You cant go to Waikiki/Oahu without coming to Rainbow Drive Inn! It is classic Hawaiian comfort food goodness.. Loco Moco, Boneless chicken, chili dogs, burgers, mahi mahi.. you name it, they got it! Ordering and service is quick. Good amount of outdoor seating is available with ample parking too. read more

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

Gravy--yummy gravy...over the rice, over the meat. Rainbows has one of the best, most classic, old time food offerings! On the way home from studying at the UH library, we'd often stop by Rainbows to get a snack...a bowl of chili or a cup of Mac salad. Umm yum! Pork cutlet with fries instead of rice remains my all time favorite. Mixed plate is a good deal--Teri, boneless chicken and breaded fish is a bargain...good for two meals! Daily specials sell out fast! Service is amazingly quick and the window servers attend long lines of locals, surfers, and tourists! Drive up, park your car and eat your plate lunch at the tables outside or in your cars! Rainbows is my favorite drive in to go for! read more

This place is a classic and serves the matching food. I went here a few times as I could walk from where we were staying. Ambiance? Nah, it is a drive in; what do you expect? Service is normal as for any walk up window. No surprises beyond just solid local style food. Parking good too. This is one of those icons you just need to experience. Have fun and enjoy. read more

Got to try a variety of their dishes and of all of them, the fried rice with egg and their loco moco was a fave. I'd hoped to try their chicken long rice but it wasn't a specialty offered that morning. Service is quick and efficient despite a line that morning. It was a hearty and delicious breakfast after our hike to Diamond Head. read more

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Make sure to check out their daily specials (diff items on diff days) and arrive early as they tend to be the first items to be sold out! We got the roast pork with gravy and fried rice with 2 eggs. I really enjoyed the fried rice because it was so flavorful yet so simple. I had requested the 2 eggs to be over hard/fully cooked because that's just my preference. The roast pork was super tender, the gravy was good, the fries and Mac salad were okay. Overall, great selection of comfort food and def will stop by next time I'm in Hawaii to try the other meal options! read more

Rainbow Drive-In - Roast Pork w/ Gravy - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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The food was just ok. It was difficult to find seating and there were a lot of flies.

TL:DR - Classic drive in place. The price is reasonable for the amount of food. I wish the loco moco had more flavor Everyone who knows anything about Hawaii, knows about Rainbow Drive-In. It's the classic plate lunch place that everyone goes to. There are quite a few selections on the menu that you won't find at other plate lunch places, like hot dog chili rice plate, and shoyu chicken, etc. These are classics from like old kine Hawaii days. Personally I go for the loco moco. What's a loco moco? A loco moco is another Hawaii creation (add that to the list with poke, acai bowls, shave ice, etc.) It's a hamburger patty, rice, an egg, with gravy spread all over the top, and mac salad on the side. You'll find this at pretty much every plate lunch place, and at some restaurants. It's both a breakfast, lunch, and dinner food. The Rainbow Drive-In loco moco isn't bad, it's just not amazing. They give you two hamburger patties that are pretty flat, and two eggs in whatever style you like. I'm not sure if they give you two scoops of rice since they smoosh it done flat. They only give you one scoop mac salad though, which is kind of a bummer. The flavor itself is lack luster. It doesn't have the savory juicyness of the patty or the salty fatty taste of the gravy. Both lack that dankness that you would get from this type of food. The mac salad was nice, it had a little bit of pepper which gave it a nice kick. Overall, Rainbow Drive-In lives off of the hype of how close it is to Waikiki and how long it's been around. In terms of food, there are better plate lunch places to hit up. read more

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

Ordered a cheeseburger at the Kapahulu location and took it back to my hotel room. The bottom bun was green with mold. Check your food before leaving the place. In fact, the food used to be better now it's not worth the drive. There are other takeout places that have tastier local food. Their quality control has gone downhill maybe since expanding to other locations. read more

A perfect spot to try out Hawaii's favorite local foods. Had to stop by twice during my trip to Oahu because there were too much to try out! The must tries are loco moco, bbq mixed plate and chili tots. I think they all tasted decent, the only complaint I had was that the dishes are pretty dense, all meat and carbs, I personally would prefer some veggies or light refreshments on the side. But hey who am I to complain about the Hawaiian cuisine. Pricing are reasonable, their lot is pretty full usually and there is an area where you can sit down. Definitely recommend stopping by especially if you are a visitor to the area, great selection of local dishes! This location also has a small merch store. read more

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This place is famous, so you got to try it at least once. Rainbow Drive-In has been a Hawaii food staple since the 1960s. They continue the tradition by being a drive-in/fast food-style restaurant. Parking here is pretty tough, there is usually none in the neighborhoods nearby. If you're patient enough, a spot will open up near the drive-in. Overall, the food was okay. The loco moco was good but small. They were out of several items. The cheeseburgers were small and cute. They reminded me of White Castle or Dairy Bell. With so much good food in Honolulu, I felt like this was just a step above Mcdonald's That said, I feel you should try it if you are visiting. There were a lot of other items I didn't try like the chicken. Rainbow Drive-In isn't bad, there is just better out there. read more

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Okay, pretty over hyped in my opinion. Basically just solid cheap Hawaiian food. Service good no complaints there. The area is pretty run down though and I wouldn't recommend coming here alone to eat, just take it to go unless you want a group of poverty kids kicking you out your own seat while getting ready to eat your meal. read more

- Chili moco plate - Mix plate - Bbq pork - Breakfast special with Boneless chicken with gravy on side - Breakfast special portugués sausage Good and quick service. The meats for everything was pretty dry, but flavor was good. The bbq pork tho...mmhhmmm delicious. That meat was not dry at all. The sausage was also pretty good. It can with like 4-5 pieces which is waayyy too little. But it was good. I did also enjoy the chili moco. It had a nice acidity to it. We had about 5 plates for 7 peoples. Most of us were satiated, but could go for a bit of a desert after. (Lil note for tourists. Everything costs extra...I didn't know this. You want water? That'll be a couple cents. You want extra plates to help share food? That'll also be a couple cents. A couple restaurants that we went to were like this.) read more

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

Maybe I should come here at another time but it's quite busy with long lines. But we are here in line braving it and hoping this is the best Hawaiian bbq food ever, hoping! While we are literally at the back of the line that didn't seem to move, we realized on their website we can order online and pick up. We did so, and it would be a 20mins wait for our food. This is so much a better use of our time. When looking at the location, the lines to the right is for those who need to order. The window to the far right is where your order is ready and you're called. There's a window to the far left, that's for phone order and online order. We got there in 20mins, waiting in that line for about 5mins and it was ready. Food was ok, fish was dry, meat was not that flavorful. Mac salad is amazing though. Service was friendly overall. Not sure we'll be back bleh read more

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Good food and nice people, go for something to go and go to the beach. Place is really cozy and has it's history

I hate to be a debby downer at a staple eatery in Honolulu but I genuinely thought the food was very average here. I shared a pork cutlet plate and loco moco bowl. The pork cutlet was dowsed in gravy and I wish it wasn't because the cutlet wasn't crispy and the gravy made the rice taste so heavy. I wish I got the mixed plate instead (it's not covered in gravy); if I ever come back I'll try it. The loco moco was also just average to me but I am not a big fan of loco moco. The bowl was a nice small size; glad I didn't get a plate. The Mac salad tasted ok but a bit bland to me but my boyfriend thought it had a funny taste he didn't enjoy. The birds came and attacked our food (literally took a fry out of my friend's bag) but that seems to be a reoccurring event at many outdoor restaurants. I felt really bloated after. I think this place is not a must-go but it's a nice to try once. read more

Rainbow Drive-In - PORK CUTLET WITH GRAVY PLATE. Loco Moco Bowl - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Rainbow drive-in has been around since I was a child. Grew up having my dad take me here to have breakfast, breakfast and lunch, I've been coming here with my family for the past 40 years. They have everything on the menu from breakfast to dinner which is served all day every day. The atmosphere is great you dine outside, they're seating in the front and seating on the side back parking lot. Both of them have covering, of course true family style eating. My favorites are for breakfast. Is the breakfast special for the side of chili. The barbecue or the chili Frank plate for lunch and for dinner I have to go with the bonus chicken with gravy. I would highly recommend this place for cheap eat read more

Rainbow Drive-In - Menu scan QR code - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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We came here today after flying over for a week and we haven't been here in years. It's great we had loco moco plates beef cutlet plates and it was great. It's all outdoors but very clean and fast service read more

Food is not the same as it used to be. The locals know, the tourists don't know any better. Owner should taste what they are serving before the locals stop coming. Agree with Sione Mac salad sucks. read more

We got the mixed plate and side bowl of the loco moco. The mixed plate was delicious! All the meats were tasty and had this tarter-like sauce that paired well. Loved the Mac salad too which added some nice cold acidity. Considering the moco loco is a Hawaiian speciality and hyped up at Rainbow, I had high expectations but it was bland?? Our bowl could have had more gravy as well. Skip the loco moco and def get the mixed plate! read more

My GO TO spot whenever I'm in Honolulu. My first visit was back in 2010, and the memories I've made here with different people are something that I feel make this spot even better! Nevertheless, the food is THE BOMB! I usually get the mixed plate and man the food is just outta this world. During my most recent visit back in 2023 I at least went to this spot like 3 different days during my 9 day visit. Service is quick even though there's traffic for the most part. There's also online ordering if you're on the go! If you're staying in Waikiki definitely give the Rainbow Drive In a visit, you won't regret it. read more

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

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Amazing comfort food that's not far from Waikiki. The location is probably a couple blocks away and you can definitely walk it. When we went the lines were pretty long but it was expected as it was a Friday and close to dinner time. The line does move nicely and once you order you don't even have to wait long to get your food. Ordered the loco moco and the spam sandwich with egg. Both were really good especially for the price. We also ate there since there were tables available. Definitely will be going here when we come back to Hawaii and will try another item on their menu. read more

Rainbow Drive-In - Loco Moco Plate and a side of SPAM AND EGG SANDWICH* - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Good food. The burger and slushy are my go to. For some reason their slushy are next level. I don't know how they make it so much better than anywhere else. read more

Our first go-to meal besides Leonard's :) If you're hungry, have no reservations, and have long waits within Waikiki, I suggest driving to this spot. The locals eat here so that says a lot! Don't mind the overworked employees when you do go... we all have our days and mood. Plus they have to deal with tourists 24/7 so a little empathy goes a long way. Anyway, I ended up getting a small loco moco, that's a regular portion for all you mainlanders... large is super large! You eat it by the bench alongside the locals and enjoy the experience of it all. It was good, and definitely hit the spot... then afterward, I felt like I needed to run a half marathon! Enjoy the binge-out process but be prepared for the aftermath. read more

I am torn on this place! We wanted some delicious Hawaiian food. This place is cool and I get the novelty but the food is random. Maybe I just don't understand. The best part was the fried chicken thighs on the mixed plate. Those were SO good! The shoyu chicken was just not my thing. It tasted like meat based in this own juice (if that makes sense). No other flavors other then chicken. The beef was okay, not amazing but okay, fairly fatty. I wish there was a sauce or something for the rice. It was hard to eat plain. Maybe I missed the sauce? Not my favorite but I can see why others might like it. read more

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Great affordable food. It gets really busy but the service is quick. We liked their moco loco and mix plate. Enjoy!

Went to get their famous Boneless Chicken and was totally disappointed. The chicken seemed to have been pounded out in order to make the piece look bigger but instead it was a thin piece of chicken. And they only gave me 2 pieces. Used to be 3 thick pieces. Won't be ordering this again. read more

Omg I'm so happy they came up with the plant based chicken dish! It is so good! Cannot wait till they add more for plant based customers. read more

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We got the loco moco plate and thought it was a great portion for the price. I liked that it wasn't too salty and there were lots of covered seating. read more

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

As a staple of Hawaii's old culture in food and being a minute since I've tried Rainbows I thought hey let me be a tourist and venture out to town. Ordered one of Hawaiis favorite! Shoyu chicken, though I remember the chicken being a lot more moist, its was a little let down. The area for parking is packed and the lines were extra long. Long lines in this case meant the service was not on par. I heard people coming back to the window with missing plates or items from their order. All in all the food though a little dry was still good though the wait was a little harsh and the surroundings were a little hard to enjoy that old culture that Hawaii loved so much. read more

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

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Tourists seem to love Rainbow Drive-In, so we stopped by to try their mix plate ($16). It comes with BBQ beef, boneless chicken, and mahi mahi. We also got side of coleslaw ($3). The portion was huge for the price. However, their mix plate was very mid. The BBQ beef was good, but the mahi mahi was so dry. The rice was plain and dry as well. Service wasn't friendly and they charge extra for plates. Rainbow Drive is overhyped. read more

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

This place was so highly recommended! It makes me so sad to have to write a negative review, but the food here was just not tasty! We got the mix plate, and the cutlet on it was fried so crazy, part of it was light colored (under-fried) and part of it was brown (burnt!). The quality was on par with something a college student would cook in their dorm-- so lame! The other meats on the were also very average. I'm sorry!! I feel bad saying this, but it just was not good, go somewhere else for a plate lunch. read more

Location: They are located off Kapahulu Avenue. There is parking of around 15 parking spaces but they fill up pretty quickly. Food: Local food from Hawaii at its best! The mix plate is a must!!! It comes with boneless chicken, teri beef, fish, rice and Mac salad. It is delicious! Try their slushie float to cool you off after the beach. Everything is take out style. You order at the cashier, wait for your food and eat at your car or at their outdoor seating area. Price: A plate lunch averages $10 and a slushie float is around $5. Overall, we will be back again for their mixed plate. The food is good! Eat where the local eat! read more

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Small family business and their doughnuts is delish! Go grabs their donuts before they close at 1:30pm!

Great local food. This place has everything and is in a great location. Do yourself a favor and eat until you burst.

Great service and authentic food! Make sure you get the gravy! This was suggested to us by many locals as well as previous visitors! read more

Rainbow Drive-In - Mixed plate and a Loco Moco - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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We were sorely disappointed by the food here. The place itself is cute- an old timey window order burger place. There was a decent size crowd on a Tuesday afternoon, but the line moved quickly. The girl at the counter wasn't very friendly even though we knew what to order when we got there. Food came out quickly and is reasonably priced. The portions are big, enough for 2 adults to share. Nothing had flavor. Nothing. It was comparable to cafeteria food. We can only assume this place is more for nostalgia than quality. read more

Rainbow Drive-In - BONELESS CHICKEN WITH GRAVY PLATE Loco Moco Plate CHILI FRIES - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Went to Rainbow Drive in Kapahulu on Saturday around 5:00 yes 5;00 and already a long line. Although parking is very limited, worth the challenge. We ordered the teri pork and chicken plate, both very delicious and plentiful! Can't wait to try the many other selections read more

Fast. Convenient. Affordable. It was my first time in Hawaii and wanted something quick and easy. Would go back.

Love this place! Enjoyed the Mix plate with a side of Mac Salad! Tasted amazing! Definitely can't go wrong with a simple local moco with mouthwatering flavors, just like the shoyu chicken! I recommend checking the website to see what specials are being sold that day! Service is pretty fast, depending on what day and time! Lots of seating on either side of the Restraunt. Quick and easy pickup and go! read more

Delicious and fast! We had the loco moco and the shoyo chicken. Quality food, at a fraction of the price of places in Waikiki. Well worth the walk! read more

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