Leilani’s Cafe

It’s been a while since I’ve been down in San Diego, but I still remember Leilani’s as one of my favorite spots for Hawaiian food. I used to come on weekend mornings for brunch and would always get Hilo Style Loco Moco, my favorite dish! Loco Moco is hamburger steak, 2 eggs and fried rice — a perfect mix of breakfast and lunch :) Local Boy was also good and closer to being a «breakfast» dish, but Loco Moco still takes the cake for me!
Leilani’s is located in downtown Pacific Beach but more in a residential area, so while there is no designated parking, you should be able to find street parking within a few blocks.
There’s limited seating inside (with a few tables outside), and it gets quite busy on weekends, so come early or order ahead if you don’t want to wait. Place your order at the counter first, then wait for your food. The staff is always nice and welcoming too. I miss this place and definitely want to come back when I’m in the San Diego area again!

My daughter and I absolutely Love this place. The staff is great, and it’s got that Aloha feel to it. 5 stars every time we go. Try the Jr Boy sub bacon. You’ll be happy you did!
The Acai smoothie is great too.

I came across a review for this place from about 3 years ago that sounded like the Unilocaler was experiencing hell on earth. Fear of the unknown, the terror of the look/​feel of the place not conforming to the style of other swanky brunch spots in sunny San Diego, the chaos of ordering at a register followed by self-​seating, the nerve to have walled menus, customer-​induced claustrophobia, the revolution against absolutely picky eaters, and (total damnation itself) being a cash-​only place.
Since then, some things have changed. They now take payments by card. Actually, that’s really the only thing I saw that was different when I went there, but I’m sure improvements have been made during that time. Personally, I didn’t see anything that raised any red flags about improper practice. I’m still yet to figure out what infuriates people. I will never understand, and that might be my life’s flaw.
If people don’t do their research on places before they try them for the first time, they’re bound to shoot themselves in the foot, especially if they have some generic image in their minds about the precise experience. If they’re really in it for the butt-​kissing rather than the food, they they’re obviously not getting the most out of their superficial ‘yes’ friends.
With that said…
Leilani’s Café is delicious. I enjoyed the Hilo-​Style Loco Moco. Much more hearty and elaborate than I imagined.
As you can notice from the above preface, this place is an order-​first-​inside-​then-​find-​free-​seating-​with-​your-​number-​marker place. Seating can be tough if there’s a mad rush, but you can also sit by the shop next door. Self-​serve coffee for $ 2, if you’re inclined.
If their other orders of food are consistent with what I had in terms of quality and deliciousness, I think the food aspect is covered. After all, how can it not all be about the food, right?
Parking: Street, neighborhood parallel. It’s surrounded by housing.
Since I don’t live near here, I don’t have the privilege of frequenting here as much. Fortunately, I know of another nice place to go when I’m back.

Planned on going to Fig Tree but they were understaffed and had a BUNCH of open tables with a 30 min wait. No thanks!
Right next door is Leilani’s! Cutest Hawaiian shop and café serving up couple a styles of loco moco! My fave! Kona coffee YUM!
Service was friendly and the food came out fast and HOT!
Only complaint is the gravy was a bit bland. But overall I’ll come back, in fact, we already have for their delicious coffee.

Took the drive down from the Inland Empire to sample the menu at Leilani’s. We were not disappointed and will definitely be back!
Spam musubi is great for any meal and this was fantastic. The Junior Boy — Hawaiian Bread French Toast and Portuguese Sausage and egg were a hit. If you love Loco Moco, be sure to try the Hilo Style Loco Moco, Loco Moco over spicy fried rice with Portuguese Sausage.
Thanks for the great meal!

This is a little further than I usually like to walk from my apt, but I had a friend in town and we were looking for a savory breakfast.
I highly recommend the fried rice with sausage! They do a great job with spicy Hawaiian breakfast and lunch plates here. I wish there were a few more fruit options for breakfast (maybe that’s just me that has fruit come to mind when I hear Hawaiian), but everything we did get was delicious!
Great patio to sit on in the sun too

I have eaten at Leilani’s twice, always a positive experience. If you want the best Hawaiian food in San Diego, Leilani’s is where you go. Enough said. My only wish is they open more locations around San Diego.

I love it here, one of my favorite places to enjoy breakfast in PB. Prices are extremely reasonable and the food is always good. I love the Jr. Boy Breakfast. It’s French toast with fruit on Hawaiian bread, sausage, eggs and nice. I normally ALWAYS ask for my syrup on the side anywhere I go EXCEPT here. They always put the perfect amount and it’s never too sweet.
There is very limited seating outside, I sometimes prefer to get my food to go. The atmosphere is very chill, not fancy, and I love it. If you decide to come in a weekend, prepare to stand in line. If you call in your food to go, you can bypass the line and walk straight up to the counter.

Parking can be a little hard to find. We came on Saturday for lunch, there was a bit of a line to order but it moved fast.
Decided to order the Ahi Poke Bowl, and Mango Iced Tea. Was quite disappointed seeing the barista squeezing lots of syrup into my ice tea, and obviously came out to be too sweet. The food came out pretty fast, the portion was just okay for the price. However, the Ahi was SO SALTY. I couldn’t even taste the fish anymore, there was no flavor but salt. Maybe I just have a low tolerance for sodium but uh definitely would not get it again.
I am willing to go back and try other stuff next time… since the service is great and the interior just reminds me of beach and sunshine.

Stumbled upon this place after shopping at the Hawaiian store next door. Very cute, cozy spot and delicious food! I tried their bagel sandwich and it was out of this world. The Portuguese sausage on the jalapeño bagel was full of flavor and I was SO full after I finished it.
Can’t wait to come back and try more dishes. Highly recommend Leilani’s for brunch.

Date of visit: 7÷4÷2015
Cam and I finally decided to visit Leilani’s Café because I was in the mood for some spam and eggs (without having to cook). We’ve always seen it next door when going to Fig Tree, but never stopped by until I didn’t feel like cooking.
Since we had several errands to run, we drove over to the café from the restaurant and saw that there was only street parking available. Since it was a holiday, the parking was a little tough as there is no dedicated parking lot.
You have to order at the front counter and pick up a number for your table. The coffee is brewed fresh and stored in carafes so you can pour your own coffee. There is also a small refrigerator with several juices. It’s a little cramped inside, so it got a little overwhelming when the crowd built up and I just wanted to buy a juice.
My Kalani. Since I can cook spam and eggs at home, I opted to order something more unique. This dish comes with rice, macaroni salad, Portuguese sausage, Kahlua pork, and two eggs. The rice, pork, and eggs were perfectly done and the flavors melded well together. I was not a big fan of the macaroni salad since I don’t like macaroni salad in general, and I didn’t particularly like the sausage as it tasted like longanisa, which I also do not like in general. This probably won’t be a dish I order again.
Hawaiian French Toast. I was a little anxious since the syrup had coconut in it, but it actually added a nice flavor to the syrup. The french toast tasted like Cam’s, which was really comforting, and the fresh fruits balanced out the sweetness of the dish. Next time, I’ll have to ask for the syrup on the side because the amount they put on seemed a bit excessive (not that I really mind extra sugar).
Cam and I decided to sit outside to enjoy the fresh air. Although there is no ocean view, it was still nice to be able to sit on the patio. The only downside of our table was the greasy salt and pepper shakers from the previous users.
Overall, Leilani’s is great for some breakfast comfort food. I really want to come back to try the hilo style loco moco and some of their plated lunches.

Oh how I miss Hawaiian food since there’s nothing like it in Texas! This place definitely hit the spot. Authentic, fast, delicious Hawaiian food.
I would highly recommend getting their Hilo Style Loco Moco. Spicy rice topped with beef patty, gravy, eggs, and even more gravy. A traditional dish that felt comforting. I got their Teriyaki Hawaiian Style plate which came with two scoops of rice and a side of mac salad. Their chicken wasn’t drenched in sauce which I liked, but it still had a punch of flavor and most importantly, it wasn’t dry!
Only downfall was that they didn’t have an option of replacing plain rice with spicy rice. Nor did they have an option of ordering a side of spicy rice. You can, however, order a whole plate of spicy rice, but that would be too much for me.

Hawaiian food done well. I’ve tried a few places in the LA area, then tried this place for breakfast on a weekday while visiting SD. I was quite well pleased on how good the food was here. This little gem is hidden deep within PB. There is no parking lot, but there should be plenty of street parking near by. Indoor and outdoor seating is available, but there isn’t much. The staff was also friendly.
I tried their Loco Moco with Hilo style rice. While it may be «spicy» for some, I thought that this was probably one of the best loco moco’s outside of Hawaii. The gravy was good and the egg was cooked just right. It wasn’t over cooked as some places do, but just runny enough to get all over the bed of rice.
My better half had the the «My Kalani.» I tried a little of it and liked it. The pork wasn’t too salty, but take care that you might bite into some bits of bone and/​or cartilage. The portugese sausage was cooked well and had a little bit of sweetness to it too.
We ordered a side of the spam musubi to go. We were surprised to find that this was also prepared with egg, as most of the places we’ve been to don’t do that. The sauce that comes with it on the side can also on the spicy side but complements it well.
The espresso coffee are delicious. We tried their white chocolate mocha and also their haupia (coconut). The flavors are very distinguishable and both are excellent served hot.
In conclusion, if you happen to be in San Diego and looking for good Hawaiian, definitely go and make the trek for Leilani. They’re only open until 3pm on most days, and I believe they’re closed on Mondays.

I know everyone has their own definition of comfort food, but next to homecooked Filipino food, this is it for me.
After being out late Friday night and spending most of Saturday morning in bed recovering from the 21 hour day I just had, I decided to stop by here to, well, become human again. Haha
The line moves pretty fast and the ordering space is small. Once you’re inside, you’ll place your order in less than 5 minutes, so it’s a good idea to review the menu beforehand. Lucky for me, I knew what I was going to order a week before coming here, so I was good to go. Haha
The hilo style loco moco is da bomb! The gravy isn’t overpowering. They give you not just any beef patty, but a 1-​inch think hamburger patty which, in my opinion, is ridiculous! Realizing that I ate a hamburger with a fork and rice made me feel pretty gluttonous. Lol. I’m not sure why people here are calling the rice «spicy», because there was absolutely no spice factor. Still delicious, especially with sausage perfectly distributed. I ate half the dish at the restaurant, covered my plate in foil, and ate the other half literally an hour after getting home. Wowza.
I also ordered the macadamia iced coffee and I’ve been craving it ever since!!! I’m not sure if they have a macadamia-​flavored syrup, but you could definitely taste the macadamia in the coffee. It was amazing and I wish I could have it every morning.
I will definitely be back to try out some of their other dishes. This place rocks!

Get the Hilo! Wow, not since I was in Maui have I had an authentic taste to a delicious Hawaiian dish like this. Finally a place on the mainland that can do it right! The spice on the rice is amazing, lots of flavor and not to heavy, Eggs sunny side up, this made for a perfect breakfast! I also had a spam masubi, also very good, sweet taste, wrapped delicately. I felt like the meal was light, easy and didn’t make you feel miserable or gross afterwards.
When we arrived, a line had formed out the door, they also have a gift shop on the other porch. It may feel out of place since its nestled in a nice ocean city neighborhood. You’ll get quite a nice feel as if you’re actually in Hawaii, enjoying the breeze, getting relaxed and enjoying some good food. I must admit, one thing I wish i could have done was order a second helping to go, I was so impressed. It was only of the finer meals I’ve had in the longest time.

I am very glad I finally got to enjoy a meal at Leilani’s on a Sunday morning. My girlfriend and myself were surprised by the no wait and we were happy to speak to very nice staff. I tried the My Kalani and it was good. Im not a fan of macaroni salad but I’d have to say that they had some of the best Mac salad I have ever mad. I have my favorite Hawaiian spot back home in LA that I think is the best so it is hard for me to compare to other Hawaiian restaurants.
It’s always nice to come to a local foodie joint though so I will be back.

3.5 but leaning towards a 4.
For being a Hawaiian café (one of the few non-​fast food) it’s pretty good. But I’ve been to Hawaii twice and it doesn’t compare. I don’t know what it was but it just didn’t compare. Good for what it is so I enjoyed every last bit of rice.
I get my usual spam, eggs and rice and some spam masubi. The spam masubi was a bit different from the regular ones that I’m used to (they add eggs), it was okay. I could go without. The spam and eggs were good. Eggs cooked right with breaking the yoke it would slowly drip on your eggs. The spam needed to be fried just a bit more to make it more crunchier then soft. I did feel like I was in Hawaii! Except no islander and the Hawaiian slowness because our food came out right away.
There wasn’t a line and there were plenty of outdoor seating. It’s a different kind of breakfast. Actually, a really nice change from the American style breakfast.

Found this place through Unilocal and I was expecting a delicious plate of food. Unilocal always hype it up so much.
Anyways we went on a Friday morning and it wasn’t bad. Street parking can be troublesome and I feel like getting there was a mission.
Food:
Aloha plate: not bad but nothing impressive either
Hilo style loco moco: rice was clumped up together and the gravy was on the bland side.
Musubi: can’t go wrong with spam, rice, and eggs
Overall, meh I’ve had better. I think comparing this place to other Hawaiian restaurant. I rather go to Homestyle Hawaiian or island style café. More authentic Hawaiian food for sure. Commute to get to those places aren’t bad and parking will also be easier.

Hawaiian Food!
If you like hawaiian food and can spend a little more on it than L&L BBQ, go for it!
Yes, it’s in PB and yes the parking sucks ass, but it’s well worth it.
I would like to say it’s authentic, but I’ve never had authentic Hawaiian, so let’s just say that it’s really good «Hawaiian» food. There are no waitresses, so you order at the front and they deliver it. You also have to bus your own tables, so it sucks when the table you’re waiting for leaves, it’s a mess. But don’t let that discourage you! Sack up and try it out!

Leilani’s is settled on the corner of Cass Street and Tourmaline Street. It’s surrounded by tons a greenery. It’s like a little shack with a giant porch, and almost all outdoor seating. There’s a real island feel to the place.
Ever since I brought the Boo here are few months ago, he’s always asking to come back for breakfast.
His favorite is the Loco Moco. If you’re not familiar with what Loco Moco is, then you’re definitely missing out. It’s a hamburger patty over rice with gravy, topped with two eggs and more gravy. MMMM! They also serve it Hilo style which is with spicy fried rice rather than regular white rice. Both versions are amazing.
I usually opt for the Loco Moco when I’m hungover or feel like indulging a bit. My go to is their ahi poke, I get it with a side salad. It’s fresh, light, and soo delish!
If you’re not in the mood for Hawaiian food, they have tons of other options as well. French toast, quesadillas, omelets, etc. BUT you can get that stuff anywhere else. Go for the good stuff! They have all the yummy Hawaiian juices too (guava is my fave!)
All food & drinks are served on disposable plates and cups. It’s super casual and chill. The prices are very reasonable, the food is always consistent, and the portions are perfect!