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Rainbow Drive-In

3.8 (6.1k reviews)
Open • 7:00 am - 9:00 pm
Updated 1 month ago

Rainbow Drive-In Photos

Business Info

RAINBOW DRIVE-IN ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Classy
Casual
Dogs allowed

Recommended Reviews - Rainbow Drive-In

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Reviews With Photos

Judy C.

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!

Plastic on my salad.
Brian M.

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.

Avinash V.

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.

Everett L.

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

Exterior
Abigail Y.

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!

Outside seating
Sara K.

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.

Methinee A.

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!

Tiffany J.

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!

Stacy K.

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.

SPAM AND 2 EGGS PLATE*
Desiree R.

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.

LOCO MOCO PLATE*
Michelle V.

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.

BBQ PORK PLATE, LOCO MOCO BOWL*HOT DOG
Vanessa C.

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.

Maribel H.

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.

Outside

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Reviews are mixed. Many praise the generous portions, classic Hawaiian plate lunch offerings, and nostalgic atmosphere.

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10 months ago

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Alissa S.

Mahalo for your review!

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10 months ago

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Alissa S.

Mahalo for stopping by! We cant wait to serve you again one day soon!

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1 year ago

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10 months ago

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10 months ago

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10 months ago

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5 months ago

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Alissa S.

We're very sorry your meal didnt meet your expectations!

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11 months ago

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1 year ago

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5 months ago

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1 year ago

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1 year ago

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1 year ago

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1 year ago

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Alissa S.

Mahalo for the review! Next time try our mix plate with gravy :)

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1 year ago

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6 months ago

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8 months ago

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7 months ago

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

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7 months ago

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7 months ago

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Mahalo for the great review and the awesome pics!

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8 months ago

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1 year ago

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8 months ago

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3 months ago

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1 year ago

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10 months ago

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9 months ago

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Page 2 of 153

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… 

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.

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Aloha Melt Waikiki - Four Cheese Melt

Aloha Melt Waikiki

4.6(812 reviews)
0.9 mi•Waikiki
•$$

This little gem is in the heart of Waikiki. Honestly I just randomly stumbled upon it, and thought…read moreto myself why not? I love trying new things so let's go ahead and give it a try. I know what you're thinking, grilled cheese ? Seriously ? Out of the food in Hawaii this is one thing you choose to try for dinner ? And I would say yes every time. This grilled cheese has a special place in my food palette. I have not found another grilled cheese anywhere else in all the places I have been at that replicates this delicious flavor and taste. It was so good that I end up coming back for 4 days straight my stay in Hawaii ! I had the following below: *PATTY - 5/5 - It is the best grilled cheese I have ever had in my life ! It has a nice tasty beef patty, 4 cheeses (Cheddar, Mozzarella, Provolone, American) Caramelized onions, Bacon and Aioli sauce ! It was boasting with flavor ! Bread was soft, cheeses were boasting with flavor, aioli sauce was amazing. I really wish i paired this with their tomato dip ! I can only imagine how much this would've complimented the grilled cheese. The service was exceptional ! The establishment is a small so be sure to eat this on the go or they have small tables set up if you'd like to eat there !

A bit underwhelming…read more Hubby and I arrived on a Monday morning. No wait. The shop is small with only about 4 tables. I would normally say take it to the beach and eat since you're in Waikiki, but this gets messyyyy so I feel it's better to eat there if you can snatch a table. We ordered the aloha patty melt. It was $15.50 which I think is on the pricier side. The sandwich comes packed with cheese which I love, but I was expecting the patty to be an actual patty, and not just ground beef. The sandwich was falling apart and very hard to eat. It was too greasy as well. You could eat with or without the spicy aioli sauce. Sandwiches were made fresh to order and might be good for a quick late night eat or munchies but it's a one timer for me.

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Aloha Melt Waikiki - TOMATO BASIL SOUP

TOMATO BASIL SOUP

Aloha Melt Waikiki - BACON PATTY MELT (THE MOST POPULAR)

BACON PATTY MELT (THE MOST POPULAR)

Aloha Melt Waikiki - AP - THE ALOHA PATTY MELT (SPICY)

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AP - THE ALOHA PATTY MELT (SPICY)

Betty’s Burgers - Onion Rings

Betty’s Burgers

4.6(295 reviews)
0.9 mi•Waikiki
•$$

Ooohh, quite good. This definitely exceeded my expectations a bit. It tastes like Smashburger, but…read moresince this seems local and not a mega chain, it's automatically better. The bun is not of the thickest varieties I enjoy, but it fits this kind of burger. Great ratio of onions and surprisingly melty cheese. The fries are also immaculate. They seem to be freshly, thick cut, with a good amount of seasoning and crispy edges. Divine.

2 burgers + 2 small sides of fries=$33.51 I believe this is…read morea family owned restaurant? The woman who rang us up was friendly, and the younger guy went above and beyond for everyone's needs. He really stood out. As for the burgers we got two #8s with two sides of small fries and we did a good job getting the small sides because the fries are pretty thick. The burger itself was pretty good but very very messy because of all the sauce which is not a bad thing! Just be sure to pack some wet wipes in your bags but if not you need to ask for the key to the restroom upstairs to wash. The fries are well seasoned with salt and pepper but nothing else. One thing I didn't really like is that they charge 50 cents for ranch and you can hear them squeezing the bottle of ranch into a little container, it tasted very similar to hidden valley so it might be that. Normally i feel like places charge for ranch when it is house made and actually good.

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Betty’s Burgers - 7. Bleu Cheese n Bacon Burger

7. Bleu Cheese n Bacon Burger

Betty’s Burgers - Bettys Deluxe with Cheese

Bettys Deluxe with Cheese

Betty’s Burgers - Heaven in a box!

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Heaven in a box!

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

Musubi Cafe Iyasume

4.5(5.5k reviews)
0.6 mi•Waikiki
•$

This is my go-to whenever I'm in Hawaii! There's multiple different locations throughout but this…read morespecific one is usually close to our hotel. No seats at this establishment. It's a grab and go type place. There's normally always a line but it moves quickly. We usually would go at least twice during our trip. One time to grab breakfast or snacks for the beach and we would always grab a bunch before flying home. It would last us a few days even after coming home to Cali. There are many different type of selections but my fave is the classic teriyaki spam musubi. You cannot go wrong! I also really enjoy the spicy cod roe rice ball. They also sell some cute bags and other spam related items. Definitely worth checking out when on the island!

With over 5k Yelp reviews I of course had to try it. I'm not a Musubi expert but it was indeed…read moresatisfying. I also got their $12 poke bowl just to go off the beaten path. Very simple. $12 is what it was worth. The salmon egg ball had very few eggs. The eel, spam, egg Musubi was an awesome breakfast. Took a while even with only 7 or 8 people in line about 15+ min to get to the cashier but they are quick to finish your order in about a couple minutes once you order. All things considered I'm going to go out on a limb from most other reviewers and go 4.4 stars. 5 stars for my non-expert opinion on the Musubi but the ball and poke bowl were not 5-star worthy and the fact it's a hole in the wall doesn't earn bonus stars in my book.

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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 November 2026

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