Café Kaila

Super popular and often a wait — we lucked out when we happened to walk in without a line and were seated right away. WHOOHOO!
Trying to be «good and healthy» was tough as fluffy, berry covered french toast platters were passing by our table, followed by ‘onolicious looking pancakes with a perfect dusting of powdered sugar… what’s a girl to do? I really wanted to lean over to the table next to us and ask, «May I just have a bite of your mountain of french toast?» to satisfy the mystery. Ahhh…
Okay, maintain composure. With some morale support from my dining partners, we decide to go for healthy salads all the way around. I had a delicious steak salad that was perfectly seasoned and had a good amount of crunch and variety. I wished there was a tiny bit of blu cheese or feta on top, but you know, I guess we are staying healthy. Shucks. LOL — nonetheless it was delicious and my friend kept raving about her grilled salmon salad as well.
Looking forward to my next visit, and planning to be there on a cheat day for sure!

My review is long overdue, but better late than never!
I absolutely adore this café! It is cute, clean, friendly, and delicious. Greg (I think that’s his name) has always been incredible. I dined there with my family, and he was extremely attentive, and very timely on everything from our drinks, to food, to our bill.
The food has always been flavored perfectly in my experience; never too salty or too sweet. They also have cute little fruits garnished on the side, which is a bonus for me because I love fruit!
I always get either the omelettes or eggs benedict. Trust me, you will not be disappointed with either of these options! My dad enjoyed their waffles as well and if you get strawberries with it, you definitely get your moneys worth! They mound it on top and provide syrup and whipped cream as well.
Overall, I am a happy customer. Sadly they are getting so popular and they are so small, that the wait is now quite long (up to an hour for even just a party of 2). However, I think that if they were to consider expanding, or even opening a new location, they would do wonderful.
UPDATE: they now serve dinner! I have yet to eat there during the evening time but would love to try it some time soon.

This place is so cute! My mom & I came here for a late lunch while my car was getting fixed. It’s an adorable little café with great food! I had the waffle with all fruits! The fruits on top were delicious & fresh! Strawberries, blueberries, bananas, & caramelized apples! So yummy! The waffle on the bottom was also very good, nice & fluffy on the inside, with a perfect crunch on the edges! Also we had the warm spinach salad, which was good! I will definitely be coming back!

Hmmm, Café Kaila. I feel like they’re trying so hard, but it just falls so, so short. I tried Café Kaila a few years ago and thought it was mediocre then, but then I tried it again because I know how popular it is and thought maybe I just had an «off» experience. But again, it was very disappointingly mediocre. The food isn’t terrible, but it is in no way special. The food at Kaila is either overly sweet or overly salty – where’s the balance?! Plus, they often try to upsell you on things without explaining that there is an incremental cost. No one likes getting the bill and feeling like they were overcharged because they weren’t forthcoming about additional costs. I much prefer Sweet E’s for their benedicts/​egg dishes, Morning Glass Coffee or Nook for their inventive brunch, or Liliha if you’re into more of the traditional diner feel.

We went on a Saturday morning so it was busy but the service was fast and friendly. The food was very good. We had the breakfast quesadilla and the red velvet waffle.

Love this place. Food is great and staff is friendly. Love the vibe. We try to eat here every so often. Recommend for anyone visiting the Island.

This is my second time coming – I live a five minute walk from here so you would think I’d come here more often instead of going a bit farther to other breakfast options.
The first time I was unimpressed – and so after two years, I had to go back and see if it was just me? Nope. The food really is unimpressive. We had the kalua benedict and the salmon scramble. While neither was fishy or bad, it was just mediocre. The sides (salty potatoes cut too large and rye toast) had nothing special about them either. It’s what you expect but nothing more.
When you add the sense of huckstering sort of going on in the service, that sort of rubs me slightly the wrong way. For instance, if you go old school to some long running diner, they’ll give you your options straight: «do you want rice, potatoes, or fried rice for $ 1 more?» But at Café Kaila, they’ll really push you on the idea of fried rice then – later after you sort of commit to it – let you know it costs $ 2 more. Just be straight and upfront without any sales pitch, please! Defending myself on a weekend morning is not my favorite experience at breakfast. Throughout my meal, I also overheard sales pitches to enter drawings for free dinners. By the time they were explaining to me the new credit card payment system, i wasn’t sure if it was legit or if I was being sold something else. To be clear, the service from runners to order takers are attentive and nice enough, but due to my personal experience and watching other diners, I felt a bit guarded about my time there.

Is a 3-​star rating too low? Maybe. This was my first time coming here for breakfast/​brunch on a Saturday morning. Lots of people on Unilocal and talk within the community absolutely love this place so I decided why not give it a go seeing as a lot of other breakfast places around town were busy. This place was no different. Expect a large waiting line out the door for breakfast/​brunch time. Stupid me accidently put my name on the wrong side of the wait-​list so that was another 15mins of extra wait time I could’ve avoided. Nonetheless, plan your morning accordingly, so you can bypass a long wait time (my wait was about ½hr or so).
The restaurant isn’t too small nor is it too big– but they pack the tables pretty closely together. They also have bar seating as well if you plan on eating by yourself or one other person. After we were seated our waitress Dallas (?) was ready to take our orders immediately. I was torn between ordering either one of their favorite Egg Benedicts or Waffles. In the end I ended up ordering the Smoked Salmon Egg Benedict with Fried Rice and a coffee.
The Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict was good along with the fried rice but I was wow’d. Maybe I should have gone with the waffles? Maybe come here at a different time for dinner possibly? I don’t want to entirely rule this place out of my breakfast-​brunch rotation just yet, however I’m eager to give another one of their menu items a shot at a different time. Overall not bad, just a bad choice timing.

Boy do I love breakfast! I’m so thankful to my dining companion for showing me this wonderful little café! This place reminds me of many quality breakfast cafes on the East Coast, so much so that I’m just happy to eat here, regardless of up to an hour wait!
This place gets busy! Be prepared to be patient. There are lots of little stores to peruse in the shopping center, but on a nice weekend morning, it’s nice to just soak up the sun outside. Parking can be difficult, but spaces usually open quickly as many restaurants here are busy. It’s in a strip mall near Kaimuki High School and the H1, so it’s easily accessible from Waikiki, Mo’ili’ili, and Kaimuki. Outside the door is a sign-​in sheet, but it usually goes quickly. (Looks can be deceiving, they have a big back room with more tables.) I also enjoyed sitting at the bar, as service and seating is much faster.
They have a huge breakfast menu with all the traditional and local fare. They also have a large specials menu every day. So far, I’ve tried a few of their benedicts and loved each one! They pan fry their potatoes to golden perfection. The yolks are just the right amount of golden goo. Prices are reasonable for portion size, which is always appreciated.
It’s a wonderful start to a lazy weekend day!

Around 11am, there was still a wait, but it wasn’t that bad. Food is definitely delicious. Service was great as well. Our server was very personable & that’s always nice!

Favorite brunch spot hands down! Great selection, big portions, reasonable price, friendly staff. My bf and I love it so much we basically get the same order every time. Frittata is a dish we both love and I can’t go without ordering a waffle or French toast.

My boyfriend and I really enjoyed the quality of food and service here at this café. We waited about 30 minutes until we were seated. Their waffles were very good and scrumptious! I highly recommend!

We had five people for breakfast with a variety of sweet and savory choices and each was excellent. Good service and staff. It is a small place and gets busy fast so expect that. The coffee was plentiful and good also.

Best breakfast 2016 by the star advertiser says it all… Most of the time.
I’ve had plenty of great experiences here but after my last breakfast here, was not a fan.
I ordered coffee with soy milk. They brought me coffee but said they were out of soy milk and only had whole milk. I told them I couldn’t drink it so politely declined any other drink.
Knowing how I get without my coffee, my brunch date suggested I run across the plaza to coffee bean. I did and came back. A waitress told me they didn’t allow outside beverages. Completely understandable but I thought they might make an exception– so I explained. I was told no and that was it. I was pretty disappointed with their decision.
As far as brunch, their food is usual great. Unfortunately they don’t have a large selection of locally sourced ingredients but they specialize in comfort food breakfasts and they do that well! My favorite is their eggs Benedict with potatoes. YUM!
Price point is pretty typical for brunch in HI-​about $ 10 and up for a plate. A place to check out– but not bring your own coffee! ;)

Food: I ordered the Smoke salmon benedict which was their daily special. I was really excited to eat it with their fried rice but they were sold out so I had to settle for the potatoes. The food itself was a bit bland. I’m used to smoke salmon benedict having capers but it didn’t come with it and they said it was an extra $ 0.50 for a side order of capers. The egg was poached perfectly but overall the taste was a bit bland. The potatoes were a little salty for my taste but was nice and crispy. My husband ordered the make your own omelette and again, this was just okay. Nothing too fancy. The omelette portion was a bit small.
Drinks: I ordered the plantation Iced Tea which is pineapple juice + iced tea. They were willing to re-​fill but only the iced tea but not the pineapple juice for free.
Service: Our server was extremely friendly but the place does get busy which means slower service.
Bathrooms: They’re located outside by Gina’s BBQ. You need a code to get in.

Still not that impressed with this place for breakfast. I had the traditional eggs benedict this morning, and my partner had the combo breakfast. What makes a good eggs benedict to me is the hollandaise sauce. Too bad Café Kalia continues to puts so little on, that I wouldn’t know if it’s good or not. Breakfast potatoes were seasoned well and nicely done, and pancakes were light and fluffy.
The servers were very friendly, professional and attentive. When busy, sign in at the podium out front and someone will call you in. Seating options are either tables or high counters. Restrooms are outside.
As many already know, Market City’s parking lot sucks. Very small stalls even for compact cars. My suggestion is that you park on the lower level and walk up if you have a larger vehicle.

I’m a huge breakfast fan, and this is definitely my favorite breakfast spot because I can order something savory that I love as well as something sweet that I love. I usually share the breakfast quesadilla with ham and the plain belgian waffle.
They are very generous with the filling in the breakfast quesadilla. Everything is cooked well — eggs are soft and not dried out, cheese is nicely melted, ham is tasty and not too chewy.
This is my favorite place for waffles because the belgian waffle is perfectly crispy without being burnt. I absolutely love the powdered sugar, whipped cream, and syrup with the waffle — they add just the right amount of sweetness (not overly sweet for breakfast).
The line can be long, but it is definitely worth the wait. It’s no worse than many of the popular breakfast places on the island. If you don’t want to wait, though, take out is just as good (I just throw the waffle in the toaster oven to re-​crisp and use my own whipped cream).

Waffles and BYOB!
Wait time is pretty average, dining room probably holds maybe 75 max.
Service is average but friendly.
Affordable
Location is kinda awkward. personally I dont like waiting around in a parking lot so close to other venues .but that was probably the only thing I didnt like
Ive always ordered the lox scramble and its delish! Right amount of onions and salmon I love the fact that the dish is served with a choice of potatoes or rice AND toast. need I say more.
Waffles are my fave, I love that they over love the amount of fruits I like how healthy it makes me feel lol
I have only been here twice but Im always around the area so. you shall be expecting more of me Café Kalia.
Oh bag hooks on the counter #PurseFriendly.

This is the last time we are coming to this place. We have tried everything we can to get good service (getting here early, sitting at the counter, ordering simple dishes that don’t take long to cook, tipping very well) but none of it has worked. It takes forever to order and longer still to get that order.
As I sit here writing this, our waiter is spending five minutes talking to what, I guess, are his regular customers about his upcoming trip. Even though we all sat at the counter at the same time, their order goes in first and comes out in five minutes while ours takes twenty. This, even though our party is smaller and we ordered simpler to prepare dishes. We never had our drinks refilled and were never asked how the food was or if we needed anything.
Living here in Kaimuki, we are lucky to have so many places open for breakfast (Big City Diner, Koko Head Café, Koa Pancake House, SweetEs, Tucker and Bevy). So, fortunately, it is no loss to us to go somewhere else. I shake the dust from my shoes.

I don’t yet love this place. But it has potential, so will give it another go if the opportunity arises.
We were on the list as the third two-​top but were seated at the counter after only 10 minutes. Cool. Good start. There was a hook for my bag. Nice touch. We got our coffee in real mugs, another good thing. My mug still had lipstick on it from the last person that drank out of it. I don’t blame the dishwasher, that stuff is wicked hard to get off, I blame the lips that put it there. But I digress…
I got the bagel sandwich and husband got the veggie scramble. I asked for my eggs well done and they came out as requested. The food took just over 20 minutes to arrive, which was a bit long, but we did have our coffee and that made it tolerable.
Speaking of the coffee, I didn’t like it. A bit rough and bitter for my taste. They also only have regular white sugar. Silverware was cheap and fork was bent. This place is similar to a diner and that is ok, but I wish the prices were more like a diner.
Back to the bagel sandwich. The bagel was puny and certainly not New York style, but the filling was good. The size of the bagel made eating it a bit of a chore because I found myself holding the wet inside bits since they were hanging out of the baby bagel. Good thing napkins were readily available!
Husband said veggie scramble was good but nothing to get excited about. He did really like the sourdough toast. We also got the potatoes, which was a huge portion.
The service was good and parking was easy. There are many places to have breakfast, but this is not on my list of favorites.

I have yet to be even remotely disappointed by the food here. Café Kaila has everything from your basic breakfast options, to interesting mixes with local favorites.
There’s usually a line even after opening, and I understand why. Every time my girlfriend and I go, we usually get one of the specials, and one of their waffles… crisp and light, where you don’t even need to add syrup. Their omelettes and Benedicts are fantastic as well. The Crab Cake Benedict is my favorite, with everything done really well (muffin, hollandaise, egg, and tender flavorful crab cake). I also recently tried their Fresh Corned Beef Hash which was a massive pile of potatoes and corned beef, that was tender and flavorful.
Café Kaila serves dinner too, but I have yet to try it… so many delicious looking photos, that I gotta get in on that some time. I know I won’t be disappointed!

If you like pancakes, waffles and/​or eggs benedicts, café kaila is where you need to be!
My friends and I had heard great things about this spot, so we decided to check it out. We were also given a heads up that we would have to wait forever for a table, but when we got their we were pleasantly surprised that we were only waiting for about 10 min.
We sat at the bar, which was fine. The bar stools were nicely spaced so we didn’t feel cramped. Our server was super friendly and greeted us promptly, and have great service through the entire meal.
We each ordered something different so that we could all have bites of a bunch of dishes. I ordered their special, salmon benedict. The hollandaise was great and the benedict was served on sour dough. The side of potatoes were soooo good! My boyfriend had a breakfast wrap with ham, eggs, pepper jack and mushrooms. I probably wouldn’t get this for myself, but it was pretty tasty. The stars of this breakfast were definitely the pancakes and waffles. They each came with whipped cream, this delicious syrup that was the perfect level of sweet, powdered sugar and topped generously with assorted berries and bananas. The waffle wasn’t too doughy, but soft and fluffy on the inside, crisp perfection on the outside. The pancakes were a fluffy, but doughy enough to give it that chewiness that tastes so good when drizzled with syrup. mmmmm mmmm mmmmm!

One day I came to work early on a Saturday. My coworker looks at me and says «why are you here?» You see I live far away on the west side and work in town and this happen to be a day my bf dropped me off. So I called my bf right away and told him to pick me up!!! Since we were in town really early I thought, why not eat some breakfast.
This place is a small little shop and boy was it busy, but since we got here early, we kind of beat the crowds. So you know breakfast is mostly all about eggs and I have a baby with a food allergy so this can be a challenge for me, but I got a Frittata. Was really yummy. My bf got the combo with the buttermilk pancakes, egg. We also got side order sausage for the baby. I’m glad I finally got to try this place

I absolutely love going to Café Kaila for dinner. I’ve heard of the crazy breakfast crowds – and I have yet to go for breakfast – but during dinner, the cozy café is pretty empty. At least, that’s been my experience for the two times I’ve been there for dinner so far.
I recently visited the Café for an early dinner around 5 p.m. on a Friday with a friend. This was also a good time because the plaza itself wasn’t too crowded. By the time we left around 6:30 p.m., the dinner crowd (not at the Café, but in general) was in full swing.
There were only two other parties dining in the Café during our visit, which meant that we got lots of personal attention. I love the warm, homey vibe of the café; plus, the staff are really friendly and always do a great job of answering my questions.
There are both breakfasty and heartier dinner entrees on the evening menu. Dinner is only available Wednesday-​Friday until 8 p.m., so be sure you check it out. My friend really enjoyed what she got and said she would be down to visit the café for dinner again. Here’s what we got during our visit:
«Create Your Own Omelette»: My friend loves having breakfast for dinner, so she chose this option. She got her fluffy omelette with mushrooms, cheddar and spinach, and she opted for the savory potatoes as her side. This entrée also comes with a side of toast, but she didn’t want the toast. What a great deal! I had some of her omelette and it was cooked just the way I like. The eggs were fluffy and the omelette itself tasted fresh. And, I’m a sucker for breakfast potatoes and hash; the ones at Café Kaila didn’t disappoint.
«Gourmet Mac and Cheese»: I made the mistake of ordering the «small bites» portion of this mac and cheese, just because I wanted to save room for dessert. But one bite in, I knew I should have ordered the regular size, which cost a bit more but it comes with a side salad. I liked the mac and cheese so much that I’m for sure getting the dinner entrée next time. It features an eight-​cheese cheddar blend with a crispy topping. The concoction was sufficiently cheesy and I savored every single bite. You can also jazz up your mac and cheese by adding hickory-​smoked bacon, crab meat or chicken. I was told that the bacon and crab were the most popular additions, so I went with the crab. I didn’t regret my decision! There were ample chunks of crab throughout the entire mixture. I would definitely order this again and go with the same add-​on … but next time, I’ll probably want to try the bacon (and ask for it extra crispy).
«Smoked Kalua Pork Sliders»: I love kalua pork sliders, so I’m interested in trying the Café Kaila version one day. It includes house-​made coleslaw and the juicy pork on a sweet bun. I can’t wait to try this kalua pork; here’s to hoping it’s just as savory and smoky as I imagine them to be.
«Cinnamon French Toast»: If I ever come to Café Kaila for breakfast, this is what I’m getting. This French toast is famous at the café. The meal consists of three slices of sweet bread dipped in egg batter, cinnamon and vanilla, and it’s dusted with powdered sugar. You have the option of getting toppings for a slight fee, but I would be fine with the French toast, plain and simple. I’m just excited by the fact that it comes liberally covered with cinnamon sugar.

Came here on a suggestion from a friend.
Atmosphere: located in the market plaza next. Plenty of seating but very busy. A very light and clean feel to the place. Specials are on the door on your way in.
Service: Very good except for the end when my server told me it was a new policy in Hawaii that the waiters can’t touch your credit card. So he brought a credit card device to the table and hovered over while I scanned and wrote in the tip.
Food: They had a lot of twists on classic breakfast dishes as well as many staples. We had the apple sausage eggs benedict with a side of fried rice and the lemon meringue waffle. Both were tasty and delicious.
Intangibles: Not much near by but worth a stop inside if you’re around for breakfast.

Where to begin. Café Kaila has some seriously amazing grinds. Their menu is expansive, but it seems no matter what you pick, you can’t go wrong!
Me and my sister came here for brunch and split an omelette (custom — ham cheese mushroom tomato), fried rice, herb roasted potatoes, a turkey cran BLT, and a pancake with bananas and whipped cream. (Ps we ate at 130 and it’s near 6 and I’m still full!)
The omlettes have a good variety of options, with several options already created, and another option to create your own. The omelette was fluffy and flavorful.
I took one star off because the turkey BLT used to have fresh sliced turkey, and today it was deli meat :(not nearly as delectable or as much of a treat as fresh carved turkey, but the sandwich was still pretty good. If it was deli meat again, I probably wouldn’t reorder in the future.
Staff was prompt, friendly, and attentive.

Okay so this was my second time at café kaila. I must say that the first time I went I was disappointed. I got one of their specials, the hijiki Benedict. The fish was deep fried and WAY too over cooked. It was not enjoyable. They also didn’t give enough hollandaise sauce. Today I came back and tried the smoked salmon Benedict. It was much better but it definitely didn’t rock my socks. I guess I will stick to my top three breakfast places.(nook, sweet e, cinnamons). But hey at least I gave it another try! :p
But don’t get my wrong. I did like the iced Thai latte. Yummy and not over sweetened. I do wanna try their dinner menu. I know you have potential café kaila! I’ll be back for dinner. :)

As a diehard brunch lover, I can honestly say Café Kaila is one of my favorite spots to get breakfast and brunch! Despite the usual wait to get your food (which isn’t always a bad thing– you know they have great food from the length of their waiting line) it is always worth it!
I went to Café Kaila on National Waffle Day (according to Instagram) and they were having a special of a Cinnamon Roll Waffle and I knew I had to try it, along with a side of bacon, of course. But a couple minutes later, our waiter informed us that they had run out of the Cinnamon Roll Waffle and were instead serving a Cookies and Cream Waffle (equally intriguing and not disappointing). I myself have a big sweet tooth and loved this waffle with this creamy spread with crushed Oreos and syrup all over. And my extra crispy bacon I ordered was indeed extra crispy and gave the perfect salty pairing with the waffle.
So tough out the wait to dine at Café Kaila, you won’t be disappointed!

To walk away with a truly satisfying experience, my tip would be to time your visit. My party of four was seated after an over one hour wait. Smaller parties will be seated sooner. At some point, no place is worth a wait that long, not even Café Kaila. Otherwise parking at Market City SC is plentiful, and the staff is very friendly and during the hour we waited, the hostess teased us with a sampling of their well-​known Belgian Malt Waffle.
Over hungry, overheated and overcome by the hostile humidity, our party was finally called and seated. We ordered the Italian omelette, which was underwhelming, unfortunately. The cinnamon roll waffle was bested by that tiny sample I got of the Belgian Malt Waffle, but my dad ordered a create-​your-​own waffle with eggplant, mushrooms and provolone cheese that he still talks about today. My brother liked the frittata but he is a gourmet cook and I didn’t see that he ate a lot of it. However, he was impressed with the side of chef’s fried rice, and detected that the «secret ingredient» was saimin mix to give it that salty, flavorful twist.
I think we would all like to return to Café Kaila, come on a non-​holiday weekday or when they first open, and order different items. One thing for sure, your stomach will be full and your body will crave a nap.