Manoa Diner and Deli: Inexpensive Eats With A Smile

Breakfast/brunch on Sundays seems to be a foregone conclusion. For me, there is no better way to spend the early hours of the final weekend day than over a cup of coffee, some pancakes, eggs and bacon and a newspaper. has all these things in spades.

Tucked away in an unassuming strip mall, the Manoa Diner and Deli offers no-fuss food at great prices (most items are under 8 dollars). This review will focus on breakfast.

While one can order items a la carte, the best deals are found in the breakfast specials section. These are available 6:30 to 11:30 a.m. during the week and until 1 p.m on weekends. The specials feature breakfast staples like pancakes, eggs and bacon, waffles, cheese omelets and more with coffee and sometimes home fries or toast ($4.25-$7.95).

The "Big Appetite" comes with two eggs, two pancakes, two strips of bacon and sausage with toast and coffee ($7.95). I ordered the BA with rye toast and it arrived in pieces (first the coffee, then the toast, then the huge protein-packed platter). 

The jelly is grape, the creamer comes in those plastic thimbles and the pancake syrup is Heinz. The eggs over easy were oozing with golden deliciousness. I sprinkled a decent amount of salt and pepper on top to get them to taste exactly how I wanted. The pancakes were not as flavorful as I had hoped.

The bacon was crisp and delicious and the sausage was cut in half and given a hard sear on the griddle which resulted in both a crunchy and meaty piece. It was an obscene amount of food for $7.95 and will satisfy the appetite of even the most ravenous lumberjack.

Two eggs with home fries, toast and coffee is only $4.25 which could be one of the best deals around. Two pancakes and coffee is $4.50. I cannot stress how wonderful the bargains on the breakfast special list are.

Wash it all down with fruit juice (orange, grapefruit, apple, tomato or cranberry, $1.35-$2.25) for an extra added dose of vitamin C.

The decor is simple and it literally is a diner on one side, a deli on the other. If you don't have time for a sit-down breakfast, grab two eggs and cheese on a roll ($3.50) or one of their freshly baked cinnamon buns ($2.25) or muffins (blueberry or corn, $1.75). The service is outstanding. My coffee mug and water glass were never less than half full. Numerous people came to check in on me throughout my meal smiling the whole time.

I went in and had a bountiful breakfast without having to choose between bacon or sausage, pancakes or toast and got to have it all. The newspaper that I read was a local one and it was a sunny day outside. I could not have scripted a better Sunday. What's more, there is a fantastic bargain bookstore a few doors down. If there's a wait, drop in and peruse the shelves. I walked out with about a half a dozen books all bought for less than half price.