When I’m on vacation I love indulging during breakfast, especially when the menu has items I can’t get anywhere else. On Oahu, that means pancakes dressed up with local flavors like macadamia nut and guava. Here are two of my favorite spots to get a unique Hawaiian breakfast you’re sure to remember (and keep coming back for!)
Boots & Kimo’s Homestyle Kitchen — Kailua, HI
Boots & Kimos is a fantastic breakfast spot and the home of the original macadamia nut pancake sauce.
I typically don’t go for sweet breakfast foods, but as a mac nut fan, I had to try their house specialty…pancakes cloaked in their creamy macadamia nut sauce. I quickly found out why a crowd of people would be willing to wait in long lines just to be seated at this eastern Oahu restaurant. Seven years later, I find myself doing the same on weekend mornings before hitting the beach in nearby Kailua & Lanikai.
The banana pancakes with mac nut sauce are the most popular. I also recommend their eggs and fried rice if you’re interested in a more traditional homestyle breakfast. I’ll usually share the pancakes with the person I’m dining with because they are a bit too sweet for one person to finish on their own. The pancakes are a bit pricey at $16-17 for an order of 3 pancakes with the famous sauce, but they’re worth a splurge!
They just moved to a brand new location, this year!
1020 Keolu Dr. Kailua, HI 96734 D1
in the Enchanted Lake Shopping Center.
Insta: @bootsnkimos
Cinnamon’s — Kailua, HI & Waikiki, HI
Cinnamon’s is another Kailua eatery serving up decadent pancakes with a fruitier flair. This mom & pop restaurant was once “Kailua’s best kept secret” but has now grown to be known worldwide. The guava chiffon pancakes are a must-try. They taste incredible and the sauce is a gorgeous bright pink!
I brought my little sister here on her first trip to Oahu back in 2018 and she still to this day talks about these pancakes. We also got a full order of the mahi mahi eggs benedict which was fantastic as well!
Cinnamon’s has two locations on the island, the original Oahu location in Kailua and the newer location in Waikiki at the Ilikai Hotel. The Waikiki location is temporarily closed until further notice with expectations to reopen sometime in Spring 2021.
Reservations are only accepted for parties of 8 or more.
Cinnamon’s Restaurant at Kailua
315 Uluniu St, Kailua, HI 96734
Located in Kailua Square, in the Northeast corner of the city’s municipal parking lot.
There is limited metered parking here!
1777 Ala Moana Blvd #150, Honolulu, HI 96815
Located at the the Ilikai Hotel in Waikiki overlooking the harbor.
Valet parking is available at the hotel for $1/hour up to 3 hours with validation stamp. There are also metered spaces behind/makai [ocean-side] of the ‘Ilikai hotel, along the harbor for $1/hour.
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