Cafe 100 in Hilo is a great place to get good cheap eats. They have many, many menu choices, but we had to have one of their Loco Mocos. What’s a Loco Moco? It’s a local dish you’ll find throughout Hawaii. It usually includes generous scoops of rice, eggs, hamburger patty, and brown gravy. We had the Cafe 100 Super Loco with all the above mentioned items plus, potato and macaroni salad, spam, and Portuguese sausages. Our plates were mounded high and we couldn’t finish all our food.
Finding a place like Cafe 100 was a real treat for us. For the most part, it seemed that the clientele was local. We enjoyed soaking in the local scene and culture. The price of the food was another plus. Our Super Locos cost less than $5 each – $4.65 if I remember correctly.
The restaurant’s set up reminded me of the old drive-in style restaurants. The menu is posted on a large white board with individual letters. You order your food at a window and they issue you a number. When your order is ready, they will call your number. There were plenty of covered picnic tables available. The staff was friendly and the eating area was kept clean.
I hear the restaurant has been in business for over 50 years and may have been the restaurant that invented the Loco Moco. So, a restaurant in business that long can’t be half bad, right? You’ll find Cafe 100 in Hilo at 969 Kilauea Avenue near the intersection of Mohouli Avenue. They’re open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Sheila Beal
14 comments
I’m glad you posted the photo. When you hear what’s in a Loco Moco, it almost sounds like someone is pulling your leg. “Rice, potato salad, hamburger and brown gravy, you say. Yeah, right!”
It really was a tasty $4.65!
Yes, tasty it was! Notice that I conveniently left out the fact that it wasn’t figure-friendly, though I’m sure the calories were worked off in the hike to the lava viewing. 🙂
Mmm…loco moco is one of my favorites! I have always wanted to try Cafe 100 but we’ve never timed it out right for lunch. We’ll have to make a point to in Sept! For prices that cheap, we may have to get 3 or 4 dishes to try and get 2 dishes with no rice…research, darling, research! 😉 Mahalo for the great review!
LOL, Angie. This researching stuff is hard work, but somebody has to do it. 😉
After you try Cafe 100 in September, I’d be interested to hear what you think of it.
Ah, the delicacies of the Islands. 🙂 L & L Hawaiian Barbecue is expanding to the West Coast. We now have one in our neighborhood, so it’s Loco Moco anytime we want. Now If we could just get McDonalds to serve Portuguese sausage and rice with breakfast. Or maybe one of those fried banana pies. Really enjoying the posts of your trip.
David
Hi David, I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the posts from the BI trip. If you write McD with your ideas for the mainland, I’ve got your back. 😉 I like the McD taro pies in Hawaii.
My husband and I were so impressed that you and Andy even knew what a Loco Moco was, let alone finding one of the best places to eat one!
HVG – And there we were, right in your back yard. 🙂 Next time, we’ll have to have a Loco Moco with you.
I really did love Cafe 100. I love restuarants like that with tradition and history. I’d pick a place like that every time over any fancy restaurant.
I’m far from being as knowledgeable about Hawaii as I’d like, but I sure enjoy learning. 🙂
Wow! Boy do I miss this place.
@ Richie – that makes 2 of us. 🙂
Hold on, loco moco is, ladies n gents, the easiest dish to cook! Can you cook 2 eggs sunny side up or over easy? how bout a hamburger patty? Buy a bag of pattied burgers, brown em on a pan, while you make the gravy that any supermarket sells, either by the small jar or that packet, even au jus! Now, grab that jar of kim chee, to kick it up, squeeze the extra juices off of that fist-full, chop it up, mix it in, and smile while you enjoy those look in your loved ones eyes while you serve this simple local dish! Cmon good people, this is as simple as simple gets! You want chinese sausage on the side? Why, just buy some and slice them to your liking, fry them on low heat, then eat em as a side dish next to your loco moco! Pass the finadene, or the ketchup will ya?
Thank you for the review!
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Aloha!