Ken's House of Pancakes seems to be an institution in Hilo. I found the restaurant mentioned many, many times while researching where to eat in the Big Island, and while not all the reviews had been positive, I figured it was worth giving it a try.
We got there early on a Sunday morning and there was a little bit of a wait for a table. The crowded restaurant seemed quite friendly and popular with locals, specially families. The place had a definite "Old Hawaii diner" feeling to it, with its fans, Hawaiian-attired waiters and the already almost-oppressing heat sipping through. If for no other reason, its non-generic ambiance made it enjoyable.
Its menu featured standard breakfast items with a Hawaiian twist, coconut and macademias could be found in their pancakes, and some dishes came with special tropical-fruit syrups. Mike decided on the coconut pancakes, which included coconut both in the inside and sprinkled on top. They were pretty good, even with their regular syrup and Mike enjoyed them. I had the French toast made with Portuguese bread and it was fine, better with the berry syrup than the corn syrup. Our side of Portuguese sausage was very tasty and I highly recommend it. A chocolate milkshake was made with chocolate syrup and was good, though in the small side.
Service was fine, the food came to the table very quickly. In all, if we were in Hilo again, we'd go back.
Ken's House of Pancakes
1730 Kamehameha Ave.
Hilo , HI 96720
(808) 538-1877
Open 24 hours.