Hawaiian Style Cafe Hilo

Oh my god the amount of food you get from this place is INSANE! You truly get what you pay for here and it does not disappoint. Everything tastes really good and you better bring two stomachs with you otherwise you’re taking leftovers. The staff is extra friendly. Make sure if you put your name down, one of your family members stay nearby as they’ll call out your name and if you’re not there they will erase your name from the list. Nice seating outside and inside.

Loved this local style cafe. Portion sizes here are gargantuan. Think hulk size pancakes. Hey be happy or hungry. We were a bit nervous about ordering breakfast items seeing how big the portions were so we opted to try some lunch items. The grilled cheese and our garlic shrimp poke bowl were great. Highly recommend the grilled cheese it was toasted with a brioche Japanese like bun just wonderful. Service was friendly and welcoming.

Extremely generous portion sizes that still deliver the taste you want! Our waitress was extremely friendly and happy to answer any of our questions. You can tell the place offers amazing grindz and vibes when there was already a line forming outside before they opened.

I would rate this a 6/5 if I could. This food was delicious! Everything we ordered was so good, everybody kept saying “wow” throughout the whole dinner.

Visiting the island and stopped here twice! Once for breakfast and once for dinner. Both meals were phenomenal. We had the pancakes, loco moco, poke bowl, pork etc! They also have a great Bloody Mary

tripe not prepared properly - still stinky. Korean pork not spicy at all. it's just marinated in soy sauce and charred so not sure how that's "Korean" at all. lechon crispy pork belly is just (well prepared) sliced crispy pork drenched in vinegar .... everything we had was bland and straight up bad. AVOID

Was underwhelming. I guess I expected more for a 4.5 star restaurant. Decent but blah if that makes sense. Waitress asked for orders to be repeated multiple times to confirm then food came out wrong and she argued it was correct... never refilled drinks without us having to chase someone down. Not the worst just not worth the hype.

This was a great find while we were visiting Hilo. You will not leave hungry, so be prepared. This is one of the few places that I will be stuffed and completely satisfied. The burger patties in gravy as well as the chicken cutlet in gravy were my favorites. There may be a waitlist but it’s well worth the wait!

If you're in Hilo and craving hearty island comfort food, Hawaiian Style Café is a must! From the minute you step inside, you're welcomed with aloha and the smell of delicious local favorites. The portions are huge, GO hungry or plan on taking leftovers. Their famous loco moco is perfectly seasoned with rich gravy over tender hamburger steak and fluffy rice, topped with eggs just how you like them. The Haupia pancakes are bigger than the plate yet somehow light and fluffy. I also loved the smoky kalua pork fried rice, which hit all the right notes. The vibe is pure Hilo: laid-back, friendly, and buzzing with locals and visitors alike. Even when it's busy, the staff is quick, kind, and makes you feel like part of the family. Whether you're fueling up for a volcano adventure or just want an incredible breakfast, Hawaiian Style Café in Hilo delivers every time.

We stopped by on a weeknight. They were a little busy, but we only waited a few minutes to be seated. The Honoli'i with garlic shrimp and Spicy Poke Bowls were good. The portions were filling. How I've missed the Hawaiian fruit punch. I would recommend a meal here if passing through Hilo town. Parking - large private lot.

Everything. The people that that works here are awesome. Kind,friendly an always checking on you if you need anything. 100% goes out to the cook. My eggs was cooked perfectly. How I like it. I'm so bad. 100% goes out to everyone who works there. Big Mahalo. Oh. I should also mention that me and my Ohana use to go out to Waimea special to eat there. That's when we didn't have one in Hilo yet.

Delicious satisfying and filling food that tastes like mom cooked for you. We split a bowl and it was huge. It was one of the most popular bowls that they have with shrimp, Ahi and chicken. Was very filling indeed. We also got the Lilikoi cream pie. It was nice and tangy and creamy. The ambience was super chill, very large restaurant inside with booth, seating, and Hawaiian music playing in the background, simply delightful! Service was super friendly and quick. There's typically a line but it's worth the wait. Don't miss while visiting the Hilo side of Hawaii.

Hawaiian Style Cafe is one of my go-to places when I visit Hilo (at least once a year from the mainland). I love their fluffy, giant pancakes (that are as big as the plate). Their Chicken Cutlet is very moist and flavorful. There is usually a wait to get seated, but the food is worth the wait, except for one item I regret purchasing for the first time this year. Based on how good all their items have been, I ordered the Corned Beef Hash and Eggs. Never again. The Corned Beef Hash looks like it was poured out of a bag of frozen, pre-made corned beef hash. I expect corned beef hash to be made fresh and restaurant quality. This tasted and looked more like something I could pick up at the supermarket and make at home. Bottom line: go to Hawaiian Style Cafe and enjoy the many foods they make very well and avoid their corned beef hash.

Whenever you get a craving for a lot of great food, stop at Hawaiian Style Cafe! No matter what you want from big breakfast to a local style meal these guys won't disappoint. Always busy but that is great! Even with lots of people waiting you get in pretty quick and can enjoy.

Big hearty portions won't leave you hungry at the end of the meal... and you may have some to box up for later! The pancakes with haupia toasted coconut sauce is an absolute must. Don't miss it. Be sure to join the waitlist on Yelp! when you arrive. There's usually a line of folks waiting outside, but the staff moves wiki wiki to get you seated.

I love the ambience food and the Service is fantastic. A wonderful family friendly restaurant.

Whenever I hop over to Hilo there is always a stop at Hawaiian Style Cafe! Food portions are generous. Prices are more than fair. Parking is easy and free. The only drawback is everyone and their uncle knows how good this place is so... more than likely there will be a wait. Go on the off times and the wait will be shorter. Because its so popular, service may suffer a little. Everyone friendly though! This place makes a mean locomoco. In fact, there are a few versions to choose from. Whichever one you might choose... be prepared to take leftovers. I also like the sausage breakfast, even at lunch. Today, feeling my phatness, hahah, I opted for the Korean chicken over green salad. Perfectly choice. Hawaiian Style Cafe has a sister restaurant on the Kona side of the island but... its not Hilo so...!?!

Ok so when we arrived there was definitely a wait! Once you walk in, you'll see a dessert filled show case! We waited for about 20 minutes and were sat in a comfy booth. The menu has a lot of different choices but I went with the special! It was so good, it came with sausage, spam, bacon, eggs, and and English muffin! My partner ordered the pork nachos and I couldn't believe the flavor in my mouth. The one thing that wasn't great was the margaritas... watered down, doesn't taste like anything... first they gave us blended when we notated on the rocks. The service was just ok, nothing special. You come here for the food! They have everything from breakfast, numerous types of loco mocos, burgers, stews and etc... This was one of the more tastier restaurants than many other other places we visited.

We were ready for some grub but not that hungry but this place was recommended, of course we had to go and thank goodness we weren't hungry because the wait was between 45 minutes to an hour. The menu was one double sided page filled with Loco Mocos and local favorites. I saw Lechon (fried pork belly) as one of the offerings so I had to order that. My partner in crime ordered fried Saimin (wheat noodles) which in opinion is a version of "Pancit" ( Filipino noodle dish). The Lechon came with Mac and cheese and two scoops of steamed rice. The Lechon was fried pork belly sliced with onions and tomatoes on a bed of Patis (fish sauce). The fried Saimin included some fried gyoza, fish cakes and veggies. The portions were good for two at a good price! The ambiance is a sense of family. You can see all types of families, a family of three all the way to a family of six plus at the restaurant. It's worth a visit and I will have to try the Loco Mocos for sure.

Came here on a recommendation of a friend's! This Hawaiian food spot truly delivers when it comes to flavor. The boneless short ribs were absolutely incredible. Perfect smoky-sweet taste and easy to eat. No bones! We also decided to venture out and try their haupia pancakes. Easily one of the best things I've ever had for brunch. They were so fluffy and had just the right amount of sweetness. It does get really busy, especially during peak hours, so the service can be a bit slow. Also, the air conditioning struggles to keep up with the crowd and the heat outside, so it can get a little warm inside. But honestly, the food is worth it. Just be prepared to wait a bit and maybe dress light.

Food is so good!! Big portions and service is fantastic!! I would highly recommend Hawaiian style cafe!!

Everytime I visit Hilo This is a must visit when I'm there . Big portions here great for sharing for 2-3 people . Haupia pancakes and loco moco are so good . It gets busy here so come early . I always end my breakfast with taking home a lilikoi cheesecake . I would highly reccommend this spot when visiting Hilo just make sure you bring your appetite .

We found out about this restaurant on YouTube. It was so good we tried the original location too. Negatives: -none Positives: -prices/value, the amount of food they give you is well worth the price and more. Everything on the big island is bigger. Definitely the Texas of the islands. -taste, everything we got was good. The item worth mentioning the most was the galbi. Definitely one of the best I've had. My wife loved it so much we demanded we get it again for our last day on the big island. -service, service was exceptionally friendly. We definitely felt the aloha spirit. Overall 5/5 Thank you for providing us with an amazing experience and exceptional food.

I don't know how this place stays in business with the very generous portions, at an amazing price. I ordered the kulua hash and eggs, which came with my choice of pancakes (huge), and hash browns, for only $16. My wife and kids got the hawaiian moco loco which they absolutely loved. Food was amazing and service was prompt and courteous. Great food and atmosphere.

The food was decent and there time of the food preparedness was OK 14min cook time cooked well. Empty cup refills waited 3-4min. And i also understand that there also busy. Our waitress Debbie was excellent fast and friendly. She got all of our orders fast and well organized and there was 16 of us. Split the checks perfectly. But to make it even better is the food was a well worth your money size/amount. Me my wife and my child was full and tell you we can eat. But total of our bill was a great and id definitely come back and eat here the next time I visit hilo hawaii hawaiian style café. The only problem i have is they need to expand bigger because I see everyone loves comming here and the line is long but it was moving along in a decent paste. Over all 5 out of 5 loved it. Keep up the great job

Almost always a wait. Wednesday morning/afternoon we waited about 15 min. Lots of Hawaiian style options. Hence the name. Ha It's good. Meats are delicious. Scrambled eggs tasted like they came from a carton. Just order sunny side up. Pancakes are ono!! Outside patio is shaded and nice.

Coming here always hits the spot. We really appreciate the hospitality. There is a line that usually forms most people grab a menu and choose out what they want so as soon as they sit at the table, they put that order in and get their food a lot quicker. Of course, if you're a local, you already know what you like so it's nice opportunity to talk story with family while you wait. Love all the servers and we love guy!

This is one of my new favorite places on Hawai'i Island! Auntie told me to check it out, and I'm so glad I did! I got the poke with Korean chicken and it was soooo good! I got it with lettuce bc I heard that the bowls were huge and I didn't want to go into a coma--the bowl was enormous (think ramen bowl full of delicious poke). The poke was fresh and flavorfu People talk about eating the rest for lunch the next day but I gobbled my bowl o' poke down and then I kicked my dessert stomach into gear and had the lava cake (ooey gooey chocolatey goodness). I couldn't get up after that. Ambiance is casual and full of locals. Service was quick and friendly. I loved this place!

I was disappointed cause I tried the lite breakfast today instead of my usual pancakes. The eggs and the bacon were very warm. So I will stick to my usual next time. Good service today. Got to sit in the back room today.

First off, we greeted with a sweet, genuine welcome. Good efficient service. Pancakes were the size of a steering wheel. Our food was good. They have a nice patio in front. Clean bathrooms.

This place is a family favorite whenever we're back in Hilo. It's relatively big with seating inside and outside, but it gets super busy really fast and you can always see a crowd of people waiting to be seating around meal times. The workers there are always super friendly and helpful. The food itself is good in my opinion. I think of it more of like, local comfort cuisine than any high end meal or things like that. Also, be prepared to eat a lot. The portions are huuuge, definitely shareable between two people. My personal favorites are the luau stew, Korean chicken salad and of course, the haupia pancakes (they're the size of your face, but they still manage to make it fluffy and crispy at the same time).

Outside seating with covering Loved the luau stew so yummy with white rice. Oriental dressing on the salad also yummy. Mixed plates have great choices of meats. Would definitely come back again.

Everything was amazing. The server was very friendly and was very patient with our group. Their servings are insanely big so make sure you get there with a big appetite or prepare to share. Some dishes can easily be shared between 2-3 people.

Overall, I thought this place was good. I really liked the large menu and big portions. We arrived on a weekday and the place was half empty, but we still ended up waiting for a bit before we were seated. I know the Haupia Pancakes are the signature dish, so I ordered those. The pancakes were good...the pancakes themselves were very plain and unimpressive, but the haupia sauce was delicious. I definitely left very full and satisfied. The service was very friendly and warm. The restaurant is clean and perfect for medium sized groups. I'd probably come back to try some of the other offerings.

Came here on a Tuesday at 6:30 PM with my cousin. Our wait time was about five minutes. Parking was easy to find. Firstly, portion sizes are HUGE here. My cousin and I shared one platter, the Mok-a-saurus, and a side of macaroni salad. The Mok-a-saurus consists of four types of protein: hamburger meat, chicken katsu, kahlua pork, and spam (plus the two eggs on top). The chicken katsu was our favorite meat; it was crispy, well-flavored, and cooked just right such that it was not dry. Our second favorite meat was the kahlua pork. Third was the spam. The hamburger patty was dry and burnt in some places, so we did not finish it. Gravy was good. The macaroni salad was interesting in that it also had tuna, potatoes, and peas. Overall it was pretty good and tasted like a mix of Mac salad and tuna salad. In conclusion, I would recommend checking out this place. We will probably come back again for dinner because it has such generous portions and has a large variety of other items to try.

We went for lunch and started out with putting ourselves down on their Yelp Waitlist. There were four parties in front of us and in under 30 minutes, we got a table. This was so efficient. Our order came out quite fast. We had the hamburger steak and beef stew. What was surprising was the Mac Salad. It tastes just like how my family makes it minus one ingredient. Beef stew was delicious, tender, and similar to how my mom makes it. The hamburger steak was well done with a nice char. Some parts of it was a bit chewy though. Overall, the meal was great, service was fast and staff were friendly and accommodating. Inside and outside were clean and the music playing was great to hear.

Excellent breakfast! We tried bfast specials w 2 eggs laulau hash, hashbrowns , side of waffle w haupia and chicken katsu(crispy cutlet) moco loco. The waffle was amazing and the haupia coconut custard topping is hands down the best I've ever had. A real bargain compared to other places and absolutely deeelish!! Gayle was our wonderful server, patient kind and efficient. We arrived early on a Sunday -around 9am- and did not even wait 5 minutes to be seated. Lots of parking in lot or on streets. Aloha spirit!

My favorite meal in all of Hawaii - this place was INCREDIBLE. The sheer VOLUME of food you receive is unbelievable - it's a literal mountain of Hawaiian goodness. We could not stop nibbling at literally everything on the Saimin plate - those little dumplings were ever so crunchy and savory, the korean fried chicken was perfectly crispy, the steak ideally tender, and those noodles just kept on giving. The Bento bowl was like ramen without the broth - and gave a sample of most everything you could ever want to try at an authentic Hawaiian eatery - spam, Katsu, raw tuna, and so much more. I walked out of here having felt like I had an EXPERIENCE - not just a meal. Service was solid as well, we were well attended to and everything just clicked. Back here in a hearbeat next time I am in Hawaii - that's for certain.

OMG loco moco heaven The taste is amazing Portions are massive you will not go home hungry Service with a smile Great background music Will come back 100%

Delicious food at great prices. Quick service and great atmosphere with quite a varied menu.

Overall I think Hawaiian Style Cafe was a good choice for us to eat brunch. There was a little but of a wait but I signed in on their check-in tablet and 20 minutes later we were seated. The portions are large so be aware of this when ordering. We ordered the Haupia pancakes and BLT w/fries. Prices were fair and the service was good. The interior decor was good, tables clean so no complaints from me.

There's a reason this place always has groups of people outside waiting for a table! Hilo's breakfast game is no joke and Hawaiian Style Cafe is one of the best. Location is great; it's a few minutes away from the airport in the Manono Street Marketplace and within a block of some of the best places to grab gifts and omiyage after (big island candies, atebara chips, lani's island snack shop). I usually come here either after landing in Hilo or before heading to the airport! The marketplace also has its own parking lot so parking isn't an issue. Service is great; the servers and staff are all very pleasant and attentive, often checking to refill drinks during the meal. Came in at 8am and was fortunate enough to get a table without a wait. Their breakfast plates come with rice or hash browns, and either a pancake, Belgian waffle, or toast. I ordered the Kalua Hash and Eggs, which is one of their most popular items (for good reason). Everything tasted delicious and also the portions are very large so you're often able to take leftovers home for another meal. Sometimes when I come for lunch, I'll order a combination meal so I can have leftovers for dinner. Costs are pretty standard, averaging around $15-$20 per dish but the portion sizes make it very much worth the cost. Whenever I have friends visiting Hilo, this place is usually one of the first I will recommend they visit as there's enough items on the menu that there's something for everyone!

One of the best chicken fried steaks we've had! Haupia pancakes are huge and delicious. We came with our family and everyone's food was delicious. Large portions. Friendly service. This is obviously a popular local spot. Definitely adding this to our rotation when we are on big island.

Love this place. Our go to spot for breakfast whenever we're in Hilo. There's always a line but the wait is always worth it.

Showed up yesterday with some friends, I've always heard good things about this place and was very excited to try it out. Just before we got seated I got an emergency phone call and had to take it for a good bit of time. By time I was done I came up front and looked for the hostess to find my table. Couldn't be found so I walked in and found the table my party they had pretty much finishes but there was no wait and empty tables in the section so I figured It would be fine if I rejoined the table and just had some coffee and maybe something quick. Until the host walks up and passive aggressively tells me, "next time we're all gonna sit together, okay?" I decided I didn't need to be talked down to after dealing with everything in my phone call so I got up and left. For what it's worth everyone else's food looked pretty good of what I saw but I would steer clear of this place if you're having even the slightest issue with your party.

The food was so good! My friend had just ran a marathon and the portions were great. Will definitely return. Wish we came here yesterday. Raynette had the best service, very attentive and helpful with the recommendations. Some guest was also very nice, she literally gave us a gift card for our meal.

Decent, doesn't quite live up to the hype. Lots of people waiting outside when we arrived but tables seem to turn quickly. Once we got seated, the ordering process was quick and our food came out fast. The menu made it seem like the portions are HUGE and we were debating on getting an entree + 1 side (need to order $3.95 minimum extra is sharing). When the food came out, we were a little confused because the portions were just very... regular-sized... not huge at all. The French toast was maybe even smaller than average I've seen at other restaurants. Doesn't come with a few pieces of fruit or anything with the plate, just 4 pieces of Hawaiian sweet bread for the French toast. It was delicious though! The "little breakfast" we got was indeed very little, which is a good option if you're not hungry. In my head I was thinking "little" for a place that keeps emphasizing their "huge portions" would equate to regular size hahaha - guess not! The passion iced tea was oddly disappointing. Our server did let me know it was unsweetened when ordering, but it really barely had any flavor. Didn't really taste like tea, more like flavored water with a light hint of passion fruit.

Great service from Reylyn. Enjoyed the Volcano Omelet and I upgraded my pancake to the Haupia Pancake. This thing is huge. Reasonable prices. Will be back, the entire family won't stop talking about it. Love the cultural Hawaiian decor.

Our first time and it was a delightful experience. Waitlisted for 35-40 min but we were seated in 20. Hostess was nice and even gotta us a bigger table since the one originally set was tight. Cool. Our server was Raelyn and she was super nice and served with Aloha. She recommended the adobo omelette and that did not disappoint. It was massive and ono. Their pancakes were also big and could feed a family of 4. Will definitely visit again and try their other entrees..

Again... the food here is so very good. I could've ordered the entire menu (I was stopped, thankfully, from doing that given the size of the entrees). Anywho, a real casual-style stunner here. Great eats... We had the garlic chicken and the Hawaiian plate. Both excellent. Check out the pics- the food quality literally jumps off the screen. The poke, lau lau (my personal fav), and kalua pig all stood out for us. This is another must if you're on the island. Not to be missed...

Food is always delicious and staff are friendly. We usually try to get there before it opens so we don't have to wait in line too long.

Love the food here for breakfast I always order seared ahi with eggs hash browns and pancakes or waffle Excellent

When in a new place do as the Yelpers!! So we wanted a good place for breakfast, we looked on yelp and found this place. It's just like the name says, a...Hawaiian Style Cafe. It's a fairly good sized place and very popular. We sat by the door and saw a steady stream of people coming in. Occasionally they had a short wait and names were being called. The menu is fairly complete with all the Hawaiian favorites and there is a large screen TV on the wall near the Host stand, that ran a continuous loop od the specials for the day and desserts Our waiter was Debbie, but the staff helped one another out, so we had several people assisting us. The teamwork is good here. That being said, the service was okay - but not what I would consider excellent. There were several missed opportunities - my toast was forgotten and delivered five minutes after my meal came. My wife's soda was removed to get a refill and never came back. We had to ask for it. So the service is okay. The restaurant itself was very clean and well taken care of. The staff was very friendly. There was someone at the door at all times greeting and seating the guests. The restroom was clean and obviously attended to. I had the seared Ahi & Scrambled Eggs. The Ahi was seared to perfection and very flavorful. The scrambled eggs and hashbrowns were very good too. The toast was good as well. The problem with the food was that it was barely warm. My wife had the Boneless Korean Chicken with white rice and a salad. The chicken was very flavorful and crunchy, the rice was good as well. Unfortunately, her food was about the same temperature as mine. The portion sizes are very generous. The prices are reasonable (It's Hawaii). So Overall it was okay. If I lived here on the Island, I would return. But we're on here in Hilo for five days, and don't plan on visiting any restaurant more than once.

I love this place. It takes credit card and reservations for over 8 people here. The lechon was okay, there wasn't enough flavors for me. it was cut in nice small bites. The Kalbi beef was not as good as imagine but still yummy. The fried saimen didn't have as much fillings as the other location. I don't want to sound like it is bad because I love the location and food. The service was awesome too. See my photos

First stop in Hilo, had to check out this local cafe for some Loco Moco! When we arrived, there was a waitlist, but we only waited about five minutes before being seated. The staff was incredibly attentive and friendly, making us feel welcome right away. While the ambiance was nothing special, the food more than made up for it. We ordered the Mocoasaurus and the Mento Bento, both of which were delicious. The portions were huge, definitely enough for leftovers! Plus, the prices were reasonable, making it a great spot for a satisfying meal. I have also seen some people order the Ahi Nachos which I would like to try next time.

Came to Hilo to see Volcanoes National Park and our Uber Driver in Honolulu recommended this spot as a local gem. It didn't disappoint. My cousin and I waited about 10 minutes. We ordered the Aloha omelet and the pancakes. There was so much food and it was tasty.

Great food? Yes! Great service? Yes! And awesome portion? Most def. I don't think I can find another place that serves pancakes the size of your face for under 20! And tastes delicious and fluffy! Between the ramen place across the plaza and this place, Hawaiian style cafe is hands down the winner imo. Friendly staff, great price and awesome service. A must try for me.