After some snorkeling at the bay I needed to refuel. Yelp steered me to try Moena and did not disappoint! I went around 10:30AM on a Thursday and waited about 15 mins for two people. Not too bad of a wait, but I was surprised since weekday mornings usually don't have a wait at all at most other breakfast cafes. Must be a great place! The menu had a variety of Hawaiian dishes and traditional American breakfast dishes. I couldn't decided between a sweet or savory breakfast, so I opted for the Strawberry Milk Pancake (short stack), and a side of Fried Rice. The pancake must have been 12 inches wide! I didn't even know how to dig in. Do I cut it like a pie first? Do I fold it like a calzone / taco and use my hands? It was ginormous and I couldn't imagine how anyone would need a tall stack of two large, 12 inch pancakes. The strawberry milk was bright pink but not overly sweet at all. It was the perfect sweetness and topped with fresh strawberries and crushed pistachios. The fried rice was very good and a generous serving also. I expected a side serving to be about a small rice bowl size, but it was more of a cereal bowl size. I ate almost the whole thing and half the pancake because everything was so good I couldn't stop eating. Coffee is made super fresh and is great quality. It's not the Folgers or Yuban tin can here. If you get cream with your coffee, they will serve the cream warm! I've never had cream served warm with the hot coffee, so it was a nice surprise. The only downside is that they only allow one refill for the cost. Service was great here. I would definitely come back here again if I was in the area again.

Four words: short rib loco moco. Gosh, it's been so long since I've been here! So on a Sunday post-church (~1:30 pm), I headed on out because of a short rib loco moco craving. And it did not disappoint. The wait was only ~5-10 minutes, service was friendly, and the interior was clean and open (think of the architecture/interior design being similar to Moana Surfrider Hotel. Aside from the short rib loco moco ($17.25), I also ordered a large POG ($5.75), which certainly never disappoints. The short rib loco moco was just as savory and delightful as I had remembered, with the eggs and rice cooked to perfection. I also got to try the caprese panini ($11.50), a flavor combination of tomato, mozzarella, and basil viniagrette which never disappoints. Would like to try something sweet on the next visit to give a more wholesome review!

I need to replenish my nutrients! After a hike up to the top off Koko Head, someone from my group suggested breakfast at Moena Cafe. The cafe is located within a mile of the trailhead so it was a quick, easy drive after an arduous hike. Moena is a quaint little eatery serving breakfast and lunch. We got there about 0830 so we had breakfast. A quick overview from one of my group mates highlighted the huge pancakes, which I saw on someone else's plate and determined that I wasn't *that* hungry. I opted for the eggs Benedict with avocado instead. It came on sourdough with a slice of pineapple and half a strawberry as garnish. It was delicious. I was also able to try the pineapple sausage. I couldn't tell if it was infused with pineapple juice or had chunks of pineapple but, either way, it had the sweet pineapple flavour. You wouldn't expect the two to pair together but, it was a delicious combination. Both the cappuccino and coffee we equally good. The coffee is rich in flavour. We had creamer at our table and I was pleasantly surprised that it was warm. I often wonder why other places served cold creamer. Definitely a plus. One thing I didn't like - there was not a bathroom in the restaurant, which was understandable given the small space. The bathroom was shared with the other businesses on the strip. What I didn't like was that is was UPSTAIRS. Usually this wouldn't be a problem but, after just climbing Koko Head, the last thing I wanted to do was climb more stairs. Another thing - I typically tip good. I have no problem with tipping, especially if the staff does well, which they did. While I know gratuity is usually automatically included for large groups, I still like having the option of deciding what I want to tip or at least being forewarned about it. We each paid separately. Our group was about 12 people and an 18% gratuity was included on EACH of our tabs.

My friend and I stopped by at 11:30a for brunch on Saturday, 1/25/20. The restaurant was filled to capacity and we waited outside to be seated. They offered us the stools by the back counter but we opted to sit at a table. They had chairs outside to wait on that was convenient. We had a 10 minute wait outside and then we were seated immediately. Our server Alex was so attentive and gave us exceptional customer service and thoroughly went over the menu since it was my first visit here. My friend thought he was very professional and had a great personality and demeanor. He let us know that the Eggs Benedict dishes were what they were known for as well as their pancakes, French toast, as well as their Loco Moco, blueberry scones, and his favorite the sausage hash dish. My friend ordered the Crab Benedict and I got the Smoked Salmon Benedict. We both added avocado to it. We both enjoyed the poached eggs, béchamel sauce, the toast with our crab and salmon. My salmon was nice and moist, and flavorful and not dry. We ordered potatoes on the side that complemented our breakfast. My friend also ordered the Chantilly pancake for us to share. It was soft and sweet with the Banana Chantilly sauce and bananas throughout the soft billowy pancake. We had leftovers and got 3 boxes to take it home. If you want a package for your leftovers they will charge you a small bag fee. Moena's is a great place to have breakfast or brunch. We enjoyed our meal and our excellent customer service. Alex did a wonderful job making us feel so welcome. We will return to try their other specialties in the near future.

Solid breakfast! I really enjoyed the kalua pig Benedict, which was a fun and interesting local take on classic eggs Benedict. The benedict was served on garlic toast, which sounds kind of weird but was actually really delicious. My husband also enjoyed his short rib loco moco. You can't usually go wrong with a loco moco, and using the short ribs instead of a hamburger patty was an awesome idea. Everything we tried was very tasty and beautifully presented. A few critiques- yes, the wait was very long. The food was good, but I'm not sure if it was groundbreaking enough to wait over 30 minutes. The dining area is super small, so it can feel a bit claustrophobic, and you have to go outside and around the corner to find the restrooms. Also, for the price, it would've been nice if my dish came with a side of potatoes. Overall, though, really good place!

Would I come back: I would but depends on the wait. Food: Sweet bread French toast - 3.5/5 - This version of French Toast wasn't bad. It was tasty with the sweet bread but nothing overly special about it. Portuguese sausage - 3/5 - Standard faire...could have used a little bit more. Service: 4/5 - Friendly service by the staff. Ambiance: 3.5/5 - Because of the wait I took this to go instead of waiting. The inside looked pretty casual.

Dogs allowed?? Did I Miss that?? Oh no!! I'm really disappointed right now as someone just strolled in with their Fido. Sorry, no offense to dog owners but please let me know before I sit down to eat this is a dog friendly place. Would have eaten somewhere else had I known. Minus one star for that. Well, So I'm over it. Doggie or not food is good here. I had the MC 2 egg breakfast with pineapple sausage and fried rice. Other reviewers were accurate in this is all really really good!! Rice was not exactly fried but still moist and lots of flavor bits and veggies. Pineapple sausage was sliced and pan fried. Very good. Hawaiian omelet with roasted pork, cheddar cheese and green onions. Good sized portion and yummy. Had to add some spice as with everything but other than that it was perfect as is. Service was good here too. Seated promptly after 5 minute wait but we most likely timed it right.

First time going here but I've been seeing photos of this for so long! Hawaii Kai is kind of far for us but on a weekday there's not much traffic so it's pretty good. Located in Koko Marina Shopping Center, it's on the mauka end of the big parking lot. It was pretty full when we got there, so we signed up on the list, and about 10 minutes later we were called in. I got the corned beef hash with over easy eggs and a cup of the most delicious coffee! We also split a really yummy apricot scone that came with whipped cream. Everything was REALLY DELICIOUS and the corned beef hash was so big I had to bring half home! I hope to be back...tomorrow. And the next day. And the next!

Great food, poor service. Not really worth the wait, but it's a small step up if you aren't feeling the limited selections in Koko Marina shopping center. Açaí Bowl, Loco Moco Fried Rice, Avo Toast, Caprese Panini... Moena has a great selection of cafe food and local food which is tasty and fresh. There is usually a huge line and a group of people waiting outside on the weekends for brunch/lunch. Definitely not worth the wait. The only reason we stopped in this past weekend was the place was half empty (likely because of the rain). Service was SLOW. Place was half empty and no one came to help us when we walked in. (It's cool just talk to each other behind the counter, it's not like we can see you or anything...) we were borderline gonna walk out and someone finally came up to us so we could be seated. Got seated and ready to order.... tick tock... tick tock... our menus were closed (isn't that the international sign for "we're ready") even tried to look around for someone, but yup they were still just chatting to each other behind the counter. Weird. Guess this place doesn't care about service. I kid you not, we seriously considered walking out again... pretty bad huh? Water finally came and things went better from there. Got our food in a reasonable time and it was delicious. I live nearby and love the idea and vibe of the cafe setting but the wait and their servers are just too much trouble. Maybe I'll try ordering out next time since the food is pretty good. Similar to our last visit (where we sat at the bar and still had bad service) No one came to check on us, but with food in our bellies we were satisfied. Got the check and bounced. Happy campers. Meh, maybe Moena servers are more concerned with each other and socializing than helping their customers. Maybe they think they are so great and don't think they need to do a better job (I mean the line outside does seem to be encouraging). Maybe we went on an off day and the rain was just so distracting that we had bad service. Whatever the excuse, the food is a solid 4.5 stars. Service a solid 1. Overall 3 star review I think is pretty fair. Maybe one day Moena can win me over and I'll update this review. Until then, might be a long while till I find my way back again.

This is a really good spot for breakfast and lunch. They have a variety of food to choose from and everything is always fresh and tasty! I love their banana chantilly pancakes. The chantilly sauce is the best I've had! We also love the short rib loco moco and their pineapple sausage. The portions are pretty large. I'm glad I ordered a short stack of pancakes because the two of us couldn't even finish it. It's best to come on weekdays to avoid a wait!

Drove from Honolulu to Koko Marina to check out MOENA Cafe thats located in the Koko marina business area. It's right across from the Koko marina theater And also next to the island Famous Resturant ZIPPYS. Parking : Parking you don't have to worry about parking lots lots of parking stalls to park at, and a plus is that it's all free parking don't have to pay which is always the best when comes too parking. Just a heads up it can get busy in the Resturant, so expect to wait not too long tho, Probablly 10-15 mins it depends how big of you party is. They also offer bar style seating towards the front of the Resturant with about 4-5 seats I would say. Aight let's talk about the FOOD : So I read and heard that their known for that SHORT RIB LOCO MOCO, So I myself ordered that and honestly i say it was 3.5 stars out of total 5 stars. The SHORT RIB was good very soft just wish it had a little more taste to it, it was a little bland (IMO = in my opinion) also I was expecting more short rib instead of just two pieces of meat. I got it with Brown rice And over easy eggs. We also ordered their BANANA CHATTILY Pancakes one word DAMN it's big we got the full stack portion that comes with 2 pancakes and DAMN can't finish it even with two people eating it *ask for more Chantilly . We also ordered their KALUA PIG eggs Benedict it was okie the kalua pig was a little bit salty I guess too much Hawaii salt but other then that it was aight we got it with side potato's. Would i recommend other peoples and friends to check out this spot ? YES YES YES I would it's a good spot to check out specially if you love BREAKFAST and BRUNCH.

I absolutely love driving around island to clear my head. Usually I head east and stop by everything between Hanauma Bay and Makapu'u Lookout. Moena Cafe has always been the first place I think about to grab something delicious. I've had their Loco Moco, gigantic pancakes (which I did not finish), and their traditional breakfast. I'm terrible at taking pictures before I start eating. I attached a picture of what always happens. 6 bites into my meal, I remember to take a picture haha Anyway, fantastic spot for family and friends. Additionally, they have a place for individual seating. Love that!

Wish I could give 10 stars. The only downside and I mean only is that there is a bit of a wait. BUT... This place is worth the wait. And the staff manages the line expertly and always with a smile. Now....the food. So fresh. So delicious. Perfect portions. Not skimpy and not overloaded and we still had leftovers. The fried rice....the sausages....the PANCAKES. I selfishly hate to give this place such a strong review for fear the lines will grow even longer ;-) but to be true to Yelp I must be honest and honor the system. This place is an absolute MUST. And ask for Kat. She made our experience even better. Friendly. Helpful. Smart and adorable. :--)

This is perhaps the best place I've come for brunch. Ever. Located in the Koko Marina Shopping Center, Moena Cafe's seats are filled with many hungry bellies waiting to order their delicious food. There is usually a waitlist to eat here but it is definitely worth it! (We waited about 30 mins.) Before we were seated we knew what we wanted to order as we had plenty of time to look at the menu and photos on Yelp. My friend ordered the veggie breakfast sandwich which she really enjoyed. It had an egg, spinach, tomato, avocado and crispy cheese melts inside. My other friend ordered the crab eggs Benedict which was also very good. I ordered the short rib loco moco which was BOMB! Best thing I ever ate for brunch! I want to eat it again and again if I could. Everything we at was super delicious and (again) worth the wait. We also ordered a stack of their pancakes. Banana chantilly pancakes were good but maybe ask for extra chantilly sauce if you can! The service was also on point. Server was sharp and waters were filled. All staff members were so nice too. The only things you need to prepare yourselves for are the parking (lot can get crowded sometimes) and the wait time as the place is small.

Amazing. We had the short rib loco moco with fried rice - my husband said it was super soft and delicious, avocado toast - very fresh and enough to fill you up, and we attempted to share a "short stack" Chantilly Banana pancake - worth every calorie and probably the highlight of the meal for me.

After hiking Koko Head, we were starving and in need of some protein. It's located in the Marina plaza not too far from Koko Head. Plenty of parking in the plaza. The inside is a bit small and it was packed for morning brunch. We were seated shortly after and our waitress was really friendly. We ordered the fresh corned beef hash. It came on a giant plate with two over-easy eggs. The portion was ridiculously big which is why I'm glad we didn't order more food. The hash potatoes were extra crispy and beef was spot on. Lots of flavor that you didn't need a dip. Eggs over-easy was also cooked just right. A great spot to grab brunch in the area or put some protein back in your body after that hike.

LOVED this place!! We came here after hiking up Koko crater. Cute little local spot with really yummy food. the service was excellent as well. Highly recommend!

Oh how the mighty have fallen. This was my favorite breakfast place, but I won't be returning anytime soon. First, they got rid of the Mo'egga, which I thought was a piece of heaven on toast. I also saw that the avocado toast is like $15. This is toast with avocado on it. C'mon. We arrived early so there were lots of tables. No one helped us when we walked in and after about 5 minutes of awkwardly standing there, one of the servers noticed us from the back of the restaurant and instead of walking up to us, just stayed at the back and pointed at a table. Well, good morning to you too. Sadly, the service didn't improve much after that. After sitting with our menus for about 15 minutes, the server finally took our order. I ordered Belgian waffles with bananas and 2 poached eggs, medium. Breakfast partner had the veggie omelet with potatoes and coffee. Food took a while to arrive. Coffee came only a few minutes before the food. My waffles were soft rather than crisp and had about 12, paper-thin slices of banana. I mean, the banana slices were so thin, they were almost see-through. So disappointing. Flavor was meh. I cut into my poached eggs and the whites were all clear and oozing out. This was not even a soft poach. They were raw. Ugh. Very unappetizing. So the server took it back. The second time, they were more done. But the egg whites around the yolk were still clear and runny. It was a soft poach rather than a medium one. Whoever was poaching the eggs did not quite understand how to check them for doneness. Anyway, it was edible so I didn't send it back again. Breakfast partner thought the omelet was okay but the potatoes were not crispy and too salty. Also, he said the coffee was just okay. So maybe it was a good thing that they never refilled the coffee. In fact, after dropping off the food, the server never returned except to drop off the check. And they are still using those confounded square syrup containers that drip syrup everywhere. Yuck. Anyway, after this mediocre experience, I am not coming back anytime soon. And yet it is still crowded. When we left, there were about 15 people outside waiting. I don't get it.

This is one of my favorite cafe's to go to, especially if i'm in Hawaii Kai. The ambiance of the cafe is friendly and inviting, always open to family conversation, or "spilling the tea" and catching up over brunch. Wait time varies, but I usually have to wait 20-30 minutes to get seated with a party of 2 or 3. I highly suggest going there expecting a wait time and getting there early! Once you're seated, service is fairly quick. This time I visited Moena Cafe, I wanted something savory and light and something that I couldn't easily make at home. I ordered the Ham, spinach, mushroom, tomato, and mozzarella crepe. It was delicious, not salty but also not bland like you might expect. With my iced coffee, the brunch was complete and I was ready to take on the day! Since Moena Cafe is located in Koko Marina Shopping Center, parking is easily found right outside. All the seating is indoors and air-conditioned. Overall: Great experience and I'll be back here next time I'm on the east side in the morning!

Our new favorite spot when visiting the island. You have to try this place if your in the area. It gets super crowded and we had to wait 30 minutes for breakfast but it was well worth it. The loco moco was delicious. Their coffee is great and they ever sell coffee grounds to take home.