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It was also the only restaurant in Hilo (at least, in the before times) that was open 24/7 and known throughout the islands for its pancakes and omelets. This is the place everyone goes when the bars close, when they get kicked out of a closing store, or if they’re doing late night studying sessions. It’s right on the corner of two main roads so it gets a ton of traffic and is pretty much always busy.
Visiting the Big Island?
We walked into Ken’s House of Pancakes and instantly felt the small-town diner experience wash over us like the waves in Hilo Bay. Classic coffee cups with Ken’s logo splashed on the side, massive stacks of pancakes, and plates of the loco moco sat on tables full of people enjoying their morning. The large restaurant serves up local food and local culture. With daily specials and warm waitresses, you will feel exactly like you are in a Hawaiian country town.
Ken’s House of Pancakes
They’re at the intersection of Mamaloha Highway/Hawai’i Belt Road, Kamehameha Ave, and Banyan Drive. We have currently discontinued our Big Island Museum Discount Pass! Please check the various museums directly to determine if they are open.
Destination Hilo 'Ohana
The Best Hawaii Island Road Trip Ever - TravelAge West
The Best Hawaii Island Road Trip Ever.
Posted: Thu, 13 Jun 2013 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Also aiding in the success of the restaurant was the attached Tapa Room Cocktail Lounge, allowing adults to unwind with a tasty cocktail before, during, and after dinner. During Mrs. Island Miler’s inaugural visit to Ken’s House of Pancakes, she went with the Really Real Snow Crab Omelette with rice and pancakes. I wanted to branch out and try something different, opting for the fried noodles. As far as service goes, we went during the after-lunch lull. There weren’t that many employees around, so it took a while for us to get seated and whatnot despite the restaurant being empty. In contrast to the omelet, the fried noodles were a complete disappointment.
All other vegetables in local-style fried noodles are an abomination. Trips to Hilo often included one or more visits to Ken’s House of Pancakes for brunch, with their tasty omelets, fluffy pancakes, and decadent coconut syrup. It was the perfect start to a day, which would usually include a visit to a black sand beach or adventures in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Ken’s House of Pancakes opened its doors in 1971 under the joint ownership of Ken Pruitt and Bonnie Twitchell. It became the first, and only 24-hour business on the East-side of the Big Island. Success soon followed the opening, with the appeal of being able to sit down and eat at any time of day or night!
Learning that Mrs. Island Miler has never been, I made it a point to get here during our last trip to the area. Alas, things weren’t quite what I remember them to be. Efforts are focused on improving quality of life for residents by contributing to a healthy social and economic culture. Destination Hilo’s flagship “Hawaiian Greetings Program” provides music, entertainment, and networking services to thousands of visitors arriving at Hilo Pier and in Downtown Hilo. If you’re staying in Hilo, it’s pretty hard to miss Ken’s House of Pancakes.
It just so happened that one of his golfing buddies was also Bonnie Twitchell’s realtor. Realizing that this was an opportunity that he could not pass up, he and his wife, Frances Ching, made the decision to purchase the iconic restaurant. He then enlisted his daughter, Debra Ching-Maiava and Ric Maiava, to move to Hilo and manage the budding business.
Big Island Bird-Watching
If you’re craving a lot of diner food and it’s going to be a late night, this is where tourists or locals alike find themselves. Nowadays, Ken’s House of Pancakes is still owned by the Ching Family. It is still managed by Debra and Ric, and is still pumping out delicious meals including pancakes, burgers, fries, omelets, milkshakes, and other local favorites. It’s the good food, great staff and awesome community that keeps this place going. Ken’s is, was, and will continue to be a mainstay not just in Hilo, but throughout the entire Big Island.
About Destination Hilo
However, there are more exciting options in Hilo nowadays, so I wouldn’t automatically return here. But I wouldn’t rule out a return visit, either. I’d probably stick with the omelets and pancakes if I do come back, though.
In fact, the primary flavor profiles here were salt and black pepper. Back in those days, I had the extreme privilege of being able to go to Maui or the Big Island at least once a year with my family. When I was a kid, I LOVED going to Ken’s House of Pancakes with my family whenever we visited Hilo.
The Chings decided to convert the Tapa Room to incorporate more seating for diners. They also put a new roof on the building and increased the menu dramatically. Eventually, the Ken’s logo, and the roof and road signs also got a modernized update. In 1990, there were discussions of the possibility of putting the well-known eatery up for sale. It was on a golf course in Honolulu where Lindberg Ching discovered this information.
Both are $20 today, and all omelets come with your choice of rice or hashbrowns PLUS pancakes or toast. You can also get cottage cheese, tomatoes, or pineapple in place of the pancakes/toast. Overall, I’m glad we paid Ken’s House of Pancakes a visit. It was nice to check the place out again – it’s been at least 20 years since I’ve last been – and to introduce it to Mrs. Island Miler. Sadly, I feel like the quality has diminished a little here, though the cuisine is far better than the stuff we had at our hotel.
However, what caught me off-guard (I guess I never noticed as a kid) is that the restaurant is open-air – there’s no a/c here. I suppose this wasn’t as big an issue 30 years ago when our weather was cooler, but it gets pretty hot nowadays, as was the case during our visit. During our conversations leading up to our trip, I learned that, despite being there several times as a kid, Mrs. Island Miler had never been to Ken’s House of Pancakes.
My other complaints with the fried noodles were more personal, with the largest complaint here being the use of green bell peppers. Who the hell puts green pepper in fried noodles?! I also wasn’t a fan of the celery or carrots in here. In my opinion, fried noodles can have onion, cabbage, and maybe bean sprouts.
While the noodles retained a nice al dente texture, they were quite wet/oily. Worse, though, is that the entire dish was incredibly salty. The HUGE slices of Spam scattered throughout didn’t help with this.
It wasn’t quite as good as I remember, but that could be due to my now different taste and the rose-tinted glasses effect. There are still chunks of snow crab leg meat in there, along with smaller strands of meat, and I like that the omelet, while fully cooked, wasn’t overdone. The green onions provide a nice, light touch of freshness to what is otherwise a decadent omelet. Ken’s House of Pancakes is a dying breed of restaurant – a true old-school diner that hasn’t changed much over the years. It can be pretty jarring if you’ve never been in a place like this.
