The Rainbow Drive-In was reported as a favorite of former president Barack Obama and featured on the Food Network with Guy Fieri. You place your order at the window and pickup when it's ready. Tried the Mix Plate with gravy, and a Slush Float. Prices are reasonable here. Received a large heaping portion of food with big scoops of white rice and macaroni salad. It's simply prepared everyday comfort food. Overall enjoyable meal not too far away from Waikiki. read more

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The staff was very nice and efficient at this location. I heard great things about this establishment and wanted to give it a try for myself. I tried the mahi-mahi sandwich and while it tasted fresh, there were not many accompaniments to feel like it was a complete meal. The sitting area was not very well tended to and because of that. there were a plethora of paper napkins and tables covered with sauce and debris. My mother tried the chili plate and it was a very satisfying portion. The bathrooms also require a key or a code that must be given out by the staff. I think with a couple of housekeeping and slight menu tweaking, this post could be five stars across-the-board for me. read more

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Decades old drive-inn made popular by social media. Food is good, comes out tasty and hot. The Aunties behind the counter are friendly and efficient. The way they make a slush float looks like they can do it in their sleep. Lots of outdoor seating and parking. The slush float is da bomb!!! My new favorite Hawaiian delight!!! read more

We came by for a quick breakfast and the service was. It's not a real drive in at this location but lots of parking. There's sheltered picnic benches and tables on the primisies too eat if you decide to stay. They had calming Hawaii music playing in the back ground. I ate the BBQ beef, scrambled eggs with rice (Breakfast Special) which tasted good. read more

Rainbow Drive-In - Breakfast special w/ BBQ beef - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

{Overall: 5; Food: 5}; Service: 5 Rainbow Drive-In serves Hawaiian rice plates. This location is fun because it looks the most like an old school drive-in. After parking in their lot, you walk up to a window to order and pickup your food. They have a few outdoor tables, but all meals can be packaged neatly in a box and ready to take away. We tried the loco moco plate, which came with macaroni salad. This is the best loco moco I've had. The macaroni salad was also incredible. read more

Rainbow Drive-In - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

My husband loves rainbows. My kids and him always crave their bacon, eggs, and rice. It's so cheap for around $10. You can indicate how you want your egg and bacon cooked. They always get extra crispy. You can even get fries instead of rice. You honestly can customize to your liking. It is always super crowded, so we order online. It makes it faster because you just head to the pick up counter. All of the their other food is drive inn style. Cheap plates for Hawaii. Parking can be a little hard when it's crowded. There are some stalls on the street. There's a restroom and outdoor seating. read more

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Food: My standard order: Teri-beef plate with 2 scoops rice and mac salad. Strawberry slush float--except on St. Patrick's Day--Lemon Lime Slush Float! Service: Not bad (if you nice to the girls when ordering) Ambiance: Take 'em home quick while hot and eat 'em while watching TV read more

Food is good, price is very affordable Kahlua pork with cabbage is good, order a mix meat which is also good Workers need a little Customer service read more

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This spot is a great spot after a long day at the beach and you're looking for a hearty meal. A local staple, this spot has been open for over 60 years and for a good reason. They have a wide selection of Hawaiian favorites and change out specific items depending on the day of the week. Service here is really quick and you'll get your food within 5 minutes. I came here one evening and got the loco moco and mix plate, and it was exactly what I craved after a long day at the beach. The portions were huge and they were generous with their gravy and sauces. The only thing I would note though is that (and maybe it's because I went towards their closing time but,) the meat was on the drier side and seemed to have been left out for a while. I feel like the meal would have been a lot better had the meat been more tender, juicy, and fresh but for what it was (and the price), I can see why it's a must go for tourists! read more

Rainbow Drive-In - Mix Plate & Loco Moco - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Yes, Obama ate here. Tony Bourdain and Guy Fieri have been here as well. The food is hot, cheap and plentiful. This isn't going to be a gourmet experience, but it is a solid meal and excellent people watching. Go with the Loco Moco plate and enjoy!! They serve a thousand plates of food each day! read more

Rainbow Drive-In - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

My boyfriend and I were in the area and the restaurant we wanted to try out was fully booked, so we figured we could stop by Rainbow Drive In for dinner. The menu looked appetizing and I wanted some comfort food, so we ordered at around 4:30. There was plenty of seating, but there were a decent amount of people as well. Our food came out fairly quick. He ordered the mix plate with a side of gravy, and I ordered their Thursday special, chopped steak with veggies. I wasn't really happy with my dish. I was hoping to try something else, but it wasn't available on Thursdays so I opted for this instead. The beef had a weird texture and the taste wasn't anything special. My boyfriend's plate also wasn't anything great. The meat was tasteless and the gravy had an odd flavor as well. Maybe we ordered the wrong things or the kind of food just wasn't our taste. It seems like a popular local spot though, so I wouldn't stop anyone from trying it. read more

Rainbow Drive-In - Mix Plate - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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How did they make this so well? The eggs are over easy, which makes a good sauce to blend with the rice. However, I wouldn't suggest blending the this with the macaroni that comes with it. Although it was good, if the eggs blend with the Mac and cheese, it gives a weird taste. Nonetheless, the food came fast and warm. Service was extremely kind, and the noise is average for a tasty restaurant like this one. Would go again, but I'm here on vacation. read more

Rainbow Drive-In - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Rainbow Drive-In is one of those OG landmarks that I feel is more of a tourist attraction these days in modern times. It use to be a big local hangout but as things get old, so does the taste and flavors of Honolulu. I took some friends here for their first time in Hawaii and overall enjoyed it for cheap eats. The flavors I feel over the years has changed drastically and not as good as it once was. It feels very cafeteria-esque but for the price and quantity--you get a whole lot for your dollars worth! Stop by just for iconic landmark photo op and a quick bite then move on to the more modern tastes of Honolulu. read more

Old school vibe serving classic Hawaiian plate lunches. Prices are reasonable for the area and portions are filling. We ordered a Loco Moco Plate with rice and macaroni salad, and a Corned Beef Hash and Eggs plate with fries and coleslaw. Each plate comes with rice or fries plus macaroni salad or coleslaw. We were sharing our 2 plates so we figured to mix it up so we can try all the sides. The star of the meal was definitely the coleslaw! It wasn't your regular mayo styled coleslaw, but more of an oriental dressing coleslaw. It was light, had a nice flavor punch and refreshing. Rest of the meal was good, nothing spectacular but nostalgic. Small parking lot and outdoor tables for you to enjoy your meal there. It can get quite busy, so they also have the option to order online if you want to go that route. Workers are quick and will call your name when your order is ready. If you're hungry and in the area, worth a stop to check it out and see how you like it. They do have the classic local plate lunches and breakfast plates or burgers. read more

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Great food, moco loco and shoyu pork were fanatic and reasonable priced. Short walk from Queens Beach and well worth it. Super cute decor and outdoor seating. Staff were nice and food came out fast. read more

Rainbow Drive-In - Sign - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

A very popular drive up diner offers local lunch plates to tasty burgers and fries. They're known for the combo lunch plates which is stuffed beyond the togo plater. The lunch plates are tasty and filling. The burger was popular and tasty too. During our visit the open air seating was scarce but tables opened up in no time. Souvenirs are also available to purchase. Service was quick to order and our food was soon available. Great vibe for an outdoor diner. read more

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The food was meh. We actually threw it away. It looked like a piece of jerky. I was so looking forward to some authentic Hawaiian food disappointed. read more

About a 1-1.5: Rainbow Drive-In has been around since the early '60s, and they are family -owned and -operated. They currently have 3 locations, and we came here to in the morning for breakfast. I really liked the fact that their whole menu was available any time, all day - we ordered: +a Loco Moco Plate - two hamburger patties set on top of two scoops of rice, topped with Rainbow's special gravy, and 2 eggs (went for over medium), and a scoop of macaroni salad; the patties were thin and super dried out; the rice was not cooked properly and was a soggy/mushy mess; the gravy didn't have any flavor, along with the mac salad, which was just macaroni pasta with mayo; there was no seasoning whatsoever, and the plate was just bland +Chili Tots - went to add also cheese, was at an extra charge; the tater tots were actually fried well and came out crispy; the chili itself contained beans, which I liked, and it had a nice savory taste to it; it would have been better if they used freshly-grated cheddar cheese rather than the pre-shredded kind; don't forget to ask for hot sauce, as that can give this a nice kick +a Slush Float - a strawberry-flavored drink with a scoop of vanilla ice cream; this just tasted too artificial-like and wasn't enjoyable There were 3 'lines' in which you can order; patrons are pretty good in standing in queue. Staff moved the line alone, and they were pretty efficient; you just need to make sure you're paying attention for your name to be called, as there's no mic/speaker system. There's some parking on both sides of the place, with some covered outdoor seating area in both sides. I'm glad I was able to check this place out, but wouldn't return for a repeat visit. +Chili Tots +unseasoned, bland food items +avoid the slush floats and the loco moco +efficient service +parking available in their private lot +covered outdoor seating available read more

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We came on a Wednesday morning for brunch after hiking Diamond Head. Parking is limited but it wasn't too bad when we want. There were two seating areas to pick from, so we decided to eat there. Mix Plate (4/5): The flavor of the BBQ Beef was good, the Boneless Chicken was juicy, but I found the Mahi Mahi a bit tough to eat. We got the side of gravy - there's not much flavor to it but it does make a world of a difference with moistening the drier pieces. Shoyu Chicken (5/5): I loved that the meat just falls right off the bones. The meat drenched in the shoyu juices was delicious. Shrimp Tempura Plate (3/5): The shrimps were juicy and were lightly breaded, but we didn't find this super impressive. Slush Float (5/5): I believe this was a fruit punch slushie with a scoop of ice cream on top. I loooove Mac Salad so I was definitely munching on that to my heart's content. Overall, the food is solid, great value for the price, and I hope to come back to try other dishes on the menu. read more

Rainbow Drive-In - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Rainbows always great price , service is great and fast I've been coming here many years with my family

It was quick and delicious. The servers the window works real hard. Watch out for the screaming of names while you're ordering tho. Our fav was the shoyu chicken. Perfect runny eggs The gravy was everything! Way too generous with the rice. Next time I'd love to try the mix and combo. read more

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Once again had an excellent dinner if you're on a budget, the food was hearty fast and plenty of it. I got a local local plate that was very big and I got three mahi-mahi plates. Everything was delicious. A lot of food. If you're a small eater, you might wanna consider to share one plate. easy fast service only problem. There was the sign do not feed the birds where I wanted to feed the birds, but my wife kept complaining to me not to feed the birds, but I'd rather feed the birds unfortunately she won. I did not feed the birds other than that there was plenty of parking. Food was great. Did not break the bank. Excellent fast service read more

Rainbow Drive-In - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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To my amazement a large fountain drink at Rainbow's is now $4.29... that's incredible. Jack in the Box largest drink is about 3.89-3.99 maybe little over $4.00 but it's a lot bigger... in comparison a large fountain drink at the Ala Moana ABC store near Center Court was less than $3.00??? How can that be Rainbows? You're totally ripping us locals off. Shame on you " and" on top of that the cups you're using now are so flimsy you need to be careful how you grab it or it will collapse and spill all over wherever. And on top of that even the cardboard boxes for the plate lunches are way thinner and flimsy too as the food will seep through the box and can cause a real mess. Please think of your local customers first, their dining experiences etc when deciding pricing and cost cutting measures to increase your profits. But $4.29 for a large drink is highway robbery... especially for a take out drink and a Flimsy cup...!‍ read more

Food is always fresh & delicious ! Loco moco & Chicken katsu plate are my favorites. Saturday breakfast offers amazing waffle options!!! Staff is always friendly no matter how busy! Ambience is good- plenty of tables ! read more

I stopped by Rainbow Drive-In for a late dinner and picked up a loco moco plate and a boneless chicken plate. After ordering at the window, our food was ready in about 3-minutes. So fast! We drove about 10 minutes to our hotel and the food was still piping hot when we took the paper plate out of the white take-out box. Of the two entrees, the BBQ chicken plate was the clear winner. Though the breading on the chicken was soggy, it did a great job soaking up the gravy smothered over the plate. The chicken was juicy and tender. The loco moco on the other hand, had a terrible hamburger patty. It was honestly worst than a stale patty from McDonalds: thin and incredibly overcooked. Not something I would order again -- not by a long shot. I can see the appeal of Rainbow Drive-In, but if you're looking for the absolute best of the best for Hawaiian classics, this is not the place to go. read more

Rainbow Drive-In - Loco Moco Plate - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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They're dependable and consistent with take out orders which you can easily put in online. They do crispy bacon really well. Their specials vary by day and can sell out quickly as their prices are good for this modern economy. Come here for comfort food and not particularly healthy food. Parking lot and nearby street parking is limited. read more

Have been going here for over 50 years and the food has always been plentiful and tasty. They have to work on the rice though. There's been a few times recently when the rice wasn't cooked completely. I deal meal nonetheless. read more

The Rainbow Drive-In is a classic spot to visit when you're in Honolulu, a must-try at least once type of place. The classic Hawaiian comfort food is affordable, portions enough for 2, and comes out fairly quick. However I do warn that the birds are VERY aggressive (a bird kept getting closer to me and snatched food off my plate despite me trying to shoo it away). This ruined my appetite entirely. I highly suggest to take your food to-go rather than eat at the picnic tables. My go-to is the loco moco plate. read more

Rainbow Drive-In - LOCO MOCO PLATE* - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

It's probably one of the few cheap places here so that's a plus . But not a fan on how any of it tastes . Fries bland . Dark 3 piece chicken meh . Tuna sandwich no love in it . Chili dog not for me . Maybe breakfast is better . Service is fast . There were tables to eat outside read more

It's an iconic place for some good plate lunch/local food, but it can be quite the tourist trap. Service was okay with the Gen Zer's taking their time with orders. Food was great as expected but with limited tables and equally limited parking makes it hard to really give this place the recognition it probably deserves. read more

I got the mix plate with no gravy, and it was around $14.25! Super affordable for 3 kinds of meat, 2 big scoops of rice, and some macaroni salad. The fried chicken steak is delicious, and the mahi mahi comes with a tartar sauce. Service was quick, there are lots of windows to order from. My food came out within 5 minutes. There is ample seating with shade and plenty of parking for patrons. They sell really cute T-shirt's and other Hawaii merchandise. 9/10! They play Island Music, and it's very peaceful. read more

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The trusty old Rainbow Drive-in. They have evolved into viewing menu and ordering your food online, and being able to just go to the pick up window. The food is pretty good. The parking is minimal for such a busy location. Nothing that they can control, but you may have to park down the road and walk when it's busy, which is always. We enjoyed the burgers most recently that was very good. Our son enjoyed the fries and a couple bites from the burger. The pricing is standard for our currenty economy. Just next store there is a delicous Shimazu Shave Ice. The line also gets backed up over there, but if it's less than 5 people, I'll wait. Overall we tend to go here when we have family or friends visiting from out of state to get the local experience. read more

Initially I didn't want to try this place on my Hawaii bucket list just because I heard the food wasn't that good and it was also hella over hyped. I'm very glad I changed my mind about this place! I went with 2 of my buddies and we all agreed to split the mix plate since we had reservations for Ramen Ono-Ya in 2 hours. For the price, quantity, quality and quick service I would definitely come back. Is it the best kind of food? No, but it definitely hit the spot after a long night of clubbing. Make sure y'all get the gravy and pour that sh*t all over your plate or use it as a dipping sauce for your meats! read more

Rainbow Drive-In - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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We finally made it to the famous Rainbow Drive-In and wow the wait was outrageous. Definitely not a place to stop if you're in a rush. That said, the food lived up to the hype for the most part. I ordered the shoyu chicken, which is one of their most popular dishes and only available on certain days but definitely worth the wait! It was flavorful, tender, and hit all the right notes of sweet and savory. My son went with a chili dog, classic and satisfying, and my brother ordered the combination plate, which gives you a little taste of everything -- perfect if you can't decide. Our friend had the mahi sandwich, and said it was fresh and tasty. The staff was a bit slow, but everyone was friendly. It kind of fits with the laid-back, island-time vibe of Hawaii, so we rolled with it. All in all, good food and local flavor -- just be prepared to wait, and maybe bring a little extra patience with you. read more

Overall, the food we ordered wasn't great. We got a container of the mac salad, and it was not good. It was very heavy on the mayo. The food was very bland. read more

Rainbow Drive-In - BEEF STEW PLATE - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Just as good as I had it 15+ years ago. I was first introduced to this by a coworker that grew up in Oahu. He said it is every local's favorite spot. Your no frills, really affordable, Hawaiian comfort food. Outdoor bench / picnic table seating. For those with bird phobia... there are TONS of birds just grazing & waiting for you to drop some rice. There were a few literally perched on the edge of the table waiting for you to look away so they can quickly snatch some off your plate! Aggressive & definitely not scared of people! Lol. Anyways, about the food... ordered a Mix Plate (2 scoops of white rice, mac salad, bbq beef, boneless chicken, & breaded mahi mahi for $13.50) add a side of gravy ($1.50) - huge portions. Shared this with the hubs and we were both stuffed. Mahi Mahi plate was good. The Loco Moco is the winner here ($11.75) for a generous serving. Their vanilla soft serve also hits the spot after a long day at the beach. Best bang for your buck! Highly suggest getting a drink, purchase a water bottle or bring your own... the iced water they serve just tastes a little bit different. Haha. Otherwise, great food. read more

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4 of us ordered the pork cutlet and it was very disappointing. All the breading instantly fell off while cutting the very very paper thin pork. Our plates were full of breading that we couldn't eat. So sad because we've been eating here for decades but it's just gone downhill. I guess they can fool the tourist but local people know what a good plate lunch taste like. read more

Rainbow Drive-In was my first meal during a visit to Oahu and it was the quintessential plate lunch to start my Hawaiian vacation. I went for the Mix Plate to try a bit of everything. It comes with Chicken, BBQ Beef, and Mahi Mahi. The Mahi Mahi was my favorite. Definitely get the side of gravy as well! Ordering is a quick process. You order and pick-up from the same window. The food came out fairly quickly and it was fresh. We went during the lunch rush. I waited in line maybe 10 mins, another 5-10 mins for the food. There's not many tables outside but a lot of people were taking their food to go so we found a table pretty easily. All in all: Good experience and would come back. read more

Rainbow Drive-In - Mix Plate - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Big fan of Rainbow drive-in and have been for years. The Rainbow slush is my weakness so refreshing, especially after a hot day at the beach. For the price, the food is a great deal. Boneless chicken and gravy is my favorite item on the menu and comes with rice and mac salad and big enough to share if you wish. Service is always really good and food usually comes pretty quick. I usually get my orders to go but last night, I just ate at one of the tables. Sufficient parking but weekends and Friday you might have to wait a bit. Historic eatery and a must visit if in the Waikiki area. Forever a fan! read more

Rainbow Drive-In - Dinner - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Came back again second time. STILL DELICIOUS. NO FRILLS. The portions are huge. You leave with a FULL STOMACH. You order and you eat. A classic Oahu eatery that leaves you just satisfied. If you want great cheap eats, comfort Hawaiian food. This is your place. The loco mocos are always a delight and the pork cutlet is AMAZING. Love love this place! read more

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