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This is the original Koa Pancake House and is a wonderful greasy spoon located on the Windward side of the island. It's dark, dimly lit, has red vinyl covered booths and little Tutu waitresses who take your order. Koa Pancake House is a place where you buy your morning paper from the vending machine outside and read it while enjoying two eggs sunny side up with spam, two scoops rice and a side of corn beef hash. What's cholesterol? That doesn't exist within the walls of the Koa Pancake House!
There is something special about the Koa Pancake House because it's not a Denny's, it's not an iHop and hopefully it will never turn into one. Bleck! I can taste the corporate pancake syrup now! The food is not particularly spectacular. It's breakfast, so how badly can one mess it up? Although their corned beef hash is delicious only in the way that it can be made a true greasy spoon. The true charm of this neighborhood breakfast stop lies in the people who have been coming here every Sunday morning for most of their lives and will never leave it for a Denny's.
This is one of the few places to have a decent breakfast in Kaneohe without driving to Kailua. Overall I would say the breakfast food is ok, nothing spectacular. They have the standard items like pancakes, fried rice, omelets, and some interesting items like soup and sandwich (for breakfast) and eggs benedict.
Overall the few times that I have been here the food was just ok, nothing spectacular stands out in my mind. I've had the fried rice, pancakes, mahi mahi plate, and their special strawberry pancakes. None of it was memorable, but nothing was horrible either. It was just a-ok, I would go there again, but would much rather eat at another pancake house.
I liked Koa Pancake House, they have a pretty good selection of all the standard breakfast items. The service was very attentive; the coffee was always full. The food was good, I didn't see anything crazy good on the menu.
For a good breakfast at a reasonable price, with very good service it's a good choice.
My family & i used to go to the Koa Pancake House every Sunday after church!~ Their staff is friendly, service is quick & food is DELICIOUS!~ They have everything from a variety of pancakes to local favorites like portuguese sausage, eggs & rice!~ Its my favorite place to go for breakfast!~
Awesome service, food and always been a loyal customer.
Today was my first and last experience with the Koa Pancake House.
#1 HORRENDOUS service. The entire restaurant was freezing, no exaggeration, it must have been in the 50's. the five of us were shivering, fortunately my wife had a hood on a jacket that she had to put up. I made the 'mistake' of wearing shorts in shorts... in, um, Hawaii. The second we sat down, the waitress wanted us to order, a little ticked when we said he needed a second, being our first time. We politely asked for the air to be turned down and she just walked away. We then asked another waiter and he said they couldn't. We then asked to be moved to another table, "Where? It's all the same." Eventually we moved on our own, finding a corner from the blowing breeze. (Other people were blowing in their hands, shivering as well.)
#2 - Mediocre food. The pancakes were good, my sausage was completely burned and my eggs were wrong... I was afraid to send them back.
#3 - Ugly Interior. Maybe it's part of the 'charm'? But there were bullet holes in the window behind us. Everything else looked super old and gross.
Honestly, I'm one of the easiest customers to please... I waited tables growing up and treat everyone in the business with a ton of respect. This place, though, can't just be dismissed as "local," I've been to plenty 'local' places that went out of their way to take care of their customers. Seriously, Zippy's, Denny's, or Ihop would have been a dream compared to this dump, and I never go to the above-mentioned places. I was so disappointed because we heard such good things about this place.
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Love, Love, Love the pancakes!! Not a huge fan of their other locations in Oahu... but this one has the "old school" feel peeling off the walls... Gotta love THAT! Great place to go and chat it up with the BFF over some banana pancakes, omelette's, and fried rice...
One of the oldest standing restaurants in Kaneohe. I love the vinadosh (sp?
The food has always been good. You feel like part of the community when you go in there. Prices are cheap compared to everywhere else. Servings are HUGE, for me anyway. Very ono.
My biggest issue? Cleanliness of the restaurant and the kitchen. I had just graduated from culinary school when I was sitting waiting for a table. The door opens to the kitchen and a cook walks out with a jacket on that looks like he just changed the oil on his car. The floors where covered with cardboard!! I was shocked. I think even if I had just learned about the rules and regulations on keeping a clean kitchen and health laws, I would have been shocked. Haven't been back since. sorry!!
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We drove by Denny's (:-P) this morning on our way to Koa House, and there was a line out the freaking door. Seriously?!
My family used to come to Koa House after church on Sundays, and the wait was nearly unbearable for the three of us urusai kids who had been forced to sit still for the past hour. Today, however, with the jakasses queueing up at Denny's (:-P) there was front row parking, and empty tables as soon as we walked in.
I'm sure when the novelty wears off, the throngs will be back at Koa House. Until then, thanks Denny's (:-P) for allowing me one quick, relaxing brunch of Mahi Florentine Benedicts, and Blueberry Pancakes sans the throngs of fidgety, silver-tooth kids flyin high on Coconut Syrup.
Meg (:-P)!
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ordered the vinha d'alhos, spinach/bacon omelet and paid several dollars more to replace the rice for banana pancakes. so much food that next time my gf and I will only order the vinha d'alhos and replace the rice with the banana pancakes and order a side order of rice. the vinha d'alhos and eggs was my favorite.
No, no & no again. The Koa Pancake House is a joke! Their food sucks and it is absolutely filthy. I have been twice and both times I was amazed at how bad the food was. Please trust me & don't even think of eating here. Run while you can!!!
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Pancakes were terrible, McDonald's pancakes would have been better. My eggs and bacon were good. My Juice was over priced and sour. I went on 3/1/09. Service is good and the food comes fast. If the food were better I would come back.
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Yum.
I wish they had a place like this on the mainland. . . or somewhere where I KNEW about (if you know, LET ME KNOW!!!).
I went here when I was prego, and I have been craving this place ever since. I've since satisfied my cravings. Fried rice and eggs. Pancakes. OMG. So sad that this place takes a little drive to get to, but so, so, SO worth it.
Pancakes. . . to die for. Really.
The service is, eh. Even though it's Hawaii, the service is a little lacking - and I don't think I totally LOOK like I'm not from here! But the food sooo makes up for it.
Parking is the pits, but there's always someone else going out. Waiting is worth it. :o)
When my parents moved to Kaneohe when I was in high school, we became regulars here. They have the best breakfast ever! Where else can you get homemade Portuguese vinha d'alhos and eggs? Weekend waits are worth it, if you want a good, local homestyle breakfast. The parking lot is small, but lots of parking is available on the side streets.
GREAT diner food!
I loved the eggs, I loved the bacon, I loved the toast (no sourdough, be ready for that).
One drawback - no hashbrowns. God, I LOOOVE hashbrowns.
The service was great. The people are sunny and friendly. They had our food to our table quickly. The drinks were always full. This really is a great place.
Parking is tricky on weekday mornings. Park on the street.
We'll return before we head home. This place ROCKS!
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I rate them over Kimo's. Their breakfast menu which is the menu (closes at 2:00 or 2:30pm). They got everything to pick from to put together your breakfast meal. The one in Kane'one is a little so called run down as mentioned in other reviews. The one over at Pearl Navy Exchange area of course is newer so it is cleaner and brighter. Food is cheap.
Kaneohe no out door seating.
Navy PX area does have out door seating.
WTF Coconut sizzurp? Are you kidding me? That was the bomb. Honestly. I know, I know, in Hawaii, and I get french toast. I should have gotten a hawaiian breakfast, but hell, any chance to get my lips on some sweet sweet coconut syrup is fine by me.
Good greasy breakfast. I'll be back.
Good grub for breakfast.
My personal favorites here would be any of the Omeletes (of course), and definitely a side of the Chili. I love their Chilli so much, that I order it as a side and share it with whomever I'm with.
They have expanded their menu over the past year, and along with that they have slightly risen their prices. But, it is still a great place to stop off and get a nice and greasy breakfast.
This Kaneohe joint has good greasy food to hit the spot.
Koa Pancake House is definitely one of my favorite breakfast and lunch places in Kaneohe. A pancake purist may not think that they have the most prolific pancakes but its really about the combination of foods they have to offer. I would say that the pancakes are decent, but especially when served on the side with galbi, rice and eggs it amalgamates tastes that just produces a feeling of wholesome goodness. Whilst some may balk at the idea of mixing galbi, eggs, rice and even pancakes, it maybe helpful to liken it to Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles, thus making it easier to swallow (pun intended). In fact, I would argue that the dishes here aren't only easy to swallow but a pleasure to do so. When away in "paradise" miles from home there is often still a pining for things familiar; Koa House hits the spot. If you want steak and eggs, they also have it but since my palate lies more toward the Asian end of the spectrum, I find galbi and eggs to be just as satisfying if not more so. Their menu is pretty diverse, covering Western pancakes to Korean galbi to Portugese like dishes. Least I forget to mention, they do of course have Spam.
The ambiance is good. The inside looks like the inside of a log cabin so it definitely leaves you with a homey feeling. The service is relatively fast. Parking is a little sparse as they only have about 10-15 spots that they share with an auto shop, but you can also park on the street.
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Let's just start this review with the fact that pancakes are my favorite food in the entire world. I can't cook to save my life, yet I learned (through trial and error) how to make them. I risk burning down my apartment on a regular basis to make them. I can't leave even one left on the plate, no matter if I'm already stuffed beyond reason (my motto is: no pancake left behind). I would probably try to order pancakes at a fancy shmancy steak restaurant if they'd let me. So when I say that Koa Pancake House is bomb, I think I'm a pretty qualified critic. They're cooked perfectly (unlike some of my earlier attempts): soft, fluffy and just the right amount of chewy. But what makes these pancakes perfect has to be the coconut syrup that they set on your table. Now, I'm a pancake purist, people. I don't like to stray from the buttermilk family for that crap with the fruit in it (this could be directly related to the fact that I'm a sucker for maple syrup). But I almost passed out when I had my first taste of the coconut syrup. It's friggin' amazing. I only wish they had this in San Francisco so I could eat it everyday (no joke) and weigh 1000 pounds.
Minus one star for how long it takes to get there and what a pain it is to find parking.
Nothing high class about this place, but if you want some ono grinds in the morning that tastes like a home-cooked meal, this is the place to go to! I love getting the corned beef hash. Local-style breakfast, fast, cheap, and friendly.
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Koa House is just one of those places I love to go to on a Sunday morning. What makes this place so special? One word: good vinha dalhos with eggs and pancakes for cheaps.
Besides that, their other breakfast food is pretty good. I always like when restaurants put in the little touches like different flavored syrups. They're usually pretty prompt with things, although they do have their off days.
The place is small, parking is hard to come by, and there is always a (relatively) big line. That doesn't stop me from coming here though. I just wish it was open past 2 p.m.
There is always a 5-10min wait but well worth it. The best breakfast/brunch Hawaiian establishments on Oahu. The only other one that tops Koa is Hawaiian Style Cafe on the Big Island in Waimea/Kamuela.
It's a greasy-spoon type of place that has killer breakfasts. If you're in Kaneohe for some reason and need sustenance, what more could you ask for?
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YUM! This place is good.
For some reason I love their coffee. I think they put MSG in side of it. Their prices has gone up since the "hana bada" days of old but it's still my kid time (and adult time) favorite - when i'm in Kaneohe that is. I moved to Honolulu to be close to work and I can't find something like Koa Pancake House. The portions are huge - even if you have a big apatite you're sure to be full with quite a few bills left in the wallet. The previous comment is right, they do bring the food fast, and if you're (and the people you are with) are fast eaters then you can expect to be done with breakfast/brunch within 30 mins.
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The best eggs benedict on the island! Only open until 2 pm and always serving breakfast. Not having enough fruits and veggies on their menu is their only drawback. Get there early or expect a wait.
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Greasy spoon.
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I love the Koa Pancake house! The fried rice there is the best! The waitresses are all very cool except for one who always has an attitude! I'll let you figure out which one it is. Go for the marinated pork! Don't try to pronounce the way it is spelled just eat it! Awesome Mahi Benedict too! Definately worth the wait.
If you want a good breakfast, come to this place. I especially like their vinha d'alhos and eggs (portuguese marinated pork) not to mention their pancakes.. and the coconut syrup too!
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Category: Breakfast & Brunch
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