Rainbow Drive-In
Rainbow Drive-In things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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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!
AnthonyAnthony
00
Like many reviews mentioned, Rainbow Drive-In has made a name for itself right by the heart of Waikiki. My friends and I came around dinner time and there was a decent amount of people. There is a parking lot, but there isn't a lot of space, so you may need to double park when the place is packed. The line for ordering is kind of messy, but it didn't take long to get to the front. There is a QR code you can scan to see the menu. After ordering, we wanted to find a table to eat, but unfortunately, it was raining and there were a ton of people, so we were out of luck. Also, the tables didn't seem that clean either, so I was ok with taking our dinner back to our hotel. Only had to wait less than 10 minutes for our food, so that's a plus. Now as for the food, we got the classic loco moco and the mixed plate. I feel like the food overall was just ok. Nothing special. The portions were huge though, so be aware of how much you can actually eat. The meat for both dishes were kind of dry. The macaroni salad was pretty good. The gravy was a little too thick for my preference, but the flavors were there. I feel like Rainbow Drive-In is a decent spot to get some food at a good price. But would I consider here to be a must-eat restaurant? Probably not.
Karina LamKarina Lam
00
This is a local favorite and must dine in restaurant if you love Loco Moco. My friends and I stopped by on a weekday and the line was really long. We ordered the Rainbow's mixed plate, Loco Moco plate, chopped steak, and BBQ Ahi. Wow portions here are huge. Between 2 people 1 plate should be enough. First off this Ahi tuna was probably the best I've ever had. Seasoned and cooked perfectly. Fish was tender and really fresh. We loved the steak and the mixed plate had a lil bit of everything. The macaroni salad here is no joke. Between the 8 of us we finished all of our food including the sides. Prices here are reasonable and we definitely got our best bang for our buck. Even with the long lines we got our food under 10 minutes. They have outdoor seating and the tables were very clean. Parking here can be limited and be careful when you make the first right into the same street as we saw folks speeding through. This was a really fun breakfast/lunch spot. Highly recommend if you need to load up on carbs before the beach or a hike. Good hearty and savory Hawaiian food that will definitely fill you up. I'd recommend check their social media first to find out what specials they have during the week. Definitely don't want to miss the Ahi!
Khoi NguyenKhoi Nguyen
00
I came here because I read a blog that said this was Obama's favorite place to eat while in Hawaii. I was really excited to give this place a try, but sadly I wasn't impressed with my meal. I think it may have been what I ordered because some of my friends enjoyed their meals, but I only took a few bites of mine and then threw it out. I felt super guilty, but even the smell was making me feel sick. The tables were very dirty and there were cats running around right near the tables with lots of flies and bird poop. Definitely not an enjoyable environment to be eating a meal. Especially with COVID I really expect a cleaner eating environment. I ordered the Fish Plate lunch. The fish was really dry and had no flavor. You definitely need soy sauce or some sort of sauce to make this meal better. My friends who enjoyed what they got ordered the Loco Moco Plate lunch. They said it tasted like authentic plate lunch and were very satisfied. This definitely isn't on my list of top recommendations, but if you want something simple, fast and easy it could be a good option for you. Just definitely don't order the Fish Plate Lunch.
Megan MetsMegan Mets
00
Came here because it was featured on Guy fieri's diners, drive in and dives show. I ordered the BBQ pork sandwich and a side of tater tots. When I pulled up the menu from the QR code, the price for the sandwich was listed as $6 and tots for $4. I s charged $7.50 for the sandwich and $5.50 for the tater tots. My sandwich was either TOTALLY NOT what I expected or I received the wrong sandwich. BBQ pork, to me, is saucy with pork being pulled. The sandwich I received was 2 slices of brown meat with thick veins of fat running all thru the meat. I did not eat it. The tots were less than satisfactory also. My husband ordered the loco moto. That was white rice, beef patty, brown gravy and sunny side eggs. We also ordered 2 large sodas, totaling $38. The seating is picnic benches outside which were at a premium. This place was busy so I'm assuming most people enjoy it, but it was definitely 1 of my least favorite places we've been to that was featured on Guy's show. I'm only giving it 3 stars because my husband enjoyed his meal (which I had to go back to the window to get a fork and ketchup).
Jenelle LorahJenelle Lorah
00
Amazing local eat recommended by the locals, literally every Uber and Lyft driver lol It's not a drive-in where you order from your car even though it looks like one :) The mixed plate is highly recommended because we tried almost everything on the menu, but this came out to be the most worth it. This has beef, chicken katsu, with the fried mahi fish. Must get the gravy and the coleslaw. The coleslaw is fresh and slightly creamy but not at all mayo-y. I wanted to ask for the recipe-- It was that good! We didn't get the Mac salad but it looked pretty popular since everyone else was eating it. You can order the hot pepper water for $6.95. It's a huge bottle and it'll last the whole trip if you're there for about a week or so. Nothing fancy just think of it as a watered down vinaigrette with a small kick; it actually complimented the dishes pretty well. Sorry forgot to take the picture of the mixed plate! Below is a picture of the fried mahi with tater tots. Highly recommend asking for half the amount of rice especially if you're not particularly a carb heavy person.
Sulin CSulin C
00
Nearby Attractions Of Rainbow Drive-In
Honolulu Zoo
Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa
‘Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach
The Twin Fin Hotel
Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach
Queen Kapiʻolani Hotel Waikīkī Beach
Go Tours Hawaii
Hawaiian Style Rentals & Sales on Lemon Road
First Rent A Car Waikiki Resort Hotel
Park Shore Waikiki Hotel

Honolulu Zoo
4.2
(4K)Click for details

Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa
4.3
(3.4K)Click for details

‘Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach
4.1
(2.9K)Click for details

The Twin Fin Hotel
4.0
(2.4K)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of Rainbow Drive-In
Tikis Grill & Bar
Cheeseburger In Paradise
Lulu's Waikiki
DECK. at Queen Kapiʻolani Hotel
Oahu Mexican Grill (OMG)
Maguro Spot
Ono Seafood
M.A.C. 24/7 Restaurant and Bar
Hy's Steak House
Sushi Spot Waikiki

Tikis Grill & Bar
4.4
(2.9K)$$
Click for details

Cheeseburger In Paradise
4.2
(2.5K)Click for details

Lulu's Waikiki
4.3
(2.2K)Click for details

DECK. at Queen Kapiʻolani Hotel
4.5
(1.7K)$$
Click for details
Basic Info
Address
3308 Kanaina Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815
Map
Phone
(808) 737-0177
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Website
rainbowdrivein.com
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Reviews
Overview
4.3
(3.3K reviews)
Ratings & Description
Description
Iconic counter-serve spot for Hawaiian plate lunches features BBQ, mahi mahi, chili dogs & more.
attractions: Honolulu Zoo, Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, ‘Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach, The Twin Fin Hotel, Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach, Queen Kapiʻolani Hotel Waikīkī Beach, Go Tours Hawaii, Hawaiian Style Rentals & Sales on Lemon Road, First Rent A Car Waikiki Resort Hotel, Park Shore Waikiki Hotel, restaurants: Tikis Grill & Bar, Cheeseburger In Paradise, Lulu's Waikiki, DECK. at Queen Kapiʻolani Hotel, Oahu Mexican Grill (OMG), Maguro Spot, Ono Seafood, M.A.C. 24/7 Restaurant and Bar, Hy's Steak House, Sushi Spot Waikiki

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