Hawaiian Style Cafe
65-1290 Kawaihae Rd, Waimea, HI, 96743
Hawaiian Style Cafe Menu
Sorry, We are updating this restaurant menu details.
Visit below restaurant in Waimea for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Waimea for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Waimea for healthy meals suggestion.
Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.
Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.
-
Address :
65-1290 Kawaihae Rd
Waimea, HI, 96743 - Phone (808) 885-4295
- Website https://hawaiianstylecafe.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :7:00 am - 1:3
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : No
Good For : Breakfast
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
Looky Weed - Buy Marijuana Online
Looky Weed is here to help you navigate the maze of legalized marijuana. We provide you with a complete dispensary directory.
Ryan P.
Awesome place for breakfast. HUGE pancakes! Nice people. Best breakfast in Waimea. We enjoyed our experience here.
(5)Stephanie C.
Just a heads up to y'all that this place is CASH only... Well worth the drive from Waikaloa, especially if you want to avoid the over-priced standard fare at the resorts. Be prepared to wait a bit, even though you see empty tables and counter space - you'll need to write your party down on the list and the staff gets to it when they get to it. Nonetheless, fast and friendly service from the time you sit down. I had the mixed plate and enjoyed the generous portions. My husband had the big mok and commented that the gravy was really really good. The meals were reasonably priced. Be sure to come with an appetite! Thanks for the local fare!
(4)Megan R.
HUGEEEE portions! Like the two pancake breakfast should only be one, the plate was giant. The food itself is fine, nothing too special but not horrible. I got the breakfast burrito special, and it was like any other burrito I've had. My only complaint is that there isn't a place for large parties to sit. We had to break up into multiple groups to fit at the booths and at the counters. Though we all arrived at the same time, the first table had food before the rest were able to even sit.
(3)Jeff R.
Stopped here on our tour of Waimea for the birthday celebration of King Kamehameha the Great. First the food. While there were large portions, there was nothing that I had that had that American Idol "wow" factor. I ordered the hamburger beef patties with gravy. It was good. The beef was well seasoned and I did find myself dipping my kids fries into the gravy. Its just that I felt "been there, done that." Maybe I should have ordered something completely different but the prices were a bit steep and I was unwilling to try something completely out of the blue (they did have some stews there that seemed tempting). My wife ordered a combo of Korean chicken and Country Style chicken. The Korean chicken was really well done with crisp coating and tender meat. However, when my daughter said the Country Style chicken was just like KFC, I knew that there was a problem. Not that KFC is bad. Hell, put a bucket of KFC skin in front of me and well, be careful not to lose a finger. Its just that I was expecting something different. Too high of hopes maybe? What also bugged me was the $3.95 charge for sharing plates. Hey, not everybody has that huge of an appetite! Why not just offer mini versions of your meals? You'd probably make more as people would then order more so they can sample the menu variety. Just don't get it when restaurants do that (not that I see that often). Also, why in this day and age are you still cash only? At a restaurant no less? A bit disappointed.
(3)Cris W.
VERY popular. VERY busy. Expect a significant wait time. If you're like me, you'll be a little irritated that the restaurant staff doesn't consider seating efficiency to be a priority. You walk in and write your own name on a list that is not monitored by staff. My paranoid side thinks this could easily be manipulated by a selfish customer. Additionally, there are sparse seats throughout the restaurant going unused due to selfish, inconsiderate customers wanting lots of buffer, thus making the wait longer for others. One must accept, however, that the world is full of a-holes, the number increasing rapidly the further one gets from central Mississippi. Despite the wait the food here is outstanding, served in very large portions by very friendly staff, and greatly makes up for any other lacking.
(5)Christina M.
I don't get the hype. We waited for 15 minutes for a table, which was fine, but once we were seated, we were sitting at our table for another 15 minutes before the host finally realized we hadn't had our order taken then. He felt so bad he started to take our order, which FINALLY caught our waitress's attention. We probably waited another 20 minutes or so for our food to come out, and everything was just ok. My mom and I shared the Kalua hash and my dad ordered the macadamia nut pancakes. The hash was yummy, but it didn't blow me away. The pancakes were good too, but I've had better. They were also unnecessarily big. I've seen big pancakes, but these were on a whole other level that it was almost unreasonable. Really don't feel the need to come back here, since the service was painfully slow and the food was nothing super special.
(3)Vanessa W.
I would say this is certainly a solid option for diner-style food. I had the coconut pudding pancakes and a side of the housemade Portuguese sausage. Both were delicious and truthfully, the pancakes were some of the lightest and fluffiest I've had in years. This may seem to some like a weird complaint, but for me the enormous portions were a bit of a turn-off. My stack of two pancakes literally would have been big enough to cut and serve as a birthday cake for an entire family. I ate about a quarter of my serving before feeling too stuffed to continue. My dining partner was served a side order of pancakes that was also two enormous, thick, plate-sized pancakes. He couldn't even touch his after eating the main part of his meal. I agree with a comment below about the weirdness of serving such large portions and then charging customers a $3.95 sharing fee. I don't get it. I left most of my meal behind and felt awful about wasting good food. Our server told us that the leftovers would be served to pigs, which made me feel a little less wasteful, but also a lot like I just paid this restaurant for the privilege of buying their pig feed for them. Anyway, I don't mean to be too negative. The food was tasty and the servers were friendly. If there weren't a sharing charge, the portion issue would be easily solved by just splitting a meal with a friend. But with the sharing charge, I don't see myself rushing to come back here. I'd rather be served a reasonable single portion.
(3)Chris B.
Absolutely loved the place. The wait wasn't bad, under an hour around 11:30 during busy season. I've waited that long for other great diners and here there are plenty of things to look at nearby to kill the time. The food was amazing. Served hot and full of flavor. The sweet bread French toast was really yummy. Very little need for syrup at all. The mok-a-sorus was recommended and a special. Way too much to eat for me, but so good I couldn't stop. I'll come back any time I visit the island.
(5)Lauren A.
delicious and filling for a great price! Cute place, busy, worth the wait. The portions are large as consistent with all the previous reviews, however, I really liked that they have a clause on the back of their menu stating that no food is wasted and all food scraps go to a local hog farm. Who knows if it is true, but what a nice thought! Service was slow but waitress was super pleasant and as many others have said CASH ONLY! so make your life easy and just bring cash :)
(5)R.E. A.
Cash only! Great place to stop by on the way to Waipio Valley or Hilo. We stayed in Mauna Lani so we stopped by here on the way to Waipio Valley. There's no waiting area for a table but they seem to move quickly. Food was great and portions are huge. The kalua hash and fried rice were sooo good. This is a typical mom and pop diner so it's totally casual and laid back. They seat you, take your order, give you food, pay your bill, and walk out stuffed. The pancake size is true. It's way bigger than your head. Split one and don't order your own. Tips on the pancake --- if you get the banana macadamia pancake, know that it's just a regular pancake with bananas and macadamia on top. Banana-Mac are not incorporated in the batter.
(4)Jonathan F.
We loved this place. Thanks for all of the great recommendations that convinced us to head this way. Kalua Hash, eggs and rice was amazing. The rest of the family had various pancakes and ate until their bellies hurt and still wanted more. This is a must try place. Service was friendly and helpful. I wouldn't hesitate recommending this to anyone!
(5)Scott H.
Da Bomb! Had the "Da Tita Mok and let me tell you YUMMY. Great food.....great prices....great service. All of us were happy and stuffed. Highly recommend.
(5)Jen H.
This was our first and last breakfast stop on our 5-day visit to the Big Island! The first day we came here was on a Tuesday morning. We were seated right away. First thing I saw was that they had homemade Portuguese sausage! I ended up ordering the Kalua Hash that came with 2 scoops of fried rice and 2 eggs. The hash was all meat and was very delicious. It was even more tasty when eaten with my runny egg yolks and spam-filled fried rice. My step dad had ordered the Loco Moco and said it was the best he ever had and that the gravy was good, too. I had a taste of the Haupia Pancakes and instantly fell in love. I ended up finishing the pancake :P We came back on the last day of our trip. It was so good, we had to come back! It was a Friday and there was a wait this time. I ordered the Haupia Pancakes and asked if it came with anything else because I had to have the Portuguese sausage. The waitress said "No", but recommended I get their Lite Breakfast which came with 1 egg and 1 meat choice and to just upgrade to the Haupia Pancake. I did just that. The Haupia was just as I remembered. It filled the entire plate, was creamy, not too sweet, and not too strong. It also has a little dollop of whipped cream and when that cream mixed with the haupia.. Mm Mm.. my mouth was so happy! I'm not that much of a fan of coconut, but I absolutely loved this coconut cream. I even ordered this same dish at another restaurant and it did not even compare to Hawaiian Style Cafe's! The Portuguese sausage was a nice complement to the big fluffy pancake. Nice greasy pieces of meaty salty sausage! They also charge extra if you share because they feed the left overs to their hogs :) The service was very friendly, as expected. The waitress even remembered us from the first day we came.. probably because we were seated at the same table. We were also seated across from a lovely local couple who recommended places to visit. The experience was great and the food made it that much better.
(5)Brandon B.
Two things, sign-in just to the right when you enter to get your name on the wait list; second thing, cash only but there is a cash machine inside. We ordered the Big Mok and a veggie omelet. The omelet came with enormous and very delicious pancakes! The Big Mok is amazing! I loved every bite of it. Definitely go here. Any wait you encounter will be worthwhile.
(5)Michael H.
Great experience! Food at its best. Bring your appetite. Pancakes alone are a meal themselves
(5)Carl S.
Tried the tita, tasted like what's suppose to... fried spam, burger pattie, eggs and fried chicken. A little heavy handed on the salt. The fried rice was a little sticky, liked that better loose. The wife had the kahlua pork hash, we thought it was just going to be meat but of course it had potatoes. That hash plus a potato hash made the plate one dimensional only this time both were under seasoned. The pancakes were big but nothing extraordinary. Maybe we should have tried something else, a little bit underwhelmed.
(2)EH C.
This place was the real deal! Every dish we ordered were all so great and huge portions! The service was nice and quick! Mahalo!
(4)Bobby M.
Definitely a breakfast must, and we'll be back. 1st and foremost, cash only! Don't argue, don't complain, just bring cash. Easy as pie, or should I say pancakes? Okay, pancakes! Yes, these babies are huge and they are delicious. A lot of times when you get pancakes this big, they don't taste good and are dry. Not these hubcaps, baby. They are Ono! (Very good, delicious, yummy). On a Sunday morning, we only waited about 20 minutes or so to seat our party of 5, plus a baby. I thought for sure the wait would be longer, but they are very efficient on the service. Speaking of service, they are very nice, patient, helpful, and accommodating. A+ I also had the Kalua Pork hash and it was excellent. Fresh, made from scratch and plenty of it. Speaking of plenty, the portions are ginormous! I mean huge! Not just the pancakes, but the hash, omelets, etc. You will be taking food home. So, in this visit, food won! It was delicious, but I couldn't get through the meal, even if I stayed awhile. And try the local favorite, the Portugese Sausage! It's ono! Prices can't be beat and you know you're in the right place when sitting by as many locals as tourists. So enjoy and remember, you'll be back. Oh, and bring cash! Did I say they're cash only?
(5)Josh M.
Fantastic food and staff! Of course there was a wait, when you have good authentic food you're going to wait for what you want. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu but be sure to have one of their tiny pancakes to top off your experience.
(5)Jennifer A.
Hands down the best loco moco I've ever had. And I've had a LOT of loco moco! Hawaiian Style Cafe has quite a few loco moco options ranging from the classic to the cutely named Internet (spam spam and spam) and a particularly gluttonous variation with hamburger, spam AND chicken katsu. I had the homestyle loco moco (not sure how this differs from the regular loco moco) which was drowning in gravy, just the way I like it! I think this may be my favorite gravy ever. I don't know how they cook their burgers, but they had this amazing crispy crust. Two scoops of rice, two patties and two eggs meant I could only finish half and had to take the rest with me. Everything else I tried was delicious as well including their tuna mac salad, kahlua pork hash and soy sauce pork. Even if you're in Kona, I would highly recommend a drive up to Kamuela. Come early though because they close at 1:30!
(5)Dani H.
Great spot to try more of a local's breakfast. Party of six ordered a variety of dishes and everything was excellent, especially the Housemade Loco Moco!
(5)Cheri S.
Keeps me coming back everytime. Definitely try the chicken cutlet loco with fried rice. 3 pieces of chicken, egg on top, gravy all over. Total Kanak attack! If your looking for something light I would recommend the veggie omelet. Fresh bell peppers, tomatoes, onion, mushroom, spinach. Can't go wrong with this. The staff is super friendly and makes you feel right at home. There is never a negative attitude in this place. I feel like I'm coming home when I step in, and that's how it should be.
(5)Yvette K.
Wait was long (about 30 mins). Food is awesome, pancakes are huge!! Well worth the wait
(4)Gailynn W.
This is the best place for breakfast on the entire island! The pancakes are so big I can't even eat one and they are delicious! Every time we visit we make a point to come here at least twice. The staff is always smiling and friendly and surprisingly even though there may be a lot of people waiting, the wait time is never too long. Worth the wait!! Don't miss this one!
(5)M.L. W.
Holy Huge Helpings!! We ate 1/3 of our meals. Special pancakes: coconut cream with toasted coconut. Loco Moco: Hawaiin style. Super friendly server, CASH ONLY, but an atm on site. You can't possible eat all this food! Very reasonably priced, especially for the serving size. But, there is a split plate charge. All leftovers go to a local pig farm
(5)Elle M.
AMAZING. Your stop on the Big Island is not complete until you've stopped here for breakfast! Very friendly staff, fantastic food, huge portions, fair prices. Would definitely come back again!! They also have lunch. We stopped here in the way from Kona to an ATV tour in Waipio Valley.
(5)Azadeh K.
What's the point of eating good knowing that you have an anniversary to celebrate and your doing a mini vacay in Big Island & your first stop for breakfast is no where other then..yupp, you guessed it! Hawaiian Style Cafe! First time experiencing this place, my wife & in-laws swear by they're food, saying the wait is worth the quality and quantity of food they have! So here we are coming on a Tuesday morning around 745am and it's not really crowded like the weekends are usually are. We ordered and our food came within 10 min (Cheeeee!) ordered a titah MOKE plate which consisted of a bed of fried rice with a huge hamburger patty, 3 spam, chicken cutlet and eggs with gravy smothered all over!!!! Talk about "BROKE DA MOUTH!" Lol other words it was beyond "DELICIOUS!" Definitely wanted to order the Haupia Pancake but I was super full from my plate so I decided that it's best to save it for breakfast tomorrow if we come by Waimea haha Great service, polite & quick, always checking up on us if we needed anything or how everything was. Everyone should definitely check this place out, it's cheap (oh and make sure you carry cash, they take no credit card) pretty cheap for the amount they give! So go go check um go! Your stomach will be satisfied!!!!!
(5)Kristin A.
Jus GOOOOOOOD. You will be tempted to order pancakes for yourself, but don't - they are HUGE. Share it amongst your group as an appetizer. And no matter what, work in a chicken cutlet into whatever savory dish you get. The skin has so much flavor I can't deny! Closes early at 1:30 and closed in holidays. A MUST!!!
(5)Bruce H.
My favorite breakfast place on the Island other than the Mauna Lani sunday brunch buffet. Most of the dishes can feed two people. Pancakes the size of a spare tire. Try the loco moco - AWESOME. They don't take credit cards - so plan for cash. Also, make sure you plan on waiting in line - its worth it though.
(5)Tom A.
Great place. Pancakes with everything and bigger than you could ever finish. Omelets are great and staff is very friendly. It is a must if you are in Waimea.
(5)Stacey H.
Fantastic meal!!! The reviews are spot on, very original menu, huge portions & full of flavor! Service was the best we've had here in Hawaii. Our server Danna was awesome, food came out quickly & she had great recommendations! My husband had the Portuguese & ham omelette that came with giant fluffy pancakes (with coconut syrup - yum). The omelette had gravy, but wasn't too heavy - just full of deliciousness :) I had the breakfast hash that comes with fried rice. This was the best version of fried rice we've ever experienced, not too salty or greasy - just fresh, light and seasoned to perfection! I suggest you come hungry! :) Can't say enough about this adorable little cafe. We will definitely be back!
(5)Drew C.
A fabulous breakfast. Worth the drive from the shore. Lots of locals eating here and carrying out. Chances are there will be a waiting line outside. Go in to sign the wait list just inside the door. Also, it is cash only. I had the haupia (coconut pudding) pancakes. Ask for the coconut syrup. Terrific but enough for two. Also enjoyed a side of the Portuguese sausage. My wife had the pork hash specialty which was even better than my pancakes. If the food were not so terrific, I would be tempted to knock off a star for the bad coffee.
(5)Karina L.
This place is amazing! You must have an BIG appetite! The food was delicious and the service was great.
(5)Holly B.
Serving of luau stew (pork and luau leaf) is so much food in the mini, it's a steal! Comes out piping hot and delicious.. Also, tried the beef stew and it was ono! Friendly and quick service. Great for kamaaina wanting local food while on vacation!
(5)Britney B.
Went here on our vacay to KONA with my bf and we love it!!! My boyfriends the type to have an appiette for breakfast and Hawaiian Style Cafe was the perfect place! Gave it four stars just because the wait took a long time, and we didn't know where the hostess or greeter was at first so we waited outside for a good 20 mins until putting our names down. The wait was worth it! GOOD FOOD, GOOD PORTIONS for a really good price! lol (doesn't get better than that) pancakes are huge and usually comes with the omelet's (I got a veggie omelet, so ONO!) my bf got the tita loco moco (think thats whats its called) and he LOVED IT! we got so much food we needed to-go boxes! we was stuffed until dinner time! LOL Recommend this place and can't wait to go back! fast service and their staff is very friendly! **CASH ONLY**
(4)C T.
This cafe came highly recommended as a place we had to try. We should have read the signs when our first trip out to try their Loco Moco was unsuccessful. We got there around 2:30 pm. They close at 1:30 pm M-Sat, noon on Sunday. We tried again Sunday. They do seat everyone who is on their seating list by noon, then stop taking additional names. We waited over an hour, were the very last group to be seated since they could seat smaller groups before us (we had 5), then proceed to take FOREVER to bring water and longer still to take our order. Had to remind our server to bring our coffee and juice order. She wasn't very service oriented at all. Really unpleasant experience. To top it off, really didn't like the food. Ok, that box is checked.
(1)Kela V.
Come early and come hungry! Local breakfast and lunch dishes. Delicious fried rice. My personal favorite is the veggie omelet with hash browns and pancakes. Pancakes are as big as the plate and super fluffy! Try the coconut syrup!
(5)Jacqueline T.
This restaurant was AMAZING! The staff was friendly and the food was delicious. Portions are huge. This was by far the best food we had while on the big island, at the most reasonable prices. You should definitely check it out if you are near the area.
(5)Stefanie S.
The kind of old school small town diner that can rarely be found anymore. It's one of the few places on the island that sells Hawaiian comfort food. The prices are very high for diner food (4.95 for a half a papaya? I can buy 6 whole papaya for $5 at the farmers market). I ordered the stew luau... Taro leaves and pork... The most Hawaiian thing on the menu and very reasonably priced. However, the salt content was overwhelming. The meal was tasty otherwise, so it was sad the the salt made it nearly inedible. I would not return even though i appreciate the experience.
(2)Craig L.
Make no mistake. All the reviews for Hawaiian Style Cafe are legit and can't be more true. Locals travel far to just eat here. The food is amazing. Huge portions of localized goodness. You may have to wait to be seated so get there early for lunch. In the heart of Waimea. You gotta try the kalbi for lunch and the kalua hash for breakfast. I didn't try the pancakes but they looked huge. We sat next to a local gentleman who was very friendly and gave us a little bit of history of the area.
(5)Subrosa I.
The Loco Moco here is very tasty. Nice and salty. Generous portions to boot. The service is a tad slow. But I think it's worth the wait.
(4)Lizzie D.
I went to the newest Hawaiian Style Cafe on the west side of the island and I was really impressed with the food. Big portions and just a really cool diner feel. So we figured we had to go to the original location. Man this place had a line out the door. I had to put my name on a wait list. Once we got seated, we ordered and the food came out so fast. For as busy as they were I was really surprised how fast the food came out. I had to get the traditional loco moco. This was by far the best loco moco I have ever had. I have tried the L&L version, the Ono Hawaiian version, and even a local place next to my house that I thought had the best loco moco to offer. But this place shut them all down. The gravy was just so good. The egg was cooked perfectly, the onions in the gravy were something I have never had before. Rice was cooked perfectly, and the beef was delicious. It was well worth the wait and I totally understand the hype.
(5)Fran C.
So I was working on the Big Island last week, and my travels found me working in Hawi, Kapaau, Kamuela, & Kealakekua area..........while I was heading out to my job in Kamuela, I just so happened to pass by the "Hawaiian Style Cafe". I had already experienced dining at the Hawaiian Style Cafe (in Hilo), as one of my friends - Leenelle, had given me a tip about this place. When I had eaten breakfast at the Hilo location, I must say I really enjoyed the breakfast food. Upon posting my review of the Hilo location, one of my other friends - bruddah Ken, had mentioned to me that there was another Hawaiian Style Cafe location. The original location of the Hawaiian Style Cafe was in Kamuela. Of course when I had found the Kamuela location, I just had to stop by for a bite to eat, as I had to see what the original place looked like. I can tell you this............the original location is no where as nice as the new Hilo location. But if you're into nostalgia............then this is the place to go to! It's a very small restaurant, old, nothing fancy at all..............you know.......... old looking tables, no a/c (but Kamuela is always on the cool side, so who needs a/c right?). And yes, my yelp buddy Nat mentioned to me about the flies............and yes, I did see a few while I was eating at the counter, but hey, so long as the fly doesn't land & crap on your food, who cares???? Lol!!!! Besides...........das how you add the fava to da grindz! Lol!!!! So upon sitting at the counter, I decided on ordering the Teri Hamburger Steak with brown rice, & mac salad. What can I say about the grub............well, I can tell you off hand, I really enjoyed the Teri Hamburger Steak, & mac salad (whaaaat? I ate mac salad????? Yes, I will get to that soon!). The thing I liked about the Teri Hamburger Steak was that the meat was grilled on a pit, so upon getting my serving of the Teri Hamburger...........I could taste a smoky favor to it, beside having the teri sauce over the meat. The teri sauce was made just right.....it wasn't overly sweet. And now to the mac salad.............yes gang, I am the one that always says - "I just hate mayonnaise"! I hated it as a kid, and now that I'm old as dirt, I still hate it as an adult! But I must give the Hawaiian Style Cafe a 5 star rating for the mac salad! The only reason why I ate it, was that I had noticed tuna flakes, & peas in the mac salad. Upon noticing this, I took a small bite to sample, and upon eating it, my taste buds just lit up like I was downing a Heineken beer! Lol!!! I guess the tuna in the salad with the peas kind of bumped the mac salad up a notch, so it was quite enjoyable to eat............and when you scope a little teri sauce over the mac salad.........puuuuurfect!!!! I tell you! :) The only reason why I had to minus a point from my review, was the rice...........they basically ran out of brown rice, so I ended up getting one scope of brown rice, and one scope of white rice. That's just fine by me, as I didn't touch the white rice anyways, but upon eating a little of my brown rice, it was a bit hard........probably the last of the brown rice? Oh well, I didn't come here to eat rice anyways...........props for the Teri Hamburger Steak, & Mac Salad!!!!! There is free parking in front of the restaurant (not too much parking), but it is shared with other businesses. The place only takes CASH MONEY ONLY! So make sure you get da bucks in your pocket if you like grindz here!!!! Chance 'em gang!!!!
(4)Barbara M.
I really wanted to like this place, we'd heard from several people how good it is but our experience was nothing like we'd hoped for. We were a large party (11) and were told that it would be a 40 minute wait, it was actually a little over an hour wait, but we expected a wait and were just anticipating a great meal, Our party was seated at two different tables, one of which was 3 feet from the restroom which was in continual use the entire time we were there and the door was left open every single time it was used.....sorry, but yuk! We sat for about 30 minutes before anyone acknowledged us, the food was really just so-so, the fried rice was gross, the hash was really, really greasy, and not ONCE did any of the wait staff check to see if our group needed anything or wanted a refill on coffee or water. Sorry, but we won't be back.
(1)Cindy W.
I was very pleased with the loco moco here. It was exactly what I was looking for in an authentic Hawaiian meal experience. It's a heart-attack on a plate but after going mostly vegetarian/healthy for two weeks now, I wanted my carnivorous side to indulge. That's exactly what I got. The meats were all very flavorful but the best part was the beef gravy. It pulled the plate together. I'm very happy with my experience here and I loved the decor. The only thing was that the waiter Sam could have been a little nicer and courteous. I felt like I was disrupting him every time me or my friend wanted something...
(4)Lilya W.
The wait was so long but it was a Saturday. We drove from the Hilton Waikaloa for a breakfast on the way to Akaka falls. The portions are ENORMOUS! The food is cheap and amazing! Worth the wait and the drive!
(5)Megan Y.
This place has mastered the art of comfort food. Warning! You will need to share dishes unless you are man vs. food level. I was so happy to see this place busy because it deserves the popularity. By about 9-10 AM there is a line for a table, but it's so worth it. They generally have one or two waitresses working which made service a bit slow, albeit not enough to dock any stars. So the food is such a great value. You can get a giant plate of Hawaiian breakfast plus a side of pancakes/french toast for ~$10. There are a ton of options. My family and I really liked the Korean pork and chicken. Both were very flavorful and tender. I'm also glad this place has kept its small town, local charm in light of its booming business. Be sure to check the specials board in the back (a bit out of view) for some cool options! The haupia pancakes are a must-try off of that list!
(5)Homer S.
This place is unbelievably good! Fantastic food at a more than reasonable price! And, the portions are more than generous! For two we ordered: Hawaiian loco moco - calling it the best loco moco I've ever had is an understatement Korean fried chicken - I'm still speechless bc of how good it was One macadamia nut pancake - was also delicious, though I'm not much of a "sweets" person Service was excellent. Wonder experience over all A must try if ever on the big island!
(5)Alex L.
Before I got to the big island I wanted to eat at nothing but locals spots. This place was recommended to me and it did not disappoint! I ordered the tita mok which was a loco moco with three meat choices. I ordered a hamburger patty, a corned beef hash patty, and portuguese sausage over a bed of rice with eggs and gravy all over it. That was a piece of heaven right there! Exactly what I was looking for. My daughter ordered the keiki special which was a pancake (that was HUGE btw), eggs and a meat side which was portuguese sausage. She grubbed on it, but of course couldn't finish the pancake. My wife ordered a regular loco moco which is pretty much the same as mine, but without all the different meats. Just a hamburger patty. We were seated in about five minutes which was the time they had to set up for the 8 of us.The service was ok, not the best, but the meal made up for it. Place was packed early in the am when we got there. We drove from Kona so it took about an hour to get there. It's located in Waimea. It's on the way to Hilo so it's a great spot to hit up on the way. We headed up to Waipio Valley and on the way back we came back through Waimea and was going to stop there again for some late lunch, but it was closed. That's how good it was!!! If you are looking for local style food and great big portions, this is the place for you. Don't miss out!!
(5)Mark S.
One of those local places to go back to again and again. This place is a great example of quality and quantity with a reasonable price. As you'd probably already read, the pancakes are huge. Looking forward to go again next time we are in Kona.
(5)Tony L.
We stopped by on a rainy weekday for a late lunch and was able to get seated right away. The restaurant is pretty basic, so don't expect fancy surroundings when coming here. Similar to what the other reviews say, the portions here are huge, so we made sure not to over-order. We got: Three egg omlette with bacon, hashbrowns and one giant pancake. This was pretty good, with lots of bacon. I almost laughed out loud when the waitress asked us if we wanted one or two pancakes. With the other food that was ordered, the two of us barely finished half of one (although the pancake itself tasted pretty good, not too heavy). Combo meal with Korean chicken and Kalbi short ribs: the chicken was fried nicely, and the short ribs weren't too sweet. The two dishes and two soft drinks came out to $25. I would come back again to try some of the other breakfast and lunch specials if I was back on the Big Island again. It is worth the 20-30 minute drive from Waikoloa.
(4)Dinsmore T.
The best breakfast on the island large plates of home cooked Hawaiian food !!! Thaw pancakes are out of this world
(5)Eddie T.
So I got the banana pancake for $9.95. I thought it would be banana flavored, or something special, but all they did was slice about half a banana on top. The normal 2 pancakes, that the people next to me got was $5.95, which is the same thing, without the banana. So they charge $4 for half a banana, really? It's not that special, all that's special about it is how big it was. The extra star was for the friendly and attentive staffs.
(2)Trevor D.
After going to the Hawaiian style cafe in Hilo the previous day for breakfast I figured what the heck, lifes short let's try the original. This place is just what I expected, a fairly non-descript spot with a line out the door (always a good sign). after waiting for a short bit we got a table. I decided to repeat and get Da Tita Mok with a side of portuguese sausage and a pancake. When they brought the order out it was truly gorgeous! Everything was absolutely delicious just as I had expected and everyone at the table were equally satisfied with their food!
(5)Aimee M.
So I have to start by saying that we drove past this place about three times while trying to find a good dining option in Kamuela (Waimea). It looks pretty much like a hole in the wall with a large open counter area ringing the kitchen. The waitresses were a little dour at first, but if you're friendly or say something goofy they'll crack a smile. And now on to the food: My husband went for the kalua pork loco moco and I had eggs and pancakes. The loco moco was Ah-mazing, certainly the best we've had on the island. My pancakes were enormous and very tasty, my eggs were cooked well but had their own pool of grease, which is why I'm knocking off one star. Definitely a good option in the area, very reasonable prices and generally good food.
(4)Derek L.
I was so happy I ordered the beef stew! It was out of this world. Beef was so tender it fell apart in my mouth! The service was great and the price was right. A lot of food for not a lot of money.
(5)Victoria G.
This was by far the most Authentic Hawaiian breakfast/lunch place I have ever been to! Portions are huge and they actually charge for sharing! however, they also admit they give leftovers to the pig farms because they realize it is hardly possible to eat that much. Be aware: pancakes are size of a standard cake and thats one portion! other than that, good simple food and very nice service. I also liked shared seating by the entrance: felt very family style.
(4)angela s.
Deanna great server. Pancakes are good and big. Smoked pork omelette was small but good. Kids plates perfect size. Got to go early due to gets busy. Love the music.
(4)Leslene C.
Great food and local style, they serve huge plates that two can eat. Pancakes are thee best we've had - light, fluffy and huge! Can't go wrong on the price either.
(4)Tony L.
Wow!!!!! The portions here are for two instead of one. The pancakes are a foot across and this is the best prices on the island. Cash Only.
(5)Vadim R.
If I could give 6 stars I would have. Amazing service and attention. Very local. Be prepared for huge portions though. It's not for the weak. But everything is very good. Worth the 5 hrs flight from SF.
(5)Bob S.
Great little local hole-in-the-wall eatery in Waimea. Staff very helpful and friendly, food is excellent (the tita mok was the best loco I've had), prices are excellent and the portions are ginormous! Will definitely be back! Cash only.
(5)Brandon A.
Hole in the wall restaurant open only for breakfast and lunch. Very wide variety of foods and everything on the menu looked appetizing. The loco moco is a must eat!!! Simply one of the best across the islands. Homemade patties over rice with a succulent gravy that tops everything off. Overall, serving sizes were very large. Meals that come with pancakes can feed 2 people
(5)Tierney H.
Best breakfast ever. Greasy spoons like this one are my favorite kind of restaurant: Servers with great personality (Danna is rad!) Awesome food Holy shit the portion sizes! Amazing bang for your buck in an otherwise very expensive place to visit. I had two eggs with kalua hash and would recommend it to anyone. The coffee here is great-- even the decaf! My husband got the coconut pudding pancakes. He said the bar has been set and they were literally the best he'd ever had (and huge!).
(5)Jason H.
I think the only Veggies that they have on the menu are the green onions they use as a garnish. Sizes are HUGE as well. I did not have the pancakes but the person next to me did. Imagine a man hole cover on a city street. Add a second and put a bunch of toppings on it. I had the House Loco Moco which was outstanding. It is not the healthiest of breakfasts but it was very tasty. They do Charge you to share a plate but if you are like many patrons of this establishment that love to order more then what the US Army can eat in a year, the leftovers go to feed a local Hog Farm. Did I hear Luau?
(4)Sheena A.
If you are looking for Ono means awesome tasting food... Delicious food eat Hawaiian style cafe!!!! A must . It's definitely worth your time and money !!!! love it all
(5)Mary L.
Sat next to a local on the plane and he suggested that we eat here. Food was awesome and the portions were huge. It's best to share everything. So glad he recommended it.
(5)Cassie S.
I love this place! I tried all of the breakfast places in Hilo, and this was my favorite. There is ample parking, and the servers are so nice. I ordered the Kahlua Hash and some POG juice. Both were really, really good. I plan to go back in the morning and get the macadamia nut pancakes!
(5)Ken L.
Locals all place Hawaiian Style Cafe' as the "go to" place for Hawaiian food. The definite focus of this cuisine clearly points towards quantity rather than quality. Stew came in a large bowl with plenty of veggies but only 2 pcs of pork. The side items are generous - a double scoop of wet, soggy rice with another scoop of gooey, nasty mac salad were not visually appealing and tasted worse than it looked. Through talking to more folks later on, I was told that is how Hawaiians liked their rice. Oh well. Checking others around us, we noticed pancakes as big as a car's steering wheel. You can't really order this to share since they have a rule to charge extra for that. No thanks.
(1)Jennifer G.
So good we came back twice! First off I have to say: pancakes!! Now onto the review. Local breakfast/lunch place that's on the way to to Hilo from waikoloa. Located opinion a small strip mall a fe parking spaces. We came both times around 7am so it wasn't that crowded. But there were a few truckers and some regulars. First time I got coffee and an omelette that comes with a side of pancakes. Omg! The pancakes are literally twice the size of your head and the fluffiest pancakes you will ever eat in your life. The omelette was also huge and covered in brown gravy. Yummy. I didn't even touch the pancakes cuz I was so full from the omelette. Ended up taking the pancakes to go and ate it throughout the rest of the day as a snack. My sister ordered the kalua pork hash and she said that was pretty good. We were with the parents and I believe with everyone ordered a dish plus coffee our bill was $30 with tip. Yea. Amazing prices for sure. Probably the cheapest meal you will eat out here. Another table got the short ribs which looked amazing! Next visit I shared a loco moco with my sis. They charged us a $4 share fee and they didn't even say there was a fee. So taking off a star for that. Also the loco moco had one egg and with amount of rice and meat they give you there should definitely be two. However the dish itself was delicious. And definitely a good send off meal on our last day on the big island. Coffee is delicious. I drank it black and I never drink coffee black! If you're not that hungry I would definitely share with someone and you will probably end up taking leftovers anyways haha. Would recommend if you're passing through. And even if you aren't passing through just go for the best pancakes ever.
(4)Amy C.
Don't judge this place based on its very humble looking atmosphere because the food here is awesome! Get here early as there is usually a crowd of people waiting outside to get a seat inside this place! Hawaiian Style Cafe is another fantastic Yelp find! My hubby and I stopped here on a Wednesday morning around 7:45-8:00 AM. At that time, luckily there were not that many people there. However, about a half hour or so during our time there, tons of people came in and the place was full inside, with over a dozen or more people on the outside waiting for a seat. So I cannot stress enough how important it is to get there early, especially if you are not a fan of waiting around. We sat at the counter because all the tables/booths were occupied when we got there. My hubby ordered their Loco Moco that had spam, portuguese sausage, regular sausage, egg, rice and gravy. I had their French Toast with sausage. The portions are HUGE, so make sure to come on an empty stomach. Food was delicious. I loved my French toast and my hubby's Loco Moco. This place definitely hit the spot. For the price you pay, you get huge portions that fill you up for the rest of the day. I didn't try the pancakes, but as you know (especially if you have browsed through the Yelp photos) they are HUGE! I for sure want to try these pancakes out when we come back next year. So if you are making your way up to Hilo, be sure to stop by The Hawaiian Style Cafe for a delicious and filling meal. TIP: This place is cash only! One more thing, they just opened up a second location in Hilo a couple of months ago.
(5)Kanoe I.
Breakfast with friends before our Pololu hike. We had about a 5 minute wait for a group of 6 people! Waitress was nice and the service was pretty fast. Down fall was that it was around 9:30 am and my friend wanted to order the biscuits and gravy and they had no biscuits =( most dishes came with a side of two massive pancakes! None of us made a dent in the pancakes beside one of my friends trying to play man vs. food where in this case... Food won!!! We Deff. Took home leftovers and the food we left behind goes to a local hog farm.
(4)Jessica H.
You spend weeks dieting and working out so that you can look nice in your bathing suit for your trip to Hawaii, and then you get there and eat pancakes the size of your head at Hawaiian Style Cafe and immediately gain back that 10 pounds. But you don't care because the pancakes are delicious and the loco moco is savory and amazing and makes you wonder why you don't eat spam at every meal. Everybody knows that this is the best breakfast on the island, so there can be a long wait, but don't worry, it's worth it.
(5)Rob W.
DAMN this place is good! Really really good...and so many variants on the local classic loco moco. My wife's Kalua Hash was phenomenal...and the sweet bread french toast. Just one note, cash only! I can't wait to get back on the island, but forget the Cheeseburger in Paradise, this is the place!
(5)Harry K.
My favorite meal on the Big Island. The wife and I discovered Hawaiian Style Cafe on Yelp, on our way to an ATV adventure. Like other reviewers said, we were awe struck by the pancakes. I didn't believe it until I saw them. Not only were they freakin ginormous, but they were freakin delicious. The other food was tasty, but it's all about the pancakes for me!
(5)S P.
Loco mocos are always solid. Portions are massive so plan to share. Pancakes are insanely big and good as well. Servers are quick to refill beverages and almost always helpful and friendly. Love the old u-shaped counters. Prices are great too.
(4)Miss G.
Took my daughter for breakfast on a Saturday morning expecting a long wait, as I always see a crowd outside waiting to be seated. Pleasantly surprised with a short wait time & good food. Service isn't anything to write home about, but they're dealing with high volume & they get the job done. Favorite thing about this trip: I found delicious eggs Benedict on the special board! Yummmmm!
(5)Terel B.
Worth the half hour drive from Waikoloa Village! Everything is massive. Get the Loco Moco, and it will probably be the best you've ever had. Banana mac nut pancake I don't even fit on the plate. Ask for the coconut syrup. Pretty dingy digs--sticky tabletops and worn-out fixtures--but if you're after great food, you can't beat it!
(5)Angela M.
First off portions are huge....be prepared to turn into a sloth after eating...diner decor, comfy atmosphere...heat place to mix with the locals...friendly staff
(4)Nicholas A.
The Tiki Moco was BOMB.COM ...the flavor was out of this world delicious. Nothing more than a hole in the wall, but the food is great and the portions are awesome
(5)Sara D.
It did the job, but we didn't see what all the hype was about. Service wasn't great, food was boring. Place was a dive, which I don't have a problem with. For us, not worth the drive from Waikoloa.
(2)Michelle L.
We went right lunch time after arriving on he Big Island. We went on a whim as we passed by and could smell the food from our windows down. It was packed inside because it is fairly small. We decided to do take out and wait in the lot. (It doesn't seem like many people choose this option.) We waited 45 minutes for the food, but it was delicious other then them being slightly burnt. We had two burgers and naturally sliced French fries. It was a good meal to eat after we got to Waipo Valley Lookout. Was reasonably priced.
(4)Sam S.
Love it. Local, big portions, fair prices. Came here for brunch. Corn beef hash an the big moco. Big moco was very tasty but stupid me, I thought it came with the beef patty too. Hahaha just a bunch of other savory meats with the gravy. Gravy itself was not too heavy and went well with the eggs. Most of it was breakfast just add their Portuguese sausage, spam and gravy. Corn beef hash was interesting because the hash wasn't as crispy as I would have liked but also not as salty as I expect corn beef to be.
(5)Baby's Away Big Island H.
The food is plentiful and the prices are reasonable with large portions for hungry people. Love the pancakes!
(4)April M.
Large portions and great service, local favorites like Kalua hash and loco moco, try the haupia style pancakes and French toast with coconut syrup
(5)Ren N.
Overall it's appetizing atmosphere and friendly staff makes this cafe well worth the visit. Not to mention the low price of meats and other huge dishes to choose from. I only ate there twice and was served by two different servers. Once was a take out, the other was a sit down. I didn't have much of a good experience with the take out since ironically I wanted the take out so I can save time without having to wait. Instead 5-7 people were seated way before me and almost finished their lunch before I had my take out. The server also got my order wrong, I specifically wanted one thing and she had the nerve to correct me and said I wanted something else. It almost felt like an argument was about to ensue because I had to defend my own lunch menu choice. 3 times!!! If that same server is there I will not want to eat. Half an hour of waiting for the wrong food, is that nice?
(3)Vin S.
I ate at this wonderful place about a year ago. The breakfast food is authentically Hawaiian (spam and eggs, enormous pancakes, fried eggs and hash). And it's all great! The Hawaiian Style Café is always filled with locals. If you live in Waimea, you already know about this place, and probably eat here regularly. If you don't, give it a try! You won't have any regrets.
(5)Alaskan M.
Went here after a day in the sun, portions are huge and I didn't like that you are charged four bucks to share. Anyway, food was nice, the loco moco is humongous and I could only eat half of it. My wife ordered The grilled cheese was also good. The service was good until he end, I asked for the check and it must have taken 15 min, I had to get up and get the waitresses attention. It's frustrating to have such a good meal and for it to be soured by waiting way to long to pay. I would go back again to try the breakfast because it looked tasty. Would go back again.
(4)Joyce F.
This place rocks but don't tell anyone as the wait time is already long! I over heard people from PA talking about how good the food is here as they were chowing down, so even the tourists have heard how good this place is! Do yourself a favor; try their pancakes, but only order one if you are getting anything else and share the pancake with the whole table, otherwise you will be wasting a lot of food. They're HUGE!!!
(5)Anita T.
Fast, insanely huge portions, and cheap. Had this on my first day of vacation and I can see why there was a waiting line by 9AM. Get there by 8 and be ok with sitting at the big wraparound bar right near the door, and you'll be served super fast. Had my first loco moco here (yum! brown gravy, rice, egg, juicy hamburger patty, and i swapped out the second patty for 2 pieces of grilled spam) and we also got the berry pancakes (the menu says 2 but just be aware each is literally hanging off the plate, they're THAT BIG. Comes with huge pats of butter and fresh fruit). Parking is limited in front of the store, you may have to park side of street in a few designated spots or scour for a space elsewhere.
(5)Emily H.
Maybe I'm not used to how Hawaiians like their food, but I found everything here either WAY too salty or WAY too sweet. Yes, the portions are big, but that doesn't compensate for taste. The haupia pancakes (coconut cream pancakes) were definitely the best thing that we ate. They were super thick in size, but fluffy and light in taste. That is, until the cup of coconut cream was doused on top and made the whole thing way too sweet. The tripe stew and the version of the loco moco we ate were both extremely salty. I drank 2.5 cups of water alone during my meal. The gravy tasted like something you could make from the grocery store brand powdered gravy pouch. Sure, the local diner ambiance is great, but I wouldn't recommend this place for any of my friends traveling to the Big Island.
(2)L K.
Perfect place to stop by while heading to the volances . Fast serves and great servers! My breakfast was so good that i had it pack togo and had it for lunch
(5)Vince L.
Very friendly staff. Locals very friendly and chatty as well. Portions are HUGE. Split an order. Order 1/2 orders. I only gave it 4 because I didn't see anyone in the place finish. Wasteful. We sat at the counter and chatted with some locals. We also learned we didn't have to order exactly what was on the menu. We ended up doing some unique combinations so we could try many dishes. ALL were good but HUGE portions! Some of the pancakes are plain and made 'special' by the toppings. Make sure you get pancakes that are made differently with the ingredients inside. Anyone can toss toppings on.
(4)David N.
Best place to get breakfast or lunch one advice is that you better be hungry and cash only but there is n atm inside. Fast and friendly service
(4)Teresa N.
Ok...I have the Hawaiian paralysis symptoms going on right now. The kau kau here is ono and humongous. I ordered 2 egg breakfast that come with choice of meat and pancake and holy moly the pancake was nutz. I only dented a small side and the thing still was too much to fit in the to go box. Mean...... The servers and service is the best. Much Mahalos.
(5)Pink P.
Service was great, but plan on a line, this place is understandable popular. Portions are huge! A side of pancakes are 2 large, fluffy cakes that overflow off the side of a standard dinner plate. Get the pancakes with banana, whip, and make sure to ask for the coconut syrup. My man got kalua hash, which had mashed potatoes as the base, a side (2 scoops) of fried rice, and 2 eggs. He wanted to come back the next day for the loco moco, it was so good. And did I say, it was cheap! You should go.
(5)Ralna B.
I am giving Hawaiian Style Cafe 5 Stars. The portions, quality, and service were great! If you see a line of people outside, just walk in and write your name on the list and wait your turn to order. Take a glimpse of the specials on the white board close to the kitchen because when you get seated you will change your mind or forget what you were planning to order after taking a look @ the huge pancakes that come with the specials or certain items on the menu. The seating area reminded me if Hamura Saimin on Kauai. We opted for the regular pancakes, but the haupia pancake looked delicious! The pancakes were soft and buttery and the edges were crisp. BF ordered the smoked meat omelet and enjoyed it, he said the smoked meat was sweet. My daughter and I shared the Hawaiian loco moco with easy over eggs. The hamburger was well done and the gravy was tasty! This is one place I will definitely stop by again!
(5)Leon H.
This place is probably my favorite breakfast place in the islands. I love a good breakfast and have been to so many places but this place has good flavors with good mixes. I had the DA BIG TITTA and it was so damn good. Plus you have to have the pancakes.. so huge. I have been here a few times and its always really good plus the wait staff is incredible. I cant wait to fly out and go there again for lunch. Hoping next week.
(5)Wan L.
Best LOCO MOCO Ever! Check out this beauty: yelp.com/user_local_phot… Yum Yum Yum! Spam fried rice topped with two juicy well-seasoned patties and two sunny side up eggs... DELICIOUS! Banana nut pancakes: yelp.com/user_local_phot… Massive! It was ok, kinda doughy and undercooked... Service was great and the servers were friendly. Parking: very small lot. Arrive early (before 8:30am) or expect a LONG wait! FYI: CASH ONLY
(4)Fern K.
As a local to the area, I truly believe in supporting our local establishments even though they may cater more to the Tourist crowd or industry. Hawaiian Style Cafe has been one that I was truly happy to support by frequenting since my return home to Hawaii 2 1/2 years ago. Although, my family knows the ownership, made it that much more like we were supporting family! In addition, the food quality & taste were always important to the ownership due to the rich & ingrained history of the previous establishment! Needless to say, from about a year ago or so (actually, when the ownership decided to expand & opened their second location in Hilo), I've noticed the quality of service, food & taste begin to slowly drop! I would suspect that this drop in quality was due to the management change &/or the lack of presence from the hardworking owner himself. My experience today, however, drove me to write the following review & score the restaurant only 3-stars (& I am being extremely generous): "After the almost 1-hour wait for entry into the dining room, the service is lacking due to the actual size of the restaurant; an expansion is sorely needed to comfortably accommodate the now over "1-hour wait time to be seated" for breakfast ONLY and the excited, almost insane craziness of the wait-help literally running from table to table clearing dirty old dishes, wiping up & taking rushed orders to dropping substandard food &/or even forgetting part of your order to just get you out quickly to clear & re-seat the table again because the line outside is still insanely long! My Brother-in-Law & I both ordered the Oxtail Soup (listed on the "Specials" board) & he also ordered a side of bacon, my sister ordered the Honey Fried Chicken & I ordered the two egg breakfast (eggs over-easy), link sausage & hash browns & a full order of Hawaiian Sweetbread French Toast (for all of us to share); to drink he had coffee & water, she, water & I, water & hot chocolate. These were not brought right away as she was tending to orders from other tables she was waiting on. Drinks were dropped & shortly after, our oxtail Soups were served & unfortunately, were served at less than a lukewarm temperature! We waited a while to get her attention & inform her of the lukewarm oxtail soups & the need to have it re-heated & served piping hot; her comment was "oh, I like it hot too", giving me the indication that they serve the oxtail soup lukewarm. While the soups were in the back being re-heated more of order was dropped except for his side order of bacon. We began to eat the rest of our food while still waiting for the oxtail soups to return, however, the soups finally resurfaced when I was literally finished with my full breakfast, at this point, not wanting the soup. In my attempt to try to eat the soup, the base was too salty & the very long leafed Chinese Cabbage dropped on the top of the soup as garnishment & to be mixed into the soup was difficult to do so due to the fact that each piece was so long that you had to fight to cut it up otherwise you would not be able to get anything else in your mouth! Unfortunately, my bro-in-law, at this point had to remind our waitress that he did not yet receive his side order of bacon. As she brought the bacon she also dropped the check on the table explaining that she removed the charge for the bacon because she forgot it!" This whole experience was disappointing being a local resident patronizing a local establishment!!!
(3)Lisa L.
If you're seeking loco mocos look no further. Lots of variations available from the purist style with beef patties (spend two bucks extra to upgrade to grass fed local) or spam with Portuguese and link sausages. Truly delicious. Bring your patience hat. Wait can be long and service is laid back but well worth waiting for. I recommend sitting at the counter for some great people watching as well. Cash only.
(5)Wayne F.
Great Service. Delicious Food. Huge Portions. Not the place for a candlelight dinner but for honest great food...thats the spot
(5)Wing F.
This is the best place I've ever eaten as far as Hawaiian food. The portions are good for two meals.
(5)D M.
My favorite breakfast place in Waimea! The portions are huge and very reasonably priced. Everything I've had has been delicious. The pancakes are bigger than a toddler and most entrées come with a choice of toast or pancakes... Don't expect a couple small pancakes as a side, it's really a whole meal in itself! The downsides are the parking (limited, but small lot in the back for additional parking) and it is ALWAYS packed. Always. Because they're so busy, don't expect 5 star service, but the waitresses are always very nice. Try the Kalua Pork Hash, Corned Beef Hash or an omelet. Yum yum yum!
(5)Kolby T.
During my 16 day trip in Hilo, this was one of my favorite places to eat. I loved everything here. I had poke, a Spam omelet, pancakes, korean chicken. Eeish, it was all so good. They get very busy, so be ready to wait a minute, but it is worth the wait.
(5)Robert L.
Great traditional Hawaiian food in an old school diner style.
(4)Robert S.
If you are in this part of the Island, you MUST visit Hawaiian Style Cafe. Are you into Country Style breakfast? This is the place for you. I don't even understand why they call it "Hawaiian Style" ... this is NOTHING LIKE how you get treated in any of the Hawaiian cafes. They have Excellent food, large portions, delicious, AND very reasonably priced for Hawaii. The are very crowded for BRUNCH, but service is fantastici. They definitely deserve all the 5-stars +. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy ... as I am sure you'll love this place. Happy dining in Hawaii, Country style!!
(5)Makayla A.
We are breakfast here and it was soo good. I had the country fried steak and it was absolutely delicious! My family members tried the pancakes and said they were wonderful. Service was great and so were the prices. The portions here are huge so I would recommend splitting. This place was great and is a must for breakfast on the big island!
(5)Michelle T.
This is a quote "it was hella good, I loved it". My husband enjoyed the loco moco and I had the banana macadamia nut pancakes. I was shocked how frick'n huge the portion were. We could have fed a family of 5 with our 2 servings. The only draw back was that they only take cash. I came prepared, since I had read the yelp reviews prior to going. I was warned, so I want to pass on the good advice.....otherwise you will have to pay an ATM fee. Yes, they have an ATM on-site.
(5)Deb S.
People are serious about their food around here. This neighborhood gem was highly recommended by locals. Friendly and welcoming service where everybody seemed to know everybody else. The place is crazy and clean, smallish but not too small at all. Our French toast was sweet, and grilled to perfection. The gigantic pancakes were light and fluffy and sweetly covered with hauling pudding. Sweet!!! I could not even begin to finish these giant panty-cakes. But it was all delicious and I would visit again in. Heartbeat. But I would get some salty bacon with my pancakes if I were you.
(4)Mike K.
Good food, friendly service, and a guitar serenade for Sat breakfast. Fluffy mac nut waffles, were excellent. The moco loco with Kahlua pork and holland aisle was a bit of a miss, and a mess. Good enough for return visits.
(4)Cat L.
Pancakes are HUGE. Get one for two people. Kalua Hash was my favorite food that I ordered. Waitress was very nice and friendly. Bacon was overcooked. Long wait if you come early for breakfast come at 10:30 or 11 if you want to get in right away. Worth the drive from Waikoloa to avoid touristy overpriced places. Personally I am fine with fruit for breakfast on most days so it is hard for me to rave about breakfast but this place is pretty good.
(4)John R.
Yum. Come hungry!! Large portions only outsized by the local flavor and hospitality! Highly recommend this place to anyone coming to the big island.
(5)Samantha L.
Hawaiian Style is not quite my style but the portions are amazing for the price! I would recommend it for people traveling on a budget because you could easily split breakfast and both be satisfied. My main beef with it is there aren't any healthy options (2,000 calorie breakfast isn't usually a good idea).
(4)Liv M.
Wow-o-wow! Came here three years ago and had to return for the Mac nut pancake. Portions are HUGE, so sharing was the best choice. And still we will all be having pancake tomorrow. Hubby had eggs, hash brown, and ham; kids plate was pancake, one egg, and link sausage. I split 3-egg omelette with my daughter. It was filled to the brim with bacon, sautéed onions, mushrooms, and cheese, and side of hash brown. The Mac nut pancakes were perfect, just like I remember. The server was friendly and we were served in less than 5 minutes, no joke. Worth the three year wait.
(5)Jameson B.
This was very close to being a 5 star review but unfortunately it's not. Positives first, of which there are many: You get a MASSIVE amount of food. The staff is extremely friendly. Most everything we ordered was pretty darn good. Negatives: They use the MASSIVE amount of pancakes they serve as a justification for jacking up the price a bit. 1 person cannot finish the plate and pancake combos here. Not possible. And they charge you to split plates. That is called a scheme. Preparation of our eggs (main reason for 3 stars instead of 5) was dangerous and disgusting. When I order food (eggs in this case) and you ask me specifically how I would like it cooked...THEN COOK IT HOW I SAID TO COOK IT. THAT'S WHAT IM PAYING YOU TO DO. THAT IS THE WHOLE REASON I AM THERE GIVING YOU MONEY. I asked for my eggs over medium and my buddy asked for his eggs scrambled dry. My eggs came "over raw", with a huge portion of the whites still clear and runny and raw. This is EXACTLY what I try to avoid when I ask for eggs over medium. Why do you even ask people how they want their eggs if you don't make them the way they want?!?!?! PLEASE BE MORE CAREFUL. You are going to accidentally kill someone with salmonella if you keep doing this. My buddy's scrambled eggs came disgustingly undercooked as well with half cooked, runny eggs dripping everywhere. Both ours were inedible. The pancakes (while they are good) are far too big. Come on. Seriously. Our entire group couldn't have finished 1 plate of pancakes and we ended up with 2 plates of pancakes in addition to 4 massive plates of breakfast. Again, just and excuse to charge more. Overall, I won't say to avoid this place, but beware the eggs and the excessive quantities of food. This breakfast was the largest I have ever seen in my entire life. The wait staff was handing us things directly because there was LITERALLY no room left on the table to set anything down due to the obscene amount of food and plates. Crazy.
(3)Jennifer S.
Hawaiian Style Cafe are for visitors and locals alike. As you open the screen door, you feel the comforts of home, the flurry of chaos, and huge plates of food being served to the hungry eaters. I opted to get the Kalua hash plate with two eggs and fried rice. The kalua hash was really delish with a hint of smokiness. The over easy eggs complimented my fried rice perfectly. Add a dash of shoyu on the rice, and you're set. If you're thinking of something sweeter, the pancakes are a good option. And they're as big as the plates! Prefer sweet and savory? Get the best of both worlds! If your plate comes with an order if pancakes, take the option. You can upgrade to haupia or banana pancakes. U won't be disappointed. When in doubt, talk to the servers. They know their stuff.
(4)Victoria M.
Portions are huge, prices are right. Try the mix plate - had honey fried chicken, Teri burger, Korean pork and the Kalbi - all fantastic! Service was great. There was a short wait. Cash only!
(5)June B.
I wish I found this place from the moment we landed, but sadly we discovered it the day before we left. I would've eaten here everyday. Since day one we were asking our hotel concierge at the Marriott where to get a good Hawaiian style breakfast and they sent us to some average touristy places. Finally our shuttle bus driver told us about this place and it was amazing. I believe I said to my boyfriend while eating the coconut pancakes that I am in a happy place. Eat here it's so worth the 30 minute drive. Also perfect to eat here on the way to Waipao Valley.
(4)Anthony S.
Pancake takes up the whole plate. Delicious. Kalua hash is spot on. A must go. Ordered 4 things total under $30
(5)Charles L.
Delicious and very friendly place! We tried the loco moco that comes with the hamburger patty, spam, and chicken cutlet over fried rice and smothered with gravy. We also wanted to try the special pancakes and the server was so nice she allowed us to get 1 macadamia nut, banana pancake and 1 haupia, coconut pancake combo so we could try both. Portion sizes were very generous and the food was delicious! Definitely recommend and it sounded like they have great Friday specials, eg combo plate of lau lau, Kalua pork, and Hawaiian style ribs.
(5)Lisa H.
All the reviews saying huge portions are not lying. Amazing amount of food at an amazing price (and it's excellent, too!)
(4)Asuka N.
Count me in as being in the minority here and finding this place just to be average. We got here a little before 10, but we had to wait a little bit - so if you don't want to wait outside in a line at all, definitely show up here earlier rather than later! The inside definitely has a more dated feel to it, but it definitely still feel laid back and uniquely Hawaiian. Our server was nice, but given how busy it was, you're not really going to get too much personal attention. The food itself is large - I found myself gaping at pancakes that fully covered regular-sized plates and wondering if we were going to be able to finish. My fiancee went with the kalua hash, which, while the pork was tasty as ever, was actually a bit on the bland side for my tastes...I feel like it definitely could have used a little more flavoring, or perhaps some vegetables (like green peppers) added for more zest. The fried rice it came with, though, was the opposite - definitely had plenty of salt in it. I ended up going with the Hawaiian-style French toast, which just basically means very thickly-sliced French toast. The bread was disappointingly bland, though, and even buttering and syruping it up didn't do much good. Probably the best part of the meal was the side of Portuguese sausage that we ordered; I really like the flavors in it, along with the slight spiciness. It's a nice little brunch spot on the outskirts of Waimea, and they give you more than your money's worth of food. That said, though, I didn't come away feeling like I had to come back. Maybe if I had tried their loco moco, I would have been singing a different tune...
(3)Jennifer B.
Ah!!! Breakfast, my favorite meal and Hawaiian Style Cafe does it right! Pancakes are as big as frisbees and fluffy! Hash browns are cooked perfectly and served in a foot long "plank", not sure how else to describe them. Eggs and sausage are fresh and cooked correctly. Great place to enjoy a Hawaiian morning!
(5)Brooke L.
Wow! A local recommend this place and it did not disappoint. The pineapple sausage is the best thing I've put in my mouth in a long time. The Portuguese sausage and fried rice are also not to be missed. Famous pancake is good and huge - several people could share it. French toast and kalua hash are also good, but nothing compares to that sausage! We're staying 45 minutes away and will be back. Cash only.
(5)Brandon W.
-*4.5 stars*- The service was a little slow to get to our table. Other than that though, everything was good. Food was great and the pancakes were HUGE!!!
(5)TT H.
If you are visiting the Big Island on the Kona side, YOU MUST EAT HERE. This is the BEST DEAL on the Island. As the others reviews have said HUGE PANCAKES. 2 adults and 2 kids. We OVER ordered: Hubby: pork omelet with a side of pancakes. (if I had known his side was the size of a dinner plate, i would not have ordered mine) Me: Mac nut banana pancakes...SO delish! Wish I could have eaten more, but i could not get past 1/3 of it. I had help and we got thru almost 1/2. Son: french toast Daughter: Happy Pancakes. No one was able to finish what they ordered. if were weren't going to drive around the rest of the day, i would have taken it back to the hotel. All of this for $40. The best deal and best meal we had on our vacation. We were here on a Thursday morning and had to wait about 10 mins. I hear the weekends is a minimum is 30mins. So drop someone off to get your name on the list while you look for parking. There are only about 10 spaces in front. WORTH THE WAIT. This is not a fancy place. Cozy little diner/cafe. Local feel. LOVED IT. CASH ONLY.
(5)Sarah S.
Located right off the main road, on a stretch of road that seems to have a bunch of popular restaurants. It definitely feels like an ordinary diner, but instead of greasy food, everything tastes homemade. As others have mentioned the pancakes are HUGE. Look at the board behind the counter for their specialty flavors. I had the beef stew because I just wanted some comfort food. It was packed with meat and really filling. If I ever find myself in Hawaii again, I will definitely be back!
(5)Clarisa M.
I'm actually writing this review on our way to our 3rd and final visit to this little gem! The food had been AMAZING! Ridiculously large portion sizes for a great price! Definitely beats paying the $25 for breakfast at our resort. Definitely go have breakfast early (before 9am) because the restaurant gets full quickly. Super satisfied!
(5)Cessie C.
Try the banana pancakes with macadamia nuts & powdered sugar.. to DIE for! Portions are huge! Service is OK- server was not very warm or friendly, but the food makes up for it.
(4)B K.
Food tastes great, huge portions, priced right, and friendly staff...what more can you ask for?! If you like coconut, upgrade to the Haupia Pancakes and ask for the coconut syrup...you'll love it! Mahalo and Aloha!
(5)Jesse R.
I think this a solid breakfast spot, but not worth going out of your way for. Portions were large, and the food was good, but just good, not by any means amazing. We had the banana and mac nut pancakes, as well as the hash. Service was so-so, I asked for a coffee refill and about 20 minutes later, when she was dropping off the check she kind of remembered. I think if you are on vacation, such a we were this is not the spot to go to.
(3)Charles K.
Only sad part about this place is that it's in Hawaii and not in my backyard! Loved this place. Friendly staff. Very chatty if you want, but they also know to give you privacy if you don't try to strike up a conversation. Food was pretty quick. Even at 10:30 AM on a thursday, it was still packed and had to wait for a table. The traditional Hawaiian Style Loco Moco was very, very good. The sauce was not too salty, and the burger patties were a perfect medium/medium-well. The pancakes were quite literally the size of the plate (I'm thinking a good 12 inches!!!) All in all, if you are visiting the big island and have a rental car, set aside one morning to try this place!!
(5)Will C.
What an Amazing find. Kahlua Pork & Eggs with a Banana MacNut pancake with coconut syrup!
(5)Lauren R.
I believed the hype and we drove up to Waimea one morning to try it out. I was never a big breakfast person before I was pregnant, but now if I don't have food in my stomach by 9 am I turn into a hangry beast. We got there around 9 and there wasn't a wait. The hostess asked if we minded sitting at the bar which we didn't. The only bad thing is that it's right by the front door and I was afraid people would judge the mass amounts of pancakes I would be consuming. Service was nice, just as you would expect at a divey sort of joint. I knew from the beginning that I wanted the mac nut pancakes. Husband had kalua pork moco loco which he really liked. The pancakes were as has been said before ginormous. It almost seems a little wasteful to give people that much food when hardly anyone finishes a plate. I get that it's a novelty and on the menu it is stated scraps go to a local pig farm...I'm not sure if there should be a winky face next to that statement. Anyway, I made it through 3/4 of one pancake and threw up the white flag. While they were good and had the essential light and fluffy factor, they were not life changing and I probably would not go back for them. It's cash only and prices aren't bad. Both of our entrees were 10 bucks. This may be hitting below the belt since this is considered a divey kind of place, but they use Redi Whip (blech) and the syrup is in a sticky bottle on the counter.
(3)Jay R.
Cons: Disorganized seating, fried chicken was still frozen inside. Pros: friendly people, local hangout.
(3)Ida S.
Never in my life have I seen such huge portions. It was embarrassing how much we ate. The prices were incredibly cheap and service was super fast. There were a line of people waiting to get in, but they got in pretty quick. Wow. Could not eat rest of the day.
(5)Chris M.
Absolutely great! We had the Hawaiian sweet bread French toast with bacon. It was really good and well cooked but the star of the show was the homemade Portuguese sausage fried rice with sunny side eggs and pork hash from scratch. We didn't try the pancakes but they were the size of a Datsun's wheel and looked fantastic! I would highly recommend you stop in for breakfast or lunch! After a stop or two more its possible I'd give them 5 stars!
(4)aaron n.
Ate here on vacation in August of 2013. First thing to note is the portions are huge, and the tables are small. The Kalua pork hash was really good, Kalua pork hash with eggs and fried rice. The only negative thing is they don't take credit card, this isn't 1999 anymore..
(4)Malia N.
Our 'ohana tried the French toast, rib eye steak and eggs, kalua hash and eggs, and pancakes with banana and mac nuts. It was great and we will be back next time we visit Kona. Very local atmosphere.
(4)Mari-Ela D.
Ordering for two? The Korean chicken cutlets and Luau Stew make for a sweet & salty KILLER combo!!! YUMZ
(5)Eileen B.
Delicious! On the wall they posted "quality, speed, service...chose one" Not necessary here! They nailed all three! Excellent!
(5)L B.
Best breakfast on the Big Island hands down!! I love breakfast, it's my favorite meal, when we found Hawaiian Style Cafe we had to keep going back to try as much as we could on the menu. Even on Mothers day when we knew it'd be packed. The loco moco is to die for, in fact I'd kill for one right now. What surprised me is I'm a tradition loco moco guy, but I tried theirs with the 3 meats and had the chicken cutlets as one of my choices, mmmmm I still think about it. Do you like pancakes? Oh my, there's are huge and fluffy! Great food, great staff and great prices, this place is ono grinds!
(5)Randy N.
Loved the food! We had breakfast which was classic "greasy spoon" style (and I don't mean that negatively). My wife and I shared some awesome coconut-cream pancakes - WOW!!! and the hash browns? Just the way I like them! The service was exemplary and QUICK! Never would've thought we'd have a such a great breakfast at such a nondescript location.
(5)Aggie A.
Reasonable Hawaiian diner, but it's #2 of the 3 we dined at in Kailua-Kona. The diner is the first thing that you see when you walk in. It's in a strip mall, with a barely noticeable sign, just a few yards from Merriman's in Waimea. There's nothing wrong with the diner--but there are better and worse ones within the area.
(2)Ida C.
Not just love at first bite, but OBSESSION! We were utterly seduced by Hawaiian Style Cafe, and though we'd heard all the hype from the blue book and from Yelp before our arrival, our expectations were still exceeded! It's the best of all counter style joints sprinkled with the magic fairy dust of real, homegrown ALOHA! From our second vist, we were treated as regulars and by our third, the staff was calling out, "See you tomorrow!" Sadly, we had to leave Hawaii at the end of our vacation, but our passion for Hawaiian Style Cafe is no less fiery! We managed to try a good chunk of the menu during out brief stint as regulars. One thing we learned: everything tastes better with Aloha. Oh, also, everything tastes good at Hawaiian Style Cafe! 1. Loco Moco (~$8) - Iconic Hawaiian dish, but this version is one of the best I've tried. For breakfast, it's a truly daunting meal (see the photo). Rice topped with 2 hamburger patties, topped with 1 egg, topped with grilled onions and then covered with brown gravy! We asked for (and received) extra onions, which was very fulfililng! Eat this and go take a nap on one of the beaches in Kohala! 2. Kalbi (~$9) - Kalbi is offered by itself or in various combo platters with other stuff. There's been a lot of press and blog worship of the Kalbi at HSC, and it's compeltely warranted. Be careful with this stuff because it's incredibly addicting! Tender, smoky and sweet all at the same time from the enchanting sweet sesame soy marinade. 3. Chicken Fried Steak & Eggs (~$8) - I've loved this dish my entire life whether it was called country fried steak or chicken fried steak and this is THE BEST VERSION I'VE EVER HAD. I'm deadly serious when I say that and I've tried versions all over Texas. The batter was light and very crispy, the steak was pounded evenly thin and the gravy was rich and flavorful. Perfection! 4. Kahlua Pork Hash & Eggs (~$8) - Delicious! If you like Kahlua pork and love potatoes, get this! 5. Luau Plate (~$12) - Often listed as a daily special, this includes kahlua pork, pork lau lau, mac salad, chicken noodles and rice! I really enjoyed the variety and the kahlua pork and pork lau lau were especially delicious! 6. Hawaiian Haupia Pancake (~$3) - The BIGGEST pancakes I ever did see! Despite being as large as small hubcaps, somehow they manage to keep the pancakes evenly fluffy and delicious. As if that wasn't delicious enough, they then heap a huge amount of delicious coconut pudding on top and cover with shredded coconut, a few strawberry slices and whipped cream. As a dessert, you can easily share this between 4 people. Don't say I didn't warn you 7. Banana Macadamia Pancake (~$3) - Same size as the above pancake (meaning: HUGE) and covered with sliced bananas and chopped macadamias. Also delicious, but I preferred the Haupia Pancake! 8. Hot Cocoa (~$2) - Delicious with lots of whipped cream on top PARTING THOUGHT: After a meal at Hawaiian Style Cafe, beware of imminent food coma and instant fuzzy, happy feeling :)
(5)Susan F.
cash only! Go hungry the portions are huge! the eggs breakfast comes with 2 eggs, rice or hash browns, choice of breakfast meats, and a choice of toast or pancakes! take the pancakes they are delicious and huge!
(4)Trisha G.
Haupia pancakes & tita moke (loco moco w/ hamburger patty, spam and chicken cutlet and brown gravy). Portions are HUGE & cheap for how much food you get. Go early! There's always a line, but we went early enough that we beat the rush.
(4)Ash B.
Good food. But be aware that you pay 4 bucks to split a meal. We didn't know until we got our bill.
(3)Ser N.
Warning: unless you have a mammoth appetite, only order ONE pancake! I made the mistake of ordering two, as well as the yummy corned beef hash, and I only made it through 1/3 of the stack. We were told that the scraps are fed to the pigs...lucky pigs! These pancakes are HUGE (and very tasty)! BF ordered steak and eggs, which came out rare (the way he likes it), smothered with onions...tasty too! Staff is very friendly and helpful. Very reasonable for this expensive side of the island. We will be back!
(5)Melanie C.
A must if you're in the area! The banana mac pancakes are amazing. The service has always been very friendly and manages to stay so even when extremely busy.
(4)Jeff S.
I knew the reviews were right on when we were seated next to our server from last night's dinner at Merrimans. The waitresses were all smiles and very helpful. My wife had the Kalua hash and I had a humongous Korean omelette filled with Kalbi, kimchee and fried rice served with crispy hash browns and two dinner plate sized pancakes. So onolicious and well worth the drive from from Waikoloa. $30 including tip (cash only). We will be back!
(5)Tony L.
OMG!!!!!!!!! LOCO MOCO that will blow your taste buds out of the water. I have had plenty of Loco Moco's in my lifetime and this place seriously has the BEST Loco Moco anywhere. The meat patty has so much flavor and this place uses spam fried rice instead of the regular white rice most places use. The portion is use and definitely enough to share. My GF and I also ordered the Banana nut pancakes which was also very good but nothing to really rave about. The service was good and the servers were very friendly. I would suggest coming early for breakfast because the place gets packed and the parking lot is very small.
(5)Hanh N.
I've eaten here twice now, once four years ago and recently this past week on my most recent trip back to the big island. The food is awesome, and the servings are huge. I had the Korean chicken and teriyaki hamburger plate combo which was so tasty. Definitely recommend.
(5)Nadine S.
We sampled some of the dishes: Korean Pork (very tasty but greasy), Kalbi (delicious, also pretty fatty), Honey Chicken (meat tastes good but the fried batter is way too hard to eat), scallops (juicy and sweet), and shrimp (meh). A plate comes with 2 cups of rice and a cup of maccaroni salad with some fish (probably canned tuna). As mentioned in other reviews, the portions are huge. We didn't dare to get pancakes after we saw the size of them (each one is dinner plate sized). The staff is very friendly :)
(4)Jeremy H.
Just order the house special Loco Moco and bask in that meaty, eggy, brown gravy goodness.
(4)Glo R.
We always go to this place when we are staying in Waimea. My daughter likes to go here on Fridays, when they serve the Mok-a-saurus = fried rice, topped with hamburger steak, chicken katsu, spam, kalua pork, eggs, gravy and sautéed onions... I call it "Heart-attack-on-a-plate". This time, I got the kalua pork hash with eggs and fried rice. It was yummy. They have other Hawaiian plates too: loco moco, Hawaiian sweet bread french toast, spam, Portuguese sausage... NO, DON'T COME HERE ON A DIET! Other notes: cash only and there can be a long wait.
(4)Patricia O.
We went to Hawaiian Style Cafe since everyone's talking about it. I ordered the local moco and barely finished it. It was so huge! My only complaint that the service is slow but the staff is friendly.
(4)Liv A.
A friend of mine who used to live on Big Island recommended this place to me. It's a local diner with traditional hawaiian food. Everything you would expect - loco mocos, spam, meat, meat, meat, scoops of rice, gravy, all that goodness. Come with a big appetite bc the portions are humongous. I actually shared the kalua hash plate (yum yum!) with a friend and we were both full but not stuffed. More than sufficient for breakfast.
(4)Jessa D.
Giant portions that most people won't finish. Pancakes are about 12" in diameter but really fluffy. Loco moco is on point with awesome gravy. Friendly staff serving ono grindz.
(5)Jae Alyson C.
My friend and I went observing at the Keck Observatory Headquarters for a week and we would come here to eat breakfast since its nearby. We ordered the honey fried chicken and we combined 2 pancake specials into 1: banana macadamia nut haupia pancakes! AWW YEAH! Pros: 1. Portions: As everyone said before me, do NOT come here if you're not hungry. The portions are B-I-G. Seriously, it took me AND my friend 2 days to finish the pancake and it took me 3 meals to finish my chicken. Even the side salad can be a full meal itself! 2. Quality: The pancakes tasted amazing! It's so good that it even tasted better after eating it cold, which tasted like cake! The chicken was crisped to perfection and was very juicy! 3. Price: You just can't beat the price if you're considering the quality and the portions you're getting. Any cheaper than what they charge and I think one of those categories would suffer. Cons: 1. Payment: Cash only! To serve food this delicious people would normally want to buy more food but having cash only payment discourages them! 2. Service: Okay, I've read the previous reviews and mostly everyone says that their service is great. I've come here twice now and both times the service was either mediocre or bad. Maybe I just don't look as rich or old as the tourists that come here and maybe I'm not one of the regular locals but the "aunties" took forever to take my order, always seem to give me an attitude when I have a question, and just don't check up on how I'm doing with my meal. 3. Sharing charge: Really? If you share food, it costs an additional $3.95. Why aren't we allowed to share food? I mean it's not our fault the portions are huge. Tip: Just take it to go THEN share it. The Verdict: Whoever came with the saying "Get your bang for the buck" probably ate here. However, their great service seems to be selective to certain groups of people.
(4)A C.
Excellent food, large portions (especially for the price), and very friendly service. Authentic Hawaiian far (in my non-Hawaiian opinion anyway). We ordered kalbi (ribs), club sandwich, stew luau (taro and pork), and no yolking (light breakfast). All were delicious. We also tried an extra pancake order w/ coconut custard, which was also good. They do Hawaiian plate special on Fridays, which our waitress recommended to us.
(5)Andrew T.
Yeah, I'm still a fan...so I'll stay 4 stars... BUT.... my impression at my last visit was that quality and portion size were down....and prices were up.... the fries were just blah and hard, not as good as McDonalds fries even.... the floor was dirty and the condiment rack on the wall of our booth was SERIOUSLY grimy. So i'm not as enthusiastic as I used to be about this place, but I'd still recommend it and will go back. Service was excellent. Really good mac salad. CASH ONLY AND PLATE SHARING CHARGE, FYI.
(4)Julia C.
Brunch at Hawaiian Style Cafe was one of the best meals we had on our vacation to the Big Island! We were looking for favorite local spots and Yelp sure didn't sell us short with this one. What initially drew us in was the Tripe Stew! Besides what we're used to on the mainland (ie: option in Vietnamese Pho), not a lot of menu options feature an ingredient such as tripe since it's sometimes difficult to prepare. Hawaiian Style Cafe executed this dish perfectly as it was tender and well balanced with spices. Along with the stew, my husband and I also shared the Haupia Pancakes and Kalbi Plate which were all delicious. My favorite part of the meal however, was the simple side of mac salad which has to be the best version I've had so far! The right combination of macaroni, tuna, onions and mayo-- seems easy enough but often times poorly measured at other places and would leave you nauseous after one bite. The portions were huge with enough perfectly sized leftovers after a long day at the each. We were expecting quite a wait since it was peak dining hours, but thanks to the island hospitality and our small party of 2 we were seated promply.
(5)RB19971 R.
This place was all about quantity and not quality. I am glad I have been, but don't need to go again. The service was good.
(2)Lauren G.
Just get the pancakes. Seriously. They're absolutely humongous and soooo good. I'm deeply regretting not having gotten the Banana Macadamia Nut Pancakes, instead of my Loco Moco with a side of pancake. While the Loco Moco was good.. (notice I'm not saying great, but certainly not complaining either).. the pancake I split with my husband was fabulous. I definitely got food envy when I saw the Banana Macadamia Nut Pancake plates go by. Best part? The fact that for two entrees, coffee and our monstrous side of pancakes it was only $23.50.... absolutely UNHEARD of on the Big Island. Plus its a local spot, so if you sit at the "bar" you get to meet and talk to the really great people from the area, which is nice. Definitely will go back next time we visit. Yes, its cash only, but they do have an ATM inside the restaurant, so don't stress.
(4)Conrad M.
Food here is Bangin!! I'm stuffed out my ears. The wait was worth it and service was excellent. Super friendly staff, great service to compliment the amazing food.
(5)Deantha C.
I had the chicken cutlet loco moco and nearly cried it was so good. One of the best meals I have ever had, with great service to top it! Must go!
(5)Polly J.
I love Hawaiian Style Cafe!
(4)Chris R.
If you are interested in authentic Hawaiian breakfast. This is the place. We had no wait when we sat at the bar. The location is pretty non-assuming. They are cash only so bring some $$ with you, or they have ATM if your forget. The selection of Loco Moco's was awesome, I hunt this dish out every time I come. The gravy was fantastic. My Wife's pancake was big, too big, but she enjoyed it.
(4)Rose E.
Food portions were huge and so good, we were stuffed. Forgot the drinks we ordered but waitress was nice. A hole in the wall definitely worth trying. Prices were reasonable and we didn't wait long for food to come out. All in all a great place to eat if you are in the area.
(5)Tim F.
Best Loco Moco on the Big Island bar none. Try the breakfast combos with humongous pancakes, spam, spam and spam!
(5)Anh-Dao H.
I had the kalbi plate and it was one of the best kalbi meat I've eaten. I hope to go back there again before I leave the island. The waitress was one of the best. Great location.
(5)Joc V.
First of all, this place gets zero stars for ambiance. The good news is you don't get full on ambiance and often times really mediocre places that serve subpar food try to get away with it by dressing their place up all fancy. Because let's face it, you dress up a pig and it's still a pig...though at HSC, that's a good thing because it's all about the pig that goes into their kalua pork hash. The thing about hash for me is it's gotta have the right amount of crunch and flavor; otherwise, it's just a soggy, bland mess of potatoes that are undercooked and under salted. The kalua hash at HSC is the specialty but it was a bit on the undercooked side--thankfully, the salt from the kalua pork rescued the flavor from what might have been a dismal performance. We also ordered the loco moco which was some of the best I'd had anywhere--grill marks on the hamburger patty and just the right amount of gravy so it wasn't too soggy. Best part of the meal was the unexpected jackpot surprise of larger-than-your-head pancakes that came with our meal. I'm not even sure which meal it was on the side of but all of a sudden the waitress busted out with, "Here's your side of pancakes." Buttery, creamy, sweet and larger than a manhole, these pancakes were a great surprise! Some tips: *Put your name on the list and wait outside. Don't glare at the people eating their food. Some of them are locals and they're probably already pissed that tourists have found their spot. *Go next door at Crackseed for some awesome li hing mui mangoes and guava while you wait for your table. *If you can, avoid the seating in the back (see aforementioned vinyl peeling off the seat). *Very kid friendly place--they give the little ones books to read while waiting for food. *Cash only place but I believe there's an ATM on the premises.
(3)Kristy N.
We found this place thanks to Yelp and we loved it so much we drove 27 miles each way on three different days! I am not a pancake fan but these were crazy good! They were thick but very fluffy. We had banana macadamia nut pancakes and coconut custard (?) pancakes that were to die for! YUM YUM! The pancakes come 2 to a plate and are large enough for 3 people to share. We didn't even use syrup on them because they were so good you didn't need any. It is not a fancy place by any means so if you don't like homey type cafes, this is not the place for you.
(5)Jesse I.
This place is a favorite local place in Waimea. Too bad we didn't think so. They recommended Kalbi and spicy pork. This must be Hawaiian thing to make all the meat sweeter than where they are originated from. Like teriyaki, kalbi, Korean chicken and spicy pork, they all seemed to be quite sweet for my taste. The fried chicken was ok and the gravy tasted like pre made turkey gravy.
(3)G R.
Great restaurant, friendly atmosphere, and tons of good food! Glad we came early! By the time we left, it was packed with people waiting. Huge portions and very reasonably priced.
(5)Surain R.
Popped into this place for some plain old Hawaiian food. First of all, super fast service! The food was great, well priced and the portions were large. I had the Kalba ribs and the honey fried chicken and couldn't finish it. From what i've heard the breakfasts are amazing and I kind of regret that I wasn't able to try the pancakes. Would definitely recommend it though.
(4)Shane F.
Breakfast was awesome as usual. The bacon was a little overdone for our taste, but when we asked our waitress immediately brought us some "medium" bacon.
(5)Dave B.
Okay, I haven't been here in about 6 years. But after a morning of snorkeling in Kohala, and an urge for pancakes, we drove about 20 miles from Waikoloa beach for breakfast. The place was pretty busy, even at 10:30 on a Monday morning. We sat at the community counter, which was just fine. I got the two egg breakfast, with scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, and the two "hubcap" sized pancakes. This was $8.75. The wife got the two pancakes, which was $5. The counter is set up perfectly with soy, tabasco, ketchup, salt and white pepper. So my eggs got some a little seasoning from everything except the soy! The service was friendly and yes, the place looks like a dive, but I love it. I will be back - good food, friendly service. I mean come on, I drove 20 miles one way for their food?! And it was worth it!
(4)Darvis B.
We come for breakfast here every time we visit the island. Kalua Hash is our favorite. Pancakes are huge and tasty.
(4)Jenny S.
I Thought I was going to pass out from all the food!!!! First off the plates are seriously the size made for people that are 10 ft tall and weight over 500 lbs!! The plates are so big it was bigger than my face and probably my friend's face combined! I ordered the banana pancakes and it was soooo delicious and buttery. It just melted into your mouth and it was topped with fresh bananas and macademina nuts with whipping cream!! They give 2 pancakes but do not let this fool you!! The pancakes were basically about to overflow from the huge ass sized plates!!! My friend ordered the beef stew and..... i totally wished I ordered that instead!!! The beef stew was a really hearty meal with big chucks of meat, carrots, potatoes, and celery!!! And the soup! Sooooooo delicious! Sooooo ONO!!!! I wished I could take some home to eat for lunch for weeks and weeks!!! Btw the size of this beef stew was the large size of pho! With a huge side of rice! My other friend ordered the Hawaiian style plate and it was a wooden plate with dividers with lau lau, kalua pork, poi, lomi salmon, and something else I can't remember but soooo much food!! And everything was so good! Now i'm not a big poi fan so I didn't really have an opinion of the poi, but my friend said Hawaiian style cafe makes the freshest poi she's ever had!!! From all the dishes.. not one of us was able to finish our own respective meals! hahaha when I was waddling out of the cafe from all the good eats I wanted to cry because the food was soo good but I was soo full!! And apparently this place is called Hawaiian style cafe because giving bountiful amount of food is the Hawaiian way!! :) OH side note: don't feel bad about not finishing your meal, apparently all the left overs goes to the pig farm nearby to feed the pigs. Although not sure if these are the pigs for the kalua pork. @_@ but anyhoo.. the food is not wasted!! ^.^
(4)Shauna W.
Pancakes to die for!!! They are huge! My husband had the Omelet. Once again, HUGE!! So much food, great prices, great service! Loved it and would definitely recommend it. It looks like a hole-in-the-wall place so don't pass it up.
(5)LuLu M.
OMG!! I couldn't get enough of this place!! The best place for true Hawaiian style breakfast. We drove 30 minutes out of our way just to have breakfast here a few times during our trip. Portions: HUGE! Customer service: AMAZING! I'm a normal size girl but the food was sooooo good I put away 2 dishes away by myself: Haupia (coconut pancakes) and the Kalua hash. Cannot miss out on these dishes or coming to this homestyle cafe!
(5)Christopher G.
Mmmmmmm good food... I wanna come back again and again.. Pancakes look really good but are huge. Don't worry if u can't finish all leftovers go to local hog farm.. So they are Eco friendly too.++
(5)Mona L.
The food here was amazing. From the breakfast egg and pancakes to the lunch Korean chicken, honey fried chicken, pelehu ribs and korean pork.... It was incredible. The passion fruit ice tea was tasty as is thier special mac salad. Best flavor cooked to perfection. I will come back for sure. Very nice service too. Just a small cafe so don't expect ambiance-- it is about the food here!!! Bring cash.
(5)Dean L.
Wow. The three of us got there early enough not to have to wait for seats at the breakfast bar. We ordered, and I was shocked at how quickly our coffee, then food, came out. I ordered the loco moco--my first. It was really friggin' good. I could eat about half of it. I ordered the egg medium, and it was slightly undercooked, which may have been a better way to have it with that particular dish. Rice was perfect! My wife had the bacon and eggs, which she has everywhere, all the time. She's extremely picky about this meal. She orders the bacon "extra crispy," and it never is. This time, she didn't ask for it extra crispy because she read in a review that it just came that way. It did. And it was a ton of bacon. The 8-year old had hashbrowns and a pancake. I tried both and would have been happy with them. The pancake was large and fluffy, with whipped butter. The hashbrowns were a generous portion, nicely browned, with no undercooked insides, no greasyness, etc. Our coffees were refilled (free) without us having to ask. Again, service was shockingly fast; prices are comparable to the diner we go to in Seattle, but the food is better, and the menu far more interesting. Lastly, it seemed clean, and was a neat atmosphere. We might go back tomorrow.
(5)Victor A.
This is the kind of place where you get angry that you only have one stomach. Cow envy, I guess. I had the bacon and eggs breakfast, because mountains of bacon are just my style. Though I wish I had another day left on my visit to try the Kalua Loco Moco which looked amazing. Everything the other diners were being served looked gigantic and amazing. You'd have to pay me not to go back for breakfast the next time I'm in town.
(5)Amy M.
Holy portion sizes! Ordered my first ever loco moco and split it with my fiance. One serving left both of us stuffed. Great atmosphere and great place to sit at the counter and get additional recommendations from the locals.
(4)Tami W.
Didn't even make it to a table. Customer service was terrible. Guess this place is for locals only?
(1)Michelle B.
Had the yummy Kahlua hash with scrambled eggs that was recommended by our friendly waitress. So glad she recommended it, but now bummed that I live too far away to have anymore. Will definitely go back the next time we visit.
(4)Em L.
Very friendly staff and wonderful food! Everything we got was delicious, service was quick, and everyone was laid back and kind. My family will definitely be coming back before the end of our vacation!
(5)David L.
Love the authenticity of this local joint. Good basic breakfast, though the banana mac pancakes are literally bigger than your head, practically the size of a basketball and they give you 2 of them. Very reasonably priced and good service.
(4)Natasha B.
This place is great! The French toast is sweet and the pancakes are bigger than your head! It's a lot of fun to take the kids and see the look on their face when they set the pancake in front of them
(4)Robert B.
A Local Ono favorite. Type B (see below). Man Vs. Food, I dare you to finish the pancakes. HUGE. Deep in the middle of the Hawaiian wild west sits a little spot with friendly service and good food. Seriously, they serve REALLY big portions that will fill you up for like the rest of the day. I swear the pancakes are 12+ in across that would soak up an entire bottle of syrup. Get the coconut syrup - I think it's coco loco poured straight from the can - mmmmm. The MOCO LOCO with fresh beef patties tasted like a good 'ol homemade meatloaf. TIP**** Don't come in the morning when everyone else is waiting in line! Go later in the day - late morning to early afternoon - no wait, good service, big portions. My ratings are all inclusive, service, décor, cleanliness, quality of food, presentation etc.... * - OMG what was I thinking? WHY, oh why did I do this to myself? It was so bad and no one should EVER have to endure this again. ** - Disappointed and it really wasn't worth my time or money. I might give it another chance but doubt it. I will not recommend it to others. *** - Meets expectations and will return + tell others that they would not be disappointed. **** - Good. Better than I expected and I'm happy to recommend this place to others. ***** - I'm BLOWN away. I have experienced something exception. EVERYONE should come here and adjust their expectations. Going out to eat you you want one of the following: A. fast and cheap - you need food NOW (fast food and food trucks/carts) B. friendly, decent service & food that is equal or a little better than what you can make at home (think local and chain sit down establishments) Can also be a theme place like Rainforest Cafe or Area 51 etc... C. Trendy - good/great food, see & be seen D. Gourmet (Michelin stars) - high priced, great service, great food
(3)Iain M.
I'll make this short and sweet - if anyone thinks there is a better breakfast or lunch on ANY island, they're crazy! This is the kind of place one can only hope to discover and keep as their own little secret. I only hope that being in the "Revealed" book doesn't become their downfall because, for the moment, this is where the locals eat.
(5)Cara S.
This place was absolutely delicious. Not only tasty food, but also a good value. I had the Hawaiian sweet bread french toast with the pineapple sausage and hubby had pancakes so big they could have wrapped around his head. The food alone is worth the drive up here.
(4)amanda b.
Not a pancake fan, but the BEST pancakes I've ever tasted!! Quality and quantity of food was EXCELLENT for the price. I recommend sharing one plate (even though there is a $3.95 plate sharing charge.) No one at our table finished their meal. Service was a little slow, but I would wait anyway.
(5)Bob M.
Finally got to try Hawaiian Style Cafe after receiving multiple recommendations. Enjoyed the sloppy joe omelette and it was our lucky day...they had kalua pork loco moco. So ono. Best breakfast in a long time. Haupia pancakes were fluffy and delicious. The leftovers lasted for two days. Enormous portions at great value. Tasty, tasty.
(5)Danielle B.
Came here with the hubby in May after our resort concierge told us about this place (it was actually listed on their map of the island :-)) Service at this place is incredible! They make you feel like you're at home. Word of Caution: Come here with your stomach COMPLETELY EMPTY. You are going to need all the space. I had the Kalua Hash plate and hubby had the Kalua Loco Moco (Kalua Pork instead of burger patties)... Both ridiculously large portions but DELICOUS. Then comes the lapse in judgement: We order the Haupia pancake: That thing was bigger than the plate it came on and was slathered in coconut dream sauce!! AMAZING, but where is all this food going to go? I felt like I was on a Man vs. Food episode! We did what we could but at the end of the day, Food won lol. Not for people on a diet or looking for a gluten free menu. Splurge a little (or a lot in this case). This place is a must!!
(5)Clay O.
If you don't like little run down diners with dust balls... you might drive by.... but what a mistake. The best loco moco plate! Awesome taste. Kalbi rib and Korean chicken combo is good. Kalbi has good flavor, I've had better, but very solid. I will have to come back and try the pancakes. They look great, but enormous. Great choice for local food!
(5)Russell C.
Let me start off by saying that if you are not hungry, dont even bother coming here. This place was built for the local in all of us. The place has a relaxed at home feeling you get if you were born and raised here in hawaii. The service is the best, get all the "auntys" working there, and they take care of you as long as you get the real aloha spirit and dont come in there acting snobbish like some do from the mainland, cuz if you bring an attitude in there, get some braddahs in the kitchen that would easily crack your eggs in half and serve them scrambled. Anywho....The food is always great no matter what you get, there are specials up on the board, and they change quite a bit, but cant really go wrong with any of them. For me I had the combo plate of Korean pork and Korean Chicken. What came to my table was litereally a quarter of a pig and half a chicken. The Pork was marinated in the korean sauce and pan fried, was so moist and deliocious that i didnt want it to end, and my wish pretty much came true because of the amount of food on my plate. The korean chicken was a huge thigh dipped in the korean chicken sauce after being fried to golden perfection. Oh and you cannot forget the Mac Salad. Its done the traditional local way most of us grew up with, the tuna and the peas version. Its was the best ive had in a long time,seriously gave me flashbacks of when my grandma used to make it back in the day. I go back here everytime i visit the big island and they never dissapoint, only downside is there usually get packed, big time. But dont let that scare you off, go and try it!
(5)Randal S.
I went in with a serious appetite and left satisfied as can be. Favorite dish I had was Haupia (coconut cream pancakes.) This is a taste of real Hawaiian food. The servers are so friendly and the price is more than fair. Hawaiian Style Cafe was my favorite restaurant we went to while vacationing on the Big Island. It felt so real, not catered to tourists.
(5)Charlie P.
High in quantity and low in quality make this joint memorable for portion size but forgettable in taste. I had the mac-nut pancakes which were ridiculously huge but boring and my sweet lady had eggs, fried rice, and kalua pork hash which she thought was good. The coffee was weak and tasteless and the place takes CASH ONLY so of course I was forced to use the in-house ATM which skimmed $3 off me (who carries cash these days?!). I would not go out of my way to go here but if driving through and you've got a large appetite and cash then go here, otherwise find a place with good coffee, takes credit, and has tasty food.
(3)Nari H.
As far as breakfast places on the Big Island go, this is it. Pros: It's local people and local food. - Amazing pancakes (often bigger than the size of the plate) - Great Loco Moco's - Really good portuguese sausage omelets. - Food usually comes out pretty fast Cons: There is a sharing charge if you only order one entree and split it bt two people. Tips: Gets busy fast, so come early or come late. They are cash only. There is an ATM inside the restaurant.
(5)Rachel W.
If you're thinking of coming here, be prepared to EAT. I got the Korean chicken - lots of food and very tasty. Nice crunchy fry and the sauce was quite sweet (though not very spicy). Other members of my family got the loco moco (quite good) and pancakes with fresh fruit.. The pancakes are ENORMOUS. One thing to keep in mind is that this place gets pretty busy and stays pretty busy. It's a small dive with limited seating (we sat at the counter right when you walk in) so you may have to wait for a spot. It is, however, worth it (in my humble opinion). It came highly recommended by the locals we encountered.
(4)Joe C.
Let me second the reviews that said this is some of the best food you'll eat, especially for breakfast. I can't even describe how good it was. The pancake....my god, the pancake! When was the last time you ate a pancake that was so good you'd ruin it if you put butter or syrup on it? And when was the last time that pancake was the size of a hubcap? I'm not exaggerating. I had the Portuguese sweet bread french toast, my mom had the "light" breakfast (which included the aforementioned pancake the size of a hubcap), my brother had the loco moco, and my dad had the cornbeef hash. It was all fantastic! The place very much has an old school diner/cafe feel to it, so don't expect anything fancy inside. What you will find is delicious, reasonably priced food and great, friendly service. We were staying in Kona but passed through Waimea on the way to visit Hilo. There was a lot of other cool stuff in the area, but this place alone would've been worth the drive! You absolutely have to go here if you're on the Big Island!
(5)Han K.
Awesome local breakfast spot. Nice variety of continental breakfast style with a fairly comprehensive menu of local breakfast and lunch items. Try the Kalua hash. It's basically hashbrowns but with pulled pork
(5)G R.
This was delicious! The pancake was HUGE and had lots leftover but it was worth ordering it! We also ordered the mixed plate with the Kalbi ribs and the homemade hamburger steak with gravy and it was to die for!!! The staff is very friendly and attentive! Round 2: We loved it so much we had to go back one last time before we left the island! I loved my mix plate so much that I thought I would try it again. This time I ordered the sweet pork and the honey chicken. They did not disappoint me... Very good! But I will say this, the Kalbi ribs are definitely a must have here!!! Tip: Oh and if you show up and there is a lot of people waiting and empty seats at the counter do not assume the counter is free seating. There were several people trying to do that and were asked to please get up and sign in.
(5)Les O.
Why would you name it Hawaiian Style Cafe when you run it like a haole style ....one moa bad complaint ...when one family com inside fo eat and U go charge them $3.99 fo one extra plate so they can share da. Dat not Hawaiian Style. Hawaiian style we take care no mattah what.....small Kine shame ..change the name... Like Unfollow Post Share Promote. Henry Salazar, Azenith Balberdi, Miyu Kanilehua and 17 others like this.. Veronica Puanani Apiki OMG...THAT IS SHAME....SHAME ON THEM...DAS HOW WE DO IT...WE SHARE ..SHARE ALIKE... 19 hours ago Like.. Roy Leoneza Oh that's not cool 19 hours ago via mobile Unlike 1.. Brittany Milam Really?? 3.99 for an extra plate?? 18 hours ago via mobile Unlike 2.. Roy Leoneza Not cool still in shock 18 hours ago via mobile Unlike 1.. Mia-Pia Van Herreweghe Hawaiian Style would be fo free dat extra plate! 15 hours ago Unlike 1.. Bula Jacob found a hair in my egg... couldnt eat anything after that! Still one HUNGRY HAWAIIAN!!! 4 minutes ago Unlike 1
(1)Rob S.
Biscuits and gravy are great!! I decided to try them since everyone gives the loco moco high marks with the expectation that they know how to do a good gravy. The guess was right - the gravy was awesome!! It was nicely seasoned (enough salt and slightly peppery) and you can tell they know how to make a rue! Many people who offer biscuits and gravy just end up with a white floury paste for the gravy. One of the big secrets to gravy is how one cooks the rue and they did it close to perfect. The accompanying sausage was tasty and the eggs were done exactly "over medium" as requested. My biggest tip for this place; if there is a wait, put your name on the list and be patient - it's worth it!
(5)Mike L.
Great, local breakfast café up in Waimea. Big on taste, not decor. Food was plentiful and delicious. Great pancakes and awesome omelet with pineapple sausage. The service was definitely on Hawaiian time, but still very friendly.
(4)Shawn T.
This is a great place to experience local style meals and local style personalities. Don't expect fluffy service; it's part of the charm of this diner style breakfast place. The food is greasy and fatty and made with lots of bad things for you- that's what makes it so good. The pancakes are HUGE, as are the portions on everything else. The coffee is.. Diner coffee, nothing special but gets the job done. Try the specials board for a unique and creative twist on breakfast favorites.
(4)j m.
The wizened old valet at our resort kept recommending this place, but somehow we kept missing it, until our last morning on the Big Island. We wondered if he was just throwing business to a friend or relative, but once we found it -- in a corner of an unassuming strip of little stores -- were pleased to find a lineup of locals waiting to get in for breakfast. This is a true locals joint but everyone was as friendly as can be to the obvious tourists. A cool three-sided counter allows for conversation with neighbors and we met several great people there. The reaction when the food arrived was basically along the lines of "are you kidding"? You've heard about places with big portions before, but this is something else altogether: the macadamia/berry pancakes were essentially a full-sized layer cake of amazingness; we took 2/3 of it with us on our sightseeing tour, munched off it all day, and still did not finish it all. I ordered something called a Loco Moco (pork version) without bothering to find out what it was (this choice was also at the advice of our old valet, whose opinions I now trusted implicitly), and this was another soul-fulfilling meal that is burned in my memory more than the scenery down the road. If you don't know what this is, just get it -- it is so much better than it sounds on paper (and it actually sounds pretty good!). So - trust your valet, and me, and eat here.
(5)Ryan I.
My fiancé found this place by doing a search on breakfast places on yelp. This place was listed as one of the top breakfast places in the area. After driving there from the Hilton Waikaloa Beach Resort, we saw a line, and knew we were in the right place. We waited approximately 10-15 min., before being seated. Both of us ordered off their specials menu; my fiancé tried the haupia pudding pancakes and I had the homemade loco moco with fried rice. Apparently, the loco moco special differed from the loco moco featured on their regular menu? I asked the waitress what the difference between the two and was told that the loco moco special was better than the one on the menu. Okay, good enough for me. Their pancakes were huge! The haupia pudding got lost on top of them, it could've used more. The pancakes were moist and together with the haupia pudding, was delicious. The star of the day was their homemade loco moco with over easy eggs and fried rice. Hands down, it was the best loco moco I have ever had. The burger was soft and together with the brown gravy, onions, eggs and fried rice, was amazing. Cash only.
(4)Daniel L.
Excellent place to stop for lunch. They give you a lot of food. And they are yummy. Tje service was very friendly too.
(5)Dana S.
We saw a bunch of people standing around waiting a couple of days before we went ourselves. We had to wait about twenty minutes before we were seated, but it's Hawaii so who cares? My niece had the kalua hash special, with fried rice and two eggs, and I had the "famous pancakes" with eggs and bacon. Come hungry, because the portions are enormous, quick friendly service, everything cooked right and even good coffee for a diner. As many locals as tourists, always a good sign. And if you sit at the counter on the left as you walk in? You can look up from your plate and see the observatories on Mauna Kea. That makes it a perfect dining experience for me.
(3)Paul K.
From the yelp reviews and personal reviews of friends, I had been expecting more out of this place. From what I've been told, the portions have decreased in size. The pancakes are still enormous though. The wait for a table was ~10 minutes for a party of 8 people on a Monday afternoon. I had first tried to order corned beef hash, eggs, and fried rice, however they were out of fried rice. I got white rice instead. The hash tasted like it was from a can, with bits of potatoes in it. I guess I had expected it to be more stringy and less processed in texture. Despite being disappointed in that, you can't beat the prices. It was a good breakfast for $8. When considering the prices, it's hard to complain about the portion sizes. I guess I had been expecting more, alley because of the word of mouth from friends that have eaten here before. My take was okay, but for the prices I'd come back. Next time, I'll try the gigantic pancakes.
(4)Will A.
Great food at a amazing price. They give you so much food. We only spent $26 with tip for the food in the picture. Need less to say we could not finish it all. Make sure to get the Kailua hash.
(5)James H.
Pancakes come with just about all the breakfasts, they are very tasty and HUGE! I highly recommend any of their breakfasts with pancakes, you can't go wrong.
(5)Tofoi Y.
Nothing more to add except crazy good, big portions and worth the drive. Big Mok, banana pancakes, French toast , Teri loco moco, Internet loco moco, side corned beef hash was what we ordered. Food was great, hot when it arrived at our table and waitress was friendly. Glad this isn't close to home or Id be in trouble. Yum. Also there IS an ATM so you can get cash while there.
(5)Edward W.
This is a great Hawai'ian-style breakfast place, but watch out... Tasty fare, friendly service, and just enough local ambiance might have you coming back every day.
(4)Duane M.
A must while on the Big Island. The khuala hash is to die for! Pancakes are bigger than a hubcap. Spam fried rice is excellent and I loved the smoked pork omelet. We ate here twice. Cash only and brown gravy rocks!!
(5)Amanda T.
So we thought on the way to the falls and volcano we would do a "food tour" and try a little bit at each place we stopped...well our "tour" ended short after stopping here! We should have known after seeing someone else eating pancakes. The food was amazing but portions were so large. A side of pancakes was a normal portion of 2 each the size of the diameter of a basketball. The kalua hash is also sooo good!! Must try it!! Would definitely recommend this to anyone.
(5)John C.
Was referred by our hotel concierge to this completely unassuming locals kind of place, and I'm ecstatic for it! Excellent, simple breakfasts. Pancakes, Portuguese sausage. Huge portions, inexpensive, a world away from the touristy stops in the resort areas. Loved it and was humored to find later that it was rated one of the best pancake plates in all of the U.S.
(5)Frank S.
Wow! OK, this is a piece of Hawaii. From the outside, a hole-in-the-wall, easy to miss, and inside, it appears to be a crowded cafe split 50/50 between counter and tables/booths. The waitstaff are friendly, and clearly know and chat up the many locals here, but also seem somewhat overworked at getting all the tables served. Don't come here in a hurry. But do come - the Pancakes! Massive portions, and sooooo delicious! I went for one Haupia pancake, along with a bit of Portuguese sausage on the side, and the luscious coconut flavor in the sweet topping means you need no additional syrup. Just one was enough to fill me up for breakfast and for lunch. It was a piece of heaven on earth. I look forward to coming back on the next trip to find out what else they have on the menu.
(4)Zack S.
By far my favorite breakfast in hawaii. The Kahlua hash is a new take on breakfast meat on potatos. Very good. The coconut pancake was huge and had a coconut 'snot' on top that I have never seen matched. Extremely good if you enjoy coconut. Wish I could find that anywhere else but have not been able to yet. There is a wait here but it is worth it. No trip to the island would be complete without having breakfast here. Portions are huge and worth the money. Would highly reccommend.
(5)Chris W.
This place is awesome! Definitely my new favorite breakfast spot on the big island, and possibly anywhere... I came here by myself one day and got a regular egg breakfast with Portuguese sausage. Quite possibly the best sausage I have ever had. It also came with a pancake which was HUGE and insanely delicious. The next day was my brothers birthday so I decided to come back and take him here for a birthday breakfast. This time we went Hawaiian Style and got Kalua Pork Hash and eggs with Fried Rice, and the famous Loco Moco with 2 house made hamburger patties on top of a bed of white rice topped with grilled onions and a fried egg, and smothered in brown gravy. HOLY F&$@! Sooooo tasty! So much flavor that explodes in your mouth. Come here and thank me later...
(5)Chris O.
Great authentic Hawaiian breakfast cafe. The light breakfast I ordered had a pancake that was so huge I could barely finish that alone, it also came with a meat of choice (I opted for the Portuguese sausage) and an egg. My girlfriend got a chicken cutlet with gravy type dish that was very tasty and so big that we could have split that and been very full. Friendly service and I like the booths and big 3 sided counter. My favorite breakfast spot on the Island for sure.
(5)Julia J.
Scoped out Yelp before heading to Kona and bookmarked this place! So glad I did. I had the Loco Moco - Ummm YUMMMM!!! They did the brown gravy right and loved the nicely big chunks of carmelized onion too. Husband got the huge pancake with the egg ontop - hardly put a dent in it. Service is quick and friendly and the food very ono. Place is small and homey and there is only one bathroom for both men and women. They also will let you order 1/2 order - which is what I got and it was still very filling - but so good that I finished it all! Overheard someone say their Kalbi beef was excellent - better than where they are from (San Francisco)... next time I will try that!
(4)Clinton H.
Loved it, go early, no wait! Loco Moco is a fish that is probably outlawed in other states! So good!!
(5)Laura Z.
Definitely a hole in the wall type place. After spending a week eating resort food this place was refreshing. Delicious local food!! Will definitely go back whenever we are on the island. Go there hungry because your plate will be loaded! This place is worth the drive to Waimea.
(4)Cheryl S.
We loved this place. Amazing coffee. Big big breakfasts. I had the pork hash, poached eggs and potatoes. D. had the Portuguese sausage and eggs, with pancakes. The pancakes were a meal themselves and very very good. We would definitely return!
(4)J O.
We've been here twice now in just a week and are seriously thinking about going back again tomorrow. It's a little local spot and, like I told our waitress today, it doesn't matter whether our meal is described as Ono, Broke da Mouth, or Fu*#'n Tasty, it was simply downright delicious. I fear my wife might need to find a 12 step program when we return to the mainland to help wean her off the Loco Moco. I've been sampling my way through the menu and today had their ridiculously tasty rib rice plate. So sorry I don't remember what the thin boneless ribs are actually called. Servings are large. We've yet to be able to have dinner after eating lunch there, but there's always tomorrow... :-)
(5)Sam M.
YUMMY!! Ate here with the family with 3 teenagers. All I can say is come hungry! My daughter had the coconut pancakes and could only eat a fourth of it. my teenage sons had omelette s, hash browns, bacon and pancakes. They ate everything but the pancakes! My husband and i had eggs ,hash and pancakes and it was delicious I really wanted the fried rice but the waitress said they only have it until they run out and we were there at noon. Had left over pancakes for breakfast for the next two day! Would like to try the loco moco next time!
(5)Debbie A.
Great place for breakfast. They usually have a long wait but if you just need seating for 1, you'll get seated asap :-) Be careful... those pancakes are ENORMOUS! Shocked the balls out of me when the server placed it down in front of me. I of course was only able to eat 1/8 of it. Service is friendly, warm, and welcoming. Oh, and they have a clean bathroom :-).
(4)Lindsay C.
This. Is. The Best Food We Had in Hawaii. Go. Now. As many times as you can. Whatever direction you are driving from -- or however many pounds you gain eating it (again and again) its worth it. Hash is incredible. Mac salad would win awards. Get the chicken cutlet Korean style. Take a break from organic, healthy eating and bite into some Amazing. Only open until 1:30pm -- so make sure you get there before then. We say: Ambiance: 5 - Down home and relaxed. Value: 5 - Fantastic. Huge portions that taste great as cold leftovers. Service: 5 - Really, really friendly. Food: 5 - Amazing!
(5)Issac M.
Best breakfast on the big island. Anyone who says otherwise? Has probably eaten at more places than me HA! Seriously though, their hash is OFF THE HOOK. Best thing I had to eat the entire time I was there. It's a shame we waited to try this place until the last day. There pancakes are ridiculously HUGE. To me, pancakes are pancakes. They are pretty hard to f*ck up so I'm not going to give you a "vacation fever" review and say "everything was the best!" They were good. That's it. The price was reasonable too.
(5)Leeds B.
A must for local breakfast and good (big) portions for what ever your in the mood for: pancakes, muffins, eggs, loco moco...so much good food. And there are daily specials too. If you're staying on the Northern part of the Big Island, than it's a lot easier to reach the little town of Kamuela.
(5)Kyle G.
Awesome. Way too much food for any one person to eat. Huge portions. Wait staff is friendly and I suggest you listen to their recommendations. Every time I co e to the big aina, I eat here for breakfast.
(5)H D.
You get a lot of food. Too much. If you don't have a place to put leftovers, just pay the fee of $3.95 to share a plate. The price is good for the amount you get, but this place is overrated to me. The portions made me go OMG! when it came to the table, the taste though was like, "Auwe! Hmmm??? What are these fellow Yelpers raving about?" My Haupia pancakes were a little undercooked and pretty boring, the bacon was so overcooked, cold, hard and dry, so were the fries. My daughter did not eat her grilled cheese at all, the fries were so hard, she was using them to spear the sandwich. The Korean chicken was salty and the Kalbi chewy. Coffee kind of weak, but I drank a lot of it to try to wash some of the sweetness away. Free coffee refills, and our server kept it filled which was nice. Their fruit punch tasted like Tylenol, so even with 1 free refill, it was a no thank you. They should update the seat benches in the back because they are frightening to look at when you first sit down. Large gouges, grungy, and cigarette looking burn holes on the benches, makes you want to turn around and leave. At least once you sit down you can't see it anymore I guess. My family enjoyed the experience though. It was fun to try out. Cash only, so I had to dip into the good ol' brassiere.
(3)Catherine W.
If you're looking for a local Hawaiian spot, look no further. This diner is packed with what looks like regular customers. Their menu was full of standard breakfast items with a Hawaiian twist. Also, people weren't kidding about huge portions here. I had to take most of my meal to go! I had the Lualua stew and it was savory and flavorful. Must try spot for breakfast/brunch when you are in the area!
(4)Max S.
I was on vacation staying at a resort in Waikoloa and was looking for a good local restaurant for breakfast and this place blew it away. It is about 25 minutes away and REALLY worth the trip. Decor is typical hole in the wall. Not the cleanest place, and they really pack it in (we were there on a Wednesday at about 11 AM. Definitely a local favorite. Portions are incredibly big. The two pancakes that came as a side order with an omelet are literally about two to three times what you would get at IHOP and they were really good. I had the Ham and Portuguese Omelet which was a three to four egg omelet loaded with ham, Portuguese sausage (think chourico) onions, peppers, mushrooms, and provolone cheese, with hash browns and covered in Brown Gravy. Gravy on eggs was a first for me but it was really good. Wife also got an omellette and was similarly good. Both of us with tax and tip was $23. Definitely going back next time on the big Island. Definitely a mistake to pass this by if you are hungry when you are traveling through Waimea Village. Very close to the original Merriman's.
(5)Dan G.
Pancakes was the best, go hungry, portions are BIG!
(5)Bill F.
Amazing - we stopped at this place on the way to see one of the Volcanos. The pancakes were as large as a 3-year-old and it just might have been one of the best bacon experiences I've ever had. There was a bit of a wait but it was well worth it. Staff was incredibly friendly and the food came out in what seemed like 14 seconds from the time we ordered it.
(5)Abie F.
This place is amazing. Good food, generous portions and friendly staff.
(5)E M.
We stayed at the Waikoloa resorts so the drive here was about 20-30 min, but WELL worth it! Like everyone has mentioned, the portions are HUGE! Pancakes are literally 10" diameter! We only ordered a side of that which is 1 10" pancake instead of 2. The kalua hash was AWESOME! I'd come back for that again. There isn't a lot of parking around the area and the joint isn't super big, so come early to avoid the line and find a parking spot. Note: Cash only.
(5)Taylor C.
They give you too much food. ...but i'm not complaining ;)
(4)Shyree M.
We went here for breakfast & the reviews were spot on. Huge portions. The homegrown feel & low key vibe make it a great spot away from the resorts. Excellent pricing. Pros: Fairly quick Inexpensive Locals & great vibe Friendly Diner feel This isn't your fancy "resort" dining, this is a local establishment There aren't many breakfast "spots" on the big island... this is one of the better ones. Cons: There aren't many. I'm stretching here, perhaps, the huge portions -- which can also be seen as a positive. I am not sure I would drive much more than half an hour to go here unless I'd exhausted all of my other options. As mentioned above, there aren't many breakfast places, so this is a good option. They are also opened a new location in Hilo.
(3)Tyler H.
Best breakfast I have ever had! The servings are giant. Pancakes were huge and the best I've ever had. I suggest sharing the omelet meal with the pancakes and it will serve 2 people easily. If you are on the big island definitely go there. Worth the wait.
(5)Chris K.
The pancakes are stupid big. My fiance got the special coconut pudding pancakes and eating 1/4 of 1 was a big deal. She had 2. It was literally enough pancakes for 6-7 meals. I asked the waitress if anyone had ever finished and she said "No. Not even close." But it is ok because all the leftovers go to the neighboring hog farm for feed. Forgot to mention in my excitement about their size that the pancakes taste freggin fantastic. The french toast was good too and was a normal portion size.
(5)M. Jackson W.
We drove out of the way based on the Yelp reviews, and this place didn't disappoint. We showed up about five minutes before they closed, and basically got their last two seats. The waitress was instantly an awesome person, warm, inviting, and friendly, seemingly captain of the ship, and never annoying. I had the Big Moco Loco, and my wife had ribs. We both pretty much cleaned our plates -- easy for me, but my wife is pretty little, so, given the generous portions, it was impressive. Though they're good for lunch, they close pretty early. The prices are perfectly reasonable. They don't accept credit cards (boo!), but do have an ATM onsite, so no worries. Next time we're on the Big Island, no matter where we're staying, we'll make the trip to visit this place again.
(5)Jimmy H.
I really, REALLY wanted to give this place five stars but alas, I could only muster four stars. After reading the Yelp reviews, I was very excited about Hawaiian Style Cafe. It's exactly the kind of local, hole-in-the-wall joint that I love eating at when visiting Hawaii. We got there around 11AM and the place was already packed, but we got lucky and were seated in a matter of minutes. There was so much good stuff on the menu that I wanted to order one of everything. Then the girlfriend reminded me that the buddha belly was making a comeback so I stuck with a single order: the combo plate of short ribs and fried chicken. The great thing about Hawaii is that restaurants generally go with dark meat pieces instead of the tasteless crap that is chicken breast and HSC was no different. The fried piece of thigh was perfectly fried and tasty. The short rib on the other hand was a bit disappointing. It was salty but not much in the way of other flavors. The girlfriend ordered the kalua hash with fried rice. It seems like a thing on the big island that restaurants must run out of a food item, and it's usually a staple item like fried rice. To the gf's great disappointment they ran out of the fried rice so she had to substitute with the pancakes which were large, fluffy and delicious. Despite the bombness of the pancakes, it was hugely disappointing not to have the fried rice. It occurred to us later that it was weird to run out of fried rice since they could have easily made another batch. The hash was awesome. The service was ok. Perhaps we stood out as tourists so it wasn't as friendly as one would have hoped. We were initially going to go back the next day but decided it wasn't worth the 30 minute drive.
(4)Scott S.
This place is only open for breakfast and lunch!!! Awesome quaint diner that prides itself on huge portions and a great wait staff. I had a huge loco mock with spam, hamburger, chicken katsu, and egg. It wad amazing and tasted great. Most of the food is in the $5 to $10 range, which is great for Hawaii standards. The place cam get cramped and they do have a signin sheet by the door. They only accept cash, no cards.
(5)Jo W.
This is the best meal for the price I've had all of hawaii. Everything I got was good Portuguese omelet was the best I've had lately.
(5)Josephine L.
This restaurant is like almost any diner off the highway in America, except it's way less sketchy and the food is way more interesting. Plus, the service is a lot friendlier. I could have done without the group of Mormon missionaries eyeing us out front, but you can't win 'em all. I got the beef stew special and it was just delicious. Rich and savory, tender and chewy--It totally hit the spot for my slightly unsettled stomach. My boyfriend's fried chicken was crisp and juicy and I'm pretty sure he would have licked the plate if he could. Good spot to stop by when you need a breather.
(4)Jared Y.
If you are staying on the big island this is a definite place to stop. It's a must. The food here is amazing. Try the Kalua hash, house loco moco, the pancakes and the Hawaiian sweetbread French toast. All are must haves. The prices are too cheap. Be sure to bring cash. Our visit to the big island was a week long and let's just say we stopped here for breakfast three times.
(5)Ethan C.
Huge portions of great food. What more can you want? The menu even says that they donate the leftovers to a local hog farm, so there's no waste. Love the home made corned beef hash--where else can you find that?
(5)Darron N.
Best local food at the best price on the island! Do not miss this, turn around and waite if needed!.
(5)Tony S.
Excellent breakfast, excellent service, great portion sizes. I felt at home in this restaurant where I had brunch before driving up to Mauna Kea. It was a great way to start the day and it kept us full for hours.
(5)Scot S.
My friend and I stopped at the Hawaiian Style Cafe for no other reason that we were driving by and spotted a parking space open in front. Serendipity and blessing. I half kidded the cook about getting some Hawaiian food for breakfast at 7 AM and voilà I had a pile of lau lau, poi, lomi lomi, etc. in front of me. My friend's pancakes were fluffy and delicious. It was a cheap meal because we didn't have to eat until dinner time (a rare occurrence for me). Stretch pants not required, but recommended.
(5)K B.
Meh... It's certainly about quantity of food here, not quality. Certainly not worth waiting 30 minutes for a table. Cash only! Won't be back.
(2)Phil H.
Food was delicious! The variety of options was impressive. They call themselves Hawaiian Comfort Food - and it is certainly that. Portions are ginormous - especially in light of the very reasonable prices. Bear in mind this is a smallish cafe - and quite busy (it was full of locals) so coffee refills, attentiveness, Etc was a bit lacking. All in all, a fantastic meal, priced well. 4 stars for cash only and slammed, slower service.
(4)Taty S.
Great breakfast place, if you are driving through Waimea on the way to Hilo, highly recommend to stop by for some yummy food. Warning: portions are huge! My husband and I ordered straight off the specials board, banana macadamia nut pancakes ( literally each size of a head) and pulled pork egg omelet - great simple food, I have a feeling you can't go wrong with anything you order here!
(5)danny k.
This pancake is amazingly well made for its size. It has the same flavor as a Richard Walker (San Diego, CA) pancake just 10x larger and fluffier. Just might have to make a second trip here during our vacation. Def worth the drive from Kona.
(5)Alexia J.
Awesome breakfast for the price!! We went multiple times during our stay on the island.
(5)Wayne S.
Get in early, get your name on the wait list and wait.....and wait and wait. When you finally get called in, the pressure of ordering. See by then you want one of each on the menu because you are so hungry after the wait. I got the pulehu ribs and korean chicken. The ribs were not ribs!! sheesh they were just thinly sliced kalbi short ribs. I guess they were technically ribs, but i was expecting RIBS RIBS. The korean chicken was an under cooked thigh and a wing piece. When I told the waitress about it she just kinda shrugged her shoulders and said its ok. The Pancakes are huge though and I loved that.!
(3)Paul B.
Come to this place if you want great local food at great prices for Hawaii. Small place with lunch counter and a few booths. One of the signs say quality, service, or speed, pick one. You usually get quality and service, but just enjoy the place and don't worry about the speed. They are busy and do the best they can. Do show up early for breakfast, by 9 or before, if you don't want to wait. The food portions are huge. The three eggs omelets are great, two mac nut banana pancakes would feed four. The Loco Moco is great too. During a week stay on the Big Island we are here at least once for breakfast and another time for lunch. A place not to miss.
(5)Lisa C.
Haupia pancakes are the best ! Get it with lite breakfast! The service is friendly . I wish I lived nearby and my family and I would come all the time ! My son stuffed himself because the food was so good
(5)Joseph H.
Best Stuff on the Island!
(5)Justin K.
Good tasty food Huge portions Always enjoy getting plate lunch fix here
(4)Jenzy Y.
We love this place for breakfast. We always try to arrive early so that we can spend the rest of the day walking it off! It's always fun to watch the expressions on first-timers as they look at all the dishes that make it through the pass. The pancakes are ridiculous in size; the loco moco might as well be a volcano art it is built up and covered in the gravy sauce and shared between a family ofo 6. Every dish we've had has been awesome. I always get the honey fried chicken. It is cooked to perfection; always comes out with crispy skin, yet the chicken retains juices. i love the flavor of the chicken; a mix of sweet and salty. it is awesome. A definite must if you are in this area.
(4)V J.
Portions are VERY generous. Arrive with a serious appetite! For breakfast, highly recommend the pancakes as the main meal or a side -- excellent. Vienna sausage in an omelete not so much (my fault - bad selection). Went back again (lunch this time) before heading back to the mainland and had an absolutely delicious sweet pork plate with the best french fries ever!!!! Nice drive from Waikoloa and some shopping around to walk off the breakfast. Will definitely go back on our return visit to the Big Island. 5/20/12
(4)Anonymous A.
If you are visiting the Big Island, there are 2 places you need to make sure to visit to get your chow on: Tex's Drive-In (for malasadas) and Hawaiian Style Cafe (for anything else). This is hands down the best food on the Big Island. Prices are incredibly reasonable, portions are large, and service is friendly. Note that it is a popular local eatery, so you might have to wait. But, the food is well worth any delay you may incur! We made sure to visit twice, even though it was quite a bit out of the way from where we were staying. I had the kahlua pork omelet special. Oh. Em. Gee. Amazing. Incredible. Juicy, tender, smoky. And, most of their breakfast items come with hash browns or rice and either pancakes or french toast. I am a fan of a good hash brown, and this place nails it. It's crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and not overly greasy. The pancakes are the size of frisbees...literally. They're huge. And, given their enormous size, it's quite a feat that they are so light, fluffy, and delicious. The other time we ate at Hawaiian Style Cafe I ordered a lunch combo special which came with Hawaiian short ribs, kahlua pork (can you tell I love the stuff?), rice, and mac salad. I ordered a green salad instead of rice, but I should have just had the rice, because it would have complemented the meat well. Don't make any attempts to be healthy. Just go with it. Or, go to Waipio and force yourself to run all the way back up the long and incredibly steep hill and you'll feel like you earned the right to eat whatever the heck you want from Hawaiian Style Cafe.
(5)Carina T.
Big-- or should I say HUGE -- portions? This is cowboy country and hearty breakfasts are the norm 'round here. The portions can easily be shared between two people. I tried their kalua pork hash specialty with two eggs over easy and two scoops of fried rice. It was tasty without being too salty. And I had enough leftovers for lunch! Guess I wasn't in a sharing mood! Lol! The prices are reasonable. Go early or expect a line! Giddy up!
(4)Todd S.
We were staying at the Fairmont Orchid, and I figured the valets would know where to go for some good breakfast grub. THEY DID! What I was looking for: A place that locals would know about, where I could get an honest breakfast. No frills, almost a dive, but a place where I PROBABLY wouldn't get food poisoning. What this place is: Real. Local, basic, home-style, friendly (in a "I only pick on you because I love you" kind of way), with comfort food served in big portions, and low prices. A breakfast joint. An old-school diner. Maybe even a coffee shop... done Hawaiian Style. What this place is not: Pretentious. No master/exec chef plumbing the depths of his (or her) tortured culinary soul to bring creative, esoteric, master pieces in small portions to the chosen few who will appreciate the emotional effort involved to produce something that is as pleasing to the foodie's mind, as it is to his eye and palate. It is honestly one of those places that is so good you almost don't want to review it because you're afraid of letting the secret out. **If the screen door (complete with at least one rusty hinge) gives you pause, Merriman's is just down the street. Please go there to enjoy all kinds of tasty, creative culinary treats and leave Hawaiian Style Cafe to the locals and me.
(5)Sairam C.
This review is for vegetarians. We went with great expectations based on previous reviews, but were disappointed with taste and overly humongous portion sizes. We ordered two entrees, which was enough to feed a family of four adults. The food was very greasy and tasteless. Would not recommend this place for vegetarians. Only good thing about this place was the service.
(2)Eileen G.
This was definitely worth the detour for the most delicious breakfast ever! I had the Kalua Pork Hash and my husband had the Loco Moco with with spam. We were more than satisfied. Sooo good...mmmm...
(5)Somefood G.
Don't miss it. Really great food. Really nice people.
(5)JK C.
True Hawaiian food experience. Everything was good.
(5)Ian A.
Great place for Sunday breakfast, don't miss the eggs benedict!
(5)Cathy G.
One of the best places to get cheap, good, authentic Hawaiian grub. Grabbed breakfast at this place before going to hike the volcanos. Portions are huge. Ate my breakfast at 8:30am which lasted me till dinner while giving me energy for a 4 mile hike. I got the kalua hash which came with two eggs and spam fried rice. Fried rice was amazing and the hash had awesome smoky flavor. Dave got the loco moco, patties were really beefy, unlike the patties at McDonald which taste like nothing. All the folks there were regulars and the servers were addressing them by name. For sure hit up this place if you have the chance.
(5)Flora C.
I went twice to this cafe during a trip to the Big Island. Here you'll find the nicest staff and delicious local food. Had the Corn Beef Hash breakfast one day; and Kalbi Ribs Plate another day. BF had Loco Moco at 1st visit, and then Biscuits and Gravy with Pancakes on the 2nd visit. Everything was awesome! The Kalbi Ribs was the best meal I had of all the places we ate. I know I'm eating delicious food when my eyes roll to the back of my head when I chew. And HUGE portions which made me have to take leftovers home. Second breakfast for me! I tend to rate my traveling on the types of foods I eat. That said, Hawaiian Style Cafe definitely was on of the top hghlights of the trip. The best way to experience a new place is to go to the local humble eateries and feel genuinely welcomed by the people. I strongly suggest everyone to go here and eat delicious food.
(5)Katie B.
Ok, this place was awesome. Yea, a heart attack waiting to happen, but they had DID have one healthy egg white and spinach type dish for the mainlanders... but yea, don't order that, SO not what one comes here for. The Kalbi was SO good. Super sweet glaze, but I like it that way. With two scoops rice and one scoop mac salad, it is making me nostalgic for the islands just writing this. No bones, which is a huge plus. Down home (island-style) goodness.
(5)John G.
My only regret is that we only made it here for breakfast. I was dieing to try the lunch meals we saw heading out of the kitchen while eating our delicious and bountiful breakfast. When traveling I love to go to real places full of real people. The restaurant was packed with people who appeared to live in the area and our neighbors eating next to us at the big u shaped table were friendly and gave us a good sightseeing tip.
(5)Tiffany Y.
Probably the worst service I have ever encountered. Waited over 45 minutes and was told food just went on grill. Pancakes were good, fried chicken came out cold. We were so hungry we didn't bother sending it back. Then the pork chops came and we soon found out it was raw!!! In all, this was a horrifying experience to say the least. As a experienced traveler, I have never ever been so disappointed and frustrated with a place that has a good yelp review.
(1)Adonia K.
I'm warning you, come with a huge appetite, cause you'll need it if you want to finish your meal! Also be prepared to wait, because it's busy. I ordered the Loco Moco with pulled pork. The portion was a bit overwhelming, but I was really hungry, so it was a nice sight to see. The first few bites were good, but the sauce/gravy really overpowered everything. The Mr. ordered a run of the mill breakfast platter with a pancake on the side. The pancake was the literally the size of a dinner plate - you could barely see the plate it was served on!! It was very light, fluffy, and tasty. While I was not a fan of my loco moco dish, it's clear why the locals love it here. It's a no frills place with huge portions, good food, and is kind to your wallet. Come hungry!
(4)Jen R.
Cash Only, BTW We really enjoyed eating here. My husband and I got different omelets and we both enjoyed ours. I liked that their tables had Tabasco sauce ready to go. We went for breakfast around 10am and we waited maybe 20 minutes or so but we went there because of glowing reviews and we didn't want to miss out. Their food was amazing. If you want to order a pancake as your side, just be aware, those things are HUGE. They are as big as a pizza crust! But they are good. They would definitely hold pancake eating contests there!
(5)Jen S.
I'm just going to be nice and say *maybe* we came on an off day, but the food wasn't even mediocre - it literally turned our stomachs. The French toast was palatable, but every thing else was just weird. The bacon was a huge pile of curly meat that tasted like it had been fried in rancid grease. My kid got chicken nuggets and they were the same frozen brand I've seen at Costco (shaped like Mickey Mouse ... Easy to ID!) and they too appeared to have been fried in the same nasty grease and were a gross dark brown crisp when she got them. My husband got the chicken fried steak and he also reported the gravy as "rancid." The chicken was ok until the waitress said,"is the chicken cooked all the way through?" Reply - "yes" - response - "Are you sure?!" What the what?! And to top it off, we had to wait forever for more coffee and water - and we were sitting right at the front counter in the middle. I had high hopes for this place as it had an ok divey-diner vibe, but to quote my husband as we walked away from the place, "I think I have diarrhea coming out of my ears."
(1)Dean H.
What the WHAT? Fried rice topped with kalua pig topped with GOOD kine gravy topped with 2 eggs! Kalua loco moco! DANG it was sooo good too! And all for 10 bucks? Are you kidding me? It was HUGE and good. I wish I lived in Waimea on the Big Island cause this place is THAT good. I also tries the kal bi, the regular loco moco, and the haupia pancakes (YES, I said haupia pancakes). SO ono. Seriously, the haupia topping looked like sugar overload but it wasn't at all. It was DELICIOUS! I was SO impressed. They had SOO many different kinds of stuff to choose from that you better come prepared to come the next day and the next to get to eat all your favorites. So sad that they only open from 730am to 130pm. But it is WELL worth going to check um out. For real, do it. It is so good that I dare to say to drive from Kona or Hilo just to try it. I am not kidding, it is that good. 79/365 deliciousgravygoodness yelp challenge!
(4)Aileen P.
We indulged in our gluttony by splitting a loco moco, corned beef hash, and a side of 1 mac nut pancake between the two of us. The pancake was no joke! One was probably equivalent to two or three normal sized pancakes. The pancake was so thick that there were patches of uncooked batter towards the middle. Surprisingly, the rest of the pancake was so good that we really didn't mind. The loco moco and corned beef hash were also really good. If we had time to return, we probably would've ordered the loco moco and corned beef hash again without the pancake.
(4)Peg H.
Oh dear gussy... HUGE portions... loved the pork hash and fried rice. And oh my my the hash browns. Husband and I shared a plate and couldn't eat it all (and he's a big eater). Witnessed the pancakes... they really are the size of a basket ball... did they have plates made especially to hold those puppies??
(5)Ferdmeister V.
Try the Big Mok at this place..! Oh yeah..! You can't go wrong at this place just try to get in there early for breakfast because the wait can get a little long. As you can imagine this place is so good that all the locals eat here plus the tourist that visit the island.
(5)Stefan Z.
All I can say (as most of my memory has been pushed up out my head by my full stomach) is the food was plentiful and very reasonably priced. My loco moco (the Big Mok I believe) had lots of meat, lots of good rice, and lots of tasty gravy. I also got a pancake on the side, which was a good 12 inches in diameter. It was tasty, but not exeptional, but I was more focused on trying to finish everything!
(4)Keola m.
MY ALL TIME FAVORITE PLACE TO EAT LOCAL FOOD!!!! I've been here maybe 4 of 5 time prior to today and yesterday. Yes, went twice as I spent the night in Kamuela. Get very crowded so gotta go early. Service is Great and friendly. THE PRICES ARE GREAT! Breakfast and Lunch is served all day. The menu is filled with great items but, you gotta check out the specials board. Saturday I had the "Smoked Pork Omlette" with onions, mushrooms and cheese. Comes with rice and 2 HUGE pancakes. ONO! Friends and I shared the "Luau Stew"(KILLAZ) oh, and the chili pepper water. Sunday: Mixed plate, Hamburger Steak and Pulehu Ribs...AGAIN..KILLAZ. The homemade patty and gravy was great. The ribs was simple..Hawaiian Salt and grilled. Mmmm friends and I shared "Beef Stew" (Yea, fkn good) The portions are huge here. Bring a big empty stomach. lol
(5)Sheena D.
The place has amazing food and great prices for island breakfast. Two reasons put this place at 4 stars rather than 5: location and no alcohol. For a tourist invested area, its nice to start the day with a Bloody Mary or Mimosa. The menu and food was excellent! Where else can a person get hubcap sized pancakes and meats (including Spam!) covered in white gravy. The prices are great and the portion sizes are huge! I came here because it was recommended by a coworker in KY and I was not disappointed at all. We were so impressed by this place, we want to buy one of the shirts they were selling - unfortunately they were all out. NOTE: This is a cash only establishment, but an ATM is conveniently located inside.
(4)Sarah S.
We got the plate lunch, we were driving through and used Yelp to find a good place to eat and are we glad we did. We had our 5 month old who was OVER being in the car, stumbled in there right at noon and were sad to see they had closed up. We asked the lady for another local rec and she was nice enough to let us eat and saved the day. Great food, just make sure you check the hours before you go as they shut down at odd times on weekends.
(4)Victor L.
This place is LEGIT! I've heard all about it, and I've experienced it twice now. Big Mok and Pork chop and eggs. Both pretty good. My roommate says, "Kalua hash...AWESOME." Apparently, Hawaiian Style is opening up in Hilo in July. Can't wait UPDATE: It's actually not opening up in Hilo until January. Darn!
(5)Stef M.
OK, I'm normally one for pretty healthy eating so it's saying something that I ate here, home of giant portions, loco moco, and dinner plate-sized pancakes! But here's the thing: the only reason I got up here to eat at the Hawaiian Style Cafe is because we were evacuated for a tsunami warning. That's right, A TSUNAMI MADE ME EAT HERE! (No complaints, though :-) So we headed up mauka to Waimea and figured since we were hauled out of bed at 5AM to evacuate to higher ground, we might as well have a good breakfast. I remembered reading that Hawaiian Style Cafe opens early, so we stopped by. The wait was longer than usual because I guess everyone else had the same idea! We waited about 20 minutes before our name was called, and sat down for some eats. Right about this time, everyone outside was told that the wait would be 30+ minutes, so they all left! Of course as soon as they all went, the people who had stayed and patiently waited got seated promptly, heh heh :) I ordered eggs, hash browns, and bacon with a side of pancakes, and some coffee. I still haven't worked up the nerve to try loco moco (fried rice, hamburger, eggs, gravy, which ALSO comes with a side of gravy!!!) but the guy next to me was having it, and it looked pretty good. The hash browns are nice and crispy on the outside. The bacon was weird, but good - it came in a ball o' bacon. A bacon cluster. It was crispy and thin, which was good even though I prefer thick cut bacon. The eggs were cooked right, and the pancakes were SO HUGE!!! No 100% maple syrup here, either - Aunt Jemima all the way. The old couple sitting next to us looked at us, wide-eyed, when all our food showed up (they had shared a small omelet) and asked if we'd eaten there before. "Nope!" said I, "But I've heard about it!" I managed to eat 1/4 of my 2 dinner plate-sized pancakes, which were fluffy and topped with a dollop of butter. Great for soaking up some egg yolk. I wish they had some kona coffee there, but I guess that's a little upscale for a diner-type joint. But that's OK! They aren't fancy or pretentious here - come as you are, local people, tourists, everybody eating good food and relaxing for a meal. The waitress did a great job keeping up with the rush from all the tsunami evacuees from the hotels on the Kohala Coast. I will definitely come back again some day when I need giant pancakes, and calories. :) No reservations. No credit cards, only cash. Show up, write your name down and wait to be called. There are some stores nearby, and a park to explore if you're waiting. You could grab a coffee at Waimea Coffee across the street too if the wait is long, and bring it back over with you.
(4)Chris A.
I am a fan! I have been to the Big Island year after year and never gave this spot a try. Finally after the braddas gave me the 2 thumbs up, I decided to take my friends visiting by for a bite before we headed down to Hapuna. The food was fresh and tasty, and the portions were HUGE! We ordered all the specials since my friends were first timers to the rock. I was delightfully suprised with everything! Wow! The super-size pancakes were probably one of the best I ever tasted. The Kalua/ Lau Lau combo with lomi lomi was on point. I ordered the Korean chicken (which was a bit sweet for me) & the teri-burger combo... I wouldn't order it again, but I am a super picky eater.... especially when it comes to Hawaii. I guess I'm just in love with Ken's (kenny's) korean chicken, what can I say.... But I definitely reccomend this place if your passing thru Waimea along with Uncle Charlie's Thai for great ONO eats!
(4)Anne K.
Very much a local diner sort of place, so much so that it made me wistful for the kind of small-town living where pictures of the local kids from babyhood up to graduation are pinned on a big corkboard and folks all know each other. I never had that myself. But they made me feel just as welcome. Like all of the island, service is cheerful if not expert and not the fastest thing you've ever had, but that's the islands and you should be on vacation anyway. I've forgotten what all we ordered but it was good; I think I assembled a breakfast plate of some sort, and my companions ate similarly. I know I had Spam and maybe eggs? I had to get my Spam fix. Pancakes were dessert. Be aware there aren't fancy syrups; it's fresh fruit and toppings plus butter and ordinary table syrup to taste. But the very fresh Hawaiian fruit doesn't need a stupid syrup. They are not kidding when they tell you the pancakes are the size of hubcaps. Big ones. Fortunately they send their waste to a local hog farm, so some lucky pigs got our leftovers (and I hope the cafe gets a bacon discount). Very kid friendly; there was a shelf of kids' storybooks and picture books above a stack of booster seats. Accessibility: no wheelchair-marked parking, might've been a problem with a curb cut. Bathroom was fairly manageable. For the area, not too bad. I'd absolutely recommend stopping here if you're going north for anything.
(4)Barry B.
A must visit on the Big Island. Come hungry!!! Because you are going to leave stuffed!! We always come here 4-5 times during our 2 week stay. I have mixed feelings about posting this review as it already gets crowded there and I don't want it to get worse:)
(5)HELEN K.
OMG I love the food here. It is artery clogging, delicious, local food! We were staying on the Kohala Coast and craving some local plate lunch/breakfast so we asked our Paddle Boarding instructor where he goes for local food. He said you gotta go to Hawaiian Style Cafe. We were like, just tell us where and we are on our way! The cafe is up in Waimea and is open for breakfast and lunch and closes early around 1:30 or 2PM. We told the valet at our resort we were heading up to Hawaiian Style and he told us we better order the Kahlua Hash. So we ordered that, the Loco Moco and the homemade Portuguese Sausage. Everything was sooo delicious. Seriously, they know what they are doing. Your arteries will be mad at your but your taste-buds wont. We went back another 2 times during our trip. We also tried the Haupia (Coconut) pancakes - they were HUGE and delicious and cakey and eaten with a piece of spam- heavenly. Hubby tried the Kalbi and Korean Style Chicken, both really good. Their fried rice is yummy and has sausage and spam, really well seasoned and no crunchy old rice. If we are ever on the Big Island again, we are definitely coming back. YUMMY!!
(5)Steven L.
We were told to come here by all the locals; this place is legit. Perfect place if you want good, authentic Hawaiian food. All of the loco mocos are amazing! Get there early because they close when they run out of food.
(5)Michele M.
Great Food!
(5)Jessica G.
Hello, food death. Remember this: you're not coming for ambiance and you probably don't want to eat off the floor. But that is fine. This is not a fancy place at all. You'll come in for the giant, delicious portions for a very reasonable price. Imagine, if you will, pancakes that are easily 12" in diameter. And you get two of them for about $10. This is at least two meals for me - and note that there is a sharing charge, if you and a friend wanted to split the giant pancakes. The Big Mok was a big favorite at our table, as well. Service was fair, though I always just want a pot of coffee on my table and it did take a bit to get refills, but I was too busy stuffing my face to care all that much. You will also probably have to wait for a table but I think we waited maybe 10 minutes, which I don't think is that long, at all. Very very very good stuff. Come hungry and you will leave very happy!
(5)Linda D.
Wow... Not abad thing to say about this place. Food - soo yummy and Hugh servings, waitstaff - so pleasant. Get there early before you miss out on their famous pancakes. The sweet bread with coconut syrup is to die for.
(5)G K.
Came in for a late breakfast/early lunch.Tons of tasty food at very reasonable prices with great service. Pancakes are huge and perfectly prepared. Kalua pig hash is great, good blood sausage and eggs. Everyone was very nice and friendly to us even though we are pretty obviously not locals. This place is awesome.
(5)Emily C.
YUM! I had the haupia pancakes and my husband had the kalua hash. The portions are huge and the food is delicious. The service is quick. We come here every time we visit the Big Island.
(5)Lance T.
This was exactly the kind of place I wanted to go to for amazing local food at reasonable prices. Hard to find good local food near the resort area but thus place was amazing. Had a sampling of everything including luau stew, chicken long rice, mac salad, laulau. Tried my dads kalbi and everything was delish! Just like having dinner at Aunty's. A must try if you like local food. Cant wait to go back to try breakfast there.
(5)Vivian A.
Located about 20 minutes north from Waikoloa, this place came highly recommended from a hotel guest we met at the lagoon who was so excited about the place, he wanted to treat us here. Unfortunately, our times wouldn't mesh for such date but we stopped here on his behalf anyways. The Canadian and I decided to split two plates: the kalua hash with medium eggs over fried rice and the macadamia nut pancakes with banana. I had the POG (pineapple-orange-guava) juice which was nice. The food came out and even for two people, it was ridiculous portions. The kalua hash was great, especially with the eggs and fried rice. The Canadian thought it was a bit mushy but I thought it was pretty good in flavor and very original. The pancakes were really good too: moist and doughy on the inside with crispy, buttery edges. These were really good. Definitely worth a stop if you're out this way or if you just want to get out of the resort area and get a monstrous amount of food.
(5)Kyle F.
Before I start my review I want to make one thing clear about this place: Food = 5/5 (quite possibly 6/5 if I could do that) Staff/service = 1/5 I found this place on yelp when I knew we where going to teh big island, and I have alway wanted a real hearty Hawaiian style breakfast, and when I was told by a bunch of the chefs at the fairmont this was the place to go I couldn't wait! My dad and I finished out round of golf at Waikoloa, so so course to say the least, and since it was still like 10am we said what the hell and drove up to the cafe from some great food. The system of taking resv, is like the dumpling inn, in SD, they have a clip board that some lady writes your name on and calls you in when they are ready...the only problem is first you have to find the lady who has the clip board or she has to find you. I must have looked like a chicken with my head cut off walking around trying to find out how to put our name in and then one of the waitresses came up and asked me to write it down, i handed her the clipboard back and she accused me of stealing her pen...i mean wtf?! (i had conveniently clipped it onto the board so it wouldn't get lost). We waited about 20 or so minutes to be seated and and once we did it took another 10 minutes before anyone would help/talk to us. Finally, after the waitress came and took our order, she had kind of a condescending attitude towards us for some reason, kind of like order and get the hell out and she wasn't very friendly when we had questions about the menu or anything else. Finally I decided on the "man" breakfast in my mind lol, it was 3 eggs, hash browns (that I kid you not must have been cooked in duck fat/ or bacon fat or lard because they have this really nice crispy flavor with a hint of sweet to them that I couldn't put my tongue on...but they were freaking amazing). oh ya and it came with bacon, my fav!!!! :). Along with the eggs and other stuff I knew I had to try the pancakes, this is what they are known for and what all the chefs at the fairmont told me I had to get. I kid you not they were about, if not bigger, the size of a frisbee and they give you to of these giant behemoths! I had one goal in my mind when I got my food, and that was to finish. The eggs where super fresh and fluffy and like i said before the hash browns were all sort of great. but the pancakes, wholly crap, where they good. a nice crisp on the outside and fluffy as air on the inside, and also they where the perfect thickness so that they would sop up the butter and syrup that was on the plate. I just wish the service was better, because I do want to go back there and try the Hawaiian bread french toast. but its such a bummer when they where so rude, it makes you not want to go back again.
(3)Betty E.
Service with a genuine smile. Huge portions. Pancakes are the same size as the plate!
(5)Jessi H.
Yummy food. The best breakfast place I went to while on the island. I had the sweet bread french toast with coconut syrup which was to die for but it's hard to make bad french toast. My husband had the loco moco which was very good and a massive amount of food. After eating at the place all I wanted to do was go take a nap because I was so full! The place could be a little larger because the line can get really long. M-F they are open from 7:30-12. Not sure on the weekend hours.
(3)Guy N.
Bring your defibrillator and make sure it's on stand-by. There's not much I can add to what's already been said about the portion sizes, caloric values, or artery-clogging attributes of the food served. What I will say is that the best things we had here (by far) were the kalbi ribs and kahlua hash. Both were outstanding. Oh, and if you're relying on your GPS to find this place, it may take you way past it. Hawaii Style Cafe is in a strip mall on a road that Google Maps alternately refers to as A Mamalahoa Hwy / HI-19 / Kawaihae Rd., but there's also a road that runs perpindicular to its location that's called Kawaihae Rd. If none of that helps you find it, just look for (appropriately enough) Hawaii Cardiology on Kawaihae Rd. Hawaiian Style Cafe is about a football field's length away to the west, and across the street.
(4)Michael E.
Visited earlier this year and the morning before I took off, we stopped here. Now the friends I was visiting told me that the Big Mok was something to be seen. Some of the best Loco Moco I have had yet! As with every one else, bring your appetite.
(5)Kim K.
Crazy, insane delicious!!!! The hour wait time was well worth it!! The portions are ridiculous and super yummy!!! They are only open until the afternoon so get there early. And seriously, do not plan on doing anything for the rest of the day because you will get crazy food comma after this meal. It's heavy but awesome!! Prices are good, but if you plan on sharing there is a fee for that.
(4)Deirdre W.
This place was perfect for brunch on our way from Kona to Hilo. Very friendly staff. My daughter's pancake was bigger than her head! The husband had the hash and my son and I had bbq. Really yummy stuff. There was a table of five very large Hawaiians next to us and even they were shocked by the size of the plates. Loved the decor and the t-shirts were cool, too.
(4)Carlie C.
After a few days of eating overpriced resort style food, we found ourselves craving some local style food. HSC is a small restaurant off the 19 in the Waimea (Kamuela) area. At first it looks like a bit of a run-down place, but hey, some of the best food comes out of hole-in-the-wall type restaurants. And that is certainly the case here! I ordered the Kalbi Ribs, which were some of the best I have ever had. They were nice and tender, the marinade was just the right amount of sweet, and there is enough fat on them to keep you happy but not gross you out. It came with 4 huge strips of the beef, 2 mounds of steamed rice, and a scoop of macaroni salad. Portions here are HUGE! I may have gotten through half of the food, and I went in hungry. My husband ordered a variation on the Loco Moco which came with Portuguese sausage and spam instead of patties. It was a ridiculous amount of food, and to my surprise he nearly demolished the whole plate! We were both happy with our food, and it definitely satisfied our local Hawaiian food craving. If you are looking for some tasty, down to earth, inexpensive food, you probably won't find anything better on the island. For value, this place just can't be beat. Keep in mind that they only serve breakfast and lunch and close at about 1:30pm. It was busy when we came by around lunchtime, but we waited no more than 5-10min for seating. It is also CASH ONLY.
(5)Y L.
We came in search of this place and actually drove back and forth looking for it. The sign is easy to pass up if you're not looking carefully, and Google maps send you to someone's house. This casual style diner is something out of an old Hawaiian movie. At the time we stopped by, they were shorthanded, and once you walk in, everyone turns their head and looks at you and doesn't say a word. So find a seat where you can, even if there are dirty plates on the counter or the tables. I recommend you share a plate especially if you get the pancakes with it. THEY'RE HUGE!!! All in all, great place for authentic Hawaiian style food!
(4)Jessica A.
Gigantic portions, so def. share your breakfast! I loved the pancakes and the pineapple sausage was delicious. I had so much food that I ate the leftovers the next day!
(4)Marylu P.
1st hawaiian meal to get the day started and it was a good one! Service: Great! Donna (dana?) Made sure we were comfortable. This is what customer service is about! Food: Memorable. I had the delicious Pog drink which consist of passion fruit, orange juice, and guava. Mmmmm!! So good. Pancakes are huge! And the french toast was amazing! This is just like a homecooked meal. And dont forget to visit the next door lady with tasty treats and cute souveniers!
(4)robert d.
Absurdly large portions of insanely great food and a ridiculously low price. We enjoyed it so much we went back twice. First time I had an omelet and the second time I had the Kahlua hash. I can't say which I liked more because they were both off the charts. Pancakes were huge and tasty. The only thing that didn't make this a 5 star is that the place is pretty small and I felt cramped but it was still well worth it. Go here on an empty tummy and leave happy :)
(4)Ron C.
Ordered the "big moc" Loco Moco.
(5)Brian G.
Great food, and huge portions, and I'm from Texas, so that says a lot. Mom deducting one star, however, because my orange juice was heavily watered down. Otherwise, this is a must stop place for breakfast.
(4)Patrick W.
The loco moco comes highly recommended by the locals which generous portions of rice, hamburger (or a meat product), gravy, and topped with an egg. I had the beef luau (stew) which had incredible flavor...better than Mom's. An unassuming storefront restaurant is a roadside destination in Kamuela, HI. I recommend getting there for brunch if you plan a drive out to Hilo from Kona side. Parking is out front and in the back. Get there before the doors close at 1:30pm.
(4)Lianni C.
Yes and yes. This is a local joint right here with huge servings and delicious local food. The service here is excellent, my friends and I sat at the "bar". We ordered a bunch of food. Pancakes to share and the guys ordered a couple more big meals to share. Good Kalbi, good loco moco. I got the regular corned beef hash and it was great. I saw an omelet come out for another customer and it was huge! Definitly looked amazing. We came to this place because all the locals we talked to mentioned it. The owner is really sweet. This place closes at like 2pm so make sure you get there for lunch time, otherwise you will miss out! There's also a shave ice place two doors down if you have room for some dessert!
(5)Laura J.
I had breakfast here and couldn't believe the portions. I had to check the menu again because the price was so reasonable but the food was at least two meals worth! Good food and good coffee, well was worth the stop, especially if you are hungry.
(5)iPunchfish -.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOÂOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! This is why I came to Kona. I hooked up with a local who told me about what to see and experience in Kona. This was one of the places at the top of her list. And now I can see why. Breakfast will OWN YOUR FACE and there is nothing you can do about it. Da Tita Mok is a perfect example of everything you need for breakfast: GRAVY, GRAVY, MEAT, EGGS, RICE, GRAVY, SPAM, GRAVY. Take some notes, hater.
(5)Cassie C.
After finding this place on yelp, my family decided to have breakfast at Hawaiian style cafe - especially for the "hubcap-sized" pancakes. I am a huge proponent for local eateries and was extremely excited for a meal inclusive of pineapple sausage. We knew that there was going to be a wait - from the reviews, but were seated fairly quickly. We did wait a little while for our server to take our orders but we were in no rush. The reason I was disappointed was that after my parents had finished their massive plates of food, I still had not received my meal. I ordered the same dish as my mom, but the "lite" version with half as much food. Our server was so sweet I couldn't be mad. Unfortunately, my food had been sitting out for a while so when she remembered and brought it out, my egg and sausage were cold. I would still recommend this place to visitors because they have some unique Hawaiian style dishes on their menu, hence the name of the cafe. Something funny - there is a sign on the wall that says "quality, speed, service -choose one". I guess we got the friendly service :)
(3)Gary E.
Two words: Big Mok. Three words: Oh. My. God. Amazing prices, amazing food, amazing place. Their loco mocos are the best on the Big Island. When we pulled in, there were two ambulances parked out front - the local paramedics were grindin' here, and probably waiting for Hawaiian Style's awesome grub to turn unsuspecting Ha'Oles into customers when they sit down to their Mauna Kea-sized portions. That creaking you hear? Those are your arteries. But man oh man, you'll die happy. Thanks to Linda M. for recommending this place to me!
(5)David R.
Best breakfast in Hawaii. The Loco Moco is incredible. Huge helpings, and the service is exceptional. Wow!
(5)Kristol T.
If you are ever on the Big Island, you simply have to check this place out. Now I reccomend that you go early as this place is so good that there is usually a line to get in and they sometimes run out of food by mid afternoon. The staff and hilarious and very friendly. We were told about this place by the staff of of Villas and ended up going back 3 times during our vacation. Now on to the most important part...the food!! All the dishes are inexpensive and worth every penny. They have the biggest pancakes I have ever seen in my life. I felt bad that I couldn't eat the two that came with my dish. They had traditional Hawaiian foods but also have a lot of regular dishes. My favorite was the two eggs, choice of meat, hash browns, and pancakes. I think I only paid 6 bucks for this meal. It worked out great for my party of 7 because we were all able to taste each other's food except for the ones that were too greedy to share!
(5)Ponso P.
Beware of a $2.75 split plate fee. They did not even split our plates for us to share. I don't agree with this charge at all and I find it to be expensive. The food was great and the staff was friendly. The portions are huge and that was the reason why we shared. I would have given this a 4 star but the split plate -1.
(3)Matt R.
Home of the biggest fluffiest pancakes this side of the pacific! Massive ham steak, hash browns, 2 eggs over easy, and 2 mammoth pancakes for $8.99! Must visit!! Super quick service, small number of tables so expect to put your name on the waiting list. First come first serve. Sit at the counter if possible for lightning quick food delivery.
(5)Michael K.
Man, you want to talk about seeing the sights AND eats on the big island? So I arrived in Hawaii late at night and checked my handy dandy Yelp app to see what to eat for breakfast the next morning. I see a 4.5 star reviewed breakfast place but it's 45 miles away! Well, might as well see the sights right? Man, it was so worth the drive (the scenery definitely helped). I almost passed the restaurant the first time because it not your typical restaurant. The entrance to this place is a set of small screen doors. When you walk in, you're greeted by a smell of fresh food and good coffee... Kona coffee from what I hear. Anyway, onto the food. I ordered the kalua pork hash. I also got a pancake since it was highly recommended on Yelp. The hash was absolutely delicious. The pork was rich and the hash was seasoned well. My eggs and rice were cooked deliciously too! The pankcake was huge! And fluffy! (Cue Despicable Me). I almost did die from the size. The only downside is, when it gets busy, the restaurant seems short staffed. Two to three waiters for a cafe this busy seems to be really slow.
(4)Big D.
Wow. That is some good grub. Highly recommend it!
(5)Jennifer O.
This is the place to go for breakfast or lunch. We had their delicious lunch. It's a local favorite and now it's catching on with the tourists. It's in a tiny little town of Waimea, North of Kona about 45 minutes or so. Off of hwy. 19. It's so worth the drive! It's so authentic and Hawaiian. Not touristy at all. Loved it. They only accept CASH so plan accordingly. HUGE portions. You can easily share a meal.
(5)Michelle C.
This place was phenomenal! In fact, it was so good that we made it a point to eat there for a second time before our flight back to the mainland. We would've eaten here every day while we were on the Big Island if it wasn't for the planned activities. I'm going to miss this place :( We loved everything that we ordered. The pineapple sausage, loco moco, and pancakes were to die for! The pineapple sausage had the perfect combination of savory and sweet. The burger patties were cooked perfectly (medium well; not dry) and the gravy was excellent. The pancakes were light and fluffy. Other noteworthy dishes include the Big Mok (loco moco) was great with the different meats; spam omelette; and the biscuits and gravy. Be sure to bring a large appetite because the portions are HUGE! This place definitely catered to my inner fat kid.
(5)Shaun K.
Worth the trip if you are staying in Kona. GF and I had the fried rice with kalua pork hash and the big mok: loco moco with variety of meats. Most dishes are under $9.
(5)Lin H.
love this place, perfect breakfast & brunch spot best pancake I ever had. and it's the size of my face, maybe even bigger, so please share it with your friend. there is a "sharing the plate" fee ($3 maybe?), but if you add a side order, like some ground beaf, for less than $4, you can waive that. their ground beaf is also delicious. keep in mind it's a small local place, there will be a waiting line after 11am, either get their earlier, or prepare to wait. also they have only 3 or 4 parking spots outside of the place, we had to park across the street . not sure about lunch and dinner.
(5)Vicki S.
I had Korean chicken & Beef spare ribs. Neither were anything worth noting. Wouldn't recommend either. However, the moco loco was really good. I would suggest sticking with breakfast menu.
(3)Edwin E.
OMG! I'm giving this 5 stars! I was gonna give 4.5 because we "kinda" had to wait (but hell, I always wait to eat good food in LA anyways). I had the TITA special (forgot the exact name) but it was like an orgy in my mouth! Literally! It was fried rice topped with chicken cutlet, loco moco, fried egg, then smothered with gravy. ENOUGH of the run on sentence! My partner had the gargantuan omelette paired with gargantuan pancakes. I agree, you better take some Aspirin before you eat here. It's day 2/7 and we plan to come back for some more! P.S. We bought some Korean Chicken to go, and for you Zippy's fans, this brings the same smile to my face :)
(5)Terry S.
Best Burger I think I have EVER had!!! Got the recommendation from the Concierge at the Hilton King's Land condo's. The place doesn't look like much (read - hole in the wall ), but the food is UNBELIEVABLE. Portions are HUGE, pancakes are out of this world.
(5)James L.
We came to the Big Island for a week long Conference. We've have now been back 3 times, & plan a few more before we leave! We would have been back even more, but they're only open for breakfast/lunch!! We are slowly making our way through their menu, and have not hit any bad spots yet. Come hungry!! Their portions are huge. They have "spoiled" more than one of my (subsequent) Dinners!! Sign in when you get there. The wait may look daunting, but it's really not bad. Especially in the context of "Hawaiian Time" they are pretty quick. Watch out because it's easy to miss on the street...just look for the crowded parking (more around the side). Of course this is not in the same category of "fine dining" as in the case of say Ruth's Chris down the road, but that we can get at home. This is authentic "local" home cookin'. The place itself is very modest. Well worn counter & booths, plastic plates, but don't let that stop you or you will have completely missed the point!! If you want "Kau Kau", this is Da place!
(5)Keoki H.
This place is incredibly great. Huge portions. Even larger than what their menu says. I got a 3 egg omelet shootsssss this thing was huge maybe 5 egg omelet. I got my 2 scoop rice and also choice of toast or pancake I pick pancake and they brought me two huge pancakes. Brah this enough for meal by it's self. The two pancakes stole all the room on the table for wife and I's food. I could not finish the omlets, The rice scoops bigger than back Oahu scoop and again the pancakes were a meal by themselves with coffe my meal and wife's the bill was $18.00 something change. Koa Pancake on Oahu no can beat this place!!!!!!!!!!! Go here get one meal. Den no more meal all day long!!!!!!!!!
(5)Princess Pompom Patootie W.
really good but not sure it's worth the extra 30 minute drive unless it's on your way to exploring. the fried chicken in the loco moco was super good. yum.
(4)Jeremy S.
Quality: 5/6 Service: 4/5 Value: 4/4 Total: 13/15 = 4/5 Hawaiian Style Cafe was great for brunch. The service was very friendly with a great view of the ocean and outdoor seating. The portions were very generous, and the food was delicious.
(4)Collin W.
I thought this place was average. I had the chicken fried steak and the gravy and breaking wasn't very good. However the hash browns are amazing and each omelet comes with a choice of toast or pancakes. Get the pancakes. They are very good
(4)Denise D.
All I can say is read the reviews! Everything was delicious and the pancakes were the biggest I've ever seen! I guess my only small complaint - and just not to my particular taste - was they put tuna in their macaroni salad. Understand that's kind of normal for Hawaii.
(5)Chris L.
Worst meal on the Island. WAY overrated!!! Sure you get a Ton of food, but it's on the level of Mc Donald's quality. The pancakes are bland, I ordered banana Mac nut cakes and they just put a bunch of banana slices, whip cream and a sprinkle of Mac nuts on top of 2 big cakes. The hash browns were stale. The kids chicken fingers worse than a frozen TV dinner. Omelet was so-so. Bottom line go someplace else!
(1)Kyle Y.
I really enjoyed the food I had at this place. You can definitely tell that this is a family run spot. When I saw the food being brought out, in my mind I was like "Whoa" the portions are definitely for someone who's hungry. I highly recommend the kalbi which is some of the best I've ever had. The Korean chicken is very good. I definitely recommend this place to anyone who is on the big island or who is in Waimea.
(4)Melinda G.
This was recommended from our concierge at our hotel...highly recommend! the locals were very friendly...the food was out within 5 minutes and PERFECT! Great place! My husband and I went here for breakfast everyday of our vacation! We bought a t-shirt from there the 1st day, my husband wore it the next day as we went around the ENTIRE island. Locals from the complete other side of the island commented on how much they love this place! We were told by SEVERAL locals that everyone from all over the island travels here for breakfast and lunch! This is a must visit if you go to the Big Island! Huge helpings....great prices!
(5)Shreekant P.
Old style local cafe which is quite a favorite. Loco Moco, a dish served on a bed of rice is yore. Portion sizes are quite large for the $ (none of us could finish our lunch orders). The ribs, fried fish, and Korean chicken sandwich were good. Interestingly, They put uncooked rice in the salt in salt shaker to prevent clogs (as it is quite humid in Hawaii)! It was a hike from where we were staying (Waikoloa village) so could not try the breakfast, which I was told was good.
(3)Ann S.
I've wanted to try this place since I first saw it on Girl Meets Hawaii back in 2000. They had weird hours and we always seemed to miss it when it was open. We finally hit it when it was open. I wish I would've gotten the mac nut pancakes they're known for but I was pancaked out at the time. We both got the kalua pork hash. It was good but probably wouldn't get that particular dish again since it was slow to come out and it was kind of cold by the time we got it. The water for the hot tea I ordered wasn't hot either, like it came out of the tap. The server was busy but slow, they needed another one. The older gentleman (I'm assuming maybe the newer owner?) was adorable and would see if you wanted water or coffee when you came in. He was really nice. I think we might give it another chance if we're in the area but wouldn't make the 40 mile trip from Keauhou.
(3)Frank B.
Bring your appetite!!! A friend of ours brought us here on our first day on the big island. We ended up eating here eight of the nine days we were there. Food portions are very large. Everything we tried here was very good: Mocasorous (and other versions of the loco moco), Tripe Stew, Breakfast Sandwich, bacon, bacon and bacon. Oh and their "side" of pancakes are unbelievable. If you like local hawaiian food, then this is the place for you. Be aware though that they are only only open until 1:30PM.
(5)Eddy-Jon B.
Truly Hawaiian, home style cooking. Be nice to the waitress, and she'll guide you through the menu patiently. Very affordable and delicious. Always ask what they have for today's special.
(5)Matt A.
Ever wonder how the natives can grow to such epic proportions on an island plagued by outrageous food prices? This is how. The restaurant is a small cafe up in Waimea, a 30 minute drive from where we stayed at Waikoloa Village. But after our trip up there for lunch we had to come back for breakfast. This place is top notch. The food is fantastic and served in truly massive portions. Everything we had was delicious and we definitely did not finish. For me, that's saying a lot since I'm the family's "garbage disposal" eater. The most memorable meal for me was the omelette with pancakes. I'm a big fan of omelettes, but they made me an enormous and delicous omelette and poured gravy all over it. I felt like applauding. The pancakes are sweet, buttery, and, well, huge. Two pancakes the size of dinner plates stacked one on the other alongside a huge omelette topped with gravy and a mountain of hash browns. Ran me 8 bucks. How can you not love that? What can be said is that the service can be spotty. The cafe is a favorite spot for locals and the speedy mainland service you get in the tourist traps is a foreign concept up here. You may end up waiting 10-15 minutes to be seated, then another 10-15 minutes to get your order in. But once it's in your food comes out quickly and will assuredly be more than you can handle. Also, the place closes at 2pm every day. We showed up at 1:15pm our first time and after they locked up at two saw several families turned away. Big bummer after driving all the way up into the mountains with the kids hoping for an awesome meal. I'd definitely go back more than once on my next trip to the big island. It's totally worth the drive.
(4)Joss G.
This was our first stop for food after flying into Hawai'i and on our drive from Hilo to Kona, and their breakfast/brunch is definitely worth the trip! We had an omelette, which I personally thought was just alright. But the KALUA HASH with diced potatoes on the side was SO GOOD!!! We shared two plates between the four of us, and I seriously could have eaten my own plate of this hash. The only thing was that there was a $2.75 charge for each shared plate (it was even written on the bottom of the menu, so we couldn't argue the fee), but the portions there are fairly big. We also had their huge pancake as part of the meal, but it wasn't anything special except for the size. Don't expect anything fancy from this place, as they simply gave us our extra plates for a family-style meal. As for the service, our main server was friendly. When we told him that we were from Vegas, he mentioned to us that they might be opening a restaurant somewhere in Utah, near a university I think. I wish they would open one up here in Las Vegas. =) I would definitely make the drive back out to that town for the KALUA HASH! It's a MUST TRY!!!
(4)Jimmy L.
We are over 5,000 miles from this place, but we still think, talk and long for this place. We fell in love with the food so much, my wife went out to look for liquid smoke to try to make her own version of kaluha hash. When we first walked in, we were taken back a little just cause of how old everything looked. It's like we stepped back into a 60's truck stop diner. Kinda run down looking but on closer inspection, it really isn't. If you find yourself on Big Island, do whatever it takes to come here. This is where you will get a true taste of Hawaii!!!!
(5)Corinne C.
I could eat here everyday. Everything is so tasty!
(5)Sarah C.
Came here on a weekday in the late afternoon, and there were plenty of tables. There is a diner-like bar in the front of the restaurant and larger tables in the back. The menu and daily specials looked so good, it was hard to decide on what to order. We ordered one Haupia (coconut pudding) pancake for my 7 year old son instead of a full order and it was plenty. He loved it, and had even had some left over to share with the rest of us. I ordered the Kalua hash (pork and potatoes), that came with eggs and fried rice. There is the option to order the 'lite' meal, which would come with only one egg and no fried rice. That would have been a better option for me, since I didn't touch the fried rice. It was very good, though very meaty! My daughter got a grilled cheese, and my husband had some ribs which he really loved. The prices were very reasonable. I highly recommend getting some delicious local food here! Cash only
(5)Jonathan Y.
I love this restaurant! Come early or you will have to wait a while for a table. I mean it's worth the wait tho! The portions are HUGE and it's a great value! I usually get the pancakes, which are fluffy and yummy! I can never finish them because they're so huge!
(5)Lizzy J.
Nothing fancy about this place but the food is great! If you are looking for some local Hawaiian food or breakfast this is a must for those staying near by.
(5)Katherine C.
This place serves up huge portions of Hawaiian comfort food. I had the corned beef hash and hubs had loco moco. Pancakes are bigger than your head. Only problem is they don't serve much fresh fruit, no half n half or raw sugar for coffee. Passion berry iced tea is an excellent alternative.
(3)Debbie R.
We stopped here for breakfast on our way to Hilo. It was a fantastic breakfast! I ordered the berry pancakes and they were delicious. My husband ordered a pork omelette that came with pancakes. The waitress advised us to upgrade my husband's breakfast to include the berry pancakes and for me not to order anything separate. She said that we would have way too much food. We were happy to take her advice and she was right. Even with sharing one breakfast, we couldn't finish everything. The style of the cafe is unique because it has one big rectangle counter that everyone sits at. I thought it was different and interesting!
(5)Wes Y.
Cheap and big portions. I had the loco moco (2 big patties and RICE EVERYWHERE, with an egg on top) which was satisfying. The beef patties had a nice char taste to it which is always a bonus. However, the Mok Loco Moco isn't that great (breakfast sausages and spam over rice and gravy). It just tastes like store bought sausages with rice, and doesn't beat the flavor of the beef patty combo with gravy/sunny side up egg. Anyway, they deserve 5 stars for their cheap, big portion, comfort style food. ::edit:: my girlfriend bugged me about saying "I tried the Mok Loco Moco" when she was the one that actually ordered it. So credits to her for ordering it. I did steal from her plate though to try it, enough to review it :\
(5)nick m.
HUGE portions of down-home diner food at very reasonable prices. Pancakes are the size of small pizzas- you can easily share and have more than enough food for everyone. Relaxed, breezy ambiance with prompt and friedly service.
(5)Randy H.
Great Food, Service and Reasonable Prices We recently vacationed on the Big Island and ate here nearly every day for breakfast / lunch. 4 adults & 1 Child for about $60 w/ Tip. Huge portions - pancakes the size of a frisbee - enough to keep us well fed till dinner. However, the quality did not suffer due to price. I've been to Hawaii a few times and this place has authentic (well, to me at least) plate meals with combinations of meat and rice. My favorite of the 5 times we went was the Loco Moco - 2 burgers, fried onlons, eggs and fried rice. Be warned, there can be a wait and they only accept cash. Highly Recommended.
(5)Alison T.
This is a Hawaiian style cafe. Stop here when in Waimea for breakfast or lunch on the way from or to Waipoi Valley. Enjoyed the kalua pork hash plate, omlettes with your choice of meat (includes portugese sausage) with onions, mushrooms and your choice of cheese and half a plate of shredded hash browns and toast. There's also mixed lunch plates. Large portions... Everyone had something to put into a box to take home.
(4)b b.
There are enough reviews on this place so I'll keep it short. Haupia pancakes are to die for, and we got smart and split our order so we also got the banana mac nut as well. Both are awesome. We also had some kahlua hash and there's a reason it is a house specialty. Kiani, our server, had us laughing the whole time.
(5)Ruben D.
The place was awesome! My group and I were looking for a cafe that had some local items on their menu as well as some usual breakfast items for the non adventurous people in our group. My wife got the pancakes, eggs and sausage, her order might clue you in to who the "non adventurous" people in are group are, and I ordered the Tripe stew. * pancakes are HUGE!! you can share with 2 maybe 3 people. *Tripe stew rocked! great warm feeling in my stomach! *staff was great. very helpful and Danna introduced me to "chili pepper water" great taste!
(4)Kristine D.
This funky locals favorite opens for breakfast and lunch each day and keeps serving up loco moco bowls (two eggs any style over two mounds of sticky rice with meat and topped with brown gravy), ginormous pancakes, french toast and other assorted tasty dishes until the food runs out. ( A sign in the window states: "When the food is pau, we're closed!") Then they close for the day only to start the process all over again the next day. The Hawaiian Style Cafe boasts the best keiki menu I've seen! My 8-year-old devoured the Mickey Mouse pancake, eggs and sausage for a mere $3.50 and my five-year-old enjoyed the french toast for the same price. The wait staff is friendly and colorful. The portions are huge! Be sure to stop by the ATM before you visit, the Hawaiian Style Cafe is a cash only operation. I'd also advise you to go early, it's a popular spot!
(5)Pebble L.
Very local, cash only, huge portion breakfast joint... Great food, great service, just follow the early morning lineup.
(4)Ryan J.
Best omelet in my life which was a special with smoked pork and mushrooms. The pancake as the side was amazing as well. Really great service and friendly people.
(5)Carolyn B.
Looking for some authenitic hawaiian style food - loco moco, artery clogging fried chicken, pancakes with sausage at 12 noon? This is your place. The prices are great, the food is good, the helpings are huge and the ambience and decor are totally diner/dive authentic. Only downfall is that it is a breakfast/lunch place. I think it closes at 1pm.
(5)Linda M.
Whenever I eat here, I remember what my lovely server said to me the first time I took my first bite of lunch at Hawaiian Style. She had a big smile on her face in anticipation of my happy taste, and asked, "Ono, huh?" Ono. Every time.
(5)Tony S.
Words cannot describe how delicious the food was. Mouthwateringly delicious! I will ALWAYS find time to eat at Hawaiian Style Cafe on my future visits to the big island of Hawaii. Absolutely amazing food! The wait is a little long, but definitely worth it! And for the price? You can't beat it. :)
(5)Jillian P.
I LOVE HAWAIIAN STYLE CAFE FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER AND FOR ALWAYS. This place is sooooooo bomb and CANNOT be beat. It's the best breakfast spot on the island in my opinion. I always get the Kalua Hash because I can't find it anywhere else. But OH MY GOD. Talk about heavennnnn. But what I love about this place is that the portions are ridiculously huge for the price you pay. Which is always a good thing! The toast, the french toast, and the pancakes are winners for sure. The servers and cooks are always in a good mood and kind. I usually tip 20% ; they're that good.
(5)Mark D.
Solid Hawaiian breakfast and plenty of spam treats..yes spam..bring cash though as there are no credit cards
(3)Melissa L.
This was a horrible place! Very overrated!
(1)Jim S.
You can never miss with Hawaiian Style. I had to go this time with the pancakes and spam.
(5)Jim S.
Awesome place. Went here twice in three days. Great prices and huge portions. Good alternative to paying a fortune for resort food. Only about 20 minutes from Waikoloa Village. Eat here and then go for a hike in Pololu Valley! goo.gl/hFEqh
(5)Josh S.
Meh is the right title for me. Ordered an omelet that came with HUGE pancakes. The egg in the omelet was fine, but the veggies were pretty gross. I forget, living on the west coast, what easy access we have to fresh fruits and veggies. The mushrooms were from a can, the tomato was mushy, and the onions undercooked. This wasn't even the worst. The pancakes were straight Bisquick without anything extra. Could used something to flavor them up like cinnamon or vanilla. A total waste of stomach space. The coffee was good (as was all over Hawaii) and was very cheap.
(2)David F.
I'm having trouble believing all the good reviews. This place was recommended in the guide book and we heard the hotel concierge mention it, but Hawaiian Style Cafe turned out to be a huge disappointment for us. It was full when we got there for a late breakfast, but it was still only a 10 or 15 minute wait for a table. It was teeming with locals and a couple of tourists, so it seemed promising. The portions looked huge. We were pretty hungry and ordered the chicken moco loco (fried chicken cutlet with eggs and gravy) and the Hawaiian Plate (a mix of local dishes - pork in various sauce, beef stew, rice, a fish salad of some sort). It all sounded interesting and good. The trouble started when our food arrived. The Hawaiian Plate was barely warm. The beef stew seemed like it had come out of a can. The pork might have been homemade, but I wasn't sure. The fish salad was some bits of vegetables in liquid with tiny pieces of canned salmon. It tasted extremely fishy and metallic. I should probably have sent it back, but I'm pretty reluctant to do that. The chicken loco moco was heated through, but the gravy was probably from Costco (nothing wrong with Costco - I shop there - but a restaurant that's supposed to be local should be using canned gravy). The gravy pretty much ruined the eggs, and the chicken was nothing special. The coffee was below expectations compared to other places we'd been on the island (yes, I'm allowed to deduct stars for bad coffee when I'm near Kona!). The service was ok, though we had a really hard time getting our coffee refilled. I'm glad we hiked a couple of miles that afternoon to burn off "breakfast." It sounds like other people have had good experiences, so maybe they just didn't like the way we looked (too tourista, maybe?), but I'd have been happier with an egg McMuffin and a McD's - hell, even a Dunkin Donuts coffee - and I haven't been to McDonald's in probably 2 years, and Dunkin in at least 5 or 10 years (sorry Dunkin fans, that's not coffee in my book).
(1)Christine Q.
OH. SWEET. JESUS. (Oops. Wrong religion.) OH. SWEET. AKUA. Thank you for giving up this heavenly place on Earth called the Hawaiian Style Cafe. Like Jessica S. says this is indeed the BEST Hawaiian breakfast and lunch spot in town. This place is small, only except cash, and is bursting at the seams with locals flooding the place to get their daily grub on. You'll see an occasional tourist, gasping at the amount of food, use of spam, or both, and then you'll hear a local mutter, "Haole" and shake their head, but most of the time, it's just the noise of people inhaling their food as fast as they can put it in their mouths. We come here every day on our annual trip to the Big Island, and we wouldn't want it any other way. From their loco moco to their Korean honey fried chicken, be prepared to eat the meal as if it was your brunch, and just eat a light snack instead of lunch. Bring cash and patience, because it does get crowded. But don't let that sway you from going, but you'll be missing on some truly great local food. (if you're hungry, just pick up some crackseed next door, that aunty who runs it is real nice) Don't come here thinking it will be good for your diet, because let's face it, it's not. But then calories don't count on vacation, do they?
(5)Matt H.
Awesome. I'm not an expert on Hawaiian fare, but I believe this place to be about as authentic as it gets. Looked like the place draws the locals. BIG plates. Great pork. Friendly service.
(4)Brad A.
First time here and it was soooo delicious! We couldn't have had a better first meal on our trip. I can't wait to go again!
(5)Jorge P.
Update your yelp. They close at 12 on Sundays. Annoying drive for nothing. Waste of time.
(1)Scott H.
We arrived late in the evening and picked the brain of the waitress at Tommy Bahamas cafe.....I know, I didn't even know TB had a cafe, but I digress. This place blew me away, the loco moco was the epitome of Hawaii, a mixture of everything, there was spam inside, hamburger pattie and fried chicken smothered in gravy with two scoops of rice and macoroni salad. This was place truly captured why I come to Hawaii for good eats that just blow your mind with what they can combine! Service was friendly and the place just felt like home! Give it a go and you won't be disappointed but bring your eating stomach or you'll end up defeated and leaving behind some good food!
(5)Alyssa E.
This is a genuine old-time Hawaiian place where locals eat alongside the tourists, and that's saying a lot because Hawaiian locals don't like to hang out in tourist joints. Don't expect anything fancy. You get an incredible deal in a down home place with reasonably priced, authentic Hawaiian food and, like everyone else has mentioned, ginormous portions. We loved the Loco Moco. It's got a burger that's juicy, moist and incredibly flavorful with high quality meat. This place has the best breakfast on the Big Island. The friendly people who work here go out of their way to extend the aloha spirit to tourists and locals alike. There's usually a wait, but it's worth it. But this place is not for people who are trying to stick to their diet. It's hard not to overeat at here, but that's what those take-out containers are for. On an island filled with touristy restaurants, this is the real thing. Don't miss it!
(4)Teri G.
Oh yeah! This is where the locals go! Always stop to fill up before waipio valley hike! Inexpensive, everything awesome and huge portions! My favorite is "Stew Luau" with pork and taro leaves, and brown rice! One BIG pancake, fluffy and perfect is $2.50, big enough for 2 people to share. Also great omelets, and egg breakfasts, sausage, bacon, etc... :)
(5)John R.
You can go to this place for breakfast every day and never get tired of it, at least on a short vist. Great people and the food was just fantastic with tremendous servings. You could eat in the morning and it would last most of the day. Just bring a big appetite and enjoy.
(5)JK L.
One of the better places for breakfast and lunch. It does get crowded especially at lunch. Recommend the Kalua Pork Hash, fried rice and Eggs. I tried the Big Mok, very good. It is a Loco Moco with Spam, Portuguese Sausage, Pork Sausage Links and egg over rice with gravy. Lunch is the best deal if you have to chose between lunch and breakfast.
(4)Sean M.
This place was great. Amazing kalua hash, great hawaiian sweet bread french toast and good vibe. Remember its cash only and enjoy!
(5)Jen C.
Excellent value-- my husband got a pancake and omlette combo, and got one giant plate of pancakes (which covered the whole plate), and one giant 1/2 place of omlette. It was enough to feed a family of 6. And all for 6 bucks!! The loco moco was tasty, too, and the beef was reminiscent of the charbroiled beef patties at Carl's Jr. I loved that there were onions on top of it.
(4)Sumi A.
We had a couple of solid breakfasts here that were just fine. The portions are huge (especially the pancakes) so make sure you come with an appetite. One thing I do not recommend is the tripe stew unless you're familiar with it and know what to expect. Hubby ordered that one day and it was a big mistake. It smelled and tasted terrible, although I wouldn't blame the restaurant for that because I think that's the way tripe stew usually is. FYI, they don't take credit cards (kind of surprising for a place that gets as many customers as they do).
(3)Amy M.
This is a great spot. Great service. HUGE portions. Hawaiian flair! Great for tourists!
(5)Lan N.
Yumyumyum! And these portions are just begging for Adam from Man vs Food to stop by. Wow, my tummy is still punishing me 10 hrs later. I ordered the original pancake...just one...you can get it as a side order...and really, that is all you can stomach. I was considering getting one of the specialty pancakes...they had a macnut one and a berry one, but I don't see why I should pay +$3 more for basically the orgininal with fruit and/or nuts dumped on top. If they were incorporated in the batter, that would be a different story...And also, if they served the pancake with coconut syrup instead of the pancake syrup, it would improve on an already very good thing. Anyways, aside from this yummy pancake, I had ordered a side of fried rice, which had bits of various meats in it including what I think was spam. You were given two scoops of this. I ordered this odd combo, b/c we planned it so that my fiancee would order the two pick combo with korean chicken and kalbi beef, and I'd eat the beef. So my fried rice went with the beef and my dessert was the pancake. If we had not done this, there would've been a $3.50 charge for sharing. Anyways, what I was really impressed with (b/c this is the first time that I've seen this at a restaurant) is that they feed all their table scraps to local pigs. Yay for not wasting. I will def return and direct everyone I know here for good local Hawaiian food.
(5)Matt V.
A total gem and must when passing through. Portions are huge and really good. Try the sweet pork and if you get pancakes use the coconut syrup. Can't remember the last time I ate so much or so well! Not to mention that we came in with a party of nine and were served very quickly.
(4)Denise S.
Yum! Good food, good service and huge portions.
(5)Eric G.
Dirty. Greasy. Really nice staff. Amazing value. Huge portions.
(3)Suzanne A.
Yahoo travel rated Hawaiian Style Cafe as one of the top 10 places in the whole US to have pancakes!! See......I told you it was good!
(5)David W.
As someone who highly values my personal fitness and loves eating good food, my interests are constantly at odds with each other. Given that, Hawaiian BBQ is one of my sinful pleasures, because while it is, without fail, excessively fattening, when made with the right marinades and quality of meat, it is absolutely delicious. I was fortunate enough to enjoy such a meal at Hawaiian Style Cafe today. When I'm on vacation, I rely on two sources for food recommendations: Yelp and locals. We were tipped off about this local joint by one of the bellhops at the Mauna Lani resort where we were staying when I asked for a recommendation for something authentic. From there it's about a 17 mile drive north and inland. Kinda far, but since we already exhausted all the Yelp-worthy restaurants in our area (not too many on the Big Island unfortunately), we decided to venture out and give it a shot. I'm glad we made the short trip! We arrived around 11am, so brunch and lunch were both game. I opted for the mixed bbq plate and chose the pulehu (grilled with hawaiian rock salt) ribs and kalbi ribs. The pulehu was alright, but MAN the kalbi was delicious! Definitely on par with some of the best kalbi I've had, even at Korean establishments. As my friend put it, it tasted like the marinade soaked completely through the meat - so tender and juicy. For all people looking for more breakfast reviews, my mom had the portuguese sausage special with two eggs over easy. Nothing fancy about the eggs, but the sausage was very well grilled, and the HASH BROWNS were really something else - crispy on the outside and soft fresh potato strips on the inside. Breakfast or lunch? It's your call, even if it's not 11am. People interested in checking the place out beware: the listed address is incorrect - in fact, they only have a PO box. Coming from Kona, you'll head North and then East on the 19. When you're about 12 miles inland, look for a group of shops on your left with a pink roof, next to a bike shop. If you hit the Shell and Chevron on the 190, you've gone too far.
(4)Carolyn J.
Still a fan! Came for breakfast and once again, left happy. Pops had his Man vs Food moment trying to tackle a pancake and failed.
(5)Dustin H.
Ono Grindz!!! Awesome spot with lots of locals. You can eat in or take out. They have a sign on the wall that says: Quality, Service, Speed. Choose one. And that pretty much sums it up! I had the veggie omelet with brown rice and toast. WAY too much food! I got through the omelet and only a little of the rice before I had to stop. Very Tasty and all for less than 10 bucks! Can't be beat!
(5)Love S.
It's Halloween and I give out mad amounts of Candy, that's how I roll with my five star ratings, I'm generous. Many of my reviews shouldn't have warranted the coveted 5th star, but hey, I'm easy. (Don't) Anyway, Go to Waimea, get you some Hawaiian Style Cafe for breakfast, you'll be happy you did. Aloha spirit is alive in this town. Huge portions, tasty food, Outstanding service. Well deserved 5th star.
(5)Nel D.
Had breakfast with My family, very Ono! And really fast service. Thanx Dee & Tan ;-)
(5)Jason z.
This is definitely a place to come if you're real hungry and wanting some down home local hawaiian plate lunch type food. This place is better on the quantity of food vs. quality of food. I tried everyones plates, soups were very good, loco moco, good, french toast was one of the better dishes. Good place, not great, L & L on the mainland is basically just as good tasting but the homely feel for this place is awesome. I especially liked desert, I went next door to get some shaved ice w/red beans + condensed milk...tasty!
(4)Jessica C.
What is there not to love!?!? The portions are H.U.G.E!!!! I ordered the two egg breakfast and it was enough food to share between two people. If you order spam as your meat they give you five slices. If you order bacon as your meat they give you six slices. More than your doctor would recommend you to eat in a week. Get pancakes with this breakfast instead of toast. The two pancakes are HUGE and fit edge to edge on the plate. Fluffy and cooked to the perfect doneness. I hate when pancakes come out looking too pale. My bf ordered the chicken fried steak with biscuits and country gravy. Another great dish. Who knew that you could get great southern style food in Hawaii. There wasn't a trace of food left on his place so that about tells you how great his food was. If you're a local you already know about this joint. If you're a tourist, it's a great breakfast stop from the Kona/Kohala hotels on your way to Hilo or the Volcanoes. BTW, it's cash only so come prepared.
(5)Angel P.
If you're vacationing on Hawaii Island, avoid your hotel's over-priced breakfast buffet and instead head over to Hawaiian Style Cafe in Waimea (Kamuela). We ate here regularly for breakfast while on our honeymoon and loved, loved, loved this place. You cannot leave here hungry or unsatisfied. Their definition of "one egg" made me laugh, and I imagine they use a little beach shovel when serving up portions of potato hash and fried rice! Be sure to order the pancakes, as they practically float off your plate. There always seemed to be a good mix of locals and tourists eating here (including several tables of cops), so the people-watching is almost as fun as the dining experience. Leave a big tip when you go, the terrific waitresses deserve it for their helpfulness and sheer hustle!
(5)Jason S.
Best plate lunch on the island. Period. Huge portions, tasty food. What more do you want?
(5)May N.
Very good Hawaiian style breakfast and lunch at a reasonable price. The portions are also quite generous. This place beats the expensive breakfast buffet at all the hotels along the Kohala coast any day. If you're on the Kona side of the Big Island and have a rental car, you have to check this place out!
(4)Vee L.
Pretty good food, have eaten here a few times. I am a little mystified of the love for their pancakes. They are big, very disappointing though. Kinda like eating pancakes at Ken's House of Pancakes in Hilo. A lot of talk, no show though. Okay so these pancakes are big, I am 30 years old, it will not impress me just because the pancakes are the size of my head . Give me flavor, give me unique. One tasty item is their short ribs.
(3)Jessica S.
Best Hawaiian breakfast and lunch in town. The portions are generous, delicious, and the prices are reasonable. It's a perfect way to start off a busy day. It's located about 15 minutes from the major hotels on the Kona coast, you'll have to travel inland to check it out. The cafe gets pretty crowded so try to get there early. The crowd is a mixture of locals and tourists (tourists lucky enough to visit this rare jem). And, always try one of the specials. You'll never regret it. If you don't believe this review, ask the staff at your hotel. I'm sure most, if not all of them, will recommend it. Just thinking about the food, makes my mouth water!
(5)Amanda C.
When my boyfriend and I were riding in a cab to our hotel, we got to talking with the cab driver. He told us that all the locals love the Hawaiian Style Cafe in Kamuela. Considering I've been coming to the big island my whole life, I was shocked to hear of a good local restaurant that I'd never tried. AND they serve breakfast?! Cha-ching! So one morning we decided to try the Hawaiian Style Cafe and were BLOWN AWAY! Not only is the food super super cheap, it is aaaaamazing! Pancakes are so cheap we decided to order one to share. We figured, hey, it can't be a big portion at this price. Wrong! Those things are the size of tricked-out rims on an Escalade. I've never seen pancakes so large! It really must be said that the jewel of our gigantic "make-you-think-twice-about-slipping-on-a-bikini-Âtoday" breakfast was the Loco Moco. I am a true Loco Moco lover who's been jaded by Costco hamburger patties and powdered gravy, but fear not my friends... the Loco Moco here is the best in the world. The flavors are spot on, it's hearty without being too aggressive, and all around knows what it's doing. I'd be lying if I said I didn't crave that salty goodness at least once a month. or day. This is the best deal on the entire island of Hawaii and you must go here.
(5)David B.
A good greasy spoon cafe. Good service. I made the mistake of ordering a cheeseburger, which just seemed like a coscto patty. I should have gotten something more local.
(3)Scott C.
French toast was fair. Pancakes were huge, but size was the ticket here, not necessarily quality. Sandwiches were fair, with overcooked bacon and very filling. Service is adequate as it seems the waitress was split between most of the tables in the place. On the good side, it was all ver fairly priced and they had a good selection.
(3)Scott B.
awesome. craving more.
(5)william p.
This is a little local cafe in Waimae on the Big Island. It is a local favorite and I know why. The breakfasts are huge. This is not a breakfast for those with caloric phobia. At a very reasonal price, you get a mountain of food. Like beacon? Well your meal comes with a 1/2 pound. The pancakes are the size of Alaska. Kailua pork egg omlet, well it must be 5 eggs and a ton of pork. No, this is not five star resort food. It's an old fashion breakfast that you walk away from saying, I didn't see that coming. If you are worried about your weight, I suggest one of the other restaurants in town. My tip, share a breakfast with your spouse.
(4)Su-Lynn T.
This was our first real meal on the Big Island. We went there for breakfast after travelling for 10 hours the night before. We woke up really early because we were still on Mainland time and this was one of the only places open. The drive from Waikoloa to Waimea is not that bad, maybe 25 minutes. The drive is beautiful, and the surrounding areas in Waimea are lovely. Hawaiian Style Cafe is a quaint little spot often frequented by locals. We love local food, and especially *heart* cheap local grinds. We sat at the counter and I ordered the saimin and hubs ordered Da Tita Mok which is pretty much a loco moco on steroids. I think it had beef patty, sausage links, sausage patty, katsu, and of course, eggs and gravy. It was a TON of food, but all of it was soooo good and delicious. The beef patty on the Da Tita Mok was probably the best beef we had on the island, better than the burger place down the road! My saimin was warm and comforting, especially for the cool Waimea dawn hours. Eat it with spicy mustard and you'd wish you can have saimin for breakfast every day. The plates are big enough for leftovers so take it back to your condo/resort and enjoy it by the pool/beach later in the day. We sure did! I wishes we came here more than once during our 8-day stay on the Big Island but unfortunately we just didn't have time. There is so much to see and do on the Big Island that we tried not to eat at the same place more than once, but if we did, Hawaiian Style Cafe is #1 on our list!!!
(5)Cassandra G.
Love this place. The food feels very homey and authentic. Above all else, the portions are huge and coffee is refilled constantly. My only complaint about my veggie omelet is that they used American cheese. Don't get me wrong, I have a soft spot in my heart for American... just not all over my vegetables. The kalua pork hash was phenomenal. Their hashbrowns are crispy and well seasoned. (To be fair, everything is pretty well salted.) Be careful: it is cash only!
(4)Tommy L.
Hawaiian Style Cafe was one of our destination points for "local grinds" on our first trip to the Big Island. They didn't miss a beat, great food and a homey feeling. We loved our kalua hash and the haupia pancakes. Will definitely be back. Hope you give it a try as well, you won't be sorry.
(5)K R.
We were on vacation on the Big Island and we were told that we HAD to try this cafe. We were staying 25 mins away in Waikoloa. This place is awesome! Huge portions & great prices! I had the country chicken & puluha mix plate. My bf had the pork chop & honey chicken mix plate. Both were excellent! Fresh quality food & AWESOME brown gravy. Real, authentic hawaiian cuisine. Didn't make it for breakfast, but wish we would've- it looked amazing! Get away from your hotel & go!
(5)Aaron S.
This is real down home cooking, Hawaiian style. My wife and I got a recommendation to go here from some locals, so we did. I loved it, my wife found it to be a little greasy. I never thought that I'd complain about portion size being too big, but this place tries to give you a heart attack with each plate. No matter what you order, assume it'll be twice as big as you think. It's a must try for breakfast.
(4)Sandra R.
You walk inside this little café place with a big seated bar area and a few booths and on the wall might notice a sign saying "Quality, Speed, Service - Pick One..." I noticed it right off and thought it was cute; but how true?? At first it certainly wasn't the service. Sure we were seated right away but were given no water and then ignored. Locals came in and got water and their order and seemed to be catered to. (I understand, locals vs. tourists - I live in a tourist town) Anyway, it was quickly realized that we hadn't ordered and the service was okay afterwards. Speed - I got mine fairly quickly but BF got his about 5 minutes later. Quality - I got a mixed plate of Korean pork and Sweet pork with a green salad and mac salad (again with tuna and peas - I figured this is the big island way). I could not tell the difference between the two different flavors on the pork. It looked like sliced ham grilled up with some sauce, pretty basic and simple. Some pieces were burnt. I was hungry; but thinking about it now I was disappointed and certainly wouldn't order it again. BF had the Teri-beef sandwich. Good flavor, simple, awkward to eat but satisfying. Cheap! $20 for Lunch seems very reasonable. It's definitely a place to come back to and looks like a great place for breakfast. So was it Quality, speed or service? None! I would say price. At least for this meal/experience.
(3)Ken S.
When traveling Big Island make sure you travel north, so much beauty..breath taking views and you will need a great breakfast to see it all...soooooo..start of at Hawaiian Style Cafe. Remember you are on Hawaiian time so dont get your hurry on..just pull up a chair...order the big moke...and grind...that eat for all you mainlanders...Very filling breakfast's of all kinds at a very reasonable prices..after all your 5 star dinning...your tummy and pocket book will love this place...down home hawaiian style food that will fill and thrill the beast in all that enter here. Now you are ready to take on Weimea, Hawi, or where ever your travels take you.
(4)Thomas M.
Loco Mocos, scoops upon scoops of white rice, spam a-go-go, eggs for days, "poto-gee" sausages that could choke an elephant, humungo hamburgers, and enough fries to bury a chest of hidden treasure. Where else can you get food like this in these dinosauric portions? At Hawaiian Style, of course. I remember many years ago, my AP European History teacher, the "Doc", took our class here before the AP exam. Big mistake. We all fell asleep 15 minutes into the exam in a grease and carb induced coma. One lousy exam experience, any many grams of arterial plaque later, and this place STILL has one of my favorite b-fasts on the Big Island. Not to long ago, I took my girlfriend here for gargantuan breakfast before our morning swim at Hapuna. This proved to be dangerous--no matter how hard we tried to swim, we could not help from sinking. Hawaiian Style, you made me nearly throw a major exam, clogged up my arteries, almost drowned my girlfriend and I, and yet I keep coming back to you. Against my better judgement of course. That being said, you must be damn good at what you do. I'll see you next time I'm in town. Maybe next time you can make me fall asleep at the wheel in a glucky coma, or give me hella stretch marks. Whatever it is, I can't wait.
(4)Mich Y.
We stopped here for breakfast on our way to Akaka Falls. The bf and I ordered pancakes, kahlua pork hash, and a sunnyside egg on the side. These pancakes were HUGE. Before we got them, we were wondering if two pancakes would be enough for us, but it turns out, we couldn't even finish them. We heard a guy a few seats down asking if someone needed a hup cap for their car (yes, they're THAT BIG!) Super fluffy and delicious too. Just remember to bring cash with you, as they don't take credit cards :)
(5)Leon C.
You can tell this is a local place because only the locals eat here. This place is good but it's very similar to the big island grill. So if you had that, you had this. This place is good. I'm not saying it isn't. But it's far from kona and not worth the drive. If you're in waimea, big island grill isn't worth the drive and I would go here instead. It's almost the same thing so just go to whichever is closer.
(4)Michael C.
We ate here almost 3 times (we arrived behind a party of 12 and did not have the time to wait). Kahlua Pork hash is their specialty and as a hash lover, excellent. I also had the loco moco with hamburger and spam...wonderful (but really bad for you). Very friendly to tourists as well as locals. I could have eaten here every day. Best breakfast we had our entire stay!
(5)Mike M.
Heard about this place a long time ago but never had the chance to try the place out. I finally did and the best hawaiian food in town.
(5)Sf Momm Y.
it's WAIMEA..... The post office forced the locals to change the name to kamuela, but be sure to look for signs/maps to WAIMEA, lest you get super confused. After having breakfast daily (buffet) at the resort, it was nice to try something else! Yes, this is how da locals eat.... Plate sharing costs $2.75, so just suck it up and order something. Where else on this planet will there be a chance for you to order a plate of spam, chicken katsu, sausage, a hamburger patty, and 2 eggs over a bed (or a tarmac) of fried rice?????? Topped with GRAVY. As in, fat drippings mixed with flour or corn starch. All for you. For $10. It's amazing. It's a thrill and simply stunning that this was my breakfast one day, and it will go on my record books that I ate here. I saw a skinny fair lil gal with spam on her plate and inside I was all 'go on, lil lady, I'm glad you're not hatin' on the spam!' but when she left, I noticed the spam was left on her plate. What a waste! Their iced tea was a good option to help wash down/off the grease in my tummy. Service was brisk and no nonsense and efficient. People do bring (and sometimes feed!!) their kids here. So bring on the family! Located in a tiny lil mall next to a souvenir/sundry store called "crackseed".
(5)Mais S.
Very reasonable prices. Food is very good. Watch out - portions are HUGE! One breakfast will easily feed 2 adults!
(5)Drew W.
Big time ono. Brought some mainland folks to the joint to soak up some local food and ambiance. They were blown away by the food and portions. Still only $75 for 7 people. Good deal. We ended up at the cool old school house museum up the road to walk the meal off.
(5)Joy I.
Came here three times during a two week stay in Kamuela for work. The food was really good!! Local style, very friendly service. I think we came back for the service as much as the food. By the second time, one of the guys recognized us, making us feel even more in love with the place. Their portions are huge and the price is amazing for the amount that you get (not what I'm used to back home in Oahu). I got the loco moco, which was pretty good, their haupia pancakes also pretty good, and on the last day I got their roast beef loco moco, which was DELICIOUS. mmmmmm it was a special for the day, so I'm not too sure how often it comes out, but that was amazing.
(5)Andrea Y.
Had pancakes (10/10), kalbi (another 10) and moco loco (10). Huge portions and most dishes under $10. Small family owned business. Nothing fancy but the food is awesome. Was here 4 years ago and now in 2011. We are going again...and again...
(5)Steve C.
We've been to the big island several times and always make it a point to go to HSC. This place has great food, big portions and low prices. My wife and I have had just about everything on the breakfast menu. The standouts are the Hawaiian French toast, kalua pork hash and the loco moco. The macaroni salad is also very good. Its slightly different than typical Mac salad in that it has tuna in it. The place looks like a dive but it's clean and service is fast and friendly. There can be a bit of a wait, but it's worth it. Keep in mind they close at 1:30pm if you're looking for lunch.
(5)Richard M.
OMG! That is My first thing to say!! This is a super local place to eat! It's a perfect Breakfast spot, but expect to wait to get a seat. You can experience super local foods like spam loco moko, or you can have oldies but goodies like a simple omelet or 2 egg breakfast. What ever you order COME HUNGRY! Most breakfasts come with your normal choice of meat, bread (Toast, Pancakes, English muffins) Most cases choice of Hash browns or rice (White rice, brown rice fried rice) I think you getting my message. The choice of meat.. I do not lie to you the bacon is deep fried and their idea of a "portion" is 1/2 a pound! No kidding. The Pancakes, you get 2 and they are the size of a 9" platter. 2 eggs and 3 potatoes worth of hash browns!! Who eats like this!! The food is Better than good but not fanatical. The service is sparse, you normally only have 2-3 waiters for the entire restaurant. the place is over due for an update.. all the things you want a GREAT Hole In The Wall to be! I absolutely love it!! the Prices are dirt cheap at 7-9 bucks a meal (plus beverage) gay Rating: The place is super local super family, but loud and obnoxious friends will simply be sneered at as the waiter runs about! CASH ONLY!!!!!!!!!!!! Id give it a gay rating of 7.5 outta 10
(4)Gary K.
We ate here on our last day on a recent trip to the Big Island. After a week of eating sub par commercial kitchen food at the resorts, the Hawaiian Style Cafe was the BOMB! The ambiance is definitely local feel. Really welcoming and attentive service. We sat at the counter as it was busy @ 10:30 AM on a Saturday. Bella ran with the kids breakfast of pancake, egg and sausage. Nic and Morgan rocked the French Toast with a HUGE side of bacon and hash browns. I decided I needed some "Hawaiian Style" so I rolled with the Locco Mocco. Um, yes! Really delicious plate. The two hamburger patties were char broiled to perfection, with grilled onions, an over easy egg on top ... All chillin on a bed of rice and oh yeah, don't forget the gravy. Yum! We will definitely hit this spot up on our next visit. Well worth the 20 minute drive from the Waikoloa resort we were at. We were just bummed we hit it on the last day.
(5)Dawn R.
Wouldn't dream of coming to the Big Island without coming here. The Loco Moco is my favorite. My husband had the day's special omelet - a hamburger omelet, which he loved. Another day we tried the pancakes - awesome! I try to visit Waimea as often as possible, and never pass up the opportunity to eat here.
(5)Michelle M.
My bad.... they are open, but only for breakfast, closes by 1:00.
(1)David W.
Staying in the Waikoloa Village resort, and found this place on yelp. I gotta say this place has the best breakfast I've ever had! It looks like a local's hangout, and the prices are pretty reasonable. I had the "Big Mok" loco moco (meat, rice, gravy... awesome), and my wife had the portugese sausage and ham omelet. The omelet comes with a side order of toast or pancakes, and my wife ordered the pancakes. No one told us the pancakes alone take up an entire plate! The food was excellent (coffee was a little weak though), and the service was friendly. We're definately going to eat there again when we go to Hilo. Oh, btw, it's CASH ONLY.
(5)S H.
A must for any visitor to the Big Island who likes a big, local style breakfast. We ordered 2 breakfasts and 4 of us could not finish it. Delicious pancakes! Great coffee! A real deal. My kids are still talking about our waiter who kept a quarter nestled in his ear. We should have asked why!
(5)Heidi B.
HUGE, HUGE PORTIONS!! They are out-of-control..however they are good - for the most part. I ordered the "lite" breakfast which consisted of a pancake larger than my head, eggs, and bacon. It was decent and well priced. If you go, take my advice and share a plate!
(3)Reverend M.
Ate breakfast there this morning September 23rd, 2009. Was on our way driving to Hilo for the farmers market. Saw this place out of the corner of my eye and thought to myself...." this place will either be terrific or absolutely God awful. I'm happy to say it went beyond terrific. I can honestly say it was the best breakfast I have ever had in my life. I had the Chicken Fried Steak....because I have not had it in years and figured it would either rock my world or be inedible. It rocked my world. HUGE portions. My six year old son had the pancakes and bacon. I kid you not when I tell you it came with about 8 strips of bacon. The pancakes ( which I normally hate because they are so heavy and leaden....) we so light and fluffy it literally shocked me. I wished they had real maple syrup...but that is my only issue with breakfast. My wife had the steak and eggs and it was also very good. People were very kind to us, we were not treated like tourists....but a very nice welcome. Not too salty, not too oily, hash browns from Heaven.....fast service, fresh food, very reasonable prices. We will be here for six more days and will go by at least a few more times. Five stars only because I can only give five stars.
(5)Lolo F.
Got to go with five stars here. The local lamb was off the hook good. The pancakes the size of the moon and yummy, darn it, I don't remember all the tasty things we had. Enjoyed the Kahlua hash and classic Hawaiian-style breakfasts. Over the course of three weeks last July the sweetie and I took to eating our body weight in quality old-school local diner/restaurant food in the morning, swimming it off all day, craving Yong's kalbi place for dinner, rinse and repeat the next day. The staff is good to you if you are good to them, we never had anything but friendly help. Seriously huge portions at great prices. They get busy.
(5)Clifford L.
Yes, the portions are big, but you probably won't want to finish it after you get a whiff of that awful smell coming from behind the kitchen. I lost my appetite right there. It gets worse. My loco moco patties were still cold on the inside as were my son's chicken nuggets. Really? You couldn't fry frozen nuggets for a small child or grill a frozen burger patty properly? I hope we don't get good poisoning. Update: we went to the public restrooms at Puako after lunch and it was cleaner and better smelling than the restroom at the restaurant. No joke!
(1)Ryan R.
driving south east from kohala towards to Hilo, we came across this diner for brekkie. the pancakes are big, and yummy. But i decided to try their specialty, so i went for the kaluahash! mm mmm mmmm good. a must stop when in the area. big island.
(5)Kenny C.
The best plate lunch in Waimea. The price is good and the portions are humungous. The staff is friendly. Seating can be a little limited. Would definitely make this a regular stop.
(5)Karen K.
So good. If they have the Hawaiian plate where you are here you must get it. The lau lau is the best we have ever had.
(5)Scott H.
So to the guy who calls himself a chef and gave this place only 1 start, let me say I will never eat at your place! This place may very well be the best breakfast joint I have even been in. Portions huge, value super, flavor fantastic, service friendly fast and helpful. When she tries to convince you to get the pancakes and not the toast...Trust her, get the pancakes! We were lucky to get there before 9 on a Sunday before we started our journey to the east side of the Island, by the time we left there was a line. Yeah its a dive but I would drive here again in a heartbeat!
(5)T R.
Heard about this from yelp and the hotel concierge (I normally don't ask hotel concierges for recommendations). Had to go on Friday for the Hawaiian plate. My husband, from California, had the Hawaiian plate with chicken long rice, lau lau, kalua pig, and mac salad - you could choose rice or poi - he chose poi. I had the kalbi with lau lau, rice and mac salad - thinking we could share the rice and poi - no such luck for me! When I looked, the poi was almost gone. In fact, the server complimented him as he finished everything on his plate. The lau lau was moist, tender and not too salty. The kalbi was flavorful - both sweet and salty. I must have been eating like it was onolicious as the lady next to me, from Iowa, looked at my plate, asked me what it was and ordered it. It is a casual place, very local style and can be intimidating but everyone is very nice. Cash only. Big counter in front with booths along the wall. My husband had to come back for breakfast. He had the kalua hash with eggs and fried rice. I am not much of a breakfast person, so I had the small bowl of beef stew with rice and mac salad - I was very happy. For local kine food - very ono.
(4)Kalani C.
This place is the bomb! Ono kine grinds. Classic example of a unique local eatery that delivers the goods big time. Portions are large and the menu offers a variety of local classics as well as specials that may include rack of lamb and fresh fish. Seating is mainly along the bar, a perfect opportunity to chat with the kamaaina; or in the limited booths along the wall and in the back. They accept cash only. An ATM machine is available in the restaurant. An awesome experience & opportunity to support local.
(5)Jonathan K.
During our trip we ate here twice, once for breakfast and once for lunch. The place is small and informal. Both times, we had to put our name on the list, but we never waited more than 10 minutes. The food isn't fancy, but it is GOOD and the portions are pretty big. Highly recommend one of their 3 egg omelets. I had Spam and cheddar...loved it! Hashbrowns were good and the huge pancakes were awesome! For lunch, my wife had the Kalbi Ribs, which were very good. My son thought the Fish and Chips were, ehh...ok. My other son had a double-bacon cheese burger, which was huge! I ordered a grilled cheese with Spam, which wasn't on the menu, but they didn't balk at my request, and it was a good sized sandwich. The only disappointment was their "large" juice, @$2.50, was in a smaller glass than the water they brought us. This is a cash only establishment, they do have an ATM in the restraunt, if you don't come prepared. Four people can eat for less than $60, including tip. Cost vs. portion and taste was perfect, especially on the Big Island, where hotels want $25 each for breakfast buffet. This is really a good place to eat, if you're driving from Waikoloa Beach to Hilo or the volcanoes
(4)Sheryl I.
I had the regular corned beef hash one day and the kahlua hash another day...just for variety. Can't decide which was better as they were both awesome! My son (who hates breakfast!) had the sweet bread french toast with porteguese sausage and declared it all delish...which I felt compelled to confirm. And he was right...it was!
(5)Jeannanicole D.
This local cafe welcomes you with open menus and warm smiles. My first trip there, I had a rack of lamb worthy of tears. There is no accompanying fruity sauce, and no need for mint jelly. Their combination of seasonings and grill work had me raving and craving for weeks.
(5)Aga O.
You definitely need to come here HUNGRY and then honestly call it a day, since after eating here Polynesian paralysis will promptly take affect. Coming here for the first time was an experience for SERIOUS GRINDZ... This is not for the faint of heart for greasy, heavy, filling local fare... The plates are GINORMOUS and plentiful - if you get a regular 2lg egg breakfast plate, it'll come w/ meat, A LOT of it... about half pound of BACON which is DEEP FRIED, eggs, rice or hash and choice of toast or pancakes. I got the the smoked meat omelet w/ hash and pancakes - more like cakes ... 2 cakes about the size of the platter flopped on w/ giant block of butter. The smoked meat is extremely tasty, and smoky, but not too salty... cheese, onions, my only gripe would be the mushrooms in it - it was the canned kind... did they run out of fresh button ones? The hubs got their famous "tita mok"... FAT hamburger patty, chicken cutlet, 2 thick slices of spam, 1 egg, grilled onions, fried rice, and rich brown gravy atop the entire dish... you can look at the pictures for yourself... oh, and you get 2 pancakes or toast w/ that as well. CHEAP eats... most plates are around 7-8bucks. You get the feel of ohana... staff, cook, servers were EXTREMELY friendly... they don't have places like that in the Bay... how unfortunate... but we'll make it up to Waimea again and always be good to visit, eat, and sleep... zzzzz
(4)Josh B.
This is what I had in mind for local food. Way way better than big island cafe. The pork hash was very good as was the french toast. Very family friendly. The place was full of locals - a good sign and the menu was fill of regional selections. A place you'd need to visit more than once to sample it all. Note - cash only!
(4)Richard J.
How can you not love this place. My first breakfast on the Big Island is always here....generous (huge!) portions, local colour.....an interesting mix of clientele. The menu alone ranks this place up high. They serve breakfast and lunch whenever they're open....heaps of food all of very decent quality.
(4)Louis W.
The giant pancakes here are fluffy and the pile of bacon is crispy. My wife and I both ordered eggs over easy, bacon, hashbrowns, and the pancakes. It was too much to finish. The11 year old enjoyed her thick cut hawaiian bread french toast. The five year old enjoyed his egg, sausage, and mickey shaped pancake. Coffee was hot, but not strong enough for our taste. We got the last parking spot on the strip in front of the cafe, signed in, had a 10 minute wait at 10:30, service was good, cash only, and an atm in the cafe. Coconut syrup was the only thing they were missing.
(5)K. C.
Good food, large portions, reasonable price...what more can I say. So good we had to go back a second time on our short 4-day trip to the Big Island. We tried the fried rice, Kailua hash, veggie omelette...all good. Place is small, but food comes out fast and service is quick. On a Saturday, I went where there was a party of 15 plus 3 parties of two ahead of us...the wait was less than 25 minutes. Kid friendly too. Breakfast for 3, plus leftovers for less than $30...nuff said!
(5)Judi W.
Wonderful, busy diner. Staff was efficient and friendly. Food was great, served fast and was still hot. We'll be back!
(5)Ryan S.
Awesome food, huge portion sizes, and its cheap what's not to love?
(5)Ron B.
Worth the wait. Make sure you bring your man vs food appetite. Servings are huge. I had the Portuguese sausage and ham omelette. She asked if I wanted toast or pancakes. I should of said toast I only took 3 bites of the pancakes I was so full from the omelette.
(5)Alissa M.
Recommended to us by a local and we are SO glad we stopped here. Heard about the huge portions...I'm not sure if we were all just really hungry or what because we left very little food on the plates. My dad & I got the kalua pork hash which was amazing. I mean kalua pork mixed with potatoes, 2 eggs and fried rice? How can you not say that's just a perfect combination? My mom got the huli-huli chicken which was smoked and a little dry. We caught the end part of lunchtime and there was plenty of seating. There's a shaved ice place right next door so if you still have some more room stop over there!
(5)Amy M.
This was the best Hawaiian cuisine that I had on my entire trip to HI! The portuguese sausage and ham omelet was incredible and you gotta try the pancakes with coconut pudding...pretty yummy! If we lived closer, we would eat our way through the menu. The waitresses were really friendly and attentive. So glad that this cafe was recommended to us by a local!!!
(5)Maria W.
Local yummy breakfast - I had the french toast made with the local bread and sausages and husband had the home made kalua pork hash with fried rice. Delicious, fresh, and nothing that I've had before. We saw the entrees around us and the omelets are huge with huge sides of hash browns and pancakes (that are seriously the size of a large plate). Cash only.
(4)Gina H.
REALLY disappointed. I normally love this place. I ordered the chicken cutlet Loco Moco. ICK! The gravy was obviously from a packet. The chicken was dry and over cooked. I was really bummed to see this place go down hill. Maybe just an off day? I sure hope so.
(2)Stephen G.
This is a great place. I agree with the other reviewer - the Kalua Hash is awesome. Anyone near Waimea must go here for breakfast or lunch. Lots of good hawaiian style plate lunches, too. Get there early.
(5)Jennifer D.
Huge portions of food for great prices. I came here before hitting up Hapuna Beach, and we ended up taking our grub to go and eating at some picnic tables overlooking the ocean. We ordered two 2-combo plates: we tried the korean chicken and the fried chicken (both were actually fried, but the korean chicken had more flavor, so I recommend the korean chicken). Highly recommended! I really really like that korean chicken...I'm getting hungry- can't keep thinking about it!
(5)Micah P.
This is another place that has been a staple in Waimea since I was young. Basically all the local favorites made about 3 times bigger than normal. 3 egg omelette is the size of a 9 egg omelette and comes with a side of either toast or pancakes. Only thing is that the pancakes are HUGE. About the size of the entire plate and there are two of them. I finished my breakfast with pancakes ONCE in my lifetime. Me and my buddies were hung over and went there for breakfast. We all made a deal that we had to finish and by the time we were done one of my friends was lying on the floor under our booth...not a joke. All the aunty's that wait on you are awesome and uncle is the cook and always crushes it. Luau plate on Fridays is legit. If you want local food for cheap and huge portions this is one of the best spots in Hawaii. Big ups!
(5)Sean M.
It's a refreshing breather from high priced hotel food. It's a bit of a drive from the resorts on the beach and when they say its local... its local. That being said, every one is friendly and its an eclectic mix of locals and vacationers. Come early because from what I heard from the locals, if the food runs out, the HSC shuts its doors, and from what I saw that must happen alot. The place is very busy so you can expect to wait. The food is heavy, greasy and filling. Its like a slice of heaven. You get more then you will be able to finish. I got a breakfast that has 2 large eggs, two huge pancakes, at least a pound of bacon (not kidding...), and a huge pile of hash-browns for $6.75. Throw in a coffee and the tip and thats enough food to feed you all day for less then $10.00. No small feat for Hawaii.
(5)Robin N.
Just a hidden gem where the locals go. If you want to blend in, no aloha shirts and white tennis shows! food is plentiful and just plain great! Breakfast pancakes filled the entire dinner plate and the mixed plates were delicious for lunch. Servers were helpful on what to try and just happy to see us! A peat and repeat!!
(5)Mike W.
Awesome local breakfast. Pancakes the size of tires and a corned beef hash that will but you into a food coma.
(4)Val P.
The Hawaiian Style Cafe is truly a little gem in the rough. Either seat yourself at the large "U" shaped counter in front of the kitchen or at a booth around the periphery. What this place lacks for in ambiance, it makes for in great food delivered in large proportions. Have experienced on numerous occasions, menu items such as loco-moco w/ fried rice, omelets, pancakes, and bacon cheeseburgers, and all were fantastic! Cash only, but the nice thing is you don't have to part with much of it when you pay your bill.
(5)Jen V.
Best value, hands down. Yummy comfort food, HUGE portions. Super friendly staff (who remembered us on our second visit, making us feel so welcome). Eat at the counter to chat with locals and/or trade tips with other visitors. Here's what the guy next to me said this morning: "Aren't those haupia pancakes delicious? It's like eating wedding cake for breakfast." True that.
(5)Keri A.
Food was VERY GOOD, just a little too buttery for my everyday breakfast food. Regardless if you try to go the healthy route (egg whites, turkey bacon, and papaya) it will still have the buttery goodness as the other plates. the pancakes were ginormous (along with the other plates), but very delicious! although we only tried two dishes, my healthy one and his omelet (which was very very good), they both were very delicious. it definitely seemed like a local spot, with some tourists passing through the area.
(4)mellany p.
This place deserves a Congrats for making Travel and Leisure's Best Pancake List and it is well deserved ;) These pancakes are huge and fluffy. We ate there last week and loved the pancakes and kalua hash--you must try it! Service was very friendly and full of the aloha spirit. You can tell this is a community joint as there were many from the neighborhood chatting away with the staff. They open at 7 in the morning.
(5)Keromi K.
One of the best breakfasts on the Big Island. My daughter loves the way they made her pancakes look like Mickey Mouse. The portions are HUGE! I had the kahlua pork hash and my husband had the kahlua pork loco moco - both were excellent. It does get crowded and noisy so you need to prepare for that. There were babies crying the whole time, but it didn't bother us. The service was super friendly and I wish we could have gone back more.
(4)Steph S.
If you are in Waimea it's a must have breakfast. Greasy spoon, laid back, with great service and food.
(5)The Sock S.
HSC got some ono grinds. It's a locals place, but everyone is welcome. The food is good. All the usuals, portuguese sausage, spam, loco moco...damn I'm drooling. And the pancakes are fluffy and big! The portions are huge! Do I even have to comment about service? Come on... Every time I'm back on the Big Island, I get breakfast here as often as possible. Which isn't as much as I would like. Shoot, I could eat here every day. I'd be effin fat, well that is effin fatter than I am now, but damn I'd be happy.
(4)Jerod H.
My dad took me here when I was younger and I remember the food being so good. The guy that used to own and run the place, Mike, was awesome and came out and talked story with us. The Kalbi ribs were so ono. Shoots, this place is not to be missed.
(5)TL V.
Been coming to Waimea for years and only tried this place last year for the first time. Ate breakfast again yesterday. This place is a diamond in the rough. Ambiance is nil, oldschool diner, but food is fantastic and plentiful. Banana/Macnut pancakes, ham steak and eggs/hashbrowns were all great. Not cheap (for breakfast fare) and cash only but truly a great value. Service can be inconsistent, couple of waitresses have some attitude, but worth a trip. Opens at 7 am, busy by 7:30 and jammed on the weekends, line down the street. Breakfast is our favorite meal and we haven't ever been disappointed there. Be sure and take your Lipitor.
(5)Milo R.
Had to stop by before leaving Hawaii. Still more & the best Hawaiian Style breakfast for the buck. This is one of the reasons why I'm going to miss Hawaii. Mahalo Hawaiian Style.
(5)jeremy b.
Big and good. 5 stars!
(5)Tina E.
We stopped by this place for breakfast on our way from Hilo to Kona side. A couple of locals recommended this place so we had to try it out. This place is in a nondescript mini strip mall type place and we almost passed it by so keep a watchful eye. They are also cash only so either bring cash with you or use the ATM conveniently located in the restaurant. It is a very casual setting where you just seat yourself. The coffee isn't that great but then again we didn't come here because we heard the coffee was good. The menu is nothing elaborate and caters to the locals. I ordered the home made Portuguese sausage and eggs special while my other half got the short ribs. I have to point out that the portions are HUUUUUUGGGGGGEEEEE!!!! My food was pretty good, if I went there again I would try something different. My honey though loved his short ribs and the macaroni salad too. Great value for the money and if we ever find ourselves in Wiamea we will be stopping by again. :)
(4)Michelle S.
The Kalbie Ribs are to die for! I go there every chance I get. I always order the Ribs no matter what time of day it is!
(5)James L.
A must-visit to add to your list of diners. One of the best breakfasts you will ever have. Delicious omelettes and humongous pancakes. Wait staff was friendly and courteous.
(5)Drew M.
Great prices, good food, and huge portions. To me this is probably the best breakfast place on the island. I could be wrong but at worst it has to be top 3. Everyone I have told about it loves it too. Solid local food.
(4)Amy A.
solid hawaiian style breakfast for those looking for an island taste and starving for some serious carb loading. portions are humongous but very tasty. i had the loco moco - good but not used to so much salt i think i went into a bit of sodium shock. husband had the portuguese loco moco or something or another. honestly, everything was good and definitely a worthwhile stop if you're driving from kona/waikoloa to waipio/hilo. and you won't even need to stop for lunch! cash only f you're coming from kona on 190, make a left on 19 (lindsay st). maps were off...but that's a story for another time.
(3)Quintin D.
I admit it, I love spam, rice and eggs. And that's what I got, and in huge portions at this very locals-catering-yet-tourist-friendly little cafe. It was our second time to come back, first time was last year in January of 2005. You won't come away hungry from any of the items on their menus, which include breakfast items like Loco Moco and Big Moke to lunch fare like Teriyaki Chicken and other Hawaiian favourites. Service was friendly, and quick, and definitely beats resort-type prices if you are on a budget.
(5)Matt H.
The best chicken long rice Ive ever had! seriously if the have it on special you have to get it. It also comes with mac salad and white rice. The mac salad is super yummy with peas and tuna. Hawaiian style cafe is as good as it gets!
(5)Fred M.
Damn! My only complaint is that this place is NOT easy to find even though it's directly on the main road. Once you find it, though, it's a gem. Wait staff is friendly, most clients are local, and the portions are obscene. Everything on the menu needs to come with one caveat ... no matter how hungry you are, it'll be more than you can eat. The "side" of 2 pancakes that came with an omelet w/hash browns are the size of the tires on a Smart car and can easily take up a quarter of the table. You might think I'm joking, but order it and find out for yourself. The juices are incredible, the omelet is the size of your arm and has fresh everything in it. Most impressive of all was the hash. I'm not a huge fan of hash because of how greasy / fatty it tastes, but I tried some of my wife's and I couldn't stop eating it (yes, we argued ... and I apologized). It's delicious and fairly light considering it's hash.
(4)M E.
Great local place found through our surf shop guys. Wow! Great selection of eggs , pancakes, local fare. Huge portions.Service was eggcellent and speedy. Go now!
(5)Jamie F.
Great food and awesome service. Family went for breakfast. I had the kalua hash...fantastic. The pork was nice and smoky, and portions were very generous. Wife had the bacon and mushroom omelet and a side of bacon. Bacon was very well done so ask for it less cooked if you don't like it (very) crispy. The best part was the service. Super fast and super friendly. A most stop on the big island.
(4)Mark W.
Well worth the drive from Waikoloa, absolutely the best local food we've had. The pork hash combo was ono and the sweet bread French toast too, tons of Bacon accompanied the order. Very large portions, very local.
(5)C L.
love their breakfast items.
(4)Jennifer F.
This place is the real deal - authentic Hawaiin breakfast with the perfect atmosphere, good service, and casual dining experience. The prices are right, and the portions are outrageous! You can get an authentic Hawaiin breakfast here - I had the Kalua Pig Hash breakfast, which came with two eggs, toast, and sausage. It was absolutely delicious and way more than I could eat. My husband had the two eggs breakfast with hash browns, toast, and bacon, which also was absolutely huge! Great value for your money. Also, the drive up from the Waikaloa area is absolutely beautiful! They had some other very interesting dishes, I only wish we could have made it back for a second try!
(4)Cynthia C.
Such a great, authentic and fun place! Worth the wait. Server was not a ball of fire or very friendly, but quite frankly they probably don't have to be....we'd all still keep coming! I don't think we ate again all day after the breakfast! YUM!
(5)Sid T.
Good value, large helping (share a plate?), casual feel, friendly service
(3)Mrs B.
A wonderful hole in the wall restaurant! Huge portions and extremely reasonable prices. The food was VERY good. Have recommended it to several people since visiting. Can't wait to get back to the island. Will definitely eat here again!
(5)N. H.
This place is great. Love their seating style (U-shaped counter surrounding the kitchen/serving area) and the vibe of the place. I felt like I had been coming here for years the first time I stepped in and the food did not disappoint either. Let me warn you, the pancakes are huuuuge so I suggest only getting one package instead of the two that come with your breakfast. Haven't tried lunch yet, but will update when I come back during the lunch hour.
(5)Hoa T.
This place is SO good we came back a second time on our 5-day trip. Portions are huge like everyone else has mentioned. You can easily share one plate with 2 or even 3 people. I recommend the kalua hash with fried rice and 2 eggs (it was a breakfast special one morning). Skip the pancakes though, they're big and doughy. Also good were the chicken katsu loco moco and the kalua omelette (or cheesy goodness as jorge calls it). Service is friendly and prices are cheap.
(4)Zuben B.
Honestly, not sure what the buzz is about this place except the price is right. I'm a huge fan of pancakes and thought everything was good but nothing exceptional. Good for kids and on the way to Waipio. Nice staff.
(3)Kione E.
Oh my god! It's Huge! Not just huge! But fricken' rediculous huge! Ok people. I'm talking about the size of the dishes that was served here. I was thinking that the prices for breakfast which ranges about 10 to 15 dollars was kinda steep. Rich tells us that the portions are huge. I then see a few dishes go by us to other customer near by. What the...!!! Wow. Huge! I get the Chicken steak locomoco. Damn, I getting hungry just thinking about it. Deepfried chicken steak on rice with 2 easy over eggs and chicken gravy, and potato macaronni salad. Huge! And not surprisingly, delicious. Aw man. I hungry now. Ru got the Kalbi with rice and potato macaronni salad. She wasn't too happy with it. It was more a teriyaki steak. And it was huge! I thought it was pretty tasty. So we traded, but not till I got a few bites outta my order. Then I proceeded to finish off Ru's lunch. And thank god she don't eat much, cus I got to finish off the locomoco as well. Believe me when I say I was full. No, I was beyond full. I was in bliss. Damn. I'll make a trip back to Hawaii for that alone. With 5 of us all together there. We were able to put together 2 full boxes of left overs combined. Lunch was about 75 dollars, but what we had could have fed 8 people easily. I'd say it was totally worth it.
(4)Mimi D.
Concierge at the Hilton Waikoloa recommended this place and it was hit for cheap, fast food. The only down side was that all the tourists want to eat here too so it was kind of a long wait. I hate waiting for breakfast since I wake up bitchy until I am fed so the wait was annoying for me. It is a small mom and pop type place with a U shaped front area like the Apple Pan and then a row of booths and then some small tables in the back. He go the steak and 2 eggs that came with a side of onions, 2 scoops of rice and a side of toast and I got spam, eggs and toast and we also got 2 juices and the entire bill came out to be $21. Great deal for some great food and the best part was that the food was on the table in about 10 minutes. The service was awesome. The chick was swamped, but still super nice and super fast. She even packed me a to-go water and with a smile. The only other bad part was that the glasses were not super clean. There was a trace of lipstick on my orange juice cup. I would recommend this place for some quick and easy eats, but drink out of a straw.
(4)Kerynn G.
This is the perfect "Hawaiian Greasy Spoon". I loved it. The service was awesome and the portions were huge. The prices were the best on the Big Island.
(5)Phil L.
I was born and raised in Hawai`i, surrounded by real Hawaiian food (even before loco moco !)-- from the backyard imu and family potlucks to the best of the local-style restaurants. The local food at Hawaiian Style Cafe is by far the best that I've had in any restaurant in a long, long time---maybe ever ! The lu`au stew and tripe stew are unbelievably onolicious. The pancakes, kalua hash and other choices are also beyond compare.
(5)CHRISTY M.
super yummy loco moco! the portions are so big! the service is hawaiian style...easy going, no worries
(5)Virginia T.
During a recent vacation on the Big Island, I came to this place twice because that's how good the food is! This place is filled with locals and tourists alike and despite being quite sizeable, there's sometimes a wait if you don't time your visit properly. Both times, we've been seated in their ramen-esque front seating area. If you're looking for a good loco moco, look no further! The house style is a handmade patty that is very beefy with the richest loco moco gravy I've ever had. The portion was also HUGE! Definitely enough for 2 people. My boyfriend had the Pulehu plater that comes with fried chicken and kalbi. The chicken is very crispy and tender. As for the kalbi, if you're expecting the very sweet Korean style, you might be a bit disappointed that this kalbi is more on the savory side and very beefy in flavor. But it's all so delicious! On my second visit, I enjoyed a single haupia pancake. Just one. It was literally the size of a vinyl record and I'm so glad I opted for a single rather than the double stack. The coconut pudding was so yummy that I didn't need any maple or coconut syrup to enjoy this thing! The couple next to me also ordered pancakes and when asked if a second order of pancakes was recommended, the server prompted responded "no!" This place is also cash only! Oh, and did I mention the portions are ginormous?!
(4)steve k.
Wher to start... Found this doing my normal research. When we told the guy at the activities desk at our resort, he got a very surprised look and asked how we found it... I knew then that it was a must go to place...we arrived to the Hole in the Wall location, full of locals. We were both thinking of eating light until I saw the menu....she ate light while I had "The Big Mok"... 4 sausages, 2 spam, house made Portuguese sausage ( to Die for) surrounding a plate of rice topped with an egg covered in brown gravy....wow.... Don't need to eat for a week... Lol...the pancakes we saw there were as big as hubcaps... We will most likely make a return trip because of all the stuff on the dinner menu....definitely Hawaiian Style !!!!
(5)Bridget Y.
If you're hungry and looking for authentic local food, come here! This is an awesome diner, and I'd love to come back here and try more things on the menu! Way better value than anything you'll find at a resort, and a broad variety of fresh island flavors to choose from! The line going out the door makes it seem like you're going to wait a long time to get a table. You are. The servers hustling around make it seem like you may not get your drink refilled immediately. You won't. The monstrous portions make it seem like you'll get a high dose of calories even when ordering fruit and egg whites. This is also accurate. The wait is long, but you will leave satisfied. The servers are busy, but they are very friendly. The portions are large, but not at the expense of quality. A quote on the wall says "quality, speed service- pick one." This is accurate, but I think it's definitely worth it. You're on island time, and you're getting awesome food. Four delicious stars!
(4)Christine C.
Long wait for lunch - it was really just average. I had their Kalua pork harsh, house special, they ran out of fried rice, got white rice instead. It was very bland, they forgot to season. Not very good. My kids had the pancake, ginormous! My husband had fried chicken, he has it was very good. My other son had loco moco, he really enjoyed it.
(3)Stacy F.
Soo disappointed with this place. I'm not too sure if this location is also affiliated with the one in Hilo because in comparison this location downright sucked. First of all, when entering a restaurant, regardless of how busy, the common courtesy thing to do would be to greet your guests. A simple "we'll be with you shortly" isn't difficult. Not to mention all of three waitresses present looked very irritable. Did not feel welcomed at all. I'd mention names but neither of them had name tags. Brushed it off and decided that their menu looked really good even if their employees didn't. My boyfriend and I both ordered the pulehu plate (short ribs with a choice of another item). I got Korean chicken and he chose country fried chicken to go with our short ribs. Waited about 10minutes for our food, and it looked really good. Unfortunately it didn't taste as good as it looked. The brown rice was cold, as if it was sitting out all morning, and very mushy. The short ribs were unpleasant as it was very chewy and had no taste whatsoever. The Korean chicken was decent, sauce was good but the chicken was kind of dry. Atleast one of the waitresses were kind enough to bring us hot brown rice, which was probably just microwaved since it still tasted mushy. At the end, the bill came out to about $20, as she comped our rice (-$7.50). We weren't going to stiff the place, so just left her $7.
(2)John J.
If you want a tasty and generous square meal this is the place to go. I bit out the the way from Kona but it's a pleasant drive. The Korean chicken is awesome. This was our first meal on the big island and we'll be back to explore the menu. The setting is local and very casual. The staff is warm and welcoming.
(5)Eugene F.
Came back to the island for a visit on the week of 8/3/15. Had breakfast here two more times. My only regret was we didn't have time to come back three times. Love this place!
(5)Howard H.
The family relocated to the Big Island of Hawaii for a week and my wife targeted this place as our first stop. This is a local joint in Waimea about 20 mins outside the resort areas of Waikoloa the neighboring resort areas and the drive is well worth it. It should be noted that if you're staying in Waikoloa or some other resort on the north side of the island, there isn't much local restaurants around since all the eateries in the area cater to the tourist crowd. It's like having all your meals in Times Square or the Theater District. Eating at places like this is far more affordable and give you a nice change of pace to the tourist bonanza around the resorts. We ate here 3 times in a week for breakfast, it was that good. The house made loco moco is rice, homemade patties, eggs and brown gravy. It is epic and an insanely tasty way to start the morning. I also got to sample other offerings from our large party including the teriyaki loco (pretty awesome), hawaiian loco with spam, Portuguese sausage and other breakfast meats, banana macadamia nut pancakes (ridiculous), coconut pudding pancakes (must try) and the sweet pork plate. There was nothing here that tasted bad, everything was great. My family kept bugging me to eat breakfast here even when I thought they had been loco'd out. Service is prompt and friendly as to be expected in Hawaii. They're only open for breakfast and lunch and I highly recommend that you come early (before 9 a.m.). The restaurant is extremely popular with tourists and locals alike. There's enough parking for about 10 cars in front so parking can come at a premium. This was our best eating experience on the island and I highly recommend it to everyone who wants a good taste of what Hawaii has to offer.
(5)Crystal M.
Best breakfast on the big island ! The biggest pancakes I've ever seen! Must go here for Hawaiian style food . So good and authentic !
(5)Diane C.
I love this place. I always eat here while I'm on the big island. They have macadamia pancakes the size of hub caps. The portions are enormous and the price is right. All the food is local style. The staff is friendly. I recommend the ribs.
(5)Jeff M.
Qualified review. When you enter, you sign in and be patient. Goes quick. The grill was broken so pancakes, French toast and hash browns were unavailable. Wife had the Two eggs breakfast with toast and fried rice. She enjoyed it. 3-4 stars. I had honey fried chicken with fries and an "appetizer" of bacon. Bacon was excellent! Deep fried and a lot of it. 5 star. Chicken was bland and tasteless, fries were the same. 1 star, maybe. In all fairness, I came for pancakes and I might well have loved them. The staff was awesome and worthy of 5 stars. Probably would not come back.
(2)Steven U.
If you haven't eaten in five days and you want ono grinds for breakfast, you should consider Hawaiian style cafe. We visited this restaurant with friends and fortunately the line wasn't to long. We only had to wait about 10 mins to be seated....I have heard there can be long waiting times, depending on the day. When we entered there was a nice mix of locals and visiting tourists. The restaurant is not super clean or perfectly decorated on the inside...definitely more local style.....which is not a bad thing....feels like the place you would go for breakfast once a week with the fam. There is a U shaped counter when you walk in, and there is a small seating area in the front, and more seating in the back. Caution, this restaurant is cash only, so make sure you bring your greenbacks... The wifey had the 'light' breakfast of kalua hash, eggs, and fried rice. It was a pretty normal/sizeable meal. I had the 'not so light' breakfast of Korean chicken, chicken cutlet, mac salad , and fried rice. My meal was mountainous....a very large plate, filled with a ton of food. We also shared one of the gigantic pancakes as well. SIDE NOTE: I am not sure if I am the only one that this has happened to, but it seems like every time I order Korean chicken on the Big Island it means 'with the bone' and Korean chicken on Oahu means 'boneless'....I don't know...but that's been the case for me thus far.... Anyway, my wife's food was good. The hash was nice and she said her eggs were ok. My food was very good too... (bone on) Korean chicken was on point and the cutlet was nice and crispy. The Korean sauce for it was very addictive...found myself sopping up the remainder with whatever I had left. Fried rice was tasty as well. My food portion was enough to feed a small army, but I managed to finish it....with a little help. The pancacke was good as well....not the best I have had, but close to the largest I have had. I would definitely go back....I love lunch for breakfast, and this place delivered in spades!
(4)Emersonn C.
The Portuguese sausage is made in house and is AWESOME... Watch out for the pancakes... They are gigantic and the haupia one along with macnut is to so yummy!
(5)Ben C.
Amazing local Hawaiian food! Pancakes big enough for 3 people and loco Moco for a king. Try the chili water for a little spice. ----UPDATE----- In Aloha fashion the owner sent me a personal message thanking me for my review. We went back there today and the service is really unbelievable. My son orders side of fried shrimp and pancakes and the waitress remembers us from last year. She put in whip cream and strawberries a heart which he loved!! My favorite chow on the island!!!
(5)Annabelle S.
Oh, yes. Loco Moco! Who knew you were so seductive and delicious, so filling and so very very bad for me. White rice topped with 2 delicious hamburger patties, topped with a over easy egg (or any way you like it) and then blanketed with the tastiest brown gravy ever. I lost my nerve when faced with the loco moco variations: adding a fried chicken cutlet, or spam, or kalua pork, or spicy portuguese sausage or all of the above at the same time, all of it lathered in that delicious gravy. I lost my nerve, and I'm sorry. But I swear I will fly back to the Big Island just to go back to Hawaiian Style Cafe. When I do I will try every single thing on their menu, so I guess I'll have to stay a while.
(5)Rena H.
Was introduced to this place 8 years ago from our hotel concierge in Kailua-Kona. My husband and I fell in love! He got the Kalua Pork Hash with eggs and rice and I got the Pork LauLau stew with rice. 8 years ago I would have given this restaurant 5 stars in a heart beat. The portions were big and you can taste the quality of the ingredients and not just salt and other flavorings. We recently went back and I got the Oxtail Stew and my husband got the Kalua Pork Hash plate. The Oxtail Stew tasted like it was just oxtail with soy sauce. However, the oxtail was tender and it was in a nice big bowl. My husbands Kalua Pork hash was just a mushy glob, there wasn't any defined pieces of meat and potatoes. My kids got the kids chicken nuggets and they were the Mickey Mouse shaped chicken nuggets that you find in Costco. We will still go back but hopefully they will go back to the way it was 8 years ago.
(3)Stephanie D.
Insanely good!! Very much a local place. No frills. Best Loco Moco ever. Pancakes are GINORMOUS! Ask for a fried rice omelette with brown gravy. You will thank me!! Cash only. Friendly staff. It has been two years since our last visit and food was just as delicious as before.
(5)Donny S.
Wanted somewhere good for breakfast and one of the locals recommended this place. It was a nice drive and it's one of those hole in the wall places that we love finding.
(4)Arturo M.
I did not enjoy my breakfast at all. First of all I ordered the smoked pork special omelet and the meat wasn't cooked all way and chewy. So the waitress offers to make me another plate and the omelette was much smaller than the first one and it didn't really have any smoked meat inside the omelette. I most likely wouldn't go back.
(1)Scott M.
Holy wow! I can't say enough about this place. As soon as I recover from the breakfast food coma, I will complete this review! First off Danna was awesome! Really nice and helpful explaining the menu. She provided us with excellent service! My breakfast included this: Kalbi beef breakfest style, with banana Mac nut pancakes, hash browns, and scrambled eggs. And a side of bacon. Hawaiian Cafe 1 - Me 0 Blown away! Da bomb! Thanks Danna, you rock!
(5)Troy M.
Excellent place for breakfast-too bad the big island is so spare with restaurants. They said it'd be a 30 min wait, and ended up to be more like an hour - yes it was worth the wait even in the rain. The staff was wonderful and very friendly. Tipped them well cuz they desired every bit of their hard work. I remembered they only take cash. It rained and the weather is cooler here than Kona, so come prepared.
(4)Sara L.
**Cash Only** **Cash Only** Now, that the above has been noted, don't be one of the people that gets angry that they don't take card. There is an ATM at the front of the restaurant if you aren't prepared. Everyone notes the wait times for a table and that they can get very busy. My group went around 7:50 am on a Friday and didn't have to wait at all for a table which was great!! Make sure you take a moment to look over the specials that they have because there were some good ones. The menu has something for everyone and everything we ordered was delicious. I got the Two Egg Breakfast - $10.95 - I got my choice of meat, which for me was the Kalua pork hash and got hashbrowns too. I chose the pancakes instead of the toast since their pancakes are legend. I was presented with two large plates of food. One was just for the pancakes which were as large as the plate (and there were two of them on there). The Kalua pork hash was sooo good. There were thick shreds of Kalua pork mixed in with the potatoes that gave it the right amount of meat and crunch. The pancakes were light and fluffy without being too overpowering. I couldn't finish my pancakes but I did take them to enjoy again the next day. They kept coming back often to refill our water and coffee and quick with the checks too. I would love to keep coming back here and try everything else too.
(5)Julie N.
We both went to the one in Hilo and the one in Kamuela. Great service for a reasonable price. The meals are big portions and it fills you up with a lot of flavors. The wait is about 10-25 minutes depending on when you go so make sure you arrive early! It is very worth it.
(5)Monica T.
Omg, this place offers some big portion of deliciousness!!! With friendly smiles from the waitresses too. We ordered the house made loco moco and the da tita loco moco. Both dishes are probably 2lbs each. But they were delicious and the husband ate most of his tita loco moco(fried rice, spam, hamburger patty, egg and gravy)... we would really want to come back for those pancakes, but maybe next time when we are back in hawaii. Remember, cash only, but they do have an atm on sitw in case you dont have any cash!
(5)Andrea D.
Such good food!! The portions are crazy for the value!! I couldn't finish my food. It's also neat all left overs are given to a local hog farm, not in the trash. Really neat feature. Our group had a bacon cheese burger, amazing, the honey friend chicken, delicious! And a com I plate of kalua pork and Korean pork, oh my gosh! Both were to DIE for!! And had to finally give the Loco Moco a try after a few tines to the island. Everything was on point and like I said, portions were huge!! You will not wall away hungry!! The ginormous pancakes looked delicious!
(5)Doris D.
This place is so awesome. It's a perfect example of a local greasy spoon diner with huge portions, quality ingredients, and super reasonable prices. We came here twice for breakfast during our weekend in Waimea. I had the regular breakfast that comes with two eggs, link sausage, hashbrowns, and two HUGE pancakes, all for like $8. My husband had the grass fed beef loco moco (a special) for $12 and it was the best loco moco he has ever had (he's tried hundreds) - restaurants on Oahu would charge triple that price! The loco moco has two patties, perfect sunny side up egg, excellent rice, and a gorgeous gravy. I've also had the breakfast sandwich with bacon, scrambled egg, and cheese. It was SO good. The hashbrowns on the side were buttery and crispy. My husband's also had the pork chop breakfast, which comes with two giant, thick, chops with awesome gravy, toast, and two scoops rice. This will be the first stop on every trip to Waimea.
(5)Amy L.
The portions here are INSAAAAANE!! There's always a crazy wait here, but I think it's because they're not open every day. However, they're really efficient, and there are some stores you can kind of wander around while waiting, so I mean. Could be worse. Our orders were taken & food brought out really quickly, and man. It was intense. The boy had a loco moco with spam & chicken katsu and a hamburger patty, and I don't know how, but he ate all of the protein on his plate. Left a lot of rice, but I mean... at least he finished the meat! I had the terriyqki burger patty & sweet port, and I definitely lost the battle. I also had a chance to get a bite of the boy's mom's fried chicken and korean barbecue [yum], and the boy's father ordered a haupia coconut pancake bigger than my head. Literally. Yeah, it was a painful walk back to the car, but so worth it. Oh, and the leftovers get fed back to the pigs, so it's not all wasted, which is a plus. But really, I don't think I'll ever be able to eat that much again.
(5)Kirsten L.
This place was recommended by others known for their breakfast and lunch plates! We ordered their special pancakes with coconut pudding- it was awesome! Tasted great! It has toasted coconuts and blueberries. It was my favorite from all the others. Also ordered their Khalua beef hash. It was good. I added malt vinegar to add some Filipino taste. The Hawaiian loco moco was plenty for 2!! It tasted yummy according to my hubby. The pulehu mix plate with kalbi and short ribs was tasty. Food came out lightening fast! Btw- CASH only!!!
(4)William K.
AllI can say is wow. In Andrew Doughty's Big Island Reveled blue book (pg 267 7th Edition) it is mentioned as possibly the best deal on the island and I would have to agree from what I've seen so far. For less than $10 I had a (3) egg ham/cheese omelette with hash browns and the kicker was the included side of pancakes. The pancake side was (2) thick ginormous pancakes which was basically a meal in itself. My wife had the sweet bread french toast, which I tried as well. All the food was excellent and it definitely hit the spot, I would call this place a cannot miss for breakfast! We stopped here on a drive from Kohala resort area over to Volcano National Park via Hwy 19 to Hwy 11.
(5)Nat N.
Came here with very high expectations, thanks to the rave reviews on Yelp, and the swarms of people congregated in front of the restaurant when we pulled up. Unfortunately, it fell a little short. The sign-in sheet is located inside the restaurant, on the right hand side. There were 15 groups in front of us, but the tables turn over fairly quickly, and a lot of people left after putting their names on the list, and so we ended up waiting no longer than 20 minutes for our name to be called. The place is old and not air conditioned. I don't mind dining in this type of atmosphere, but the flies were kinda grossing me out. The hubby ordered the kalua pork hash (comes with two eggs and fried rice) and I ordered the haupia pancakes. The haupia pancakes ($9.95) were enormous. Definitely too big for one person. I wasn't too impressed with the haupia/pancake combo, but maybe I'm just more of a pancakes with butter and syrup type of gal. The hubby's kalua pork hash ($8.95) was so-so. Lots of potato in the hash, and only a hint of kalua pork. The fried rice had a really weird flavor to it - as if they made it with dried shrimp. Pouring shoyu over it did not take away the weirdness. As most Yelpers have pointed out, the portions are generous, and it's nice to know that the excess food goes to the hogs (according to their menu).
(3)Lori I.
CASH ONLY. Good breakfast spot in Waimea. Huge portions & great value in this old school Hawaii eatery. My recommendation: order breakfast food even if it's lunchtime. Closes at 1:30pm (and 12n on Sundays). Located in a mini-strip on the north side of the road after Merriman's (if you're coming up from Kawaihae Road), you might drive right past it before you realize you need to turn around. There are 8-10 spaces in the front and more on the side of the building. FIND THE LIST and WRITE YOUR NAME down and go back outside. There's not enough room inside for everyone to stand and wait. We got lucky but be prepared to wait a bit. Depending on how long your wait is, there's an antique store next door and a small women's aerobics studio offering Zumba, yoga, Turbo kickboxing and cycling 3 doors down to create some room to eat. FOOD -HAUPIA PANCAKES - warm haupia pudding on fluffy monster pancakes! This comes topped w/shredded coconut and whipped cream and strawberries just FYI. If you don't like coconut, order these plain. There is a "shared plate" charge and after seeing the size of this, I can see why. One pancake could feed 3 people! (Or one sumo sized one.) -LOCO MOCO - all kinds of versions including a Kalua pig loco moco on Fridays. The chicken cutlet version is basically breaded chicken on rice topped with an egg and brown gravy. Don't forget to ASK FOR GRAVY ALL OVER because there wasn't enough on mine. Was it the best loco moco ever? I can see how some people might think so. The gravy is nice and they don't skimp on portions. -$3.95 kids meals!! Mickey mouse chicken nuggets/fries! -Under $10 lunches!! However, the Pulehu ribs and the honey chicken did not taste right. Stick to the breakfast menu. I would go back if I was in this area but I wouldn't drive here just to eat. Don't forget CASH ONLY.
(4)Dru S.
So incredibly tasty and so local! Best Hawaiian food I've had. No alcohol served but good ice tea.
(4)Pippa B.
Be warned, the mac salad has canned tuna and peas in it! Also, my hamburger steak was raw on the inside. I only had a few bites of my meal and felt sick the rest of the day. The portions are large and so are the prices. If you don't like to eat 3lbs of food then it's a waste of money! I will not go back.
(1)Stacey M.
Home cooked meals. Pancakes the size of hub caps! We have had loco moco and the egg/pancake plate. Both were wonderful. We make sure we eat here every visit to the Big Island!
(5)Stephanie D.
For years we've headed across the street from this place for coffee. We were directed here to try for breakfast. You enter and see a large wrap-around U-shaped counter seating and booths on the side and back. It fills up fast with locals who know about this local gem. All I can say is come hungry. The portions are HUGE! Plan to share a meal, or take half or more home for another meal. Try the Portuguese sausage in something or as a meat side. This is basic diner food, nothing fancy. Pancakes, eggs, loco moco, kailua pork hash, etc. But it's all yummy.
(3)Amber G.
This place is a must when you are visiting big island! The pancakes are huge and so are the portions! Bring your appetite! This place is a cash only cafe. Service is awesome as well! If you are here then do not pass up the opportunity to eat here!
(5)Sally M.
This place gets a lot of hype because it's in the Big Island Revealed book (an essential book for anyone visiting Hawaii) so I wasn't at all surprised that there was a line out the door. We left and came back about an hour later when the line had slowed down and were seated. I ordered the Portugese blood sausage special with a side of pancakes. The pancakes. Wow. They were the size of a medium pizza and I'm really not kidding. I was in awe. They were also really fluffy and delicious. I couldn't eat them all, not even 1/8 of them because I had to eat all of my sausage. Let's talk about deliciousness!!!! I know blood sausage sounds scary to some people but it's actually really rich, decadent, and full of flavor. Theirs was nothing short of spectacular. I ate every scrap with two eggs over easy and hash browns. The pancakes came in handy because we went for a half-day hike out to a lava tube and they were a perfect lunch. Carbs are good hiking food! We were staying with friends in Waimea for a few days and went back several times and each experience was good. Their loco moco is huge and tasty and enough to keep you going all day. Great prices and very nice service. The fried chicken I saw someone order looked awesome so the next time I am in Waimea I think I'll try it. My boyfriend swears by the Kalua pig hash. One place that lives up to the hype and is priced just right,
(5)Lee R.
Great local grinds in Kona, very close to the airport with a ton of selection.
(5)Nastia R.
The food was nice, people were great. Worth sopping by!
(5)Minzie P.
Great food and friendly waitstaff. The food portions were enormous, especially the pancakes but I enjoyed the food.
(5)Mia A.
Great food!!! Giant pancakes. I loved the French toast with Cocoanut syrup. Great hash browns to! I'd defiantly recommend it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D
(5)Hannah C.
HUGE portion sizes. They will charge $3.75? if you share a meal. My husband ordered Da Tika Mok, the kids shared the Haupia Pancakes, and I ordered the Korean Chicken plate. The Da Tika Mok and Korean Chicken plate were a bit salty and I didn't personally care for the coconut pudding on the pancakes but hubby seemed to enjoy it. We took back to the hotel the leftovers which was even too much for our next meal! I would visit again but not in the same trip/vacation.
(4)Nicole Y.
Awesome place to snag your must-have loco moco on Big Island. Massive portions, friendly service, and cute diner feel make this place one that I have to visit every time I'm in Hawaii. My bf and I had just done an the intensive Muliwai Trail hike the day before and were ravenous the next day for a heavy breakfast. Even when starving, neither of us was able to finish. I ordered the "internet loco" which is steamed white rice, brown gravy, a fried egg, and about 6 slices of spam. Even the menu describes this loco as "spam, spam, spam, spam..." haha! One downside is the cash-only issue...but this is pretty common in Waimea. ATM available on site if you need it. Definitely a must-visit if you're in the area!
(5)Nicole O.
Based on a recommendation from a client, our first stop on our business day trip to Hilo was Hawaiian Style Cafe. It ended up being our only meal on that trip! Parking: Parking was plentiful on that Sunday morning. We got there around 9:30 a.m. so I'm not sure if it was to early for a Sunday or if it's the normal time for everyone to eat. Basic: The restaurant is pretty big with lots of tables. Takeout is available for those to eat in the comfort of their home. There is a hostess at the front who will take your name and amount in your party. You wait to be called and she seats you. Food: Food here was very good. Many reviews commented how huge the portions are and well, we weren't disappointed. After scouring the multitude of choices, I went with the kalua hash with scrambled eggs and fried rice. I have to admit, i'm not a huge fan of kalua pig, but with the rave reviews and the self-proclaimed local favorite on the menu, I went for it. The portions were huge! I think the breakfast was $9.99. Not bad for all that food! Because I wasn't going to have time to eat later, I didn't take home the rest. BUT, from the menu, it said that the leftovers were going to be donated to a farm to feed the animals. Hope it wasn't gonna be fed to a pig. ^__^ . My coworker ordered a chili loco moco which looked amazing. She loved it so next time I might have to try it. My client had the same meal as me with egg over easy. She liked the kalua hash as well. On top of all that food, my client ordered a side of pancakes which were the size of a dinner plate! Seriously. She took several bites but that was it. There was just too much food. She also ordered to try their homemade Portuguese sausages. I took a piece and definitely want to order that next time. The flavor was perfect; mild in temperature and wasn't greasy. Decor: The restaurant was clean and had a local flare to it. There were picture frames of old Hilo. Overall: I would have given this restaurant a 4 or 5 stars if it wasn't for the long wait. We were one of few parties that were waiting when we got there, but we didn't get seated till half an hour later. Tons of people came in after us with the same amount in their party but they went in before us. When we finally went up to the hostess to inquire about our table, she said she had called us. But, she didn't. Apparently she had crossed off our names. Boo! Once we were seated, we did get served right away. Our food did come out fast too. I'm definitely coming back the next time I'm in Hilo. The food was good, the wait was long, and the prices were reasonable.
(3)Big D.
Wow. That is some good grub. Highly recommend it!
(5)Lan N.
Yumyumyum! And these portions are just begging for Adam from Man vs Food to stop by. Wow, my tummy is still punishing me 10 hrs later. I ordered the original pancake...just one...you can get it as a side order...and really, that is all you can stomach. I was considering getting one of the specialty pancakes...they had a macnut one and a berry one, but I don't see why I should pay +$3 more for basically the orgininal with fruit and/or nuts dumped on top. If they were incorporated in the batter, that would be a different story...And also, if they served the pancake with coconut syrup instead of the pancake syrup, it would improve on an already very good thing. Anyways, aside from this yummy pancake, I had ordered a side of fried rice, which had bits of various meats in it including what I think was spam. You were given two scoops of this. I ordered this odd combo, b/c we planned it so that my fiancee would order the two pick combo with korean chicken and kalbi beef, and I'd eat the beef. So my fried rice went with the beef and my dessert was the pancake. If we had not done this, there would've been a $3.50 charge for sharing. Anyways, what I was really impressed with (b/c this is the first time that I've seen this at a restaurant) is that they feed all their table scraps to local pigs. Yay for not wasting. I will def return and direct everyone I know here for good local Hawaiian food.
(5)Bridget Y.
If you're hungry and looking for authentic local food, come here! This is an awesome diner, and I'd love to come back here and try more things on the menu! Way better value than anything you'll find at a resort, and a broad variety of fresh island flavors to choose from! The line going out the door makes it seem like you're going to wait a long time to get a table. You are. The servers hustling around make it seem like you may not get your drink refilled immediately. You won't. The monstrous portions make it seem like you'll get a high dose of calories even when ordering fruit and egg whites. This is also accurate. The wait is long, but you will leave satisfied. The servers are busy, but they are very friendly. The portions are large, but not at the expense of quality. A quote on the wall says "quality, speed service- pick one." This is accurate, but I think it's definitely worth it. You're on island time, and you're getting awesome food. Four delicious stars!
(4)Christine C.
Long wait for lunch - it was really just average. I had their Kalua pork harsh, house special, they ran out of fried rice, got white rice instead. It was very bland, they forgot to season. Not very good. My kids had the pancake, ginormous! My husband had fried chicken, he has it was very good. My other son had loco moco, he really enjoyed it.
(3)Stacy F.
Soo disappointed with this place. I'm not too sure if this location is also affiliated with the one in Hilo because in comparison this location downright sucked. First of all, when entering a restaurant, regardless of how busy, the common courtesy thing to do would be to greet your guests. A simple "we'll be with you shortly" isn't difficult. Not to mention all of three waitresses present looked very irritable. Did not feel welcomed at all. I'd mention names but neither of them had name tags. Brushed it off and decided that their menu looked really good even if their employees didn't. My boyfriend and I both ordered the pulehu plate (short ribs with a choice of another item). I got Korean chicken and he chose country fried chicken to go with our short ribs. Waited about 10minutes for our food, and it looked really good. Unfortunately it didn't taste as good as it looked. The brown rice was cold, as if it was sitting out all morning, and very mushy. The short ribs were unpleasant as it was very chewy and had no taste whatsoever. The Korean chicken was decent, sauce was good but the chicken was kind of dry. Atleast one of the waitresses were kind enough to bring us hot brown rice, which was probably just microwaved since it still tasted mushy. At the end, the bill came out to about $20, as she comped our rice (-$7.50). We weren't going to stiff the place, so just left her $7.
(2)John J.
If you want a tasty and generous square meal this is the place to go. I bit out the the way from Kona but it's a pleasant drive. The Korean chicken is awesome. This was our first meal on the big island and we'll be back to explore the menu. The setting is local and very casual. The staff is warm and welcoming.
(5)Eugene F.
Came back to the island for a visit on the week of 8/3/15. Had breakfast here two more times. My only regret was we didn't have time to come back three times. Love this place!
(5)Howard H.
The family relocated to the Big Island of Hawaii for a week and my wife targeted this place as our first stop. This is a local joint in Waimea about 20 mins outside the resort areas of Waikoloa the neighboring resort areas and the drive is well worth it. It should be noted that if you're staying in Waikoloa or some other resort on the north side of the island, there isn't much local restaurants around since all the eateries in the area cater to the tourist crowd. It's like having all your meals in Times Square or the Theater District. Eating at places like this is far more affordable and give you a nice change of pace to the tourist bonanza around the resorts. We ate here 3 times in a week for breakfast, it was that good. The house made loco moco is rice, homemade patties, eggs and brown gravy. It is epic and an insanely tasty way to start the morning. I also got to sample other offerings from our large party including the teriyaki loco (pretty awesome), hawaiian loco with spam, Portuguese sausage and other breakfast meats, banana macadamia nut pancakes (ridiculous), coconut pudding pancakes (must try) and the sweet pork plate. There was nothing here that tasted bad, everything was great. My family kept bugging me to eat breakfast here even when I thought they had been loco'd out. Service is prompt and friendly as to be expected in Hawaii. They're only open for breakfast and lunch and I highly recommend that you come early (before 9 a.m.). The restaurant is extremely popular with tourists and locals alike. There's enough parking for about 10 cars in front so parking can come at a premium. This was our best eating experience on the island and I highly recommend it to everyone who wants a good taste of what Hawaii has to offer.
(5)Troy M.
Excellent place for breakfast-too bad the big island is so spare with restaurants. They said it'd be a 30 min wait, and ended up to be more like an hour - yes it was worth the wait even in the rain. The staff was wonderful and very friendly. Tipped them well cuz they desired every bit of their hard work. I remembered they only take cash. It rained and the weather is cooler here than Kona, so come prepared.
(4)Crystal M.
Best breakfast on the big island ! The biggest pancakes I've ever seen! Must go here for Hawaiian style food . So good and authentic !
(5)Steven U.
If you haven't eaten in five days and you want ono grinds for breakfast, you should consider Hawaiian style cafe. We visited this restaurant with friends and fortunately the line wasn't to long. We only had to wait about 10 mins to be seated....I have heard there can be long waiting times, depending on the day. When we entered there was a nice mix of locals and visiting tourists. The restaurant is not super clean or perfectly decorated on the inside...definitely more local style.....which is not a bad thing....feels like the place you would go for breakfast once a week with the fam. There is a U shaped counter when you walk in, and there is a small seating area in the front, and more seating in the back. Caution, this restaurant is cash only, so make sure you bring your greenbacks... The wifey had the 'light' breakfast of kalua hash, eggs, and fried rice. It was a pretty normal/sizeable meal. I had the 'not so light' breakfast of Korean chicken, chicken cutlet, mac salad , and fried rice. My meal was mountainous....a very large plate, filled with a ton of food. We also shared one of the gigantic pancakes as well. SIDE NOTE: I am not sure if I am the only one that this has happened to, but it seems like every time I order Korean chicken on the Big Island it means 'with the bone' and Korean chicken on Oahu means 'boneless'....I don't know...but that's been the case for me thus far.... Anyway, my wife's food was good. The hash was nice and she said her eggs were ok. My food was very good too... (bone on) Korean chicken was on point and the cutlet was nice and crispy. The Korean sauce for it was very addictive...found myself sopping up the remainder with whatever I had left. Fried rice was tasty as well. My food portion was enough to feed a small army, but I managed to finish it....with a little help. The pancacke was good as well....not the best I have had, but close to the largest I have had. I would definitely go back....I love lunch for breakfast, and this place delivered in spades!
(4)Emersonn C.
The Portuguese sausage is made in house and is AWESOME... Watch out for the pancakes... They are gigantic and the haupia one along with macnut is to so yummy!
(5)Ben C.
Amazing local Hawaiian food! Pancakes big enough for 3 people and loco Moco for a king. Try the chili water for a little spice. ----UPDATE----- In Aloha fashion the owner sent me a personal message thanking me for my review. We went back there today and the service is really unbelievable. My son orders side of fried shrimp and pancakes and the waitress remembers us from last year. She put in whip cream and strawberries a heart which he loved!! My favorite chow on the island!!!
(5)Annabelle S.
Oh, yes. Loco Moco! Who knew you were so seductive and delicious, so filling and so very very bad for me. White rice topped with 2 delicious hamburger patties, topped with a over easy egg (or any way you like it) and then blanketed with the tastiest brown gravy ever. I lost my nerve when faced with the loco moco variations: adding a fried chicken cutlet, or spam, or kalua pork, or spicy portuguese sausage or all of the above at the same time, all of it lathered in that delicious gravy. I lost my nerve, and I'm sorry. But I swear I will fly back to the Big Island just to go back to Hawaiian Style Cafe. When I do I will try every single thing on their menu, so I guess I'll have to stay a while.
(5)Rena H.
Was introduced to this place 8 years ago from our hotel concierge in Kailua-Kona. My husband and I fell in love! He got the Kalua Pork Hash with eggs and rice and I got the Pork LauLau stew with rice. 8 years ago I would have given this restaurant 5 stars in a heart beat. The portions were big and you can taste the quality of the ingredients and not just salt and other flavorings. We recently went back and I got the Oxtail Stew and my husband got the Kalua Pork Hash plate. The Oxtail Stew tasted like it was just oxtail with soy sauce. However, the oxtail was tender and it was in a nice big bowl. My husbands Kalua Pork hash was just a mushy glob, there wasn't any defined pieces of meat and potatoes. My kids got the kids chicken nuggets and they were the Mickey Mouse shaped chicken nuggets that you find in Costco. We will still go back but hopefully they will go back to the way it was 8 years ago.
(3)Stephanie D.
Insanely good!! Very much a local place. No frills. Best Loco Moco ever. Pancakes are GINORMOUS! Ask for a fried rice omelette with brown gravy. You will thank me!! Cash only. Friendly staff. It has been two years since our last visit and food was just as delicious as before.
(5)Donny S.
Wanted somewhere good for breakfast and one of the locals recommended this place. It was a nice drive and it's one of those hole in the wall places that we love finding.
(4)Arturo M.
I did not enjoy my breakfast at all. First of all I ordered the smoked pork special omelet and the meat wasn't cooked all way and chewy. So the waitress offers to make me another plate and the omelette was much smaller than the first one and it didn't really have any smoked meat inside the omelette. I most likely wouldn't go back.
(1)Scott M.
Holy wow! I can't say enough about this place. As soon as I recover from the breakfast food coma, I will complete this review! First off Danna was awesome! Really nice and helpful explaining the menu. She provided us with excellent service! My breakfast included this: Kalbi beef breakfest style, with banana Mac nut pancakes, hash browns, and scrambled eggs. And a side of bacon. Hawaiian Cafe 1 - Me 0 Blown away! Da bomb! Thanks Danna, you rock!
(5)Diane C.
I love this place. I always eat here while I'm on the big island. They have macadamia pancakes the size of hub caps. The portions are enormous and the price is right. All the food is local style. The staff is friendly. I recommend the ribs.
(5)Jeff M.
Qualified review. When you enter, you sign in and be patient. Goes quick. The grill was broken so pancakes, French toast and hash browns were unavailable. Wife had the Two eggs breakfast with toast and fried rice. She enjoyed it. 3-4 stars. I had honey fried chicken with fries and an "appetizer" of bacon. Bacon was excellent! Deep fried and a lot of it. 5 star. Chicken was bland and tasteless, fries were the same. 1 star, maybe. In all fairness, I came for pancakes and I might well have loved them. The staff was awesome and worthy of 5 stars. Probably would not come back.
(2)Sara L.
**Cash Only** **Cash Only** Now, that the above has been noted, don't be one of the people that gets angry that they don't take card. There is an ATM at the front of the restaurant if you aren't prepared. Everyone notes the wait times for a table and that they can get very busy. My group went around 7:50 am on a Friday and didn't have to wait at all for a table which was great!! Make sure you take a moment to look over the specials that they have because there were some good ones. The menu has something for everyone and everything we ordered was delicious. I got the Two Egg Breakfast - $10.95 - I got my choice of meat, which for me was the Kalua pork hash and got hashbrowns too. I chose the pancakes instead of the toast since their pancakes are legend. I was presented with two large plates of food. One was just for the pancakes which were as large as the plate (and there were two of them on there). The Kalua pork hash was sooo good. There were thick shreds of Kalua pork mixed in with the potatoes that gave it the right amount of meat and crunch. The pancakes were light and fluffy without being too overpowering. I couldn't finish my pancakes but I did take them to enjoy again the next day. They kept coming back often to refill our water and coffee and quick with the checks too. I would love to keep coming back here and try everything else too.
(5)Julie N.
We both went to the one in Hilo and the one in Kamuela. Great service for a reasonable price. The meals are big portions and it fills you up with a lot of flavors. The wait is about 10-25 minutes depending on when you go so make sure you arrive early! It is very worth it.
(5)Monica T.
Omg, this place offers some big portion of deliciousness!!! With friendly smiles from the waitresses too. We ordered the house made loco moco and the da tita loco moco. Both dishes are probably 2lbs each. But they were delicious and the husband ate most of his tita loco moco(fried rice, spam, hamburger patty, egg and gravy)... we would really want to come back for those pancakes, but maybe next time when we are back in hawaii. Remember, cash only, but they do have an atm on sitw in case you dont have any cash!
(5)Andrea D.
Such good food!! The portions are crazy for the value!! I couldn't finish my food. It's also neat all left overs are given to a local hog farm, not in the trash. Really neat feature. Our group had a bacon cheese burger, amazing, the honey friend chicken, delicious! And a com I plate of kalua pork and Korean pork, oh my gosh! Both were to DIE for!! And had to finally give the Loco Moco a try after a few tines to the island. Everything was on point and like I said, portions were huge!! You will not wall away hungry!! The ginormous pancakes looked delicious!
(5)Doris D.
This place is so awesome. It's a perfect example of a local greasy spoon diner with huge portions, quality ingredients, and super reasonable prices. We came here twice for breakfast during our weekend in Waimea. I had the regular breakfast that comes with two eggs, link sausage, hashbrowns, and two HUGE pancakes, all for like $8. My husband had the grass fed beef loco moco (a special) for $12 and it was the best loco moco he has ever had (he's tried hundreds) - restaurants on Oahu would charge triple that price! The loco moco has two patties, perfect sunny side up egg, excellent rice, and a gorgeous gravy. I've also had the breakfast sandwich with bacon, scrambled egg, and cheese. It was SO good. The hashbrowns on the side were buttery and crispy. My husband's also had the pork chop breakfast, which comes with two giant, thick, chops with awesome gravy, toast, and two scoops rice. This will be the first stop on every trip to Waimea.
(5)Amy L.
The portions here are INSAAAAANE!! There's always a crazy wait here, but I think it's because they're not open every day. However, they're really efficient, and there are some stores you can kind of wander around while waiting, so I mean. Could be worse. Our orders were taken & food brought out really quickly, and man. It was intense. The boy had a loco moco with spam & chicken katsu and a hamburger patty, and I don't know how, but he ate all of the protein on his plate. Left a lot of rice, but I mean... at least he finished the meat! I had the terriyqki burger patty & sweet port, and I definitely lost the battle. I also had a chance to get a bite of the boy's mom's fried chicken and korean barbecue [yum], and the boy's father ordered a haupia coconut pancake bigger than my head. Literally. Yeah, it was a painful walk back to the car, but so worth it. Oh, and the leftovers get fed back to the pigs, so it's not all wasted, which is a plus. But really, I don't think I'll ever be able to eat that much again.
(5)Kirsten L.
This place was recommended by others known for their breakfast and lunch plates! We ordered their special pancakes with coconut pudding- it was awesome! Tasted great! It has toasted coconuts and blueberries. It was my favorite from all the others. Also ordered their Khalua beef hash. It was good. I added malt vinegar to add some Filipino taste. The Hawaiian loco moco was plenty for 2!! It tasted yummy according to my hubby. The pulehu mix plate with kalbi and short ribs was tasty. Food came out lightening fast! Btw- CASH only!!!
(4)William K.
AllI can say is wow. In Andrew Doughty's Big Island Reveled blue book (pg 267 7th Edition) it is mentioned as possibly the best deal on the island and I would have to agree from what I've seen so far. For less than $10 I had a (3) egg ham/cheese omelette with hash browns and the kicker was the included side of pancakes. The pancake side was (2) thick ginormous pancakes which was basically a meal in itself. My wife had the sweet bread french toast, which I tried as well. All the food was excellent and it definitely hit the spot, I would call this place a cannot miss for breakfast! We stopped here on a drive from Kohala resort area over to Volcano National Park via Hwy 19 to Hwy 11.
(5)Christina M.
I don't get the hype. We waited for 15 minutes for a table, which was fine, but once we were seated, we were sitting at our table for another 15 minutes before the host finally realized we hadn't had our order taken then. He felt so bad he started to take our order, which FINALLY caught our waitress's attention. We probably waited another 20 minutes or so for our food to come out, and everything was just ok. My mom and I shared the Kalua hash and my dad ordered the macadamia nut pancakes. The hash was yummy, but it didn't blow me away. The pancakes were good too, but I've had better. They were also unnecessarily big. I've seen big pancakes, but these were on a whole other level that it was almost unreasonable. Really don't feel the need to come back here, since the service was painfully slow and the food was nothing super special.
(3)Chris B.
Absolutely loved the place. The wait wasn't bad, under an hour around 11:30 during busy season. I've waited that long for other great diners and here there are plenty of things to look at nearby to kill the time. The food was amazing. Served hot and full of flavor. The sweet bread French toast was really yummy. Very little need for syrup at all. The mok-a-sorus was recommended and a special. Way too much to eat for me, but so good I couldn't stop. I'll come back any time I visit the island.
(5)Lauren A.
delicious and filling for a great price! Cute place, busy, worth the wait. The portions are large as consistent with all the previous reviews, however, I really liked that they have a clause on the back of their menu stating that no food is wasted and all food scraps go to a local hog farm. Who knows if it is true, but what a nice thought! Service was slow but waitress was super pleasant and as many others have said CASH ONLY! so make your life easy and just bring cash :)
(5)R.E. A.
Cash only! Great place to stop by on the way to Waipio Valley or Hilo. We stayed in Mauna Lani so we stopped by here on the way to Waipio Valley. There's no waiting area for a table but they seem to move quickly. Food was great and portions are huge. The kalua hash and fried rice were sooo good. This is a typical mom and pop diner so it's totally casual and laid back. They seat you, take your order, give you food, pay your bill, and walk out stuffed. The pancake size is true. It's way bigger than your head. Split one and don't order your own. Tips on the pancake --- if you get the banana macadamia pancake, know that it's just a regular pancake with bananas and macadamia on top. Banana-Mac are not incorporated in the batter.
(4)Jonathan F.
We loved this place. Thanks for all of the great recommendations that convinced us to head this way. Kalua Hash, eggs and rice was amazing. The rest of the family had various pancakes and ate until their bellies hurt and still wanted more. This is a must try place. Service was friendly and helpful. I wouldn't hesitate recommending this to anyone!
(5)Scott H.
Da Bomb! Had the "Da Tita Mok and let me tell you YUMMY. Great food.....great prices....great service. All of us were happy and stuffed. Highly recommend.
(5)Jen H.
This was our first and last breakfast stop on our 5-day visit to the Big Island! The first day we came here was on a Tuesday morning. We were seated right away. First thing I saw was that they had homemade Portuguese sausage! I ended up ordering the Kalua Hash that came with 2 scoops of fried rice and 2 eggs. The hash was all meat and was very delicious. It was even more tasty when eaten with my runny egg yolks and spam-filled fried rice. My step dad had ordered the Loco Moco and said it was the best he ever had and that the gravy was good, too. I had a taste of the Haupia Pancakes and instantly fell in love. I ended up finishing the pancake :P We came back on the last day of our trip. It was so good, we had to come back! It was a Friday and there was a wait this time. I ordered the Haupia Pancakes and asked if it came with anything else because I had to have the Portuguese sausage. The waitress said "No", but recommended I get their Lite Breakfast which came with 1 egg and 1 meat choice and to just upgrade to the Haupia Pancake. I did just that. The Haupia was just as I remembered. It filled the entire plate, was creamy, not too sweet, and not too strong. It also has a little dollop of whipped cream and when that cream mixed with the haupia.. Mm Mm.. my mouth was so happy! I'm not that much of a fan of coconut, but I absolutely loved this coconut cream. I even ordered this same dish at another restaurant and it did not even compare to Hawaiian Style Cafe's! The Portuguese sausage was a nice complement to the big fluffy pancake. Nice greasy pieces of meaty salty sausage! They also charge extra if you share because they feed the left overs to their hogs :) The service was very friendly, as expected. The waitress even remembered us from the first day we came.. probably because we were seated at the same table. We were also seated across from a lovely local couple who recommended places to visit. The experience was great and the food made it that much better.
(5)Brandon B.
Two things, sign-in just to the right when you enter to get your name on the wait list; second thing, cash only but there is a cash machine inside. We ordered the Big Mok and a veggie omelet. The omelet came with enormous and very delicious pancakes! The Big Mok is amazing! I loved every bite of it. Definitely go here. Any wait you encounter will be worthwhile.
(5)Michael H.
Great experience! Food at its best. Bring your appetite. Pancakes alone are a meal themselves
(5)Carl S.
Tried the tita, tasted like what's suppose to... fried spam, burger pattie, eggs and fried chicken. A little heavy handed on the salt. The fried rice was a little sticky, liked that better loose. The wife had the kahlua pork hash, we thought it was just going to be meat but of course it had potatoes. That hash plus a potato hash made the plate one dimensional only this time both were under seasoned. The pancakes were big but nothing extraordinary. Maybe we should have tried something else, a little bit underwhelmed.
(2)EH C.
This place was the real deal! Every dish we ordered were all so great and huge portions! The service was nice and quick! Mahalo!
(4)Bobby M.
Definitely a breakfast must, and we'll be back. 1st and foremost, cash only! Don't argue, don't complain, just bring cash. Easy as pie, or should I say pancakes? Okay, pancakes! Yes, these babies are huge and they are delicious. A lot of times when you get pancakes this big, they don't taste good and are dry. Not these hubcaps, baby. They are Ono! (Very good, delicious, yummy). On a Sunday morning, we only waited about 20 minutes or so to seat our party of 5, plus a baby. I thought for sure the wait would be longer, but they are very efficient on the service. Speaking of service, they are very nice, patient, helpful, and accommodating. A+ I also had the Kalua Pork hash and it was excellent. Fresh, made from scratch and plenty of it. Speaking of plenty, the portions are ginormous! I mean huge! Not just the pancakes, but the hash, omelets, etc. You will be taking food home. So, in this visit, food won! It was delicious, but I couldn't get through the meal, even if I stayed awhile. And try the local favorite, the Portugese Sausage! It's ono! Prices can't be beat and you know you're in the right place when sitting by as many locals as tourists. So enjoy and remember, you'll be back. Oh, and bring cash! Did I say they're cash only?
(5)Josh M.
Fantastic food and staff! Of course there was a wait, when you have good authentic food you're going to wait for what you want. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu but be sure to have one of their tiny pancakes to top off your experience.
(5)Jennifer A.
Hands down the best loco moco I've ever had. And I've had a LOT of loco moco! Hawaiian Style Cafe has quite a few loco moco options ranging from the classic to the cutely named Internet (spam spam and spam) and a particularly gluttonous variation with hamburger, spam AND chicken katsu. I had the homestyle loco moco (not sure how this differs from the regular loco moco) which was drowning in gravy, just the way I like it! I think this may be my favorite gravy ever. I don't know how they cook their burgers, but they had this amazing crispy crust. Two scoops of rice, two patties and two eggs meant I could only finish half and had to take the rest with me. Everything else I tried was delicious as well including their tuna mac salad, kahlua pork hash and soy sauce pork. Even if you're in Kona, I would highly recommend a drive up to Kamuela. Come early though because they close at 1:30!
(5)Dani H.
Great spot to try more of a local's breakfast. Party of six ordered a variety of dishes and everything was excellent, especially the Housemade Loco Moco!
(5)Cheri S.
Keeps me coming back everytime. Definitely try the chicken cutlet loco with fried rice. 3 pieces of chicken, egg on top, gravy all over. Total Kanak attack! If your looking for something light I would recommend the veggie omelet. Fresh bell peppers, tomatoes, onion, mushroom, spinach. Can't go wrong with this. The staff is super friendly and makes you feel right at home. There is never a negative attitude in this place. I feel like I'm coming home when I step in, and that's how it should be.
(5)Yvette K.
Wait was long (about 30 mins). Food is awesome, pancakes are huge!! Well worth the wait
(4)Gailynn W.
This is the best place for breakfast on the entire island! The pancakes are so big I can't even eat one and they are delicious! Every time we visit we make a point to come here at least twice. The staff is always smiling and friendly and surprisingly even though there may be a lot of people waiting, the wait time is never too long. Worth the wait!! Don't miss this one!
(5)M.L. W.
Holy Huge Helpings!! We ate 1/3 of our meals. Special pancakes: coconut cream with toasted coconut. Loco Moco: Hawaiin style. Super friendly server, CASH ONLY, but an atm on site. You can't possible eat all this food! Very reasonably priced, especially for the serving size. But, there is a split plate charge. All leftovers go to a local pig farm
(5)Elle M.
AMAZING. Your stop on the Big Island is not complete until you've stopped here for breakfast! Very friendly staff, fantastic food, huge portions, fair prices. Would definitely come back again!! They also have lunch. We stopped here in the way from Kona to an ATV tour in Waipio Valley.
(5)Azadeh K.
What's the point of eating good knowing that you have an anniversary to celebrate and your doing a mini vacay in Big Island & your first stop for breakfast is no where other then..yupp, you guessed it! Hawaiian Style Cafe! First time experiencing this place, my wife & in-laws swear by they're food, saying the wait is worth the quality and quantity of food they have! So here we are coming on a Tuesday morning around 745am and it's not really crowded like the weekends are usually are. We ordered and our food came within 10 min (Cheeeee!) ordered a titah MOKE plate which consisted of a bed of fried rice with a huge hamburger patty, 3 spam, chicken cutlet and eggs with gravy smothered all over!!!! Talk about "BROKE DA MOUTH!" Lol other words it was beyond "DELICIOUS!" Definitely wanted to order the Haupia Pancake but I was super full from my plate so I decided that it's best to save it for breakfast tomorrow if we come by Waimea haha Great service, polite & quick, always checking up on us if we needed anything or how everything was. Everyone should definitely check this place out, it's cheap (oh and make sure you carry cash, they take no credit card) pretty cheap for the amount they give! So go go check um go! Your stomach will be satisfied!!!!!
(5)Kristin A.
Jus GOOOOOOOD. You will be tempted to order pancakes for yourself, but don't - they are HUGE. Share it amongst your group as an appetizer. And no matter what, work in a chicken cutlet into whatever savory dish you get. The skin has so much flavor I can't deny! Closes early at 1:30 and closed in holidays. A MUST!!!
(5)Bruce H.
My favorite breakfast place on the Island other than the Mauna Lani sunday brunch buffet. Most of the dishes can feed two people. Pancakes the size of a spare tire. Try the loco moco - AWESOME. They don't take credit cards - so plan for cash. Also, make sure you plan on waiting in line - its worth it though.
(5)Tom A.
Great place. Pancakes with everything and bigger than you could ever finish. Omelets are great and staff is very friendly. It is a must if you are in Waimea.
(5)Stacey H.
Fantastic meal!!! The reviews are spot on, very original menu, huge portions & full of flavor! Service was the best we've had here in Hawaii. Our server Danna was awesome, food came out quickly & she had great recommendations! My husband had the Portuguese & ham omelette that came with giant fluffy pancakes (with coconut syrup - yum). The omelette had gravy, but wasn't too heavy - just full of deliciousness :) I had the breakfast hash that comes with fried rice. This was the best version of fried rice we've ever experienced, not too salty or greasy - just fresh, light and seasoned to perfection! I suggest you come hungry! :) Can't say enough about this adorable little cafe. We will definitely be back!
(5)Drew C.
A fabulous breakfast. Worth the drive from the shore. Lots of locals eating here and carrying out. Chances are there will be a waiting line outside. Go in to sign the wait list just inside the door. Also, it is cash only. I had the haupia (coconut pudding) pancakes. Ask for the coconut syrup. Terrific but enough for two. Also enjoyed a side of the Portuguese sausage. My wife had the pork hash specialty which was even better than my pancakes. If the food were not so terrific, I would be tempted to knock off a star for the bad coffee.
(5)Karina L.
This place is amazing! You must have an BIG appetite! The food was delicious and the service was great.
(5)Holly B.
Serving of luau stew (pork and luau leaf) is so much food in the mini, it's a steal! Comes out piping hot and delicious.. Also, tried the beef stew and it was ono! Friendly and quick service. Great for kamaaina wanting local food while on vacation!
(5)Britney B.
Went here on our vacay to KONA with my bf and we love it!!! My boyfriends the type to have an appiette for breakfast and Hawaiian Style Cafe was the perfect place! Gave it four stars just because the wait took a long time, and we didn't know where the hostess or greeter was at first so we waited outside for a good 20 mins until putting our names down. The wait was worth it! GOOD FOOD, GOOD PORTIONS for a really good price! lol (doesn't get better than that) pancakes are huge and usually comes with the omelet's (I got a veggie omelet, so ONO!) my bf got the tita loco moco (think thats whats its called) and he LOVED IT! we got so much food we needed to-go boxes! we was stuffed until dinner time! LOL Recommend this place and can't wait to go back! fast service and their staff is very friendly! **CASH ONLY**
(4)C T.
This cafe came highly recommended as a place we had to try. We should have read the signs when our first trip out to try their Loco Moco was unsuccessful. We got there around 2:30 pm. They close at 1:30 pm M-Sat, noon on Sunday. We tried again Sunday. They do seat everyone who is on their seating list by noon, then stop taking additional names. We waited over an hour, were the very last group to be seated since they could seat smaller groups before us (we had 5), then proceed to take FOREVER to bring water and longer still to take our order. Had to remind our server to bring our coffee and juice order. She wasn't very service oriented at all. Really unpleasant experience. To top it off, really didn't like the food. Ok, that box is checked.
(1)Kela V.
Come early and come hungry! Local breakfast and lunch dishes. Delicious fried rice. My personal favorite is the veggie omelet with hash browns and pancakes. Pancakes are as big as the plate and super fluffy! Try the coconut syrup!
(5)Jacqueline T.
This restaurant was AMAZING! The staff was friendly and the food was delicious. Portions are huge. This was by far the best food we had while on the big island, at the most reasonable prices. You should definitely check it out if you are near the area.
(5)Stefanie S.
The kind of old school small town diner that can rarely be found anymore. It's one of the few places on the island that sells Hawaiian comfort food. The prices are very high for diner food (4.95 for a half a papaya? I can buy 6 whole papaya for $5 at the farmers market). I ordered the stew luau... Taro leaves and pork... The most Hawaiian thing on the menu and very reasonably priced. However, the salt content was overwhelming. The meal was tasty otherwise, so it was sad the the salt made it nearly inedible. I would not return even though i appreciate the experience.
(2)Craig L.
Make no mistake. All the reviews for Hawaiian Style Cafe are legit and can't be more true. Locals travel far to just eat here. The food is amazing. Huge portions of localized goodness. You may have to wait to be seated so get there early for lunch. In the heart of Waimea. You gotta try the kalbi for lunch and the kalua hash for breakfast. I didn't try the pancakes but they looked huge. We sat next to a local gentleman who was very friendly and gave us a little bit of history of the area.
(5)Subrosa I.
The Loco Moco here is very tasty. Nice and salty. Generous portions to boot. The service is a tad slow. But I think it's worth the wait.
(4)Lizzie D.
I went to the newest Hawaiian Style Cafe on the west side of the island and I was really impressed with the food. Big portions and just a really cool diner feel. So we figured we had to go to the original location. Man this place had a line out the door. I had to put my name on a wait list. Once we got seated, we ordered and the food came out so fast. For as busy as they were I was really surprised how fast the food came out. I had to get the traditional loco moco. This was by far the best loco moco I have ever had. I have tried the L&L version, the Ono Hawaiian version, and even a local place next to my house that I thought had the best loco moco to offer. But this place shut them all down. The gravy was just so good. The egg was cooked perfectly, the onions in the gravy were something I have never had before. Rice was cooked perfectly, and the beef was delicious. It was well worth the wait and I totally understand the hype.
(5)Fran C.
So I was working on the Big Island last week, and my travels found me working in Hawi, Kapaau, Kamuela, & Kealakekua area..........while I was heading out to my job in Kamuela, I just so happened to pass by the "Hawaiian Style Cafe". I had already experienced dining at the Hawaiian Style Cafe (in Hilo), as one of my friends - Leenelle, had given me a tip about this place. When I had eaten breakfast at the Hilo location, I must say I really enjoyed the breakfast food. Upon posting my review of the Hilo location, one of my other friends - bruddah Ken, had mentioned to me that there was another Hawaiian Style Cafe location. The original location of the Hawaiian Style Cafe was in Kamuela. Of course when I had found the Kamuela location, I just had to stop by for a bite to eat, as I had to see what the original place looked like. I can tell you this............the original location is no where as nice as the new Hilo location. But if you're into nostalgia............then this is the place to go to! It's a very small restaurant, old, nothing fancy at all..............you know.......... old looking tables, no a/c (but Kamuela is always on the cool side, so who needs a/c right?). And yes, my yelp buddy Nat mentioned to me about the flies............and yes, I did see a few while I was eating at the counter, but hey, so long as the fly doesn't land & crap on your food, who cares???? Lol!!!! Besides...........das how you add the fava to da grindz! Lol!!!! So upon sitting at the counter, I decided on ordering the Teri Hamburger Steak with brown rice, & mac salad. What can I say about the grub............well, I can tell you off hand, I really enjoyed the Teri Hamburger Steak, & mac salad (whaaaat? I ate mac salad????? Yes, I will get to that soon!). The thing I liked about the Teri Hamburger Steak was that the meat was grilled on a pit, so upon getting my serving of the Teri Hamburger...........I could taste a smoky favor to it, beside having the teri sauce over the meat. The teri sauce was made just right.....it wasn't overly sweet. And now to the mac salad.............yes gang, I am the one that always says - "I just hate mayonnaise"! I hated it as a kid, and now that I'm old as dirt, I still hate it as an adult! But I must give the Hawaiian Style Cafe a 5 star rating for the mac salad! The only reason why I ate it, was that I had noticed tuna flakes, & peas in the mac salad. Upon noticing this, I took a small bite to sample, and upon eating it, my taste buds just lit up like I was downing a Heineken beer! Lol!!! I guess the tuna in the salad with the peas kind of bumped the mac salad up a notch, so it was quite enjoyable to eat............and when you scope a little teri sauce over the mac salad.........puuuuurfect!!!! I tell you! :) The only reason why I had to minus a point from my review, was the rice...........they basically ran out of brown rice, so I ended up getting one scope of brown rice, and one scope of white rice. That's just fine by me, as I didn't touch the white rice anyways, but upon eating a little of my brown rice, it was a bit hard........probably the last of the brown rice? Oh well, I didn't come here to eat rice anyways...........props for the Teri Hamburger Steak, & Mac Salad!!!!! There is free parking in front of the restaurant (not too much parking), but it is shared with other businesses. The place only takes CASH MONEY ONLY! So make sure you get da bucks in your pocket if you like grindz here!!!! Chance 'em gang!!!!
(4)Barbara M.
I really wanted to like this place, we'd heard from several people how good it is but our experience was nothing like we'd hoped for. We were a large party (11) and were told that it would be a 40 minute wait, it was actually a little over an hour wait, but we expected a wait and were just anticipating a great meal, Our party was seated at two different tables, one of which was 3 feet from the restroom which was in continual use the entire time we were there and the door was left open every single time it was used.....sorry, but yuk! We sat for about 30 minutes before anyone acknowledged us, the food was really just so-so, the fried rice was gross, the hash was really, really greasy, and not ONCE did any of the wait staff check to see if our group needed anything or wanted a refill on coffee or water. Sorry, but we won't be back.
(1)Cindy W.
I was very pleased with the loco moco here. It was exactly what I was looking for in an authentic Hawaiian meal experience. It's a heart-attack on a plate but after going mostly vegetarian/healthy for two weeks now, I wanted my carnivorous side to indulge. That's exactly what I got. The meats were all very flavorful but the best part was the beef gravy. It pulled the plate together. I'm very happy with my experience here and I loved the decor. The only thing was that the waiter Sam could have been a little nicer and courteous. I felt like I was disrupting him every time me or my friend wanted something...
(4)Lilya W.
The wait was so long but it was a Saturday. We drove from the Hilton Waikaloa for a breakfast on the way to Akaka falls. The portions are ENORMOUS! The food is cheap and amazing! Worth the wait and the drive!
(5)Megan Y.
This place has mastered the art of comfort food. Warning! You will need to share dishes unless you are man vs. food level. I was so happy to see this place busy because it deserves the popularity. By about 9-10 AM there is a line for a table, but it's so worth it. They generally have one or two waitresses working which made service a bit slow, albeit not enough to dock any stars. So the food is such a great value. You can get a giant plate of Hawaiian breakfast plus a side of pancakes/french toast for ~$10. There are a ton of options. My family and I really liked the Korean pork and chicken. Both were very flavorful and tender. I'm also glad this place has kept its small town, local charm in light of its booming business. Be sure to check the specials board in the back (a bit out of view) for some cool options! The haupia pancakes are a must-try off of that list!
(5)Homer S.
This place is unbelievably good! Fantastic food at a more than reasonable price! And, the portions are more than generous! For two we ordered: Hawaiian loco moco - calling it the best loco moco I've ever had is an understatement Korean fried chicken - I'm still speechless bc of how good it was One macadamia nut pancake - was also delicious, though I'm not much of a "sweets" person Service was excellent. Wonder experience over all A must try if ever on the big island!
(5)Alex L.
Before I got to the big island I wanted to eat at nothing but locals spots. This place was recommended to me and it did not disappoint! I ordered the tita mok which was a loco moco with three meat choices. I ordered a hamburger patty, a corned beef hash patty, and portuguese sausage over a bed of rice with eggs and gravy all over it. That was a piece of heaven right there! Exactly what I was looking for. My daughter ordered the keiki special which was a pancake (that was HUGE btw), eggs and a meat side which was portuguese sausage. She grubbed on it, but of course couldn't finish the pancake. My wife ordered a regular loco moco which is pretty much the same as mine, but without all the different meats. Just a hamburger patty. We were seated in about five minutes which was the time they had to set up for the 8 of us.The service was ok, not the best, but the meal made up for it. Place was packed early in the am when we got there. We drove from Kona so it took about an hour to get there. It's located in Waimea. It's on the way to Hilo so it's a great spot to hit up on the way. We headed up to Waipio Valley and on the way back we came back through Waimea and was going to stop there again for some late lunch, but it was closed. That's how good it was!!! If you are looking for local style food and great big portions, this is the place for you. Don't miss out!!
(5)Mark S.
One of those local places to go back to again and again. This place is a great example of quality and quantity with a reasonable price. As you'd probably already read, the pancakes are huge. Looking forward to go again next time we are in Kona.
(5)Tony L.
We stopped by on a rainy weekday for a late lunch and was able to get seated right away. The restaurant is pretty basic, so don't expect fancy surroundings when coming here. Similar to what the other reviews say, the portions here are huge, so we made sure not to over-order. We got: Three egg omlette with bacon, hashbrowns and one giant pancake. This was pretty good, with lots of bacon. I almost laughed out loud when the waitress asked us if we wanted one or two pancakes. With the other food that was ordered, the two of us barely finished half of one (although the pancake itself tasted pretty good, not too heavy). Combo meal with Korean chicken and Kalbi short ribs: the chicken was fried nicely, and the short ribs weren't too sweet. The two dishes and two soft drinks came out to $25. I would come back again to try some of the other breakfast and lunch specials if I was back on the Big Island again. It is worth the 20-30 minute drive from Waikoloa.
(4)Dinsmore T.
The best breakfast on the island large plates of home cooked Hawaiian food !!! Thaw pancakes are out of this world
(5)Eddie T.
So I got the banana pancake for $9.95. I thought it would be banana flavored, or something special, but all they did was slice about half a banana on top. The normal 2 pancakes, that the people next to me got was $5.95, which is the same thing, without the banana. So they charge $4 for half a banana, really? It's not that special, all that's special about it is how big it was. The extra star was for the friendly and attentive staffs.
(2)Trevor D.
After going to the Hawaiian style cafe in Hilo the previous day for breakfast I figured what the heck, lifes short let's try the original. This place is just what I expected, a fairly non-descript spot with a line out the door (always a good sign). after waiting for a short bit we got a table. I decided to repeat and get Da Tita Mok with a side of portuguese sausage and a pancake. When they brought the order out it was truly gorgeous! Everything was absolutely delicious just as I had expected and everyone at the table were equally satisfied with their food!
(5)Lisa L.
If you're seeking loco mocos look no further. Lots of variations available from the purist style with beef patties (spend two bucks extra to upgrade to grass fed local) or spam with Portuguese and link sausages. Truly delicious. Bring your patience hat. Wait can be long and service is laid back but well worth waiting for. I recommend sitting at the counter for some great people watching as well. Cash only.
(5)Wayne F.
Great Service. Delicious Food. Huge Portions. Not the place for a candlelight dinner but for honest great food...thats the spot
(5)Wing F.
This is the best place I've ever eaten as far as Hawaiian food. The portions are good for two meals.
(5)D M.
My favorite breakfast place in Waimea! The portions are huge and very reasonably priced. Everything I've had has been delicious. The pancakes are bigger than a toddler and most entrées come with a choice of toast or pancakes... Don't expect a couple small pancakes as a side, it's really a whole meal in itself! The downsides are the parking (limited, but small lot in the back for additional parking) and it is ALWAYS packed. Always. Because they're so busy, don't expect 5 star service, but the waitresses are always very nice. Try the Kalua Pork Hash, Corned Beef Hash or an omelet. Yum yum yum!
(5)Kolby T.
During my 16 day trip in Hilo, this was one of my favorite places to eat. I loved everything here. I had poke, a Spam omelet, pancakes, korean chicken. Eeish, it was all so good. They get very busy, so be ready to wait a minute, but it is worth the wait.
(5)Robert L.
Great traditional Hawaiian food in an old school diner style.
(4)Robert S.
If you are in this part of the Island, you MUST visit Hawaiian Style Cafe. Are you into Country Style breakfast? This is the place for you. I don't even understand why they call it "Hawaiian Style" ... this is NOTHING LIKE how you get treated in any of the Hawaiian cafes. They have Excellent food, large portions, delicious, AND very reasonably priced for Hawaii. The are very crowded for BRUNCH, but service is fantastici. They definitely deserve all the 5-stars +. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy ... as I am sure you'll love this place. Happy dining in Hawaii, Country style!!
(5)Makayla A.
We are breakfast here and it was soo good. I had the country fried steak and it was absolutely delicious! My family members tried the pancakes and said they were wonderful. Service was great and so were the prices. The portions here are huge so I would recommend splitting. This place was great and is a must for breakfast on the big island!
(5)Michelle T.
This is a quote "it was hella good, I loved it". My husband enjoyed the loco moco and I had the banana macadamia nut pancakes. I was shocked how frick'n huge the portion were. We could have fed a family of 5 with our 2 servings. The only draw back was that they only take cash. I came prepared, since I had read the yelp reviews prior to going. I was warned, so I want to pass on the good advice.....otherwise you will have to pay an ATM fee. Yes, they have an ATM on-site.
(5)Deb S.
People are serious about their food around here. This neighborhood gem was highly recommended by locals. Friendly and welcoming service where everybody seemed to know everybody else. The place is crazy and clean, smallish but not too small at all. Our French toast was sweet, and grilled to perfection. The gigantic pancakes were light and fluffy and sweetly covered with hauling pudding. Sweet!!! I could not even begin to finish these giant panty-cakes. But it was all delicious and I would visit again in. Heartbeat. But I would get some salty bacon with my pancakes if I were you.
(4)Mike K.
Good food, friendly service, and a guitar serenade for Sat breakfast. Fluffy mac nut waffles, were excellent. The moco loco with Kahlua pork and holland aisle was a bit of a miss, and a mess. Good enough for return visits.
(4)Cat L.
Pancakes are HUGE. Get one for two people. Kalua Hash was my favorite food that I ordered. Waitress was very nice and friendly. Bacon was overcooked. Long wait if you come early for breakfast come at 10:30 or 11 if you want to get in right away. Worth the drive from Waikoloa to avoid touristy overpriced places. Personally I am fine with fruit for breakfast on most days so it is hard for me to rave about breakfast but this place is pretty good.
(4)John R.
Yum. Come hungry!! Large portions only outsized by the local flavor and hospitality! Highly recommend this place to anyone coming to the big island.
(5)Samantha L.
Hawaiian Style is not quite my style but the portions are amazing for the price! I would recommend it for people traveling on a budget because you could easily split breakfast and both be satisfied. My main beef with it is there aren't any healthy options (2,000 calorie breakfast isn't usually a good idea).
(4)Liv M.
Wow-o-wow! Came here three years ago and had to return for the Mac nut pancake. Portions are HUGE, so sharing was the best choice. And still we will all be having pancake tomorrow. Hubby had eggs, hash brown, and ham; kids plate was pancake, one egg, and link sausage. I split 3-egg omelette with my daughter. It was filled to the brim with bacon, sautéed onions, mushrooms, and cheese, and side of hash brown. The Mac nut pancakes were perfect, just like I remember. The server was friendly and we were served in less than 5 minutes, no joke. Worth the three year wait.
(5)Jameson B.
This was very close to being a 5 star review but unfortunately it's not. Positives first, of which there are many: You get a MASSIVE amount of food. The staff is extremely friendly. Most everything we ordered was pretty darn good. Negatives: They use the MASSIVE amount of pancakes they serve as a justification for jacking up the price a bit. 1 person cannot finish the plate and pancake combos here. Not possible. And they charge you to split plates. That is called a scheme. Preparation of our eggs (main reason for 3 stars instead of 5) was dangerous and disgusting. When I order food (eggs in this case) and you ask me specifically how I would like it cooked...THEN COOK IT HOW I SAID TO COOK IT. THAT'S WHAT IM PAYING YOU TO DO. THAT IS THE WHOLE REASON I AM THERE GIVING YOU MONEY. I asked for my eggs over medium and my buddy asked for his eggs scrambled dry. My eggs came "over raw", with a huge portion of the whites still clear and runny and raw. This is EXACTLY what I try to avoid when I ask for eggs over medium. Why do you even ask people how they want their eggs if you don't make them the way they want?!?!?! PLEASE BE MORE CAREFUL. You are going to accidentally kill someone with salmonella if you keep doing this. My buddy's scrambled eggs came disgustingly undercooked as well with half cooked, runny eggs dripping everywhere. Both ours were inedible. The pancakes (while they are good) are far too big. Come on. Seriously. Our entire group couldn't have finished 1 plate of pancakes and we ended up with 2 plates of pancakes in addition to 4 massive plates of breakfast. Again, just and excuse to charge more. Overall, I won't say to avoid this place, but beware the eggs and the excessive quantities of food. This breakfast was the largest I have ever seen in my entire life. The wait staff was handing us things directly because there was LITERALLY no room left on the table to set anything down due to the obscene amount of food and plates. Crazy.
(3)Nat N.
Came here with very high expectations, thanks to the rave reviews on Yelp, and the swarms of people congregated in front of the restaurant when we pulled up. Unfortunately, it fell a little short. The sign-in sheet is located inside the restaurant, on the right hand side. There were 15 groups in front of us, but the tables turn over fairly quickly, and a lot of people left after putting their names on the list, and so we ended up waiting no longer than 20 minutes for our name to be called. The place is old and not air conditioned. I don't mind dining in this type of atmosphere, but the flies were kinda grossing me out. The hubby ordered the kalua pork hash (comes with two eggs and fried rice) and I ordered the haupia pancakes. The haupia pancakes ($9.95) were enormous. Definitely too big for one person. I wasn't too impressed with the haupia/pancake combo, but maybe I'm just more of a pancakes with butter and syrup type of gal. The hubby's kalua pork hash ($8.95) was so-so. Lots of potato in the hash, and only a hint of kalua pork. The fried rice had a really weird flavor to it - as if they made it with dried shrimp. Pouring shoyu over it did not take away the weirdness. As most Yelpers have pointed out, the portions are generous, and it's nice to know that the excess food goes to the hogs (according to their menu).
(3)Lori I.
CASH ONLY. Good breakfast spot in Waimea. Huge portions & great value in this old school Hawaii eatery. My recommendation: order breakfast food even if it's lunchtime. Closes at 1:30pm (and 12n on Sundays). Located in a mini-strip on the north side of the road after Merriman's (if you're coming up from Kawaihae Road), you might drive right past it before you realize you need to turn around. There are 8-10 spaces in the front and more on the side of the building. FIND THE LIST and WRITE YOUR NAME down and go back outside. There's not enough room inside for everyone to stand and wait. We got lucky but be prepared to wait a bit. Depending on how long your wait is, there's an antique store next door and a small women's aerobics studio offering Zumba, yoga, Turbo kickboxing and cycling 3 doors down to create some room to eat. FOOD -HAUPIA PANCAKES - warm haupia pudding on fluffy monster pancakes! This comes topped w/shredded coconut and whipped cream and strawberries just FYI. If you don't like coconut, order these plain. There is a "shared plate" charge and after seeing the size of this, I can see why. One pancake could feed 3 people! (Or one sumo sized one.) -LOCO MOCO - all kinds of versions including a Kalua pig loco moco on Fridays. The chicken cutlet version is basically breaded chicken on rice topped with an egg and brown gravy. Don't forget to ASK FOR GRAVY ALL OVER because there wasn't enough on mine. Was it the best loco moco ever? I can see how some people might think so. The gravy is nice and they don't skimp on portions. -$3.95 kids meals!! Mickey mouse chicken nuggets/fries! -Under $10 lunches!! However, the Pulehu ribs and the honey chicken did not taste right. Stick to the breakfast menu. I would go back if I was in this area but I wouldn't drive here just to eat. Don't forget CASH ONLY.
(4)Dru S.
So incredibly tasty and so local! Best Hawaiian food I've had. No alcohol served but good ice tea.
(4)Pippa B.
Be warned, the mac salad has canned tuna and peas in it! Also, my hamburger steak was raw on the inside. I only had a few bites of my meal and felt sick the rest of the day. The portions are large and so are the prices. If you don't like to eat 3lbs of food then it's a waste of money! I will not go back.
(1)Stacey M.
Home cooked meals. Pancakes the size of hub caps! We have had loco moco and the egg/pancake plate. Both were wonderful. We make sure we eat here every visit to the Big Island!
(5)Stephanie D.
For years we've headed across the street from this place for coffee. We were directed here to try for breakfast. You enter and see a large wrap-around U-shaped counter seating and booths on the side and back. It fills up fast with locals who know about this local gem. All I can say is come hungry. The portions are HUGE! Plan to share a meal, or take half or more home for another meal. Try the Portuguese sausage in something or as a meat side. This is basic diner food, nothing fancy. Pancakes, eggs, loco moco, kailua pork hash, etc. But it's all yummy.
(3)Amber G.
This place is a must when you are visiting big island! The pancakes are huge and so are the portions! Bring your appetite! This place is a cash only cafe. Service is awesome as well! If you are here then do not pass up the opportunity to eat here!
(5)Sally M.
This place gets a lot of hype because it's in the Big Island Revealed book (an essential book for anyone visiting Hawaii) so I wasn't at all surprised that there was a line out the door. We left and came back about an hour later when the line had slowed down and were seated. I ordered the Portugese blood sausage special with a side of pancakes. The pancakes. Wow. They were the size of a medium pizza and I'm really not kidding. I was in awe. They were also really fluffy and delicious. I couldn't eat them all, not even 1/8 of them because I had to eat all of my sausage. Let's talk about deliciousness!!!! I know blood sausage sounds scary to some people but it's actually really rich, decadent, and full of flavor. Theirs was nothing short of spectacular. I ate every scrap with two eggs over easy and hash browns. The pancakes came in handy because we went for a half-day hike out to a lava tube and they were a perfect lunch. Carbs are good hiking food! We were staying with friends in Waimea for a few days and went back several times and each experience was good. Their loco moco is huge and tasty and enough to keep you going all day. Great prices and very nice service. The fried chicken I saw someone order looked awesome so the next time I am in Waimea I think I'll try it. My boyfriend swears by the Kalua pig hash. One place that lives up to the hype and is priced just right,
(5)Lee R.
Great local grinds in Kona, very close to the airport with a ton of selection.
(5)Nastia R.
The food was nice, people were great. Worth sopping by!
(5)Minzie P.
Great food and friendly waitstaff. The food portions were enormous, especially the pancakes but I enjoyed the food.
(5)Mia A.
Great food!!! Giant pancakes. I loved the French toast with Cocoanut syrup. Great hash browns to! I'd defiantly recommend it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D
(5)Hannah C.
HUGE portion sizes. They will charge $3.75? if you share a meal. My husband ordered Da Tika Mok, the kids shared the Haupia Pancakes, and I ordered the Korean Chicken plate. The Da Tika Mok and Korean Chicken plate were a bit salty and I didn't personally care for the coconut pudding on the pancakes but hubby seemed to enjoy it. We took back to the hotel the leftovers which was even too much for our next meal! I would visit again but not in the same trip/vacation.
(4)Nicole Y.
Awesome place to snag your must-have loco moco on Big Island. Massive portions, friendly service, and cute diner feel make this place one that I have to visit every time I'm in Hawaii. My bf and I had just done an the intensive Muliwai Trail hike the day before and were ravenous the next day for a heavy breakfast. Even when starving, neither of us was able to finish. I ordered the "internet loco" which is steamed white rice, brown gravy, a fried egg, and about 6 slices of spam. Even the menu describes this loco as "spam, spam, spam, spam..." haha! One downside is the cash-only issue...but this is pretty common in Waimea. ATM available on site if you need it. Definitely a must-visit if you're in the area!
(5)Nicole O.
Based on a recommendation from a client, our first stop on our business day trip to Hilo was Hawaiian Style Cafe. It ended up being our only meal on that trip! Parking: Parking was plentiful on that Sunday morning. We got there around 9:30 a.m. so I'm not sure if it was to early for a Sunday or if it's the normal time for everyone to eat. Basic: The restaurant is pretty big with lots of tables. Takeout is available for those to eat in the comfort of their home. There is a hostess at the front who will take your name and amount in your party. You wait to be called and she seats you. Food: Food here was very good. Many reviews commented how huge the portions are and well, we weren't disappointed. After scouring the multitude of choices, I went with the kalua hash with scrambled eggs and fried rice. I have to admit, i'm not a huge fan of kalua pig, but with the rave reviews and the self-proclaimed local favorite on the menu, I went for it. The portions were huge! I think the breakfast was $9.99. Not bad for all that food! Because I wasn't going to have time to eat later, I didn't take home the rest. BUT, from the menu, it said that the leftovers were going to be donated to a farm to feed the animals. Hope it wasn't gonna be fed to a pig. ^__^ . My coworker ordered a chili loco moco which looked amazing. She loved it so next time I might have to try it. My client had the same meal as me with egg over easy. She liked the kalua hash as well. On top of all that food, my client ordered a side of pancakes which were the size of a dinner plate! Seriously. She took several bites but that was it. There was just too much food. She also ordered to try their homemade Portuguese sausages. I took a piece and definitely want to order that next time. The flavor was perfect; mild in temperature and wasn't greasy. Decor: The restaurant was clean and had a local flare to it. There were picture frames of old Hilo. Overall: I would have given this restaurant a 4 or 5 stars if it wasn't for the long wait. We were one of few parties that were waiting when we got there, but we didn't get seated till half an hour later. Tons of people came in after us with the same amount in their party but they went in before us. When we finally went up to the hostess to inquire about our table, she said she had called us. But, she didn't. Apparently she had crossed off our names. Boo! Once we were seated, we did get served right away. Our food did come out fast too. I'm definitely coming back the next time I'm in Hilo. The food was good, the wait was long, and the prices were reasonable.
(3)Jennifer S.
Hawaiian Style Cafe are for visitors and locals alike. As you open the screen door, you feel the comforts of home, the flurry of chaos, and huge plates of food being served to the hungry eaters. I opted to get the Kalua hash plate with two eggs and fried rice. The kalua hash was really delish with a hint of smokiness. The over easy eggs complimented my fried rice perfectly. Add a dash of shoyu on the rice, and you're set. If you're thinking of something sweeter, the pancakes are a good option. And they're as big as the plates! Prefer sweet and savory? Get the best of both worlds! If your plate comes with an order if pancakes, take the option. You can upgrade to haupia or banana pancakes. U won't be disappointed. When in doubt, talk to the servers. They know their stuff.
(4)Victoria M.
Portions are huge, prices are right. Try the mix plate - had honey fried chicken, Teri burger, Korean pork and the Kalbi - all fantastic! Service was great. There was a short wait. Cash only!
(5)June B.
I wish I found this place from the moment we landed, but sadly we discovered it the day before we left. I would've eaten here everyday. Since day one we were asking our hotel concierge at the Marriott where to get a good Hawaiian style breakfast and they sent us to some average touristy places. Finally our shuttle bus driver told us about this place and it was amazing. I believe I said to my boyfriend while eating the coconut pancakes that I am in a happy place. Eat here it's so worth the 30 minute drive. Also perfect to eat here on the way to Waipao Valley.
(4)Anthony S.
Pancake takes up the whole plate. Delicious. Kalua hash is spot on. A must go. Ordered 4 things total under $30
(5)Charles L.
Delicious and very friendly place! We tried the loco moco that comes with the hamburger patty, spam, and chicken cutlet over fried rice and smothered with gravy. We also wanted to try the special pancakes and the server was so nice she allowed us to get 1 macadamia nut, banana pancake and 1 haupia, coconut pancake combo so we could try both. Portion sizes were very generous and the food was delicious! Definitely recommend and it sounded like they have great Friday specials, eg combo plate of lau lau, Kalua pork, and Hawaiian style ribs.
(5)Lisa H.
All the reviews saying huge portions are not lying. Amazing amount of food at an amazing price (and it's excellent, too!)
(4)Asuka N.
Count me in as being in the minority here and finding this place just to be average. We got here a little before 10, but we had to wait a little bit - so if you don't want to wait outside in a line at all, definitely show up here earlier rather than later! The inside definitely has a more dated feel to it, but it definitely still feel laid back and uniquely Hawaiian. Our server was nice, but given how busy it was, you're not really going to get too much personal attention. The food itself is large - I found myself gaping at pancakes that fully covered regular-sized plates and wondering if we were going to be able to finish. My fiancee went with the kalua hash, which, while the pork was tasty as ever, was actually a bit on the bland side for my tastes...I feel like it definitely could have used a little more flavoring, or perhaps some vegetables (like green peppers) added for more zest. The fried rice it came with, though, was the opposite - definitely had plenty of salt in it. I ended up going with the Hawaiian-style French toast, which just basically means very thickly-sliced French toast. The bread was disappointingly bland, though, and even buttering and syruping it up didn't do much good. Probably the best part of the meal was the side of Portuguese sausage that we ordered; I really like the flavors in it, along with the slight spiciness. It's a nice little brunch spot on the outskirts of Waimea, and they give you more than your money's worth of food. That said, though, I didn't come away feeling like I had to come back. Maybe if I had tried their loco moco, I would have been singing a different tune...
(3)Jennifer B.
Ah!!! Breakfast, my favorite meal and Hawaiian Style Cafe does it right! Pancakes are as big as frisbees and fluffy! Hash browns are cooked perfectly and served in a foot long "plank", not sure how else to describe them. Eggs and sausage are fresh and cooked correctly. Great place to enjoy a Hawaiian morning!
(5)Brooke L.
Wow! A local recommend this place and it did not disappoint. The pineapple sausage is the best thing I've put in my mouth in a long time. The Portuguese sausage and fried rice are also not to be missed. Famous pancake is good and huge - several people could share it. French toast and kalua hash are also good, but nothing compares to that sausage! We're staying 45 minutes away and will be back. Cash only.
(5)Brandon W.
-*4.5 stars*- The service was a little slow to get to our table. Other than that though, everything was good. Food was great and the pancakes were HUGE!!!
(5)TT H.
If you are visiting the Big Island on the Kona side, YOU MUST EAT HERE. This is the BEST DEAL on the Island. As the others reviews have said HUGE PANCAKES. 2 adults and 2 kids. We OVER ordered: Hubby: pork omelet with a side of pancakes. (if I had known his side was the size of a dinner plate, i would not have ordered mine) Me: Mac nut banana pancakes...SO delish! Wish I could have eaten more, but i could not get past 1/3 of it. I had help and we got thru almost 1/2. Son: french toast Daughter: Happy Pancakes. No one was able to finish what they ordered. if were weren't going to drive around the rest of the day, i would have taken it back to the hotel. All of this for $40. The best deal and best meal we had on our vacation. We were here on a Thursday morning and had to wait about 10 mins. I hear the weekends is a minimum is 30mins. So drop someone off to get your name on the list while you look for parking. There are only about 10 spaces in front. WORTH THE WAIT. This is not a fancy place. Cozy little diner/cafe. Local feel. LOVED IT. CASH ONLY.
(5)Sarah S.
Located right off the main road, on a stretch of road that seems to have a bunch of popular restaurants. It definitely feels like an ordinary diner, but instead of greasy food, everything tastes homemade. As others have mentioned the pancakes are HUGE. Look at the board behind the counter for their specialty flavors. I had the beef stew because I just wanted some comfort food. It was packed with meat and really filling. If I ever find myself in Hawaii again, I will definitely be back!
(5)Clarisa M.
I'm actually writing this review on our way to our 3rd and final visit to this little gem! The food had been AMAZING! Ridiculously large portion sizes for a great price! Definitely beats paying the $25 for breakfast at our resort. Definitely go have breakfast early (before 9am) because the restaurant gets full quickly. Super satisfied!
(5)Cessie C.
Try the banana pancakes with macadamia nuts & powdered sugar.. to DIE for! Portions are huge! Service is OK- server was not very warm or friendly, but the food makes up for it.
(4)B K.
Food tastes great, huge portions, priced right, and friendly staff...what more can you ask for?! If you like coconut, upgrade to the Haupia Pancakes and ask for the coconut syrup...you'll love it! Mahalo and Aloha!
(5)Jesse R.
I think this a solid breakfast spot, but not worth going out of your way for. Portions were large, and the food was good, but just good, not by any means amazing. We had the banana and mac nut pancakes, as well as the hash. Service was so-so, I asked for a coffee refill and about 20 minutes later, when she was dropping off the check she kind of remembered. I think if you are on vacation, such a we were this is not the spot to go to.
(3)Charles K.
Only sad part about this place is that it's in Hawaii and not in my backyard! Loved this place. Friendly staff. Very chatty if you want, but they also know to give you privacy if you don't try to strike up a conversation. Food was pretty quick. Even at 10:30 AM on a thursday, it was still packed and had to wait for a table. The traditional Hawaiian Style Loco Moco was very, very good. The sauce was not too salty, and the burger patties were a perfect medium/medium-well. The pancakes were quite literally the size of the plate (I'm thinking a good 12 inches!!!) All in all, if you are visiting the big island and have a rental car, set aside one morning to try this place!!
(5)Will C.
What an Amazing find. Kahlua Pork & Eggs with a Banana MacNut pancake with coconut syrup!
(5)Lauren R.
I believed the hype and we drove up to Waimea one morning to try it out. I was never a big breakfast person before I was pregnant, but now if I don't have food in my stomach by 9 am I turn into a hangry beast. We got there around 9 and there wasn't a wait. The hostess asked if we minded sitting at the bar which we didn't. The only bad thing is that it's right by the front door and I was afraid people would judge the mass amounts of pancakes I would be consuming. Service was nice, just as you would expect at a divey sort of joint. I knew from the beginning that I wanted the mac nut pancakes. Husband had kalua pork moco loco which he really liked. The pancakes were as has been said before ginormous. It almost seems a little wasteful to give people that much food when hardly anyone finishes a plate. I get that it's a novelty and on the menu it is stated scraps go to a local pig farm...I'm not sure if there should be a winky face next to that statement. Anyway, I made it through 3/4 of one pancake and threw up the white flag. While they were good and had the essential light and fluffy factor, they were not life changing and I probably would not go back for them. It's cash only and prices aren't bad. Both of our entrees were 10 bucks. This may be hitting below the belt since this is considered a divey kind of place, but they use Redi Whip (blech) and the syrup is in a sticky bottle on the counter.
(3)Jay R.
Cons: Disorganized seating, fried chicken was still frozen inside. Pros: friendly people, local hangout.
(3)Ida S.
Never in my life have I seen such huge portions. It was embarrassing how much we ate. The prices were incredibly cheap and service was super fast. There were a line of people waiting to get in, but they got in pretty quick. Wow. Could not eat rest of the day.
(5)Chris M.
Absolutely great! We had the Hawaiian sweet bread French toast with bacon. It was really good and well cooked but the star of the show was the homemade Portuguese sausage fried rice with sunny side eggs and pork hash from scratch. We didn't try the pancakes but they were the size of a Datsun's wheel and looked fantastic! I would highly recommend you stop in for breakfast or lunch! After a stop or two more its possible I'd give them 5 stars!
(4)aaron n.
Ate here on vacation in August of 2013. First thing to note is the portions are huge, and the tables are small. The Kalua pork hash was really good, Kalua pork hash with eggs and fried rice. The only negative thing is they don't take credit card, this isn't 1999 anymore..
(4)Malia N.
Our 'ohana tried the French toast, rib eye steak and eggs, kalua hash and eggs, and pancakes with banana and mac nuts. It was great and we will be back next time we visit Kona. Very local atmosphere.
(4)Mari-Ela D.
Ordering for two? The Korean chicken cutlets and Luau Stew make for a sweet & salty KILLER combo!!! YUMZ
(5)Eileen B.
Delicious! On the wall they posted "quality, speed, service...chose one" Not necessary here! They nailed all three! Excellent!
(5)L B.
Best breakfast on the Big Island hands down!! I love breakfast, it's my favorite meal, when we found Hawaiian Style Cafe we had to keep going back to try as much as we could on the menu. Even on Mothers day when we knew it'd be packed. The loco moco is to die for, in fact I'd kill for one right now. What surprised me is I'm a tradition loco moco guy, but I tried theirs with the 3 meats and had the chicken cutlets as one of my choices, mmmmm I still think about it. Do you like pancakes? Oh my, there's are huge and fluffy! Great food, great staff and great prices, this place is ono grinds!
(5)Randy N.
Loved the food! We had breakfast which was classic "greasy spoon" style (and I don't mean that negatively). My wife and I shared some awesome coconut-cream pancakes - WOW!!! and the hash browns? Just the way I like them! The service was exemplary and QUICK! Never would've thought we'd have a such a great breakfast at such a nondescript location.
(5)Aggie A.
Reasonable Hawaiian diner, but it's #2 of the 3 we dined at in Kailua-Kona. The diner is the first thing that you see when you walk in. It's in a strip mall, with a barely noticeable sign, just a few yards from Merriman's in Waimea. There's nothing wrong with the diner--but there are better and worse ones within the area.
(2)Ida C.
Not just love at first bite, but OBSESSION! We were utterly seduced by Hawaiian Style Cafe, and though we'd heard all the hype from the blue book and from Yelp before our arrival, our expectations were still exceeded! It's the best of all counter style joints sprinkled with the magic fairy dust of real, homegrown ALOHA! From our second vist, we were treated as regulars and by our third, the staff was calling out, "See you tomorrow!" Sadly, we had to leave Hawaii at the end of our vacation, but our passion for Hawaiian Style Cafe is no less fiery! We managed to try a good chunk of the menu during out brief stint as regulars. One thing we learned: everything tastes better with Aloha. Oh, also, everything tastes good at Hawaiian Style Cafe! 1. Loco Moco (~$8) - Iconic Hawaiian dish, but this version is one of the best I've tried. For breakfast, it's a truly daunting meal (see the photo). Rice topped with 2 hamburger patties, topped with 1 egg, topped with grilled onions and then covered with brown gravy! We asked for (and received) extra onions, which was very fulfililng! Eat this and go take a nap on one of the beaches in Kohala! 2. Kalbi (~$9) - Kalbi is offered by itself or in various combo platters with other stuff. There's been a lot of press and blog worship of the Kalbi at HSC, and it's compeltely warranted. Be careful with this stuff because it's incredibly addicting! Tender, smoky and sweet all at the same time from the enchanting sweet sesame soy marinade. 3. Chicken Fried Steak & Eggs (~$8) - I've loved this dish my entire life whether it was called country fried steak or chicken fried steak and this is THE BEST VERSION I'VE EVER HAD. I'm deadly serious when I say that and I've tried versions all over Texas. The batter was light and very crispy, the steak was pounded evenly thin and the gravy was rich and flavorful. Perfection! 4. Kahlua Pork Hash & Eggs (~$8) - Delicious! If you like Kahlua pork and love potatoes, get this! 5. Luau Plate (~$12) - Often listed as a daily special, this includes kahlua pork, pork lau lau, mac salad, chicken noodles and rice! I really enjoyed the variety and the kahlua pork and pork lau lau were especially delicious! 6. Hawaiian Haupia Pancake (~$3) - The BIGGEST pancakes I ever did see! Despite being as large as small hubcaps, somehow they manage to keep the pancakes evenly fluffy and delicious. As if that wasn't delicious enough, they then heap a huge amount of delicious coconut pudding on top and cover with shredded coconut, a few strawberry slices and whipped cream. As a dessert, you can easily share this between 4 people. Don't say I didn't warn you 7. Banana Macadamia Pancake (~$3) - Same size as the above pancake (meaning: HUGE) and covered with sliced bananas and chopped macadamias. Also delicious, but I preferred the Haupia Pancake! 8. Hot Cocoa (~$2) - Delicious with lots of whipped cream on top PARTING THOUGHT: After a meal at Hawaiian Style Cafe, beware of imminent food coma and instant fuzzy, happy feeling :)
(5)Susan F.
cash only! Go hungry the portions are huge! the eggs breakfast comes with 2 eggs, rice or hash browns, choice of breakfast meats, and a choice of toast or pancakes! take the pancakes they are delicious and huge!
(4)Trisha G.
Haupia pancakes & tita moke (loco moco w/ hamburger patty, spam and chicken cutlet and brown gravy). Portions are HUGE & cheap for how much food you get. Go early! There's always a line, but we went early enough that we beat the rush.
(4)Ash B.
Good food. But be aware that you pay 4 bucks to split a meal. We didn't know until we got our bill.
(3)Ser N.
Warning: unless you have a mammoth appetite, only order ONE pancake! I made the mistake of ordering two, as well as the yummy corned beef hash, and I only made it through 1/3 of the stack. We were told that the scraps are fed to the pigs...lucky pigs! These pancakes are HUGE (and very tasty)! BF ordered steak and eggs, which came out rare (the way he likes it), smothered with onions...tasty too! Staff is very friendly and helpful. Very reasonable for this expensive side of the island. We will be back!
(5)Melanie C.
A must if you're in the area! The banana mac pancakes are amazing. The service has always been very friendly and manages to stay so even when extremely busy.
(4)Jeff S.
I knew the reviews were right on when we were seated next to our server from last night's dinner at Merrimans. The waitresses were all smiles and very helpful. My wife had the Kalua hash and I had a humongous Korean omelette filled with Kalbi, kimchee and fried rice served with crispy hash browns and two dinner plate sized pancakes. So onolicious and well worth the drive from from Waikoloa. $30 including tip (cash only). We will be back!
(5)Tony L.
OMG!!!!!!!!! LOCO MOCO that will blow your taste buds out of the water. I have had plenty of Loco Moco's in my lifetime and this place seriously has the BEST Loco Moco anywhere. The meat patty has so much flavor and this place uses spam fried rice instead of the regular white rice most places use. The portion is use and definitely enough to share. My GF and I also ordered the Banana nut pancakes which was also very good but nothing to really rave about. The service was good and the servers were very friendly. I would suggest coming early for breakfast because the place gets packed and the parking lot is very small.
(5)Ryan P.
Awesome place for breakfast. HUGE pancakes! Nice people. Best breakfast in Waimea. We enjoyed our experience here.
(5)Stephanie C.
Just a heads up to y'all that this place is CASH only... Well worth the drive from Waikaloa, especially if you want to avoid the over-priced standard fare at the resorts. Be prepared to wait a bit, even though you see empty tables and counter space - you'll need to write your party down on the list and the staff gets to it when they get to it. Nonetheless, fast and friendly service from the time you sit down. I had the mixed plate and enjoyed the generous portions. My husband had the big mok and commented that the gravy was really really good. The meals were reasonably priced. Be sure to come with an appetite! Thanks for the local fare!
(4)Megan R.
HUGEEEE portions! Like the two pancake breakfast should only be one, the plate was giant. The food itself is fine, nothing too special but not horrible. I got the breakfast burrito special, and it was like any other burrito I've had. My only complaint is that there isn't a place for large parties to sit. We had to break up into multiple groups to fit at the booths and at the counters. Though we all arrived at the same time, the first table had food before the rest were able to even sit.
(3)Jeff R.
Stopped here on our tour of Waimea for the birthday celebration of King Kamehameha the Great. First the food. While there were large portions, there was nothing that I had that had that American Idol "wow" factor. I ordered the hamburger beef patties with gravy. It was good. The beef was well seasoned and I did find myself dipping my kids fries into the gravy. Its just that I felt "been there, done that." Maybe I should have ordered something completely different but the prices were a bit steep and I was unwilling to try something completely out of the blue (they did have some stews there that seemed tempting). My wife ordered a combo of Korean chicken and Country Style chicken. The Korean chicken was really well done with crisp coating and tender meat. However, when my daughter said the Country Style chicken was just like KFC, I knew that there was a problem. Not that KFC is bad. Hell, put a bucket of KFC skin in front of me and well, be careful not to lose a finger. Its just that I was expecting something different. Too high of hopes maybe? What also bugged me was the $3.95 charge for sharing plates. Hey, not everybody has that huge of an appetite! Why not just offer mini versions of your meals? You'd probably make more as people would then order more so they can sample the menu variety. Just don't get it when restaurants do that (not that I see that often). Also, why in this day and age are you still cash only? At a restaurant no less? A bit disappointed.
(3)Cris W.
VERY popular. VERY busy. Expect a significant wait time. If you're like me, you'll be a little irritated that the restaurant staff doesn't consider seating efficiency to be a priority. You walk in and write your own name on a list that is not monitored by staff. My paranoid side thinks this could easily be manipulated by a selfish customer. Additionally, there are sparse seats throughout the restaurant going unused due to selfish, inconsiderate customers wanting lots of buffer, thus making the wait longer for others. One must accept, however, that the world is full of a-holes, the number increasing rapidly the further one gets from central Mississippi. Despite the wait the food here is outstanding, served in very large portions by very friendly staff, and greatly makes up for any other lacking.
(5)Vanessa W.
I would say this is certainly a solid option for diner-style food. I had the coconut pudding pancakes and a side of the housemade Portuguese sausage. Both were delicious and truthfully, the pancakes were some of the lightest and fluffiest I've had in years. This may seem to some like a weird complaint, but for me the enormous portions were a bit of a turn-off. My stack of two pancakes literally would have been big enough to cut and serve as a birthday cake for an entire family. I ate about a quarter of my serving before feeling too stuffed to continue. My dining partner was served a side order of pancakes that was also two enormous, thick, plate-sized pancakes. He couldn't even touch his after eating the main part of his meal. I agree with a comment below about the weirdness of serving such large portions and then charging customers a $3.95 sharing fee. I don't get it. I left most of my meal behind and felt awful about wasting good food. Our server told us that the leftovers would be served to pigs, which made me feel a little less wasteful, but also a lot like I just paid this restaurant for the privilege of buying their pig feed for them. Anyway, I don't mean to be too negative. The food was tasty and the servers were friendly. If there weren't a sharing charge, the portion issue would be easily solved by just splitting a meal with a friend. But with the sharing charge, I don't see myself rushing to come back here. I'd rather be served a reasonable single portion.
(3)Virginia T.
During a recent vacation on the Big Island, I came to this place twice because that's how good the food is! This place is filled with locals and tourists alike and despite being quite sizeable, there's sometimes a wait if you don't time your visit properly. Both times, we've been seated in their ramen-esque front seating area. If you're looking for a good loco moco, look no further! The house style is a handmade patty that is very beefy with the richest loco moco gravy I've ever had. The portion was also HUGE! Definitely enough for 2 people. My boyfriend had the Pulehu plater that comes with fried chicken and kalbi. The chicken is very crispy and tender. As for the kalbi, if you're expecting the very sweet Korean style, you might be a bit disappointed that this kalbi is more on the savory side and very beefy in flavor. But it's all so delicious! On my second visit, I enjoyed a single haupia pancake. Just one. It was literally the size of a vinyl record and I'm so glad I opted for a single rather than the double stack. The coconut pudding was so yummy that I didn't need any maple or coconut syrup to enjoy this thing! The couple next to me also ordered pancakes and when asked if a second order of pancakes was recommended, the server prompted responded "no!" This place is also cash only! Oh, and did I mention the portions are ginormous?!
(4)steve k.
Wher to start... Found this doing my normal research. When we told the guy at the activities desk at our resort, he got a very surprised look and asked how we found it... I knew then that it was a must go to place...we arrived to the Hole in the Wall location, full of locals. We were both thinking of eating light until I saw the menu....she ate light while I had "The Big Mok"... 4 sausages, 2 spam, house made Portuguese sausage ( to Die for) surrounding a plate of rice topped with an egg covered in brown gravy....wow.... Don't need to eat for a week... Lol...the pancakes we saw there were as big as hubcaps... We will most likely make a return trip because of all the stuff on the dinner menu....definitely Hawaiian Style !!!!
(5)Linda D.
Wow... Not abad thing to say about this place. Food - soo yummy and Hugh servings, waitstaff - so pleasant. Get there early before you miss out on their famous pancakes. The sweet bread with coconut syrup is to die for.
(5)Vivian A.
Located about 20 minutes north from Waikoloa, this place came highly recommended from a hotel guest we met at the lagoon who was so excited about the place, he wanted to treat us here. Unfortunately, our times wouldn't mesh for such date but we stopped here on his behalf anyways. The Canadian and I decided to split two plates: the kalua hash with medium eggs over fried rice and the macadamia nut pancakes with banana. I had the POG (pineapple-orange-guava) juice which was nice. The food came out and even for two people, it was ridiculous portions. The kalua hash was great, especially with the eggs and fried rice. The Canadian thought it was a bit mushy but I thought it was pretty good in flavor and very original. The pancakes were really good too: moist and doughy on the inside with crispy, buttery edges. These were really good. Definitely worth a stop if you're out this way or if you just want to get out of the resort area and get a monstrous amount of food.
(5)Guy N.
Bring your defibrillator and make sure it's on stand-by. There's not much I can add to what's already been said about the portion sizes, caloric values, or artery-clogging attributes of the food served. What I will say is that the best things we had here (by far) were the kalbi ribs and kahlua hash. Both were outstanding. Oh, and if you're relying on your GPS to find this place, it may take you way past it. Hawaii Style Cafe is in a strip mall on a road that Google Maps alternately refers to as A Mamalahoa Hwy / HI-19 / Kawaihae Rd., but there's also a road that runs perpindicular to its location that's called Kawaihae Rd. If none of that helps you find it, just look for (appropriately enough) Hawaii Cardiology on Kawaihae Rd. Hawaiian Style Cafe is about a football field's length away to the west, and across the street.
(4)Michael E.
Visited earlier this year and the morning before I took off, we stopped here. Now the friends I was visiting told me that the Big Mok was something to be seen. Some of the best Loco Moco I have had yet! As with every one else, bring your appetite.
(5)Kyle F.
Before I start my review I want to make one thing clear about this place: Food = 5/5 (quite possibly 6/5 if I could do that) Staff/service = 1/5 I found this place on yelp when I knew we where going to teh big island, and I have alway wanted a real hearty Hawaiian style breakfast, and when I was told by a bunch of the chefs at the fairmont this was the place to go I couldn't wait! My dad and I finished out round of golf at Waikoloa, so so course to say the least, and since it was still like 10am we said what the hell and drove up to the cafe from some great food. The system of taking resv, is like the dumpling inn, in SD, they have a clip board that some lady writes your name on and calls you in when they are ready...the only problem is first you have to find the lady who has the clip board or she has to find you. I must have looked like a chicken with my head cut off walking around trying to find out how to put our name in and then one of the waitresses came up and asked me to write it down, i handed her the clipboard back and she accused me of stealing her pen...i mean wtf?! (i had conveniently clipped it onto the board so it wouldn't get lost). We waited about 20 or so minutes to be seated and and once we did it took another 10 minutes before anyone would help/talk to us. Finally, after the waitress came and took our order, she had kind of a condescending attitude towards us for some reason, kind of like order and get the hell out and she wasn't very friendly when we had questions about the menu or anything else. Finally I decided on the "man" breakfast in my mind lol, it was 3 eggs, hash browns (that I kid you not must have been cooked in duck fat/ or bacon fat or lard because they have this really nice crispy flavor with a hint of sweet to them that I couldn't put my tongue on...but they were freaking amazing). oh ya and it came with bacon, my fav!!!! :). Along with the eggs and other stuff I knew I had to try the pancakes, this is what they are known for and what all the chefs at the fairmont told me I had to get. I kid you not they were about, if not bigger, the size of a frisbee and they give you to of these giant behemoths! I had one goal in my mind when I got my food, and that was to finish. The eggs where super fresh and fluffy and like i said before the hash browns were all sort of great. but the pancakes, wholly crap, where they good. a nice crisp on the outside and fluffy as air on the inside, and also they where the perfect thickness so that they would sop up the butter and syrup that was on the plate. I just wish the service was better, because I do want to go back there and try the Hawaiian bread french toast. but its such a bummer when they where so rude, it makes you not want to go back again.
(3)Betty E.
Service with a genuine smile. Huge portions. Pancakes are the same size as the plate!
(5)Jessi H.
Yummy food. The best breakfast place I went to while on the island. I had the sweet bread french toast with coconut syrup which was to die for but it's hard to make bad french toast. My husband had the loco moco which was very good and a massive amount of food. After eating at the place all I wanted to do was go take a nap because I was so full! The place could be a little larger because the line can get really long. M-F they are open from 7:30-12. Not sure on the weekend hours.
(3)Kim K.
Crazy, insane delicious!!!! The hour wait time was well worth it!! The portions are ridiculous and super yummy!!! They are only open until the afternoon so get there early. And seriously, do not plan on doing anything for the rest of the day because you will get crazy food comma after this meal. It's heavy but awesome!! Prices are good, but if you plan on sharing there is a fee for that.
(4)Deirdre W.
This place was perfect for brunch on our way from Kona to Hilo. Very friendly staff. My daughter's pancake was bigger than her head! The husband had the hash and my son and I had bbq. Really yummy stuff. There was a table of five very large Hawaiians next to us and even they were shocked by the size of the plates. Loved the decor and the t-shirts were cool, too.
(4)Carlie C.
After a few days of eating overpriced resort style food, we found ourselves craving some local style food. HSC is a small restaurant off the 19 in the Waimea (Kamuela) area. At first it looks like a bit of a run-down place, but hey, some of the best food comes out of hole-in-the-wall type restaurants. And that is certainly the case here! I ordered the Kalbi Ribs, which were some of the best I have ever had. They were nice and tender, the marinade was just the right amount of sweet, and there is enough fat on them to keep you happy but not gross you out. It came with 4 huge strips of the beef, 2 mounds of steamed rice, and a scoop of macaroni salad. Portions here are HUGE! I may have gotten through half of the food, and I went in hungry. My husband ordered a variation on the Loco Moco which came with Portuguese sausage and spam instead of patties. It was a ridiculous amount of food, and to my surprise he nearly demolished the whole plate! We were both happy with our food, and it definitely satisfied our local Hawaiian food craving. If you are looking for some tasty, down to earth, inexpensive food, you probably won't find anything better on the island. For value, this place just can't be beat. Keep in mind that they only serve breakfast and lunch and close at about 1:30pm. It was busy when we came by around lunchtime, but we waited no more than 5-10min for seating. It is also CASH ONLY.
(5)Sarah S.
We got the plate lunch, we were driving through and used Yelp to find a good place to eat and are we glad we did. We had our 5 month old who was OVER being in the car, stumbled in there right at noon and were sad to see they had closed up. We asked the lady for another local rec and she was nice enough to let us eat and saved the day. Great food, just make sure you check the hours before you go as they shut down at odd times on weekends.
(4)Victor L.
This place is LEGIT! I've heard all about it, and I've experienced it twice now. Big Mok and Pork chop and eggs. Both pretty good. My roommate says, "Kalua hash...AWESOME." Apparently, Hawaiian Style is opening up in Hilo in July. Can't wait UPDATE: It's actually not opening up in Hilo until January. Darn!
(5)Y L.
We came in search of this place and actually drove back and forth looking for it. The sign is easy to pass up if you're not looking carefully, and Google maps send you to someone's house. This casual style diner is something out of an old Hawaiian movie. At the time we stopped by, they were shorthanded, and once you walk in, everyone turns their head and looks at you and doesn't say a word. So find a seat where you can, even if there are dirty plates on the counter or the tables. I recommend you share a plate especially if you get the pancakes with it. THEY'RE HUGE!!! All in all, great place for authentic Hawaiian style food!
(4)Jessica A.
Gigantic portions, so def. share your breakfast! I loved the pancakes and the pineapple sausage was delicious. I had so much food that I ate the leftovers the next day!
(4)Marylu P.
1st hawaiian meal to get the day started and it was a good one! Service: Great! Donna (dana?) Made sure we were comfortable. This is what customer service is about! Food: Memorable. I had the delicious Pog drink which consist of passion fruit, orange juice, and guava. Mmmmm!! So good. Pancakes are huge! And the french toast was amazing! This is just like a homecooked meal. And dont forget to visit the next door lady with tasty treats and cute souveniers!
(4)robert d.
Absurdly large portions of insanely great food and a ridiculously low price. We enjoyed it so much we went back twice. First time I had an omelet and the second time I had the Kahlua hash. I can't say which I liked more because they were both off the charts. Pancakes were huge and tasty. The only thing that didn't make this a 5 star is that the place is pretty small and I felt cramped but it was still well worth it. Go here on an empty tummy and leave happy :)
(4)Ron C.
Ordered the "big moc" Loco Moco.
(5)Brian G.
Great food, and huge portions, and I'm from Texas, so that says a lot. Mom deducting one star, however, because my orange juice was heavily watered down. Otherwise, this is a must stop place for breakfast.
(4)Patrick W.
The loco moco comes highly recommended by the locals which generous portions of rice, hamburger (or a meat product), gravy, and topped with an egg. I had the beef luau (stew) which had incredible flavor...better than Mom's. An unassuming storefront restaurant is a roadside destination in Kamuela, HI. I recommend getting there for brunch if you plan a drive out to Hilo from Kona side. Parking is out front and in the back. Get there before the doors close at 1:30pm.
(4)Lianni C.
Yes and yes. This is a local joint right here with huge servings and delicious local food. The service here is excellent, my friends and I sat at the "bar". We ordered a bunch of food. Pancakes to share and the guys ordered a couple more big meals to share. Good Kalbi, good loco moco. I got the regular corned beef hash and it was great. I saw an omelet come out for another customer and it was huge! Definitly looked amazing. We came to this place because all the locals we talked to mentioned it. The owner is really sweet. This place closes at like 2pm so make sure you get there for lunch time, otherwise you will miss out! There's also a shave ice place two doors down if you have room for some dessert!
(5)Laura J.
I had breakfast here and couldn't believe the portions. I had to check the menu again because the price was so reasonable but the food was at least two meals worth! Good food and good coffee, well was worth the stop, especially if you are hungry.
(5)iPunchfish -.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOÂOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! This is why I came to Kona. I hooked up with a local who told me about what to see and experience in Kona. This was one of the places at the top of her list. And now I can see why. Breakfast will OWN YOUR FACE and there is nothing you can do about it. Da Tita Mok is a perfect example of everything you need for breakfast: GRAVY, GRAVY, MEAT, EGGS, RICE, GRAVY, SPAM, GRAVY. Take some notes, hater.
(5)Cassie C.
After finding this place on yelp, my family decided to have breakfast at Hawaiian style cafe - especially for the "hubcap-sized" pancakes. I am a huge proponent for local eateries and was extremely excited for a meal inclusive of pineapple sausage. We knew that there was going to be a wait - from the reviews, but were seated fairly quickly. We did wait a little while for our server to take our orders but we were in no rush. The reason I was disappointed was that after my parents had finished their massive plates of food, I still had not received my meal. I ordered the same dish as my mom, but the "lite" version with half as much food. Our server was so sweet I couldn't be mad. Unfortunately, my food had been sitting out for a while so when she remembered and brought it out, my egg and sausage were cold. I would still recommend this place to visitors because they have some unique Hawaiian style dishes on their menu, hence the name of the cafe. Something funny - there is a sign on the wall that says "quality, speed, service -choose one". I guess we got the friendly service :)
(3)Gary E.
Two words: Big Mok. Three words: Oh. My. God. Amazing prices, amazing food, amazing place. Their loco mocos are the best on the Big Island. When we pulled in, there were two ambulances parked out front - the local paramedics were grindin' here, and probably waiting for Hawaiian Style's awesome grub to turn unsuspecting Ha'Oles into customers when they sit down to their Mauna Kea-sized portions. That creaking you hear? Those are your arteries. But man oh man, you'll die happy. Thanks to Linda M. for recommending this place to me!
(5)David R.
Best breakfast in Hawaii. The Loco Moco is incredible. Huge helpings, and the service is exceptional. Wow!
(5)Kristol T.
If you are ever on the Big Island, you simply have to check this place out. Now I reccomend that you go early as this place is so good that there is usually a line to get in and they sometimes run out of food by mid afternoon. The staff and hilarious and very friendly. We were told about this place by the staff of of Villas and ended up going back 3 times during our vacation. Now on to the most important part...the food!! All the dishes are inexpensive and worth every penny. They have the biggest pancakes I have ever seen in my life. I felt bad that I couldn't eat the two that came with my dish. They had traditional Hawaiian foods but also have a lot of regular dishes. My favorite was the two eggs, choice of meat, hash browns, and pancakes. I think I only paid 6 bucks for this meal. It worked out great for my party of 7 because we were all able to taste each other's food except for the ones that were too greedy to share!
(5)Ponso P.
Beware of a $2.75 split plate fee. They did not even split our plates for us to share. I don't agree with this charge at all and I find it to be expensive. The food was great and the staff was friendly. The portions are huge and that was the reason why we shared. I would have given this a 4 star but the split plate -1.
(3)Matt R.
Home of the biggest fluffiest pancakes this side of the pacific! Massive ham steak, hash browns, 2 eggs over easy, and 2 mammoth pancakes for $8.99! Must visit!! Super quick service, small number of tables so expect to put your name on the waiting list. First come first serve. Sit at the counter if possible for lightning quick food delivery.
(5)Michael K.
Man, you want to talk about seeing the sights AND eats on the big island? So I arrived in Hawaii late at night and checked my handy dandy Yelp app to see what to eat for breakfast the next morning. I see a 4.5 star reviewed breakfast place but it's 45 miles away! Well, might as well see the sights right? Man, it was so worth the drive (the scenery definitely helped). I almost passed the restaurant the first time because it not your typical restaurant. The entrance to this place is a set of small screen doors. When you walk in, you're greeted by a smell of fresh food and good coffee... Kona coffee from what I hear. Anyway, onto the food. I ordered the kalua pork hash. I also got a pancake since it was highly recommended on Yelp. The hash was absolutely delicious. The pork was rich and the hash was seasoned well. My eggs and rice were cooked deliciously too! The pankcake was huge! And fluffy! (Cue Despicable Me). I almost did die from the size. The only downside is, when it gets busy, the restaurant seems short staffed. Two to three waiters for a cafe this busy seems to be really slow.
(4)Jennifer O.
This is the place to go for breakfast or lunch. We had their delicious lunch. It's a local favorite and now it's catching on with the tourists. It's in a tiny little town of Waimea, North of Kona about 45 minutes or so. Off of hwy. 19. It's so worth the drive! It's so authentic and Hawaiian. Not touristy at all. Loved it. They only accept CASH so plan accordingly. HUGE portions. You can easily share a meal.
(5)Michelle C.
This place was phenomenal! In fact, it was so good that we made it a point to eat there for a second time before our flight back to the mainland. We would've eaten here every day while we were on the Big Island if it wasn't for the planned activities. I'm going to miss this place :( We loved everything that we ordered. The pineapple sausage, loco moco, and pancakes were to die for! The pineapple sausage had the perfect combination of savory and sweet. The burger patties were cooked perfectly (medium well; not dry) and the gravy was excellent. The pancakes were light and fluffy. Other noteworthy dishes include the Big Mok (loco moco) was great with the different meats; spam omelette; and the biscuits and gravy. Be sure to bring a large appetite because the portions are HUGE! This place definitely catered to my inner fat kid.
(5)Shaun K.
Worth the trip if you are staying in Kona. GF and I had the fried rice with kalua pork hash and the big mok: loco moco with variety of meats. Most dishes are under $9.
(5)Lin H.
love this place, perfect breakfast & brunch spot best pancake I ever had. and it's the size of my face, maybe even bigger, so please share it with your friend. there is a "sharing the plate" fee ($3 maybe?), but if you add a side order, like some ground beaf, for less than $4, you can waive that. their ground beaf is also delicious. keep in mind it's a small local place, there will be a waiting line after 11am, either get their earlier, or prepare to wait. also they have only 3 or 4 parking spots outside of the place, we had to park across the street . not sure about lunch and dinner.
(5)Vicki S.
I had Korean chicken & Beef spare ribs. Neither were anything worth noting. Wouldn't recommend either. However, the moco loco was really good. I would suggest sticking with breakfast menu.
(3)Edwin E.
OMG! I'm giving this 5 stars! I was gonna give 4.5 because we "kinda" had to wait (but hell, I always wait to eat good food in LA anyways). I had the TITA special (forgot the exact name) but it was like an orgy in my mouth! Literally! It was fried rice topped with chicken cutlet, loco moco, fried egg, then smothered with gravy. ENOUGH of the run on sentence! My partner had the gargantuan omelette paired with gargantuan pancakes. I agree, you better take some Aspirin before you eat here. It's day 2/7 and we plan to come back for some more! P.S. We bought some Korean Chicken to go, and for you Zippy's fans, this brings the same smile to my face :)
(5)Terry S.
Best Burger I think I have EVER had!!! Got the recommendation from the Concierge at the Hilton King's Land condo's. The place doesn't look like much (read - hole in the wall ), but the food is UNBELIEVABLE. Portions are HUGE, pancakes are out of this world.
(5)James L.
We came to the Big Island for a week long Conference. We've have now been back 3 times, & plan a few more before we leave! We would have been back even more, but they're only open for breakfast/lunch!! We are slowly making our way through their menu, and have not hit any bad spots yet. Come hungry!! Their portions are huge. They have "spoiled" more than one of my (subsequent) Dinners!! Sign in when you get there. The wait may look daunting, but it's really not bad. Especially in the context of "Hawaiian Time" they are pretty quick. Watch out because it's easy to miss on the street...just look for the crowded parking (more around the side). Of course this is not in the same category of "fine dining" as in the case of say Ruth's Chris down the road, but that we can get at home. This is authentic "local" home cookin'. The place itself is very modest. Well worn counter & booths, plastic plates, but don't let that stop you or you will have completely missed the point!! If you want "Kau Kau", this is Da place!
(5)Keoki H.
This place is incredibly great. Huge portions. Even larger than what their menu says. I got a 3 egg omelet shootsssss this thing was huge maybe 5 egg omelet. I got my 2 scoop rice and also choice of toast or pancake I pick pancake and they brought me two huge pancakes. Brah this enough for meal by it's self. The two pancakes stole all the room on the table for wife and I's food. I could not finish the omlets, The rice scoops bigger than back Oahu scoop and again the pancakes were a meal by themselves with coffe my meal and wife's the bill was $18.00 something change. Koa Pancake on Oahu no can beat this place!!!!!!!!!!! Go here get one meal. Den no more meal all day long!!!!!!!!!
(5)Princess Pompom Patootie W.
really good but not sure it's worth the extra 30 minute drive unless it's on your way to exploring. the fried chicken in the loco moco was super good. yum.
(4)Jeremy S.
Quality: 5/6 Service: 4/5 Value: 4/4 Total: 13/15 = 4/5 Hawaiian Style Cafe was great for brunch. The service was very friendly with a great view of the ocean and outdoor seating. The portions were very generous, and the food was delicious.
(4)Collin W.
I thought this place was average. I had the chicken fried steak and the gravy and breaking wasn't very good. However the hash browns are amazing and each omelet comes with a choice of toast or pancakes. Get the pancakes. They are very good
(4)Denise D.
All I can say is read the reviews! Everything was delicious and the pancakes were the biggest I've ever seen! I guess my only small complaint - and just not to my particular taste - was they put tuna in their macaroni salad. Understand that's kind of normal for Hawaii.
(5)Chris L.
Worst meal on the Island. WAY overrated!!! Sure you get a Ton of food, but it's on the level of Mc Donald's quality. The pancakes are bland, I ordered banana Mac nut cakes and they just put a bunch of banana slices, whip cream and a sprinkle of Mac nuts on top of 2 big cakes. The hash browns were stale. The kids chicken fingers worse than a frozen TV dinner. Omelet was so-so. Bottom line go someplace else!
(1)Kyle Y.
I really enjoyed the food I had at this place. You can definitely tell that this is a family run spot. When I saw the food being brought out, in my mind I was like "Whoa" the portions are definitely for someone who's hungry. I highly recommend the kalbi which is some of the best I've ever had. The Korean chicken is very good. I definitely recommend this place to anyone who is on the big island or who is in Waimea.
(4)Melinda G.
This was recommended from our concierge at our hotel...highly recommend! the locals were very friendly...the food was out within 5 minutes and PERFECT! Great place! My husband and I went here for breakfast everyday of our vacation! We bought a t-shirt from there the 1st day, my husband wore it the next day as we went around the ENTIRE island. Locals from the complete other side of the island commented on how much they love this place! We were told by SEVERAL locals that everyone from all over the island travels here for breakfast and lunch! This is a must visit if you go to the Big Island! Huge helpings....great prices!
(5)Shreekant P.
Old style local cafe which is quite a favorite. Loco Moco, a dish served on a bed of rice is yore. Portion sizes are quite large for the $ (none of us could finish our lunch orders). The ribs, fried fish, and Korean chicken sandwich were good. Interestingly, They put uncooked rice in the salt in salt shaker to prevent clogs (as it is quite humid in Hawaii)! It was a hike from where we were staying (Waikoloa village) so could not try the breakfast, which I was told was good.
(3)Ann S.
I've wanted to try this place since I first saw it on Girl Meets Hawaii back in 2000. They had weird hours and we always seemed to miss it when it was open. We finally hit it when it was open. I wish I would've gotten the mac nut pancakes they're known for but I was pancaked out at the time. We both got the kalua pork hash. It was good but probably wouldn't get that particular dish again since it was slow to come out and it was kind of cold by the time we got it. The water for the hot tea I ordered wasn't hot either, like it came out of the tap. The server was busy but slow, they needed another one. The older gentleman (I'm assuming maybe the newer owner?) was adorable and would see if you wanted water or coffee when you came in. He was really nice. I think we might give it another chance if we're in the area but wouldn't make the 40 mile trip from Keauhou.
(3)Frank B.
Bring your appetite!!! A friend of ours brought us here on our first day on the big island. We ended up eating here eight of the nine days we were there. Food portions are very large. Everything we tried here was very good: Mocasorous (and other versions of the loco moco), Tripe Stew, Breakfast Sandwich, bacon, bacon and bacon. Oh and their "side" of pancakes are unbelievable. If you like local hawaiian food, then this is the place for you. Be aware though that they are only only open until 1:30PM.
(5)Eddy-Jon B.
Truly Hawaiian, home style cooking. Be nice to the waitress, and she'll guide you through the menu patiently. Very affordable and delicious. Always ask what they have for today's special.
(5)Matt A.
Ever wonder how the natives can grow to such epic proportions on an island plagued by outrageous food prices? This is how. The restaurant is a small cafe up in Waimea, a 30 minute drive from where we stayed at Waikoloa Village. But after our trip up there for lunch we had to come back for breakfast. This place is top notch. The food is fantastic and served in truly massive portions. Everything we had was delicious and we definitely did not finish. For me, that's saying a lot since I'm the family's "garbage disposal" eater. The most memorable meal for me was the omelette with pancakes. I'm a big fan of omelettes, but they made me an enormous and delicous omelette and poured gravy all over it. I felt like applauding. The pancakes are sweet, buttery, and, well, huge. Two pancakes the size of dinner plates stacked one on the other alongside a huge omelette topped with gravy and a mountain of hash browns. Ran me 8 bucks. How can you not love that? What can be said is that the service can be spotty. The cafe is a favorite spot for locals and the speedy mainland service you get in the tourist traps is a foreign concept up here. You may end up waiting 10-15 minutes to be seated, then another 10-15 minutes to get your order in. But once it's in your food comes out quickly and will assuredly be more than you can handle. Also, the place closes at 2pm every day. We showed up at 1:15pm our first time and after they locked up at two saw several families turned away. Big bummer after driving all the way up into the mountains with the kids hoping for an awesome meal. I'd definitely go back more than once on my next trip to the big island. It's totally worth the drive.
(4)Joss G.
This was our first stop for food after flying into Hawai'i and on our drive from Hilo to Kona, and their breakfast/brunch is definitely worth the trip! We had an omelette, which I personally thought was just alright. But the KALUA HASH with diced potatoes on the side was SO GOOD!!! We shared two plates between the four of us, and I seriously could have eaten my own plate of this hash. The only thing was that there was a $2.75 charge for each shared plate (it was even written on the bottom of the menu, so we couldn't argue the fee), but the portions there are fairly big. We also had their huge pancake as part of the meal, but it wasn't anything special except for the size. Don't expect anything fancy from this place, as they simply gave us our extra plates for a family-style meal. As for the service, our main server was friendly. When we told him that we were from Vegas, he mentioned to us that they might be opening a restaurant somewhere in Utah, near a university I think. I wish they would open one up here in Las Vegas. =) I would definitely make the drive back out to that town for the KALUA HASH! It's a MUST TRY!!!
(4)Jimmy L.
We are over 5,000 miles from this place, but we still think, talk and long for this place. We fell in love with the food so much, my wife went out to look for liquid smoke to try to make her own version of kaluha hash. When we first walked in, we were taken back a little just cause of how old everything looked. It's like we stepped back into a 60's truck stop diner. Kinda run down looking but on closer inspection, it really isn't. If you find yourself on Big Island, do whatever it takes to come here. This is where you will get a true taste of Hawaii!!!!
(5)Sarah C.
Came here on a weekday in the late afternoon, and there were plenty of tables. There is a diner-like bar in the front of the restaurant and larger tables in the back. The menu and daily specials looked so good, it was hard to decide on what to order. We ordered one Haupia (coconut pudding) pancake for my 7 year old son instead of a full order and it was plenty. He loved it, and had even had some left over to share with the rest of us. I ordered the Kalua hash (pork and potatoes), that came with eggs and fried rice. There is the option to order the 'lite' meal, which would come with only one egg and no fried rice. That would have been a better option for me, since I didn't touch the fried rice. It was very good, though very meaty! My daughter got a grilled cheese, and my husband had some ribs which he really loved. The prices were very reasonable. I highly recommend getting some delicious local food here! Cash only
(5)Jonathan Y.
I love this restaurant! Come early or you will have to wait a while for a table. I mean it's worth the wait tho! The portions are HUGE and it's a great value! I usually get the pancakes, which are fluffy and yummy! I can never finish them because they're so huge!
(5)Lizzy J.
Nothing fancy about this place but the food is great! If you are looking for some local Hawaiian food or breakfast this is a must for those staying near by.
(5)Katherine C.
This place serves up huge portions of Hawaiian comfort food. I had the corned beef hash and hubs had loco moco. Pancakes are bigger than your head. Only problem is they don't serve much fresh fruit, no half n half or raw sugar for coffee. Passion berry iced tea is an excellent alternative.
(3)Debbie R.
We stopped here for breakfast on our way to Hilo. It was a fantastic breakfast! I ordered the berry pancakes and they were delicious. My husband ordered a pork omelette that came with pancakes. The waitress advised us to upgrade my husband's breakfast to include the berry pancakes and for me not to order anything separate. She said that we would have way too much food. We were happy to take her advice and she was right. Even with sharing one breakfast, we couldn't finish everything. The style of the cafe is unique because it has one big rectangle counter that everyone sits at. I thought it was different and interesting!
(5)Wes Y.
Cheap and big portions. I had the loco moco (2 big patties and RICE EVERYWHERE, with an egg on top) which was satisfying. The beef patties had a nice char taste to it which is always a bonus. However, the Mok Loco Moco isn't that great (breakfast sausages and spam over rice and gravy). It just tastes like store bought sausages with rice, and doesn't beat the flavor of the beef patty combo with gravy/sunny side up egg. Anyway, they deserve 5 stars for their cheap, big portion, comfort style food. ::edit:: my girlfriend bugged me about saying "I tried the Mok Loco Moco" when she was the one that actually ordered it. So credits to her for ordering it. I did steal from her plate though to try it, enough to review it :\
(5)nick m.
HUGE portions of down-home diner food at very reasonable prices. Pancakes are the size of small pizzas- you can easily share and have more than enough food for everyone. Relaxed, breezy ambiance with prompt and friedly service.
(5)Randy H.
Great Food, Service and Reasonable Prices We recently vacationed on the Big Island and ate here nearly every day for breakfast / lunch. 4 adults & 1 Child for about $60 w/ Tip. Huge portions - pancakes the size of a frisbee - enough to keep us well fed till dinner. However, the quality did not suffer due to price. I've been to Hawaii a few times and this place has authentic (well, to me at least) plate meals with combinations of meat and rice. My favorite of the 5 times we went was the Loco Moco - 2 burgers, fried onlons, eggs and fried rice. Be warned, there can be a wait and they only accept cash. Highly Recommended.
(5)Alison T.
This is a Hawaiian style cafe. Stop here when in Waimea for breakfast or lunch on the way from or to Waipoi Valley. Enjoyed the kalua pork hash plate, omlettes with your choice of meat (includes portugese sausage) with onions, mushrooms and your choice of cheese and half a plate of shredded hash browns and toast. There's also mixed lunch plates. Large portions... Everyone had something to put into a box to take home.
(4)b b.
There are enough reviews on this place so I'll keep it short. Haupia pancakes are to die for, and we got smart and split our order so we also got the banana mac nut as well. Both are awesome. We also had some kahlua hash and there's a reason it is a house specialty. Kiani, our server, had us laughing the whole time.
(5)Ruben D.
The place was awesome! My group and I were looking for a cafe that had some local items on their menu as well as some usual breakfast items for the non adventurous people in our group. My wife got the pancakes, eggs and sausage, her order might clue you in to who the "non adventurous" people in are group are, and I ordered the Tripe stew. * pancakes are HUGE!! you can share with 2 maybe 3 people. *Tripe stew rocked! great warm feeling in my stomach! *staff was great. very helpful and Danna introduced me to "chili pepper water" great taste!
(4)Kristine D.
This funky locals favorite opens for breakfast and lunch each day and keeps serving up loco moco bowls (two eggs any style over two mounds of sticky rice with meat and topped with brown gravy), ginormous pancakes, french toast and other assorted tasty dishes until the food runs out. ( A sign in the window states: "When the food is pau, we're closed!") Then they close for the day only to start the process all over again the next day. The Hawaiian Style Cafe boasts the best keiki menu I've seen! My 8-year-old devoured the Mickey Mouse pancake, eggs and sausage for a mere $3.50 and my five-year-old enjoyed the french toast for the same price. The wait staff is friendly and colorful. The portions are huge! Be sure to stop by the ATM before you visit, the Hawaiian Style Cafe is a cash only operation. I'd also advise you to go early, it's a popular spot!
(5)Pebble L.
Very local, cash only, huge portion breakfast joint... Great food, great service, just follow the early morning lineup.
(4)Ryan J.
Best omelet in my life which was a special with smoked pork and mushrooms. The pancake as the side was amazing as well. Really great service and friendly people.
(5)Carolyn B.
Looking for some authenitic hawaiian style food - loco moco, artery clogging fried chicken, pancakes with sausage at 12 noon? This is your place. The prices are great, the food is good, the helpings are huge and the ambience and decor are totally diner/dive authentic. Only downfall is that it is a breakfast/lunch place. I think it closes at 1pm.
(5)Linda M.
Whenever I eat here, I remember what my lovely server said to me the first time I took my first bite of lunch at Hawaiian Style. She had a big smile on her face in anticipation of my happy taste, and asked, "Ono, huh?" Ono. Every time.
(5)Tony S.
Words cannot describe how delicious the food was. Mouthwateringly delicious! I will ALWAYS find time to eat at Hawaiian Style Cafe on my future visits to the big island of Hawaii. Absolutely amazing food! The wait is a little long, but definitely worth it! And for the price? You can't beat it. :)
(5)Jillian P.
I LOVE HAWAIIAN STYLE CAFE FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER AND FOR ALWAYS. This place is sooooooo bomb and CANNOT be beat. It's the best breakfast spot on the island in my opinion. I always get the Kalua Hash because I can't find it anywhere else. But OH MY GOD. Talk about heavennnnn. But what I love about this place is that the portions are ridiculously huge for the price you pay. Which is always a good thing! The toast, the french toast, and the pancakes are winners for sure. The servers and cooks are always in a good mood and kind. I usually tip 20% ; they're that good.
(5)Mark D.
Solid Hawaiian breakfast and plenty of spam treats..yes spam..bring cash though as there are no credit cards
(3)Melissa L.
This was a horrible place! Very overrated!
(1)Jim S.
You can never miss with Hawaiian Style. I had to go this time with the pancakes and spam.
(5)David F.
I'm having trouble believing all the good reviews. This place was recommended in the guide book and we heard the hotel concierge mention it, but Hawaiian Style Cafe turned out to be a huge disappointment for us. It was full when we got there for a late breakfast, but it was still only a 10 or 15 minute wait for a table. It was teeming with locals and a couple of tourists, so it seemed promising. The portions looked huge. We were pretty hungry and ordered the chicken moco loco (fried chicken cutlet with eggs and gravy) and the Hawaiian Plate (a mix of local dishes - pork in various sauce, beef stew, rice, a fish salad of some sort). It all sounded interesting and good. The trouble started when our food arrived. The Hawaiian Plate was barely warm. The beef stew seemed like it had come out of a can. The pork might have been homemade, but I wasn't sure. The fish salad was some bits of vegetables in liquid with tiny pieces of canned salmon. It tasted extremely fishy and metallic. I should probably have sent it back, but I'm pretty reluctant to do that. The chicken loco moco was heated through, but the gravy was probably from Costco (nothing wrong with Costco - I shop there - but a restaurant that's supposed to be local should be using canned gravy). The gravy pretty much ruined the eggs, and the chicken was nothing special. The coffee was below expectations compared to other places we'd been on the island (yes, I'm allowed to deduct stars for bad coffee when I'm near Kona!). The service was ok, though we had a really hard time getting our coffee refilled. I'm glad we hiked a couple of miles that afternoon to burn off "breakfast." It sounds like other people have had good experiences, so maybe they just didn't like the way we looked (too tourista, maybe?), but I'd have been happier with an egg McMuffin and a McD's - hell, even a Dunkin Donuts coffee - and I haven't been to McDonald's in probably 2 years, and Dunkin in at least 5 or 10 years (sorry Dunkin fans, that's not coffee in my book).
(1)Christine Q.
OH. SWEET. JESUS. (Oops. Wrong religion.) OH. SWEET. AKUA. Thank you for giving up this heavenly place on Earth called the Hawaiian Style Cafe. Like Jessica S. says this is indeed the BEST Hawaiian breakfast and lunch spot in town. This place is small, only except cash, and is bursting at the seams with locals flooding the place to get their daily grub on. You'll see an occasional tourist, gasping at the amount of food, use of spam, or both, and then you'll hear a local mutter, "Haole" and shake their head, but most of the time, it's just the noise of people inhaling their food as fast as they can put it in their mouths. We come here every day on our annual trip to the Big Island, and we wouldn't want it any other way. From their loco moco to their Korean honey fried chicken, be prepared to eat the meal as if it was your brunch, and just eat a light snack instead of lunch. Bring cash and patience, because it does get crowded. But don't let that sway you from going, but you'll be missing on some truly great local food. (if you're hungry, just pick up some crackseed next door, that aunty who runs it is real nice) Don't come here thinking it will be good for your diet, because let's face it, it's not. But then calories don't count on vacation, do they?
(5)Matt H.
Awesome. I'm not an expert on Hawaiian fare, but I believe this place to be about as authentic as it gets. Looked like the place draws the locals. BIG plates. Great pork. Friendly service.
(4)Jim S.
Awesome place. Went here twice in three days. Great prices and huge portions. Good alternative to paying a fortune for resort food. Only about 20 minutes from Waikoloa Village. Eat here and then go for a hike in Pololu Valley! goo.gl/hFEqh
(5)Josh S.
Meh is the right title for me. Ordered an omelet that came with HUGE pancakes. The egg in the omelet was fine, but the veggies were pretty gross. I forget, living on the west coast, what easy access we have to fresh fruits and veggies. The mushrooms were from a can, the tomato was mushy, and the onions undercooked. This wasn't even the worst. The pancakes were straight Bisquick without anything extra. Could used something to flavor them up like cinnamon or vanilla. A total waste of stomach space. The coffee was good (as was all over Hawaii) and was very cheap.
(2)Corinne C.
I could eat here everyday. Everything is so tasty!
(5)Brad A.
First time here and it was soooo delicious! We couldn't have had a better first meal on our trip. I can't wait to go again!
(5)Jorge P.
Update your yelp. They close at 12 on Sundays. Annoying drive for nothing. Waste of time.
(1)Scott H.
We arrived late in the evening and picked the brain of the waitress at Tommy Bahamas cafe.....I know, I didn't even know TB had a cafe, but I digress. This place blew me away, the loco moco was the epitome of Hawaii, a mixture of everything, there was spam inside, hamburger pattie and fried chicken smothered in gravy with two scoops of rice and macoroni salad. This was place truly captured why I come to Hawaii for good eats that just blow your mind with what they can combine! Service was friendly and the place just felt like home! Give it a go and you won't be disappointed but bring your eating stomach or you'll end up defeated and leaving behind some good food!
(5)Alyssa E.
This is a genuine old-time Hawaiian place where locals eat alongside the tourists, and that's saying a lot because Hawaiian locals don't like to hang out in tourist joints. Don't expect anything fancy. You get an incredible deal in a down home place with reasonably priced, authentic Hawaiian food and, like everyone else has mentioned, ginormous portions. We loved the Loco Moco. It's got a burger that's juicy, moist and incredibly flavorful with high quality meat. This place has the best breakfast on the Big Island. The friendly people who work here go out of their way to extend the aloha spirit to tourists and locals alike. There's usually a wait, but it's worth it. But this place is not for people who are trying to stick to their diet. It's hard not to overeat at here, but that's what those take-out containers are for. On an island filled with touristy restaurants, this is the real thing. Don't miss it!
(4)Teri G.
Oh yeah! This is where the locals go! Always stop to fill up before waipio valley hike! Inexpensive, everything awesome and huge portions! My favorite is "Stew Luau" with pork and taro leaves, and brown rice! One BIG pancake, fluffy and perfect is $2.50, big enough for 2 people to share. Also great omelets, and egg breakfasts, sausage, bacon, etc... :)
(5)John R.
You can go to this place for breakfast every day and never get tired of it, at least on a short vist. Great people and the food was just fantastic with tremendous servings. You could eat in the morning and it would last most of the day. Just bring a big appetite and enjoy.
(5)JK L.
One of the better places for breakfast and lunch. It does get crowded especially at lunch. Recommend the Kalua Pork Hash, fried rice and Eggs. I tried the Big Mok, very good. It is a Loco Moco with Spam, Portuguese Sausage, Pork Sausage Links and egg over rice with gravy. Lunch is the best deal if you have to chose between lunch and breakfast.
(4)Sean M.
This place was great. Amazing kalua hash, great hawaiian sweet bread french toast and good vibe. Remember its cash only and enjoy!
(5)Jen C.
Excellent value-- my husband got a pancake and omlette combo, and got one giant plate of pancakes (which covered the whole plate), and one giant 1/2 place of omlette. It was enough to feed a family of 6. And all for 6 bucks!! The loco moco was tasty, too, and the beef was reminiscent of the charbroiled beef patties at Carl's Jr. I loved that there were onions on top of it.
(4)Sumi A.
We had a couple of solid breakfasts here that were just fine. The portions are huge (especially the pancakes) so make sure you come with an appetite. One thing I do not recommend is the tripe stew unless you're familiar with it and know what to expect. Hubby ordered that one day and it was a big mistake. It smelled and tasted terrible, although I wouldn't blame the restaurant for that because I think that's the way tripe stew usually is. FYI, they don't take credit cards (kind of surprising for a place that gets as many customers as they do).
(3)Amy M.
This is a great spot. Great service. HUGE portions. Hawaiian flair! Great for tourists!
(5)Matt V.
A total gem and must when passing through. Portions are huge and really good. Try the sweet pork and if you get pancakes use the coconut syrup. Can't remember the last time I ate so much or so well! Not to mention that we came in with a party of nine and were served very quickly.
(4)Denise S.
Yum! Good food, good service and huge portions.
(5)Jason z.
This is definitely a place to come if you're real hungry and wanting some down home local hawaiian plate lunch type food. This place is better on the quantity of food vs. quality of food. I tried everyones plates, soups were very good, loco moco, good, french toast was one of the better dishes. Good place, not great, L & L on the mainland is basically just as good tasting but the homely feel for this place is awesome. I especially liked desert, I went next door to get some shaved ice w/red beans + condensed milk...tasty!
(4)David W.
As someone who highly values my personal fitness and loves eating good food, my interests are constantly at odds with each other. Given that, Hawaiian BBQ is one of my sinful pleasures, because while it is, without fail, excessively fattening, when made with the right marinades and quality of meat, it is absolutely delicious. I was fortunate enough to enjoy such a meal at Hawaiian Style Cafe today. When I'm on vacation, I rely on two sources for food recommendations: Yelp and locals. We were tipped off about this local joint by one of the bellhops at the Mauna Lani resort where we were staying when I asked for a recommendation for something authentic. From there it's about a 17 mile drive north and inland. Kinda far, but since we already exhausted all the Yelp-worthy restaurants in our area (not too many on the Big Island unfortunately), we decided to venture out and give it a shot. I'm glad we made the short trip! We arrived around 11am, so brunch and lunch were both game. I opted for the mixed bbq plate and chose the pulehu (grilled with hawaiian rock salt) ribs and kalbi ribs. The pulehu was alright, but MAN the kalbi was delicious! Definitely on par with some of the best kalbi I've had, even at Korean establishments. As my friend put it, it tasted like the marinade soaked completely through the meat - so tender and juicy. For all people looking for more breakfast reviews, my mom had the portuguese sausage special with two eggs over easy. Nothing fancy about the eggs, but the sausage was very well grilled, and the HASH BROWNS were really something else - crispy on the outside and soft fresh potato strips on the inside. Breakfast or lunch? It's your call, even if it's not 11am. People interested in checking the place out beware: the listed address is incorrect - in fact, they only have a PO box. Coming from Kona, you'll head North and then East on the 19. When you're about 12 miles inland, look for a group of shops on your left with a pink roof, next to a bike shop. If you hit the Shell and Chevron on the 190, you've gone too far.
(4)Carolyn J.
Still a fan! Came for breakfast and once again, left happy. Pops had his Man vs Food moment trying to tackle a pancake and failed.
(5)Dustin H.
Ono Grindz!!! Awesome spot with lots of locals. You can eat in or take out. They have a sign on the wall that says: Quality, Service, Speed. Choose one. And that pretty much sums it up! I had the veggie omelet with brown rice and toast. WAY too much food! I got through the omelet and only a little of the rice before I had to stop. Very Tasty and all for less than 10 bucks! Can't be beat!
(5)Love S.
It's Halloween and I give out mad amounts of Candy, that's how I roll with my five star ratings, I'm generous. Many of my reviews shouldn't have warranted the coveted 5th star, but hey, I'm easy. (Don't) Anyway, Go to Waimea, get you some Hawaiian Style Cafe for breakfast, you'll be happy you did. Aloha spirit is alive in this town. Huge portions, tasty food, Outstanding service. Well deserved 5th star.
(5)Nel D.
Had breakfast with My family, very Ono! And really fast service. Thanx Dee & Tan ;-)
(5)Jessica C.
What is there not to love!?!? The portions are H.U.G.E!!!! I ordered the two egg breakfast and it was enough food to share between two people. If you order spam as your meat they give you five slices. If you order bacon as your meat they give you six slices. More than your doctor would recommend you to eat in a week. Get pancakes with this breakfast instead of toast. The two pancakes are HUGE and fit edge to edge on the plate. Fluffy and cooked to the perfect doneness. I hate when pancakes come out looking too pale. My bf ordered the chicken fried steak with biscuits and country gravy. Another great dish. Who knew that you could get great southern style food in Hawaii. There wasn't a trace of food left on his place so that about tells you how great his food was. If you're a local you already know about this joint. If you're a tourist, it's a great breakfast stop from the Kona/Kohala hotels on your way to Hilo or the Volcanoes. BTW, it's cash only so come prepared.
(5)Angel P.
If you're vacationing on Hawaii Island, avoid your hotel's over-priced breakfast buffet and instead head over to Hawaiian Style Cafe in Waimea (Kamuela). We ate here regularly for breakfast while on our honeymoon and loved, loved, loved this place. You cannot leave here hungry or unsatisfied. Their definition of "one egg" made me laugh, and I imagine they use a little beach shovel when serving up portions of potato hash and fried rice! Be sure to order the pancakes, as they practically float off your plate. There always seemed to be a good mix of locals and tourists eating here (including several tables of cops), so the people-watching is almost as fun as the dining experience. Leave a big tip when you go, the terrific waitresses deserve it for their helpfulness and sheer hustle!
(5)Jason S.
Best plate lunch on the island. Period. Huge portions, tasty food. What more do you want?
(5)May N.
Very good Hawaiian style breakfast and lunch at a reasonable price. The portions are also quite generous. This place beats the expensive breakfast buffet at all the hotels along the Kohala coast any day. If you're on the Kona side of the Big Island and have a rental car, you have to check this place out!
(4)Vee L.
Pretty good food, have eaten here a few times. I am a little mystified of the love for their pancakes. They are big, very disappointing though. Kinda like eating pancakes at Ken's House of Pancakes in Hilo. A lot of talk, no show though. Okay so these pancakes are big, I am 30 years old, it will not impress me just because the pancakes are the size of my head . Give me flavor, give me unique. One tasty item is their short ribs.
(3)Jessica S.
Best Hawaiian breakfast and lunch in town. The portions are generous, delicious, and the prices are reasonable. It's a perfect way to start off a busy day. It's located about 15 minutes from the major hotels on the Kona coast, you'll have to travel inland to check it out. The cafe gets pretty crowded so try to get there early. The crowd is a mixture of locals and tourists (tourists lucky enough to visit this rare jem). And, always try one of the specials. You'll never regret it. If you don't believe this review, ask the staff at your hotel. I'm sure most, if not all of them, will recommend it. Just thinking about the food, makes my mouth water!
(5)Amanda C.
When my boyfriend and I were riding in a cab to our hotel, we got to talking with the cab driver. He told us that all the locals love the Hawaiian Style Cafe in Kamuela. Considering I've been coming to the big island my whole life, I was shocked to hear of a good local restaurant that I'd never tried. AND they serve breakfast?! Cha-ching! So one morning we decided to try the Hawaiian Style Cafe and were BLOWN AWAY! Not only is the food super super cheap, it is aaaaamazing! Pancakes are so cheap we decided to order one to share. We figured, hey, it can't be a big portion at this price. Wrong! Those things are the size of tricked-out rims on an Escalade. I've never seen pancakes so large! It really must be said that the jewel of our gigantic "make-you-think-twice-about-slipping-on-a-bikini-Âtoday" breakfast was the Loco Moco. I am a true Loco Moco lover who's been jaded by Costco hamburger patties and powdered gravy, but fear not my friends... the Loco Moco here is the best in the world. The flavors are spot on, it's hearty without being too aggressive, and all around knows what it's doing. I'd be lying if I said I didn't crave that salty goodness at least once a month. or day. This is the best deal on the entire island of Hawaii and you must go here.
(5)David B.
A good greasy spoon cafe. Good service. I made the mistake of ordering a cheeseburger, which just seemed like a coscto patty. I should have gotten something more local.
(3)Scott C.
French toast was fair. Pancakes were huge, but size was the ticket here, not necessarily quality. Sandwiches were fair, with overcooked bacon and very filling. Service is adequate as it seems the waitress was split between most of the tables in the place. On the good side, it was all ver fairly priced and they had a good selection.
(3)Scott B.
awesome. craving more.
(5)Su-Lynn T.
This was our first real meal on the Big Island. We went there for breakfast after travelling for 10 hours the night before. We woke up really early because we were still on Mainland time and this was one of the only places open. The drive from Waikoloa to Waimea is not that bad, maybe 25 minutes. The drive is beautiful, and the surrounding areas in Waimea are lovely. Hawaiian Style Cafe is a quaint little spot often frequented by locals. We love local food, and especially *heart* cheap local grinds. We sat at the counter and I ordered the saimin and hubs ordered Da Tita Mok which is pretty much a loco moco on steroids. I think it had beef patty, sausage links, sausage patty, katsu, and of course, eggs and gravy. It was a TON of food, but all of it was soooo good and delicious. The beef patty on the Da Tita Mok was probably the best beef we had on the island, better than the burger place down the road! My saimin was warm and comforting, especially for the cool Waimea dawn hours. Eat it with spicy mustard and you'd wish you can have saimin for breakfast every day. The plates are big enough for leftovers so take it back to your condo/resort and enjoy it by the pool/beach later in the day. We sure did! I wishes we came here more than once during our 8-day stay on the Big Island but unfortunately we just didn't have time. There is so much to see and do on the Big Island that we tried not to eat at the same place more than once, but if we did, Hawaiian Style Cafe is #1 on our list!!!
(5)Cassandra G.
Love this place. The food feels very homey and authentic. Above all else, the portions are huge and coffee is refilled constantly. My only complaint about my veggie omelet is that they used American cheese. Don't get me wrong, I have a soft spot in my heart for American... just not all over my vegetables. The kalua pork hash was phenomenal. Their hashbrowns are crispy and well seasoned. (To be fair, everything is pretty well salted.) Be careful: it is cash only!
(4)Tommy L.
Hawaiian Style Cafe was one of our destination points for "local grinds" on our first trip to the Big Island. They didn't miss a beat, great food and a homey feeling. We loved our kalua hash and the haupia pancakes. Will definitely be back. Hope you give it a try as well, you won't be sorry.
(5)Sandra R.
You walk inside this little café place with a big seated bar area and a few booths and on the wall might notice a sign saying "Quality, Speed, Service - Pick One..." I noticed it right off and thought it was cute; but how true?? At first it certainly wasn't the service. Sure we were seated right away but were given no water and then ignored. Locals came in and got water and their order and seemed to be catered to. (I understand, locals vs. tourists - I live in a tourist town) Anyway, it was quickly realized that we hadn't ordered and the service was okay afterwards. Speed - I got mine fairly quickly but BF got his about 5 minutes later. Quality - I got a mixed plate of Korean pork and Sweet pork with a green salad and mac salad (again with tuna and peas - I figured this is the big island way). I could not tell the difference between the two different flavors on the pork. It looked like sliced ham grilled up with some sauce, pretty basic and simple. Some pieces were burnt. I was hungry; but thinking about it now I was disappointed and certainly wouldn't order it again. BF had the Teri-beef sandwich. Good flavor, simple, awkward to eat but satisfying. Cheap! $20 for Lunch seems very reasonable. It's definitely a place to come back to and looks like a great place for breakfast. So was it Quality, speed or service? None! I would say price. At least for this meal/experience.
(3)Ken S.
When traveling Big Island make sure you travel north, so much beauty..breath taking views and you will need a great breakfast to see it all...soooooo..start of at Hawaiian Style Cafe. Remember you are on Hawaiian time so dont get your hurry on..just pull up a chair...order the big moke...and grind...that eat for all you mainlanders...Very filling breakfast's of all kinds at a very reasonable prices..after all your 5 star dinning...your tummy and pocket book will love this place...down home hawaiian style food that will fill and thrill the beast in all that enter here. Now you are ready to take on Weimea, Hawi, or where ever your travels take you.
(4)Thomas M.
Loco Mocos, scoops upon scoops of white rice, spam a-go-go, eggs for days, "poto-gee" sausages that could choke an elephant, humungo hamburgers, and enough fries to bury a chest of hidden treasure. Where else can you get food like this in these dinosauric portions? At Hawaiian Style, of course. I remember many years ago, my AP European History teacher, the "Doc", took our class here before the AP exam. Big mistake. We all fell asleep 15 minutes into the exam in a grease and carb induced coma. One lousy exam experience, any many grams of arterial plaque later, and this place STILL has one of my favorite b-fasts on the Big Island. Not to long ago, I took my girlfriend here for gargantuan breakfast before our morning swim at Hapuna. This proved to be dangerous--no matter how hard we tried to swim, we could not help from sinking. Hawaiian Style, you made me nearly throw a major exam, clogged up my arteries, almost drowned my girlfriend and I, and yet I keep coming back to you. Against my better judgement of course. That being said, you must be damn good at what you do. I'll see you next time I'm in town. Maybe next time you can make me fall asleep at the wheel in a glucky coma, or give me hella stretch marks. Whatever it is, I can't wait.
(4)K R.
We were on vacation on the Big Island and we were told that we HAD to try this cafe. We were staying 25 mins away in Waikoloa. This place is awesome! Huge portions & great prices! I had the country chicken & puluha mix plate. My bf had the pork chop & honey chicken mix plate. Both were excellent! Fresh quality food & AWESOME brown gravy. Real, authentic hawaiian cuisine. Didn't make it for breakfast, but wish we would've- it looked amazing! Get away from your hotel & go!
(5)Aaron S.
This is real down home cooking, Hawaiian style. My wife and I got a recommendation to go here from some locals, so we did. I loved it, my wife found it to be a little greasy. I never thought that I'd complain about portion size being too big, but this place tries to give you a heart attack with each plate. No matter what you order, assume it'll be twice as big as you think. It's a must try for breakfast.
(4)william p.
This is a little local cafe in Waimae on the Big Island. It is a local favorite and I know why. The breakfasts are huge. This is not a breakfast for those with caloric phobia. At a very reasonal price, you get a mountain of food. Like beacon? Well your meal comes with a 1/2 pound. The pancakes are the size of Alaska. Kailua pork egg omlet, well it must be 5 eggs and a ton of pork. No, this is not five star resort food. It's an old fashion breakfast that you walk away from saying, I didn't see that coming. If you are worried about your weight, I suggest one of the other restaurants in town. My tip, share a breakfast with your spouse.
(4)Mich Y.
We stopped here for breakfast on our way to Akaka Falls. The bf and I ordered pancakes, kahlua pork hash, and a sunnyside egg on the side. These pancakes were HUGE. Before we got them, we were wondering if two pancakes would be enough for us, but it turns out, we couldn't even finish them. We heard a guy a few seats down asking if someone needed a hup cap for their car (yes, they're THAT BIG!) Super fluffy and delicious too. Just remember to bring cash with you, as they don't take credit cards :)
(5)Leon C.
You can tell this is a local place because only the locals eat here. This place is good but it's very similar to the big island grill. So if you had that, you had this. This place is good. I'm not saying it isn't. But it's far from kona and not worth the drive. If you're in waimea, big island grill isn't worth the drive and I would go here instead. It's almost the same thing so just go to whichever is closer.
(4)Michael C.
We ate here almost 3 times (we arrived behind a party of 12 and did not have the time to wait). Kahlua Pork hash is their specialty and as a hash lover, excellent. I also had the loco moco with hamburger and spam...wonderful (but really bad for you). Very friendly to tourists as well as locals. I could have eaten here every day. Best breakfast we had our entire stay!
(5)Mike M.
Heard about this place a long time ago but never had the chance to try the place out. I finally did and the best hawaiian food in town.
(5)Sf Momm Y.
it's WAIMEA..... The post office forced the locals to change the name to kamuela, but be sure to look for signs/maps to WAIMEA, lest you get super confused. After having breakfast daily (buffet) at the resort, it was nice to try something else! Yes, this is how da locals eat.... Plate sharing costs $2.75, so just suck it up and order something. Where else on this planet will there be a chance for you to order a plate of spam, chicken katsu, sausage, a hamburger patty, and 2 eggs over a bed (or a tarmac) of fried rice?????? Topped with GRAVY. As in, fat drippings mixed with flour or corn starch. All for you. For $10. It's amazing. It's a thrill and simply stunning that this was my breakfast one day, and it will go on my record books that I ate here. I saw a skinny fair lil gal with spam on her plate and inside I was all 'go on, lil lady, I'm glad you're not hatin' on the spam!' but when she left, I noticed the spam was left on her plate. What a waste! Their iced tea was a good option to help wash down/off the grease in my tummy. Service was brisk and no nonsense and efficient. People do bring (and sometimes feed!!) their kids here. So bring on the family! Located in a tiny lil mall next to a souvenir/sundry store called "crackseed".
(5)Mais S.
Very reasonable prices. Food is very good. Watch out - portions are HUGE! One breakfast will easily feed 2 adults!
(5)Drew W.
Big time ono. Brought some mainland folks to the joint to soak up some local food and ambiance. They were blown away by the food and portions. Still only $75 for 7 people. Good deal. We ended up at the cool old school house museum up the road to walk the meal off.
(5)Eric G.
Dirty. Greasy. Really nice staff. Amazing value. Huge portions.
(3)Suzanne A.
Yahoo travel rated Hawaiian Style Cafe as one of the top 10 places in the whole US to have pancakes!! See......I told you it was good!
(5)Joy I.
Came here three times during a two week stay in Kamuela for work. The food was really good!! Local style, very friendly service. I think we came back for the service as much as the food. By the second time, one of the guys recognized us, making us feel even more in love with the place. Their portions are huge and the price is amazing for the amount that you get (not what I'm used to back home in Oahu). I got the loco moco, which was pretty good, their haupia pancakes also pretty good, and on the last day I got their roast beef loco moco, which was DELICIOUS. mmmmmm it was a special for the day, so I'm not too sure how often it comes out, but that was amazing.
(5)Andrea Y.
Had pancakes (10/10), kalbi (another 10) and moco loco (10). Huge portions and most dishes under $10. Small family owned business. Nothing fancy but the food is awesome. Was here 4 years ago and now in 2011. We are going again...and again...
(5)Steve C.
We've been to the big island several times and always make it a point to go to HSC. This place has great food, big portions and low prices. My wife and I have had just about everything on the breakfast menu. The standouts are the Hawaiian French toast, kalua pork hash and the loco moco. The macaroni salad is also very good. Its slightly different than typical Mac salad in that it has tuna in it. The place looks like a dive but it's clean and service is fast and friendly. There can be a bit of a wait, but it's worth it. Keep in mind they close at 1:30pm if you're looking for lunch.
(5)Richard M.
OMG! That is My first thing to say!! This is a super local place to eat! It's a perfect Breakfast spot, but expect to wait to get a seat. You can experience super local foods like spam loco moko, or you can have oldies but goodies like a simple omelet or 2 egg breakfast. What ever you order COME HUNGRY! Most breakfasts come with your normal choice of meat, bread (Toast, Pancakes, English muffins) Most cases choice of Hash browns or rice (White rice, brown rice fried rice) I think you getting my message. The choice of meat.. I do not lie to you the bacon is deep fried and their idea of a "portion" is 1/2 a pound! No kidding. The Pancakes, you get 2 and they are the size of a 9" platter. 2 eggs and 3 potatoes worth of hash browns!! Who eats like this!! The food is Better than good but not fanatical. The service is sparse, you normally only have 2-3 waiters for the entire restaurant. the place is over due for an update.. all the things you want a GREAT Hole In The Wall to be! I absolutely love it!! the Prices are dirt cheap at 7-9 bucks a meal (plus beverage) gay Rating: The place is super local super family, but loud and obnoxious friends will simply be sneered at as the waiter runs about! CASH ONLY!!!!!!!!!!!! Id give it a gay rating of 7.5 outta 10
(4)Gary K.
We ate here on our last day on a recent trip to the Big Island. After a week of eating sub par commercial kitchen food at the resorts, the Hawaiian Style Cafe was the BOMB! The ambiance is definitely local feel. Really welcoming and attentive service. We sat at the counter as it was busy @ 10:30 AM on a Saturday. Bella ran with the kids breakfast of pancake, egg and sausage. Nic and Morgan rocked the French Toast with a HUGE side of bacon and hash browns. I decided I needed some "Hawaiian Style" so I rolled with the Locco Mocco. Um, yes! Really delicious plate. The two hamburger patties were char broiled to perfection, with grilled onions, an over easy egg on top ... All chillin on a bed of rice and oh yeah, don't forget the gravy. Yum! We will definitely hit this spot up on our next visit. Well worth the 20 minute drive from the Waikoloa resort we were at. We were just bummed we hit it on the last day.
(5)Dawn R.
Wouldn't dream of coming to the Big Island without coming here. The Loco Moco is my favorite. My husband had the day's special omelet - a hamburger omelet, which he loved. Another day we tried the pancakes - awesome! I try to visit Waimea as often as possible, and never pass up the opportunity to eat here.
(5)Michelle M.
My bad.... they are open, but only for breakfast, closes by 1:00.
(1)David W.
Staying in the Waikoloa Village resort, and found this place on yelp. I gotta say this place has the best breakfast I've ever had! It looks like a local's hangout, and the prices are pretty reasonable. I had the "Big Mok" loco moco (meat, rice, gravy... awesome), and my wife had the portugese sausage and ham omelet. The omelet comes with a side order of toast or pancakes, and my wife ordered the pancakes. No one told us the pancakes alone take up an entire plate! The food was excellent (coffee was a little weak though), and the service was friendly. We're definately going to eat there again when we go to Hilo. Oh, btw, it's CASH ONLY.
(5)S H.
A must for any visitor to the Big Island who likes a big, local style breakfast. We ordered 2 breakfasts and 4 of us could not finish it. Delicious pancakes! Great coffee! A real deal. My kids are still talking about our waiter who kept a quarter nestled in his ear. We should have asked why!
(5)Heidi B.
HUGE, HUGE PORTIONS!! They are out-of-control..however they are good - for the most part. I ordered the "lite" breakfast which consisted of a pancake larger than my head, eggs, and bacon. It was decent and well priced. If you go, take my advice and share a plate!
(3)Reverend M.
Ate breakfast there this morning September 23rd, 2009. Was on our way driving to Hilo for the farmers market. Saw this place out of the corner of my eye and thought to myself...." this place will either be terrific or absolutely God awful. I'm happy to say it went beyond terrific. I can honestly say it was the best breakfast I have ever had in my life. I had the Chicken Fried Steak....because I have not had it in years and figured it would either rock my world or be inedible. It rocked my world. HUGE portions. My six year old son had the pancakes and bacon. I kid you not when I tell you it came with about 8 strips of bacon. The pancakes ( which I normally hate because they are so heavy and leaden....) we so light and fluffy it literally shocked me. I wished they had real maple syrup...but that is my only issue with breakfast. My wife had the steak and eggs and it was also very good. People were very kind to us, we were not treated like tourists....but a very nice welcome. Not too salty, not too oily, hash browns from Heaven.....fast service, fresh food, very reasonable prices. We will be here for six more days and will go by at least a few more times. Five stars only because I can only give five stars.
(5)Lolo F.
Got to go with five stars here. The local lamb was off the hook good. The pancakes the size of the moon and yummy, darn it, I don't remember all the tasty things we had. Enjoyed the Kahlua hash and classic Hawaiian-style breakfasts. Over the course of three weeks last July the sweetie and I took to eating our body weight in quality old-school local diner/restaurant food in the morning, swimming it off all day, craving Yong's kalbi place for dinner, rinse and repeat the next day. The staff is good to you if you are good to them, we never had anything but friendly help. Seriously huge portions at great prices. They get busy.
(5)Clifford L.
Yes, the portions are big, but you probably won't want to finish it after you get a whiff of that awful smell coming from behind the kitchen. I lost my appetite right there. It gets worse. My loco moco patties were still cold on the inside as were my son's chicken nuggets. Really? You couldn't fry frozen nuggets for a small child or grill a frozen burger patty properly? I hope we don't get good poisoning. Update: we went to the public restrooms at Puako after lunch and it was cleaner and better smelling than the restroom at the restaurant. No joke!
(1)Ryan R.
driving south east from kohala towards to Hilo, we came across this diner for brekkie. the pancakes are big, and yummy. But i decided to try their specialty, so i went for the kaluahash! mm mmm mmmm good. a must stop when in the area. big island.
(5)Kenny C.
The best plate lunch in Waimea. The price is good and the portions are humungous. The staff is friendly. Seating can be a little limited. Would definitely make this a regular stop.
(5)Karen K.
So good. If they have the Hawaiian plate where you are here you must get it. The lau lau is the best we have ever had.
(5)Scott H.
So to the guy who calls himself a chef and gave this place only 1 start, let me say I will never eat at your place! This place may very well be the best breakfast joint I have even been in. Portions huge, value super, flavor fantastic, service friendly fast and helpful. When she tries to convince you to get the pancakes and not the toast...Trust her, get the pancakes! We were lucky to get there before 9 on a Sunday before we started our journey to the east side of the Island, by the time we left there was a line. Yeah its a dive but I would drive here again in a heartbeat!
(5)T R.
Heard about this from yelp and the hotel concierge (I normally don't ask hotel concierges for recommendations). Had to go on Friday for the Hawaiian plate. My husband, from California, had the Hawaiian plate with chicken long rice, lau lau, kalua pig, and mac salad - you could choose rice or poi - he chose poi. I had the kalbi with lau lau, rice and mac salad - thinking we could share the rice and poi - no such luck for me! When I looked, the poi was almost gone. In fact, the server complimented him as he finished everything on his plate. The lau lau was moist, tender and not too salty. The kalbi was flavorful - both sweet and salty. I must have been eating like it was onolicious as the lady next to me, from Iowa, looked at my plate, asked me what it was and ordered it. It is a casual place, very local style and can be intimidating but everyone is very nice. Cash only. Big counter in front with booths along the wall. My husband had to come back for breakfast. He had the kalua hash with eggs and fried rice. I am not much of a breakfast person, so I had the small bowl of beef stew with rice and mac salad - I was very happy. For local kine food - very ono.
(4)Kalani C.
This place is the bomb! Ono kine grinds. Classic example of a unique local eatery that delivers the goods big time. Portions are large and the menu offers a variety of local classics as well as specials that may include rack of lamb and fresh fish. Seating is mainly along the bar, a perfect opportunity to chat with the kamaaina; or in the limited booths along the wall and in the back. They accept cash only. An ATM machine is available in the restaurant. An awesome experience & opportunity to support local.
(5)Jonathan K.
During our trip we ate here twice, once for breakfast and once for lunch. The place is small and informal. Both times, we had to put our name on the list, but we never waited more than 10 minutes. The food isn't fancy, but it is GOOD and the portions are pretty big. Highly recommend one of their 3 egg omelets. I had Spam and cheddar...loved it! Hashbrowns were good and the huge pancakes were awesome! For lunch, my wife had the Kalbi Ribs, which were very good. My son thought the Fish and Chips were, ehh...ok. My other son had a double-bacon cheese burger, which was huge! I ordered a grilled cheese with Spam, which wasn't on the menu, but they didn't balk at my request, and it was a good sized sandwich. The only disappointment was their "large" juice, @$2.50, was in a smaller glass than the water they brought us. This is a cash only establishment, they do have an ATM in the restraunt, if you don't come prepared. Four people can eat for less than $60, including tip. Cost vs. portion and taste was perfect, especially on the Big Island, where hotels want $25 each for breakfast buffet. This is really a good place to eat, if you're driving from Waikoloa Beach to Hilo or the volcanoes
(4)Sheryl I.
I had the regular corned beef hash one day and the kahlua hash another day...just for variety. Can't decide which was better as they were both awesome! My son (who hates breakfast!) had the sweet bread french toast with porteguese sausage and declared it all delish...which I felt compelled to confirm. And he was right...it was!
(5)Jeannanicole D.
This local cafe welcomes you with open menus and warm smiles. My first trip there, I had a rack of lamb worthy of tears. There is no accompanying fruity sauce, and no need for mint jelly. Their combination of seasonings and grill work had me raving and craving for weeks.
(5)Aga O.
You definitely need to come here HUNGRY and then honestly call it a day, since after eating here Polynesian paralysis will promptly take affect. Coming here for the first time was an experience for SERIOUS GRINDZ... This is not for the faint of heart for greasy, heavy, filling local fare... The plates are GINORMOUS and plentiful - if you get a regular 2lg egg breakfast plate, it'll come w/ meat, A LOT of it... about half pound of BACON which is DEEP FRIED, eggs, rice or hash and choice of toast or pancakes. I got the the smoked meat omelet w/ hash and pancakes - more like cakes ... 2 cakes about the size of the platter flopped on w/ giant block of butter. The smoked meat is extremely tasty, and smoky, but not too salty... cheese, onions, my only gripe would be the mushrooms in it - it was the canned kind... did they run out of fresh button ones? The hubs got their famous "tita mok"... FAT hamburger patty, chicken cutlet, 2 thick slices of spam, 1 egg, grilled onions, fried rice, and rich brown gravy atop the entire dish... you can look at the pictures for yourself... oh, and you get 2 pancakes or toast w/ that as well. CHEAP eats... most plates are around 7-8bucks. You get the feel of ohana... staff, cook, servers were EXTREMELY friendly... they don't have places like that in the Bay... how unfortunate... but we'll make it up to Waimea again and always be good to visit, eat, and sleep... zzzzz
(4)Josh B.
This is what I had in mind for local food. Way way better than big island cafe. The pork hash was very good as was the french toast. Very family friendly. The place was full of locals - a good sign and the menu was fill of regional selections. A place you'd need to visit more than once to sample it all. Note - cash only!
(4)Richard J.
How can you not love this place. My first breakfast on the Big Island is always here....generous (huge!) portions, local colour.....an interesting mix of clientele. The menu alone ranks this place up high. They serve breakfast and lunch whenever they're open....heaps of food all of very decent quality.
(4)Louis W.
The giant pancakes here are fluffy and the pile of bacon is crispy. My wife and I both ordered eggs over easy, bacon, hashbrowns, and the pancakes. It was too much to finish. The11 year old enjoyed her thick cut hawaiian bread french toast. The five year old enjoyed his egg, sausage, and mickey shaped pancake. Coffee was hot, but not strong enough for our taste. We got the last parking spot on the strip in front of the cafe, signed in, had a 10 minute wait at 10:30, service was good, cash only, and an atm in the cafe. Coconut syrup was the only thing they were missing.
(5)K. C.
Good food, large portions, reasonable price...what more can I say. So good we had to go back a second time on our short 4-day trip to the Big Island. We tried the fried rice, Kailua hash, veggie omelette...all good. Place is small, but food comes out fast and service is quick. On a Saturday, I went where there was a party of 15 plus 3 parties of two ahead of us...the wait was less than 25 minutes. Kid friendly too. Breakfast for 3, plus leftovers for less than $30...nuff said!
(5)Judi W.
Wonderful, busy diner. Staff was efficient and friendly. Food was great, served fast and was still hot. We'll be back!
(5)Ryan S.
Awesome food, huge portion sizes, and its cheap what's not to love?
(5)Ron B.
Worth the wait. Make sure you bring your man vs food appetite. Servings are huge. I had the Portuguese sausage and ham omelette. She asked if I wanted toast or pancakes. I should of said toast I only took 3 bites of the pancakes I was so full from the omelette.
(5)Alissa M.
Recommended to us by a local and we are SO glad we stopped here. Heard about the huge portions...I'm not sure if we were all just really hungry or what because we left very little food on the plates. My dad & I got the kalua pork hash which was amazing. I mean kalua pork mixed with potatoes, 2 eggs and fried rice? How can you not say that's just a perfect combination? My mom got the huli-huli chicken which was smoked and a little dry. We caught the end part of lunchtime and there was plenty of seating. There's a shaved ice place right next door so if you still have some more room stop over there!
(5)Amy M.
This was the best Hawaiian cuisine that I had on my entire trip to HI! The portuguese sausage and ham omelet was incredible and you gotta try the pancakes with coconut pudding...pretty yummy! If we lived closer, we would eat our way through the menu. The waitresses were really friendly and attentive. So glad that this cafe was recommended to us by a local!!!
(5)Maria W.
Local yummy breakfast - I had the french toast made with the local bread and sausages and husband had the home made kalua pork hash with fried rice. Delicious, fresh, and nothing that I've had before. We saw the entrees around us and the omelets are huge with huge sides of hash browns and pancakes (that are seriously the size of a large plate). Cash only.
(4)Gina H.
REALLY disappointed. I normally love this place. I ordered the chicken cutlet Loco Moco. ICK! The gravy was obviously from a packet. The chicken was dry and over cooked. I was really bummed to see this place go down hill. Maybe just an off day? I sure hope so.
(2)Stephen G.
This is a great place. I agree with the other reviewer - the Kalua Hash is awesome. Anyone near Waimea must go here for breakfast or lunch. Lots of good hawaiian style plate lunches, too. Get there early.
(5)Jennifer D.
Huge portions of food for great prices. I came here before hitting up Hapuna Beach, and we ended up taking our grub to go and eating at some picnic tables overlooking the ocean. We ordered two 2-combo plates: we tried the korean chicken and the fried chicken (both were actually fried, but the korean chicken had more flavor, so I recommend the korean chicken). Highly recommended! I really really like that korean chicken...I'm getting hungry- can't keep thinking about it!
(5)Micah P.
This is another place that has been a staple in Waimea since I was young. Basically all the local favorites made about 3 times bigger than normal. 3 egg omelette is the size of a 9 egg omelette and comes with a side of either toast or pancakes. Only thing is that the pancakes are HUGE. About the size of the entire plate and there are two of them. I finished my breakfast with pancakes ONCE in my lifetime. Me and my buddies were hung over and went there for breakfast. We all made a deal that we had to finish and by the time we were done one of my friends was lying on the floor under our booth...not a joke. All the aunty's that wait on you are awesome and uncle is the cook and always crushes it. Luau plate on Fridays is legit. If you want local food for cheap and huge portions this is one of the best spots in Hawaii. Big ups!
(5)Sean M.
It's a refreshing breather from high priced hotel food. It's a bit of a drive from the resorts on the beach and when they say its local... its local. That being said, every one is friendly and its an eclectic mix of locals and vacationers. Come early because from what I heard from the locals, if the food runs out, the HSC shuts its doors, and from what I saw that must happen alot. The place is very busy so you can expect to wait. The food is heavy, greasy and filling. Its like a slice of heaven. You get more then you will be able to finish. I got a breakfast that has 2 large eggs, two huge pancakes, at least a pound of bacon (not kidding...), and a huge pile of hash-browns for $6.75. Throw in a coffee and the tip and thats enough food to feed you all day for less then $10.00. No small feat for Hawaii.
(5)Robin N.
Just a hidden gem where the locals go. If you want to blend in, no aloha shirts and white tennis shows! food is plentiful and just plain great! Breakfast pancakes filled the entire dinner plate and the mixed plates were delicious for lunch. Servers were helpful on what to try and just happy to see us! A peat and repeat!!
(5)Mike W.
Awesome local breakfast. Pancakes the size of tires and a corned beef hash that will but you into a food coma.
(4)Val P.
The Hawaiian Style Cafe is truly a little gem in the rough. Either seat yourself at the large "U" shaped counter in front of the kitchen or at a booth around the periphery. What this place lacks for in ambiance, it makes for in great food delivered in large proportions. Have experienced on numerous occasions, menu items such as loco-moco w/ fried rice, omelets, pancakes, and bacon cheeseburgers, and all were fantastic! Cash only, but the nice thing is you don't have to part with much of it when you pay your bill.
(5)Jen V.
Best value, hands down. Yummy comfort food, HUGE portions. Super friendly staff (who remembered us on our second visit, making us feel so welcome). Eat at the counter to chat with locals and/or trade tips with other visitors. Here's what the guy next to me said this morning: "Aren't those haupia pancakes delicious? It's like eating wedding cake for breakfast." True that.
(5)Keri A.
Food was VERY GOOD, just a little too buttery for my everyday breakfast food. Regardless if you try to go the healthy route (egg whites, turkey bacon, and papaya) it will still have the buttery goodness as the other plates. the pancakes were ginormous (along with the other plates), but very delicious! although we only tried two dishes, my healthy one and his omelet (which was very very good), they both were very delicious. it definitely seemed like a local spot, with some tourists passing through the area.
(4)mellany p.
This place deserves a Congrats for making Travel and Leisure's Best Pancake List and it is well deserved ;) These pancakes are huge and fluffy. We ate there last week and loved the pancakes and kalua hash--you must try it! Service was very friendly and full of the aloha spirit. You can tell this is a community joint as there were many from the neighborhood chatting away with the staff. They open at 7 in the morning.
(5)Keromi K.
One of the best breakfasts on the Big Island. My daughter loves the way they made her pancakes look like Mickey Mouse. The portions are HUGE! I had the kahlua pork hash and my husband had the kahlua pork loco moco - both were excellent. It does get crowded and noisy so you need to prepare for that. There were babies crying the whole time, but it didn't bother us. The service was super friendly and I wish we could have gone back more.
(4)Steph S.
If you are in Waimea it's a must have breakfast. Greasy spoon, laid back, with great service and food.
(5)The Sock S.
HSC got some ono grinds. It's a locals place, but everyone is welcome. The food is good. All the usuals, portuguese sausage, spam, loco moco...damn I'm drooling. And the pancakes are fluffy and big! The portions are huge! Do I even have to comment about service? Come on... Every time I'm back on the Big Island, I get breakfast here as often as possible. Which isn't as much as I would like. Shoot, I could eat here every day. I'd be effin fat, well that is effin fatter than I am now, but damn I'd be happy.
(4)Jerod H.
My dad took me here when I was younger and I remember the food being so good. The guy that used to own and run the place, Mike, was awesome and came out and talked story with us. The Kalbi ribs were so ono. Shoots, this place is not to be missed.
(5)TL V.
Been coming to Waimea for years and only tried this place last year for the first time. Ate breakfast again yesterday. This place is a diamond in the rough. Ambiance is nil, oldschool diner, but food is fantastic and plentiful. Banana/Macnut pancakes, ham steak and eggs/hashbrowns were all great. Not cheap (for breakfast fare) and cash only but truly a great value. Service can be inconsistent, couple of waitresses have some attitude, but worth a trip. Opens at 7 am, busy by 7:30 and jammed on the weekends, line down the street. Breakfast is our favorite meal and we haven't ever been disappointed there. Be sure and take your Lipitor.
(5)Milo R.
Had to stop by before leaving Hawaii. Still more & the best Hawaiian Style breakfast for the buck. This is one of the reasons why I'm going to miss Hawaii. Mahalo Hawaiian Style.
(5)jeremy b.
Big and good. 5 stars!
(5)Tina E.
We stopped by this place for breakfast on our way from Hilo to Kona side. A couple of locals recommended this place so we had to try it out. This place is in a nondescript mini strip mall type place and we almost passed it by so keep a watchful eye. They are also cash only so either bring cash with you or use the ATM conveniently located in the restaurant. It is a very casual setting where you just seat yourself. The coffee isn't that great but then again we didn't come here because we heard the coffee was good. The menu is nothing elaborate and caters to the locals. I ordered the home made Portuguese sausage and eggs special while my other half got the short ribs. I have to point out that the portions are HUUUUUUGGGGGGEEEEE!!!! My food was pretty good, if I went there again I would try something different. My honey though loved his short ribs and the macaroni salad too. Great value for the money and if we ever find ourselves in Wiamea we will be stopping by again. :)
(4)Michelle S.
The Kalbie Ribs are to die for! I go there every chance I get. I always order the Ribs no matter what time of day it is!
(5)James L.
A must-visit to add to your list of diners. One of the best breakfasts you will ever have. Delicious omelettes and humongous pancakes. Wait staff was friendly and courteous.
(5)Drew M.
Great prices, good food, and huge portions. To me this is probably the best breakfast place on the island. I could be wrong but at worst it has to be top 3. Everyone I have told about it loves it too. Solid local food.
(4)Amy A.
solid hawaiian style breakfast for those looking for an island taste and starving for some serious carb loading. portions are humongous but very tasty. i had the loco moco - good but not used to so much salt i think i went into a bit of sodium shock. husband had the portuguese loco moco or something or another. honestly, everything was good and definitely a worthwhile stop if you're driving from kona/waikoloa to waipio/hilo. and you won't even need to stop for lunch! cash only f you're coming from kona on 190, make a left on 19 (lindsay st). maps were off...but that's a story for another time.
(3)Quintin D.
I admit it, I love spam, rice and eggs. And that's what I got, and in huge portions at this very locals-catering-yet-tourist-friendly little cafe. It was our second time to come back, first time was last year in January of 2005. You won't come away hungry from any of the items on their menus, which include breakfast items like Loco Moco and Big Moke to lunch fare like Teriyaki Chicken and other Hawaiian favourites. Service was friendly, and quick, and definitely beats resort-type prices if you are on a budget.
(5)Matt H.
The best chicken long rice Ive ever had! seriously if the have it on special you have to get it. It also comes with mac salad and white rice. The mac salad is super yummy with peas and tuna. Hawaiian style cafe is as good as it gets!
(5)Fred M.
Damn! My only complaint is that this place is NOT easy to find even though it's directly on the main road. Once you find it, though, it's a gem. Wait staff is friendly, most clients are local, and the portions are obscene. Everything on the menu needs to come with one caveat ... no matter how hungry you are, it'll be more than you can eat. The "side" of 2 pancakes that came with an omelet w/hash browns are the size of the tires on a Smart car and can easily take up a quarter of the table. You might think I'm joking, but order it and find out for yourself. The juices are incredible, the omelet is the size of your arm and has fresh everything in it. Most impressive of all was the hash. I'm not a huge fan of hash because of how greasy / fatty it tastes, but I tried some of my wife's and I couldn't stop eating it (yes, we argued ... and I apologized). It's delicious and fairly light considering it's hash.
(4)M E.
Great local place found through our surf shop guys. Wow! Great selection of eggs , pancakes, local fare. Huge portions.Service was eggcellent and speedy. Go now!
(5)Jamie F.
Great food and awesome service. Family went for breakfast. I had the kalua hash...fantastic. The pork was nice and smoky, and portions were very generous. Wife had the bacon and mushroom omelet and a side of bacon. Bacon was very well done so ask for it less cooked if you don't like it (very) crispy. The best part was the service. Super fast and super friendly. A most stop on the big island.
(4)Mark W.
Well worth the drive from Waikoloa, absolutely the best local food we've had. The pork hash combo was ono and the sweet bread French toast too, tons of Bacon accompanied the order. Very large portions, very local.
(5)C L.
love their breakfast items.
(4)Jennifer F.
This place is the real deal - authentic Hawaiin breakfast with the perfect atmosphere, good service, and casual dining experience. The prices are right, and the portions are outrageous! You can get an authentic Hawaiin breakfast here - I had the Kalua Pig Hash breakfast, which came with two eggs, toast, and sausage. It was absolutely delicious and way more than I could eat. My husband had the two eggs breakfast with hash browns, toast, and bacon, which also was absolutely huge! Great value for your money. Also, the drive up from the Waikaloa area is absolutely beautiful! They had some other very interesting dishes, I only wish we could have made it back for a second try!
(4)Cynthia C.
Such a great, authentic and fun place! Worth the wait. Server was not a ball of fire or very friendly, but quite frankly they probably don't have to be....we'd all still keep coming! I don't think we ate again all day after the breakfast! YUM!
(5)Sid T.
Good value, large helping (share a plate?), casual feel, friendly service
(3)Mrs B.
A wonderful hole in the wall restaurant! Huge portions and extremely reasonable prices. The food was VERY good. Have recommended it to several people since visiting. Can't wait to get back to the island. Will definitely eat here again!
(5)N. H.
This place is great. Love their seating style (U-shaped counter surrounding the kitchen/serving area) and the vibe of the place. I felt like I had been coming here for years the first time I stepped in and the food did not disappoint either. Let me warn you, the pancakes are huuuuge so I suggest only getting one package instead of the two that come with your breakfast. Haven't tried lunch yet, but will update when I come back during the lunch hour.
(5)Hoa T.
This place is SO good we came back a second time on our 5-day trip. Portions are huge like everyone else has mentioned. You can easily share one plate with 2 or even 3 people. I recommend the kalua hash with fried rice and 2 eggs (it was a breakfast special one morning). Skip the pancakes though, they're big and doughy. Also good were the chicken katsu loco moco and the kalua omelette (or cheesy goodness as jorge calls it). Service is friendly and prices are cheap.
(4)Zuben B.
Honestly, not sure what the buzz is about this place except the price is right. I'm a huge fan of pancakes and thought everything was good but nothing exceptional. Good for kids and on the way to Waipio. Nice staff.
(3)Kione E.
Oh my god! It's Huge! Not just huge! But fricken' rediculous huge! Ok people. I'm talking about the size of the dishes that was served here. I was thinking that the prices for breakfast which ranges about 10 to 15 dollars was kinda steep. Rich tells us that the portions are huge. I then see a few dishes go by us to other customer near by. What the...!!! Wow. Huge! I get the Chicken steak locomoco. Damn, I getting hungry just thinking about it. Deepfried chicken steak on rice with 2 easy over eggs and chicken gravy, and potato macaronni salad. Huge! And not surprisingly, delicious. Aw man. I hungry now. Ru got the Kalbi with rice and potato macaronni salad. She wasn't too happy with it. It was more a teriyaki steak. And it was huge! I thought it was pretty tasty. So we traded, but not till I got a few bites outta my order. Then I proceeded to finish off Ru's lunch. And thank god she don't eat much, cus I got to finish off the locomoco as well. Believe me when I say I was full. No, I was beyond full. I was in bliss. Damn. I'll make a trip back to Hawaii for that alone. With 5 of us all together there. We were able to put together 2 full boxes of left overs combined. Lunch was about 75 dollars, but what we had could have fed 8 people easily. I'd say it was totally worth it.
(4)Mimi D.
Concierge at the Hilton Waikoloa recommended this place and it was hit for cheap, fast food. The only down side was that all the tourists want to eat here too so it was kind of a long wait. I hate waiting for breakfast since I wake up bitchy until I am fed so the wait was annoying for me. It is a small mom and pop type place with a U shaped front area like the Apple Pan and then a row of booths and then some small tables in the back. He go the steak and 2 eggs that came with a side of onions, 2 scoops of rice and a side of toast and I got spam, eggs and toast and we also got 2 juices and the entire bill came out to be $21. Great deal for some great food and the best part was that the food was on the table in about 10 minutes. The service was awesome. The chick was swamped, but still super nice and super fast. She even packed me a to-go water and with a smile. The only other bad part was that the glasses were not super clean. There was a trace of lipstick on my orange juice cup. I would recommend this place for some quick and easy eats, but drink out of a straw.
(4)Kerynn G.
This is the perfect "Hawaiian Greasy Spoon". I loved it. The service was awesome and the portions were huge. The prices were the best on the Big Island.
(5)Phil L.
I was born and raised in Hawai`i, surrounded by real Hawaiian food (even before loco moco !)-- from the backyard imu and family potlucks to the best of the local-style restaurants. The local food at Hawaiian Style Cafe is by far the best that I've had in any restaurant in a long, long time---maybe ever ! The lu`au stew and tripe stew are unbelievably onolicious. The pancakes, kalua hash and other choices are also beyond compare.
(5)CHRISTY M.
super yummy loco moco! the portions are so big! the service is hawaiian style...easy going, no worries
(5)Aimee M.
So I have to start by saying that we drove past this place about three times while trying to find a good dining option in Kamuela (Waimea). It looks pretty much like a hole in the wall with a large open counter area ringing the kitchen. The waitresses were a little dour at first, but if you're friendly or say something goofy they'll crack a smile. And now on to the food: My husband went for the kalua pork loco moco and I had eggs and pancakes. The loco moco was Ah-mazing, certainly the best we've had on the island. My pancakes were enormous and very tasty, my eggs were cooked well but had their own pool of grease, which is why I'm knocking off one star. Definitely a good option in the area, very reasonable prices and generally good food.
(4)Derek L.
I was so happy I ordered the beef stew! It was out of this world. Beef was so tender it fell apart in my mouth! The service was great and the price was right. A lot of food for not a lot of money.
(5)Victoria G.
This was by far the most Authentic Hawaiian breakfast/lunch place I have ever been to! Portions are huge and they actually charge for sharing! however, they also admit they give leftovers to the pig farms because they realize it is hardly possible to eat that much. Be aware: pancakes are size of a standard cake and thats one portion! other than that, good simple food and very nice service. I also liked shared seating by the entrance: felt very family style.
(4)angela s.
Deanna great server. Pancakes are good and big. Smoked pork omelette was small but good. Kids plates perfect size. Got to go early due to gets busy. Love the music.
(4)Leslene C.
Great food and local style, they serve huge plates that two can eat. Pancakes are thee best we've had - light, fluffy and huge! Can't go wrong on the price either.
(4)Tony L.
Wow!!!!! The portions here are for two instead of one. The pancakes are a foot across and this is the best prices on the island. Cash Only.
(5)Vadim R.
If I could give 6 stars I would have. Amazing service and attention. Very local. Be prepared for huge portions though. It's not for the weak. But everything is very good. Worth the 5 hrs flight from SF.
(5)Bob S.
Great little local hole-in-the-wall eatery in Waimea. Staff very helpful and friendly, food is excellent (the tita mok was the best loco I've had), prices are excellent and the portions are ginormous! Will definitely be back! Cash only.
(5)Brandon A.
Hole in the wall restaurant open only for breakfast and lunch. Very wide variety of foods and everything on the menu looked appetizing. The loco moco is a must eat!!! Simply one of the best across the islands. Homemade patties over rice with a succulent gravy that tops everything off. Overall, serving sizes were very large. Meals that come with pancakes can feed 2 people
(5)Tierney H.
Best breakfast ever. Greasy spoons like this one are my favorite kind of restaurant: Servers with great personality (Danna is rad!) Awesome food Holy shit the portion sizes! Amazing bang for your buck in an otherwise very expensive place to visit. I had two eggs with kalua hash and would recommend it to anyone. The coffee here is great-- even the decaf! My husband got the coconut pudding pancakes. He said the bar has been set and they were literally the best he'd ever had (and huge!).
(5)Jason H.
I think the only Veggies that they have on the menu are the green onions they use as a garnish. Sizes are HUGE as well. I did not have the pancakes but the person next to me did. Imagine a man hole cover on a city street. Add a second and put a bunch of toppings on it. I had the House Loco Moco which was outstanding. It is not the healthiest of breakfasts but it was very tasty. They do Charge you to share a plate but if you are like many patrons of this establishment that love to order more then what the US Army can eat in a year, the leftovers go to feed a local Hog Farm. Did I hear Luau?
(4)Sheena A.
If you are looking for Ono means awesome tasting food... Delicious food eat Hawaiian style cafe!!!! A must . It's definitely worth your time and money !!!! love it all
(5)Mary L.
Sat next to a local on the plane and he suggested that we eat here. Food was awesome and the portions were huge. It's best to share everything. So glad he recommended it.
(5)Cassie S.
I love this place! I tried all of the breakfast places in Hilo, and this was my favorite. There is ample parking, and the servers are so nice. I ordered the Kahlua Hash and some POG juice. Both were really, really good. I plan to go back in the morning and get the macadamia nut pancakes!
(5)Ken L.
Locals all place Hawaiian Style Cafe' as the "go to" place for Hawaiian food. The definite focus of this cuisine clearly points towards quantity rather than quality. Stew came in a large bowl with plenty of veggies but only 2 pcs of pork. The side items are generous - a double scoop of wet, soggy rice with another scoop of gooey, nasty mac salad were not visually appealing and tasted worse than it looked. Through talking to more folks later on, I was told that is how Hawaiians liked their rice. Oh well. Checking others around us, we noticed pancakes as big as a car's steering wheel. You can't really order this to share since they have a rule to charge extra for that. No thanks.
(1)Jennifer G.
So good we came back twice! First off I have to say: pancakes!! Now onto the review. Local breakfast/lunch place that's on the way to to Hilo from waikoloa. Located opinion a small strip mall a fe parking spaces. We came both times around 7am so it wasn't that crowded. But there were a few truckers and some regulars. First time I got coffee and an omelette that comes with a side of pancakes. Omg! The pancakes are literally twice the size of your head and the fluffiest pancakes you will ever eat in your life. The omelette was also huge and covered in brown gravy. Yummy. I didn't even touch the pancakes cuz I was so full from the omelette. Ended up taking the pancakes to go and ate it throughout the rest of the day as a snack. My sister ordered the kalua pork hash and she said that was pretty good. We were with the parents and I believe with everyone ordered a dish plus coffee our bill was $30 with tip. Yea. Amazing prices for sure. Probably the cheapest meal you will eat out here. Another table got the short ribs which looked amazing! Next visit I shared a loco moco with my sis. They charged us a $4 share fee and they didn't even say there was a fee. So taking off a star for that. Also the loco moco had one egg and with amount of rice and meat they give you there should definitely be two. However the dish itself was delicious. And definitely a good send off meal on our last day on the big island. Coffee is delicious. I drank it black and I never drink coffee black! If you're not that hungry I would definitely share with someone and you will probably end up taking leftovers anyways haha. Would recommend if you're passing through. And even if you aren't passing through just go for the best pancakes ever.
(4)Amy C.
Don't judge this place based on its very humble looking atmosphere because the food here is awesome! Get here early as there is usually a crowd of people waiting outside to get a seat inside this place! Hawaiian Style Cafe is another fantastic Yelp find! My hubby and I stopped here on a Wednesday morning around 7:45-8:00 AM. At that time, luckily there were not that many people there. However, about a half hour or so during our time there, tons of people came in and the place was full inside, with over a dozen or more people on the outside waiting for a seat. So I cannot stress enough how important it is to get there early, especially if you are not a fan of waiting around. We sat at the counter because all the tables/booths were occupied when we got there. My hubby ordered their Loco Moco that had spam, portuguese sausage, regular sausage, egg, rice and gravy. I had their French Toast with sausage. The portions are HUGE, so make sure to come on an empty stomach. Food was delicious. I loved my French toast and my hubby's Loco Moco. This place definitely hit the spot. For the price you pay, you get huge portions that fill you up for the rest of the day. I didn't try the pancakes, but as you know (especially if you have browsed through the Yelp photos) they are HUGE! I for sure want to try these pancakes out when we come back next year. So if you are making your way up to Hilo, be sure to stop by The Hawaiian Style Cafe for a delicious and filling meal. TIP: This place is cash only! One more thing, they just opened up a second location in Hilo a couple of months ago.
(5)Kanoe I.
Breakfast with friends before our Pololu hike. We had about a 5 minute wait for a group of 6 people! Waitress was nice and the service was pretty fast. Down fall was that it was around 9:30 am and my friend wanted to order the biscuits and gravy and they had no biscuits =( most dishes came with a side of two massive pancakes! None of us made a dent in the pancakes beside one of my friends trying to play man vs. food where in this case... Food won!!! We Deff. Took home leftovers and the food we left behind goes to a local hog farm.
(4)Jessica H.
You spend weeks dieting and working out so that you can look nice in your bathing suit for your trip to Hawaii, and then you get there and eat pancakes the size of your head at Hawaiian Style Cafe and immediately gain back that 10 pounds. But you don't care because the pancakes are delicious and the loco moco is savory and amazing and makes you wonder why you don't eat spam at every meal. Everybody knows that this is the best breakfast on the island, so there can be a long wait, but don't worry, it's worth it.
(5)Rob W.
DAMN this place is good! Really really good...and so many variants on the local classic loco moco. My wife's Kalua Hash was phenomenal...and the sweet bread french toast. Just one note, cash only! I can't wait to get back on the island, but forget the Cheeseburger in Paradise, this is the place!
(5)Harry K.
My favorite meal on the Big Island. The wife and I discovered Hawaiian Style Cafe on Yelp, on our way to an ATV adventure. Like other reviewers said, we were awe struck by the pancakes. I didn't believe it until I saw them. Not only were they freakin ginormous, but they were freakin delicious. The other food was tasty, but it's all about the pancakes for me!
(5)S P.
Loco mocos are always solid. Portions are massive so plan to share. Pancakes are insanely big and good as well. Servers are quick to refill beverages and almost always helpful and friendly. Love the old u-shaped counters. Prices are great too.
(4)Miss G.
Took my daughter for breakfast on a Saturday morning expecting a long wait, as I always see a crowd outside waiting to be seated. Pleasantly surprised with a short wait time & good food. Service isn't anything to write home about, but they're dealing with high volume & they get the job done. Favorite thing about this trip: I found delicious eggs Benedict on the special board! Yummmmm!
(5)Terel B.
Worth the half hour drive from Waikoloa Village! Everything is massive. Get the Loco Moco, and it will probably be the best you've ever had. Banana mac nut pancake I don't even fit on the plate. Ask for the coconut syrup. Pretty dingy digs--sticky tabletops and worn-out fixtures--but if you're after great food, you can't beat it!
(5)Angela M.
First off portions are huge....be prepared to turn into a sloth after eating...diner decor, comfy atmosphere...heat place to mix with the locals...friendly staff
(4)Nicholas A.
The Tiki Moco was BOMB.COM ...the flavor was out of this world delicious. Nothing more than a hole in the wall, but the food is great and the portions are awesome
(5)Sara D.
It did the job, but we didn't see what all the hype was about. Service wasn't great, food was boring. Place was a dive, which I don't have a problem with. For us, not worth the drive from Waikoloa.
(2)Michelle L.
We went right lunch time after arriving on he Big Island. We went on a whim as we passed by and could smell the food from our windows down. It was packed inside because it is fairly small. We decided to do take out and wait in the lot. (It doesn't seem like many people choose this option.) We waited 45 minutes for the food, but it was delicious other then them being slightly burnt. We had two burgers and naturally sliced French fries. It was a good meal to eat after we got to Waipo Valley Lookout. Was reasonably priced.
(4)Sam S.
Love it. Local, big portions, fair prices. Came here for brunch. Corn beef hash an the big moco. Big moco was very tasty but stupid me, I thought it came with the beef patty too. Hahaha just a bunch of other savory meats with the gravy. Gravy itself was not too heavy and went well with the eggs. Most of it was breakfast just add their Portuguese sausage, spam and gravy. Corn beef hash was interesting because the hash wasn't as crispy as I would have liked but also not as salty as I expect corn beef to be.
(5)Baby's Away Big Island H.
The food is plentiful and the prices are reasonable with large portions for hungry people. Love the pancakes!
(4)April M.
Large portions and great service, local favorites like Kalua hash and loco moco, try the haupia style pancakes and French toast with coconut syrup
(5)Ren N.
Overall it's appetizing atmosphere and friendly staff makes this cafe well worth the visit. Not to mention the low price of meats and other huge dishes to choose from. I only ate there twice and was served by two different servers. Once was a take out, the other was a sit down. I didn't have much of a good experience with the take out since ironically I wanted the take out so I can save time without having to wait. Instead 5-7 people were seated way before me and almost finished their lunch before I had my take out. The server also got my order wrong, I specifically wanted one thing and she had the nerve to correct me and said I wanted something else. It almost felt like an argument was about to ensue because I had to defend my own lunch menu choice. 3 times!!! If that same server is there I will not want to eat. Half an hour of waiting for the wrong food, is that nice?
(3)Vin S.
I ate at this wonderful place about a year ago. The breakfast food is authentically Hawaiian (spam and eggs, enormous pancakes, fried eggs and hash). And it's all great! The Hawaiian Style Café is always filled with locals. If you live in Waimea, you already know about this place, and probably eat here regularly. If you don't, give it a try! You won't have any regrets.
(5)Alaskan M.
Went here after a day in the sun, portions are huge and I didn't like that you are charged four bucks to share. Anyway, food was nice, the loco moco is humongous and I could only eat half of it. My wife ordered The grilled cheese was also good. The service was good until he end, I asked for the check and it must have taken 15 min, I had to get up and get the waitresses attention. It's frustrating to have such a good meal and for it to be soured by waiting way to long to pay. I would go back again to try the breakfast because it looked tasty. Would go back again.
(4)Joyce F.
This place rocks but don't tell anyone as the wait time is already long! I over heard people from PA talking about how good the food is here as they were chowing down, so even the tourists have heard how good this place is! Do yourself a favor; try their pancakes, but only order one if you are getting anything else and share the pancake with the whole table, otherwise you will be wasting a lot of food. They're HUGE!!!
(5)Anita T.
Fast, insanely huge portions, and cheap. Had this on my first day of vacation and I can see why there was a waiting line by 9AM. Get there by 8 and be ok with sitting at the big wraparound bar right near the door, and you'll be served super fast. Had my first loco moco here (yum! brown gravy, rice, egg, juicy hamburger patty, and i swapped out the second patty for 2 pieces of grilled spam) and we also got the berry pancakes (the menu says 2 but just be aware each is literally hanging off the plate, they're THAT BIG. Comes with huge pats of butter and fresh fruit). Parking is limited in front of the store, you may have to park side of street in a few designated spots or scour for a space elsewhere.
(5)Emily H.
Maybe I'm not used to how Hawaiians like their food, but I found everything here either WAY too salty or WAY too sweet. Yes, the portions are big, but that doesn't compensate for taste. The haupia pancakes (coconut cream pancakes) were definitely the best thing that we ate. They were super thick in size, but fluffy and light in taste. That is, until the cup of coconut cream was doused on top and made the whole thing way too sweet. The tripe stew and the version of the loco moco we ate were both extremely salty. I drank 2.5 cups of water alone during my meal. The gravy tasted like something you could make from the grocery store brand powdered gravy pouch. Sure, the local diner ambiance is great, but I wouldn't recommend this place for any of my friends traveling to the Big Island.
(2)L K.
Perfect place to stop by while heading to the volances . Fast serves and great servers! My breakfast was so good that i had it pack togo and had it for lunch
(5)Vince L.
Very friendly staff. Locals very friendly and chatty as well. Portions are HUGE. Split an order. Order 1/2 orders. I only gave it 4 because I didn't see anyone in the place finish. Wasteful. We sat at the counter and chatted with some locals. We also learned we didn't have to order exactly what was on the menu. We ended up doing some unique combinations so we could try many dishes. ALL were good but HUGE portions! Some of the pancakes are plain and made 'special' by the toppings. Make sure you get pancakes that are made differently with the ingredients inside. Anyone can toss toppings on.
(4)David N.
Best place to get breakfast or lunch one advice is that you better be hungry and cash only but there is n atm inside. Fast and friendly service
(4)Teresa N.
Ok...I have the Hawaiian paralysis symptoms going on right now. The kau kau here is ono and humongous. I ordered 2 egg breakfast that come with choice of meat and pancake and holy moly the pancake was nutz. I only dented a small side and the thing still was too much to fit in the to go box. Mean...... The servers and service is the best. Much Mahalos.
(5)Pink P.
Service was great, but plan on a line, this place is understandable popular. Portions are huge! A side of pancakes are 2 large, fluffy cakes that overflow off the side of a standard dinner plate. Get the pancakes with banana, whip, and make sure to ask for the coconut syrup. My man got kalua hash, which had mashed potatoes as the base, a side (2 scoops) of fried rice, and 2 eggs. He wanted to come back the next day for the loco moco, it was so good. And did I say, it was cheap! You should go.
(5)Ralna B.
I am giving Hawaiian Style Cafe 5 Stars. The portions, quality, and service were great! If you see a line of people outside, just walk in and write your name on the list and wait your turn to order. Take a glimpse of the specials on the white board close to the kitchen because when you get seated you will change your mind or forget what you were planning to order after taking a look @ the huge pancakes that come with the specials or certain items on the menu. The seating area reminded me if Hamura Saimin on Kauai. We opted for the regular pancakes, but the haupia pancake looked delicious! The pancakes were soft and buttery and the edges were crisp. BF ordered the smoked meat omelet and enjoyed it, he said the smoked meat was sweet. My daughter and I shared the Hawaiian loco moco with easy over eggs. The hamburger was well done and the gravy was tasty! This is one place I will definitely stop by again!
(5)Leon H.
This place is probably my favorite breakfast place in the islands. I love a good breakfast and have been to so many places but this place has good flavors with good mixes. I had the DA BIG TITTA and it was so damn good. Plus you have to have the pancakes.. so huge. I have been here a few times and its always really good plus the wait staff is incredible. I cant wait to fly out and go there again for lunch. Hoping next week.
(5)Wan L.
Best LOCO MOCO Ever! Check out this beauty: yelp.com/user_local_phot… Yum Yum Yum! Spam fried rice topped with two juicy well-seasoned patties and two sunny side up eggs... DELICIOUS! Banana nut pancakes: yelp.com/user_local_phot… Massive! It was ok, kinda doughy and undercooked... Service was great and the servers were friendly. Parking: very small lot. Arrive early (before 8:30am) or expect a LONG wait! FYI: CASH ONLY
(4)Fern K.
As a local to the area, I truly believe in supporting our local establishments even though they may cater more to the Tourist crowd or industry. Hawaiian Style Cafe has been one that I was truly happy to support by frequenting since my return home to Hawaii 2 1/2 years ago. Although, my family knows the ownership, made it that much more like we were supporting family! In addition, the food quality & taste were always important to the ownership due to the rich & ingrained history of the previous establishment! Needless to say, from about a year ago or so (actually, when the ownership decided to expand & opened their second location in Hilo), I've noticed the quality of service, food & taste begin to slowly drop! I would suspect that this drop in quality was due to the management change &/or the lack of presence from the hardworking owner himself. My experience today, however, drove me to write the following review & score the restaurant only 3-stars (& I am being extremely generous): "After the almost 1-hour wait for entry into the dining room, the service is lacking due to the actual size of the restaurant; an expansion is sorely needed to comfortably accommodate the now over "1-hour wait time to be seated" for breakfast ONLY and the excited, almost insane craziness of the wait-help literally running from table to table clearing dirty old dishes, wiping up & taking rushed orders to dropping substandard food &/or even forgetting part of your order to just get you out quickly to clear & re-seat the table again because the line outside is still insanely long! My Brother-in-Law & I both ordered the Oxtail Soup (listed on the "Specials" board) & he also ordered a side of bacon, my sister ordered the Honey Fried Chicken & I ordered the two egg breakfast (eggs over-easy), link sausage & hash browns & a full order of Hawaiian Sweetbread French Toast (for all of us to share); to drink he had coffee & water, she, water & I, water & hot chocolate. These were not brought right away as she was tending to orders from other tables she was waiting on. Drinks were dropped & shortly after, our oxtail Soups were served & unfortunately, were served at less than a lukewarm temperature! We waited a while to get her attention & inform her of the lukewarm oxtail soups & the need to have it re-heated & served piping hot; her comment was "oh, I like it hot too", giving me the indication that they serve the oxtail soup lukewarm. While the soups were in the back being re-heated more of order was dropped except for his side order of bacon. We began to eat the rest of our food while still waiting for the oxtail soups to return, however, the soups finally resurfaced when I was literally finished with my full breakfast, at this point, not wanting the soup. In my attempt to try to eat the soup, the base was too salty & the very long leafed Chinese Cabbage dropped on the top of the soup as garnishment & to be mixed into the soup was difficult to do so due to the fact that each piece was so long that you had to fight to cut it up otherwise you would not be able to get anything else in your mouth! Unfortunately, my bro-in-law, at this point had to remind our waitress that he did not yet receive his side order of bacon. As she brought the bacon she also dropped the check on the table explaining that she removed the charge for the bacon because she forgot it!" This whole experience was disappointing being a local resident patronizing a local establishment!!!
(3)Hanh N.
I've eaten here twice now, once four years ago and recently this past week on my most recent trip back to the big island. The food is awesome, and the servings are huge. I had the Korean chicken and teriyaki hamburger plate combo which was so tasty. Definitely recommend.
(5)Nadine S.
We sampled some of the dishes: Korean Pork (very tasty but greasy), Kalbi (delicious, also pretty fatty), Honey Chicken (meat tastes good but the fried batter is way too hard to eat), scallops (juicy and sweet), and shrimp (meh). A plate comes with 2 cups of rice and a cup of maccaroni salad with some fish (probably canned tuna). As mentioned in other reviews, the portions are huge. We didn't dare to get pancakes after we saw the size of them (each one is dinner plate sized). The staff is very friendly :)
(4)Jeremy H.
Just order the house special Loco Moco and bask in that meaty, eggy, brown gravy goodness.
(4)Glo R.
We always go to this place when we are staying in Waimea. My daughter likes to go here on Fridays, when they serve the Mok-a-saurus = fried rice, topped with hamburger steak, chicken katsu, spam, kalua pork, eggs, gravy and sautéed onions... I call it "Heart-attack-on-a-plate". This time, I got the kalua pork hash with eggs and fried rice. It was yummy. They have other Hawaiian plates too: loco moco, Hawaiian sweet bread french toast, spam, Portuguese sausage... NO, DON'T COME HERE ON A DIET! Other notes: cash only and there can be a long wait.
(4)Patricia O.
We went to Hawaiian Style Cafe since everyone's talking about it. I ordered the local moco and barely finished it. It was so huge! My only complaint that the service is slow but the staff is friendly.
(4)Liv A.
A friend of mine who used to live on Big Island recommended this place to me. It's a local diner with traditional hawaiian food. Everything you would expect - loco mocos, spam, meat, meat, meat, scoops of rice, gravy, all that goodness. Come with a big appetite bc the portions are humongous. I actually shared the kalua hash plate (yum yum!) with a friend and we were both full but not stuffed. More than sufficient for breakfast.
(4)Jessa D.
Giant portions that most people won't finish. Pancakes are about 12" in diameter but really fluffy. Loco moco is on point with awesome gravy. Friendly staff serving ono grindz.
(5)Jae Alyson C.
My friend and I went observing at the Keck Observatory Headquarters for a week and we would come here to eat breakfast since its nearby. We ordered the honey fried chicken and we combined 2 pancake specials into 1: banana macadamia nut haupia pancakes! AWW YEAH! Pros: 1. Portions: As everyone said before me, do NOT come here if you're not hungry. The portions are B-I-G. Seriously, it took me AND my friend 2 days to finish the pancake and it took me 3 meals to finish my chicken. Even the side salad can be a full meal itself! 2. Quality: The pancakes tasted amazing! It's so good that it even tasted better after eating it cold, which tasted like cake! The chicken was crisped to perfection and was very juicy! 3. Price: You just can't beat the price if you're considering the quality and the portions you're getting. Any cheaper than what they charge and I think one of those categories would suffer. Cons: 1. Payment: Cash only! To serve food this delicious people would normally want to buy more food but having cash only payment discourages them! 2. Service: Okay, I've read the previous reviews and mostly everyone says that their service is great. I've come here twice now and both times the service was either mediocre or bad. Maybe I just don't look as rich or old as the tourists that come here and maybe I'm not one of the regular locals but the "aunties" took forever to take my order, always seem to give me an attitude when I have a question, and just don't check up on how I'm doing with my meal. 3. Sharing charge: Really? If you share food, it costs an additional $3.95. Why aren't we allowed to share food? I mean it's not our fault the portions are huge. Tip: Just take it to go THEN share it. The Verdict: Whoever came with the saying "Get your bang for the buck" probably ate here. However, their great service seems to be selective to certain groups of people.
(4)A C.
Excellent food, large portions (especially for the price), and very friendly service. Authentic Hawaiian far (in my non-Hawaiian opinion anyway). We ordered kalbi (ribs), club sandwich, stew luau (taro and pork), and no yolking (light breakfast). All were delicious. We also tried an extra pancake order w/ coconut custard, which was also good. They do Hawaiian plate special on Fridays, which our waitress recommended to us.
(5)Andrew T.
Yeah, I'm still a fan...so I'll stay 4 stars... BUT.... my impression at my last visit was that quality and portion size were down....and prices were up.... the fries were just blah and hard, not as good as McDonalds fries even.... the floor was dirty and the condiment rack on the wall of our booth was SERIOUSLY grimy. So i'm not as enthusiastic as I used to be about this place, but I'd still recommend it and will go back. Service was excellent. Really good mac salad. CASH ONLY AND PLATE SHARING CHARGE, FYI.
(4)Julia C.
Brunch at Hawaiian Style Cafe was one of the best meals we had on our vacation to the Big Island! We were looking for favorite local spots and Yelp sure didn't sell us short with this one. What initially drew us in was the Tripe Stew! Besides what we're used to on the mainland (ie: option in Vietnamese Pho), not a lot of menu options feature an ingredient such as tripe since it's sometimes difficult to prepare. Hawaiian Style Cafe executed this dish perfectly as it was tender and well balanced with spices. Along with the stew, my husband and I also shared the Haupia Pancakes and Kalbi Plate which were all delicious. My favorite part of the meal however, was the simple side of mac salad which has to be the best version I've had so far! The right combination of macaroni, tuna, onions and mayo-- seems easy enough but often times poorly measured at other places and would leave you nauseous after one bite. The portions were huge with enough perfectly sized leftovers after a long day at the each. We were expecting quite a wait since it was peak dining hours, but thanks to the island hospitality and our small party of 2 we were seated promply.
(5)RB19971 R.
This place was all about quantity and not quality. I am glad I have been, but don't need to go again. The service was good.
(2)Lauren G.
Just get the pancakes. Seriously. They're absolutely humongous and soooo good. I'm deeply regretting not having gotten the Banana Macadamia Nut Pancakes, instead of my Loco Moco with a side of pancake. While the Loco Moco was good.. (notice I'm not saying great, but certainly not complaining either).. the pancake I split with my husband was fabulous. I definitely got food envy when I saw the Banana Macadamia Nut Pancake plates go by. Best part? The fact that for two entrees, coffee and our monstrous side of pancakes it was only $23.50.... absolutely UNHEARD of on the Big Island. Plus its a local spot, so if you sit at the "bar" you get to meet and talk to the really great people from the area, which is nice. Definitely will go back next time we visit. Yes, its cash only, but they do have an ATM inside the restaurant, so don't stress.
(4)Conrad M.
Food here is Bangin!! I'm stuffed out my ears. The wait was worth it and service was excellent. Super friendly staff, great service to compliment the amazing food.
(5)Deantha C.
I had the chicken cutlet loco moco and nearly cried it was so good. One of the best meals I have ever had, with great service to top it! Must go!
(5)Polly J.
I love Hawaiian Style Cafe!
(4)Chris R.
If you are interested in authentic Hawaiian breakfast. This is the place. We had no wait when we sat at the bar. The location is pretty non-assuming. They are cash only so bring some $$ with you, or they have ATM if your forget. The selection of Loco Moco's was awesome, I hunt this dish out every time I come. The gravy was fantastic. My Wife's pancake was big, too big, but she enjoyed it.
(4)Rose E.
Food portions were huge and so good, we were stuffed. Forgot the drinks we ordered but waitress was nice. A hole in the wall definitely worth trying. Prices were reasonable and we didn't wait long for food to come out. All in all a great place to eat if you are in the area.
(5)Tim F.
Best Loco Moco on the Big Island bar none. Try the breakfast combos with humongous pancakes, spam, spam and spam!
(5)Anh-Dao H.
I had the kalbi plate and it was one of the best kalbi meat I've eaten. I hope to go back there again before I leave the island. The waitress was one of the best. Great location.
(5)Joc V.
First of all, this place gets zero stars for ambiance. The good news is you don't get full on ambiance and often times really mediocre places that serve subpar food try to get away with it by dressing their place up all fancy. Because let's face it, you dress up a pig and it's still a pig...though at HSC, that's a good thing because it's all about the pig that goes into their kalua pork hash. The thing about hash for me is it's gotta have the right amount of crunch and flavor; otherwise, it's just a soggy, bland mess of potatoes that are undercooked and under salted. The kalua hash at HSC is the specialty but it was a bit on the undercooked side--thankfully, the salt from the kalua pork rescued the flavor from what might have been a dismal performance. We also ordered the loco moco which was some of the best I'd had anywhere--grill marks on the hamburger patty and just the right amount of gravy so it wasn't too soggy. Best part of the meal was the unexpected jackpot surprise of larger-than-your-head pancakes that came with our meal. I'm not even sure which meal it was on the side of but all of a sudden the waitress busted out with, "Here's your side of pancakes." Buttery, creamy, sweet and larger than a manhole, these pancakes were a great surprise! Some tips: *Put your name on the list and wait outside. Don't glare at the people eating their food. Some of them are locals and they're probably already pissed that tourists have found their spot. *Go next door at Crackseed for some awesome li hing mui mangoes and guava while you wait for your table. *If you can, avoid the seating in the back (see aforementioned vinyl peeling off the seat). *Very kid friendly place--they give the little ones books to read while waiting for food. *Cash only place but I believe there's an ATM on the premises.
(3)Kristy N.
We found this place thanks to Yelp and we loved it so much we drove 27 miles each way on three different days! I am not a pancake fan but these were crazy good! They were thick but very fluffy. We had banana macadamia nut pancakes and coconut custard (?) pancakes that were to die for! YUM YUM! The pancakes come 2 to a plate and are large enough for 3 people to share. We didn't even use syrup on them because they were so good you didn't need any. It is not a fancy place by any means so if you don't like homey type cafes, this is not the place for you.
(5)Jesse I.
This place is a favorite local place in Waimea. Too bad we didn't think so. They recommended Kalbi and spicy pork. This must be Hawaiian thing to make all the meat sweeter than where they are originated from. Like teriyaki, kalbi, Korean chicken and spicy pork, they all seemed to be quite sweet for my taste. The fried chicken was ok and the gravy tasted like pre made turkey gravy.
(3)G R.
Great restaurant, friendly atmosphere, and tons of good food! Glad we came early! By the time we left, it was packed with people waiting. Huge portions and very reasonably priced.
(5)Surain R.
Popped into this place for some plain old Hawaiian food. First of all, super fast service! The food was great, well priced and the portions were large. I had the Kalba ribs and the honey fried chicken and couldn't finish it. From what i've heard the breakfasts are amazing and I kind of regret that I wasn't able to try the pancakes. Would definitely recommend it though.
(4)Shane F.
Breakfast was awesome as usual. The bacon was a little overdone for our taste, but when we asked our waitress immediately brought us some "medium" bacon.
(5)Dave B.
Okay, I haven't been here in about 6 years. But after a morning of snorkeling in Kohala, and an urge for pancakes, we drove about 20 miles from Waikoloa beach for breakfast. The place was pretty busy, even at 10:30 on a Monday morning. We sat at the community counter, which was just fine. I got the two egg breakfast, with scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, and the two "hubcap" sized pancakes. This was $8.75. The wife got the two pancakes, which was $5. The counter is set up perfectly with soy, tabasco, ketchup, salt and white pepper. So my eggs got some a little seasoning from everything except the soy! The service was friendly and yes, the place looks like a dive, but I love it. I will be back - good food, friendly service. I mean come on, I drove 20 miles one way for their food?! And it was worth it!
(4)Darvis B.
We come for breakfast here every time we visit the island. Kalua Hash is our favorite. Pancakes are huge and tasty.
(4)Jenny S.
I Thought I was going to pass out from all the food!!!! First off the plates are seriously the size made for people that are 10 ft tall and weight over 500 lbs!! The plates are so big it was bigger than my face and probably my friend's face combined! I ordered the banana pancakes and it was soooo delicious and buttery. It just melted into your mouth and it was topped with fresh bananas and macademina nuts with whipping cream!! They give 2 pancakes but do not let this fool you!! The pancakes were basically about to overflow from the huge ass sized plates!!! My friend ordered the beef stew and..... i totally wished I ordered that instead!!! The beef stew was a really hearty meal with big chucks of meat, carrots, potatoes, and celery!!! And the soup! Sooooooo delicious! Sooooo ONO!!!! I wished I could take some home to eat for lunch for weeks and weeks!!! Btw the size of this beef stew was the large size of pho! With a huge side of rice! My other friend ordered the Hawaiian style plate and it was a wooden plate with dividers with lau lau, kalua pork, poi, lomi salmon, and something else I can't remember but soooo much food!! And everything was so good! Now i'm not a big poi fan so I didn't really have an opinion of the poi, but my friend said Hawaiian style cafe makes the freshest poi she's ever had!!! From all the dishes.. not one of us was able to finish our own respective meals! hahaha when I was waddling out of the cafe from all the good eats I wanted to cry because the food was soo good but I was soo full!! And apparently this place is called Hawaiian style cafe because giving bountiful amount of food is the Hawaiian way!! :) OH side note: don't feel bad about not finishing your meal, apparently all the left overs goes to the pig farm nearby to feed the pigs. Although not sure if these are the pigs for the kalua pork. @_@ but anyhoo.. the food is not wasted!! ^.^
(4)Shauna W.
Pancakes to die for!!! They are huge! My husband had the Omelet. Once again, HUGE!! So much food, great prices, great service! Loved it and would definitely recommend it. It looks like a hole-in-the-wall place so don't pass it up.
(5)LuLu M.
OMG!! I couldn't get enough of this place!! The best place for true Hawaiian style breakfast. We drove 30 minutes out of our way just to have breakfast here a few times during our trip. Portions: HUGE! Customer service: AMAZING! I'm a normal size girl but the food was sooooo good I put away 2 dishes away by myself: Haupia (coconut pancakes) and the Kalua hash. Cannot miss out on these dishes or coming to this homestyle cafe!
(5)Christopher G.
Mmmmmmm good food... I wanna come back again and again.. Pancakes look really good but are huge. Don't worry if u can't finish all leftovers go to local hog farm.. So they are Eco friendly too.++
(5)Mona L.
The food here was amazing. From the breakfast egg and pancakes to the lunch Korean chicken, honey fried chicken, pelehu ribs and korean pork.... It was incredible. The passion fruit ice tea was tasty as is thier special mac salad. Best flavor cooked to perfection. I will come back for sure. Very nice service too. Just a small cafe so don't expect ambiance-- it is about the food here!!! Bring cash.
(5)Dean L.
Wow. The three of us got there early enough not to have to wait for seats at the breakfast bar. We ordered, and I was shocked at how quickly our coffee, then food, came out. I ordered the loco moco--my first. It was really friggin' good. I could eat about half of it. I ordered the egg medium, and it was slightly undercooked, which may have been a better way to have it with that particular dish. Rice was perfect! My wife had the bacon and eggs, which she has everywhere, all the time. She's extremely picky about this meal. She orders the bacon "extra crispy," and it never is. This time, she didn't ask for it extra crispy because she read in a review that it just came that way. It did. And it was a ton of bacon. The 8-year old had hashbrowns and a pancake. I tried both and would have been happy with them. The pancake was large and fluffy, with whipped butter. The hashbrowns were a generous portion, nicely browned, with no undercooked insides, no greasyness, etc. Our coffees were refilled (free) without us having to ask. Again, service was shockingly fast; prices are comparable to the diner we go to in Seattle, but the food is better, and the menu far more interesting. Lastly, it seemed clean, and was a neat atmosphere. We might go back tomorrow.
(5)Victor A.
This is the kind of place where you get angry that you only have one stomach. Cow envy, I guess. I had the bacon and eggs breakfast, because mountains of bacon are just my style. Though I wish I had another day left on my visit to try the Kalua Loco Moco which looked amazing. Everything the other diners were being served looked gigantic and amazing. You'd have to pay me not to go back for breakfast the next time I'm in town.
(5)Amy M.
Holy portion sizes! Ordered my first ever loco moco and split it with my fiance. One serving left both of us stuffed. Great atmosphere and great place to sit at the counter and get additional recommendations from the locals.
(4)Tami W.
Didn't even make it to a table. Customer service was terrible. Guess this place is for locals only?
(1)Michelle B.
Had the yummy Kahlua hash with scrambled eggs that was recommended by our friendly waitress. So glad she recommended it, but now bummed that I live too far away to have anymore. Will definitely go back the next time we visit.
(4)Em L.
Very friendly staff and wonderful food! Everything we got was delicious, service was quick, and everyone was laid back and kind. My family will definitely be coming back before the end of our vacation!
(5)David L.
Love the authenticity of this local joint. Good basic breakfast, though the banana mac pancakes are literally bigger than your head, practically the size of a basketball and they give you 2 of them. Very reasonably priced and good service.
(4)Natasha B.
This place is great! The French toast is sweet and the pancakes are bigger than your head! It's a lot of fun to take the kids and see the look on their face when they set the pancake in front of them
(4)Robert B.
A Local Ono favorite. Type B (see below). Man Vs. Food, I dare you to finish the pancakes. HUGE. Deep in the middle of the Hawaiian wild west sits a little spot with friendly service and good food. Seriously, they serve REALLY big portions that will fill you up for like the rest of the day. I swear the pancakes are 12+ in across that would soak up an entire bottle of syrup. Get the coconut syrup - I think it's coco loco poured straight from the can - mmmmm. The MOCO LOCO with fresh beef patties tasted like a good 'ol homemade meatloaf. TIP**** Don't come in the morning when everyone else is waiting in line! Go later in the day - late morning to early afternoon - no wait, good service, big portions. My ratings are all inclusive, service, décor, cleanliness, quality of food, presentation etc.... * - OMG what was I thinking? WHY, oh why did I do this to myself? It was so bad and no one should EVER have to endure this again. ** - Disappointed and it really wasn't worth my time or money. I might give it another chance but doubt it. I will not recommend it to others. *** - Meets expectations and will return + tell others that they would not be disappointed. **** - Good. Better than I expected and I'm happy to recommend this place to others. ***** - I'm BLOWN away. I have experienced something exception. EVERYONE should come here and adjust their expectations. Going out to eat you you want one of the following: A. fast and cheap - you need food NOW (fast food and food trucks/carts) B. friendly, decent service & food that is equal or a little better than what you can make at home (think local and chain sit down establishments) Can also be a theme place like Rainforest Cafe or Area 51 etc... C. Trendy - good/great food, see & be seen D. Gourmet (Michelin stars) - high priced, great service, great food
(3)Iain M.
I'll make this short and sweet - if anyone thinks there is a better breakfast or lunch on ANY island, they're crazy! This is the kind of place one can only hope to discover and keep as their own little secret. I only hope that being in the "Revealed" book doesn't become their downfall because, for the moment, this is where the locals eat.
(5)Cara S.
This place was absolutely delicious. Not only tasty food, but also a good value. I had the Hawaiian sweet bread french toast with the pineapple sausage and hubby had pancakes so big they could have wrapped around his head. The food alone is worth the drive up here.
(4)amanda b.
Not a pancake fan, but the BEST pancakes I've ever tasted!! Quality and quantity of food was EXCELLENT for the price. I recommend sharing one plate (even though there is a $3.95 plate sharing charge.) No one at our table finished their meal. Service was a little slow, but I would wait anyway.
(5)Bob M.
Finally got to try Hawaiian Style Cafe after receiving multiple recommendations. Enjoyed the sloppy joe omelette and it was our lucky day...they had kalua pork loco moco. So ono. Best breakfast in a long time. Haupia pancakes were fluffy and delicious. The leftovers lasted for two days. Enormous portions at great value. Tasty, tasty.
(5)Danielle B.
Came here with the hubby in May after our resort concierge told us about this place (it was actually listed on their map of the island :-)) Service at this place is incredible! They make you feel like you're at home. Word of Caution: Come here with your stomach COMPLETELY EMPTY. You are going to need all the space. I had the Kalua Hash plate and hubby had the Kalua Loco Moco (Kalua Pork instead of burger patties)... Both ridiculously large portions but DELICOUS. Then comes the lapse in judgement: We order the Haupia pancake: That thing was bigger than the plate it came on and was slathered in coconut dream sauce!! AMAZING, but where is all this food going to go? I felt like I was on a Man vs. Food episode! We did what we could but at the end of the day, Food won lol. Not for people on a diet or looking for a gluten free menu. Splurge a little (or a lot in this case). This place is a must!!
(5)Clay O.
If you don't like little run down diners with dust balls... you might drive by.... but what a mistake. The best loco moco plate! Awesome taste. Kalbi rib and Korean chicken combo is good. Kalbi has good flavor, I've had better, but very solid. I will have to come back and try the pancakes. They look great, but enormous. Great choice for local food!
(5)Russell C.
Let me start off by saying that if you are not hungry, dont even bother coming here. This place was built for the local in all of us. The place has a relaxed at home feeling you get if you were born and raised here in hawaii. The service is the best, get all the "auntys" working there, and they take care of you as long as you get the real aloha spirit and dont come in there acting snobbish like some do from the mainland, cuz if you bring an attitude in there, get some braddahs in the kitchen that would easily crack your eggs in half and serve them scrambled. Anywho....The food is always great no matter what you get, there are specials up on the board, and they change quite a bit, but cant really go wrong with any of them. For me I had the combo plate of Korean pork and Korean Chicken. What came to my table was litereally a quarter of a pig and half a chicken. The Pork was marinated in the korean sauce and pan fried, was so moist and deliocious that i didnt want it to end, and my wish pretty much came true because of the amount of food on my plate. The korean chicken was a huge thigh dipped in the korean chicken sauce after being fried to golden perfection. Oh and you cannot forget the Mac Salad. Its done the traditional local way most of us grew up with, the tuna and the peas version. Its was the best ive had in a long time,seriously gave me flashbacks of when my grandma used to make it back in the day. I go back here everytime i visit the big island and they never dissapoint, only downside is there usually get packed, big time. But dont let that scare you off, go and try it!
(5)Randal S.
I went in with a serious appetite and left satisfied as can be. Favorite dish I had was Haupia (coconut cream pancakes.) This is a taste of real Hawaiian food. The servers are so friendly and the price is more than fair. Hawaiian Style Cafe was my favorite restaurant we went to while vacationing on the Big Island. It felt so real, not catered to tourists.
(5)Charlie P.
High in quantity and low in quality make this joint memorable for portion size but forgettable in taste. I had the mac-nut pancakes which were ridiculously huge but boring and my sweet lady had eggs, fried rice, and kalua pork hash which she thought was good. The coffee was weak and tasteless and the place takes CASH ONLY so of course I was forced to use the in-house ATM which skimmed $3 off me (who carries cash these days?!). I would not go out of my way to go here but if driving through and you've got a large appetite and cash then go here, otherwise find a place with good coffee, takes credit, and has tasty food.
(3)Nari H.
As far as breakfast places on the Big Island go, this is it. Pros: It's local people and local food. - Amazing pancakes (often bigger than the size of the plate) - Great Loco Moco's - Really good portuguese sausage omelets. - Food usually comes out pretty fast Cons: There is a sharing charge if you only order one entree and split it bt two people. Tips: Gets busy fast, so come early or come late. They are cash only. There is an ATM inside the restaurant.
(5)Rachel W.
If you're thinking of coming here, be prepared to EAT. I got the Korean chicken - lots of food and very tasty. Nice crunchy fry and the sauce was quite sweet (though not very spicy). Other members of my family got the loco moco (quite good) and pancakes with fresh fruit.. The pancakes are ENORMOUS. One thing to keep in mind is that this place gets pretty busy and stays pretty busy. It's a small dive with limited seating (we sat at the counter right when you walk in) so you may have to wait for a spot. It is, however, worth it (in my humble opinion). It came highly recommended by the locals we encountered.
(4)Joe C.
Let me second the reviews that said this is some of the best food you'll eat, especially for breakfast. I can't even describe how good it was. The pancake....my god, the pancake! When was the last time you ate a pancake that was so good you'd ruin it if you put butter or syrup on it? And when was the last time that pancake was the size of a hubcap? I'm not exaggerating. I had the Portuguese sweet bread french toast, my mom had the "light" breakfast (which included the aforementioned pancake the size of a hubcap), my brother had the loco moco, and my dad had the cornbeef hash. It was all fantastic! The place very much has an old school diner/cafe feel to it, so don't expect anything fancy inside. What you will find is delicious, reasonably priced food and great, friendly service. We were staying in Kona but passed through Waimea on the way to visit Hilo. There was a lot of other cool stuff in the area, but this place alone would've been worth the drive! You absolutely have to go here if you're on the Big Island!
(5)Han K.
Awesome local breakfast spot. Nice variety of continental breakfast style with a fairly comprehensive menu of local breakfast and lunch items. Try the Kalua hash. It's basically hashbrowns but with pulled pork
(5)G R.
This was delicious! The pancake was HUGE and had lots leftover but it was worth ordering it! We also ordered the mixed plate with the Kalbi ribs and the homemade hamburger steak with gravy and it was to die for!!! The staff is very friendly and attentive! Round 2: We loved it so much we had to go back one last time before we left the island! I loved my mix plate so much that I thought I would try it again. This time I ordered the sweet pork and the honey chicken. They did not disappoint me... Very good! But I will say this, the Kalbi ribs are definitely a must have here!!! Tip: Oh and if you show up and there is a lot of people waiting and empty seats at the counter do not assume the counter is free seating. There were several people trying to do that and were asked to please get up and sign in.
(5)Les O.
Why would you name it Hawaiian Style Cafe when you run it like a haole style ....one moa bad complaint ...when one family com inside fo eat and U go charge them $3.99 fo one extra plate so they can share da. Dat not Hawaiian Style. Hawaiian style we take care no mattah what.....small Kine shame ..change the name... Like Unfollow Post Share Promote. Henry Salazar, Azenith Balberdi, Miyu Kanilehua and 17 others like this.. Veronica Puanani Apiki OMG...THAT IS SHAME....SHAME ON THEM...DAS HOW WE DO IT...WE SHARE ..SHARE ALIKE... 19 hours ago Like.. Roy Leoneza Oh that's not cool 19 hours ago via mobile Unlike 1.. Brittany Milam Really?? 3.99 for an extra plate?? 18 hours ago via mobile Unlike 2.. Roy Leoneza Not cool still in shock 18 hours ago via mobile Unlike 1.. Mia-Pia Van Herreweghe Hawaiian Style would be fo free dat extra plate! 15 hours ago Unlike 1.. Bula Jacob found a hair in my egg... couldnt eat anything after that! Still one HUNGRY HAWAIIAN!!! 4 minutes ago Unlike 1
(1)Rob S.
Biscuits and gravy are great!! I decided to try them since everyone gives the loco moco high marks with the expectation that they know how to do a good gravy. The guess was right - the gravy was awesome!! It was nicely seasoned (enough salt and slightly peppery) and you can tell they know how to make a rue! Many people who offer biscuits and gravy just end up with a white floury paste for the gravy. One of the big secrets to gravy is how one cooks the rue and they did it close to perfect. The accompanying sausage was tasty and the eggs were done exactly "over medium" as requested. My biggest tip for this place; if there is a wait, put your name on the list and be patient - it's worth it!
(5)Mike L.
Great, local breakfast café up in Waimea. Big on taste, not decor. Food was plentiful and delicious. Great pancakes and awesome omelet with pineapple sausage. The service was definitely on Hawaiian time, but still very friendly.
(4)Dana S.
We saw a bunch of people standing around waiting a couple of days before we went ourselves. We had to wait about twenty minutes before we were seated, but it's Hawaii so who cares? My niece had the kalua hash special, with fried rice and two eggs, and I had the "famous pancakes" with eggs and bacon. Come hungry, because the portions are enormous, quick friendly service, everything cooked right and even good coffee for a diner. As many locals as tourists, always a good sign. And if you sit at the counter on the left as you walk in? You can look up from your plate and see the observatories on Mauna Kea. That makes it a perfect dining experience for me.
(3)j m.
The wizened old valet at our resort kept recommending this place, but somehow we kept missing it, until our last morning on the Big Island. We wondered if he was just throwing business to a friend or relative, but once we found it -- in a corner of an unassuming strip of little stores -- were pleased to find a lineup of locals waiting to get in for breakfast. This is a true locals joint but everyone was as friendly as can be to the obvious tourists. A cool three-sided counter allows for conversation with neighbors and we met several great people there. The reaction when the food arrived was basically along the lines of "are you kidding"? You've heard about places with big portions before, but this is something else altogether: the macadamia/berry pancakes were essentially a full-sized layer cake of amazingness; we took 2/3 of it with us on our sightseeing tour, munched off it all day, and still did not finish it all. I ordered something called a Loco Moco (pork version) without bothering to find out what it was (this choice was also at the advice of our old valet, whose opinions I now trusted implicitly), and this was another soul-fulfilling meal that is burned in my memory more than the scenery down the road. If you don't know what this is, just get it -- it is so much better than it sounds on paper (and it actually sounds pretty good!). So - trust your valet, and me, and eat here.
(5)Ryan I.
My fiancé found this place by doing a search on breakfast places on yelp. This place was listed as one of the top breakfast places in the area. After driving there from the Hilton Waikaloa Beach Resort, we saw a line, and knew we were in the right place. We waited approximately 10-15 min., before being seated. Both of us ordered off their specials menu; my fiancé tried the haupia pudding pancakes and I had the homemade loco moco with fried rice. Apparently, the loco moco special differed from the loco moco featured on their regular menu? I asked the waitress what the difference between the two and was told that the loco moco special was better than the one on the menu. Okay, good enough for me. Their pancakes were huge! The haupia pudding got lost on top of them, it could've used more. The pancakes were moist and together with the haupia pudding, was delicious. The star of the day was their homemade loco moco with over easy eggs and fried rice. Hands down, it was the best loco moco I have ever had. The burger was soft and together with the brown gravy, onions, eggs and fried rice, was amazing. Cash only.
(4)Daniel L.
Excellent place to stop for lunch. They give you a lot of food. And they are yummy. Tje service was very friendly too.
(5)Shawn T.
This is a great place to experience local style meals and local style personalities. Don't expect fluffy service; it's part of the charm of this diner style breakfast place. The food is greasy and fatty and made with lots of bad things for you- that's what makes it so good. The pancakes are HUGE, as are the portions on everything else. The coffee is.. Diner coffee, nothing special but gets the job done. Try the specials board for a unique and creative twist on breakfast favorites.
(4)Clinton H.
Loved it, go early, no wait! Loco Moco is a fish that is probably outlawed in other states! So good!!
(5)Paul K.
From the yelp reviews and personal reviews of friends, I had been expecting more out of this place. From what I've been told, the portions have decreased in size. The pancakes are still enormous though. The wait for a table was ~10 minutes for a party of 8 people on a Monday afternoon. I had first tried to order corned beef hash, eggs, and fried rice, however they were out of fried rice. I got white rice instead. The hash tasted like it was from a can, with bits of potatoes in it. I guess I had expected it to be more stringy and less processed in texture. Despite being disappointed in that, you can't beat the prices. It was a good breakfast for $8. When considering the prices, it's hard to complain about the portion sizes. I guess I had been expecting more, alley because of the word of mouth from friends that have eaten here before. My take was okay, but for the prices I'd come back. Next time, I'll try the gigantic pancakes.
(4)Will A.
Great food at a amazing price. They give you so much food. We only spent $26 with tip for the food in the picture. Need less to say we could not finish it all. Make sure to get the Kailua hash.
(5)James H.
Pancakes come with just about all the breakfasts, they are very tasty and HUGE! I highly recommend any of their breakfasts with pancakes, you can't go wrong.
(5)Tofoi Y.
Nothing more to add except crazy good, big portions and worth the drive. Big Mok, banana pancakes, French toast , Teri loco moco, Internet loco moco, side corned beef hash was what we ordered. Food was great, hot when it arrived at our table and waitress was friendly. Glad this isn't close to home or Id be in trouble. Yum. Also there IS an ATM so you can get cash while there.
(5)Edward W.
This is a great Hawai'ian-style breakfast place, but watch out... Tasty fare, friendly service, and just enough local ambiance might have you coming back every day.
(4)Duane M.
A must while on the Big Island. The khuala hash is to die for! Pancakes are bigger than a hubcap. Spam fried rice is excellent and I loved the smoked pork omelet. We ate here twice. Cash only and brown gravy rocks!!
(5)Amanda T.
So we thought on the way to the falls and volcano we would do a "food tour" and try a little bit at each place we stopped...well our "tour" ended short after stopping here! We should have known after seeing someone else eating pancakes. The food was amazing but portions were so large. A side of pancakes was a normal portion of 2 each the size of the diameter of a basketball. The kalua hash is also sooo good!! Must try it!! Would definitely recommend this to anyone.
(5)John C.
Was referred by our hotel concierge to this completely unassuming locals kind of place, and I'm ecstatic for it! Excellent, simple breakfasts. Pancakes, Portuguese sausage. Huge portions, inexpensive, a world away from the touristy stops in the resort areas. Loved it and was humored to find later that it was rated one of the best pancake plates in all of the U.S.
(5)Frank S.
Wow! OK, this is a piece of Hawaii. From the outside, a hole-in-the-wall, easy to miss, and inside, it appears to be a crowded cafe split 50/50 between counter and tables/booths. The waitstaff are friendly, and clearly know and chat up the many locals here, but also seem somewhat overworked at getting all the tables served. Don't come here in a hurry. But do come - the Pancakes! Massive portions, and sooooo delicious! I went for one Haupia pancake, along with a bit of Portuguese sausage on the side, and the luscious coconut flavor in the sweet topping means you need no additional syrup. Just one was enough to fill me up for breakfast and for lunch. It was a piece of heaven on earth. I look forward to coming back on the next trip to find out what else they have on the menu.
(4)Zack S.
By far my favorite breakfast in hawaii. The Kahlua hash is a new take on breakfast meat on potatos. Very good. The coconut pancake was huge and had a coconut 'snot' on top that I have never seen matched. Extremely good if you enjoy coconut. Wish I could find that anywhere else but have not been able to yet. There is a wait here but it is worth it. No trip to the island would be complete without having breakfast here. Portions are huge and worth the money. Would highly reccommend.
(5)Chris W.
This place is awesome! Definitely my new favorite breakfast spot on the big island, and possibly anywhere... I came here by myself one day and got a regular egg breakfast with Portuguese sausage. Quite possibly the best sausage I have ever had. It also came with a pancake which was HUGE and insanely delicious. The next day was my brothers birthday so I decided to come back and take him here for a birthday breakfast. This time we went Hawaiian Style and got Kalua Pork Hash and eggs with Fried Rice, and the famous Loco Moco with 2 house made hamburger patties on top of a bed of white rice topped with grilled onions and a fried egg, and smothered in brown gravy. HOLY F&$@! Sooooo tasty! So much flavor that explodes in your mouth. Come here and thank me later...
(5)Chris O.
Great authentic Hawaiian breakfast cafe. The light breakfast I ordered had a pancake that was so huge I could barely finish that alone, it also came with a meat of choice (I opted for the Portuguese sausage) and an egg. My girlfriend got a chicken cutlet with gravy type dish that was very tasty and so big that we could have split that and been very full. Friendly service and I like the booths and big 3 sided counter. My favorite breakfast spot on the Island for sure.
(5)Julia J.
Scoped out Yelp before heading to Kona and bookmarked this place! So glad I did. I had the Loco Moco - Ummm YUMMMM!!! They did the brown gravy right and loved the nicely big chunks of carmelized onion too. Husband got the huge pancake with the egg ontop - hardly put a dent in it. Service is quick and friendly and the food very ono. Place is small and homey and there is only one bathroom for both men and women. They also will let you order 1/2 order - which is what I got and it was still very filling - but so good that I finished it all! Overheard someone say their Kalbi beef was excellent - better than where they are from (San Francisco)... next time I will try that!
(4)Laura Z.
Definitely a hole in the wall type place. After spending a week eating resort food this place was refreshing. Delicious local food!! Will definitely go back whenever we are on the island. Go there hungry because your plate will be loaded! This place is worth the drive to Waimea.
(4)Cheryl S.
We loved this place. Amazing coffee. Big big breakfasts. I had the pork hash, poached eggs and potatoes. D. had the Portuguese sausage and eggs, with pancakes. The pancakes were a meal themselves and very very good. We would definitely return!
(4)J O.
We've been here twice now in just a week and are seriously thinking about going back again tomorrow. It's a little local spot and, like I told our waitress today, it doesn't matter whether our meal is described as Ono, Broke da Mouth, or Fu*#'n Tasty, it was simply downright delicious. I fear my wife might need to find a 12 step program when we return to the mainland to help wean her off the Loco Moco. I've been sampling my way through the menu and today had their ridiculously tasty rib rice plate. So sorry I don't remember what the thin boneless ribs are actually called. Servings are large. We've yet to be able to have dinner after eating lunch there, but there's always tomorrow... :-)
(5)Sam M.
YUMMY!! Ate here with the family with 3 teenagers. All I can say is come hungry! My daughter had the coconut pancakes and could only eat a fourth of it. my teenage sons had omelette s, hash browns, bacon and pancakes. They ate everything but the pancakes! My husband and i had eggs ,hash and pancakes and it was delicious I really wanted the fried rice but the waitress said they only have it until they run out and we were there at noon. Had left over pancakes for breakfast for the next two day! Would like to try the loco moco next time!
(5)Debbie A.
Great place for breakfast. They usually have a long wait but if you just need seating for 1, you'll get seated asap :-) Be careful... those pancakes are ENORMOUS! Shocked the balls out of me when the server placed it down in front of me. I of course was only able to eat 1/8 of it. Service is friendly, warm, and welcoming. Oh, and they have a clean bathroom :-).
(4)Lindsay C.
This. Is. The Best Food We Had in Hawaii. Go. Now. As many times as you can. Whatever direction you are driving from -- or however many pounds you gain eating it (again and again) its worth it. Hash is incredible. Mac salad would win awards. Get the chicken cutlet Korean style. Take a break from organic, healthy eating and bite into some Amazing. Only open until 1:30pm -- so make sure you get there before then. We say: Ambiance: 5 - Down home and relaxed. Value: 5 - Fantastic. Huge portions that taste great as cold leftovers. Service: 5 - Really, really friendly. Food: 5 - Amazing!
(5)Issac M.
Best breakfast on the big island. Anyone who says otherwise? Has probably eaten at more places than me HA! Seriously though, their hash is OFF THE HOOK. Best thing I had to eat the entire time I was there. It's a shame we waited to try this place until the last day. There pancakes are ridiculously HUGE. To me, pancakes are pancakes. They are pretty hard to f*ck up so I'm not going to give you a "vacation fever" review and say "everything was the best!" They were good. That's it. The price was reasonable too.
(5)Leeds B.
A must for local breakfast and good (big) portions for what ever your in the mood for: pancakes, muffins, eggs, loco moco...so much good food. And there are daily specials too. If you're staying on the Northern part of the Big Island, than it's a lot easier to reach the little town of Kamuela.
(5)Kyle G.
Awesome. Way too much food for any one person to eat. Huge portions. Wait staff is friendly and I suggest you listen to their recommendations. Every time I co e to the big aina, I eat here for breakfast.
(5)H D.
You get a lot of food. Too much. If you don't have a place to put leftovers, just pay the fee of $3.95 to share a plate. The price is good for the amount you get, but this place is overrated to me. The portions made me go OMG! when it came to the table, the taste though was like, "Auwe! Hmmm??? What are these fellow Yelpers raving about?" My Haupia pancakes were a little undercooked and pretty boring, the bacon was so overcooked, cold, hard and dry, so were the fries. My daughter did not eat her grilled cheese at all, the fries were so hard, she was using them to spear the sandwich. The Korean chicken was salty and the Kalbi chewy. Coffee kind of weak, but I drank a lot of it to try to wash some of the sweetness away. Free coffee refills, and our server kept it filled which was nice. Their fruit punch tasted like Tylenol, so even with 1 free refill, it was a no thank you. They should update the seat benches in the back because they are frightening to look at when you first sit down. Large gouges, grungy, and cigarette looking burn holes on the benches, makes you want to turn around and leave. At least once you sit down you can't see it anymore I guess. My family enjoyed the experience though. It was fun to try out. Cash only, so I had to dip into the good ol' brassiere.
(3)Catherine W.
If you're looking for a local Hawaiian spot, look no further. This diner is packed with what looks like regular customers. Their menu was full of standard breakfast items with a Hawaiian twist. Also, people weren't kidding about huge portions here. I had to take most of my meal to go! I had the Lualua stew and it was savory and flavorful. Must try spot for breakfast/brunch when you are in the area!
(4)Max S.
I was on vacation staying at a resort in Waikoloa and was looking for a good local restaurant for breakfast and this place blew it away. It is about 25 minutes away and REALLY worth the trip. Decor is typical hole in the wall. Not the cleanest place, and they really pack it in (we were there on a Wednesday at about 11 AM. Definitely a local favorite. Portions are incredibly big. The two pancakes that came as a side order with an omelet are literally about two to three times what you would get at IHOP and they were really good. I had the Ham and Portuguese Omelet which was a three to four egg omelet loaded with ham, Portuguese sausage (think chourico) onions, peppers, mushrooms, and provolone cheese, with hash browns and covered in Brown Gravy. Gravy on eggs was a first for me but it was really good. Wife also got an omellette and was similarly good. Both of us with tax and tip was $23. Definitely going back next time on the big Island. Definitely a mistake to pass this by if you are hungry when you are traveling through Waimea Village. Very close to the original Merriman's.
(5)Dan G.
Pancakes was the best, go hungry, portions are BIG!
(5)Bill F.
Amazing - we stopped at this place on the way to see one of the Volcanos. The pancakes were as large as a 3-year-old and it just might have been one of the best bacon experiences I've ever had. There was a bit of a wait but it was well worth it. Staff was incredibly friendly and the food came out in what seemed like 14 seconds from the time we ordered it.
(5)Abie F.
This place is amazing. Good food, generous portions and friendly staff.
(5)E M.
We stayed at the Waikoloa resorts so the drive here was about 20-30 min, but WELL worth it! Like everyone has mentioned, the portions are HUGE! Pancakes are literally 10" diameter! We only ordered a side of that which is 1 10" pancake instead of 2. The kalua hash was AWESOME! I'd come back for that again. There isn't a lot of parking around the area and the joint isn't super big, so come early to avoid the line and find a parking spot. Note: Cash only.
(5)Taylor C.
They give you too much food. ...but i'm not complaining ;)
(4)Shyree M.
We went here for breakfast & the reviews were spot on. Huge portions. The homegrown feel & low key vibe make it a great spot away from the resorts. Excellent pricing. Pros: Fairly quick Inexpensive Locals & great vibe Friendly Diner feel This isn't your fancy "resort" dining, this is a local establishment There aren't many breakfast "spots" on the big island... this is one of the better ones. Cons: There aren't many. I'm stretching here, perhaps, the huge portions -- which can also be seen as a positive. I am not sure I would drive much more than half an hour to go here unless I'd exhausted all of my other options. As mentioned above, there aren't many breakfast places, so this is a good option. They are also opened a new location in Hilo.
(3)Tyler H.
Best breakfast I have ever had! The servings are giant. Pancakes were huge and the best I've ever had. I suggest sharing the omelet meal with the pancakes and it will serve 2 people easily. If you are on the big island definitely go there. Worth the wait.
(5)Chris K.
The pancakes are stupid big. My fiance got the special coconut pudding pancakes and eating 1/4 of 1 was a big deal. She had 2. It was literally enough pancakes for 6-7 meals. I asked the waitress if anyone had ever finished and she said "No. Not even close." But it is ok because all the leftovers go to the neighboring hog farm for feed. Forgot to mention in my excitement about their size that the pancakes taste freggin fantastic. The french toast was good too and was a normal portion size.
(5)M. Jackson W.
We drove out of the way based on the Yelp reviews, and this place didn't disappoint. We showed up about five minutes before they closed, and basically got their last two seats. The waitress was instantly an awesome person, warm, inviting, and friendly, seemingly captain of the ship, and never annoying. I had the Big Moco Loco, and my wife had ribs. We both pretty much cleaned our plates -- easy for me, but my wife is pretty little, so, given the generous portions, it was impressive. Though they're good for lunch, they close pretty early. The prices are perfectly reasonable. They don't accept credit cards (boo!), but do have an ATM onsite, so no worries. Next time we're on the Big Island, no matter where we're staying, we'll make the trip to visit this place again.
(5)Jimmy H.
I really, REALLY wanted to give this place five stars but alas, I could only muster four stars. After reading the Yelp reviews, I was very excited about Hawaiian Style Cafe. It's exactly the kind of local, hole-in-the-wall joint that I love eating at when visiting Hawaii. We got there around 11AM and the place was already packed, but we got lucky and were seated in a matter of minutes. There was so much good stuff on the menu that I wanted to order one of everything. Then the girlfriend reminded me that the buddha belly was making a comeback so I stuck with a single order: the combo plate of short ribs and fried chicken. The great thing about Hawaii is that restaurants generally go with dark meat pieces instead of the tasteless crap that is chicken breast and HSC was no different. The fried piece of thigh was perfectly fried and tasty. The short rib on the other hand was a bit disappointing. It was salty but not much in the way of other flavors. The girlfriend ordered the kalua hash with fried rice. It seems like a thing on the big island that restaurants must run out of a food item, and it's usually a staple item like fried rice. To the gf's great disappointment they ran out of the fried rice so she had to substitute with the pancakes which were large, fluffy and delicious. Despite the bombness of the pancakes, it was hugely disappointing not to have the fried rice. It occurred to us later that it was weird to run out of fried rice since they could have easily made another batch. The hash was awesome. The service was ok. Perhaps we stood out as tourists so it wasn't as friendly as one would have hoped. We were initially going to go back the next day but decided it wasn't worth the 30 minute drive.
(4)Scott S.
This place is only open for breakfast and lunch!!! Awesome quaint diner that prides itself on huge portions and a great wait staff. I had a huge loco mock with spam, hamburger, chicken katsu, and egg. It wad amazing and tasted great. Most of the food is in the $5 to $10 range, which is great for Hawaii standards. The place cam get cramped and they do have a signin sheet by the door. They only accept cash, no cards.
(5)Jo W.
This is the best meal for the price I've had all of hawaii. Everything I got was good Portuguese omelet was the best I've had lately.
(5)Josephine L.
This restaurant is like almost any diner off the highway in America, except it's way less sketchy and the food is way more interesting. Plus, the service is a lot friendlier. I could have done without the group of Mormon missionaries eyeing us out front, but you can't win 'em all. I got the beef stew special and it was just delicious. Rich and savory, tender and chewy--It totally hit the spot for my slightly unsettled stomach. My boyfriend's fried chicken was crisp and juicy and I'm pretty sure he would have licked the plate if he could. Good spot to stop by when you need a breather.
(4)Jared Y.
If you are staying on the big island this is a definite place to stop. It's a must. The food here is amazing. Try the Kalua hash, house loco moco, the pancakes and the Hawaiian sweetbread French toast. All are must haves. The prices are too cheap. Be sure to bring cash. Our visit to the big island was a week long and let's just say we stopped here for breakfast three times.
(5)Ethan C.
Huge portions of great food. What more can you want? The menu even says that they donate the leftovers to a local hog farm, so there's no waste. Love the home made corned beef hash--where else can you find that?
(5)Darron N.
Best local food at the best price on the island! Do not miss this, turn around and waite if needed!.
(5)Tony S.
Excellent breakfast, excellent service, great portion sizes. I felt at home in this restaurant where I had brunch before driving up to Mauna Kea. It was a great way to start the day and it kept us full for hours.
(5)Scot S.
My friend and I stopped at the Hawaiian Style Cafe for no other reason that we were driving by and spotted a parking space open in front. Serendipity and blessing. I half kidded the cook about getting some Hawaiian food for breakfast at 7 AM and voilà I had a pile of lau lau, poi, lomi lomi, etc. in front of me. My friend's pancakes were fluffy and delicious. It was a cheap meal because we didn't have to eat until dinner time (a rare occurrence for me). Stretch pants not required, but recommended.
(5)K B.
Meh... It's certainly about quantity of food here, not quality. Certainly not worth waiting 30 minutes for a table. Cash only! Won't be back.
(2)Phil H.
Food was delicious! The variety of options was impressive. They call themselves Hawaiian Comfort Food - and it is certainly that. Portions are ginormous - especially in light of the very reasonable prices. Bear in mind this is a smallish cafe - and quite busy (it was full of locals) so coffee refills, attentiveness, Etc was a bit lacking. All in all, a fantastic meal, priced well. 4 stars for cash only and slammed, slower service.
(4)Taty S.
Great breakfast place, if you are driving through Waimea on the way to Hilo, highly recommend to stop by for some yummy food. Warning: portions are huge! My husband and I ordered straight off the specials board, banana macadamia nut pancakes ( literally each size of a head) and pulled pork egg omelet - great simple food, I have a feeling you can't go wrong with anything you order here!
(5)danny k.
This pancake is amazingly well made for its size. It has the same flavor as a Richard Walker (San Diego, CA) pancake just 10x larger and fluffier. Just might have to make a second trip here during our vacation. Def worth the drive from Kona.
(5)Alexia J.
Awesome breakfast for the price!! We went multiple times during our stay on the island.
(5)Wayne S.
Get in early, get your name on the wait list and wait.....and wait and wait. When you finally get called in, the pressure of ordering. See by then you want one of each on the menu because you are so hungry after the wait. I got the pulehu ribs and korean chicken. The ribs were not ribs!! sheesh they were just thinly sliced kalbi short ribs. I guess they were technically ribs, but i was expecting RIBS RIBS. The korean chicken was an under cooked thigh and a wing piece. When I told the waitress about it she just kinda shrugged her shoulders and said its ok. The Pancakes are huge though and I loved that.!
(3)Paul B.
Come to this place if you want great local food at great prices for Hawaii. Small place with lunch counter and a few booths. One of the signs say quality, service, or speed, pick one. You usually get quality and service, but just enjoy the place and don't worry about the speed. They are busy and do the best they can. Do show up early for breakfast, by 9 or before, if you don't want to wait. The food portions are huge. The three eggs omelets are great, two mac nut banana pancakes would feed four. The Loco Moco is great too. During a week stay on the Big Island we are here at least once for breakfast and another time for lunch. A place not to miss.
(5)Lisa C.
Haupia pancakes are the best ! Get it with lite breakfast! The service is friendly . I wish I lived nearby and my family and I would come all the time ! My son stuffed himself because the food was so good
(5)Joseph H.
Best Stuff on the Island!
(5)Justin K.
Good tasty food Huge portions Always enjoy getting plate lunch fix here
(4)Jenzy Y.
We love this place for breakfast. We always try to arrive early so that we can spend the rest of the day walking it off! It's always fun to watch the expressions on first-timers as they look at all the dishes that make it through the pass. The pancakes are ridiculous in size; the loco moco might as well be a volcano art it is built up and covered in the gravy sauce and shared between a family ofo 6. Every dish we've had has been awesome. I always get the honey fried chicken. It is cooked to perfection; always comes out with crispy skin, yet the chicken retains juices. i love the flavor of the chicken; a mix of sweet and salty. it is awesome. A definite must if you are in this area.
(4)V J.
Portions are VERY generous. Arrive with a serious appetite! For breakfast, highly recommend the pancakes as the main meal or a side -- excellent. Vienna sausage in an omelete not so much (my fault - bad selection). Went back again (lunch this time) before heading back to the mainland and had an absolutely delicious sweet pork plate with the best french fries ever!!!! Nice drive from Waikoloa and some shopping around to walk off the breakfast. Will definitely go back on our return visit to the Big Island. 5/20/12
(4)Anonymous A.
If you are visiting the Big Island, there are 2 places you need to make sure to visit to get your chow on: Tex's Drive-In (for malasadas) and Hawaiian Style Cafe (for anything else). This is hands down the best food on the Big Island. Prices are incredibly reasonable, portions are large, and service is friendly. Note that it is a popular local eatery, so you might have to wait. But, the food is well worth any delay you may incur! We made sure to visit twice, even though it was quite a bit out of the way from where we were staying. I had the kahlua pork omelet special. Oh. Em. Gee. Amazing. Incredible. Juicy, tender, smoky. And, most of their breakfast items come with hash browns or rice and either pancakes or french toast. I am a fan of a good hash brown, and this place nails it. It's crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and not overly greasy. The pancakes are the size of frisbees...literally. They're huge. And, given their enormous size, it's quite a feat that they are so light, fluffy, and delicious. The other time we ate at Hawaiian Style Cafe I ordered a lunch combo special which came with Hawaiian short ribs, kahlua pork (can you tell I love the stuff?), rice, and mac salad. I ordered a green salad instead of rice, but I should have just had the rice, because it would have complemented the meat well. Don't make any attempts to be healthy. Just go with it. Or, go to Waipio and force yourself to run all the way back up the long and incredibly steep hill and you'll feel like you earned the right to eat whatever the heck you want from Hawaiian Style Cafe.
(5)Carina T.
Big-- or should I say HUGE -- portions? This is cowboy country and hearty breakfasts are the norm 'round here. The portions can easily be shared between two people. I tried their kalua pork hash specialty with two eggs over easy and two scoops of fried rice. It was tasty without being too salty. And I had enough leftovers for lunch! Guess I wasn't in a sharing mood! Lol! The prices are reasonable. Go early or expect a line! Giddy up!
(4)Todd S.
We were staying at the Fairmont Orchid, and I figured the valets would know where to go for some good breakfast grub. THEY DID! What I was looking for: A place that locals would know about, where I could get an honest breakfast. No frills, almost a dive, but a place where I PROBABLY wouldn't get food poisoning. What this place is: Real. Local, basic, home-style, friendly (in a "I only pick on you because I love you" kind of way), with comfort food served in big portions, and low prices. A breakfast joint. An old-school diner. Maybe even a coffee shop... done Hawaiian Style. What this place is not: Pretentious. No master/exec chef plumbing the depths of his (or her) tortured culinary soul to bring creative, esoteric, master pieces in small portions to the chosen few who will appreciate the emotional effort involved to produce something that is as pleasing to the foodie's mind, as it is to his eye and palate. It is honestly one of those places that is so good you almost don't want to review it because you're afraid of letting the secret out. **If the screen door (complete with at least one rusty hinge) gives you pause, Merriman's is just down the street. Please go there to enjoy all kinds of tasty, creative culinary treats and leave Hawaiian Style Cafe to the locals and me.
(5)Sairam C.
This review is for vegetarians. We went with great expectations based on previous reviews, but were disappointed with taste and overly humongous portion sizes. We ordered two entrees, which was enough to feed a family of four adults. The food was very greasy and tasteless. Would not recommend this place for vegetarians. Only good thing about this place was the service.
(2)Eileen G.
This was definitely worth the detour for the most delicious breakfast ever! I had the Kalua Pork Hash and my husband had the Loco Moco with with spam. We were more than satisfied. Sooo good...mmmm...
(5)Somefood G.
Don't miss it. Really great food. Really nice people.
(5)JK C.
True Hawaiian food experience. Everything was good.
(5)Ian A.
Great place for Sunday breakfast, don't miss the eggs benedict!
(5)Cathy G.
One of the best places to get cheap, good, authentic Hawaiian grub. Grabbed breakfast at this place before going to hike the volcanos. Portions are huge. Ate my breakfast at 8:30am which lasted me till dinner while giving me energy for a 4 mile hike. I got the kalua hash which came with two eggs and spam fried rice. Fried rice was amazing and the hash had awesome smoky flavor. Dave got the loco moco, patties were really beefy, unlike the patties at McDonald which taste like nothing. All the folks there were regulars and the servers were addressing them by name. For sure hit up this place if you have the chance.
(5)Flora C.
I went twice to this cafe during a trip to the Big Island. Here you'll find the nicest staff and delicious local food. Had the Corn Beef Hash breakfast one day; and Kalbi Ribs Plate another day. BF had Loco Moco at 1st visit, and then Biscuits and Gravy with Pancakes on the 2nd visit. Everything was awesome! The Kalbi Ribs was the best meal I had of all the places we ate. I know I'm eating delicious food when my eyes roll to the back of my head when I chew. And HUGE portions which made me have to take leftovers home. Second breakfast for me! I tend to rate my traveling on the types of foods I eat. That said, Hawaiian Style Cafe definitely was on of the top hghlights of the trip. The best way to experience a new place is to go to the local humble eateries and feel genuinely welcomed by the people. I strongly suggest everyone to go here and eat delicious food.
(5)Katie B.
Ok, this place was awesome. Yea, a heart attack waiting to happen, but they had DID have one healthy egg white and spinach type dish for the mainlanders... but yea, don't order that, SO not what one comes here for. The Kalbi was SO good. Super sweet glaze, but I like it that way. With two scoops rice and one scoop mac salad, it is making me nostalgic for the islands just writing this. No bones, which is a huge plus. Down home (island-style) goodness.
(5)John G.
My only regret is that we only made it here for breakfast. I was dieing to try the lunch meals we saw heading out of the kitchen while eating our delicious and bountiful breakfast. When traveling I love to go to real places full of real people. The restaurant was packed with people who appeared to live in the area and our neighbors eating next to us at the big u shaped table were friendly and gave us a good sightseeing tip.
(5)Tiffany Y.
Probably the worst service I have ever encountered. Waited over 45 minutes and was told food just went on grill. Pancakes were good, fried chicken came out cold. We were so hungry we didn't bother sending it back. Then the pork chops came and we soon found out it was raw!!! In all, this was a horrifying experience to say the least. As a experienced traveler, I have never ever been so disappointed and frustrated with a place that has a good yelp review.
(1)Adonia K.
I'm warning you, come with a huge appetite, cause you'll need it if you want to finish your meal! Also be prepared to wait, because it's busy. I ordered the Loco Moco with pulled pork. The portion was a bit overwhelming, but I was really hungry, so it was a nice sight to see. The first few bites were good, but the sauce/gravy really overpowered everything. The Mr. ordered a run of the mill breakfast platter with a pancake on the side. The pancake was the literally the size of a dinner plate - you could barely see the plate it was served on!! It was very light, fluffy, and tasty. While I was not a fan of my loco moco dish, it's clear why the locals love it here. It's a no frills place with huge portions, good food, and is kind to your wallet. Come hungry!
(4)Jen R.
Cash Only, BTW We really enjoyed eating here. My husband and I got different omelets and we both enjoyed ours. I liked that their tables had Tabasco sauce ready to go. We went for breakfast around 10am and we waited maybe 20 minutes or so but we went there because of glowing reviews and we didn't want to miss out. Their food was amazing. If you want to order a pancake as your side, just be aware, those things are HUGE. They are as big as a pizza crust! But they are good. They would definitely hold pancake eating contests there!
(5)Jen S.
I'm just going to be nice and say *maybe* we came on an off day, but the food wasn't even mediocre - it literally turned our stomachs. The French toast was palatable, but every thing else was just weird. The bacon was a huge pile of curly meat that tasted like it had been fried in rancid grease. My kid got chicken nuggets and they were the same frozen brand I've seen at Costco (shaped like Mickey Mouse ... Easy to ID!) and they too appeared to have been fried in the same nasty grease and were a gross dark brown crisp when she got them. My husband got the chicken fried steak and he also reported the gravy as "rancid." The chicken was ok until the waitress said,"is the chicken cooked all the way through?" Reply - "yes" - response - "Are you sure?!" What the what?! And to top it off, we had to wait forever for more coffee and water - and we were sitting right at the front counter in the middle. I had high hopes for this place as it had an ok divey-diner vibe, but to quote my husband as we walked away from the place, "I think I have diarrhea coming out of my ears."
(1)Dean H.
What the WHAT? Fried rice topped with kalua pig topped with GOOD kine gravy topped with 2 eggs! Kalua loco moco! DANG it was sooo good too! And all for 10 bucks? Are you kidding me? It was HUGE and good. I wish I lived in Waimea on the Big Island cause this place is THAT good. I also tries the kal bi, the regular loco moco, and the haupia pancakes (YES, I said haupia pancakes). SO ono. Seriously, the haupia topping looked like sugar overload but it wasn't at all. It was DELICIOUS! I was SO impressed. They had SOO many different kinds of stuff to choose from that you better come prepared to come the next day and the next to get to eat all your favorites. So sad that they only open from 730am to 130pm. But it is WELL worth going to check um out. For real, do it. It is so good that I dare to say to drive from Kona or Hilo just to try it. I am not kidding, it is that good. 79/365 deliciousgravygoodness yelp challenge!
(4)Aileen P.
We indulged in our gluttony by splitting a loco moco, corned beef hash, and a side of 1 mac nut pancake between the two of us. The pancake was no joke! One was probably equivalent to two or three normal sized pancakes. The pancake was so thick that there were patches of uncooked batter towards the middle. Surprisingly, the rest of the pancake was so good that we really didn't mind. The loco moco and corned beef hash were also really good. If we had time to return, we probably would've ordered the loco moco and corned beef hash again without the pancake.
(4)Peg H.
Oh dear gussy... HUGE portions... loved the pork hash and fried rice. And oh my my the hash browns. Husband and I shared a plate and couldn't eat it all (and he's a big eater). Witnessed the pancakes... they really are the size of a basket ball... did they have plates made especially to hold those puppies??
(5)Ferdmeister V.
Try the Big Mok at this place..! Oh yeah..! You can't go wrong at this place just try to get in there early for breakfast because the wait can get a little long. As you can imagine this place is so good that all the locals eat here plus the tourist that visit the island.
(5)Stefan Z.
All I can say (as most of my memory has been pushed up out my head by my full stomach) is the food was plentiful and very reasonably priced. My loco moco (the Big Mok I believe) had lots of meat, lots of good rice, and lots of tasty gravy. I also got a pancake on the side, which was a good 12 inches in diameter. It was tasty, but not exeptional, but I was more focused on trying to finish everything!
(4)Keola m.
MY ALL TIME FAVORITE PLACE TO EAT LOCAL FOOD!!!! I've been here maybe 4 of 5 time prior to today and yesterday. Yes, went twice as I spent the night in Kamuela. Get very crowded so gotta go early. Service is Great and friendly. THE PRICES ARE GREAT! Breakfast and Lunch is served all day. The menu is filled with great items but, you gotta check out the specials board. Saturday I had the "Smoked Pork Omlette" with onions, mushrooms and cheese. Comes with rice and 2 HUGE pancakes. ONO! Friends and I shared the "Luau Stew"(KILLAZ) oh, and the chili pepper water. Sunday: Mixed plate, Hamburger Steak and Pulehu Ribs...AGAIN..KILLAZ. The homemade patty and gravy was great. The ribs was simple..Hawaiian Salt and grilled. Mmmm friends and I shared "Beef Stew" (Yea, fkn good) The portions are huge here. Bring a big empty stomach. lol
(5)Sheena D.
The place has amazing food and great prices for island breakfast. Two reasons put this place at 4 stars rather than 5: location and no alcohol. For a tourist invested area, its nice to start the day with a Bloody Mary or Mimosa. The menu and food was excellent! Where else can a person get hubcap sized pancakes and meats (including Spam!) covered in white gravy. The prices are great and the portion sizes are huge! I came here because it was recommended by a coworker in KY and I was not disappointed at all. We were so impressed by this place, we want to buy one of the shirts they were selling - unfortunately they were all out. NOTE: This is a cash only establishment, but an ATM is conveniently located inside.
(4)Steven L.
We were told to come here by all the locals; this place is legit. Perfect place if you want good, authentic Hawaiian food. All of the loco mocos are amazing! Get there early because they close when they run out of food.
(5)Michele M.
Great Food!
(5)G K.
Came in for a late breakfast/early lunch.Tons of tasty food at very reasonable prices with great service. Pancakes are huge and perfectly prepared. Kalua pig hash is great, good blood sausage and eggs. Everyone was very nice and friendly to us even though we are pretty obviously not locals. This place is awesome.
(5)Emily C.
YUM! I had the haupia pancakes and my husband had the kalua hash. The portions are huge and the food is delicious. The service is quick. We come here every time we visit the Big Island.
(5)Stef M.
OK, I'm normally one for pretty healthy eating so it's saying something that I ate here, home of giant portions, loco moco, and dinner plate-sized pancakes! But here's the thing: the only reason I got up here to eat at the Hawaiian Style Cafe is because we were evacuated for a tsunami warning. That's right, A TSUNAMI MADE ME EAT HERE! (No complaints, though :-) So we headed up mauka to Waimea and figured since we were hauled out of bed at 5AM to evacuate to higher ground, we might as well have a good breakfast. I remembered reading that Hawaiian Style Cafe opens early, so we stopped by. The wait was longer than usual because I guess everyone else had the same idea! We waited about 20 minutes before our name was called, and sat down for some eats. Right about this time, everyone outside was told that the wait would be 30+ minutes, so they all left! Of course as soon as they all went, the people who had stayed and patiently waited got seated promptly, heh heh :) I ordered eggs, hash browns, and bacon with a side of pancakes, and some coffee. I still haven't worked up the nerve to try loco moco (fried rice, hamburger, eggs, gravy, which ALSO comes with a side of gravy!!!) but the guy next to me was having it, and it looked pretty good. The hash browns are nice and crispy on the outside. The bacon was weird, but good - it came in a ball o' bacon. A bacon cluster. It was crispy and thin, which was good even though I prefer thick cut bacon. The eggs were cooked right, and the pancakes were SO HUGE!!! No 100% maple syrup here, either - Aunt Jemima all the way. The old couple sitting next to us looked at us, wide-eyed, when all our food showed up (they had shared a small omelet) and asked if we'd eaten there before. "Nope!" said I, "But I've heard about it!" I managed to eat 1/4 of my 2 dinner plate-sized pancakes, which were fluffy and topped with a dollop of butter. Great for soaking up some egg yolk. I wish they had some kona coffee there, but I guess that's a little upscale for a diner-type joint. But that's OK! They aren't fancy or pretentious here - come as you are, local people, tourists, everybody eating good food and relaxing for a meal. The waitress did a great job keeping up with the rush from all the tsunami evacuees from the hotels on the Kohala Coast. I will definitely come back again some day when I need giant pancakes, and calories. :) No reservations. No credit cards, only cash. Show up, write your name down and wait to be called. There are some stores nearby, and a park to explore if you're waiting. You could grab a coffee at Waimea Coffee across the street too if the wait is long, and bring it back over with you.
(4)Chris A.
I am a fan! I have been to the Big Island year after year and never gave this spot a try. Finally after the braddas gave me the 2 thumbs up, I decided to take my friends visiting by for a bite before we headed down to Hapuna. The food was fresh and tasty, and the portions were HUGE! We ordered all the specials since my friends were first timers to the rock. I was delightfully suprised with everything! Wow! The super-size pancakes were probably one of the best I ever tasted. The Kalua/ Lau Lau combo with lomi lomi was on point. I ordered the Korean chicken (which was a bit sweet for me) & the teri-burger combo... I wouldn't order it again, but I am a super picky eater.... especially when it comes to Hawaii. I guess I'm just in love with Ken's (kenny's) korean chicken, what can I say.... But I definitely reccomend this place if your passing thru Waimea along with Uncle Charlie's Thai for great ONO eats!
(4)Anne K.
Very much a local diner sort of place, so much so that it made me wistful for the kind of small-town living where pictures of the local kids from babyhood up to graduation are pinned on a big corkboard and folks all know each other. I never had that myself. But they made me feel just as welcome. Like all of the island, service is cheerful if not expert and not the fastest thing you've ever had, but that's the islands and you should be on vacation anyway. I've forgotten what all we ordered but it was good; I think I assembled a breakfast plate of some sort, and my companions ate similarly. I know I had Spam and maybe eggs? I had to get my Spam fix. Pancakes were dessert. Be aware there aren't fancy syrups; it's fresh fruit and toppings plus butter and ordinary table syrup to taste. But the very fresh Hawaiian fruit doesn't need a stupid syrup. They are not kidding when they tell you the pancakes are the size of hubcaps. Big ones. Fortunately they send their waste to a local hog farm, so some lucky pigs got our leftovers (and I hope the cafe gets a bacon discount). Very kid friendly; there was a shelf of kids' storybooks and picture books above a stack of booster seats. Accessibility: no wheelchair-marked parking, might've been a problem with a curb cut. Bathroom was fairly manageable. For the area, not too bad. I'd absolutely recommend stopping here if you're going north for anything.
(4)Barry B.
A must visit on the Big Island. Come hungry!!! Because you are going to leave stuffed!! We always come here 4-5 times during our 2 week stay. I have mixed feelings about posting this review as it already gets crowded there and I don't want it to get worse:)
(5)HELEN K.
OMG I love the food here. It is artery clogging, delicious, local food! We were staying on the Kohala Coast and craving some local plate lunch/breakfast so we asked our Paddle Boarding instructor where he goes for local food. He said you gotta go to Hawaiian Style Cafe. We were like, just tell us where and we are on our way! The cafe is up in Waimea and is open for breakfast and lunch and closes early around 1:30 or 2PM. We told the valet at our resort we were heading up to Hawaiian Style and he told us we better order the Kahlua Hash. So we ordered that, the Loco Moco and the homemade Portuguese Sausage. Everything was sooo delicious. Seriously, they know what they are doing. Your arteries will be mad at your but your taste-buds wont. We went back another 2 times during our trip. We also tried the Haupia (Coconut) pancakes - they were HUGE and delicious and cakey and eaten with a piece of spam- heavenly. Hubby tried the Kalbi and Korean Style Chicken, both really good. Their fried rice is yummy and has sausage and spam, really well seasoned and no crunchy old rice. If we are ever on the Big Island again, we are definitely coming back. YUMMY!!
(5)Lance T.
This was exactly the kind of place I wanted to go to for amazing local food at reasonable prices. Hard to find good local food near the resort area but thus place was amazing. Had a sampling of everything including luau stew, chicken long rice, mac salad, laulau. Tried my dads kalbi and everything was delish! Just like having dinner at Aunty's. A must try if you like local food. Cant wait to go back to try breakfast there.
(5)Jessica G.
Hello, food death. Remember this: you're not coming for ambiance and you probably don't want to eat off the floor. But that is fine. This is not a fancy place at all. You'll come in for the giant, delicious portions for a very reasonable price. Imagine, if you will, pancakes that are easily 12" in diameter. And you get two of them for about $10. This is at least two meals for me - and note that there is a sharing charge, if you and a friend wanted to split the giant pancakes. The Big Mok was a big favorite at our table, as well. Service was fair, though I always just want a pot of coffee on my table and it did take a bit to get refills, but I was too busy stuffing my face to care all that much. You will also probably have to wait for a table but I think we waited maybe 10 minutes, which I don't think is that long, at all. Very very very good stuff. Come hungry and you will leave very happy!
(5)