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    Islander Drive Inn

    3.4 (185 reviews)
    ModerateHawaiian
    Closed 10:00 am - 8:00 pm

    Islander Drive Inn Photos

    Business Info

    ISLANDER DRIVE INN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Islander Drive Inn

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    Mochiko chicken
    Megan K.

    Stopped by for lunch on a Sunday. Wasn't busy at all. Walked in and it smelled a little weird inside, but it appeared clean. It was freezing inside while I was waiting! The menu photos were a little outdated and faded looking but I got the mochiko chicken regular size - $17.02. It took about 5 mins to come out, and it was very hot! The chicken was fried well, but lacked flavor. Rice was cooked well. I couldn't eat the Mac salad but my mom liked it. The portion was big. I think for the price, I wouldn't go back because it's not worth it but glad I tried.

    Breakfast menu as of May 2026
    Marie R.

    Great food at a reasonable price. Sometimes they don't pick up the phone so just keep trying. They'll pick up eventually lol

    Mini teriyaki chicken plate
    Sandy M.

    It's your regular run of the mill eatery. They have pictures and clear signs of the food they offer. They have a lot of hand written signs, I'm guessing to address the kids who may come hangout after school. Service is kind of slow considering I was the only person in the dining area. The food wasn't the prettiest I've seen but I was pleasantly surprised with how good it was! I got a pretty good portion for a mini plate. Their Mac salad was really tasty. The chicken was absolutely delicious!

    As of 5/8/25
    Roz M.

    I'm not familiar with Salt Lake eateries so I asked my friend Lloyd who lives in the neighborhood if he had any recommendations. He mentioned ISLANDER DRIVE INN located in a strip mall next to Safeway. After looking over the menu ahead of time, I decided to order the BBQ CHICKEN mini plate. My daughter and dad ordered the HAMBURGER STEAK mini plate. What can I say about the food? I thought the BBQ chicken plate was ono and the portion was filling. It tastes just like L&L. My dad couldn't eat all of his hamburger steak, so I was able to try it. It was just as delicious. The gravy was ono, too! Thank you Lloyd for your recommendation. Definitely will be back when I'm in the neighborhood. So if you are looking for ono local style plate lunches, go and check out ISLANDER DRIVE INN, you'll thank me for that!

    Don't know what to order? Why wait in line when you could place your order over a phone call. Menu as of 4/29/26
    Randy M.

    Service is very slow the guy who took my order looked as if he has no interest of being there!

    Honey garlic chicken & fried rice
    Jarod H.

    Five stars. The food here was pretty good for a plate lunch location. I've tried the chicken Katsu, honey chicken, and more. It does the job. The service is great. Efficient and accurate. The ambiance is pretty much standard for a plate lunch location. No frills, but gets the job done.

    Moala P.

    Love their local food.Made fresh and just taste Ono.Its located in the Salt lake shopping center next door to other stores and restaurants.

    Honey garlic chicken and hamburger steak
    Cassandra H.

    I'm not in this area much but we were visiting someone at Kaiser and needed to get something to eat nearby. I've never heard of this place but did a quick search on yelp for dinner and this popped up. I ordered a honey garlic chicken/hamburger steak combo, my husband got a kalbi plate and we ordered a cheeseburger with fries and a mini bbq chicken plate for our parents. Service was okay and they prepared our food really quickly. The inside looks similar to an L&L or any other plate lunch place. The honey garlic chicken was crispy and delicious. The hamburger steak was a homemade patty which was yummy as well with the classic gravy. The rest of my family enjoyed their food as well. I would definitely check this place out again next time I'm in the area.

    Pork chop with gravy and mushrooms
    Marissa K.

    I heard some good things about their yummy Honey garlic chicken and pork chop with gravy and mushrooms so I got just that! Both were delish! Comes with mac salad and scoop of rice. This is comfort food at its finest!

    Loco moco
    Nicholas A.

    Not much change. Portions seem to get smaller as prices get higher. At least the floor is no longer sticky.

    Honey garlic chicken

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    4 months ago

    Best French fries!!! Burgers are yummy too!! Been here many times but this time was the best!!

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    10 months ago

    Low quality, short cut on meat portions, expensive for what is served. Would not recommend or consider coming back here.

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Food was delicious. Mac salad has been my favorite on island so far. Establishment not so much.

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    1 year ago

    Best Hawaiian food on da Aina. This is always our first and last stop from the and to the airport. Enuff said

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    7 years ago

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    Ask the Community - Islander Drive Inn

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    Helena's Hawaiian Food

    Helena's Hawaiian Food

    4.4
    (4.5k reviews)
    3.2 mi
    $$

    Food outstanding Service efficient and personable…read moreespecially with the long lines at lunch. Ambiance appropriate for the venue.

    @fortunefoodfinds: "This deserves a ROUND of applause! Whether you're visiting or simply wanting…read morelocal grindz, HELENA'S HAWAIIAN FOOD is sure to make your trip and/or meal feel complete. Ordered our must-haves: Short Ribs Pipikaula Style, Fried Butterfish Collar, Luau Squid, Long Rice Chicken, Lomi Salmon, Lau Lau, Poi, Mac Salad, Rice, n' their complimentary Haupia, Onions, n' Salt. Food so Ono I highly recommend, this very well-known local Hawaiian eatery again n' again!" SERVICE: fast n' fully staffed INTERIOR: spacious with limited seating EXTERIOR: gets hot, have water n' benches available WAIT TIME: came on a Thursday afternoon n' surprisingly wasn't too busy. After joining the waitlist that you sign in through the provided iPad, I would say 30 mins before getting seated. PARKING: very small free lot in front, limited spaces OVERALL COMMENTS: haven't had Helena's in a while so I've been craving it. Each visit is satisfying n' the food is always so good. I can't remember the amount of pieces they used to give for a large order of Short Ribs Pipikaula Style, it seemed smaller this time, but either way you gotta order it along with the Fried Butterfish Collar. Their Luau Squid is so creamy n' delicious just like everything else, all Ono. You can't go wrong bc this is truly local Hawaiian food at its finest!

    Photos
    New larger inside dining area
    New larger inside dining area
    Menu B: Kalua Pig And Pipikaula Short Ribs
    Menu B: Kalua Pig And Pipikaula Short Ribs
    Inside

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    Highway Inn Kaka'ako

    Highway Inn Kaka'ako

    4.1
    (2k reviews)
    4.7 mi
    $$

    So much aloha in this place. The hostess was friendly and cleared a table as our friends waited for…read moreus to arrive. Our server was informative and helpful. The restaurant is quite busy during weekday lunch, but the tables cleared pretty quickly. Two of us shared the sampler ($33.99 for pork lau lau, compared to $31.99 for chicken lau lau), although our server said that some individuals order it for themselves. The sampler came with lomi lomi salmon, squid lu'au, chicken long rice, poi, lau lau (pork or chicken), sweet potato and poi. It was filling for the two of us. We thought we might add something else à la cart, but we didn't need anything more. So good. We were surprised by the sweetness of the coconut milk in the squid lu'au. Everything was yummy! We were happy to have had such tasty Hawaiian food. Yay! There's a smaller paid parking lot in front of the restaurant. It was full, so we went to the parking structure behind. The restaurant validated for 90 minutes. Remember to scan the QR code in the parking lot after you park and to ask the hostess at the restaurant to validate online before you leave the restaurant.

    Whenever I am back on the island, I try to visit the Kaka'ako or Waipahu location. Came here on a…read moreFriday night and got a table for four relatively quickly. The service was quick and it wasn't too busy for a Friday night. Got the highway inn combo plate with squid luau (not as much squid as usual), plantation mixed plates, chicken long rice, and kalua pig. 10/10 food. They also have the QR code to validate parking.

    Photos
    Highway Inn Kaka'ako
    KALUA PIG NACHOS,FRIED RICE & SOUR CREAM
    KALUA PIG NACHOS,FRIED RICE & SOUR CREAM
    Fried Rice

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    Fried Rice
    Rainbow Drive-In

    Rainbow Drive-In

    3.8
    (6.1k reviews)
    7.9 mi
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    62 years in business

    Son wanted to go here. He saw it on TikTok. I got the. BBq pork meal. The pork was great. A…read moregazillion pounds of rice. I only at about 1/4 of it. The macaroni salad was macaroni with what seemed like just mayo. (Not my jam). He had the loco moco. He loved it. Again a billion pounds of rice. Kid had a hot dog. Didn't finish it. Quality was really low. Maybe we are used to dodger dog snap style flavorful ones. Anyway was a nice little meal and took a walk at the park a couple blocks away to walk off the massive amounts of rice.

    My family, across multiple generations, has been going here for decades, close to back when they…read morefirst opened. We have homes in the neighborhood. And we just can't go here anymore unless changes are made! We used to prefer them over Zippy's, but now they are less than 7-Eleven quality, while charging higher-end prices for the neighborhood. We have given them many chances, hoping it was just a fluke, but we have repeatedly been disappointed. Their chicken has become chewy and fatty, their rice is mediocre, and condiments such as mayonnaise are stripped down to the bare minimum quantity. Chile is poured so lightly that it is practically a minuscule amount. And their prices have continued to rise. I don't know if greedy people took over the restaurant who just don't care anymore, or what is going on. I remember when I used to take people here, and they would be impressed with the quality and quantity--plates just heaping with good cuts of meat, noodles, and rice. Those days are no more. As they say in Japan, the price performance is poor. Furthermore, their staff is rude. I can only imagine it was an owner working this day because it was a face I haven't seen that often. An older gentleman who appeared to be of Okinawan descent, working the cashier register, accosted us because I was privately discussing with my family about splitting different items with them. We were all ordering something, so he wasn't losing any money, but he told us about how prices are double in Waikīkī. First of all, it is rude to interrupt your customers that way. Secondly, we don't go to Waikīkī or care about Waikīkī. What happened to serving the locals? Third, Waikīkī has an assortment of restaurants, prices, and qualities, and they shouldn't be how you base your services. Lastly, I guarantee I could find a better deal in Waikīkī if I wanted to. Next time you're in the area, just go get a $6 bento or a $5 burrito from 7-Eleven next door. I assure you, the price performance and experience will be better. If Rainbow Drive-In is in the business of comparing themselves to other things, let's compare them to 7-Eleven and at least try to be better than them, right? I can get mochiko chicken from 7-Eleven for $6.99 that is similar in portion size and better quality. Meanwhile, they are serving their fatty, dry chicken for $16.75. Highway robbery! And they are not fancy, with their dirty picnic tables and plastic cutlery. They are just a step above a food truck, if that. Save yourself from the hype. They have gone downhill like a landslide. Go elsewhere.

    Photos
    Rainbows mixed plate
    Rainbows mixed plate
    Loco Moco Plate
    Loco Moco Plate
    Turns out I was wearing my GRAVY ALL OVER shirt so I had to get a pic with my loco moco!

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    Turns out I was wearing my GRAVY ALL OVER shirt so I had to get a pic with my loco moco!
    Side Street Inn

    Side Street Inn

    4.1
    (2.5k reviews)
    7.8 mi
    $$

    OMG! This was a dining experience! So, the restaurant was closing so my friend said we should eat…read morethere! I didn't know that the servings were group sized!! I found so many things that looked great on the menu, to include fried gizzards, boneless Kal Bi ribs, fully loaded fried rice, Mac salad and other stuff I can't recall! So the TWO of us ordered way too much! We tried to eat as much as we could and ended up taking the rest home! Everything we ordered was delicious, so we knew we were going to eat good leftovers! The restaurant was a great place to go with a group to eat and watch sports! Our Waitress (I have to remember to get names) was a track star, she was running to and from several tables of groups to deliver food! I will go again if they reopen!

    If you're visiting Hawaii with a big group, 100% recommend taking them here…read more We initially were a party of 16, and showed up without a reservation at 6pm on a Saturday. The staff was super nice about it and was able to accommodate us, with only a small request that we be out by 8pm since there was another big party with a reservation coming in. Absolutely reasonable. They sat us right away at three large tables, which gave us plenty of space for food and didn't force us to sit super close together. Menus, waters, plates, napkins, and forks were all brought out immediately, and our waiter was quick to take our order. We started with the prix fixe menu for 8-10 guests and were going to add other items à la carte, but a handful of our group accidentally went to the other Side Street location (make sure your group is all on the same page), so what we ordered ended up being more than enough. We left stuffed and with 5 boxes of food still. Edamame was nice and steamy, and large enough to easily pop the beans out with your mouth. Wish there was a bit more salt though. The farmer's salad had everything going on from citrusy to salty to crispy. Avocado had a little bit of oxidation but the capers, dressing and potato curls provided plenty of reasons to overlook it. The fried rice came in a hefty portion, with sizable pieces of bacon and sausage. The chicken I didn't realize was boneless based on the shape of the deep fry, but it was nice to freely bite into it without worrying about hitting anything with my teeth. Probably a bit too much on fried bits but still good. Pork chops had a better meat to crisp ratio in my opinion, as well as juiciness. They even came with ketchup on the side, which I love as a pairing but don't see much of at restaurants. My favorite meat item was definitely the sizzling boneless kalbi. The presentation on the sizzling plate with a side of kimchi was spectacular, and the meat was full of flavor. We also ordered yakisoba, which wasn't part of the prix fixe. Tasted good but nothing past standard expectations. We let the waiter know we had a 30th birthday at the table, and they brought a couple scoops of vanilla ice cream with a candle, and did a decent job getting the whole room to participate in the singing. It could also be the type of crowd this place attracts, since it seemed that everyone was so friendly and approachable. Thanks to the quick and consistent service, we were out in a little over an hour with no complaints.

    Photos
    Our Chef Colin's Classics Menu feeds 3-4 guests for $105.00!
    Our Chef Colin's Classics Menu feeds 3-4 guests for $105.00!
    Oodles of Noodles! Try our Yakisoba! You can also add Kim Chee for extra flavor.
    Oodles of Noodles! Try our Yakisoba! You can also add Kim Chee for extra flavor.
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    Popcorn Chicken & French Fries
    Waiahole Poi Factory

    Waiahole Poi Factory

    4.5
    (1.6k reviews)
    10.4 mi
    $$

    A legit 5 star hole in the wall along the highway. Absolutely worth the stop…read more The food is authentic and flavorful. Try the beef lau lau. I was so pleasantly surprised by it. Although everything was so good. Service was insanely fast and super friendly. Lots of outdoor tables with umbrellas, the place was pretty busy but we were able to get seating and we got our food in seconds.

    I can't even count how many times we've driven by this place en route to the North Shore. Finally…read moredecided to stop by for lunch. While they do have a parking, I suggest just parking on the street and walking up to the place. Signs clearly direct you to which window you can order food from and another for food pickup/dessert only ordering. We opted for combo plate (kalua pork and chicken long rice) w/ a side of poi. Both the kalua pork and chicken long rice were tasty but wished we had ordered rice instead so that i could mop up the delicious fat from the kalua pork! Loved the haupia pudding but wished they would give you a bit more. For dessert we ordered the tahitian sweet lady which was delicious! Wasn't a fan of the salmon lomi as it was pretty fishy for me. As we waited for our food, we noticed a dessert chilling on the ledge and joked with my wife that it was likely ours. Sure enough after 10 mins, the ice cream guy asked the cashier whose it was and at that time was our number called. Sadly, the ice cream had already started to melt. Wished they wouldn't have prepared the dessert until after our food was ready. Would definitely head back for their plate lunches and to try the sweet lady of waiahole dessert.

    Photos
    Waiahole Poi Factory
    Amazing food. Ho'io salad is a must. Fresh poi is tops. You can't go wrong at Waiahole Poi Factory.
    Amazing food. Ho'io salad is a must. Fresh poi is tops. You can't go wrong at Waiahole Poi Factory.
    The Ohana at Waiahole Poi Factory with members of One Groove.

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    The Ohana at Waiahole Poi Factory with members of One Groove.
    Da Ono Hawaiian Foods

    Da Ono Hawaiian Foods

    3.9
    (297 reviews)
    7.8 mi
    $$

    3.5 stars We wanted…read moreto try authentic Hawaiian food and came across this spot. The owner was very friendly and took the time to recommend dishes for us, including the laulau and lechon kawali. We also ordered the BBQ short ribs. Overall, it was a good experience trying Hawaiian food, but it's just not really our type of cuisine. The laulau was quite dry, and the preparation felt more like meat that had been boiled or cooked in liquid, which isn't something I usually enjoy. The lechon kawali had a crispy pork belly texture, topped with something similar to a salsa, but it didn't suit our taste either. Unfortunately, the cabbage served with it also had some black spots, which was off-putting. The BBQ short ribs were the highlight of the meal and the dish we enjoyed the most. We appreciate the experience and the hospitality, but the flavors just didn't quite match our personal preferences.

    Good local Hawaiian food restaurant. Street parking only. Small restaurant I believe it was Ono…read moreHawaii on Kapahulu before. Now it is named the Da Ono Hawaiian Foods. Either the owner or the manager seemed like a one man show. He was the server, bus boy, and chef. Husband got the pipikalua short ribs/he enjoyed. Sisters got the pork lau lau which came with sweet potato, rice or poi, lomi lomi salmon (more onion and tomato than salmon). i got the chicken lau lau, again stuffed with chicken, not enough taro leaves. Only six tables in the entire restaurant. The gentleman that was serving us I believe was also the bus boy, cook, server and cashier! Place is a hole in the wall with missing ceiling tiles and exposed panels above our table (gross!!). Sis loves this dive so we keep coming back!

    Photos
    Menu
    Menu
    Short Ribs Plate
    Short Ribs Plate
    Menu

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    Menu

    Islander Drive Inn - hawaiian - Updated August 2026

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