Ken's House of Pancakes in Hilo

It looked like the marked up the prices based on photos others have posted. I’d you do come here, I recommend getting the waffles; definitely pair it with the coconut cream syrup.Although the fried noodles look like chow mein from Chinese restaurants, they’re not. They’re not stir fried in a sauce, rather you need to dip or mix it with the spicy mustard they give you. Without the mustard or shoyu, they don’t have much flavor if any.

Old diner setting. Ordered Egg Benedict, they were out of hash browns. The option to replace those was mashed potatoes & gravy and some other odd choice for a breakfast meal. The “HOT” pineapple upside down cake with ice cream was nice - very sweet!

Loved the vibe inside this diner. Loco moko was Smokey and delicious. The mac nut pancakes with coconut syrup was out of this world. Will walk out with a very happy belly

Very busy place, probably from years of returning customers and or YouTube reviews. But if you have a family or on a budget this isn’t a place for you. Very expensive, the wait to get seated is long, and the wait to get your food is just as long. We waited 20 minutes to get seated and 40 minutes to get our food. Portion size was normal, but for the price I would expect twice the portion. A kid’s meal starts at $13. FYI. Atmosphere was like from the 1970s Hawaii with lots of rattan. I took pictures if you want to see the menu. We mostly likely won’t be back here. Too pricey for us.

My first locomoco experience, so cannot say if this was better or worse, though it wasn’t the best food I’d ever had around here. Burger was not too bad.The service by one who was a very sweet waitress was nice, by the others.. could be much improved.

Great local spot for breakfast. They probably have the worlds best pancakes! Sweet bread French toast and Crab cakes & eggs were delicious. Highly recommeded.

Sumptuous breakfast! We had 2 Vegetarian omelettes which came with a side of pancakes or toast and hash browns. Since they had a recall on hash browns we had to substitute it with Fries. The vegetarian omelettes are made of 3 eggs with spinach and onion. The place itself looks like a classic diner style restaurant.

The eggs Benedict was ok, the coffee was hot. Of all the amazing things to eat on the big island, this probably isnt one of them. Im not a breakfast person, and this just wasnt exciting.

Had my first ever Loco Moco! Nummy! My DIL had the banana macadamia nut waffles. She had her choice of Guava, Papaya & Coconut Syrup. They were soooo good (she let me taste 😋)!Definitely a Must at Hilo.

My visit here was a random selection of places in the around. With my visit to Hilo, I saw this restaurant on the map and couldn’t turn down a spot called House of Pancakes. The service was great and staff was really nice. The atmosphere was relaxing but the decor could of been better. There is a large variety of food to pick from. After drive around all day, I came in hungry so I ordered the Sumo pancakes. Let me tell you… You better have your big boy’s pant on when you order this. I underestimated the word “huge” on the menu. Not only do you get three huge pancakes, you get 3 large eggs, a large slice of ham and pieces of bacon in between the pancakes. The pancakes could of been a little more flavorful but still good. I was only able to get half of the pancakes. My hands are big and I can palm a basketball. These pancakes were bigger than my hands. It’s a good location to stop at if you’re in that area.

Wonderful staff, good food, good portions, good prices, great energy in the establishment, wonderful meal overall ☺️ I had the crab omelette, which came with pancakes and hash browns. You MUST try the lillikoi (passion fruitsyrup on the pancakes. #GameChanger 😉

Be prepared to eat way to much food!! Huge servings, and it feels like you are transported into the past. Old time diner with really positive and old school Hawaiian energy. Very affordable and the only place open 24hrs in Hilo. I visit her often for breakfast.

The snow crab omelette is THE BEST omelette I’ve ever had!!! The coconut syrup was amazing for pancakes. The most unforgettable memory was somebody had paid for our breakfast check few days ago. Thank you and bless you🙏

GO TO THIS RESTAURANT. This is a classic diner offering Hawaiian sounds in the classic breakfast and lunch. We went for breakfast. The pancakes were the best Ive ever had. Fluffy, but not dry. Didnt get saturated with syrup. Moist but not lank. A+ the service was top of the line. The atmosphere was comfortable and classic.If youre in Hilo, GO HERE

If you travel in Hilo, this is one of restaurants you would love to consider. Particularly if you are a lover of pancake (who would not though), you will regret if you dont visit here. It has enough parking spaces, but you may have some challenge to find the spots if you visit there in the summer season because of traveler. The price is affordable and the servers are also friendly. I highly recommend this restaurant for anyone who visit Hilo.

7/24/22Two days in a row. Simple ono food. Steak and Eggs offers a pretty dang hearty steak for the price, and Im a steak lover. Tender, cooked to order. Just a really nice, busy, hometown diner with friendly staff and gotta try specials. I wish I had more time. Anyway, its simple. Try it, youll like it. 😉🤙✌️

Delicious food! Love the fact they leave the coffee pot on the table. Yummy coconut syrup that taste like pina colada. Awesome service too!

Food and service was awesome! Old Hawaiian nostalgia decor keeps you coming back. It is a lot if fun when someone orders a sumo from menu.

A great price for large portions! A welcome break from paying alot for a little which happens in a lot of tourist oriented restaurants. This place felt like a nice welcoming local joint. Service was great and fairly quick. Their menu is huge which you can take as a + or - . If you have picky eaters there is lots to choose from. I will say I ordered wrong, which is on me. I got a basic spaghetti (picturedwhich wasnt great. However, many in our group got the macadamia nuts pancakes (picturedwhich were amazing! The different sauces and syrups they had were additionally delightful. Goes to show at a house of pancakes, ordering pancakes is a smart choice!

Meals were fresh and delicious we had the Really Real Snowcrab Omelette with coconut pancakes. The restaurant has a great atmosphere. The staff are super friendly and helpful. The coconut syrup for the pancakes was nothing like Ive had before and was a perfect addition.

A local favorite. Kens provides great local flavors with a generous serving size.They have their own parking and the location is close to a lot of the hotels near the airport. The decor has a relaxing Big Island look with some good oldies music as you eat. Take a look at my picture and see how many times Dwayne the Rock Johnson shows up. Hint theres more than 3!The food was so ono that I forgot to take a picture before we ate. We were here for breakfast and some of us needed to go boxes because there was so much food. I got the Eggs and Things with hash brown, Portuguese saucesage and pancakes. The choices worked well for the savory and sweetness thay I wanted. The pancakes came with 3 different syrups ( you gotta try the lilikoi and coconut is good as welland the saucesage amd hashbrows tasted delicious. We would stop and eat here again the next time we are in Hilo.

Comfort food! We always stop off when on the Hilo side of the Big Island. The mustard with the saimin is super potent - nose clearing! We hope it can go back to 24 hour dining soon.

Awesome place. Friendly people. Great food. What’s not to like. Definitely come here.I do recommend factoring in some time as the wait could get long.We had omelets, French toast, waffles, and pancakes. Everything was awesome.Will definitely come again.

Ken’s is always a go to for pancakes anytime or the day! The banana pancakes are delicious, and the pancakes and chicken (they were out of waffleswas to die for! Everyone has a piece of the chicken because it was just that good.

Excellent dining experience. The coffee was great! The crab cake was crispy and flavorful. You must try mango & coconut syrups!

Really good diner breakfast! Really liked the hollandaise omelette, pancakes were good but a little heavy. Overall we really enjoyed our breakfast at Kens and the wait wasn’t too bad! Super nice staff too!

Well-loved, kitschy, retro style diner. We ate here 4 different times while staying in Hilo. Lots of locals dining in or picking up to-go orders & it was recommended by our cab driver. Pancakes are ok, but the passionfruit and coconut cream syrups stole the show. The pocho moco features Portuguese sausage and ground beef instead of the usual hamburger patty in a loco moco. We noticed the saimin - a local low key ramen - was a popular dish. Portions are large - try asking for a half order, we heard some locals ordering that way, although it’s not clear from the menu which dishes are eligible. Fun people watching late at night on the weekends.

A snow crab omelette with hollandaise?! YOU BET! This was delicious...I was so excited to try it I started eating before the picture.Kens is known for their pancakes and passion fruit syrup, but I stick to protein and can confirm their omelettes are equally D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!

Food, like just about everything, is expensive in Hawaii. Kens was one of the few places where we were able to get a good meal at a reasonable price. My wife loved the coconut pancakes.

Nice portions and youll have your OWN pot of coffee! Now thats a great breakfast place! The food tastes delicious and the menu is extensive. Try their Sumos if youre really hungry or dont know what to pick and want to share some with your friends. The staff is very attentive and friendly, theres always a wait but service is fast.

The wait time is not that bad in the morning. Mac pancakes are great with coconut and passion fruit syrup.I also got the Sunday special, oxtails soup. It comes with rice and ginger! Ive never seen the combination before, it turned out great too

We had the best waitress. She has been there for 50 yrs. Diner was amazing and food was delicious. You can tell why they have been around so long. Must stop while in Hilo.

Mahi curry loco moco special and the Paniolo burger with mango coconut bread pudding. Worth the drive from Waikoloa.

I came here on my birthday and they gave me a free stack of strawberry pancakes with a candle, a tradition hat and sang happy birthday. Thanks guys for this great experience. My waitress was amazing as well.

This is the hardest review Ive ever done. Kens has been a staple in our lives for most of our lives. You can not go to Hilo side without going to Kens. Until now. First, the good. The staff was wonderful, friendly, helpful, talk story. The food came out very quick. But sadly, the portions are half the size they use to be but double the price. Its hard to see in the pictures because I try to make all my pictures look good but theyre no longer the large platers or tub size bowls. Which is probably better for our waistline but not when the pancakes with bananas are $18.95. Our bill for a family of four after tips was $89.00. We understand "covid" issues and recent "inflation" issues but in comparison, our bill at TK Noodles, two days later, which I consider a higher end hawaiian fusion restaurant in Kona was the same price. We also noticed it was pretty empty which was never the case before and it was during Merrie Monarch. While another "Hawaiian Style" type of restaurant down the road was so full, it had a waiting list to get in. We hope things eventually balance out for this beloved place.

Local diner that I have been going to for years now. Large menu with local favorites and standard diner fare. They are open 6AM-9PM most days which is great for Hilo. Staff is friendly and helpful. I like the honey fried chicken and I heard the chopped beef steak was tasty. Conveniently located on a corner right before you get to the airport, you can grab a quick bite when you land or right before you hop on the plane. Ample parking. Older diner decor. Will be back there again for my next meal.

You wont leave here hungry! Great service even when busy. Had the macadamia nut pancakes (with banana and two syrups- coconut and a local fruitand French toast banana foster-style. Parking is tightJust be patient.

This is a great place for breakfast. We went here two mornings running when staying at the DoubleTree in Hilo. It has much better breakfast than the DoubleTree. Its also open early so great if you are going to Volcanoes National Park, as you can get breakfast beforehand.There were quite a lot of locals, which is always a good sign.

Went their to try new things, like spam. Macadamian nuts are also very popular in Hawaii as well so I tired the macadamian nut pancake, I think maybe the nuts need to be cooked inside the pancake otherwise they’re just falling all over the place. I honestly wasn’t a fan of either but glad I tried it. Great vibes and friendly servers, lots of food options. Had parking, and wait time to be served was bearable

Excellent service and great food!!! Popular spot, with all the history on the walls to show it. Server was quick and attentive even though it was really busy. Food exceeded expectations since it seems like a little run down diner. So ono!!!

This is the cutest Hawaiian diner! It takes a lot for me to rant and rave about a diner since the food is all pretty basic. However this place kills it! Such a great atmosphere. Not far from many of the big hotels in Hilo. There can be a long wait but it was worth it. I got the eggs Benedict with a side of pancakes and hash browns. Spent $20 with tip on a sit down breakfast in Hawaii.

My father in law recommended coming here while we toured the big island and said they have the best loco moco. He was NOT lying!Ordered the Sumo Loco, didnt regret it one bit. The gravy had great flavor and the burger patties were well seasoned and helped boost the overall flavor!

Ken’s House of Pancakes offers and delivers a true atmosphere with big portions and great taste. The service is pleasant and overall we were really happy.They have plenty of tables for seating, but they are still busy, so be aware that you might have to wait for a table. But if one thing is for sure - it’s all worth it!

Our experience at Ken’s House of Pancakes was horrible! We spent roughly half an hour waiting for our table and when we finally got our table we had to wait 20 minutes to order. I get that it was busy, but they continued to seat more and more people and not bother to pay attention to us. When the waitress came to take our order, she wasn’t totally paying attention to us and was very flustered. We waited FOREVER for our food to get to our table, probably about 45 minutes, and when it got there, some of our food was cold! The bacon and French toast we ordered were both cold, the bacon was practically alive, and the egg we ordered over medium was over easy. The coconut syrup we got was not as good as some that we’ve had before. When we went to pay, it was so overpriced! The waitress didn’t bother to tell us that the side we ordered was going to cost extra, and we ended up paying over $70 for three people! And of course, when we went to pay, their system was down, so we had to pay in cash. I do understand that they are probably short staffed with covid and all, but still, it shouldn’t take two hours at this place to actually eat for 20 minutes.

Famous for their breakfast n pancakes, both locals n tourists visit this place.We visited on Christmas day since they were one among the very few restaurants that was open. They were short staffed and took a long time to serve though.Since we heard about their portions size, we ordered only two dishes for the three of us and managed to finish our food. We noticed most folks ended up carrying their food back.If you love your pancakes, do visit them for sure.

Kens House of Pancakes is a magical place for an amazing meal. This restaurant exudes the spirit of Aloha. You become a member of the KHOP Ohana when you sit down at a table. I can heartily recommend everything on the menu! ❤️

Food is great. Perfect for brunch and will be great dining with family and friends.Waited 20-minutes to be seated. Our server is friendly and even though she is super busy she was still able to accommodate us fairly on time. Reasonable price as well.Highly recommended!

Our vacation in hillo, we eat three times. After eating once we love the food, people and atmosphere. Highlights of the orders are 1Snowcrab omelette 2Mac-nut pancake 3Taco salad (which huge4Saimin noodles (kind soup5Thanksgiving dinner.

A local diner favorite with a currently limited menu has a Hawaiian twist. I had the Chinese chicken salad and Stephen had their version of Loco Moco (this dish comes with hamburger patty, two eggs, rice, and gravy). The breakfasts are plentiful and served all day.

We enjoyed a delicious breakfast here. We tried the macadamia nut pancakes, chocolate chip pancakes, an omelet, and French toast. Everyone enjoyed the lilikoi and coconut syrups.