Cinnamon's Restaurant Kailua
Casual Kailua breakfast and lunch spot known for signature pancakes, benedicts, and hearty island-style comfort plates. Open daily in the morning-to-early-afternoon window.
- Signature red velvet and guava chiffon pancakes
- Eggs Benedict variations, including crab cake Benedict
- Casual sit-down brunch setting
- Daily breakfast and lunch hours
Cinnamon’s Restaurant Kailua is a longtime Windward Coast breakfast-and-lunch staple that has built its reputation on generous comfort food, signature pancakes, and a relaxed sit-down brunch rhythm. It is the kind of place that feels especially useful in Kailua: easygoing, family-friendly, and broad enough to work for nearly any morning crowd, from pancake devotees to travelers who want a hearty plate before heading to the beach. The draw is not fine dining or trend-chasing; it is dependable island-style breakfast with a few dishes that have become local signatures.
What Cinnamon’s does best
The restaurant’s strongest lane is clear: pancakes and brunch plates with a Hawaiian-American tilt. The most recognizable names are the red velvet pancakes and guava chiffon pancakes, both of which have become signature orders for good reason. Cinnamon’s also leans into the kind of breakfast food that feels substantial rather than dainty, with benedicts, loco moco-style plates, omelettes, sandwiches, and other daytime comfort dishes filling out the menu.
That range makes the restaurant especially practical for mixed groups. One person can go sweet with a stack of pancakes, while someone else can choose a more savory brunch plate. Crab cake Benedict is one of the best-known savory highlights, and it fits the house style well: classic brunch structure with a local comfort-food edge. The overall impression is of a menu built to satisfy, not to impress with restraint.
For travelers, the most reliable first-time strategy is simple: start with one of the signature pancakes or a Benedict variation. Those are the dishes most closely tied to Cinnamon’s identity, and they explain why the restaurant has stayed relevant in Kailua for decades.
The feel of the experience
Cinnamon’s is casual, busy, and popular in a way that feels very much like a neighborhood brunch institution. It is not trying to be polished or precious. The setup is full-service, but the mood is relaxed rather than formal, and the dining room tends to reflect the steady stream of locals and visitors who come here for breakfast and lunch. The setting is a shopping-center-style location, which makes it practical more than scenic, and it can be a little tricky to spot at first if you are not paying attention.
The restaurant’s story adds helpful context. Cinnamon’s says it was founded in 1985 by Puna Nam, Cricket Nam, and chef-partner Carsie Green, with a mission centered on community, reasonable prices, and aloha. That family-led identity still helps explain the restaurant’s personality today: friendly, unpretentious, and rooted in the idea of feeding people well without turning breakfast into an event.
The practical upside is that Cinnamon’s is easy to fold into a Kailua morning. It is open daily in the breakfast-to-early-afternoon window, and the overall format works well for visitors who want a sit-down meal before exploring the beach or town.
The tradeoffs to know
The main drawback is popularity. Cinnamon’s has enough of a following that waits can be part of the experience, especially during peak breakfast hours. It is not the best choice if the goal is a quiet meal or a very fast in-and-out stop. Parking can also be awkward depending on timing and lot conditions, and the location is not the kind of instantly obvious storefront some travelers expect.
There is also a mild menu tradeoff: Cinnamon’s is broad, but it is not especially focused on dietary specialization. Travelers looking for a restaurant built around vegan, gluten-free, or allergy-forward cooking should verify options directly rather than assume the menu will be highly tailored. The good news is that the variety helps groups, but the concept remains a classic brunch house rather than a specialty health kitchen.
Who should go
Cinnamon’s is best for travelers who want a classic Kailua brunch stop with signature pancakes, hearty plates, and an easygoing local feel. It is a strong fit for families, mixed groups, and anyone who likes breakfast that leans generous and comforting. It also makes sense for visitors who want a place with real local history rather than a generic café.
Travelers who may want something else are those prioritizing speed, quiet, or a polished reservation-driven meal. Cinnamon’s works best when approached on its own terms: a beloved daytime institution that knows exactly what it is and has spent decades doing it well.
