Having breakfast when visiting the island of Oahu is something one should not miss! Hawaii is such a culturally diverse state, which you’ll often find reflected on local menus filled with foods from different ethnicities…usually all on one plate.
One of the more popular dishes that locals eat for breakfast in Hawaii is the famous “Loco Moco” and, of course Portuguese sausage, eggs, and white rice. Even McDonald’s has added this staple meal to their menu!
But don’t mistake this for what Hawaiians eat in Hawaii.
A true Hawaiian or “Kanaka Maole” will eat fish and poi for breakfast everyday if they could. But we’ll leave that for another article.
With so many restaurants to choose from, we decided to just focus on the ones we frequent the most and those that come highly recommended by friends and family.
Skip the hotel breakfast buffets and head out with your family for a more local dining experience at any of our top 1o family-friendly breakfast spots on Oahu!
Top 10 Family-Friendly Breakfast Spots on Oahu
Rise and Shine
A brightly colored eatery located in the Mililani Mauka Shopping Center, this restaurant is clean with an uncomplicated menu. Although a bit small, the seating style is family-friendly, they have menus for kids and the staff are very friendly. It can get busy for breakfast on the weekends so get there early if you wish to snag a table.
Kid Foodie Favorites: Sweet Bread French Toast and Breakfast Burrito
Rise & Shine: Mililani, Opens @ 7am
Pancakes & Waffles
CARROT ? PANCAKES are ?-pack!!! #thattookwaytoolong #emojiproblems
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Serving up breakfast classics and local favorites we like this place for their waffles and chicken. It’s never crowded on the weekends since it happens to be located in the back of a commercial plaza (near Chuck E Cheese). Great food, inexpensive but massive servings! A very comfortable place, great for the entire family.
Kid Foodie Favorites: Fried Chicken with Waffles and brown gravy, and plain waffles
Pancakes & Waffles: Kalihi, Opens @ 6:30am
Moke’s Bread and Breakfast
This family-owned and operated breakfast cafe has a beach-style atmosphere. We like coming here on the weekends early before heading to Lanikai beach for the day. Service is great and the food is ono! Try their rabbit loco moco if you’re feeling adventurous. They are famous for their lilikoi pancakes, which has a passionfruit flavored sauce smothered over the entire stack of pancakes. They have a great kids menu and make their breads and baked goods from scratch. The wait can be up to an hour so go on a weekday morning as they don’t take reservations.
Kid Foodie Favorites: Lilikoi Pancakes, Chili Cheese Loco Moco, and Mickey Mouse pancakes
Moke’s Bread and Breakfast: Kailua, Opens @ 6:30am
Koa Pancake House
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A casual restaurant chain serving up classic pancakes and omelets, this place is popular amongst the locals. They serve their food on paper plates and plastic utensils which make them unique in many ways. The menu is extremely varied…it’s possible to eat something different every day for 365 days!
Kid Foodie Favorites: Crepes, Pancake with different toppings
Koa Pancake House: 7 Locations, Islandwide, Opens @ 6:30am
Cafe Kaila
B-A-N-A-N-A-S! ???. #cafekaila (mahalo: @justpisen)
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Popular with Japanese tourists this place is still a local favorite. The quality of their food is always on par and the service as well. Great home-cooked breakfasts and lunches, reasonably priced, and conveniently located in the Market City Shopping Center with free parking available. It’s always full and with a line, no reservations are accepted, so go really early or allow time to get a table. The food is well worth the wait.
Kid Foodie Favorites: Oatmeal Pecan Waffles and Chocolate Waffles
Cafe Kaila: Honolulu, Opens @ 6:30am
Cinnamon’s
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Always crowded but for a reason…they are just that good. Serving sizes are large so come hungry and ready to fill your bellies! There’s so many things we love on the menu, it’s difficult to just choose a few, but somehow we managed. They are known for their Red Velvet Pancakes.
Kid Foodie Favorites: Guava Chiffon Pancakes, Red Velvet Pancakes and Hawaiian Omelet
Cinnamon’s: Locations in Waikiki and Kailua, Opens @7am
Forty Niners
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We’ve been long time visitors to Forty Niners, and love their old-school diner feel. Don’t expect fancy furniture, it’s a no-fuss kinda place with plastic cups, wooden chopsticks, but delicious homestyle food. The diner has been around since 1947, and is a place my grandparents, parents and now children all enjoy eating at!
Kid Foodie Favorites: The Elvis
Forty Niners: Waimalu & Aiea, Opens @ 7am
Sweet E’s
Sweet E’s Cafe? #sweetescafe #hawaii #oahu #breakfast #yummy
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The great thing about Sweet E’s is their food AND service. They are usually very fast and everything always comes out the same great quality you would expect.Their new location is very welcoming for families as well. Saturday mornings at 8am is a good time to go and there is a lot of parking.
Kid Foodie Favorite: Blueberry Stuffed French Toast and Kalua Pork Eggs Benedict
Sweet E’s: Kapahulu, Opens @ 7am
Goofy Cafe & Dine
Located in Waikiki just steps from the Hilton Hawaiian Village, Goofy Cafe and Diner is a hidden gem. The kids love coming here for their acai bowls and taro muffins. This is what “local” is all about, from the atmosphere to the hospitality to the incredibly fresh and unique menu offerings. If you can find parking, Goofy’s is well worth the visit.
Kid Food Favorite: Acai Bowl and Honey French Toast
Goofy Cafe & Dine: Waikiki, Opens @ 7am
Big City Diner
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The breakfast menu at Big City is so intense it will take you awhile to decide what to eat! Their portions are very large but the kids love coming here. The location in Kaimuki is the original restaurant so check them out if you’re in the neighborhood.
Kid Foodie Favorites: Kim Chee Fried Rice and Kids loco moco with eggs scrambled
Big City Diner: Locations Islandwide, Opens @ 7am
And there you have it! Our list of the Top 10 Family-Friendly Breakfast Spots on Oahu – did we miss one of your favorites? Let us know in the comments below – we’re always on the lookout for new restaurants to try.
Some of these places look incredible! I’d probably eat at all of them!
WOW! If this post doesn’t make you hungry, there is something wrong. Amazing options – and not just for kids! I’ll be pinning this one for later too!
Owwwhhh myyy goshh!! With such delicious foods I would have breakfast 3 times a day! Each one looks so gorgeous and delicious! thanks for sharing.
Looks very delicious! Great that they’re kiddie friendly, but they look every bit as appealing for the adults too 🙂
Bookmarked for that Hawaii trip I’ve long wanted to take.