Overview
Moke’s Bread & Breakfast in Kailua is a locally rooted breakfast-and-brunch spot on Hoolai Street, aimed at people who want a relaxed, sit-down meal rather than a quick coffee run. The business is still operating at the candidate Kailua address and the Google Place details line up with the official site’s Kailua location, so there is no major identity conflict in the current record. (mokeshawaii.com)
For travelers, the draw is not just “breakfast in Hawaii,” but a very specific style of island brunch: house-made breads, signature pancakes, and familiar comfort dishes with a local twist. The place has a long-enough reputation to read as a Kailua standby rather than a new trend spot, and that matters if you want something established and distinctly local. (mokeshawaii.com)
Cuisine & Specialties
Moke’s is best described as Hawaiʻi-based brunch with a comfort-food backbone. The menu centers on pancakes, French toast, omelets, local-style breakfast plates, sandwiches, and classic island lunch items, with an emphasis on scratch-made components and a few signature dishes that recur across sources. The official menu and outside reviews both point to a place where the sweets are a major reason to go, but the savory plates are substantial enough to make it a real meal, not a dessert stop. (mokeshawaii.com)
- Overall menu style: Breakfast and brunch heavy, with some lunch items after late morning; comfort food with local/Hawaiian influences rather than a modern chef-driven tasting menu. (dining.staradvertiser.com)
- Notable specialties:
- Lilikoi pancakes — the signature item most consistently called out as the top draw. (mokeshawaii.com)
- Homemade corned beef hash — repeatedly highlighted as a standout savory dish. (mokeshawaii.com)
- Loco Moke / Loco Moco — an island classic with Moke’s house-style gravy and, for the Loco Moke, a house-cut ribeye swap. (ubereats.com)
- Reuben — made with homemade dark rye bread and brisket; a notable lunch option. (dining.staradvertiser.com)
- Stuffed hash browns / “The Jeff” — a heavier, indulgent plate from the current menu. (mokeshawaii.com)
- Montecristo — a French-toast sandwich that signals the richer, diner-style side of the menu. (mokeshawaii.com)
- Price range / spend: Google lists it at price level 2, which usually means moderate rather than cheap; traveler reviews also describe it as a bit pricey by local breakfast standards, though still broadly seen as fair for Kailua. (mokeshawaii.com)
- Dietary usefulness / limitations: Tripadvisor lists vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options, but the menu is still centered on eggs, bread, pancakes, hash, and meat-heavy plates, so it is more accommodating than specialized. (tripadvisor.com)
Notable Features & Ambiance
The Kailua location reads as a casual neighborhood breakfast room with some outdoor seating, not a destination restaurant built around design or spectacle. The official and third-party descriptions consistently suggest a comfortable, friendly, homey experience, with the setting fitting a slow morning or brunch stop while exploring Kailua town. (dining.staradvertiser.com)
- Service model and seating: Sit-down table service with takeout available; Tripadvisor also lists outdoor seating and high chairs, and traveler reports mention indoor and outdoor tables. (tripadvisor.com)
- Atmosphere and decor: Laid-back, casual, and “comfortable” rather than polished; editorial summaries and reviews emphasize a beachy, friendly, local feel. (tripadvisor.com)
- Practical features: Accepts takeout and delivery via major platforms according to the official site; Tripadvisor also lists wheelchair access and credit cards. (mokeshawaii.com)
- Best fit: A slow breakfast, brunch with visiting family, or a “must-try local pancake” stop when you are in Kailua. (afar.com)
- Weaker fit: Anyone needing a fast in-and-out breakfast during peak hours, or someone looking for a quiet, uncrowded, reservation-driven meal, may find it less convenient. That caution is supported by repeated notes about crowds and waits. (tripadvisor.com)
History & Background
Moke’s has a meaningful family story. The official about page says Chef Moké and his wife Teri opened the Kailua restaurant in 2004, with help from their children Keola and Leilani, and that the concept grew from home-cooked meals and family recipes. The same source says Moké was born and raised on Oʻahu, studied culinary arts at Kapiʻolani Community College, and worked at Halekulani under Chef Mavro before opening the restaurant. (mokeshawaii.com)
The business later expanded beyond Kailua: the website says it opened in Tokyo’s Nakameguro in 2013, Enoshima in 2018, and Kaimuki in 2019. That expansion context matters because it shows the Kailua location is the original flagship, not just one outpost of a larger chain. (mokeshawaii.com)
Review Sentiment Snapshot
What People Love
The most consistent praise is for the lilikoi pancakes, which multiple sources describe as the signature must-order dish. Reviewers also repeatedly mention the corned beef hash, loco moco / Loco Moke, and the overall comfort-food quality. Many travelers frame the restaurant as a local institution where the food feels homemade and reliable rather than trendy. (dining.staradvertiser.com)
People also like the casual, friendly service and the fact that the place feels like a neighborhood favorite. Several reviews mention the atmosphere as relaxed and family-friendly, with good coffee and filling portions. (tripadvisor.com)
Common Gripes
The main recurring downside is waiting / crowding, especially for popular breakfast hours. That complaint appears often enough to treat as well-supported rather than isolated. (tripadvisor.com)
A second, more modest theme is price: some visitors feel it is a bit expensive, though that usually comes with the acknowledgment that portions and quality are solid for Kailua. Service issues appear in some reviews, but they read as mixed and situational rather than a dominant pattern. (tripadvisor.com)
Practical Visitor Tips
- Hours: The Google record shows Tuesday–Friday 7:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m. and Saturday–Sunday 7:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m., with Monday closed. A 2020 local feature described a slightly different schedule, so the current Google hours look more reliable for a visit today. (mokeshawaii.com)
- Best time to go: Go early if you want a shorter wait; multiple traveler reports say lines build quickly around breakfast rush. (tripadvisor.com)
- Reservations: No clear reservation posture surfaced for the Kailua location; the evidence points more toward walk-in breakfast service than a reservation-first format. That is an inference from the available sources. (mokeshawaii.com)
- Parking/location: It is in central Kailua on Hoolai Street, and traveler reviews mention street parking. (tripadvisor.com)
- Ordering tip: If you only try one thing, the recurring recommendation is the lilikoi pancakes; savory eaters often pair them with corned beef hash or a loco moco. (dining.staradvertiser.com)
- Practical caveat: This is a popular breakfast stop, so it is better suited to travelers who can tolerate a wait than to anyone on a tight schedule. (tripadvisor.com)
Verification Notes
- Official name and Kailua identity are aligned across the Google Place record and the official website. (mokeshawaii.com)
- Address, phone, and website match the provided candidate facts:
27 Hoolai St, Kailua, HI 96734, USA,(808) 261-5565,http://www.mokeshawaii.com/. (tripadvisor.com) - Business status appears operational; no closure signal surfaced. (mokeshawaii.com)
- No major verification issues found. (mokeshawaii.com)
Sources
- Google Places details for Moke’s Bread & Breakfast —
https://maps.google.com/?cid=10323519747297941305— Retrieved 2026-04-02. Useful for the canonical identity anchor, current hours, rating, price level, and operational status. - Official Moke’s “About Us” page —
https://www.mokeshawaii.com/about-us— Retrieved 2026-04-02. Useful for founding story, chef background, family ownership, and expansion history. - Official Moke’s homepage —
https://www.mokeshawaii.com/— Retrieved 2026-04-02. Useful for confirming current brand positioning, Kailua location presence, and takeout/delivery/catering posture. - Official Moke’s menu page —
https://www.mokeshawaii.com/menu— Retrieved 2026-04-02. Useful for current signature dishes and menu style, including specialty plates and pricing examples. - Honolulu Star-Advertiser Dining Out feature —
https://dining.staradvertiser.com/2020/03/features/inside-feature/get-bed-bread-breakfast/— Retrieved 2026-04-02. Useful for local reporting on the restaurant’s signature dishes, family framing, and service-hours pattern. - AFAR review page —
https://www.afar.com/places/mokes-bread-and-breakfast-kailua— Retrieved 2026-04-02. Useful for long-running reputation signals, especially the signature pancakes, corned beef hash, and “local institution” framing. - Tripadvisor restaurant listing —
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60652-d619701-Reviews-Moke_s_Bread_and_Breakfast-Kailua_Oahu_Hawaii.html— Retrieved 2026-04-02. Useful for traveler-facing review patterns, current hours display, seating/features, and recurring wait/crowding feedback.
