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Highway Inn
Categories: Restaurants Hawaiian Event Planning & Services Caterers Hawaiian, Caterers [Edit]
94-226 Leoku StWaipahu, HI 96797
(808) 677-4345
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 9 am - 8 pm
Sun 11 am - 2 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
108 reviews for Highway Inn
Review Highlights
"For the bambucha lau lau, Young's still da winnah."
(in 33 reviews)
"My girlfriend loved the kalua pig."
(in 30 reviews)
"What surprised me was the delightfulness of the lomi salmon."
(in 27 reviews)
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108 reviews in English
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Review from Terry K.
12/24/2011
Yelp Challenge 365 # 85/365
While cruisng around the west side of the island in a quest for a late lunch, I run across Highway Inn.
Highway Inn was featured as a "place" to go by Guy Fieri on Diners, Drive Inns and Dives. I wonder always if the quality of food, service and everything else involved in rating would change once featured on national television.
I give them 5 starst because they have remained the same; food quality is excellent, the service is excellent (even if they have long lines to deal with). The folks of Highway Inn did not let "stardom" get in the way of their local business.
Everything is homemade. Definite must try is their pipi kaula. I bought a bunch and it is ready to go with me on my next ski trip. I plan to cook it up with onions and veggies and then; throw a slab onto the open fire. Doesn't pipi kaula sound better than roasted marshmallows?
Lau Lau= excellent. Its huge for the price they charge; a bargain for lau lau these days.
And to the Highway Inn owners and staff: a well worth drive for me. thank you very much -
Review from Emerald P.
Seattle, WA
12/11/2011
Highway Inn hits the spot. Don't be fooled by the appearance of the parking lot, the restaurant is so clean and the service was great.
The food was tasty and prices are reasonable. -
Review from Gail A.
Los Angeles, CA
11/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
This review is long overdue.
I live in Los Angeles now, but I was born and raised on the west side of Oahu and this is always my family's go-to spot for Hawaiian food. I absolutely love this place, not only for the food but for the customer service and the chill vibe. Highway Inn has garnered a lot more attention since I was a kid, but you only know it by the indoor renovation and press coverage that they proudly display on the walls. The place is still located in the unassuming strip mall across the street of Don Quixote. When you walk in, you still get the mom and pop feel and the humble attitude. The servers are always so sweet and patient, especially when my mom and dad take forever to decide what they want off the menu. I think it's just understood that everything on the menu is so enticing that it's hard to make a quick decision.
I usually go for the Hawaiian combo plate with tripe stew, pipi kaula, haupia, poi and lomi salmon for about $10. My dad always gets the regular lomi ahi for the table, which is always fresh. Nothing beats home cooked Hawaiian food and Highway Inn gives you that. You feel like you're in grandma's dining room waiting for the food to be ready. They're not trying to impress you with any fancy silver wear or decor. The food alone speaks volumes.
I've been to some awesome Hawaiian food spots in town, but this is simply the best place to go on the West side of the island. It will always hold a special place in my heart because of the memories I've had coming here with my family, and I'll always bring special guests from the Mainland here to share the food and place that means so much to me and my family.
Don't ever go away, Highway Inn. You've been a part of my family for years and I hope to one day bring my own kids to your tables. -
Review from The Used Tire Shop U.
Waipahu, HI
1/26/2012
Good food reminds anyone of Grandma's cooking. Love it
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Review from Sean M.
Honolulu, HI
1/23/2012
Great traditional hawaiian food. From the laulau to the haupia everything made you want to eat more and then some more. Service was cool and everyone that was eating just seem to be enjoying themselves. I will definitely be a repeat customer.
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Review from Ryan M.
Princeville, HI
1/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
The food here is great as well as the poke counter on the other side. the only reason i gave 4 stars was because the entree i ordered (ahi sliders) only came with two sliders and you had to ask for the seasoned mayo on the side. the serving was not enough to fill me up and was pricey for what it was. otherwise the plate that my gf got kahlua pig plate was delicious and worth the money.
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Review from Alan Y.
10/2/2011
Creeping through the Pupus (Pupukahi Street, Pupunohe Street, Pupuole Street, Pupupuhi Street, etc.) is like making a unexpected detour out of paradise into East Palo Alto. I half expected an appearance of Duane "Dog" Chapman and his sidekicks to come rolling down the street in a fleet of black SUVs chasing a poor bail-runner for the television cameras.
But amid the miscellany of crime, domestic violence, noise and urban decay, Highway Inn shines as a beacon of local charm, warmth, and traditional Hawaiian food (and local grindz too).
I had the beef stew, accompanied by pipikaula, brown rice, some sort of tsukemono, mac salad and a piece of haupia. The beef stew was hearty, but of a small portion. I really preferred the pipikaula here to the dry, shredded pipikaula elsewhere. It was salty, dense and beefy instead of toothpick like. The mac salad was decent. Thankfully they didn't ruin theirs by making it with spaghetti noodles like some places serve. The haupia had an aftertaste that I was not fond of.
Overall, this is a great local spot for Hawaiian food and local plates. The service is attentive and friendly. There is also a seafood deli, but we did not partake as I had my poke fix at Tanioka's up the street. Customers here are local families for the most part. The neighborhood is sort of sketch, so make sure to turn on the car alarm. -
Review from Ben F.
Ewa Beach, HI
10/10/2011 1 photo
Well, I have been looking for a good place to get Hawaiian food for a while and this place is BOMB. The restaurant is a pretty decent size and has a very "homey" kind of feel to it. All of the servers were very polite and on the ball when it came to properly taking orders and promptly filling up your drinks before they were empty. Thats always a win.
The food selection was great and very reasonably priced at just under $10 a plate. I had the Beef Stew plate with white rice and mac salad. I know it sounds pretty simple and bland but so many places screw it up! It was incredibly delicious, the meat wasnt covered in fat (like so many other places are nototrious for) and it had a good amount of carrots and potatoes. It was awesome to say the least.
My lunch partner had the Kalua Pig and Cabbage plate with white rice and mac salad. This plate was also insanely delicious. I was lucky enough to get to try it and let me tell you they know how to make some great kalua pig and cabbage at the Highway Inn. The proportions of meat to cabbage were spot on, the cabbage was cooked perfectly and had just the right amount of seasoning.
Not only are they a great restaurant they also have a fresh poke bar where you can order poke to go or with your meal. How great is that? I walked away from this place with a full stomach, a smile on my face and I still had money in my wallet!
Check this place out!Listed in: Fail Safes
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Review from Jess O.
East Bay, CA
Not enough food for the prices they charge.
It's super cute how they decorated tho and the service was friendly. -
Review from Fred M.
9/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Just like many other reviews have mentioned, this restaurant is like a special find. In a area where the looks of it deters anyone who is not familiar of this particular side. The look of the building needs a new paint job, parking lot needs to be repaved. You can't judge a book by its cover.
I wasn't sure of myself once I saw the sign of this place and where it was at. After I parked my car and started walking towards the restaurant and when i opened the door the inside had a total different environment. The inside was more clean, modern and decorative with pictures from the early days of the restaurant in the late 1940s.
The restaurant has two sides: one side sells poke and other preserved snacks and the other side is the restaurant itself.
I ordered two meals to go: Kailua pig combo and loco moco. The combo plate was small each portion felt like a kids size meal served on a tv tray and this cost 10.20. The loco moco meal had a bigger portion size and sells at a better price of 8.75.
Yelp 365 Challenge - #057/365Listed in: Yelp 365 Challenge
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Review from daphne f.
Today was, embarrassingly, my first trip to Highway Inn. I remember seeing this place on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. Shamefully, I grew up in the area, always went to the pizza joint in the center, and never stopped in until today.
Regardless, I am proud to say that I've been and I love this place. It all started at the Oh Baby! Expo where their catering company (Ho'okipa) was handing out Kalua Pig and mashed Okinawan sweet potato samples in consideration of baby lu'aus and parties. Immediately, I was hooked and needed to visit the place that I've had bookmarked for too long.
With three others, we came in during the late afternoon and had no trouble getting seated, ordering, or being served. The ladies working were prompt and polite, which was nice, but we were there for the Hawaiian food. After hemming and hawing over the multitude of choices, we all placed our orders and counted down the seconds.
Most people in the joint had ordered their combination plates, but we all stuck to the regular plates. I had the Kalua Pig & Cabbage plate which was super ono. Everything was seasoned perfectly and the cabbage was cooked well, not too soggy and still a little crunch. Delicious.
We also ordered a side of the mashed Okinawan sweet potato. I don't know what it's actually called, I just remember the sample and wanting to eat more of it. Luckily, another of my lunch mates had tried it before and agreed that we should get some. Upon asking our server, she let us know that yes, in fact, they had that today. Maybe it's some secret item for those in the know, but everyone at the table had some and loved them. They're sweet and salty, with a little bit of garlic, and full of delicious flavor.
Others at the table ordered the Corned Beef and Eggs, the Beef Stew, and ala carte items like the lau lau and the ribs. Our total bill ended up averaging out to about $10 per person, and we all left happy and full. I now know, for future reference, a well located Hawaiian food joint for when I have those cravings. I was sad that they only have squid luau and not chicken luau, but I can overlook that for how fantastic everything else turned out to be.
So remember - if you want to try it (and if they have it for the day), ask for the MASHED OKINAWAN SWEET POTATO!!! -
Review from Mel K.
Sacramento, CA
11/6/2011
How did I miss this place? It's just down the street from mi casa.... passed by it when I use to walk to Daiei or Don Quiote as it is called now.. How.. the.. hail... Now that I live in Sacramento I've had some crazy craving for Hawaiian food. So my most recent trip back home to Hawai'i, my sister made sure I stopped by here to order some lau lau to bring back to Sac.. Out of curiosity, my cousin and I decided to just have dinner there. I was never a big fan of lau lau.. I don't know what it was that didn't appeal to me. My sister raved about this place so I had their pork lau lau combo with lomi salmon and beef stew.. Lovedddd it!! It wasn't dry nor bland as I've had at other places. What I also loved was the fact that they served brown rice as well.. Prices were decent.. Can't complain especially if the food is good. What really sealed the delicious meal was the haupia.
What is also great about this place is the employees.. Besides our wonderful server, Aunty behind the register asked if we are from out-of-state.. I told her that I am but originally from here, in fact up the street even... She said something that made my eyes water, "No matter where you are or how long you stay away from Hawai'i, you never forget where you came from.. ya... can never forget." I don't know if it was what she said or the way she said it with her local accent that made me fight back the tears, I just nodded and smiled...
Will most def. be back.. -
Review from Tiffany Y.
Honolulu, HI
8/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
Yelp 365 Challenge #24/365
Never judge a book by it's cover is my first thought when we parked in the parking lot of this tiny shopping center in Waipahu. This shopping center has been here since I was small and it is pretty run down.
However, Highway Inn's service and food is the total opposite.
It's like the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. First, its all dark and dreary but once you step in...it's a different story in Highway Inn.
I never really thought of this place until there was a tweetup. But, that day we weren't able to attend the tweetup yet I found out this restaurant serves Hawaiian food. It intrigued me because I thought it was just a ghetto hole in the wall drive inn.
The Setting: I noticed how clean and spacious it was. The counter person offered us menus while my daughter and mom was ordering poke from their market/deli side.
What we ordered: Kalua pig plates.
I roamed around and viewed historic pictures of Waipahu. I learned that this restaurant has been in business since 1947.
That fact alone confirmed that not only is this an ole time diner but a diner that serves good food.
I was not disappointed. Their portions were just right and my family enjoyed the poke.
Will I recommend this place to anyone? Of course especially if you are the type that enjoys finding these "old diners" / mom & pop feel to the restaurant. After all, they've been in business since 1947. That alone should tell you something...they know what we want to eat and they know how to provide great service. -
Review from wine l.
San Francisco, CA
10/21/2011
I loveeeeeeeeeeeee this place! I really wanted some real Hawaiian food so found this on Yelp after I picked up my rental car. I ordered their lau lau combo because I loveeeeeeeeeeeee lau lau while my husband ordered their kalua pork combo (the kalua pork that I make at home taste like rubber compare to these guy's). I was so happy with my food and we went back again two days later. We even ordered their poke selections to have for lunch the next day.
This is the exact type of place I like, all customers were local and food was authentic. Service was excellent!!! I am so glad that typical tourists don't go there and they should just keep staying at hotels in Waikiki and eat at chain restaurants. Robert Frost's choice of path makes all the difference and intend to always follow that. -
Review from Renita R.
Ewa Beach, HI
8/28/2011 1 photo
Ordered the Kalua Pork plate. Came with lomi salmon, Poi (or you can choose rice), pipikaula and haupia. The pipikaula was NOT pipikaula. It was some beef in shoyu or something. Even Foodland has better pipikaula, wtf?
The lomi salmon didn't look that great, tasted ok. It was a little salty, but not bad. I eat mine with poi, so that helps. The kalua pig was a little oily and salty, but I also eat mine in poi so, again, no big deal. My favorite thing was the haupia. Huge disappointment overall. The poi is watered down very thin, and tasted maybe a day or so old.
The way this place works is you come in, give them your order at the counter and then seat yourself. Once your food is ready, you go get your food from their little window by the kitchen.
2.5 stars, won't be returning.Comment from Customer Service W. of Highway Inn 9/3/2011
Aloha Renita. Mahalo nui for giving us a try and we're sorry… More » -
Review from G K.
San Francisco, CA
12/16/2011
Really delicious home style Hawaiian and local food! My favorite is the fresh catch of the day and also the beef stew combo. Poi is a must.
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Review from Jane L.
Honolulu, HI
11/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
I kept hearing so many great reviews, I told myself I'll eat there one day. That one day was finally this past weekend. I must say it was quite delicious. I had the pork lau lau, brown rice, pipikaula, lomi salmon and haupia. The brown rice was moist unlike other places where it's hard like a rock. The pipikaula was very juicy and tasty as was the lau lau, lomi salmon and haupia. The staff is very friendly. I would go back to eat here again.
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Review from Kara K.
6/2/2011
Their chocolate haupia pie was the best chocolate haupia pie I have ever had..even better than Ted's Bakery. Everything else I tried (chicken long rice, lomi salmon, boiled peanuts) were all good, but the pie took the cake.
A little on the pricier side but still good. Kinda reminds me of school lunch on Hawaiian food day.
ALTERNATIVES: Da Kitchen's Hawaiian Plate, Keneke's -
Review from Emi H.
5/20/2011
Other than traffic, the lack of good food on the West side is probably the number reason we would never want to move from town. I know, never say never, but compared to the eats in Honolulu, what's a girl to eat?! We were looking for take-out for dinner and decided to give Highway Inn a go. I'd never eaten there and realized that we hadn't had Hawaiian food in over a year!
I called in my take-out order and the girl on the phone was super sweet! I had no idea what to order and she was very helpful in offering suggestions. Best take-out order girl EVER!!! That's huge in my book because there's nothing more frustrating than calling a restaurant and having difficulty communicating with the person on the other end of the line.
Located in a tiny strip mall in Waipahu, Highway Inn from the outside looks pretty ghetto. Well, what do you expect? It's Waipahu! The inside was a nice surprise because it seemed to be fairly clean and well organized. They have a restaurant side as well as a fish market where they sell an assortment of poke and locally grown produce. Located in the ghetto but without the gangsta attitude. I like!
We picked up our food and drove home to eat our take-out. We ordered 5 of the lau lau plates which were $10.65. They each came with poi (for $.30 extra), haupia, pipkaula and lomi salmon. We upgraded each plate to a super combo and added Kalua pig for $3.25. I decided to for go the pig and got chicken long rice as my extra. I'm a huge fan of squid luau so I can two ala carte orders of that as well. Our order totaled almost $90 and I thought WOWSERS! Hawaiian food is expensive! But, it's not something I would ever attempt to make at home so to me, it was worth it!
The verdict? Wonderful Hawaiian food!!! Everything was really great with my faves being the chicken long rice and squid luau. What I liked was that everything was salted very nicely. There's nothing worse than when you get kalua pig and it's too salty. Bleck! But our food was great and the portions were very generous. Not Samoan kind generous because that's just obesity in the making, but enough to leave you feeling full enough for a kanak attack. I think I just might use Highway Inn for my baby's first birthday luau! So when you're on the West side and need a food fix, drive to Waipahu and grab a Hawaiian plate from Helena's. Ghetto fabulosity! -
Review from Alex G.
8/13/2011
Good Hawaiian food for a decent price. I got the KP special. It came with pipikaula, mac salad, and haupia. The haupia was really good. My friend got the lau lau. He said there was a lot of fat in the lau lau. I also tried the kim chee shrimp and the ahi limu poke. The shrimp was bomb, but the poke was just alright...... nothing special.
There is a 10 dollar minimum, which i only found out after i ordered a 1/4 pound of shrimp so I had to order a 1lb of poke to make it 10 bucks.... LOL. We ordered take out and waited about 10 minutes. If you're from the west side and don't want to drive out to Helena's or Ono's, this place will suffice -
Review from Donny C.
San Diego, CA
5/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
Don't trust your GPS, skip the route via hwy 99, stay on the H1 W and exit Fort Weaver.
Getting here was stressful, but worth it. A couple hours before our flight back, I wanted more Laulau but Ono Hawaiian Foods was closed. On that Sunday, I yelp searched "Lau Lau" filtered by Open now and this is the best I found. The GPS suggested I take the 99 instead of H1... Hampered by stop lights on the 99, hungry and trying to get to the airport, the crick in my neck due to stress isn't exactly what I needed.
However, Laulau WAS what I needed. The place looked really dive-y on the outside but is a really nice local spot on the inside. Oh, and Guy Fieri has apparently been here noted by the autographed poster. The lady at the counter was really helpful, we wanted Laulau and Kahlua pig, so she had us get the "Super sized" Laulau plate with Kahlua combo and an extra side of rice To-go. She was also funny telling us about her "Please See ID" signature on the back of her card and how she had to sign her receipts that way in China or they wouldn't accept it. You gotta love places that make you feel like Ohana.
The food came out quickly and we were off to the airport (This time on the H1). I hauled ass to HNL, got through security with just enough time at the gate to try the food. The Kahlua was a bit salty but the rice balanced that out. The first thing I noticed was the aroma of the laulau which was wrapped in banana leaves. Right away, that aroma reminded me of my grandma's suman, making me smile. Just because of that, and I'll probably get blasted for saying so, I personally think their laulau is better than Ono Hawaiian's. The pipikaula was the best I've had on the island, more like Filipino tocino than the beef-jerky-like pieces i've had elsewhere. The lomi lomi wasn't special, but was the perfect side. The haupia's unlikely dichotomy of rich coconut flavor and light texture did not last long enough as I quickly shoveled it down my throat as I got ready to board.
Mahalo nui loa, A hui hou! -
Review from Arynn I.
8/3/2011
SO we were talking about Hawaiian food at work so I asked around and was told this was the place. I can't believe I never ate here before!! I wasn't actually going to get anything...but then when I got there I kinda had a craving...for poi and lomi salmon..well, in order to use my cc, I had to spend $10 minimum so I said what the hell and ordered kahlua pig too! I did take it to go. while my food was being prepared and packaged, I also got a lb of boiled peanuts and a lb of edamame. I wanted to try the seasoning they tossed it in. For about $20, I got quite a bit of food and now I have snacks! I cannot wait to bring my friend, one of the training managers from Disney World, before he has to leave to go back to the mainland.
I really enjoy the flavor of the food and the friendliness of the staff and I really appreciate the reccomendation from everyone at work!
#Yelp 365 Challenge - 003/365 -
Review from Boris Y.
Honolulu, HI
9/6/2011
Highway Inn is an above average Hawaiian Food joint. But, it is no where near the level of Helena's. I would say it compares to Ono's Hawaiian Food on Kapahulu.
The Pipikaula Ribs are tasty, but lack the depth of Helena's ribs. Plus they are quite small and thin. Since they are so thin, you cannot really get the meat seared.
The Butterfish is Stew Gravy is above average. The Stew Gravy is quite tasty, but the Butterfish has too many bones and is super thin. It does have flavor.
The Squid Luau is tasty too. It is moist and the squid is quite tender. The place is worth going to since there are not too many Hawaiian Restaurants in Waipahu. But if you are town, make sure you go to Helena's instead. -
Review from Hal W.
Kapolei, HI
5/21/2011
Excellent 'Local Kine' fare.
The wife and I attended a hawaiian luau memorial service this morning, and she was in the mood for some hawaiian food. I recommended Highway Inn, since I'd heard of it, but never been there.
Very efficient seating system:t They ask you to self-service sign in with the number in your party, then 'kokua' by waiting outside.
We happily complied, even though there were about 10-15 people standing in the entry area. Guess they didn't read the sign.
The wait outside was much faster than I expected and we were seated in no time at all. Our first seating was at a small table against the wall, and then the kind senior hostess immediately moved us to a larger table without us even asking. Very nice of her.
I had the Kalua Pork plate and my wife had the Lau Lau plate. It was just like I imagined it would be after reading all these reviews.
Simple, fast and tasty.
The food comes out on plates from an elementary cafeteria... you know, the ones that have different sized pukas for different kine servings? :)
Well, the Kalua pig plate had Kalua Pig, Lomi Salmon, Pipi Kaula (chopped steak) and Haupia. I opted for brown rice instead of white or poi.
Kalua pig was very good. Just the right seasoning. The Lomi Salmon had a great taste to it that I wasn't expecting, but my favorite touch was the ice cube they put on top to keep it cold. So simple and old school, but so effective. Steak was a bit on the overcooked and tough side, but filling, and the Haupia was an excellent sweet ending to this traditional plate.
All in all, a good experience. You are here for the food, not for the atmosphere or the fine dining facility. But that's ok, because the food really makes up for the simple roots that this store has grown out of.
The service is steeped in the finest Filipina traditions, and you are seated, served and satisfied much faster than I would have expected!
They've been in business for over 64 years so I suppose they are doing something right. If you are in Waipahu and looking for some original Hawaiian fare give it a try. -
Review from Katie T.
Honolulu County, HI
6/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Best Hawaiian food you'll find on the westside!!! The restaurant isn't fancy, but it's quaint and very reminiscent of old Waipahu.
I had the beef stew combo. Beef stew may seem like a common dish but there is no match for this one. The combo also comes with rice or poi, lomi salmon, dry pipikaula (so so so good!!), and haupia.
The workers are VERY friendly. We love this place (: -
Review from Anna K.
10/18/2011
Thank god for map quest or i would have never found this place :) After my horrible experience with Ono's i have to look elsewhere for good Hawaiian food.My family does it the best but usually only for baby luau's and that's no reason to procreate, or is it? Tempting but no lol. I;ve been to Young's and Helena's but Highway Inn is the best so far. Get there early to avoid waiting because this place gets packed fast, Especially between 4:30pm and 6pm.Service is real friendly ,local style. The restaurant itself is pretty old school looking but it's clean and spacious.
They serve other food besides Hawaiian. Like plate lunches and burgers. The hamburger steak is good here and so are the pork chops. But the main reason i come here is for the Hawaiian food. The squid Luau is the best that Ive had at any Hawaiian Food place. It was perfect not sweet or overwhelmed with coconut milk. The kalua pig was good as well and the laulau is fantastic! Moist and yummy with the right amount of pork fat in it. The poi was fresh and so was the pok'e and lomi salmon.
They have a little seafood market in the restaurant when you first walk in so they get fresh fish on a daily. They make the best Pok'e bowls! Either one or two choice bowls and you get a choice of a side with it. (Cucumber Kimchee,Crab salad,Tako and other choices). The price is good for the amount of food you get. I have yet to finish an entire pok'e bowl from here. I try but it's too much, luckily I always have vultures that eat up whatever's left lol. Waipahu has some great eating places and this is definitely one of them!
Oops almost forgot. They make the best Haupia Ive ever had! They also cater. We ordered Haupia from here for my nephew's 1st Birthday Party and everyone loved it :) -
Review from Dave k.
Honolulu, HI
1/1/2012
too crowded sometimes can't get in and portion size too small. otherwise probably get 5 stars. cuz food is ono.
Beef Stew ono!
portion size on sides too small. mine usually isn't as filled as the picture with the white styrofoam plate.
staff is good. -
Review from Kerrie C.
6/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
Where shall I begin? It's hard not to ignore the location of this place. Not all of Waipahu is ghetto, but the location of this place is ghetto for sure.
We came on a weekday around 2 in the afternoon. They do not have table service after 2 pm, and along with making your own beverages at the soda fountain, you must order your food at the counter and pick it up at the kitchen when it's ready...weird.
After ordering our food, we wanted to freshen up and asked to use the restroom. This is where it started to get even more weird. The very friendly woman handed us each a filthy, dirty, disgusting, coffee can with a restroom key attached to it and directed us outside to use restrooms that are shared with the rest of the little shopping complex. We walked outside and discovered a group of people who live in the neighboring housing complex partying outside the restrooms. And when i say partying, i really mean it. They had beers, music, a table with food and even dancing. The group gave us the once-over with dirty looks because we obviously weren't from around there. The women's bathroom was neatly kept, but yucky. And from what he said, the men's room was a nightmare.
Back to the restaurant...
We returned the nasty-ass coffee cans, used more hand sanitizer, and waited a short time for our food that we had to get up and grab from the kitchen. As we waited, there was a waitress who I'm guessing was off her shift or on a break sitting in the dining area. She was blabbing on her cell phone for all to hear. So irritating.
The food was ok. My man is always craving good squid luau (the reason for checking it out) and he ordered some, an order of tripe stew, a salted onion, and grabbed some poke from the market counter which he said they were eh...alright. I had the fried rice with eggs which were good.
The inside of the restaurant is super clean, and nicely renovated. The staff is very friendly but it's so hard to get passed the exterior and location. The restroom visit truly soured the overall experience and maybe even our perception of the food.
If they were in a different location, this place would rock. I don't plan on going back to try anything else, but if I ever do, I will be sure to use the restroom somewhere else before I go. -
Review from Kris O.
For a couple months, I've been craving Hawaiian food & I have a sneaking suspicion its from all my late night conversations with a friend from the mainland; we love talking about food. I was thrilled when I was finally able to eat some Hawaiian food a couple weeks ago & catch up with my mom at the same time.
This was my second visit to Highway Inn & since my last visit they've done some construction; I'm definitely a fan of their upgrade. I'm also a BIG FAN of immediately being seated after walking into an establishment (bonus), especially since I purposely starved myself throughout the day, so I could enjoy every moment of this meal.
I couldn't decide which menu items I wanted, so I opted for the Lau Lau Combo which includes: Lau Lau, Rice or Poi, Lomi Salmon or Mac Salad, Pipikaula & Haupia. I upgraded to the Super Combo which includes a side of Kalua Pig & I ordered a bowl of Chicken Long Rice.
My mom ordered their Stew Combo (she kept repeating was her favorite!) which includes: your choice of beef stew, tripe stew or Na'au Pua'a, Rice or Poi, Lomi Salmon or Mac Salad, Pipikaula & Haupia.
I was very happy with my second visit to Highway Inn & enjoyed my dining experience because: 1) Our waiter was very attentive to our needs 2) He also made sure that our order was placed before the large party in the restaurant, so we wouldn't have to wait that long :D 3) We didn't have to wait very long before our food manifested before our eyes.
If you're in the mood for Hawaiian food at a reasonable price, I suggest making a trip to the West Side of the island & trying one of Highway Inn's delicious Hawaiian Combo plates. Also don't forget to check out their Seafood Market! -
Review from Tamra P.
5/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was totally craving Hawaiian food the other day and my hubby suggested Highway Inn. My adorable haole husband absolutely loves Waipahu and heard it was the place for Hawaiian food. I was stoked he was down for it and off we went.
The place was packed, so we signed in and were seated relatively quickly. We were even relocated from a smaller 2-top to a larger 4-top without asking! Probably because the table next to us had a baby in a highchair right next to us, but we didn't even ask to be moved since it was so busy. No frills, no atmosphere kind of place --I think my husband was the only person that didn't have a tattoo--but the service is attentive and friendly.
To the left of the entrance you can get poke, kulolo, and many other goodies to go, or grab poke to eat with your meal on the right, dine-in side. I'd probably recommend perusing that area before getting seated since the meals don't come with poke.
Love the nostalgic segmented melamine luau plates! Anywhere else you'd be horrified, but for a Hawaiian restaurant it's so fitting. What I really appreciate the most about this place is that the food is not oversalted. I had the laulau plate. My one complaint about the meal was the pork laulau was half fat. It did have some butterfish inside which was delicious, as was the pork, but I would have appreciated more meat. What surprised me was the delightfulness of the lomi salmon. Notoriously salty at most places, this was the most perfect lomi salmon I have ever eaten. I dipped each half spoonful of lomi in the poi and was in heaven. Pipikaula and haupia rounded out the meal. Portions were good, not instant kanak attack ridiculous, but satisfying. Hubby got the kalua pig plate with rice and was also a happy camper.
I need to come back to sample the poke and squid luau......great place for Hawaiian food on the West side! -
Review from Hana B.
Waipahu, HI
8/11/2011
Upon entering the restaurant we were greeted by nobody and sign that says to sign yourself in to be seated. Where is the sign-in sheet??? So we stood there... and waited...and waited. As we continued to wait, I watched the hostess/cashier (?) gab away on the phone. 10 minutes later... still standing... looking awkward. This place wasn't busy or packed at all! FINALLY the hostess/cashier hangs up the phone. Just as I was about to say something the phone rang again. I was thinking she would put the caller on hold and maybe seat us first. I was wrong. Then FINALLY a waitress came up to us to seat us. Im pretty sure it's because she saw my face contorting at the hostess/cashier. From then on service was all right. After being seated I watched the couple waiting after us go through the same thing.
WELL besides that awful service in the beginning... WOW the newly renovated Highway Inn looks awesome. AND of course the food is always awesome. The pipikaula and pulehu ribs are always good.
I really want to give Highway Inn 5 stars because their Hawaiian food is the BEST. But the whole seating thing really rubbed me the wrong way. Sorry. If you're in Waipahu and you're craving Hawaiian food, go to Highway Inn... not Laverne's (pffft I'll be yelping about them next)! -
Review from Wendell D.
Waipahu, HI
Updated - 10/27/2011
Ordered the Stew Plate combo and it was not satisfying at all. Tiny bowl with 2 small potatoes and 2 pieces of Beef. Rice was stale. If not for the pipikaula...meal would have been a ZERO. Not worth the money.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/28/2011
Ate lunch there and had the Lau Lau Combo. Lau lau was goood and tasty. Agree with some earlier… Read more »
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Review from Chris H.
Suwanee, GA
4/1/2011
Visiting Oahu? If you want to go local and experience Hawaiian food at its finest -- look no further. I already did the research for you. I decided on my most recent trip to Waikiki that I was going to get off the strip and find 'local favorites'. With the help of a local friend, Yelpers, and Guy Fieri (Diners, Drive-ins & Dives), I founds some real treats -- so check out all my Honolulu reviews :)
This place was simply amazing -- a little bit of a drive but totally worth it!!! Hubby and I decided to order different things so we could get a good sampling of what they had to offer. Wish we could have tried everything - next time we are there we will definitely go back and try more.
It sits in an older strip center compete with a bus stop out back. I know because the bathroom is also out back -- but don't worry, its secure -- accessible by key, which they give you attached to a big, industrial sized tin can. It is not sexy -- definitely not a tourist site - very local, casual -- and I loved it even more for that character. We were the only non-locals there - which was quite obvious -- and everyone, staff and patrons, were SO charming and friendly. They all wanted to know how we heard about it -- and we gawked at everything people were eating -- everything looked great. They all offered suggestions on stuff to try -- and after watching Guy's D&D clip on their Lau Lau -- I knew the Lau Lau combo was a must.
The combos are served on school type trays -- perfect for all that comes with it: Lau Lau, Poi, Lomi Salmon, Pipikaula, Haupia. Every bit of it was fabulous -- my personal faves besides the Lau Lau was the Lomi Salmon and the Pipikaula.
We also had the Ahi Plate lunch (we got the fried, not breaded) with green salad (homemade oriental dressing) and Mac Salad. I thought we in the South knew Mac Salad - uh no way -- these folks in Hawaii have this down pat. Fantastic.
We also ordered a soup to share they had on special that sounded completely intriguing - Salt meat and watercress. All I can say is WOW.
Just for fun - and because clearly we had not tried enough things on the menu -- our wonderful server brought us another special to try on the house -- a quesadilla made with kalua pig and sweet potato. Perfection!! We actually fought over it :)
They have a great little market that is part of the restaurant. Local or visitor -- this place is phenomenal. -
Review from Jayson N.
2/1/2011 2 Check-ins Here
"A taste of Old Hawaii.. "
That's the slogan or phrase or motto that this place goes by.. Before when my family use to come here, it use to be "a taste of old hawaii" in old hawaii. The interior of the place was tattered and much in need of renovation. Thankfully, they remodeled and it looks so much cleaner and nicer. It still got that countryside feel and it is roomier now that they connected the market to the restaurant.
Depending on the time you go, you may have to wait for a table. But we always try and go either before of after the weekend lunch rush. This last time we ordered a bunch of things and shared it family style. Personally my favorites are the beef stew, pipikaula, and chicken long rice. The best part about the stew is the gravy. Everybody in my family loves it and my mom has attempted to replicate it. :)
A nice tip about this place is you can buy stuff from the market and eat it in the restaurant. The lomi salmon is something we always buy from the market instead of ordering it from the menu. :)
The workers are all nice and come by your table frequently to make sure everything is okay and they are more than willing to make suggestions to save you money.
You may have to venture out of your way to eat here but the food here is good and worth the drive out to old country. :) -
Review from Dan M.
King, WA
9/18/2011
Had we known about this great joint on the way to our resort in Ko Olina, we would have stopped here at the beginning of our stay. What a great deli with a broad array of traditional Hawaiian food, served up right, and by a friendly staff. The server could see that we were noobs so she kindly offered us a useful newcomers menu. Though we initially planned to get breakfast (served until 10:30) I picked the lau lau super combo (lunch) plate with pork lau lau (pork and butterfish wrapped in taro leaf), poi, chicken long rice, pipikaula (dried marinated beef tips), and (coconut-flavored) haupia for dessert. It was a little more than I could eat for lunch but it was a great tour of the local cuisine. My wife picked the loco moco and appreciated that there was a brown rice option. The burger patty was good and the gravy was above average. The portion size was big, but we managed to finish the side salad, drizzled in a bright and tangy papaya-based vinaigrette. The coffee was decent, too - the server made us a fresh pot without hesitation.
Though we were directed to the place by the Food Network page for "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" (which broadcast the Highway Inn episode later in the same day we visited), we appeared to be the only tourists in the place! Talk about a locals hangout - it had a family atmosphere.
We bought a souvenir t-shirt - reasonably priced at $16.75 - but elected to skip the hot sauce on the gift shop rack as it listed HFC as its second ingredient. (Tsk tsk Highway Inn)
We did not get any takeaway from the deli but that would be a great reason to stop by again - the tako and poke selections were very appealing and popular, judging by the busy counter service while we dined nearby the register. -
Review from Ryan A.
Ewa Beach, HI
2/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've always liked this place. They renovated so it looks a lot nicer than it was before. Now the poke counter is joined with the restaurant.
On the day I went they were out of laulau so I tried the tripe stew. I also ordered a side if squid luau. My girlfriend loved the kalua pig.
The portions may not be the same as a decade ago but the food is still top notch. The squid luau was it's usual best and the tripe stew was pretty good too! Overall this place is consistent in taste and it just feels good. The only mark off was for not having laulau. -
Review from Aimee N.
1/2/2011 4 Check-ins Here
You had me at....ok, let's be serious. This is some seriously yummy Hawaiian food. Being a townie, I've always heard about Highway Inn but anything more than five minutes you know is FAR! But since we were in the neighborhood, we gave it a go! And guess what, SO GOOD!!!! so we'll be back!
I thought I'd go for it all (haha) so I had the Stew SUPER combo...ok so maybe next time I won't need the stew, but the kalua pig, pipikaula, poi, lomi, & haupia were effen ono. I know I'm a pig but it was all gone - what can I say, it was good! BF ordered the akule and laulau (both side orders) and he wasn't too pleased with the deep fried akule - he said he wished it was pan fried. Laulau was cooked to perfection, yummy & moist. On top of all the food we ordered, we splurged (bc we heard so much about it - thank you yelpers!) and got the sesame ahi poke. One of the best poke I ever ever ate. no doubt.
Restaurant is nice and clean...wait staff is super nice...lots of parking...food rocks....and best of all, you get a peppermint at the end. SCORE!Listed in: Home Sweet Home
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Review from Nicholas E.
Ewa Beach, HI
7/16/2011 2 photos
I've been eating at highway inn for over 20 years and the beef stew is what has kept me in love for those 2 decades. I always get hamburger steak with stew gravy instead of brown gravy. Don't forget the fried butterfish collar with stew on top. The butterfish is so good you can eat the bones and all. Highway inn is the best place to get Hawaiian food on the west side. The squid luau may not be as good helenas but the beef stew more than makes up for it.
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Review from Rocelle S.
Ewa Beach, HI
11/18/2010
This place is alright. It is really expensive for the food you get. Located in the ghetto of Waipahu it was a pleasant surprise to find it nice and clean inside.
The portion sizes weren't what I expected and the Lau lau sad to say is something I could of bought from Sam's Club and prepared at home. All in all it was pretty disappointing I'm not coming back here again, -
Review from Chantelle T.
Los Angeles, CA
3/8/2011
Want good Hawaiian food that won't make you feel like a tourist while you eat? If so, this is where you NEED to be.
The food here is always super ono--I'm a huge fan of their pipikaula and their kahlua pig. The haupia is also WINNAZ.
I love coming here with family because once you step inside, you know you'll be grinding on some good eats while also enjoying the old time aloha spirit feel that seems to be, sadly, disappearing a little too quick.
And from the sound of it, sounds like they renovated -- can't wait to go home now!
