Fodor's Expert Review Waioli Kitchen & Bake Shop
Dating from 1922, this historic café surrounded by the verdant Manoa Valley landscape is part of the Hawaii Salvation Army headquarters and has been independently operated by Ross and Stefanie Anderson since late 2018. A short menu of simple, delicious breakfast and lunch items are ordered at the counter and delivered to your chosen table, either inside the cozy, multiroom bungalow or on the covered lanai. The Waioli staff is largely made up of people in recovery from substance abuse who are learning the restaurant and kitchen trade, and a 3% vocational training fee is added to all checks, bringing the former tearoom back to its roots as a kitchen skills program for orphaned girls. There's a cute gift shop and plenty of space to linger in the lushness.
Quick Facts
- Braised short rib loco moco
- Assorted house-made pastries, scones, muffins, breads, jams, and jellies
- Honey and salt produced on the property and a burgeoning garden