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Rainbow Drive-In

3.8 (6.1k reviews)
Closed 7:00 am - 9:00 pm
Updated 2 months ago

Rainbow Drive-In Photos

Business Info

RAINBOW DRIVE-IN ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Classy
Casual
Moderate noise
Outdoor seating

Recommended Reviews - Rainbow Drive-In

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Reviews With Photos

BONELESS CHICKEN WITH GRAVY PLATE
Cameron M.

We heard about the Rainbow Drive In from a tour guide and decided to stop in to give it a try. When we arrived there was a crowd but the lines truly did move very quickly and there is a great amount of seating. The amazing lady at the counter was kind and so remarkably quick with her duties. She rang up everything and delivered the food with lightning speed. We split a Boneless Chicken plate and it was plenty for two people. The chicken was tender and well seasoned and the Mac Salad and Rice complimented it well. We did get the gravy on the side. :) In reading the reviews I see a lot of differing opinions. Take this amazing spot for what it is. Good food at a good value in a good spot. Get in here and enjoy!

SAIMIN and LOCO MOCO PLATE*
Vincent M.

The service was the best part: the lady at the cashier was the sweetest and most patient person ever. The food felt like it was a quick fix-up from home (comforting, fulfilling, hearty, but just okay). The price is very good for the amount you get! Highly recommend checking out for the food and vibes; at least once though

from left: beef cutlet w/ gravy ($12.95) + chili fried ($6.95) + mix plate ($16.50)
Trung N.

I've visited Honolulu twice and each time I've eaten at Rainbow Drive-in with zero regrets. It's iconic. It's tasty. And a good way to taste Hawaii. If you order one thing, order a mix plate ($16.25) ~ without gravy or with for an extra quarter ($16.50). The plate comes with bbq beef, boneless chicken (breaded), mahi mahi, a scoop of rice, and a scoop of mac salad. It's an excellent Hawaiian combo plate. You get a pretty solid version of every protein plus a taste of their delicious mac salad. I personally like the mix plate with the gravy because it gives everything a little extra oomph. I also like the chili here. I've had them on fries, but on my last visit, I ordered the chili plate ($12.75) - chili, rice, and a scoop of mac. The chili is a perfect ratio of beef, garlic, and kidney beans. Over rice, it gives comfort food though I would suggest a nap after eating this plate. Super sad I missed the gravy memo, but I'll make sure I'll do that next time. Rainbow Drive-In could be your welcome or farewell meal. Or make it both.

Shoyu chicken plate with double Mac salad which
Chelcea F.

Rainbow Drive-In is one of those classic Oahu spots you have to try at least once. It's very casual and all outdoors, with a few tables if you want to sit and eat there. They also have a cute little merch tent where you can buy t-shirts, hats, and other souvenirs, which adds to the fun local vibe. I ordered the shoyu chicken plate and the portions were HUGE, easily big enough to share. Everything on the plate was seriously delicious. The chicken was super flavorful, the rice was perfect, and the mac salad was so good. I was able to get double mac salad, which was definitely the move. Portion sizes here are massive, and the price feels very fair for how much food you get. It's a great value, especially for Hawaii. Parking can be a little tricky. They do have a lot, but it's pretty small and getting in and out can take some patience. Overall this is a great spot if you're looking for a classic Hawaiian plate lunch with big portions and really good flavors. I'd definitely come back.

Chris R.

Awesome!! I got some breakfast with the crispy chicken. Everyone was super nice, and the food was on point, just what I wanted!!

Exterior
Beth Ann P.

This place is so nostalgic and I just love the vibes!! I think it's a must stop if you're visiting the area. We stopped for breakfast and ordered the meat and eggs plate and the corned beef hash plate. Food was good, lots of bacon. Service was super quick and very friendly.

Time for breakfast
Ed S.

We were recommended, highly recommended to go to the rainbow drive-in while we were in Honolulu. It was a quick 15 minute walk from our hotel. It was a fun journey as we saw a lot of native birds. My wife ordered the French toast and I ordered the spam and eggs. Wow, we shared both dishes and enjoyed every bite. We felt like we had a little sweet and savory with both plates. Great service and the prices were fair. We got there right when they opened so we beat the morning rush. It was our first Hawaiian meal and it did not disappoint. It was incredible and I wish I could go back. Be sure to check out my photos that include a rainbow that happened across from the restaurant the sunrise.

MIX PLATE (chicken katsu, bbq beef, mahi mahi)
Amy L.

rainbow drive-in still has that nostalgic, retro diner feel to it that still pushes out great food for reasonable prices! service was nice and efficient and they had plenty of tables to eat at. their plates were so filling and comforting, and you absolutely have to get their loco moco when visiting!

Garlic chicken plate
Mohammad H.

Garlic chicken plate was great but it did have fatty pieces to it. Mac salad was a little salty but definitely still delicious and white rice was great. Def a spot I have to come to when I am on the island!

MIX PLATE
Carla G.

Came here after the beach,line was not too bad. Food came pretty quick. Been coming here everytime we visit Hawaii. One of our cheaper meals in Islands. We enjoyed our meal on site. We ordered mix plate, chili and rice,loco moco and tater tots with chili (this was our favorite) its must for us! Everything else was ok,Loco moco patty was not my favorite.

Estela D.

Nice variety on the menu. Fast friendly service lots of seating. Very casual vibes. Cool local place to grab a bite to eat or to go. Food is DELICIOUS

Chris R.

Glad I was also able to check out rainbow drive in while I was in Hawaii I ordered a loco moco and the family ordered other dishes like chicken katsu and the mixed plate and we also ordered orange passion fruit guava Service here took about 10-20 depends on what time you're going of the day

Teri Beef Plate
Kimi K.

Teri Beef was good! Rice....not cooked enough. Mac salad had some vinegar? Overall, it was nostalgic and I didn't have to cook.

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1 year ago

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Alissa S.

Wow what a kind gesture! Mahalo for the review!

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8 months ago

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Crystine I.

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7 months ago

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Crystine I.

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2 years ago

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10 months ago

After coming here for 30+ years still the same nostalgic vibes and food. Can never go wrong with a plate lunch and slush float.

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Alissa S.

Mahalo for the support over the years! We couldn't do it without you!

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10 months ago

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Alissa S.

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

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1 year ago

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Alissa S.

Mahalo for stopping by! We look forward to serving you again soon!

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1 year ago

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David T.

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1 year ago

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Alissa S.

Mahalo for stopping by! We look forward to serving you again soon!

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

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Alissa S.

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1 year ago

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Alissa S.

Mahalo for the great review! We're glad you loved our hamburger!

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1 year ago

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

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4 months ago

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Alissa S.

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1 year ago

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Alissa S.

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4 months ago

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Alissa S.

Mahalo for the review.

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1 year ago

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Alissa S.

Mahalo for the review! We hope you can visit us again soon!

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4 months ago

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Alissa S.

Mahalo for the great review! We're so glad you enjoyed your mix plate!

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4 months ago

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Alissa S.

Mahalo for all the support! We look forward to serving you again soon!

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

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8 months ago

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Crystine I.

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11 months ago

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Alissa S.

We're so glad you enjoyed the slush float! Mahalo.

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1 year ago

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1 year ago

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

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David T.

Thank you for the great review! Mahalo for dining with us.

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

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9 months ago

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Alissa S.

Mahalo for the awesome review!

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1 year ago

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2 months ago

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Page 5 of 152

Rainbow Drive-In Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Rainbow Drive-In

Are there gluten free options here?

Yes.

Is there free parking here?

Yes

What's in your special gravy? Any meat product? Thanks in advance

Definitely meat of some sort, if I had to guess it is beef gravy

Are there Bathrooms?

Yes they do.

Hi, do you guys take phone orders?

I've heard they do, but I have never been able to get through. You can also order online and still pick up through the "Phone Orders" line

Will the restaurant be open on New Year's Day?

No, closed on January 1

Do you have seating area to enjoy the food?

Yes they have outdoor tables

Do y'all accept EBT food stamps?

No. Just cash, debit or credit card.

Do they still sell their chili seasoning packets?

Yes, we do! Available at Rainbow Tiki in Kapahulu or online! https://www.rainbowtiki.com/

Do they have traditional Hawaiian dishes with vegetarian options?

More like local comfort food, nothing's vegetarian at Rainbow. Go to Highway Inn or Helana's they have traditional Hawaiian food.

Can you order plate lunches in the morning ? Or is only offered after a certain time?

I have come at different times and have ordered "breakfast" at lunch and sandwiches for breakfast so I think you can order anything on the menu regardless of time.

Can i order lunch at 800 am? like teriyaki steak or beef curry

Yes for the Teriyaki steak. The Curry might be a special of the day so it's if it's on the specials menu you can order it. Try the teriyaki pork. It's really good.

Does this place actually take ebt?

We do not accept EBT at this time.

Do they have Apple Pay?

Cash or credit card only from what I recall

What's the best thing to order?

Depends on your palate: Meat and potatoes - loco moco… Read more

Are they open on Christmas Eve? Regular hours?

Yes but they close early

Do they do half portions?

I am not aware of 1/2 portion or mini-plate. That being said, order a sandwich, loco moco, or chili bowl. The Mahi, BBQ Beef or BBQ Pork sandwiches are da bomb.

Do they serve all of the regular items during breakfast time as well?

Yup!

What time do they stop serving their breakfast specials?

10:30 am daily

Do u have a Monday special today?

No Monday specials on sundays. Lol.

View All 21 Questions

McDonald's - Breakfast platter with rice, pmelettes, spam and Portugese sausage

McDonald's

2.6(214 reviews)
0.9 miWaikiki
$

You have to order from the kiosk and half of the items were not available. Literally half, it was…read morecrazy. I ordered a basic Hawaiian breakfast with eggs, rice, Portuguese sausage and spam. I was the only one who ordered but it still seemed to take quite a while to make the breakfast and the staff seemed like they did not want to be there at all. The food however was delicious and exactly what I wanted.

Wanted a late-night snack before heading back to the Airbnb and ended up at this McDonald's around…read more10 PM. When we walked in, there wasn't anyone taking orders at the counter, so we had to use the kiosks. After ordering, we waited about 30 minutes. During that time, a homeless man cut the line and started a confrontation, threatening other customers. Even after that, we still waited another 30 minutes for our food. I understand this location gets busy, but waiting an hour while dealing with that kind of situation just wasn't worth it. I hope the staff can get more support because it seemed like they were overwhelmed. As for the food, McDonald's in Hawaii is pretty much the same as elsewhere, at least for the dinner menu. The only unique item I noticed was the ube pie, which was sold out. Otherwise, everything tasted the same. The space itself is fairly large, but with so many people crowded at the front waiting, it ends up feeling small. I'd recommend avoiding this location if you can.

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McDonald's
McDonald's - Waited 20 mins for this

Waited 20 mins for this

McDonald's - Haupia Pie

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Haupia Pie

Musubi Cafe Iyasume - Teriyaki spam musubi, egg + eel + avocado musubi, spam + egg + bacon + avocado musubi

Musubi Cafe Iyasume

4.5(5.4k reviews)
0.6 miWaikiki
$

Having that high rating with over 1500 reviews was certainly intriguing. We're lucky we stayed…read moresuper close and bumped into this Musubi cafe. It's busy since relatively early in the day but ordering process was seamless and they got the order pretty quick. Your number would be called when everything's ready. Their menu was rich that you had tons to pick from. Price was decent for the size as well. Our picks were the salmon ikura and spam shrimp avocado. Both were so good and our highlight would certainly be how they nailed the sauce.

The original flagship location is a completely different experience from the quick grab and go…read morestyle of their other outlets. Expect a super long queue that can easily stretch to nearly an hour, but the massive selection and convenience store charm still make it a classic destination for a local staple. Spam Musubi (4/5): The sheer variety on the menu ensures there's something for everyone, whether you want a classic quick beach snack or an easy meal to take to the airport. Once you finally place your order at the counter, the kitchen staff works incredibly fast to get your food bagged, hot, and ready to eat within just a few minutes. Logistics Tip: Because the wait time here can be substantial compared to the smaller satellite locations, budget at least 45-60 minutes for the line during peak hours. On the bright side, this spot functions like a full convenience store, giving you plenty of fun local merchandise and cute spam themed souvenirs to browse while you wait for your turn to order.

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Musubi Cafe Iyasume - Inside the shop

Inside the shop

Musubi Cafe Iyasume - Teriyaki Spam & Rice with Hawaiian drink

Teriyaki Spam & Rice with Hawaiian drink

Musubi Cafe Iyasume - Black pepper spam musubi and inari-egg spam musubi

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Black pepper spam musubi and inari-egg spam musubi

Rainbow Drive-In - hawaiian - Updated May 2026

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