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Highway Inn
Rating Details »
- Hours:
Mon-Sat. 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Lunch
20 reviews for Highway Inn
Salt of the earth.
Promised my Pops that I'd get him some authentic Hawaiian food on our trip to Oahu. At least some Poi. Couldn't make it to Ono, Helena's was closed for the last three days of our trip, so had to act quick and stumbled upon The Highway Inn via Yelp.
Got to get over to this side of the island, which we hadn't really seen. Off the beaten track, going where no tourists have gone before. None of my friends had suggested this place before our trip, and no one had heard of it when I told them about it when we got back.
A strip mall, sharing a parking lot with small storefronts including La Familia Restaurant, which was closed, a bakeshop and right next door to it's own Fresh Fish House which I think is takeout only.
Walking in, immediately noticed the place was packed with locals. No doubt these were locals. Possibly a sprinkling of tourists, but if they were, they were well disguised.
Very much a casual, local hometown vibe with very friendly server and a large selection of local food and a Zagat Rated sticker on the window?
I asked if they had fresh poke? Our server said we can order fresh poke next door and bring it over to eat it here, but there was already too much on the menu that I wanted to try and I didn't want to over order.
Great looking combos, but I really wish I would've tried the Beef stew which I later learned is apparently THE thing. Instead, I went for one of the combos, the #3, Lau Lau Combo and made it a Super Combo, which gives you Kalua Pig for $2 more.
The #3 gives you Lau Lau, Rice or Poi (I had the rice, but tried some of my Pops poi), Lomi Salmon or Mac Salad, ( I took the Mac Salad and tried some of my Mom's Lomi Lomi), Pipikaula and Haupia. All on the infamous cafeteria plate. It didn't LOOK like alot of food, but when I was done, I was full and satisfied.
So, essentially, I tried a whole bunch of stuff, (except for the Beef Stew). I've had most of the aforementioned dishes before at various "Hawaiian" places in California, so I thought I knew what to expect. Instead, the first thing that really hit me was how salty everything was. If you have a problem with salt, you won't dig this at all. If you like salt, this place is awesome. Pipikaula was a first for me, and it was pretty tough, (it's dried), so it was pretty much like jerky.
Everything tasted "authentic" whatever that means, but if you can judge authenticity by the clientele, during our meal, more and more locals kept coming in and were waiting for tables. The place is kinda small, and I can see there being a wait during the rush hours. We just happened to come in for a late lunch, around 2pm, so we scored a table with no problem.
No restroom in the restaurant, you'll have to get a key and take a stroll outside, around the corner and use the restroom shared by the Strip mall. Kinda grimy, make sure you wash your hands!
Tried alot of stuff, would like to try more, would come back if I could. Bought a shirt!
Great hospitality by our server, just what I expected from Hawaii.
This is how my travel plans go:
1. Wake up at 6 AM, get to SJC by 7 AM
2. Flight leaves at 9 AM (flight 44 on Hawaiian)
3. Flight gets in at 11 or 12ish depending on daylight savings time
4. Run to interisland terminal, get bag.
5. Drive to HIGHWAY INN!
My usual is the kalua pig plate which comes with kalua pig, pipikaula, rice (or poi), lomi salmon (or mac salad I believe), and haupia. I went recently with my family and my loving dad also got the beef stew so I could have some and some onions (raw onions with hawaiian sea salt). Now the magic comes from the chili pepper water; so good. Not too spicy but enough to add some oomph into the food. I douse it all over my lomi salmon, a bit on my pig and add it to the onion as well.
I love the people who work there (I believe it's family owned). My parents love the "tu-tu" special which is two times a week, two times on those chosen days.
Only sad thing was the kulolo shortage. Apparently many of the restaurants and stores get their kulolo from the same distributor...AND THEIR MACHINE IS BROKEN. That is such a crime. :(
Another sad thing. Writing this on an empty stomach away from home.
I don't have much experience with Hawaiian cuisine... but here goes:
The Lau Lau was excellent to me... succulent roasted pork & butterfish in surprisingly good tasting luau leaves. I know this is going to sound stupid but its my only barometer... compared to the touristy places in Waikiki & the Luaus... this was far superior.
Lomi Lomi Salmon was a nice, refreshing palette cleanser from the Lau Lau... althought truth be told... I am too Mexican.. my palette wanted some chiles in there.
Pipikaula is not bad... chewy griddled chuck blade chunks had a nice beefy flavor... although I don't quite understand how its suppossed to fit in the entire combination.
Poi (1 Day) was okay... same as other places.
Haupia had a nice aroma & texture... pretty much the same as the one time I've made it.
Prices seem very fair to me... a freaking 6 pack of Kona Brewing cost more than the meal here... I don't know wtf people expect. Hawaii is expensive... and this place aint no crappy Zippy's fo sure. You can tell they care about what they put on the very cool, retro, cafeteria trays.
Also good portion sizes... not so much you will feel guilty about throwing food away... but enough to satisfy an average person.
Visit: 8/14/09 -Lunch. I ate the Lau Lau Plate.
The Lau Lau was okay. Too fatty. Luau leaves were okay.
Pipikaula was really good. Tender, tasty and good oily.
Lomi Lomi was good.
Haupia I gave away since I hate coconut.
Price is high for plate lunch, but the food was good enough to equal it out.
I will come back.
4.5 stars
It really makes me sad to see big, blah Mainland restaurants take over the island while local places go by the wayside. Why in the world does Honolulu have or need a PF Chang? Eeesh.
Enter Highway Inn, a local pillar of Hawaiian food goodness. Well, at least that's what I read off the menu. But if they've been in business since 1947, they must be doing something right.
This place isn't fancy by any means - food comes in retro 70's bowls or on cafeteria trays - but an excellent place for some ono Hawaiian food.
Butterfish 'n stew gravy - Like the name, you get a nice size piece of butterfish smothered in local style stew gravy. Really tasty and surpisingly filling.
Laulau - My gramma's laulau is the standard by which I judge all laulau and this one was pretty good. Maybe the meat was a little dry, but it was good. I don't remember any butterfish in there but I was only sampling off another plate and maybe I just didn't get any it.
Poi - They had fresh poi so it was nice and sweet. Not too goopy or too thin.
Wet Pipikaula - Pipikaula is like Hawaiian beef jerky, but this one is like a tasty, chewy piece of dried meat that isn't really dry. Hm, bad description. Oh well.
Kalua pig - Nice and smokey flavor.
Haupia - I usually don't like haupia very much, but this one was really creamy and smooth, and not too sweet.
Overall the food was a bit on the salty side, but still really good. The aunties working here are very friendly and make this place feel very homey. Definitely worth the trip out to Waipahu.
maybe it was just my unaccustomed taste, but i didn't think it was as great as the locals say.... but it's just probably my unrefined taste buds, or it was that evening...!?!
i would consider giving it another shot....
Ate there last week with my baby & dad. I ate the laulau plate with mac salad and poi. Not as great as I remembered it to be, it could be because I'm spoiled with the laulau from my BF's family. The poi was day old, but that's ok because I like day old poi, the laulau was so-so, and the pipikaula was dry (just like its name)... Didn't care for the haupia, but then again, never really have in the first place.
Service was good, lady asked if I wanted a refill of my large soda, I told her no. My dad had the beefstew plate with kalua pig. He ate all his....
On a side note, I found myself driving to the nearest bathroom afterwards (all the way in Aiea) because my stomache was sore, but I don't blame the food....
In that blind taste test of some of the most legendary beef stews in Hawaii, Highway Inn won 1st place out of 9. A panel of 7 everyday local folks blind tasted the stews and ranked them from best to worst. Here's the rankings...
1. Highway Inn
2. Helena's Hawaiian Foods
3. Sam Choy's BLC
4. Brandi's Deli
5. Ono's Hawaiian Food
6. Zippy's
7. L&L Drive-In
8. Fort Ruger Market
9. Dinty Moore (wildcard/control)
Keep up the good work Highway Inn! Their hamburger steak, pipikaula and chicken cutlet w/gravy was ono too. And then the service is excellent, even it was supa crowded and busy, everyone was still nice to us.
60+ years of consistent ono kine grindz.. That alone is worth 5 stars!
I've eaten at Highway Inn back in the days when they were located on Waipahu Depot Road. This place was literally a "hole in the wall". If I remember correctly there were only 4 tables so people would stand outside talking story until a table became available. Their takeout business was also thriving. The business has been past down from generation to generation and each creating their own unique identity.
The flavor has changed with the time but the food still remains good. The taste is like eating at your grandmas house. Simple but from the heart.....
ONO!!!!! I catered a lunch for work from here and OMG... ono kine grinds.
This place looks like it is a bit run down, but the food is great, plenty, and very good Hawaiian. Catering is super reasonable and they have a great catering service call center and the lady is so nice! Their website is great for a local place.
Next party? Dese guys. If you want a great home-cooked tasting Hawaiian meal... get your okole over here!
For those of us who remember Highway Inn from back in the day, we know how priceless it is to still have them around today. To have any restaurant consistantly bringing awesome tasting food to the table for all these years is truly a blessing.
Thank you Regina and the whole team at Highway Inn, our family has enjoyed sitting at your table for 3 generations, and we hope to be there with you for generations to come.
Mahalo and Aloha Pumehana,
Chew and Ohana
Do not use this business for catering. They tried to scam us. We paid over a thousand dollars for food for 150 people and they only provided one tray of food each. They made a gross mistake and instead of apologizing, fought tooth and nail to deny our claim. They eventually refunded some of the money.
Horrible service-DO NOT USE FOR CATERING.
My sister Jessica D. (http://www.yelp.com/us...) decided today that we should walk down to Highway Inn for an afternoon snack. What a GREAT idea!!! I was so excited, because we just flew in last night and haven't had our local flavor intake quite yet.
I have all kinds of foods I love, but local Hawaiian food really satisfies. It just brings back memories of growing up on Kauai/Oahu. Our Lau Lau combo was sooooo GOOD. I'd come back for a plate of Pipikaula and rice and haupia. Yummmm..
Last week I had a shootout, Ono's VS. Highway Inn.
And the winner......Highway Inn!
Ok, ok I know both spots have their loyalists as did I. What Highway Inn lacks in portions they far makeup for in flavor! Sure Ono's has a massive laulau that is freakin great...But this smaller one at Highway Inn was just better. The one at Ono's didn't have butter fish inside (at least mine didn't) but this one sure did. Maybe because Ono's is very tourist oriented? I don't know. To me, it's not a true laulau without butter fish next to the pork. You wont see many tourists in this place, if any. A real local kine establishment to be sure. Not knocking Ono's, just saying.
The Poi at Ono's was pretty sour and "prickly" (some like it this way), the one at Highway in was smooooth and very tasty.
The Kalua Pig was more smokey with tiny crispy bits in it at Highway Inn.
The Pipi Kaula was more moist at Highway Inn and not so much beef jerky.
The service was excellent, big smiles and a drink that was never empty. I felt like I was in my grammas kitchen.
And as far as portions go, a little small *BUT* this is some real artery clogging food here so is this really a bad thing? I don't think so, I left full and very content...Bigger isn't always better.
Now don't get me wrong, Ono's is da bomb! Great service and great food...But Highway Inn is the clear victor this time around.
Sorry to drag down the score, but this place is not worth the drive for. Someone told me that the beef stew here was the bomb. What a dud. You can get this stuff at L&L. My brother had the hamburger steak, I don't think the dog would touch that. Plus, the service was a bit lost. This place might have been good back in the day, but don't put this one in the Hawaii time capsule.
The food here is just fantastic! Rich in flavors and true to traditional Hawaiian palate and very reasonable price. I had the Lau Lau Combo with Poi, Lomi Salmon, Pipikaula, Haupia and a Squid Luau on the side. My plate was clean by the time I had finished. The ingredients were choice picks, and flavors were savory and rich in textures, nothing too over-powering, nothing underwhelming. If there's soul food in Hawaii, this would be it.
I heart Highway Inn.
Sorry but this place was bad when my family and I went there...
My great grandmother may like it and my Tutu, but I for one dont..
Junk seating, bad service,food choice wasnt that good and then the food brought was plain horrible...
I mean it was probably ok back in the day, but not so as far as I can see.
Never will go back.
I'll stick to the L&L.
For Hawaiian food, this place can't be beat. It's got great food, great serviced and definitely, atmosphere. I always visit when I'm in town. Regina and her staff work so hard to keep everyone happy and well fed. I always have one of the combination plates-all with a huge slice of the best tasting haupia on the island and tender, juicy pipikaula (I could make a meal out of just that!).
If you are not in by the time it opens, you will be waiting 20 minutes. It is crowded everyday with scary local people. Just don't stare them in the eye and you will be OK. The squid lu'au was good and I enjoyed the laulau.
i don't know if it's just because i was reeeally hungry and was very unsatisfied by airplane food, but the food at Highway Inn was SOOO good.
my mom and i just stumbled upon this place when we were on our way to my uncle's house; why we never saw it before, i don't know but i'm SO glad we saw it this time. i had the same thing as joey down there and man was it amazing. the food was so legit and fresh and flavorful. living in the mainland put me in the unfortunate position of having to resort to L&L for "hawaiian" food. i mean sure the food tastes ok, but i doesn't compare to the real thing, yeah?
but yeah anyhow. this is a great little place to grab a fantastic bite to eat. highly recommended.
