Loco Moco Drive Inn in Hawaii Kai is a popular franchised restaurant that offers an extensive menu of local comfort food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Its low Yelp ratings don't help to justify its popularity with the local Hawaii Kai community, as many of the negative issues rested with its prior owner many years ago. Its current owner, Ru Jun T. has improved the business by making major renovations, offering creative menu specials, and listening to their customers. Its menu offerings include: * Breakfast (served all day). Big, pancake, steak & eggs, fish & eggs, omelets, sides. * Daily specials (weekdays). Beef stew, chili, sweet sour spareribs, pot roast, salt & pepper pork chop. * Plate lunch. Seafood; chicken; pork; beef; combo plates of mixed BBQ short ribs, chicken & teri steak or hamburger steak w/ stew, curry or chili. * House specialties. Chicken, fish, shrimp, steak, beef w/ broccoli, adobo, mushroom chicken, mapo tofu. * Saimin & bowls. Gau gee mein, beef chow fun, beef curry/stew bowl, chili bowl, Japanese fried noodles, shrimp char sui fried rice. * Sandwiches. Burgers, chicken, shrimp, beef, fish filet, hot dog. If you ask any Hawaii Kai resident why they love Loco Moco, they (including myself) will scream MOCHIKO CHICKEN! Yes, it is their signature dish, and they do it well, even if it's a mini plate or a party pan! Also, as owner Ru Jun is Chinese, some of the popular menu offerings are Chinese-inspired, e.g., beef chow fun, egg rolls, gau gee, ginger chicken, mushroom chicken, turkey jook, watercress tofu chicken soup, shrimp & char siu fried rice, etc. All items are made to order so that you receive your plates hot and fresh. Some of the items we've tried include: * Mochiko chicken. Always a winner, as their signature chicken dish is perfectly marinated with soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sugar and fried with lots of crunchy panko! * BBQ chicken. Nicely marinated whole pieces of delicious chicken thighs as an entrée or can be used for sandwiches. Instead of rice and salad, we ask for only meat, and staff obliges (we already have sides at home). * Mushroom chicken. Tasty crunchy chicken pieces with lots of mushrooms and gravy! * Watercress pork tofu soup. When under the weather, this hot soup soothes you and you feel better already! Delicious Chinese-style soup! Customer service is efficient, quick, and friendly. Staff will remind you to enter your cell phone number in their Five Stars Rewards Program. [[HIGHLIGHT]]There are a few tables if you want to dine in; however, most customers order on a take-out basis. No ambiance, as customers wait for their orders.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] There is a Teapresso Bar located in the Loco Moco shared space if you desire boba teas. Hours of operation are daily 8:00a to 8:45p. Located next to Bank of HI and Petco, theree parking in the Koko Marina Shopping Center that is shared with other vendors in the complex. Loco Moco offers affordable prices, generous portions, and authentic flavors for locals and tourists that want you to return for more. And their signature mochiko chicken that is so tasty, knowing that there always will be more! Continued success to the Ru Jun Family in offering great food in HI Kai! Support local! read more

See all

This food hits the spot. The local moco came with a generous serving of rice, two patties, your choice of egg, and a big scoop of mac & cheese. It's very rich, but also quite indulgent. I couldn't finish the food due to the large portion sizes but it's the perfect size for two people. As for the adobo omelette, it comes with fried rice. The fried rice taste very familiar like my grandmother's cooking the very distinct white pepper taste. The service is friendly and the food came out fast. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ambience wise the premises are decorated heavily, but it does provide a quick one stop shop for food.. especially if you're going to be hiking or walking a trail after.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Highly recommend stopping by just to fill out loco moco craving. read more

Loco Moco Drive Inn - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This was one of my top five Hawaiian plates of all time - I had the sea food combo which came with a fresh flakey white fish, three large battered shrimp, rice, Mac, and my choice of teriyaki beef. It's a ginormous plate and worth the $24. read more

See all

Finished Koko Head and stopped here for breakfast afterward. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The spot shares space with Teapresso Bar and has a decent amount of indoor seating.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The menu is extensive with daily specials, which made choosing a bit overwhelming. I ended up going with the mushroom chicken. It took about 15 minutes to prepare, but the food came out hot and fresh. The chicken was fried very crispy, and the gravy wasn't too salty. Surprisingly, it was really good, and the portion size was decent. Looks like they've expanded to other locations as well. I'd definitely come back to try more items on the menu. read more

See all

Located in Koko Marina shopping center next to Bank of Hawaii and Petco, they have a huge menu of breakfast lunch/ dinner, daily specials, other specials, catering. They use five star for rewards so check in with your phone number every $1 1 point, 300 points for a free regular loco moco or chicken Katsu plate. They give large portions and can get busy so it's best to call in your order on the way there. Recently the food has been inconsistent, chickens (mochiko and katsu) has been bland and needs a sauce for taste. Normally it's pretty good not sure if it's just been off days. Most times one regular plate feeds two of us so it's a pretty good deal. [[HIGHLIGHT]]If you order there they have some seats for dine in and they also are connected to the boba tea shop next door, Teapresso.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Hopefully they stick around though because fat boys in Koko Marina is gone. read more

See all

[[HIGHLIGHT]]The place is kind of messy but it's typical clean for an Asian establishment.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The tables and chairs are clean.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I came for breakfast and ordered a mini Pork Odobo and it came with 1 scoop of rice, 1 scoop of mac salad and the pork odobo. It was uber $14 and it came out fairly quickly. The food was delicious and flavorful with tender chunks of pork. I will definitely return to try some of their other items. read more

Loco Moco Drive Inn - Mini Pork Adobo - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

Fast food .. they have another boba shop in the same space. A very large menu. There are so many things to choose from. It's well worth the visit: it gets busy. So expect to wait and your food may come out in stages . That's ok with me . I'm happy here . Reasonably priced read more

Loco Moco Drive Inn - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I'm trying to eat healthier these days so I ordered the watercress and chicken soup. I got home and started enjoying the dinner and after a couple of spoonfuls I bit into something crunchy. To my horror it was a tiny snail. My dinner would have be awesome if there wasn't any snails in it. They don't wash the watercress well. read more

Food is always Hot & Delicious! We had the Regular Loco Moco and the Regular Chicken Katsu. Again, they never disappoint us. Service is always friendly and fast. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The location is 1 mile from home and clean and inviting.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Parking stalls in front and nearby. Such a Treat in the neighborhood. read more

Loco Moco Drive Inn - Regular Loco Moco, 2 Eggs your way and 2 Beef Patties - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

This is my go-to place if I want a no-fuss takeout meal at the start of a weekend. I think the food at this Loco Moco franchise tastes better than the local L&L franchise at a neighboring shopping center. The plates are also a significantly better value than at Zippy's. I enjoy the mapo tofu and hamburger steak plates, but the best is a mini mochiko chicken. Just by weight you know there is a lot of food for a mini plate. The mini mochiko chicken comes with 8-10 strips of marinated thigh in a sweet sticky mochiko flour batter. I will opt for all macaroni salad - there is enough to fill a round 2 cup ziploc container. This will leave me with enough to portion out over three light meals. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I have to recommend coming before the mid afternoon. They are pretty diligent about cleaning their dining area and the smell of cleaning products isn't appetizing if you drop by after a workday[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. But if you ordered by phone and just pick up then it's not too bad. Another reason they are my first choice is I remember during an island wide blackout, they had gas so they could still cook. No electricity, no POS or card processing, no working ATMs. Unbelievably, they gave out meals to anyone who came by but couldn't pay because they didn't have and couldn't get cash. I remember, and do not forget that generosity. So Loco Moco Drive Inn is my don't-want-to-cook Friday night choice. Mini mochiko chicken. Easy peasy lemon squeezy! read more

See all

This place is the bomb. If you're looking for authentic Hawaiian and Chinese food this is the place to be. It's totally underrated on here. Also the service is super quick and everyone's so friendly. I'm really happy thank you!! read more

Loco Moco Drive Inn - Katsu chicken - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

I eat chicken vegetable stir fry or spicy eggplant plate lunch every week. Both are so delicious & I never get tired of it. Also the cold chicken has a wonderful garlicky sauce but I prefer it warmed. read more

I've long searched for great Corned Beef Hash on Oahu and now, I've found it! This is the real deal, no Libby's Corned Beef that makes mushy patties but REAL Corned Beef like Palm brand. IYKYK! I wasn't sure what I was hungry for and was about to order a Plate Lunch when the Cashier suggested Breakfast. I'll definitely need a 3rd egg on my order next time bc they give 2 large, crispy patties. I thought the hash was the "side" but they dominate the plate! I live in Pearl City but will happily drive all the way out to Hi Kai for these! read more

We love Loco Moco Restaurant at Hawaii Kai. We highly recommend this restaurant" "The food and service quality was truly exceptional, I can't wait to come back" "The Loco Moco, and Mochiko Chicken items particularly my favorite, [[HIGHLIGHT]]good ambiance and customer service.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Loco Moco Drive Inn - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

It was decent. I don't recommend the steak. It was dry by the time we got back to the hotel. I also don't recommend the saimin to go. Noodles are placed with the broth. Noodles absorb broth. But Mac was good. Shortrib was good. Katsu was alright. read more

Good food, good service. The kimchee fried rice is gigantic and so yum. Pork cutlet is also very good.

Good, quick, and affordable restaurant. I had the fish sandwich and my husband had the loco moco. The food was good and freshly prepared. We were told we had to wait 20 minutes as the grill was full, but it only actually took about 10. read more

Excellent service. BBQ Beef & Broccoli Shrimp delicious and more than ample portions!

I really wanted to try a Loco Moco in Hawaii but many places had giant portions, so I was stoked this place had a 1/2 portion option available that was easy to complete! It was a delicious, perfectly greasy and hearty meal. It's right next to the Koko head trailhead so it hit the spot after suffering through that! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Service was fast, and it was a nice and casual, no-frills atmosphere within a complex with many other shops.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Loco Moco Drive Inn - Inside - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

Stoped by here on vacation. The food was amazing! And the service was great too! I ordered the loco moco and the lady said I should get a small but I was like nahh I got this.. Oh boy I did not! after being on a plane for over 12 hrs it was the best thing I ever ate. And now I'm back home wishing for that amazing delicious food. sending much love from Louisville Kentucky! read more

Food is always delicious. Easy to make a phone call and food is piping hot when picked up.

Out in Hawai'i Kai at the Koko Marina Center is Loco Moco Drive Inn. They have been around forever and the food is great. Ordered the garlic shrimp and mochiko chicken pans for a party. Garlic shrimp (7/10), they have enough but they are a little small. Sauce wise very good, not too oily with great garlic/oil ratio. If you run out of shrimps, dump the cabbage and leftover sauce over rice (which I know everyone does). Now, the Mochiko Chicken (9/10) frikin humongous, Mt. Everest height pan of endless chicken. The batter is not thick and the chicken itself is super juicy. Flavor wise one of the better mochiko chickens I've tried. One tip, leave the chicken pan uncovered while you drive if not the batter will become soggy. And don't eat any of it (yeah right). [[HIGHLIGHT]]Service is always great and the dining area is very clean.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] They also have Chinese food and regular local plate lunch choices. There is a Teapresso Bar connected, earn points from Loco Moco purchases to get drinks from Teapresso Bar. Support this local business when you are out on the East Side. Aloha. read more

Loco Moco Drive Inn - Pan of garlic shrimp and mochiko chicken. - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Beef teriyaki was salty and not very tender. What I really don't like was, a staff was mopping the floor using strong smelling disinfectant while there are customers eating, very bad manners read more

The food here is so good! Our go-to is mochiko chicken whether it be a mochiko chicken plate or a pan of mochiko chicken for parties. Another go-to is the beef chow fun noodles! They are so flavorful and are always a hit at family parties. We usually place phone orders and the food, for the most part, is ready by the time we get there. The staff is not always the friendliest, but I haven't had any notable bad experiences. I get that the price of everything has gone up, but the prices for the places are super expensive and the portions have definitely gotten smaller. read more

Love this place! Come and have some chicken cutlet and crispy fries after a day at the beach. Please bring back the crinkle cut French fry tho. read more

We come to Loco Moco Drive Inn for one thing: mochiko chicken. It's our go-to for potlucks, and the medium party pan is the perfect size. The portion is generous, the chicken is always tasty, and the fact that you can order same day is a huge plus. The staff saw me taking a photo of the party pans. She offered a takeout menu without me even asking. That was thoughtful. read more

See all

(Tookout 05/14/23 SU @ 6:00pm): I saw loco moco... but I didn't see a drive inn! I found myself at Loco Moco Drive Inn on Mother's Day (away from my mom) because I've been craving some local food (lau lau!), I spent most of the day lost in my work having not eaten anything to that point, and I wanted to keep things simple as I continued to explore the businesses in the community. Through the trusted Yelp app, this nearby eatery appeared to check off all the boxes. A short drive away, once I entered, I was soon bombarded by so many options as my starving belly loudly grumbled. Would I stay on target and order what I initially came for, or would I go loco and drive away with a car full of food!? PURCHASE [ONION RINGS/STRAWS/STRINGS ALERT - 4.0 of 5.0 STARS] Onion Rings ($4.95): A handful side order of medium-to-large rings, these were hot, medium browned, crunchy, and had a tendency to crumble when bitten into while the onion ring (not sweet Maui) stayed intact. These were surprisingly tasty (even the next day) and didn't require any sort of dipping sauce https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=eJ0xr9WTxRMR8PlHikebPQ&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw. 2pc Pork Lau Lau w/Rice & Macaroni Salad Meal ($15.95): Since I was a kid, I loved lau lau (all varieties) especially the taro leaves the protein was wrapped in. Each lau lau was massively packed with seasoned soft pork mixed with just enough fat along with two fluffy scoops of steamed white rice and a creamy first generous scoop of macaroni salad (I wished it had pineapple). This was so large, I had it as two separate meals with the second one a couple nights later nearly as good as the first one https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=BFiRD5K_BSGfDdRtufhXkw&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw! SERVICE I was quickly greeted by the three women behind plexiglass at the counter. I needed a few minutes to peruse the large menu before I decided to stick with what I've been craving for. No more than five minutes later, my order was packed and ready to go without me even noticing. Everything was easy, quick, simple, and I was given a parting salutation - mahalo! PARKING (FREE) Located in the spacious Koko Marina Center outdoor shopping center, there were plenty of spots as I got one directly in front - 'nuff said. ATMOSPHERE, DÉCOR, AMBIENCE Located in the Koko Marina Center, this business shared space with a Teapresso Bar along with a community dining area filled with several chairs/tables https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=vx8uEbleS3GrxFsEb6-6ZA&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw, a cool wall mural, some random decorations hung on the wall, and a highly legible food menu hung up on the wall behind the order counter https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=sJNA_jWLZuqxVMHVmD2IGQ&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw. There was one TV while pop music played in the background. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=kPmVCv3-DH2InkpLU31t_g&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw ATTIRE Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops. OVERALL Loco Moco Drive Inn was amazing, and I would definitely return to explore their expansive menu for more tasty meals! The food was delicious along with huge portion sizes, prices were very comparable, service was straightforward and quick, and it being a short drive away was the cherry on top. I found complete value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was around $22.00 BEFORE any discounts and/or tip). And, they accepted my credit card of choice... AMEX! 5.0 STARS read more

See all

Snacking in Hawaii Kai, O'ahu, Hawai'i... Before our friend, Lisa S., boarded the plane back to Los Angeles, Jeff B. and I escorted her to Loco Moco Drive Inn at the Koko Marina Shopping Center (after we had malasadas at the nearby Malasadamobile in the parking lot). Loco Moco Drive Inn has many locations across the island. It's comparable to the Zippy's and L&L chains which are known for their plate lunches. Lisa got a LauLau plate to go (good choice) and I had Lisa and Jeff eat Gau Gee (deep-fried, rectangular, flat wonton dumplings) because Gau Gee is not popular on the mainland. Gau Gee is more of a local Chinese food. Some people like to bring fried Gau Gee to potlucks while others boil the dumplings in soup like Mandoo. There are different fillings, but most contain ground pork. Anyway, Loco Moco Drive Inn offered four "Crispy Gau Gee" on their menu - perfect! We saw the cashier pull a bag of Gau Gee out from the freezer and drop them into the frying basket. They came out Hot, crisp on the outside, and fresh! Yummy! The package of four Gau Gee also came with a small container of dipping sauce - it looked like sweet sour sauce? I didn't need any. I liked the Gau Gee just the way it was. Note: this location had a shared (with Teapresso) dining-in area. It's a casual environment! read more

See all

Hey Yelpers! Sorry for inactivity recently, been busy. Pictured here is the Spam Musubi Bento. I rate it a 10/10. The chicken is exquisite, very tasteful. The spam musubi is obviously delicious, you can never go wrong with one. I would recommend this to anybody of all ages (except newborns)! This has been my favorite off the menu for years now! Service is nice, standard. [[HIGHLIGHT]]While the ambiance is just like any other local restaurant, sharing the place with what is called Share Tea (I believe.)[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Loco Moco Drive Inn - Spam Musubi Bento Special - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We love the Hawaii Kai Loco Moco. Ling and everyone are always so nice to us when pick up our food. Very convenient, yummy food. And Ling always reminds us to enter our phone number and earn points. read more

Ordered a Loco Moco and it just didn't taste that great. Egg and meat patty were slightly overcooked and flavor was meh. Way too much gravy trying to overcompensate or something? Service was nice and food came out fast though! Parking is also abundant. read more

Loco Moco Drive Inn - Loco Moco - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I was disappointed. They were very slow and others who came in after me were served sooner. The cashier would look at me and say it was coming and nothing more. I saw one of the cooks reach into the tray of french fries with his bare hands and take some out and started eating them. I left after that and they did not care and no refund. Disappointing as I had been there before covid and this was not how they did business back then. read more

We love Loco Moco Restaurant at Hawaii Kai. We highly recommend this restaurant" "The food and service quality was truly exceptional, I can't wait to come back" "The Loco Moco, and Lemon Chicken items particularly my favorite, [[HIGHLIGHT]]good ambiance and customer service.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Loco Moco Drive Inn - Mushroom Chickens - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Great place to grab a quick lunch[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] . The Teri beef sandwich was delicious . My mom had the burger . It was a bargain at $6.75 as we did not want the fries. $14 for a drink , fries and a sandwich is a great deal in this time of rising prices . read more

Friendly and kind service. But unfortunately the Loco Moco was not edible. Happy to support a small business, but I basically donated the $20 spent on this meal. Not the spot for Loco Moco. Makes me sad! I really wanted to like it! read more

Loco Moco Drive Inn - Loco Moco - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Ordered takeouts: mini BBQ short ribs and mini beef stew. Both with fresh salad. Mini BBQ short ribs came with one scoop of rice, cabbages, and two short ribs. Some parts of BBQ short rib were a bit hard but tasty. Beef stew plate came with one scoop of rice and beef stew. Beefs in beef stew were so tender and stew was tasty . Both portions were generous. I hope we can have a choice of brown rice. Mahalo. read more

Loco Moco Drive Inn - Mini Beef Stew Plate - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

Loco Moco Drive Inn is a solid place for your catering needs, offering large trays of delicious meats at reasonable prices. Our go-tos are the Mochiko chicken, chicken katsu, and teriyaki steak! The large pans are a LOT of meat, so we like to get two medium pans for some variety. Be aware that for garlic chicken, the sauce is on the side, and it is very very garlicky! Also if you have any peanut allergies, be careful of the salad dressings (made in house) as one of them contains peanuts. Catering tray prices did go up recently, so made sure you confirm when you order if you are looking at older menu photos. If we are just coming to grab takeout for our family, we usually get the beef chow fun which is fairly standard but a large portion we can share. I've always been confused on why it's named "drive inn", but there are a few tables for dine in and plenty of free parking in the Koko marina plaza! read more

Loco Moco Drive Inn - Updated catering menu prices - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Ok... probably could have ... should have ordered the medium instead of regular. That's a lot of food. If you want a light breaks fast... come another day. Lady was friendly. They have a lot of options. More than I know what to do with. You have to enter through the door that looks like it goes to the yogurt part. They're connected. We made the mistake of going to the door to the left. read more

See all

Chow funn and garlic shrimp is outstanding. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Place is small but staff is friendly and the food is hot and delicious.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] This is a sneaky good place. Gotta try and you won't regret. 10 thumbs up for quick fast food. read more

We hit up this spot before going to Sandy Beach. I was craving lau lau. It was steamed perfectly and the pork was really tender. The mac salad was good also. Leonard's malasada truck is also in the same plaza read more