At the locally owned and family-operated
Hawaii
restaurant
Boots & Kimo’s Homestyle Kitchen
, pancakes aren’t just pancakes. Plump and moist, banana, blueberry or plain, the stack of two or three pancakes is absolutely smothered in a creamy macadamia nut sauce – a thick white layer completely covering the pancakes underneath – and sprinkled with a fair helping of chopped macadamia nuts on top.
Lines are common here, as visitors and residents travel from all over Oahu to the small corner of Kailua to get a bite, including me. In the 30 years Boots & Kimo’s has been open, the macadamia nut sauce pancakes have become so legendary that it started a trend, with other restaurants attempting to copy it.
“We’ve noticed quite a few restaurants attempting to mimic it, but there’s just something uniquely special about the original that sets it apart,” Boots & Kimo’s told an email.
During a recent visit, I ordered a stack of banana pancakes with a side of Spam – and my plate arrived as expected, covered in the secret sauce bubbling at the edges. I was a little worried the creamy sauce would be too sweet, but the taste was surprisingly balanced and not as overwhelming as it looked. I also thought the heavy sauce would create soggy pancakes, but it wasn’t runny and was thick enough that it didn’t soak through. Just like magic, I noticed, the sauce stayed intact. The salty slices of Spam, a local favorite, complimented the pancakes well.
Boots & Kimo’s calls its macadamia nut sauce pancakes a “closely guarded family secret” – a recipe that the restaurant has perfected. After eating my fill, I believe they are worth the hype, just as unique and delicious as people say.
The restaurant is named after two Maui brothers, Kimo and George “Boots” Kiakona, a Navy veteran and chef who died in 1993. Under Kimo’s guidance, Kiakona’s sons, Jesse and Ricky, opened Boots & Kimo’s on Father’s Day in 1994 as a tribute to their dad. The restaurant’s colorful logo is of Kiakona lounging on a pile of macadamia nut pancakes.
“In the early days, my brother and I, driven by determination and guided by Uncle Kimo, embraced the challenge of bringing our father’s dream to life. My brother honed his skills in the kitchen alongside Uncle Kimo, adapting family recipes while I managed the front of the house,” wrote one of the brothers on the
restaurant’s website
. “Together, we cultivated a menu that seamlessly blended tradition with innovation.”
Kimo was the inventor of the macadamia nut sauce and the head chef of Boots & Kimo’s until he died in 1996. Formerly, he was the owner and head chef of Kimo’s Gazebo in Napili, Maui. “He left everything there to move to Oahu and help his nephew open a new restaurant,” Boots & Kimo’s told an email. Today, Kimo’s Gazebo is known as the Gazebo Restaurant and is very popular for its macadamia nut pancakes as well, but having tried both, I will say it doesn’t match the level of pancake deliciousness at Boots & Kimo’s.
Although pancakes are the restaurant’s bestseller, they aren’t the only item that Boots & Kimo’s sells. The restaurant serves French toast and waffles with the macadamia nut sauce too. But the restaurant’s second most popular item is its Hawaiian-style pulehu ribs. “It’s kind of like steak: salty and savory, but we season it with our seasoning,” Boots & Kimo’s told an email.
The restaurant also has a very long list of omelettes, which makes sense – Kimo used to be nicknamed “The King of the Omelettes.” Some of the fillings are chili and beans, ham and cheese, crab and shrimp, and Spam and cheese, but my attention falls to the more provocative names: Maui Wowie Omelette and Pakalolo [Hawaiian for marijuana] Onolicious Omelette, made with bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, ham and the “freshest herbs.” But nothing is illegal here.
Through the years, brothers Ricky and Jesse Kiakona have been the same owners since it opened. The location has moved around Kailua, starting out at a small 800-square-foot space in 1994 to a 2,000-square-foot location in 2010. A few years ago, the restaurant had to move again in 2020 during the pandemic, as it was unable to renew the lease. But it feels like the restaurant is settling in well, with lines still queuing at the door and the walls showcasing sports memorabilia, family photos, awards and newspaper clippings that the family has clearly collected through the years.
“With our move to the Enchanted Lake Shopping Center, we’re excited to continue serving our community and grateful for their unwavering support,” Boots & Kimo’s said on its website. “Our dedication to preserving our family legacy and sharing our love for food remains steadfast, promising exceptional experiences for future generations.”
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