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I always visit Rainbows every time I come to Honolulu. It's a favorite from childhood. In a world that's constantly changing it's good to know some things don't change.
I had the pork cutlet plate lunch with gravy and a slush. The cutlet was nice and thin as usual. The gravy wasn't greasy (as usual). I can't pass up the mac salad but not so keen on the ball of rice.
The slush was great ... not as consistent in terms of the ice distribution as I remember it but still great tasting. Don't let the ice melt but don't get a brain-freeze! It's a challenge you will enjoy.
Mix plate.
Large coke - no refills avail for lower cost - booooooo.
Loco moco was so-so. $15 all-in. fun to eat outside.
Slush Float: awesome.
Loco Moco: awesome.
Portugese Sausage: awesome.
And you can even call in your order!
Great place for local food. Started by a cook from the 100th Battalion it reminds me of Cafe 100 on the Big Island which has a similar history.
The loco moco is tasty. The patty is a solid beef patty with well cooked rice (not too hard and not mushy). The gravy (the key to any loco moco) is thick and rich.
The great thing about the Rainbow Drive-In is that you can add extras to your dish. So I ended up getting the Loco Moco plate with extra Portuguese sausage added in.
This is one of the better loco mocos I have had, on par with Cafe 100 where this dish is reported to have started.
The only draw back is that this is a popular place and very busy with a small parking lot. If you are planning a stop by for lunch on your way to see sites or something try the phone in and the pick up window.
Hmmmm.......maybe there is one reason to come into Honolulu? Rainbow Drive-In, that's it. OH and Leonard's.......so, 2 reason's to come into Honolulu.
It wasn't quite "Beach" weather yet in the Kailua area at 10:30AM so we decided to take the very scenic 61 over to Rainbow Drive-In and take the even more scenic 63 back. A sort-of scenic lunch-loop, if you will?
Anyway, love, love, loved this place and so do the locals!! I mean seriously. The prices totally blew me away.....SOLID GOLD VALUE. Why can't more places deliver food this good for these prices.......everywhere, not just Hawaii.
I had the Loco Moco "Bowl"......a perfect sized portion.....1 patty and 1 egg. Delicious and filling. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Cleanliness of this place was also stellar.....including the restroom.
If I lived on Oahu I would be a regular here.
Quality sank over time! Used to be great. I was a fan of their roast pork specials. The mac salad is too heavy on the mayo, but still good. Haven't tried their popular slushies as I feel guilty enough on just the food alone. The portions are so big and if one does finish a whole plate, imagine before-meal and after-meal pictures reversed according to times taken and call it a miracle weight loss ad. Yeah I exaggerated. It's a lot of food.
No Drive-In in Hawaii is more famous than "Rainbow's". From the ladies that have been working for years, to the lines, surfers, locals, and local celebrities (including Barak Obama, Cazimero Brothers, etc) have had a plate lunch covered in wax paper in a white box. Located right off of Kapahulu (a short walk from Waikiki) nothing fills my stomach better than a corned beef hash plate in the box and slush float (strawberry slushy with vanilla ice cream).
Limited parking, always busy.
I'm not a local, but am familiar enough with Hawaiian food to know that this place is onolicious. You've got your classic heart attack, garnished with a tasty bit of cholesterol, all packed beautifully together in a styrofoam box - but boy is it good.
I could eat pounds of the mac salad and only wish something here on the mainland could even come close to doing it the way Rainbow does, but I guess I'll just have to keep coming back to the rock to get my fix...oh darn.
I have only been here once. I don't know if this is the best Loco Moco on the island, but it was really delicious!
The Loco Moco is the definition of comfort food and after i ate it, i wanted to get comfortable on a couch!
Definitely a highlight of my trip to Oahu and the fact that Rainbow Drive-In was featured on LOST made it that much more sweet!
The place has a definite "street food" quality to it and i loved every minute of being there!
I didn't know about Rainbow's prior to eating here. We just stumbled across it on our trek to Leonard's. It was still early morning and we saw this charming fast food type eatery, and cars just rolling in one by one, filled with locals. Hmmm.. good sign! Tables were full and we were lucky to share a tale with a couple of older local men. Now we get to eat!
OMG - BET LOCO MOCO we had on this trip and we had one every day! As defined to me by a local, Loco Moco is great hangover food = comfort food, and Rainbow's did not disappoint! Heck, they went above and beyond to comfort my belly.
The Saimin was good. I'm not the biggest Saimin fan, but ordered it just to have some yummy broth soup.
When we wanted a picture, one of the workers happily helped out and took it thru her counter window. Rainbow's exemplified a big part of why I love Hawaii so much.
Prices were reasonable, food was incredible, service was good and efficient. We are DEFINITELY making Rainbow's a regular stop on our Oahu visits!
WHAT a letdown. Really. I mean, this place is an institution of sorts, but I was uber-bummed at how the plate lunches weren't what I imagined them to be.
I've had some O-mazing plate lunches, and this place really didn't even reach par.
Did the loco-moco. One of my girls did the mixed plate and the other opted for the shoyu chicken.
This place DOES NOT have spam masubi. A customer was told to go to the local 7-eleven for his masubi fix.
Totally NOT impressed. STILL wishing I had gone to Kaka'Oka for that portion of lost stomach space instead.
Eh.
yum!
i saw rainbow drive in a bunch of times last year but never had the desire to go. while walking back from ono seafood we decided to stop here for dinner.
there were a few tables open when we got there. i was surprised cuz when we first walked by it was busy. anyhoo.. the pook got the fried chicken plate and i ordered the mix plate. his fried chicken was huuuuge! when i got the order they had trouble closing the box. the people in line were amazed at the size of the chicken as it was being boxed lol.
the fried chicken was lightly battered and was simple. nothing amazing IMO. the pook enjoyed it until he got to the center where it was pink. he was sad cuz he couldnt enjoy it in its entirety. but the non pink parts were good!
i liked the bbq beef and mahi mahi from my mix plate. the chicken was just okay. the mac salad was yummmmmy! and the portions were huge.
everyone was nice here and id come back for the bbq beef. it wasnt the best meal i had on vacation but it was a nice meal on our last night.
I was really excited to go to this place...with all the great reviews I thought it would be GREAT.
It was "meh" for me. I think the food was a little rich for me in the middle of the day. The macaroni was really, really creamy and it was really heavy.
This is my review of the food BUT let me tell you if you are looking for a bargain in Honolulu for food...here is the place to go. It's cash only so just remember that.
Count us in as fans of Rainbow Drive In!
The definition of a local greasy spoon, Rainbow serves cravelicious breakfast and lunch items at affordable prices that keeps the locals and tourists coming back.
Our first stop to Rainbow was on the way to the Polynesian Cultural Center. We had a breakfast special: 2 over easy eggs, 2 scoops of rice, and a slice of spam for $5. Go to any tourist spot near Waikiki and that'd run you $9.
Our next stop was for a quick lunch before heading to the airport. I had a BBQ mixed plate with mahi mahi, pork cutlet, and Korean BBQ beef alongside two scoops of rice and a macaroni salad for under $8. A truly amazing amount of food. Tasty too. MY had the loco moco in a bowl for $3.50! Zippys, where we also had a loco moco with an extra egg, cost a pricey $9.
For affordable, tasty, and fast fare, head to Rainbow. Forget McDonald's. Forget Zippy's. The best part? It's right next to a 7-Eleven and a gas station so you can fill your tank and stock up on spam musubi too! Score!
Rainbow is cash only.
The best place for local food.
Mornings, I get the Fried Rice w/ scrambled eggs and side "pocho". Have to get there early because they run out fried rice fast. If not, I get the hash with gravy.
For lunch, it's Garlic Ahi or Shoyu chicken, these are their specials and it changes daily. My favorite is their mix plate with gravy all over. Or get creative like my brother-in law and order a BBQ Beef plate with brown gravy all over topped with two over easy eggs. "Winners" I tell you. Or try a hotdog with the cheeseburger sauce. Don't forget the slush and slush float. My kids love the Loco Moco and Boneless chicken with gravy all over.
Rainbows is the best, been coming here for years, now my kids also ask if we can go rainbows.
Highly Recommended
I am not sure why this place is such a Hawaii standard. I've been dragged (well, politely dragged) here quite a few times, and I can never find anything I like. I would much, much rather go anywhere else. Even Zippy's. Even McDonald's. Everything on the menu is just so laden with greasy grease it's hard to see straight how I'm going to breathe and not feel like my lungs are lodged with grease granules. Now, i don't mind a bit of grease if you're going to fry something crispy on the outside and yummy moist on the inside, but grease for the sake of grease itself is not good food in my book. Maybe it also doesn't help that I'm not a fan of mac salad. Or the taste of beef.
And on a hot day the old rundown concrete seating gets even hotter and more uncomfortable. Andthe greasiness doens't help a bit. Do not like.
Roast pork, mac salad, 2 scoops rice, lots of gravy and a strawberry slush. Enough said.
This is one of those places that it's a must to hit up after the beach on your way home.
95% of the time always crowded but super quick service.
Parking really sucks so good luck.
I really want to give this 3.5 stars but since there are no half stars... i just go with 3.
I was recommended this place by a local and he assured me it was a locals hang out and great for grabbing a bite for lunch.
I ordered the Mixed lunch and was immediately handed over a box with a stack of mixed meats (mahi mahi, teryaki beef) over a bed of white rice and a side of macaroni salad.
Its solid! I mean in that its a solid meal for $7.25, the meat was tender, the mahi mahi was well cooked, a little over done, but not bad at all. It comes with a side of tartar sauce that was bomb. Over all, i thought it was pretty darn good. Not flashy of a place, something totally locals and did I fail to mention the portion was gigantic.
There's a ton of other things on the menu like loco moco to hot dogs to mahi mahi burgers.... tons.
Since day one of our arrival in Waikiki, we've been asking around where is the best local place to get Hawaiian food and everyone told us the same thing, Rainbow Drive-In. I love this place! Great food, pretty quick service, good portions, and inexpensive. Came here on two separate days and tried the Loco Moco, mix plate, and beef stew.
My favorite by far is the Loco Moco. You really can't go wrong when making a Loco Moco, but the one here is by far the best one I've had. A perfectly cooked sunny side egg (two if you order the large order) ontop of hamburger patty and rice smothered with a rich gravy is the ultimate comfort food.
With the mix plate, the only thing I really liked was the mahi mahi. The mahi mahi here is a large fresh piece of mahi mahi that is not dreaded with breading. The chicken is really tender, but that and the beef is just average. The beef was a little too sweet for my taste buds. The macaroni salad that comes as a side is really good too. Not too creamy like most places
The beef stew is pretty good. It's really tender with a really tomato-y based sauce. I'm usually not a big fan of tomato sauce, especially the sweeter ones, but I really liked it here.
Rainbow Drive-In is definitely a MUST place to come to when you're in Waikiki!
Great local food for an even greater price!
I had the breakfast special with two fried eggs, Spam and two heaping mounds of white rice. The fried eggs were perfect, Spam was nicely cooked (unlike McDonald's or other drive-ins where they keep the Spam out so long that it becomes rubbery) and the rice was fresh out of the cooker. All this for less than $6.00!
The breakfast special at Rainbow Drive-In is definitely worth waking up early for.
Love this place... It's been here for a long time - in fact, my aunt told me that she went on dates here when she was in high school. I mentioned this before, but I love corned-beef-hash. The hash at Rainbow is awesome! plus they give you gravy too! mix it with some hot sauce and you'll be in heaven!
holla!
I don't know why this place is so popular. Out of all the restaurants we tried in Oahu, I was very disappointed by this restaurant.
We ordered their loco moco, hamburger steak with gravy, and their beef curry. Not a single one of those were that great. They came with mac salad and it had too much mayo. Made me want to barf.
I should have tried their famous chicken...but the wait time was 15 minutes and I was starving.
Prices are reasonable but honestly, I'd rather go to Zippy's down the street.
It depend what time you going eat! 1)Breakfast: Fried Rice Plate or Corned Beef Hash With Eggs. 2)Lunch: Mixed Plate or Boneless Chicken Gravy All Over 3)Dinner: Anything!
I have been coming here since I was a kid and it is always so good. We shared the shoyu chicken with macaroni and rice. If the locals love this place, why not a tourist like me?
The parking lot can get full, but street parking is easy. The wait is never long and the people who work there are friendly.
There are only two big complaints I have about Rainbow- the mac salad tastes like it comes in a carton and the loco moco tasted like it had curry gravy instead of regular brown(maybe this was just a mistake).
The plate lunch that I ordered was giant and pretty good. I think if I lived close I would probably go to Rainbow for quick easy plate lunch, but if Ono was open down the street I would rather go there.
After hearing Obama eats at this place when he comes to Oahu, I had to try it out.
Unfortunately, the food here is average but I give this place props for a quick & speedy service and large portions.
I ordered the corned beef hash plate and I was not impressed.
My wife's plate of Loco Moco was also okay.
My friend ordered the Pork Cutlet & didn't want to finish plate & he's a big eater.
So, at this point, I'm giving Rainbow Drive-In 3 stars, until the next time I come to Oahu & try some of their other items.
Went in for a quick breakfast after snorkeling at Hanauma, thinking that it'd be better to enjoy some Hawaiian fare than my first craving inclination, McDonald's breakfast. I think we made a good choice, though there's no replacement for a Sausage, Egg & Cheese McMuffin.
Got a really good breakfast sandwich, simple ham & egg but it came on good wheat toast and fresh lettuce. Meant to ask for cheese but forgot, and I didn't care. It was delicious, and a good deal for $3-somethin.
Ladyfriend got Pork Long-rice, and that was delicious too. The clear noodles freaked me out a little as they're thick and look like they belong to a jellyfish, but they were flavorful and the pork was tasty. Overall, quick, cheap, and worth it.
Came here for breakfast. Very cute, fast food place. You drive up, order at the window, grab your box, sit down and eat. Very simple, very cheap, very good. I ordered the spam, eggs, and rice. It was what I expected...nothing different than how I would get it anywhere else. They also give pretty good proportions.
For many reasons, Rainbow Drive-In was our first and last stop on our recent trip to Oahu.
Come here for HUGE plate lunches for about $6-$7. I tried the fried pork cutlet, loco moco, and the mixed plate lunches, all which were delicious! 2 generous scoops of rice and 1 scoop of macaroni salad accompany the plates. Be aware, their food is not for the health-conscious but not much of Hawaiian food is. Much of what I ate was slathered in brown gravy so you can't really go wrong there.
This place is busy at all hours of the day. Their parking lot is small and so is their seating area. But service is quick and people are always moving in and out so you don't have too wait long.
I ordered the BBQ Steak and hubby ordered the Mix Plate. This was very good meat, 2 scoops of rice and macaroni salad. Very tasty, but not so many veggies, eh? We ate lunch by Waikiki beach. So beautiful and a perfect lunch for cheap.
Food is good. Food is fast. Finding a seat and table is a bit difficult. Try your food with the red devil hot sauce... It's delicious!!
I love Rainbow Inn and I went there to eat twice when I was in Honolulu. The food is good and I love loco Moco. It is really cheap... I love the rice with Gravy, meat loaf and eggs on top.
This place is the best.
This place is going to get a ton of my business!!!
After just moving here from Georgia this place is the closest thing to the famous varsity that I have found. The short order shop has everything from hamburgers to plate lunches and everything takes only a min to order.
$2.15 gets a basic cheeseburger with rainbows sauce, a concoction that looks like the yellow of a deviled egg but is most likely mustard mayo and pickles. Delicious!!!
Plate lunches for 6 bucks and always a daily special. Cant wait for my next visit.
Good classic plate lunch - what more could you want?
I've tried the mixed plate, chili dog plate and hash and egg plate, all were good and plentiful (isn't that a candy?). Classic style plate lunch with 2 scoop rice and 1 scoop mac salad. FYI I didn't eat them in one sitting it was 3 separate trips. Also had slush floats all 3 times which is a must-have item.
Can't believe I have neglected to eat here for so many years. Definitely on my list of regular stops now!
Memories at this place are endless as this was always the spot for the midday grind. Worth it everytime! I miss Rainbowz!
Cash only! That's why they get 4 stars instead of 5.
The place has been and as always fantastic! I try to go here when I'm on the Diamond Head side of Waikiki. I can never get enough!
I had the pork cutlet with gravey, super tasty, with rice and of course macaroni salad.
Everyone in my group had something different and all came away full and totally satisfied.
The service is extremely fast, I just finished paying and my order arrived.
Tourists, you'll hate this place.
Came here again, like I always do when in Waikiki...this time, my friends were hesitant. They previously had bad memories of this place. Why - what did they order in the past? LOCO MOCO. C'mon man...when you go to hole in the walls, you HAVE to know what to order!
When coming here, you need to get the chili rice and/or shoyu chicken. Slush with ice cream is a must. Beef stew is good. As usual, their shoyu chicken falls off the bone and the chili rice is warm and tasty.
Still dreaming about the slush...!
We walked here two days in a row. After all these years, the magic is still there.
- Chili n rice.…
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I heard this was a must to try in Hawaii. We came here hungry and parched after our morning hike up diamond head. I got the pork chop with gravy, fiance got the mix plate, his friends got burgers and loco moco.
I must say service was quick...except for mines. So everyone was half done when I got mine leaving me needing to rush to finish.
The mac was on point, mahi mahi yuuuum, porkchop a-ok, and chicken Hella Good.
While eating we saw some Japanese tourists that passed by snapping pictures. "And this is Rainbow cafe" ohhhhh yahhhhhh *snap*snap*snap*snap* and walking away. What's up with visiting a famous eating joint and not trying it out? You gotta! I don't get it...it's hilarious to me lolz...
I haven't been to Hawaii in five years, so this was supposed to be an awesome trip. Instead of eating at my usual spots, I decided to venture out to more local areas.
We walked for about twenty minutes to get to Rainbow and was greeted by a long line.
I ordered the half fried chicken plate with macaroni salad and rice and also a small sized loco moco. The chicken was horrible. The oil that it was fried in was old and tasted stale. However, when I drenched it in hot sauce, it magically masked the old grease flavor and tasted like a crispy buffalo wing.
The loco moco was delicious and quite filling for only 3 bucks.
Why did I give this place two stars?
Two stars for the loco moco.
Zero stars for whatever it was that had me vomiting every five minutes for TWO DAYS!
I've only had food poisoning twice in my life. The second time was at Rainbow in Hawaii. I love my life.
My plans got screwed up (Ono seafood wouldn't have poke til 11am) so I ended up at Rainbow Drive-in shortly before 10am in search of food.
Alas, the lady said I could order lunch that early. hurrah!
walking up to rainbow drive-in brought back all the memories from the last time I went (2002). We took a taxi there (ended up being a limo taxi), ate there, and took the leftovers to the beach).
Back to now, I ended up getting a combo plate. Got my food to go and walked back down to the beach and ate. BBQ beef was good, fried chicken (sans the skin) is good. The mahi mahi is ok and had a strong tartar taste to it, though I didn't put the tartar on it. The tartar is really strong and I didn't like it. I think the beef and chicken would have tasted even better had I put those sauces on it (in those squeezable condiment jars on the tables)
Yeah, lots of tasty food.
FYI, that side window is open and probably has a shorter line. No one seems to notice it, even if the other lady points it out to the longer line.
CASH ONLY, atm on site.
Honolulu, HI
Category: Barbeque
Honolulu, HI
Category: Bakeries
Honolulu, HI
Category: Japanese
Honolulu, HI
Category: Hawaiian
Honolulu, HI
Category: Fast Food
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