Kalapawai Cafe

GO HERE! BEST steak I have eaten in a very long time. The service was awesome and very friendly. It was a busy night when we visited and they quickly set up a space for us on the front patio because inside was full. Our server Kai was so great with our kids and very attentive. Everything we ordered was fantastic and it felt more like a fine dining experience than a visit to a Cafe/Deli. If you come for dinner don't skip out on bringing home some muffins for breakfast the next day. They were huge and tasted so good. It was allergy friendly which is always so great to find when traveling.

We are here on vacation and we’re looking for something less for tourists and more for regular people. We found it. This is a great cafe. We had a great experience here. The food is amazing. The service is friendly and the location is warm and charming. The art is beautiful. Tonight’s fish was Ahi. And it was served with Lemon Risoto or with a salad. I chose the Risoto and my husband had the salad. The portions were more than enough. We started with the bacon wrapped figs and they were great !

Tasty food! Everyone's meal that went by looked delicious. I got the lilikoi sangria, pita & hummus, herb goat cheese & roasted grape bruschetta, pumpkin pizza. Everything was great!

Kalapawai is a great go-to for all three meals; however, their dinners knock it out of the park every time! My favorite is the daily fish served over lemongrass risotto. My other half loved the short ribs. The cocktails and wine selection is great, too!

Everything was absolutely amazing. The rich, decadent ganache brownie melted in my mouth, and the bagel sandwich was perfectly balanced with fresh ingredients and just the right amount of flavor. I was so caught up in the moment, savoring every bite, that I inhaled both without even thinking to snap a picture. The Chai was smooth and comforting, while the Nutella cinnamon roll felt like a warm, indulgent hug. Every bite was pure bliss, and I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat! ♥️

We had a scheduling mishap on Sunday morning and drove to Kailua an hour later than our breakfast reservation time. Fortunately, I had bookmarked the Kalapawai cafe so I plan B went into full effect. The 8 of us arrived and were greeted with the warmest sense of hospitality. The staff really went above and beyond to seat us and ensure we were together as a large family. They were all so sweet and accommodating. We were seated outside near the entrance and could hear and see the excitement of customers walking in and out of the restaurant. We had such a hard time choosing what to eat for brunch because everything looks so delicious. I settled on the breakfast burrito because the Kalua pork was house made. The breakfast slider with bacon was a huge favorite, as was the Caprese sandwich, which was extremely refreshing and savory with that thick slice of mozzarella. The pastrami Reuben was also a favorite. Not pictured is the cinnamon roll that I ordered to go but quickly devoured in the car before we left the parking lot. We were thankful to have found this wonderful little gem of a café.

Oh my goodness! Such delicious food!! I had the bruschetta (but on cauliflower crust due to gluten sensitivity). It was so good! Perfectly marinated and gorgeous presentation! They brought it out quite quickly given it was a special request! My friends got the breakfast bagel and the breakfast burrito and both loved their food too!

Great spot for lunch. Very popular and a great variety of food options and baked goods. A must try!

My husband and I loved it here! We even got seconds after we ordered because of how good it was! We also sat outside and the view is amazing!

Chef Alex - Everything that comes out of his kitchen is completely amazing. Fresh. Consistent. Creative. We ate at Kalapawai Kailua 4 times in one week. The service is amazing, everyone is super friendly and helpful. Side note- I lived in Kailua years ago and LOVE seeing a small locally owned business expand, grow, and thrive.

Paula and the rest of the employees are super nice and the food is awesome. I don’t drink coffee so I can’t comment on that but my wife said it’s always good. The breakfast burrito is really good and the food is fresh.

Atmosphere rating is just because i can't see the beach, cute cafe. I hade the margherita pizza made with cauliflower crust and alamode warmed cookie. The food was yummy and hit the spot.

Probably one of my favorite cafes on the island. My favorite aspect of this business is basically the atmosphere. It's extremely comfortable, homey, etc. Have gone here a couple times. Boyfriend has gotten their breakfast sandwich and enjoys it. He often raves about their giant chocolate chip cookies- claiming they are some of, if not, the best he has ever had. I usually just get an almond milk latte, which I enjoy. My friend got soup here before, which they forgot to add the rice to, but was still good. She also got a coconut/lilikoi muffin, which we both found very yummy.

The food was great but the popularity of the place makes for a congested eating experience. Their Avacado toast was incredible, as was their breakfast burritos.

Lamb shank special was out of this word. Salad was outstanding and desserts to finish us off. Staff super friendly. Great first impression!

Great food and extremely friendly and helpful staff. I great cozy place for a dinner with friends and family.

Came here for dinner. The food was great and the workers were all very nice. They have a menu with a good selection of foods, and a really good drink menu. I got a veggie burger, which was really tasty, and the lilikoi cheesecakes, which were delicious. I would be happy to eat here again! :)

Our favorite place to eat in Kailua! Food is delicious, the atmosphere is great, the staffing is super friendly - all around a 10/10

Tremendous Breakfast bagel. Loaded with meat and made fresh once ordered. They have always been friendly and btw their dinner menu is fabulous. If your looking for great food no matter the meal of the day look no further than here.

This is a great, great, great little place. The chicks here were nice the coffee was good and sweet. I'm a bit of a club sandwich connoisseur and it was a fanatastico. Will come back here an get mo.

When our friend Rick visited us from California, he wanted to go to a local cafe for a cup of coffee. We walked to this cafe in the morning (approx. 1 mile from my house). He had a cup of coffee and pastry. I had house coffee and avocado toast. Also features all the local artiest on the wall. We also learned that this cafe and deli was first opened in 1930s. (The one by the Kailua Beach) This place is famous for poke. If you are into fresh poke bowl, be sure to try it.

I kept seeing friends post about this place and have been wanting to try it for years 😬 the hubs and I finally were able to have a day date and check it out!!! It Did Not Disappoint!!! So Good!! I had the Italian Sub and it tasted so Fresh!! My husband had the Da ‘Aina burger and finished it in like 2 bites 🤣 He said it was Amazing!! Definitely will not take as long to go back!!

Very nice visit here. The staff were friendly + helpful to a "first time" visitor. Great sandwich on a Sunday afternoon. I will be back to this place.!!

Very cute cafe. The ordering system is a little weird though... you order your food at one counter then pay for your food and order your drinks and pastries at the counter behind you. If you are dining in, they will give you a number that you take back to your table. The pumpkin mochi here is really good and so was the italian soda i had. Probably the most impressive thing there was the paper straws! Finally there is somewhere that doesn't give plastic straws!

The service was incredible here and the food did not disappoint! The ordering process was slightly confusing but that honestly didn’t matter once we figured it out! We were so happy to find something fresh on the island! Thank you so much we will come back! The French dip…. YUM!

Furikake fish sandwich was perfect. Baja fish tacos on point and furikake fresh catch, tuna, was cooked perfectly. Service exceptional. Friendly service with tons of Aloha.

Everything we ate — gnocchi appetizer, auction fish entree, the pork entree, and the fruit crisp— and drank was absolutely phenomenal. Service was friendly and fast, and our server Shane gave us excellent recommendations. We will absolutely be back.

Came for dinner. The lamb curry, wagyu burger, and chocolate chip cookie a la mode were delicious. While the food was excellent, Rocie stole the show with her outstanding service. My husband and I try not to dine at the same place twice with how many unique restaurants there are on island, but if all the staff are as welcoming and charismatic as Rocie, we will definitely be making this place our go-to for nicer date nights.

A must-stop spot whenever I’m in Kailua. I love the nostalgic charm here. The food is really delicious, though the muffins are a bit on the sweet side for me…

A great place for brunch/lunch after visiting the nearby Farmers Market. The service was friendly and efficient. The sandwiches were good with fresh ingredients. There were both indoor and outdoor seating areas that were tight, but comfortable.

Food was really good I had the fish tacos and a coffee which was a little weak, the baked goods were really good. The table top we sat at was sticky that's my main dislike along with parking but we would go here again.

Small cozy cafe with both indoor and outdoor seating. Order at the counter and get a number. Food and drinks will be delivered to your table. Was a little disappointed they didn't have any smoothies in their drink menu, but the food was decent. Not a lot of choices though. Parking on and off street.

Service Egeria was delightful and attentive. She recommended her favorite dishes and checked in on us regularly. Food We ordered the Elote Corn Dip, Pork Chop with jalapeño cornbread, and the Auction fish (grilled Ahi) with lemon risotto. The cornbread was cold which was disappointing and the risotto was okay. Our main entree meats were outstanding. Might be the best Ahi we’ve had. Atmosphere Comfortable and causal indoor and dining. We appreciated their selection of non-alcoholic beers.

I've only come here for breakfast and brunch. But enjoyed everything I've got. Today I tried to avo toast which was yummy. Though next time I'll probably get something else. I like their sandwiches and vegetarian options. Ambiance is nice. Parking can be tight.

Food service was decent. The place was not too crowded for Mother's day. A lot of take out orders from what I was observed. I ordered the italian sandwich and salad. It took long enough that the manager said something and went to check. Overall a decent meal. I was not a fan of my pineapple drink or the mango Danish.

Located on the Pali side entrance into Kailua town, you'll be able to find great sandwiches, pastries, hummus, coffee, prepared salads, yogurts, etc.. Coffee, muffin, very personable Batista, an awesome way to start your day! An excellent dinner menu and wine selection allows for a wonderful indoor or outdoor evening with your adult friends. A cozy atmosphere also accommodates wheelchairs, has restroom facilities, and limited on site parking. Ample street parking is available just along side the beautiful green and white building.

Had lunch here for the first time in a few months. Ordered avocado toast with an extra egg to go. Only got one egg, but wasn't worth the trip back to the restaurant to get another egg honestly. Wait was a bit long, but not the worst around. Food menu looks like they recently expanded dinner options too. Disappointing visit. They are hit or miss.

$18 salty overpriced burger 🍔 without sides. Enough said

Food was mehhh, overpriced for the quantity. Tomato avocado bagel was terrible, the top half of the bagel didn’t have anything on it. The bottom half barely had any avocado. Beach burger wasn’t that good for the price. The vegan lemon poppy seed muffin was completely dry and disintegrating into crumbs. Deli sandwich and hummus bagel was okay. Customer service was completely terrible. They came out to say not to feed the birds but never ask how the food was or if we needed anything. This was after we spent over $100 for 4 people Terrible service, the manager also told a guy and his daughter to leaver because the stopped to sit and out door table that nobody was using. She’s terrible. No hospitality. If you’re a tourist visiting, Do Not Go here, they won’t treat you good. I would recommended trying somewhere else. I’ve had great experiences and excellent customer service at Daiichi Ramen not to far from here

We went here because of the reviews, and ended up ordering the burger. It was so expensive. We had to pay extra for the fries and the gluten free buns, and the burgers itself already costed $36, bringing the total to $50 for 2 burgers. Burgers are meh, come with salad, cheese, tomatoes, and barely any sauce on it! The servers were rude. We walked in to sit outside with our kids, and they said we had to sit on a specific side. Then my husband tried to go sit inside because of the sun and the server said he simply couldn't sit there. They got into a small fight and she told me I could sit inside, but on a specific table. Then we got our food fast, didn't have time to ask for mayo or an extra plate for my kids cause she didn't say a word. Save your money and go to Chick-fil-a instead if you want a burger!