Basalt
As much as I love going out for brunch, I’m discouraged by how many menu items I can make myself at home. That’s why my go-to lately has been Basalt. Activated charcoal may not be as popular as it was a few years ago, but the Waikīkī restaurant inside Duke’s Lane Market & Eatery continues to serve its signature black charcoal buttermilk pancakes, topped with guava-strawberry sauce, berries, powdered sugar and whipped cream. I appreciate how they aren’t as sweet as a typical stack and provide balance with a savory second dish. Plus, you can get three hours of complimentary parking and a kama‘āina discount. And if I do feel like making it at home? The market sells the mix. —Katrina Valcourt, HONOLULU executive editor
2255 Kūhiō Ave., Waikīkī, (808) 923-5689, basaltwaikiki.com, @basaltwaikiki
Boots & Kimo’s Homestyle Kitchen
A quick look around the restaurant and each table has a plate of the banana mac nut pancakes as its centerpiece. A stack of fluffy pancakes covered in a Kimo’s whipped sweet cream macadamia nut sauce—no butter or syrup needed. It’s a shareable sweet end to a savory loco moco or hearty spinach-and-mushroom omelette. Extra mac nut sauce, please! —Christine Labrador, HONOLULU senior art director
1020 Keolu Dr., Kailua, (808) 263-7929, bootsnkimos.com, @bootsnkimos
Cinnamon’s
Not all pancakes are worth a trip over the Pali and braving the Kailua brunch crowds, but when the guava chiffon cravings hit, I’m there, no questions. The plain hotcakes are buttery and delicious, but they’re really just a base for the true star of the dish—the heavenly guava topping, a two-layer syrup which pairs a cream cheese base with a lighter tangy-sweet guava sauce. —Brie Thalmann, HONOLULU home & style editor…