Breakfast & brunch
Moke's Bread & Breakfast
A local institution best known for lilikoʻi (passion fruit) pancakes. Small, always busy, and easy to see why.
Cinnamon's Restaurant
Kailua's famous pancake stop — the red velvet pancakes are the reason there's a line out the door most mornings.
Over Easy
Crispy-edged pancakes, custard french toast, and brunch bowls built from fresh, local ingredients — a lower-key alternative when the other three have a line out the door.
Boots & Kimo's Homestyle Kitchen
A Kailua breakfast institution in its own right — famous for banana macadamia-nut pancakes drenched in coconut syrup. At Enchanted Lake Shopping Center.
The Food Company
A longtime local breakfast & brunch spot with a catering side, at Enchanted Lake Shopping Center.
Casual & local
Kalapawai Market & Café
A Kailua landmark that does double duty — a daytime market and deli sandwich counter, then a proper sit-down dinner menu in the evening (the crab & artichoke dip is the thing people order).
Kono's
Slow-roasted kalua pork sandwiches, fast and unfussy — a good lunch stop between the beach and the shops.
Easy 'Que
American barbecue with local Hawaii flavors folded in.
Local Boy Sushi
A neighborhood sushi bar on Kailua Rd.
Lilikoi Kitchen
A newer, fast-rising comfort-food café in Kailua Town.
Tali's Bagels & Schmear
New York-style bagels and brunch fare, at a second location that opened in Kailua Town.
Boston's North End Pizza Bakery
Boston-style pizza and bakery items — now at the Aikahi Park Shopping Center location (the original Kailua Town shop has closed).
Nomadic Sourdough Kitchen
Naturally fermented sourdough pizza, waffles, and açaí bowls, plus a honey slush — on Ku'ulei Rd.
Bowles Burritos
Burritos and burrito bowls, built fast and casual.
Ganesh Dosa
South Indian dosas with a gluten-free focus, relocated to Kailua from Honolulu.
Vietnam Deli
A newer Vietnamese spot for pho, banh mi, and spring rolls, with vegan-friendly options.
Daiichi Ramen
Ramen at the Aikahi Park Shopping Center.
Willow Tree Korean Restaurant
Korean food right next to Daiichi Ramen at Aikahi Park Shopping Center.
Tanaka Ramen & Izakaya
A newer ramen and izakaya spot on Hekili St.
Sunset Noodle House
Japanese-fusion ramen with 48-hour housemade broths and rice bowls — another recent opening in Kailua Town.
L&L Hawaiian Barbecue
The statewide plate-lunch chain's Kailua location — reliable, fast, and generous portions.
Zippy's
An Oʻahu diner institution — chili, saimin, and comfort food, on Oneawa St at the edge of Kailua Town.
Big City Diner
A local comfort-food diner chain, on Hekili St — big portions, familiar plates, open all day.
Oh My Grill
A local-style plate lunch and Hawaiian BBQ counter on Kainehe St.
Uahi Island Grill
Smoked meats and Hawaiian BBQ plate lunch, on Aulike St.
Maui Mike's
Fire-roasted rotisserie chicken, at Enchanted Lake Shopping Center.
Teddy's Bigger Burgers
The Hawaii-based gourmet burger chain, at the Kailua Village Shops.
Round Table Pizza
The pizza chain's Kailua location, at Enchanted Lake Shopping Center.
10 Empanadas
A small Kailua Town spot doing just what the name says — a rotating menu of empanadas.
Paia Fish Market
The Maui fish-shack chain's Kailua location on Hekili St — fish tacos, fish & chips, and rice bowls.
Mahaloha Burger
A local burger chain on Hekili St, using Big Island beef.
Fatboy's
Gourmet plate lunch and burgers on Hahani St.
Two new ramen spots: Tanaka Ramen & Izakaya and Sunset Noodle House both opened in Kailua recently — worth trying either.
Dinner
GOEN Dining + Bar by Roy Yamaguchi
Chef Roy Yamaguchi's Kailua restaurant — contemporary, Asian-inspired small and shared plates in a room built for it. The special-occasion table in town; reserve ahead. 573 Kailua Rd.
Buzz's Original Steak House
A longtime Kailua fixture — surf-and-turf in a laid-back, tiki-hut-style space. More about the atmosphere and the history than fine dining, and better for it.
Formaggio Grill
An Italian-leaning wine bar and grill from the team behind Formaggio Kitchen — small plates, wine list, and a dinner-focused menu.
Saeng's Thai Cuisine
A long-running Thai restaurant with a garden lanai — a Kailua standby for a relaxed sit-down dinner.
The Boardroom Kailua
A sports bar and restaurant with a full dinner menu — the pick for a casual meal with a game on.
Bottleheads
A neighborhood beer bar in Kailua Town with a rotating tap list and pub-style food.
Himalayan Kitchen
Himalayan and Nepalese cuisine on Uluniu St — a genuinely different option on a menu-list otherwise heavy on local and Asian-fusion food.
Maui Brewing Co.
The Maui-based brewery's Kailua Town brewpub and restaurant, at the Lau Hala Shops — house beer alongside a full dinner menu.
Lanikai Brewing Company
A Kailua-based craft brewery and taproom on Hamakua Dr — despite the name, it's in the industrial park, not Lanikai itself.
California Pizza Kitchen
The California-style pizza chain, at Kailua Town Center on Kailua Rd.
Ice cream, shave ice & smoothies
Island Snow Hawaii
Shave ice and local apparel under one roof — equal parts shop and dessert stop, and a genuine Kailua landmark. Two locations in town.
The Sunrise Shack
Açaí bowls and smoothies with a surf-shop feel — a good post-beach or post-hike stop.
Warrior Acai Kailua
Açaí bowls and smoothies in Kailua Town.
Please Come Again
A small local ice cream and dessert shop.
Lanikai Juice
Fresh-pressed juices, smoothies, and açaí bowls — a Kailua original, since expanded across the island.
FROST
A self-serve frozen yogurt and shave ice shop on Oneawa St.
Jamba Juice
The smoothie and juice chain, at the Kailua Village Shops.
Nalu Health Bar & Café
Açaí bowls, fresh juices, smoothies, salads, and sandwiches on Hekili St.
Coffee shops
Starbucks
Two locations in Kailua for the reliable, familiar option.
The Well Kailua
A local coffee and wellness-focused café.
ChadLou's Coffee Roasters
A Hawaii-based roaster with a Kailua café — house-roasted beans and espresso drinks.
Holoholo Drive-Thru Espresso
A small drive-thru espresso stand on Maluniu Ave — quick coffee without the parking hunt.
Morning Brew
A Kailua coffee shop and café on Kailua Rd, with a second location in Kakaʻako.
On the wait: the breakfast spots above don't take reservations and the lines are real, especially on weekends. Go on a weekday, go early, or plan to browse Kailua Town's shops while you wait for a table.