Although this place is out of the way, I do enjoy their standard big portions of food and spam musubi. Every Hawaiian food franchise I go to has their own style of teriyaki sauce, and I think the owner is Japanese-American as well and courteous. There will be Hawaiian decor and drinks that you would normally get from Hawaii. And speaking of their imported drinks, if I come back to this location, I should try them out. The wait for your food isn't that long, either. They do not have a points or rewards system, but just having great food and service is good enough for me at this location. If I lived closer to here, I would come here often, but unfortunately, I don't; I probably come here after watching a movie at Bayfair, but if anyone is in the area or lives here, come on over to this gem! read more

Hawaiian Drive Inn - Barbeque Near Me - Hayward, California

This is thee best Hawaiian BBQ in Hayward. I don't care what anyone else says. Have I had better, yes but not in Hayward and I've also been to many other Hawaiian restaurants. The services is always great here and the food is fresh and plentiful. Can definitely share a plate. read more

Hawaiian Drive Inn is very welcoming! Very friendly service every time; fast and efficient, the menu is above and very clear. Huge selection to choose from. Seating is available inside, no seating available outdoors. The store is very clean. And you make your payment at the register. The food -- from the mixed plates to spam musubi, all very delicious. My favorites are the mixed bbq plate; seafood combo plate, spam musubi and fish musubi. Delicious, flavorful and fulfilling! Portions are generous; huge portions! Hawaiian Drive Inn -- a must try. Perfect for lunch or dinner! As this review is long overdue, to sum it all, reasonably and fairly priced, amazing service and delicious food! HAWAIIAN DRIVE INN ***** FIVE STARS read more

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Tried the half & half plate at Hawaiian Drive Inn with chicken katsu and beef teriyaki. The chicken katsu was crispy, flavorful, and delicious. The beef teriyaki was good too and tender. The mac salad was just ok, nothing special. Overall a good meal and I'd come back for the katsu alone plus their other items. read more

Hawaiian Drive Inn - Half and Half Plate - Barbeque Near Me - Hayward, California

One of my favorite Hawaiian spots in Hayward the food is so good really love it. I always get the barbecue plate with just ribeye on top of a bed of rice and extra Mac salad. read more

ambiance; clean and quiet at 3:51 on a saturday. good for groups of up to four based on tables service; person at register greeted me warmly and packaged my food well with forks and sauces. to go containers aren't flimsy and are leftovers friendly when storing for later food; ordered kalua pork mini and white fish fillet musubi. kalua- steaming hot generous portion especially for a mini! lots of cabbage so perfect if you're trying to get more veggies in. cabbage isnt offputting because it seems to have been cooked/tossed w the kalua pork rather than being added as a layering for the bottom. white fish musubi was a hot crispy bite. ratio of protein to rice was slay. perfect for people on their lunch break/college students in between/after classes as a pick me up comfort food! read more

Hawaiian Drive Inn - kalua pork mini meal - Barbeque Near Me - Hayward, California

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As a long time customer it's really hard to say this but quality has gone down. My chicken katsu was burnt and was hard to eat and chew. I say this in all respect, I loved your food but the quality has gone down. read more

Hawaiian Drive Inn - Chicken katsu - Barbeque Near Me - Hayward, California

I feel bad that I didn't think the musubi was all that crazy!! Sorry :/ I will say, huge portions for a good price, the guy at the front was very nice and welcoming. BBQ chicken and Katsu were good, The sauce that came w the katsu was very unusual...still wondering if I got salad dressing or something on accident lol. Good mac salad too! read more

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Amazing food & great prices! There's a good selection depending on what you're in the mood for. Fast service for takeout or dining in. My favorites: Mini plate (good lunch option) Bbq mixed plate (good variety of meats) Musubi (all of them are amazing fish, katsu, spam) Ice cream (great prices- cheaper than liquor stores) Dubai chocolate bars read more

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Food is made fresh! Service is great and the ambiance with the PCC and Hawaii photos gives me old school memories of Hawaii. Would recommend to anyone looking for some good katsu and Hawaiian BBQ!! read more

There aren't a whole lot of places you can get lau lau around here but Hawaiian Drive Inn is one of them! My husband was craving lau lau the other day so to Hawaiian Drive Inn we went. This restaurant is located in a plaza so there's plenty of parking. It's a small restaurant with just a few tables inside so takeout is probably the way to go. The inside ambiance isn't much but it has what you need if you're just looking to have a quick meal. They offer the regular hawaiian bbq items that you might usually see. I also liked that they offer different kinds of musubis here. I ordered a spam musubi and a chicken teriyaki musubi but they also have chicken katsu musubis. Along with all the savories, they also offer ice creams and they have the dubai chocolate bar here too! Service was fast. We ordered in store and waited maybe 10-15 minutes for our food. Overall, solid choice if you're looking for some hawaiian bbq! read more

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Simple, quick, and delicious Hawaiian food. It's a simple spot, open kitchen, you can see everything for the most part. Charlie the owner typically mans the register and takes your order. Super friendly guy, always smiling. Prices are extremely reasonable and portions are huge. Flavors are great. My kid loves the spam musubi and the saimin. I love their fried wings and garlic shrimp over rice (or broccoli when I'm on keto). You can also do substitutions. Give them a try! read more

its a solid hawaiian take out place. the food is what you expect, rice, mac salad, and proteins such as bbq chicken. chicken katsu, kahula pork and cabbage, short ribs, garlic shrimp, etc. the katsu breading was crispy and the meat was good with the dipping sauce. i just wish it came with some sort of cabbage or veggie to go on the bottom. it was a bit much. the mac salad was okay, nothing too noteworthy. the bbq chicken was good and that had cabbage on the bottom but it was thick cuts so it wasnt too enjoyable to eat. shredded would have been nicer. they are pretty quick, taking less than 10 minutes to get your order. the soda machine was down and they had cracks in the window that they duct taped. lots of parking in this strip mall. the price wasnt bad, under $30 for two regular plates. read more

I work nearby and Hawaiian Drive-In has quickly become one of my go-to lunch spots. The food here is solid--hearty, flavorful, and always hits the spot. My usual order is the BBQ Chicken and Katsu Chicken Half-and-Half, which comes with two scoops of rice and a scoop of macaroni salad. You can also swap the sides out for broccoli or a green salad, which is a nice touch if you're trying to be a bit healthier. All of this for $17.50 (including tax)--and it's a lot of food. The portions are seriously generous, and they don't skimp on the meat. Everything is cooked fresh to order, and even during a busy lunch hour, I had my food in under five minutes. Super efficient. I haven't tried everything on the menu yet, but they offer a wide range of options--burgers, noodle dishes, potstickers, egg rolls, pork buns, spam and eggs, and more. It seems like there's definitely something for everyone. They also stock a nice selection of Hawaiian fruit drinks, coconut water, sodas, and Snapple, plus they even have an ice cream bar. Ambiance-wise, it's pretty casual. Could use a few more decorations to liven things up, but it's clean and functional--not a dealbreaker at all. Lots of parking outside too, which is a big plus during busy hours. I've been here at least five times now and have never been disappointed. Great food, fast service, generous portions, and fair prices. Looks like they offer catering as well, which I'll definitely keep in mind. Highly recommended! read more

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Looking at the stellar reviews I decided to grab a relaxing lunch here while I waited for a vehicle to be repaired in Hayward. Truly walkable from southbound mall. It's located close to the Sizzler and DD's discount clothing . It had the basic Hawaiian fare. The paper menu was old as the prices jumped a couple of bucks. The new prices are on the overhead menu board. Looks family owned, friendly service not too busy. Fairly clean. The beverage machine was out of order however they had cans and bottles in a fridge so it wasn't a big issue. The portions are real big definitely could have taken leftovers home . As far as the overall taste, the chicken was tasteful but the short ribs were kinda tough and the beef wasn't stringy and hard to cut with a plastic knife. Another thing I don t know why it's called drive inn because there is no drive thru . I was short on time and made a decision to eat here and overall it was just ok. Tasted like a meat plate you get from a carnival or farmers market. Next door to a nail salon and an auto zone type auto store.Location is a bonus . 4/5 for friendly service and a peaceful kickback lunch on a summer Tuesday. read more

Hawaiian Drive Inn - Combo bbq plate with rice and Mac - Barbeque Near Me - Hayward, California

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Hawaiian Drive Inn is great! Friendly and efficient service and served great food! I was looking for a place to bring food to a party and was recommended this place by my sister. I was able to order the family pack and they had it ready in such a short amount of time! Everyone loved the food, especially the short ribs. Yum! I can't speak for the ambiance as we did take out but it looked to have ample seating and clean tables. Will definitely come back here to get food! read more

I really was excited to try this place out! The guy taking the order was very friendly and welcoming, so I had high hopes. The inside of the restaurant could definitely use a good cleaning, I went in a little after opening so it wasn't like patrons had left it messy. The food arrived promptly and first bite was tasty, but that was the only tasty bite. Everything lacked flavor. We asked for teriyaki sauce to make our meals edible, but the 1/2 filled cup of teriyaki didn't go very far. Highly disappointed with the lack of flavor on our bbq mixed plates, not even the rice didn't had a good texture. The Mac salad needed flavor. Not making the drive again, one and done. read more

I come here quite often. The food is reasonably priced and the service is quick and friendly.

This place had been my go to when I'm in Hayward. I normally get the mixed bbq plate or the fried fish plate. The fried fish plate is a big portion, I normally share this with my husband, and we still have a bit left. The fish is so tasty and not greasy at all. The rice is cooked perfectly, not mushy at all. The macaroni salad is one of the best ones I have had outside of Hawaii. The service here is amazing, I normally call to place my order since I always take it home. They normally have my order in ten minutes. This place is a must try if you like Hawaiian food, so much better than any other Hawaiian restaurant in the area read more

Been going here for years. If I'm in a crunch I call ahead and they're super timely- always on time when I pick up my food. The man that's been working the front has been there for years and is so pleasant and welcoming and the food is also consistent in quality! I've had the bbq plate, bbq chicken, spam musubi, fries are always fresh and crispy, the shrimp, but the chicken katsu is my go to favorite and the mini plates are gracious. read more

Great food and generous portions! Lived in Hawaii and this was better than rainbow drive in. read more

Hawaiian Drive Inn - Barbeque Near Me - Hayward, California

First time trying. Good food, good portions and the service was impeccable. Super courteous and friendly. Loco Moco and Chicken Katsu were delicious. Thank you read more

Stopped by to pick up some plate lunches to take to the park. Very friendly guy at the counter. We ordered the lau lau plate and a garlic shrimp plate, had to wait a little while for the lau lau but worth it, the lau lau was really good, very tasty and pork was tender. As for the garlic shrimp, while it was cooked nicely, there was no garlic to be found, I think the cook forgot to put it in, thankfully they provided a packet of sriracha which helped to boost the flavor. Mac salad was on point (to me the mac salad is the true star of a Hawaii style plate lunch). I will still go again as service was friendly and food was good. read more

It's been years since I've been here. I'm glad they are still around. I ordered the lau lau and Kalua pork combo plate. I told the gentlemen that I only wanted one scoop of rice. He was kind to offer a second scoop of Mac salad. So for the dish: plenty of food for the price. The kalua pig and cabbage was a 4/5. Had a good Smokey flavor, and not to salty. The pork was very shredded so it's not what I'm use to. The Lau Lau was a 3/5. A lot or taro which had a sour taste, one huge piece of pork and a huge piece of fat. But the pork was cooked fine. Rice 4/5 it was a little dried out and the Mac salad was a 5/5. I'm glad he offered me to scoops. It was simple mac, not to much dressing, elbow noodles cooked perfectly. The restaurant was very clean and had constant traffic. read more

Hawaiian Drive Inn - Lau Lau and Kalua pork combo plate. Fed me twice - Barbeque Near Me - Hayward, California

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One of my favorite local spots. I've been coming here for years and have never had a bad experience. The service is friendly, consistent, and always on point. Portions are generous and the food quality is solid every time. Whether you order by phone or in person, they make sure you're in and out with no hassle. read more

I've been wanting to try this place for a while, so when the opportunity to pick up lunch for my new office came up, I knew this was my chance to try Hawaiian Drive Inn. I ordered 7 Katsu Plates, 7 BBQ Chicken Plates and 12 Spam Masubi. Everything was made to order and delicious. They are so generous with their portions! My co-workers wanted to nap after lunch, it was so filling. I only ate half and saved the rest for lunch the following day. I would definitely order from them again. read more

Hawaiian Drive Inn - a variety of food items on a table - Barbeque Near Me - Hayward, California

A lot of Hawaiian spots near by and this one in particular is really not special. I believe it's newer but I don't think I'll be back compared to other Hawaiian spots I usually get more food and better quality for that price point they do have other unique selections but nothing I'd get. Customer service was friendly and nice, bathrooms were dirty read more

Hawaiian Drive Inn - BBQ Mix Plate Combo - Barbeque Near Me - Hayward, California

Just no....the food is absolutely gross. I got the 1/2 and 1/2 plate with bbq steak and katsu chicken. The chicken was dry and old, with no flavor. The steak is ok, but could use more flavor. The mac salad tastes like water, no flavor....just gross. The rice was hard. Im just disappointed all around and wasted my money. read more

Musubis always on point and they carry those Waikoko coconut waters you can usually only get in Hawaii. Bomb joint.

The food is delicious. Their loco moco, BBQ plates, masubis are to die for. They only thing that sucks is when I call for takeout they never seem to want to answer. I've even been inside when it's completely dead and wonder why is it so hard for takeout orders when you have people that are on a time crunch for lunch and dinner. Of you can't handle takeout/phone orders then don't offer takeout if this seems to be an ongoing issue. I can't be the only one who has experienced this.U had to get a meal from other places at least 6x due to nobody picking up the phone and tried giving it a couple min to call back if it died down. Yes I could order online but they never get my all macaroni when I request for it or there seems to be something wrong with my order. read more

So there's a good reason why this place survived the pandemic I would even argue they were probably a thriving. The food is delicious The people are so nice it comes out super fast it's a great value like you're going to spend some money and for sure have some food left over. You could even get it for the whole family if you wanted and again you have enough food for the whole family. It's really done how food should be done family style comfort food highly recommend if you're in Hayward! read more

Hawaiian Drive Inn - The delicious menu! - Barbeque Near Me - Hayward, California

Great food and great price! We moved away from the area but always stop by when we have a craving for Hawaiian food. They even took our catering order on their "closed" day for my FIL's 80th birthday! We love supporting local small business and so should everyone else! read more

My grandparents were craving Hawaiian so I ordered the family BBQ mix to go, was greeted with great customer service and all the utensils and sauces already in the bag. Food was amazing and tons of leftovers. Great service and value will keep me coming back. read more

Taste went downhill. Last time I had the food here it was ono delicious but the most recent visit I felt they reheat foods here because the galbi was delivered in less than 10 mins. I ordered the mini plate and it had 2 slabs galbi with cabbage underneath and 2 scoops mac salad. The mac salad was too much mayo and lack of umami. The galbi seasoning was so lacking as well couldn't even taste the marinade. Not sure If I will come back. Try L&L next time. read more

This is the only place I'll go for laulau. Super friendly person n fast delivery. Highly recommend if you miss local food

I used to be a regular at the SF location a lifetime ago. Bbq marinate is the perfect balance between sweet and savory. I've been to this location (Hayward) a few times over the last 5yrs and always just as good as the last. Decent prices, great food, and friendly staff. read more

Not sure why it took us so long to try this spot, we lived around the area for many years now and we ordered take out for this spot in one week! That's how good it was, we came back. Also you can't beat the price, quality, and portion during these times. Homecooked Hawaiian food at unbeatable prices. We love getting the half/half plate which comes with 2 meat, and 3 sides (2 mac salad and 1 rice, or whatever you want). So far we've tried loco moco, chicken katsu, garlic shrimp, bbq chicken, beef teriyaki, pork lau lau, and kalua pork. Portion wise, the chicken had the best portion. They were all delicious but my favorite would have to be: bbq chicken, chicken katsu, and pork lau lau. The chicken katsu sauce was so good! It wasn't too sweet like how the other Hawaiian chains make it, but had the right sweetness and tanginess. The bbq chicken was amazing! Juicy, tender... mmm. The pork lau lau was so good, hard to find this nowadays so we appreciate it being offered on the menu. I'm looking forward to coming back to try their saimin noodles and other dishes. Inside looks like it has good enough seating to dine-in. We'll try that option next time. The workers were super friendly and fast. Also they have those yummy Hawaiian canned drinks for purchase. read more

Ordered last minute catering, and they were so accommodating! Even with building losing water, the owner called ahead and guaranteed my order. I think they went above and beyond to help me out with this late order. Musubi is delicious! read more

Been buying their excellent take out Hawaiian food for years. Especially like their chicken teriyaki . Highly recommend

We're pescatarian, so only have tried the seafood options. Friendly staff. Great fried fish sandwich. Love their broccoli! Fish musubi is good as is their Mac salad! We frequent the place for the fish sandwich and the broccoli!! Ample parking. read more