Rainbow Drive-In
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I really love Rainbow Drive-In, such an Iconic Spot since 1961, I remember during my daughter's college day, when she is back for visit and before she leaves, this spot was one of her special request. Of course when she is back to visit every year, she still request to stop at Rainbow! Her favorites is the breakfast plates, mixed plate especially BBQ beef and boneless chicken with gravy & for me I LOVE the boneless chicken, gravy all over but I need mines on the side along with the mac salad and a slushie float. I used to work at the district office and we were housed at Hawaii School for Deaf & Blind, so close to Rainbow, when I would visit once a month, a treat to myself, such comfort food! I sure miss those Rainbow Drive-In days with my daughter and for my lunch break! Lets talk about the breakfast fried rice special, lately I've been stopping here every weekend to pick up a plate of fried rice ( available til sold out) & from experience-they do sell out, the fried rice plate is only $9.95. This is the best fried rice ever, my opinion and always enough for me and hubby! The fried rice comes Portuguese sausage, chopped veggies ( celery & onions) and flavored nicely with choice of 2 eggs that covers the rice completely. I always get soft scrambled. I love the finishing touches of the green onions. yums! The rice is perfect hits every time & rice is not watery. Chef's kiss to the staff who made this fried rice. The line and parking lot can get crazy but the staff works hard to get the line moving fast, * there's a separate window for phone and on-line orders. I am so glad I live close by to this Gem. My go to for breakfast and plate lunches!! I think it is time for a boneless chicken plate lunch fix. I also like the lunch box that your plates comes in, paper plate and in a box, nostalgic & better than the flimsy paper take out boxes!
I ended up getting the mix plate with gravy. Bbq beef had good flavors however, I had to ask if the chicken was supposed to be pink and I was told it was. So I went back and tried to eat it but I just couldn't eat it. The chicken had the smell of raw chicken and when I tasted it, definitely undercooked. So I just decided not to finish and try to eat the rest but when I got to eating the rest of the Mac salad and lettuce, I found a piece of plastic. So I just tossed the rest of my food. Been here before and had good foods, I should have just stuck with my usual loco moco and bbq beef. The team members were nice tho and the place wasn't busy so I sat right away.
Have you ever tried authentic Hawaiian food? Do you know what they eat in their houses very confused? Check out this place homestyle Hawaiian plates with multiple different options and combinations don't judge the food you have to have it. It has subtle flavors deeply, rooted, cultural identity. Simple yet talk talks about history. When you use display, you can see old school Hawaiian folks explaining you what this food means to them and serve you a plate full of their food of different portions. It's plenty of food for one person to eat. They are very welcoming and they will feel proud of serving this to the guest. It's a very old-school vibe since it's Hawaii. It's mostly outdoor seating but this place is always. It's been there around for a while now and I don't think they're ever going downhill one of the best places to try even though they're plenty of other options for you.
Great cheap fast Hawain food. Come For takeout and quick fast eats. They have lots of outdoor seating which is great. The gravy is so tasty
There was something very right about this drive in!! I stopped by for a quick dinner with the fam and ended up enjoying this place a lot more than I thought I would. I didn't expect much from this small corner diner, but everything turned out real solid! The exterior is especially entrancing, with its bright, rainbow neon sign that glows out the darkness of the night! The hooded interior was clean and followed well with the rainbow theme, especially with its rainbow pastel, title wallpaper. I would also like to compliment the workers, who were very nice and approachable! We ordered the loco moco plate, mixed plate, and saimin. Both plates were very filling and came in huge portions! The plates are for sure a top choice if you want a nice, hearty dinner! I especially enjoyed my loco moco! The saimin was less filling and came in an instant noodle cup. Still yet, it wasn't half bad--and it actually seems like a fairly good piece if you are on a diet or budget; it wasn't as expensive as the other dishes and only came out as 220 calories! I also want to note that they have a variety of tasty dessert pastries and icee treats if you are looking for a treat after your dinner. Overall, I would say this is a great diner to try if you've got a big appetite and are looking for something to share with a friend or family! Great vibes and great Hawaiian plate meals!
Heard so much about this classic Hawaiian spot and was so disappointed. I love a Hawaiian mix plate lunch normally, but this one was lackluster and just not done well. The combo plate consisted of below average versions of fishy fish, a thin cutlet and gray tough meat. The Mac salad was super mayo-y. Also got the garlic chicken, which had a good flavor on the sauce, but felt like the chicken was slightly undercooked and should have been fried up more. Ambiance is basic (and all outdoor seating). Maybe people like this because it's nostalgic for them... but I truly don't get it.
A local Hawaiian recommended Rainbow Drive-In to us, and I'm glad we stopped by. The loco moco was so good! Savory, satisfying, and an easy 5/5 for me. You order outside at the window, and there's plenty of outdoor seating. Our food came out pretty quickly, too. There's a restroom available; you just need to ask for the key. Definitely a delicious stop if you're craving a classic loco moco!
Stopped here for breakfast at 7:30 am after hiking Diamond head. Great parking. Friendly staff. We ordered loco moco, French toast, breakfast with spam. Super affordable prices, huge portion. The gravy for loco loco is tasty. The patties tastes a little weird and processed. Still worth it. Yes!
What an iconic gem! So sorry I missed it last time I was here. It has been profiled on Food Network as one of the best and it was so true! Made sure to come here the first night I landed so I did not miss out and could see if it lived up to the hype. It did. It is such a fun place to feel like you are having a picnic. You know this place is good since there is a steady line of people ordering bags and bags of food. Just to say, this is another must-do must-try place for food. We was super excited to have the mixed plate with gravy. It was beef, chicken and fish with rice and mac salad. It was huge and perfect. It tasted amazing and I would order this again and again. We had two of those. We also tried the loco moco and classic dish, and the saimin, which I had always wanted to try. One child also ordered the BBQ pork sandwich which she enjoyed and since it was a small menu item could help with the mix plate, which is impossible to finish in one sitting. I was stuffed and in woman versus food, food won overwhelmingly. I wish I had room to try the slush and ice cream or other items, but I could not eat another bite. So many items on the menu were very tempting and I am sad I only got to visit here one time. I do hope to return and have so many things on my dish wish list, but that mixed plate was so good, I bet I would go with that again.
Yum!! They do not skimp out on the mac salad. They gave us a lot more than other places. There is so much mayo on the mac which is good but i do wish it had more ingredients like some carrots and more salt and pepper. Bbq pork plate was also very good the meat had great flavor but at the end i had to end up eating around the fat because there was no more good pieces. Rice was a tiny bit bland but when muni g the yolk into it and having it at the same time as the mac made it a lot better. Overall good place we had a delicious filling meal and i would come here again. Lots of tables available for seating and all is outdoors as well.
For my first time, it's was OK. Limited seating. They also have 2 small stores to purchase merchandise. The service was decent. The food was OK. Honestly I don't see myself coming back. I prefer going to Zippy's. Also the vibe was off because there was an incident with the customers after us. Something about someone trying the purchase food with a stolen credit card.
Son wanted to go here. He saw it on TikTok. I got the. BBq pork meal. The pork was great. A gazillion 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.
The line was a little long and the parking lot was pretty packed, but luckily we were able to find a spot. We ate at the outdoor tables, which was nice and made for a fun time chatting it up with friends. Overall, the food was SO good! Definitely worth the wait and would highly recommend if you're in the area.
2 years ago
Good food and service was quick . I ordered online and food was ready in less than 15 minutes. Friendly and quick service. read more
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Alissa S.
Mahalo for the great review! Providing quick service is very…
Rainbow Drive In was not mentioned in any food blogs or YouTube videoes while we were planning but this spot seems to be a local favorite with the crazy amount of reviews on Yelp. After seeing this, we decided to give it a try. Parking is relatively limited, as expected for any restaurant in Waikiki. However, you are actually able to do a phone/online order to expedite the process as the line has a tendency to get long. Portion is very generous. A great portion of protein with 2 sides for the price range of $10 to $13. It wasn't out of the world good as mentioned in some of the yelp reviews, but it was mediocre. Meats are relatively thinly sliced, but nicely marinated. My favorite was the Mahi, no fishy taste, nice crunch from the breading with buttery smooth fish meat. As for the lowlights, definitely skip the coleslaw, it was dry and gnarly. Overall, I wouldn't say it was the best Hawaiian BBQ I've had, but definitely not bad given the price point. read more
Anyone and everyone has heard of Rainbow Drive-In thanks to social media's hype thus I ordered their Mahi Mahi plate-Dorado fillet seasoned, breaded and fried golden brown, accompanied with tartar sauce with white rice & mac salad. I don't think people are actively coming here to order their fish, but instead the typical Loco Moco Plate and their other meat plates. The fish was very dry and the mac salad sauce was not good. Pro tip: It does take awhile for them to complete orders as once the person in front of you is finished ordering, the cashier starts gathering the items in their order, so you have to wait until they're done. It might be faster to just call in your order or order online, but it looks like the menu in person is more affordable. read more
Good ambiance, decent food and decent prices. The place is more for tourists but that doesn't make it bad. It's ok if you are in the area but I wouldn't go out of my way for it. Good customer service, limited parking, outdoor seating. read more
3 years ago
Great local place. Great breakfast and more than reasonable price. People are friendly and they have good service. Lots of people do their is a little wait for a hot good breakfast. You eat on picnic benches and might share a table. What a lovely way to meet people! read more
Cool little old school restaurant where you can just park your car and walk up to the window and order. I ordered a loco moco with an over easy egg, as well as an order or chili fries. The loco moco was very good and filling. Can be shared amongst two no problem. Only thing I didn't like about it which may be a personal preference was that the mac salad was warm. Something about mayo being warm doesn't sit right with me. But I ate and enjoyed everything else. Fast and great service. Would return again! read more
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Alissa S.
Mahalo for the review! We look forward to serving you again soon!
I know this is a local favorite so I was excited to try it but wasn't really impressed. I'm all for hole in the wall fire eating places but don't think this was one. The line was long as expected, girl at counter kinda cranky, which wasn't a problem but when I got my food it was pretty bland not seasoned just smothered in plain gravy. It wasn't very warm either. The portions are good and Mac salad was decent. I love eating out but this meal made me want to go home and cook my own. read more
4 years ago
5/5! After a nice morning hike to Diamond Head, Rainbow Drive-In was much needed! A local friend of ours recommended Rainbow Drive-In, as it was one of the more affordable places to get the traditional Hawaiian that is widely known. The Food: I went with the Loco Moco Plate lunch, and a side order of the Chili bowl with Rice. The Loco Moco and the Chili were both delicious! The Loco Moco came with rice, hamburger steak , gravy, mac salad and two eggs. The hamburger steak was cooked very well, and the gravy added a nice flavor to the whole meal. The Chili had that nice chili flavor and was well portioned for a side. I left with a food coma after my meal. And all for an affordable price! The Service: Service was good! There was a decent line when we went in the morning, but moved quickly. Our meals got out to us in a timely manner as well, so no long waits. The Atmosphere: As the name suggests, it has a "drive-in" theme. So you kind of just pull up to a parking spot, go to the front register and order your food. There are a few tables to sit at outside, but there isn't much. So if you don't find a spot, the trunk of your car will do fine! Overall, a 5/5! Highly recommend giving Rainbow Drive-In a try! Their prices are affordable and the quality of the food is amazing! read more
4 years ago
This is a classic institution that I always go to, when in town. I love their gravy on everything! My usual order is corned beef hash with eggs and gravy, but decided to change it for dinner. I'm generally here for breakfast and may do that tomorrow. read more
Rainbow Drive-In has a reputation that precedes itself and was one of the places on my list that I knew about before even doing any research. It didn't disappoint! Already knew there would be a wait, and we probably were in line for about 30 minutes on a Saturday night. I ordered the mix plate and the portions were super generous. The cut of chicken I got was huge! The meats overall weren't amazing amazing, but it was a great value. I also think the mac salad here was one of the better ones that I'd tried during my trip. Definitely could've shared between two people, but I got leftovers to last me for two small, snack-y meals. I also shared a got a side order of the loco moco bowl. It was ok, but would pass on that for the other plate lunches. I saw the slush float and I had to get that as well. It was super yummy and it's basically a slushee with ice cream. They did also leave out one of my plates when I picked up, but I had no problem flagging and getting a new one. read more
3 years ago
If I could bottle up all that gravy sauce and take it with me home, I would 100% do it. The loco moco was absolutely delicious with that gravy! My boyfriend got the mix plate which had katsu, mahi mahi, and bbq beef. His plate came with a side of gravy and tartar sauce. I think it was good without the gravy, but that was just my personal opinion. Mix the gravy with your rice!!! So quick and so good, definitely try out rainbow drive in! read more
2 years ago
6 months ago
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Alissa S.
Mahalo for the great review!
2 years ago
I ordered the chicken katsu and teriyaki beef. The chicken is made with the skin and was kind of oily. Other than that the flavors were terrific. read more
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Alissa S.
Mahalo for stopping by!
Loco Moco plate is so simple yet done so perfectly. The mac salad is super creamy so you have to make sure to add this! The sauce is packed with flavor and everything underneath just soaks up all the sauce. We were stopping by to grab a quick bite for lunch and decided to share a plate but honestly should have each gotten our own. There was a bit of a wait during the lunch rush. They have some outdoor tables for you to sit at and two parking lots. I think the main lot was full but we ended up parking near the tables in a smaller side lot. read more
Heard about this place and it wasn't too far from where we were staying. My friends wanted some local mixed food so we decided to try this place. One got the loco moco and he said it was so good especially the gravy. I got the cheeseburger since I didn't feel like eating rice this day. Veggies were fresh and meat was nice and juicy. My other friend got the mixed plate and she loved how she got to try each protein, from bbq beef, chicken, and mahi mahi. Service was fairly quick and food came out at a decent time too. For the next time I'm back, I would def. Want to try the loco moco because look at how beautiful it looks! read more
Stopped for quick breakfast at the Rainbow Drive in. We ordered eggs and sausages. (My daughter ordered tuna salad sandwich for breakfast) The sausage was really good. I have to get used to rice for breakfast though it was good rice. Basic breakfast that is good cost and perhaps slightly over hyped read more
2 years ago
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Alissa S.
Mahalo for the review!
You probably gotta try it !! At this point if you are visiting or planning to visit Honolulu you likely have heard of Rainbow Drive In. It's one of the most recommended local places in Honolulu. Instead of going off of what everyone says, be the judge yourself. Rainbow drive in is likely not for everyone. If you are lookin for a fancy place. This is not it. If you are looking to be catered to, this is not it. But if you are looking to have some local authentic food and don't want to spend a fortune than this place IS for you. Exterior of the building and the seating is all very basic and gets the job done, however it has seen better days. It's older and has been used and abused. The food is good and tastes exactly as you would expect it to. The loco moco bowl I got was good . I particularly love the egg on top. Go to Rainbow, Check it out and decide for yourself!! read more
1 year ago
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Alissa S.
Mahalo for the great review!
2 years ago
I wanted to order the happy hour special and was told to order it online!! However, it is not listed online, so I went to the window and the lady in gray said it's online only. I told her I'm a regular customer always ordering online-show me where and I'll put in the order yet she couldn't show me and wouldn't let me order at the window. Therefore today NO RAINBOW for dinner. How bogus is that?? There special is full of shit!!! Where's the customer service. read more
Business owner information
Alissa S.
We're very sorry to hear about your experience. Providing great…
4 years ago
As a tourist, I highly highly don't recommend going to this place. People always recommend to go here but honestly I feel like there are other place that are better. Maybe it was just a bad day for them but the meats were over cooked, the rice was dry and there's no ambience. Can't blame them there since it is a drive in. First off the local feeds the birds so often that the pigeons will just fly all around you and they aren't afraid of you. The beef/chicken/fish were over cook in the mix plate. It is a big portion and it is overwhelming trying to finish it. My advise is to try a bit of everything and don't force yourself. Overall I really like the macaroni salad. It was the best. There are other franchise on the island but my expectation dropped after the first place. As a Tourist I prefer to go elsewhere, but maybe it is affordable and decent for locals. read more
4 years ago
**2.5 Stars // O R D E R Loco Moco ($9.95) Two hamburger patties served on two scoops of rice, topped with special gravy and two eggs cooked the way you like, accompanied with a scoop of macaroni salad. The patties were soooo thin that my husband mistook the 2 patties as one (he proceeded to consume 3/4 of the dish before I could even take one bite). Overall, the patties were pretty mediocre in flavor and resembled cheap frozen patties that you could buy at a grocery store. The gravy sauce was also pretty bland and even its color was very unappetizing - brown grey. We asked for sunny side eggs which were standard. My favorite part of the dish was the side of macaroni salad. Mix Plate ($11.50) BBQ Beef, Boneless Chicken and Mahi Mahi served with scoops of rice. Although you get a decent amount of food with this order, majority of the meats were way overcooked so they turned out to be too tough and dry. // P R I C E S Prices here are relatively good as the average cost of a single-serving plate is around $10. // S U M M A R Y Overall, I think the quality of the food here is pretty mediocre and does not live up to the hype. I would not recommend people to come here - there are way more delicious to eat in Waikiki. read more
4 years ago
Rainbow Drive-In is a classic. Popular with tourists, it's a great place to get the typical Hawaiian plates. I really enjoyed my BBQ Pork plate, and I honestly think it's one of the best items on their menu. Other people in my group were not that satisfied with their meal (dry fish, not a lot of flavor in their entree) but I was very happy with what I ordered. I'm pretty picky about my macaroni salad, but I love the mac salad that Rainbow gives! The mayo is flavorful and (personal preference) there wasn't any celery in it, which I was happy about. We ordered ahead of time online, which made it very easy to pick up our food right away once we got there. We went on a weekday night and it wasn't super busy, so parking wasn't a problem. Perhaps my BBQ Pork plate was the only dish worth reordering, but I'd come back to have it again! read more
Came here again with my family and it was great! The food is so inexpensive here. We shared the Loco Moco Plate and Portuguese Sausage Plate. The gravy is hearty and they don't skimp out on this sauce. However, the gravy was also a tad bland tasting this time. The sausage was so flavorful. The macaroni is creamy. The woman working at the counter seemed a bit rude. I also wanted to buy their chili pepper water sauce advertised on their window but no one could help me find or purchase it so that was a bit weird - the woman at the counter told me to buy it at the gift shop located next door but no one was there. Otherwise food for the most part was good. read more
7 months ago
Business owner information
Alissa S.
We're so sorry your meal didnt meet your expectations. If you’d like…
Rainbow Drive In was the first restaurant we tried when we landed in Oahu! The servings were huge but we finished it as we were famished after the flight. We got: - BBQ plate - Loco Moco side For the BBQ plate, it comes with beef bbq, chicken and fish. Definitely recommend trying this out! read more
1 year ago
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Alissa S.
Mahalo for stopping by! We appreciate the awesome review and look…
1 year ago
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Alissa S.
Mahalo for the great review!
1 year ago
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Crystine I.
Mahalo for your continued visits and the review! We're grateful for…
Found this on Yelp!! And yes it was good we got their on lunch time because the lines were crazy but it didn't take to long.. and you can call in your order.. We had a young girl take our order and she was very patient and helpful.. I love it when they are super friendly We got the chili dog which was amazing and just hit the spot And of course you can't come here and not try the locomoco which was excellent... Just watch the birds they are aggressive they come right to your food so don't feed them like the sign says.... read more
The main draw of this place is the amount of food you get for your money. The loco moco plate was pretty standard. The gravy didn't have much flavor in my opinion. The mix plate was ok. The fried mahi mahi was the star and best thing. The beef was good and seasoned well but it was a very thin cut. The chicken was the worst since it was only fried on one side. So you have a crispy top and soggy bottom. Definitely needed some sort of sauce with it too since it is very bland. I did not like the Mac salad. It had a weird taste to me. They're a drive in so they only have outdoor seating. And eating outdoors here is not fun at all. There is a ton of pigeons waiting for you to drop something. They're all desensitized to humans so they will sit on your table and walk around your feet while your eating. read more
1. Mix plate - bbq beef, boneless chicken, mahi 2. Loco Moco plate 3. Pork Cutlet plate 4. Fried Saimin w/ BBQ Beef - Fried saimin noodles tossed with oyster sauce, garnished with green onion and char siu pieces w/ a piece of BBQ Beef Temper expectations. It's fast, typically carryout, Hawaiian food. Not gourmet level but a solid, affordable lunch. Bbq beef, beef patties, and pork were dry. Chicken and fish were tender and more tasty. I normally don't like mayo but something about the Hawaiian Mac salad was delicious! There isn't much of an ambience to comment on. There are plastic and wooden picnic benches you can sit on. Neat t-shirt souvenirs you can buy, which I did lol. Staff were nice. read more
More info about Rainbow Drive-In
3308 Kanaina Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815
Kaimuki
Directions
(808) 737-0177
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https://rainbowdrivein.com
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Ask the Community - Rainbow Drive-In
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
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
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.
What's the best thing to order?
Depends on your palate: Meat and potatoes - loco moco…
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.
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
350 reviews that are not currently recommended
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