loco moco is the perfect size and very filling read more
14 days ago
7 hours ago
Best loco moco in town and it's so well reasonably priced! Hapa Moco is the best of both worlds with the meatloaf-style party and corned beef hash patty. The proteins are super flavorful with a slight char taste to it which adds another dimension of flavor. On weekends, they also have live music by the owner which is a total vibe! read more
A very nice hole in the wall restaurant where Zippys used to be. We walked in and got seated right away. Unfortunately a lot of their menu options were no longer available for the day, but we decided to get our second favorite choices. The kalbi short ribs were nice seasoned and the misoyakk butterfish was also cooked really well. The chicken katsu felt a bit too fried or really crunchy for my personal taste but overall a great food and good price for the amount of food you get. read more
I can't believe I never wrote a review on Cafe Kalawe. For well over a decade, Raymond and his wife have been putting out simply good food. Known for their variety of Loco Moco bowls, and Chantilly pancakes. I have known Raymond for over 45 years. He puts his sweat and soul into everything they produce. They also have live music during brunch on Sundays as well as other days you can check there website for actual times. There is plenty of parking pro tip would be to go as soon as they open or in between breakfast and lunch they did expand their interior to accommodate a lot of people, but this place is so popular. It gets quite busy at times. read more
10 months ago
Update on Dec 26,2025. Came here to eat because the original place we wanted to go was 50 people deep in line. I ordered their fried rice with egg, my brother ordered Kim chee fried rice with a single pancake. My husband ordered spinach mushroom ham omelet. My fried rice was good and so much I took the half home. My brother's Kim chee fried omelet was ok the pancake was good. My husband omelet was ok too but the ham was in chunks instead of slices. He's side order bacon was good my brother made a comment and said next time we go order lunch. read more
Business owner information
Muriel K.
Deborah,…
3 months ago
There's nobody at 4:45pm ans that's why we come here at this time. Usuly they would run out of soyu chicke aroud 6 too read more
1 year ago
After searching on Yelp for a breakfast spot nearby the first thing that popped up at Café Kalawe so we went to dine in. Greeted by such friendly employees. We sat down for our menu and browsed. Lots of seating, i'm sure this place gets super busy at peak times but when we arrived at opening, there were only 3 other tables in use. I knew I wanted to eat something with rice and I haven't had loco moco in a few months so I ordered a mini loco moco and full order of french toast. Everything came out pretty quick. Loco moco looked and tasted good. My over easy egg was cooked perfectly. Only con was the patty was a little bit over cooked. The french was tasty and had a good amount of cinnamon flavor. Would come back again. read more
2 months ago
Chantilly pancake is my favorite and the lup cheong fried rice is good too! Kids love the banana pancake and pork chops. read more
1 year ago
I'm going to have to give this place a solid 4 stars. Their pancakes were delicious but my breakfast wasn't good. The corn beef potato hash was kinda dry and the potatoes were tough to chew. Cups were on the small side. Service was good by our waitress. Very nice and checked up on us a couple times.. Place is family owned. I would give this place another try. The inside was cute and bright with white walls. Lots of staff on hand. read more
4 months ago
Go early good seating and good waiting seats outside. They have live music on Sunday, so amazing vibe and staff. But fried rice was flavorless. Not my favorite but good portions so come to share or take left overs. read more
First time trying a moco loco at any extend and this was absolutely amazing. I really enjoyed this dish and it's was A LOT. Definitely shareable as I saw a lot of customers with to go plates. The spot is big with lots of seating and service was amazing. Super friendly people and very attentive. There's tons of parking but also seems to get pretty busy in this shopping center. I will definitely be back. read more
4 months ago
We LOVED having breakfast here. The service was so welcoming and they really treat you like family. The food was delicious. My husband got a loco moco and I got an omelette fried rice. Still thinking about it and wishing we lived in the area to grab some! We will be back. read more
5 months ago
It was such a wonderful environment to be in! The food, environment and friendly staff made it the very best experience! The regular garlic shrimp had 8 shrimp, two scoop rice and Mac salad; while the French toast had the right amount of butter and flavor! Definitely need to come back! Don't forget.. LIVE music on weekends, so don't miss it! read more
2 years ago
I thought I would give the Kahuwai fried rice another try today and I'm glad I did! It was much more flavorful than a couple of months ago when I was here for a weekend lunch. Very wonderful notable about their poached egg-this is the first restaurant I've ever been served one that wasn't swimming in water on the bottom of the poached egg dish. I loved it! I didn't mind paying an extra $1 for the egg on this entree. The temporary price up charge on the eggs are clearly marked at the entry, on the table and menu. In these days of increasing prices, this establishment has done a great job to keep it inexpensive while providing ample portions and is well-staffed. I am pleasantly greeted upon entering by the host, the server, and the staff as I walk by. I feel so appreciated, valued, and cared for during my visits. I want to be sure to come back when there is live Hawaiian music performed as I have heard in past visits. I faced the stage area while eating because it is so nicely decorated. This cafe lives up to its motto, "Spoonful of blessings." read more
Support local! We are seeing it far too often these days, local businesses, some that have been around for decades, making the tough decision to close their doors. Whether you live windward or make the journey from the other side, why not stop by? Go in for a visit, call to make an order or do what we did and use their easy and quick online service! You don't even need to leave your vehicle to pick up your order since they have a super convenient drive-thru! We came from town twice last week for breakfast sandwiches. We sat in parking lot, enjoying our home-cooked comfort food and reveled in the mood that is Kāneʻohe. This place is gem with their homestyle comfort food and feeling of 'ohana. Let's do what we can to kākoʻo! read more
Business owner information
Muriel K.
Jennie,…
1 year ago
Great mom and pop spot to have breakfast. Lots of parking but we went during the week so could be different had we gone on a weekend. Upon entering, we were greeted by a gentleman and were seated right away. I ordered a mini loco moco and my husband got the fresh corned beef and eggs. Food didn't take long at all. I had to add a little salt to my food but not a big deal as I'd rather have it unsalted rather than overly salted. They have a base with a bunch of desserts but we didn't get any. Next time!! I hear I need to try the fried rice so I can't wait to go back. Definitely a local spot as the place was filled with families and friends gathering. read more
3 months ago
My favorite breakfast, brunch, and lunch eating place by far. It's superrr affordable and delicious. The palaka, lei backdrop, local cuisine, Kaneohe history, everything, it's so refreshing to see. I've tried almost everything on the menu and it's never disappointed. Support local always! read more
This is my second time here and omg... it's so delicious. I got the ko'olaupoko with Portuguese sausage. And my friend got the pork chop. It was seasoned perfectly, maybe a little to the salty side if we're being picky. The service was so quick, and I love the live music on the weekend. 10/10 experience both times. read more
Update: A second visit here after about 3 weeks, since our last visit, a good friend came from Kona & my wife suggested he would like Cafe Kalawe. Went on Wednesday morning about 9:40 am busy & steady , not full. Chantelle was one of our server's last time, so she knew my wife loved their delicious Chantilly syrup. Ordered & was wanting Papa to be playing & singing his variety of great guitar & vocals, he 's there only on the weekends! He really adds to the vibe, but all the staff are so friendly & professional. Food came in a timely manner, French toast for mom Wifey had the grilled chicken salad, Kona friend had the lup cheong egg fried rice omelette, me the Chantilly waffle. While everyone enjoyed their dishes, I felt the waffle needed to be crispy on the exterior ,it was taken off the iron to soon! Inside it was cooked.Of course the Chantilly sauce was Ono! We didn't have to ask, wifey got a take home container of Chantilly sauce for $5.00. Pancakes tomorrow! Mahalo Chantelle! read more
8 months ago
The spam moco and the chicken katsu moco were delicious. The service was excellent and the food was reasonably priced for phenomenal flavors. read more
1 month ago
4 months ago
1 year ago
Micro Review Breakfast of champs! This spot is so cute and the service is friendly. Try ordering a side of gravy to dip your toast or hash browns. Phenomenal. A fun local spot! They do fresh desserts too! read more
1 year ago
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More info about Café Kalawe
45-270 William Henry Rd
Ste 101
Kaneohe, HI 96744
Directions
(808) 247-9527
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Visit Website
http://www.cafekalawe.com
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Ask the Community - Café Kalawe
What's with all the bible stuff in the photos? Will non-Christians feel the aloha?
Oh my god of course. This place is the bomb and they very very welcoming.
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