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Café Kalawe

4.7 (664 reviews)
Open • 7:00 am - 8:00 pm
Updated 2 months ago

Café Kalawe Photos

CAFÉ KALAWE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Good for groups
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Café Kalawe

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Cafe Kalawe music stage.
Johanna T.

Amelia was a wonderful server. The loco mocos that my mainland visitors ordered did not disappoint. I like to stick with my usual fried rice and poached egg.

Kalbi short ribs with shrimp
Fay K.

The kalbi short ribs are all fat meat. Shrimps are made from frozen. Ordered the coke but never come.

Local entertainment is awesome!!
Virgie L.

Always awesome. Great entertainment, good food, great service and a relax chill feel

Mikey H.

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!!!

Front of restaurant
Craig T.

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

might as well call it chopped veggies with some meat
Devin A.

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

Ham, hash browns
Rainbow L.

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.

Cat M.

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

Hapa Moco
Earl G.

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!

Dakota T.

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.

Breakfast with mom and pops
Glenn N.

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.

Menu
Deborah P.

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.

French toast
Kimberly B.

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.

Kafekalawe

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19 days ago

This place rocked! Live music , good food and friendly staff. More like a family atmosphere. Good job everyone.

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5 days ago

Hands down thee best breakfast we have had! My wife got the loco moco (mini) and I got the Kalbi short rib and eggs! Highly recommend!

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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.

Do they sell gift cards or gift certificates?

Yes

Need directions from east?

The easiest way is. 1) Go to the Yelp app. 2) Search Cafe Kalawe 3) Then Scroll down and "Click" on "Get Directions" 4) Press "Go" 5) it will show you how to get there from where you are and how long it will take. 1) Or use Google Maps or any… 

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Kaneohe Pancake House

3.7(551 reviews)
0.3 mi
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The restaurant was closed for dining due to power outage from storm Lala. We were so grateful that…read morethey were still open for take out. We ate in our car to a delicious, hot meal!

The first time I went here, my experience was great. The staff was friendly and attentive. The food…read morewas surprisingly generous and tasty. The place felt homey and warm. I think my only complaint is the parking situation. It shares its parking lot with an auto repair shop next door so it gets crowded fast and coming in and out can be difficult. So your best bet is to find street parking during peak hours. However, my second time visiting here, I encountered a problem. My friend and I found a strand of hair on our house fries. Finding hair once is no problem, we both took it off and continued to eat our food. Finding hair isn't too bad compared to finding a bug on it. And we were just too hungry to even bother to complain about it since it was lunch time. But other people wouldn't be so forgiving finding hair on their plate of food, not once, but twice, and who knows how many more it may have landed on that day. It was two pieces of short hair. About an inch and a half long. Their bathroom also didn't seem very clean. When I stepped in, the floors immediately grossed me out. I understand that this isn't some fancy restaurant, but it's a place that deals with food, and while it's not new that food establishments can be dirty or unkempt, it's still worth mentioning. All in all, I'd still go back to eat here again. I just hope I won't find hair on my food again.

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Over Easy - Kalua Pig Hash $21

Over Easy

4.6(1.7k reviews)
3.9 mi
•$$

I was craving a fried egg sandwich so we made the drive over to Over Easy. I've had a few of their…read moreother menu items over the years but literally nothing compares to the fried egg sandwich (even better when you get it with their house made sausage and potatoes). My husband ordered one of today's specials. The braised beef loco moco. Honestly they need to get this on their regular menu! Beef was sooo tender and the gravy was to die for! We also ordered the keiki breakfast which comes with three mini pancakes. These pancakes are really not mini though. They're normal sized pancakes. My daughter could only finish one pancake which left two for my husband and I to sample. It was so light and fluffy. Solid pancakes. While Over Easy can get busy at times, I've never experienced outrageous wait times. Service here is really good and although it was a packed house this morning, our food came out fast. While I love coming to Over Easy, the one thing that stops me is their parking. Since they don't have their own dedicated parking lot/stalls, parking is really hit or miss. Sometimes I need to drive around for a while before finding a parking spot.

I visited Over Easy in Kailua, Hawaii, on August 10, 2024, for breakfast. Overall, I'd say the…read moreexperience was okay--there were some good items, but considering the price of the meal, I expected a little more. For our group we ordered two Bloody Marys ($24), a Green Machine cold-pressed juice ($7), two Sunset cold-pressed juices ($14), and two Pineapple Orange cold-pressed juices ($14). For food, we had the Kalua Pig Hash ($20), three orders of The Basic ($48), Potato N Eggs ($20), three avocados ($15), a Fried Egg Sandwich ($16), two eggs ($5), and crispy bacon ($6). The subtotal came to $189, and with tax the total was $197.91 before tip. The food was decent and there were certainly things we enjoyed, but nothing really stood out enough to justify nearly $200 for breakfast. Over Easy wasn't bad by any means, but based on this visit, it falls into the middle of the road for me. Three stars.

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Over Easy - Atmosphere

Atmosphere

Over Easy - Kalua hash and papaya special

Kalua hash and papaya special

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Cinnamon's Restaurant - Lilikoi Pancakes & Veggie Frittata

Cinnamon's Restaurant

4.1(3.7k reviews)
3.9 mi
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Locally sourced ingredients
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Totally worth the drive!!…read more It's been over 10 years since I've last been to Cinnamon's Kailua, and WOW have they improved since my last memory. Today, the food and service were exceptional! We were celebrating my daughter's 22nd birthday - holy moly, she's old!!! Haha! I was happy to hear it was Cinnamon's she wanted for this year's Special Meal. Since my son and I were coming from Ewa, I didn't know what to expect as far as parking, wait time, etc, so we arrived super early. From 9am to 10am, there was no wait! The parking lot was also filled with open stalls. Not sure if it was due to the weather, but today was a perfect day to go. Metered stalls are 75 cents per hour, with the max limit of 3 hours ($2.25). The hostess was kind enough to save us a table inside, and instructed me to let her know when the full party arrived since I checked in at 9:30, but my daughter was 20 mins away. I asked if I needed to leave my name, but she assured me that she'd remember me, so just check back in when we're ready. And she wasn't lying! :) Our server Michelle was THEE BEST! She was the perfect match to the Cinnamon's experience: local, fun, and full of smiles! Not only did she manage her section like a pro, but she also got our special requests filled and provided perfect, timely table service. Thanks Michelle! Here's what we got today: - Special: Chocolate Mac Nut Haupia Pancakes - Single Pancake w/Haupia Sauce - Classic Eggs Benedict - Crab Cake Eggs Benedict - Kalbi Moco w/Fried Rice - Meat & Eggs Breakfast w/Red Velvet Pancakes Everything was delicious! The chocolate pancake special tasted amazing.. super addictive too. Only thing we had to comment on was that they were fluffy... but maybe a little TOO fluffy. Each pierce of the fork caused it to crumble so we had to manage eating them by scooping it with the fork. It was a chore and some fell on the table as a result (sad face) - I'd still order them again tho! Surprisingly, I ate all of my crab bene. It's bulking season, don't judge lol jk..... really tho, it was seasoned to perfection every bite of the way, I just couldn't stop! My kids also agreed that everything was seasoned and flavored perfectly today. No complaints at all! Surely, this is one for the books! Thanks Cinnamon's and Michelle for making today extra yummy and special. Can't wait to go back! :)

First thing first the host as your greeter was very unpleasant, her face gave us "I hate my job…read morevibe" she walked us to our table and literally threw down our menus, said something about the daily specials, sorry we don't talk "mumble" and she walked away. As we looked at the menu time past...... it wasn't until a good 20 plus minutes later we were greeted by our server. But by then we had watch another couple sit down and their server greeted them within minutes. Maybe our server didn't see us behind the gazebo the few times she walked passed us! Who really knows. The kicker was the 2 parties that sat after us got their meals before us!! Please make that make sense. Our server was nice, but never gave us her name, never upsold anything, never pointed out the daily specials or any special. She just stood there waiting for us to order. Let's teach our servers to atleast share a few items, upsells bring in higher sales. Now the sad part is, because service suck we probably won't be back to dine in. $100 plus check with bad service just was not worth it!! But let me share about the food.... That part is a SOLID HIT. From the first bite, the food sand to our hearts. The food is so amazing and so flavorful that it just made all our hearts sing! But the choir won't sound good if the FOH staff just isn't pleasant, hospitable, or just not happy. That flavor stuck in our heads! But go for the food and don't be surprised when a young host starts your eating experience with a bad attitude

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Cinnamon's Restaurant
Cinnamon's Restaurant - Fried chicken loco moco

Fried chicken loco moco

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Easy ‘Que - Brisket quesadillas!!!! Winner

Easy ‘Que

4.5(754 reviews)
3.8 mi
•$$

Ever since one of my coworkers posted her spread from this spot like a whole year ago, I've been…read morewanting to check this spot out. My partner and I made the drive from town to Kailua just to check this spot out. They have parking in the back but it is shared with the other estblishements and residents in the building, just read the labels of the spots to ensure you can park there! We were seated fairly quickly and was given utensils, waters, and the menu. Our seat was outside, on a small table. It was a bit sticky but the waitress was nice enough to wipe it down for us. We ordered: * Brisket Poutine: 7.2/10 This was solid. It is a pretty substantial starter. There weren't that much brisket within but pieces and a few chunks sprinkled in. My main complaint would be the fries. They were not that crunchy, so along with the gravy, it was very quickly turned into mush. I also feel like there should be more cheese, especially with the amount of gravy. * Brisket Burnt Ends: 8.1/10 This was pretty good. It is just a very small amount of meat. * Sticky Ribs 1/2 Rack: 8/10 this was pretty solid. My partner liked it quite a lot. I wish that it was a bit more tender but the flavor was on point. I really enjoyed the charred bits. It's sweet and nicely spiced * 2 Meat Plate: o Pork Belly: 8.4/10 I liked this quite a lot. Like more than I even expected. The fattiness of the pork belly contrasted nicely with the charred flavor and satisfied my craving for grilled meats. o Brisket: 7.8/10 I liked this too, the fat contrasted well with the leaner part of the brisket. it was flavorful. * SIDES: o Mac & Cheese: I liked this a lot, it was a bit overcooked and the cheese started to separate slowly but it was still delicious (you can already see the separation in the pictures). I wish they included more parts of the cooked golden cheese parts. o Baked Beans: This was okay, if you like sweet baked beans you may really enjoy this. This is my first time having baked beans so I found out quickly it isn't exactly my forte. o Corn: This was really good, I liked this side almost as much as the mac n cheese. It is nicely spiced, creamy, and cheesy. My partner said it reminded him of a cheesier esquites. o Tater Tots: Solid tater tots o Grilled Corn Bread: Really good, and came with honey butter which paired nicely. They also have 3 types of sauces at each table: * Kailua Green, Crack Seed, and Classic Over Easy I didn't care for the crack seed one, it was too fruity and a bit odd for me. I liked the Kailua green and the classic one as well. I sometimes mixed the two as well. I'd say everything was pretty solid, my main note is just the portion sizes. I feel like other than the ribs, all of the other meats had a very small serving (like the two meats plate, we got two cuts of the pork belly and two of the brisket). Since we ordered a lot we definitely got full (and had some to take home), but if you only ordered a BBQ plate, it might not be enough food for you. I would possibly come back again, but only if I happened to be nearby, I wouldn't say it's particularly worth the drive from town.

Had a hunger for some BBQ so we walked in, and was immediately sat - no wait, but it was busy. No…read moreloud. The waiter was energetic about the food and menu, and we took some and ran with it. I ordered the brisket burger and beans, and it was huge. It was delicious and messy, the beans were surprisingly good (I'm Midwestern and know my beans). Decent price point for a BBQ restaurant. My dining partner got the special which was a birria sandwich and I totally forgot what it was called or what was involved but he loveeed it. Says it should be a permanent staple on the menu. Great time with some yummy food. Totally worth it

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Easy ‘Que - Interior seating

Interior seating

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Three Little Pigs Sandwich

Easy ‘Que - Hulihuli chicken was delicious and healthy!  Corn bread was grinds!!!

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Times Coffee Shop - Toast

Times Coffee Shop

3.8(221 reviews)
2.3 mi
•$$

I had never been to this breakfast and lunch place and decided to give it a whirl as they have a…read morefried egg sandwich on their menu. It's super local except for what I guess are the occasional tourists that are visiting the temple and nearby campground. The lovely server took my order and promptly brought my decaf coffee. It was very much an old-school diner cup o' joe (weak) but at least it was fresh. I switched to regular caf later thinking it would be stronger, but it was the same. Not a dealbreaker, (but kind of expensive at $4.75 per cup- free refills). My sandwich wasn't stellar because they forgot the cheese that I requested, but I also forgot to order it on a bun instead of regular toasted bread, so it already had one strike against it. But that was my bad. Service was great and local vibe really nice. And speaking of camping, the café sells 20 pound bags of ice for $5. I think that's a pretty good deal and convenient if you're already having a meal there. Not sure how much they sell them for at Times Market next door, but I discovered that they have a small section of camping and fishing gear at the market that's very convenient to the area. I will come back to Times Cafe again sometime, and try the sandwich again ordered "the right way"

This is a little hole in the wall place that I found because I was stopping at a place nearby that…read morewasn't open yet. It is a little dated and needs some updates, but it didn't hurt my experience. My waitress was very friendly and the food came out quickly and hot. One minor gripe is my scrambled eggs were cooked more like an omelet and they were bland, but I have had worse. The orange juice was much larger than expected. I ordered a jumbo because I always get such small servings. It was not the case here. I would stop by again next time I am in the area. It was kinda dead when I got there at 7:30am, but soon there were more people that showed up. The prices aren't bad, especially for Hawaii and compared to the mainland.

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Times Coffee Shop - Twenty pound bags of ice, $5.

Twenty pound bags of ice, $5.

Times Coffee Shop - Corned beef with onions - added 2 sunny side up eggs. Yummy for my tummy !

Corned beef with onions - added 2 sunny side up eggs. Yummy for my tummy !

Times Coffee Shop - Parking lot view to Temple and Ko'olau Mtn range

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Parking lot view to Temple and Ko'olau Mtn range

Café Kalawe - breakfast_brunch - Updated October 2026

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