The food was good. My Veggie Bibimbap was really good. The crunchy rice on the bottom is not for everyone. Others at our table did not like it but I did. While the food was good the service was not the best. We had a table of six and had a bit of a wait no biggie. But the long wait for our food after ordering was where the downfall came in. We were all getting restless waiting for our food. I was excited to try this place and it just didn't hit for me. read more

Expensive for okay-ish food. They charge $25 for soggy French toast added 5% service charge to pay their kitchen staff Please skip and go somewhere else. Tourist trap. read more

Koko Head Cafe - $25 soggy French toast with 5% service charge. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Neighborhood restaurant with unique menu items. My partner and I shared the dumplings of the day and hash browns. Hash brown was average but the dumplings were delicious! We also got an egg skillet which was served on a bed of rice with tons of veggies and savory Portuguese sausage mixed in!! Delicious flavors. Friendly staff and comfortable seating. Location was easy to get to with street parking or a pay parking lot next door and they validate your parking. read more

I'm unsure of what they mean by "island style". I think that a more appropriate term would be hapa fusion. The music provided the island vibes, but the food gives me the impression that a haole aunty made it. I went in this morning and ordered the chicky and eggs. I am a foodie and I must admit that it made me sad. It was bland and lacked flavor, especially the eggs. Overall the composition of the dish was interesting, giving me the impression that the direction of flavor lacked a destination. Aside from the food, the service was great. Our server was a nice young lady who was kind and explained dishes well. She might be the main reason I added another star. read more

Food was delicious!!! We ordered the koko moco, fish and eggs and dumplings. Service was fantastic, very friendly staff. The place is cozy, clean... highly recommended!!! read more

Koko Head Cafe - Fish and eggs - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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You will need to find street meter parking or pay to park in the plaza. There are plenty of parking places in the plaza. The restaurant does not validate so you will need to pay. I visited on a Tuesday afternoon. It was empty we were seated immediately. I ordered the cornflake French toast and the breakfast bibimbap. The food took a long time to come out 40 mins + and me and my toddler were losing patience. I saw a couple get seated 20 mins after me get their food before me and leave before me... There were so many servers 10+ yet the service was so bad no one checked on me at all while I just sat there waiting to see if my food was ever going to come. No one came to refill my waters. When my food came no one cared to ask how everything was or follow up with me if I needed anything else. Yet when it was time for the bill they were there to drop it off real quick. The cornflake French toast was good and crispy and I liked the sauce but did not care for the bacon. The breakfast bibimbap was so oily and lacked flavor and meat. It tasted just like vegetables and rice skip not worth the money. For the expensive price point, bad service, and needing to pay to park I would not come here and wouldn't recommend it there are so many other better places to brunch at. read more

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My bf loved the pacakes, he said they had the perfect fuffiness! Don Buri Chen was fresh but bland.. needed salt, pepper and sauce. Hash browns good of course but a little too crispy imo.. read more

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We had just landed in Oahu after a long flight and wanted to get something local for lunch. Saw this place recommended on Eater and decided to stop by for brunch. Atmosphere has a real neighborhood vibe to it. I got the sense that the Kaimuki neighborhood - a little northeast of Waikiki - is where locals hang. I got a fish and eggs and my honey got the luau eggs, both came in a nice pan-sized skillet and we shared a tsukemono appetizer. Definitely more of a savory person (versus sweet), but the baked goods looked tempting as well. The food was delicious and filling, our first meal in Hawaii which would be the fuel for our Diamond Head Crater hike did not disappoint. Food: 4/5 Value: 3/5 Experience: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Ambience: 5/5 Good for: Brunch with a significant other. Recommends: Fish and Eggs. Notes: Dumplings All Day Wong sells out quick! I would recommend walking around this neighborhood, you may find a local favorite, and there are some pretty nice dessert places around. read more

Came here for brunch. The spot is super nice and everyone one is super friendly. And the POG juice is to die for. I know I will be back for more of that. The food was decent, nothing spectacular but still it was good food. It just felt a bit disappointing because everything on the menu just sounded so special with all the bells and whistles, but it was just simply good. And the prices were not fitting. read more

Everything was Amazing from the extremely Friendly service and Fabulous Food...Great Bloody Mary...great French style eggs and French toast was Awesome read more

Yummy! Yummy! Smoothies in my tummy! Yes the food is good and the service is friendly and comes with lots of pretty smiles but the standout for me are the lemonade slushes. Well the plates are great too and well the smiles go a long way. Can't go wrong here which is a lot of the charm. This place has no harm for your wallet, waste line or mood. Come in and leave better than you found yourself. read more

Went here for breakfast (7am) on a weekday - plenty of street parking. Ordered the Breakfast Bruschetta! I was warned it was going to be small lol and I ordered it anyway.. it was delicious! Love the fruit and crunchy rusk beneath. Flavor bomb, pricey for $17 but definitely .. I could eat another one of these! read more

Koko Head Cafe - Breakfast Bruschetta - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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love the dumplings, had the chicken pot pie this time. not my favorite but still good. they can't all be winners. Looking forward to the next idea. read more

Don buri chen: 4/5 - the pork by itself is a bit salty and dry but if you mix all the ingredients in the bowl, the flavors all mesh really well, I also added hot sauce to further elevate the dish Koko moco: 2.5/5 - the best thing about this dish was the crispy garlic rice, otherwise meat and gravy were underwhelming, wouldn't recommend Breakfast congee: 3.5/5 - if you like porridge, this is a must try, flavors and texture were on point but needed soy sauce Ohayou Eggs: 4.5/5 - this was the group's favorite, it was like a creamy egg dip with mushrooms and ham, bonito flakes complemented all the flavors really well, wish it came with more sourdough bread though Hashbrowns: 5/5 - best hashbrown I've ever had, seasoned and cooked to perfection read more

Finally gotten to try this place! The 3 times I went they were so packed! Cute little restaurant w/ a bar (didn't get to take a photo of that) My server Ethan was really pleasant and recommended the Don Buri Chen. The Don Buri had sushi rice at the bottom, the eggs over that w/ the pork belly and chicharron garnished w/ picked onions, green onions & red spicy pepper. Was interesting but everything did go well with each other! The pork belly was so soft and so were the eggs. He also recommended the egg handwich which was a savory sweet dish. The bun was super soft and had a syrup taste that went well with the bacon and eggs. It had lettuce too and I was a bit worried it wouldn't go together but it did! Definitely going to try the Luau & eggs next time read more

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Nice cold A/C, open building with large picture windows and high ceilings. Ordered the loco moco and they somehow forgot the egg. Had to get the attention of the wait staff and request an egg (which took a while to arrive). Unfortunately, they didn't offer any consolation for the inconvenience. French toast was tasty, though quite sweet. Also ordered the moringa blossom salad, one of the specials. It was pretty, interesting combination, but the dressing felt like it was missing something. Overall, the experience was so so, may or may not go back. read more

Koko Head Cafe - Moringa blossom salad (the dressing was missing something) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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The first time at the new location, it is huge. This is a very popular restaurant that typically had an hour wait, totally worth the wait. This time, we walked right in! This breakfast or brunch menu is very unique and amazing. The craft cocktails are off the charts. They even have a breakfast milkshake with whisky or bourbon. Casual and keiki friendly Parking lot wraps the building rear read more

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An update is in order after Koko Head Cafe's move into the old 12th Avenue Grill. The current location is much more spacious with an outdoor dining area, and additional space to add inside. Though, none of those areas were used when we dined there on a Sunday morning. It definitely has a better vibe and it's more open than the previous space. A plus is being able to join the waitlist through Yelp, and it tells you exactly how long the wait will be, your position in line, and the amount of individuals in each party. This is quite helpful! The menu is basically the same (except the prices!). We started with The Best Hash Brown Ever. I don't believe this was the name of it over 6 years ago, but at that time, it was the best. Now that you got a big head and decided to name it the best, it's not that good now. The first major issue is the hash brown was fried too long, and the crust was too dark, close to burnt, and quite hard. This makes it difficult to eat as it falls apart easily because you need to push down a lot harder to have a bite, and the potato strips are more thicker, which makes it even worse. Compare the photos of this from 6-7 seven years ago. NOT THE SAME! And not the best! I'll definitely pass on this next time. The Cornflake French Toast was rich, decadent, and sweet upon sweet. The Cornflake sweet bread was deep fried to a nice brown. Though, it might be too dark brown now that I can compare to the hash brown, but it was fine. On top was Billionaire's Bacon, which I figured out is Snoop Dogg's recipe? It's essentially baked bacon with brown sugar and red pepper flakes. Needing something salty, this was a bit too sweet. Then on top of that is a sweet Frosted Flake Gelato. It was essentially the frosted part only of Frosted Flakes. It was a tad loose. Wish it was a bit more firm. Lastly, under all that was a Creamy Black Pepper Maple. The black pepper did not come through at all. It was just Uber sweet creamy maple syrup. I feel if everything was less sweet, and added more peppers and spices, and bring out more of the salty bacon, this would've been more balanced, and a lot less nauseatingly rich, sweet, and decadent. The best thing was the Koko Moco, which is essentially a Loco Moco in a skillet. The sunny side egg was nicely prepared, and the beef patty was seasoned and cooked very well. I enjoyed the crispy bottom of the rice, but it wasn't garlicky, as noted on the menu. The tempura kimchi never felt or tasted like Kimchee. Was it fried Napa cabbage? It felt like I was just eating fried batter. I also would have preferred more mushroom gravy as everything ate generally dry. Overall, the food was average, at best. Previous location was better. Example is the Hash Brown. Not the same. Preparation wasn't how it was. The seating and atmosphere were comfortable. Service was excellent. Friendly and attentive. That's about it. read more

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One of my family's favorite breakfast places, I love to come here for the eggs benedict. They have the perfect feel of a small little cafe while dining in, super cozy and warm. The staff were all super kind and loved to joke around, really great service. A fun recommendation to those looking for a cozy breakfast place - Miguel Morales Photography read more

Koko Head Cafe - Eggs Benedict (@miguelmoralesphotography on Instagram) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

To die for! Had breakfast here bright and early before hiking Koko Head lol. We were seated fairly quickly since it was early morning, it started to pick up as we were leaving. I had the Ricotta Pancakes with Haupia Syrup and Toasted Coconut. The pancakes were so fluffy and I loved the syrup. I'm usually not a big fan of coconut but this was perfect and not too over bearing. Pancakes were moist and paired perfectly with the rich haupia syrup. I didn't have much else since I wanted to keep it light but we all thoroughly enjoyed our meals! read more

Koko Head Cafe - Ricotta Pancakes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We landed in Honolulu, met our driver and told him we're taking you to breakfast! Got us on the waitlist through yelp and by the time we arrived at the restaurant, our table was ready. Service was friendly and very efficient. The food was fabulous, I had to get the best hash brown ever and they weren't exaggerating. Food was amazing! We kept hearing the kitchen cheer and couldn't figure out why so we asked our server what was going on. We were told the cheers were for the customers that contributed to the beer fund, so of course we had to contribute too! Super fun and unique place, a must visit! read more

Koko Head Cafe - Picture of the menu the day we visited. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

What rock have I been living under? This was our first time eating at Koko Head Cafe. Award winning chef, Lee Anne Wong has a very special neighborhood brunch all day eatery here. Located in the trendy neighborhood of Kaimuki, with plenty of parking. My pro tip, you can add yourself to the waitlist through Yelp. You don't have to be physically there! My favorite dish was the Ohayou Eggs, baked eggs with a parmesan cream dashi topped with bonito flakes served with crusty bread. So good! If you're in the mood for an elevated brunch experience, this place is for you. read more

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A local recommended we try this for breakfast, and OMG. The food is made with care from locally sourced ingredients, and it shows. Highly recommend the loco moco and French toast, excited to try more. Service is excellent, decor is fun and hip. Great find. read more

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We came here for a big breakfast before a hike since they open from 7am. Came in and glad that we didn't have to wait for too long. They have both indoor and outdoor seating. - Don Buri Chen: I was thinking of this one and Breakfast Bibimbab but decided to have this with sushi rice. Turned out it was a right decision with the right portion of food for me since I don't have a big appetite in the morning. The pork belly was cooked perfectly. - Poke Omelette: served with 2 slices of toasted of your choice. The portion is huge but it was so good that I had to sneak some pieces from my bf's plate. Parking was easy with a parking lot outside and some street parking. Feels like it would get crowded around brunch and lunch time so maybe you want to get yourself in the waitlist early. read more

Koko Head Cafe - Don Buri Chen (@joeynht) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Visiting family again and this is a repeat visit...because they "do" have the best loco moco in town! What specifically makes the difference is the crispy "koge" rice! It's amazing and pairs perfectly with the loco moco. The deep fried kim chi is odd tho, IMO Didn't write a review last time, but remember having the porridge, which was delicious. A very substantial portion size and lots of goodies on top! My son had the fruit bruschetta both times and I tried it with him this time. Super delicious, like a dessert. There's a sweetened cream cheese or Ricotta on the toasted crispy-sweet toast which you wouldn't have imagined unless you tasted it because it just looks like bread under all the fruit. Really good! We also tried the French Toast last time, so I'm including a photo of that also. I don't recall the reviews from my family, but it looks like a dessert, complete topped with vanilla ice cream and dredged in some super crispy corn flake type crust. We also ordered the large fruit platter, which was a disappointment this time though. Appreciate that they are trying to impress with seasonal unique fruit, however, it's not enough... for the price. Throw in some oranges or something less expensive to make it look like a "large" size. read more

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We love this place! The hash brown is to die for! Everything is good! Highly recommend! Parking is easy! read more

Koko Head Cafe - Steak and eggs - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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My husband and I were looking for a good breakfast place to try and Koko head was recommended by a local. We thought to give it a try. The service was awesome. Our server gave us recommendations on his favorite dishes. Everything we ordered was so delicious. The cornflake French toast was out of this world!! read more

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I came here for brunch, and I thought the food was just ok. Service was remarkable, though! I went for a daily special, which was chicken congee. It was loaded with way too many peppercorns! It made the whole dish incredibly bitter, and every single spoonful had peppercorn in it :( read more

Koko Head Cafe - Chicken congee - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Came after work on a Monday morning with a party of 8. I was concerned about the wait time since they're usually always busy but we were able to get a reservation over the phone right when they opened. I wanted to try the cornflake French toast since I've heard so much about it so I got that and the Donburi Chen. The French toast was soooo good! I loved the crispness of the French toast and paired with the glazed bacon and the ice cream, it was delectable!! My husband got the Ohayou Eggs. The Donburi Chen was really good! I mixed it and all the flavors were popping. I liked that there were pickled veggies in there and the pork belly was so tender. The Ohayou eggs came with bread and it was really creamy. I would have liked more bread but overall really good! My friend got the Kokomoco and I really liked that too! The rice was crispy and paired well with the gravy and meat; very flavorful. Portions were smaller than what was expected of the price but it was okay considering that everything tasted exceptional. Waiters were chanting something and someone won something so it was fun to watch! There is a 5% kitchen service charge & you have to pay for parking. Gets busy in the mornings after people hike so I would go on the waitlist as early as possible to get a table. read more

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I will absolutely eat here again and highly recommend you try this spot. Our group of six ordered tons of dishes to try and shared family style. EVERYTHING was delicious, from the cucumber dish for our gluten free friend to the earthy mushroom appetizer. Oh those garlicky dumplings...I definitely ate too many and would do so again! Market fish was cooked to perfection and I couldn't resist taking home the leftover lamb adobo. But wait *dessert* surprising and uniquely satisfying was the chocolate cremeaux Lilikoi! I had bites of all these dishes, more than just a bite for some things and walked away satisfied and right level of full. Not stuffed or heavy. Also, service was just top notch!!! Drinks were replenished. Plates served hot and removed once empty. They were so kind about our party exiting after closing. Thank you to our waiter and keep up the great work y'all!! read more

I had wanted to try this place on my previous visit to Oahu but didn't get a chance and am happy that I finally got to try it. The French toasts were delicious but the bacons were labeled as Millionaire's bacon and tasted like regular bacon with sugar sprinkled on it. The Don Buri Chen was good. The eggs were good and very rich. I would definitely come back to try some of their other menu options. read more

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The waitlist time this morning was 40-60 minutes for 7 so we timed it to arrive just when the table was ready! I first tried the daily special dumplings which ended up being my favorite. They were very interesting to me since the outer shell was crunchy, like a shell vs noodle texture. Also packed with flavor! I ordered the French toast to share with my boyfriend which I give a B- since I felt the presentation was great but the flavor didn't live up to it. I also ordered the Don Buri Chen which I also a B because it was good but not wow! A few others at the table ordered steak and eggs and while they were happy with their dishes, they felt it wasn't worth the $30 price tag. All in all a pleasant brunch but food was not worth coming back for :( read more

Koko Head Cafe - Don Buri Chen - I give this a B - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Service was outstanding. Friendly and welcoming. Ambiance was fun and lively. Nice place to just hang out and talk. The food, I had the koko moco, was yummy. Loved the crispy rice and the burger was delightful. The gravy was tasty too. Next time I'll ask for more gravy. The portion looked small but it wasn't. It was enough for two meals. read more

Had breakfast Tuesday morning at Koko Head cafe - we arrived around 8:30am and were seated right away outside under the open air tented area. Our server was cheerful and prompt. We both ordered the breakfast bi bim bop which was served in a personal sized cast iron skillet so the rice developed that delicious savory crust. The bacon, portuguese sausage, and ham chunks complemented the ong choy, bok choy, and kim chee pieces, add the seasoned shiitake mushroom slices, two eggs over easy, and the perfect spiciness of their gochujiang sauce and it was heavenly. I'm usually a big eater but could only finish half. I took home the other half which my everything-Korean-fixated-daughter promptly ate - and she said it's the best bi bim bop she's ever had. Breakfast bi bim bop: 5*/5 read more

One of our friend suggested this place, it's a must try for breakfast. Came here on Monday, it's kinda busy but not crowded. We got seated right away. Costumer service is great and friendly. Food is kinda mix of American, Korean and Hawaiian. Dumplings and bibimbap breakfast is korean twist. Koko moco is for Hawaiian but it's on skillet. The skillet is very hot so the rice underneath is crispy. I feel like the burger and gravy is under seasoned. French toast and hash brown are very American. Highly recommend to try the French toast and hash brown. I enjoyed the bibimbap breakfast but for those people doesn't like spicy you can take out the sauce they put. I'm disappointed they only have one local pour over coffee, the regular coffee they serve is from Illy. If you want to try authentic Hawaiian food this is not a place to go to. Also, the food are expensive and small. They charge you 5% kitchen service. But the food is good tho. Street parking only. read more

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Not a fan of the added 5% kitchen service fee added to the bill. Never encountered this before. When I went to pay, the screen automatically suggested 20%-25% extra gratuity. I ultimately still left an additional 20% because I didn't want to punish the server, but 25% tip at a regular breakfast place is excessive. Just compensate your servers properly. Likely won't be returning again. read more

We didn't enjoy this place at all. It just didn't match with our taste buds. It didn't get the essence of Asian food... we regret so much for taking a trip just for the brunch. The food was greasy, especially the fried dumplings, french toast, Asian inspired porridges that we ordered. The fried dumplings' meat inside was a dead meatball with no flavor, but you could taste the fried texture wrapping the meat... My husband ordered the ramen, and it was just awfully plain. The server recommended the ramen and told us it was delicious before we order... Everything was overpriced too, I believe pineapple juice was $8 per serving / cup. The atmosphere was okay, though the service was friendly. Would not recommend coming to this place if you are used to the authentic Asian inspired restaurants. What's worse they charge an extra 5% kitchen fee. If the food is good, happy to pay this, but the food was so bad... read more

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Came on a busy Sunday but was seated right away. Everyone here was so nice! The food was amazing. We tried the dumplings, biscuit, and 3 breakfast entrees. Definitely a place I will recommend! read more

Koko Head Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Wowza, what a great breakfast place! Sooo creative and delicious. We had the breakfast bibimbap, which was amazing. The crispy garlic rice on the bottom of the skillet was da bomb! And they aren't lying with the Best Hashbrowns Ever... Try the daily dumpling if you're feeling adventurous. You won't be disappointed! read more

Not your traditional breakfast place but so good! My personal favorite dishes are the cornflake French toast and Ohayou eggs! Service is great and staff are super friendly. They have indoor and outdoor seating options. Never been for dinner but I'm sure it's great! read more

Koko Head Cafe - Ohayou Eggs! My fav! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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