You have to put your name on the Yelp waitlist outside and they will call you. It was a 15 minute…read morewait for lunch on a Wednesday. Our last meal in Hawaii - a great way to end our vacation. The lomi salmon was fresh and added a great cold to our hot dishes. The ribs were tender and paired wonderfully with the white onion. The lau lau reminded me of southern collard greens - tender and delicious. The butterfish was my favorite. It was crispy and full of flavor. The haupia was complementary and it was soft and delicious - not too sweet. Service was quick and friendly. They explain how to eat each dish and what to pair it with. The owner of the restaurant was the cashier. He explained that his grandma opened the restaurant and they've kept it open for 80 years. He was so sweet. You simply cannot come to Oahu and never try this restaurant. Absolutely amazing experience

I was looking forward to eating at Helena's Hawaiian Food, but unfortunately my experience with the…read moreservice was incredibly disappointing. When ordering, I mentioned that I probably wouldn't be able to finish all of my food and would take the rest to go. Because I said that, I was told I would NOT be allowed to eat inside the restaurant and that my entire order had to be takeout. I was honestly shocked. I was a paying customer ordering a full meal and simply said I would take whatever I couldn't finish with me--which is something people do at restaurants every day. I even added a 20% tip to my order. I tried to explain the misunderstanding at the front counter. I explained that I absolutely wanted to eat my meal there; I was only saying that because I knew I wouldn't be able to finish everything, I wanted to take my leftovers with me afterward. The employee at the front counter with tattoos refused to hear my explanation. Her answer was completely black-and-white: either my order was "to go" OR I could eat it there. There was no willingness to listen to what I was actually saying or resolve what should have been a very simple misunderstanding. Their customer service model simply doesn't make any sense to me. Why should a paying customer be forced to choose between eating their entire meal inside or ordering everything to go simply because they know in advance that they'll need a container for their leftovers? Taking home food you don't finish is an ordinary part of dining at a restaurant. I wasn't asking for anything unusual or special. I simply wanted to sit down, eat the food I had purchased, and take whatever I couldn't finish with me afterward. The interaction felt unnecessarily rude and incredibly unwelcoming. I had specifically come here because I wanted to experience a well-known local Hawaiian restaurant, and instead I was made to feel like I wasn't welcome to sit down and eat the food I had just purchased--even after leaving a 20% tip. Unfortunately, I never even got the opportunity to enjoy the restaurant because of how I was treated. Very disappointing experience and definitely not the kind of hospitality I expected.

Highway Inn is highly recommended for their classic Hawaiian dishes. We made our way over at…read moreopening last Thursday for an early lunch. Our server was very helpful and even brought out a pamphlet explaining each dish. After reading it over, the three of us decided to each try one of the signature Hawaiian combo plates. LAU LAU COMBO (PORK) - 22.99 + poi + lomi salmon The set came out in cafeteria-style trays, almost like a grade school lunch. Our server recommended eating the main entree and lomi salmon with poi, a fermented taro paste. Judging by how it looked, I thoroughly expected the poi to be sweet, but it was actually much more sour, almost like yogurt. I didn't enjoy it too much on its own, but it worked incredibly well with the pork lau lau. The pork was mostly tender and juicy, with a fragrant, leafy steamed flavor that reminded me of the Chinese zong zi my mom makes. The leaner parts of the pork were a bit dry, but the steamed taro leaves helped. The lomi salmon (salted salmon mixed with onions and tomatoes) was refreshing, although the pungent raw onions were a bit much for me. The 'uala (steamed sweet potatoes) had a natural, earthy sweetness that we all enjoyed. Lastly, the haupia (coconut pudding) was incredibly tasty, with a strong coconut flavor that made me sad when I took my last bite. One of my friends got the chicken lau lau, which we actually enjoyed even more. The chicken was delicious, and there was so much of it. Overall, we enjoyed getting to try some authentic Hawaiian dishes at Highway Inn, especially our server and the pamphlet gave us a better understanding of what we were eating.

When the tattoo artist tells you where to eat Hawaiian food... you listen!…read more While we were in Hawaii, we told my husband's tattoo artist that we really wanted to try some Hawaiian food. Not the touristy version. We wanted to actually experience some of the local food, and she recommended Highway Inn Restaurant & Catering. So of course, we had to give it a try! From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere felt very laid-back and comfortable. Nothing overly fancy or trying too hard. It had that relaxed, home-style feeling where you could just sit down, eat, and enjoy yourself. Now let's talk about the food! I had the BBQ chicken with rice and salad, and that chicken was so tender! The barbecue sauce was absolutely delicious, and surprisingly, that salad was GOOD too. I loved the dressing they served with it. The hubby went more traditional and ordered the Lau Lau with pork, which gave us exactly what we came for, a chance to experience Hawaiian food while we were here. But y'all... I have to mention something completely random. THE COKE! I don't know what was going on with that Coke, but it tasted like Coke used to taste back in the day! I kept saying, "Now THIS tastes like a Coke!" Sometimes it really is the little things. The service was great. Our server was friendly, attentive, and made the whole experience easy and enjoyable. No complaints at all. As far as value, absolutely worth what we paid. Good food, good portions, friendly service, and a relaxed atmosphere. 4.5/5 Would we go back? Definitely. Especially if we wanted another casual spot for Hawaiian comfort food. And shout-out to the tattoo artist because she definitely didn't steer us wrong on this one!

There was something very right about this drive in!! I stopped by for a quick dinner with the fam…read moreand ended up enjoying this place a lot more than I thought I would. I didn't expect much from this small corner diner, but everything turned out real solid! The exterior is especially entrancing, with its bright, rainbow neon sign that glows out the darkness of the night! The hooded interior was clean and followed well with the rainbow theme, especially with its rainbow pastel, title wallpaper. I would also like to compliment the workers, who were very nice and approachable! We ordered the loco moco plate, mixed plate, and saimin. Both plates were very filling and came in huge portions! The plates are for sure a top choice if you want a nice, hearty dinner! I especially enjoyed my loco moco! The saimin was less filling and came in an instant noodle cup. Still yet, it wasn't half bad--and it actually seems like a fairly good piece if you are on a diet or budget; it wasn't as expensive as the other dishes and only came out as 220 calories! I also want to note that they have a variety of tasty dessert pastries and icee treats if you are looking for a treat after your dinner. Overall, I would say this is a great diner to try if you've got a big appetite and are looking for something to share with a friend or family! Great vibes and great Hawaiian plate meals!

My family, across multiple generations, has been going here for decades, close to back when they…read morefirst opened. We have homes in the neighborhood. And we just can't go here anymore unless changes are made! We used to prefer them over Zippy's, but now they are less than 7-Eleven quality, while charging higher-end prices for the neighborhood. We have given them many chances, hoping it was just a fluke, but we have repeatedly been disappointed. Their chicken has become chewy and fatty, their rice is mediocre, and condiments such as mayonnaise are stripped down to the bare minimum quantity. Chile is poured so lightly that it is practically a minuscule amount. And their prices have continued to rise. I don't know if greedy people took over the restaurant who just don't care anymore, or what is going on. I remember when I used to take people here, and they would be impressed with the quality and quantity--plates just heaping with good cuts of meat, noodles, and rice. Those days are no more. As they say in Japan, the price performance is poor. Furthermore, their staff is rude. I can only imagine it was an owner working this day because it was a face I haven't seen that often. An older gentleman who appeared to be of Okinawan descent, working the cashier register, accosted us because I was privately discussing with my family about splitting different items with them. We were all ordering something, so he wasn't losing any money, but he told us about how prices are double in Waikīkī. First of all, it is rude to interrupt your customers that way. Secondly, we don't go to Waikīkī or care about Waikīkī. What happened to serving the locals? Third, Waikīkī has an assortment of restaurants, prices, and qualities, and they shouldn't be how you base your services. Lastly, I guarantee I could find a better deal in Waikīkī if I wanted to. Next time you're in the area, just go get a $6 bento or a $5 burrito from 7-Eleven next door. I assure you, the price performance and experience will be better. If Rainbow Drive-In is in the business of comparing themselves to other things, let's compare them to 7-Eleven and at least try to be better than them, right? I can get mochiko chicken from 7-Eleven for $6.99 that is similar in portion size and better quality. Meanwhile, they are serving their fatty, dry chicken for $16.75. Highway robbery! And they are not fancy, with their dirty picnic tables and plastic cutlery. They are just a step above a food truck, if that. Save yourself from the hype. They have gone downhill like a landslide. Go elsewhere.

OMG! This was a dining experience! So, the restaurant was closing so my friend said we should eat…read morethere! I didn't know that the servings were group sized!! I found so many things that looked great on the menu, to include fried gizzards, boneless Kal Bi ribs, fully loaded fried rice, Mac salad and other stuff I can't recall! So the TWO of us ordered way too much! We tried to eat as much as we could and ended up taking the rest home! Everything we ordered was delicious, so we knew we were going to eat good leftovers! The restaurant was a great place to go with a group to eat and watch sports! Our Waitress (I have to remember to get names) was a track star, she was running to and from several tables of groups to deliver food! I will go again if they reopen!

house fried rice - so good with great texture Kim chee -…read moregood pork chops - ok huge portions here - 2 dishes will feed about 3-4 people

I heard about this spot from multiple people and was excited to see that it fit our itinerary…read moreperfectly! + my boyfriend really wanted to try Poi while we were visiting the Island. There is a really small parking lot available, but we just found parking on side of the street and walked over. There are tables outside for people to enjoy their foods. It can be filled up quickly since lots of people visit this spot. Many people are willing to share space. Single restroom stall available around the building. Staff is super friendly We ordered a plate with Squid Luau, Laulau, and Poi and a single plate with kalua pig. Both plate comes with some sort of coconut pudding? and a very delicious side of lomi with salmon bits in it. The food was so good! Portion was so good and super filling! One note is that we wish there were more squid bits. Overall, a 10/10 would recommend!

Highly recommend this spot for anyone craving or wanting to try Hawaiian food. The service is…read morealways friendly whenever we visit. We love this place--it's been a staple stop for us whenever we're on the islands. Waiaole Poi Factory is a real gem, with local decor and feel throughout the establishment. Thanks for the years of memories made here.

Poke nachos were amazing and the service was incredible. They really packed the plate and were very…read moregenerous with the sauce . Everything 10/10, would gladly come back again!

Amazing food, come here if you want authentic food and a true Hawaiian experience. The boy working…read morethe front was a very hard worker, didn't stop for a second! Such a nice spot. Wish I lived here so I could have it all the time! I wish this family the best of luck!!

Musubi Cafe is such a fun, local gem, but be ready for a wait. We went early, midday timing, and…read morethe line was already about 15 people with roughly a 30 minute wait. It moves steadily though, and it is worth it. Inside is tiny, just one small table, so this is really an order and go kind of place rather than somewhere to sit and eat. They have every musubi combination you could think of, unagi, avocado, cucumber, egg, bacon, ume, tofu skin, shrimp, you name it. I got the tuna mayo onigiri and wished they had packed in a little more tuna filling, but it was still tasty. I also tried the cucumber spam musubi, which was really good too. We came as a group of seven and everyone ordered something different, and everyone loved every bite. My tip: get at least two musubis per person. A few people in our group got four each and had zero regrets. One thing to know ahead of time is parking. It is street parking only and pretty limited, so plan for that if you are driving. Overall such an easy, yummy stop and a great local experience in Waikiki.

We came here because it was highly rated and my sister saw it in a viral Instagram video. The first…read moretime, we ordered the tuna musubi, but it had so much rice and barely any tuna. We decided to come back the next day and order the "Double Tuna," thinking it would actually have double the tuna. Instead, it seemed like the same small amount of tuna with double the rice! We ordered around eight of them, so it was especially disappointing to find that they were mostly rice. The portions just don't feel balanced. If someone pays extra for "Double Tuna," they're expecting more tuna, NOT extra rice. Unfortunately, it felt like they were really skimping on the filling, and the quality didn't live up to the hype for us.

To start, Fresh Catch was my favorite poke spot that I tried during our Hawaii trip. We walked in a…read morecouple Saturdays ago for lunch, and the interior had no-frills, seafood-market, straight-to-the-counter-to-order kind of vibes. There was only simple bench seating and high-top counter tables with no chairs. We loved that we could sample some before making a choice. POKE BOWL +2 for white rice Since poke is charged by the pound, I went crazy. "A bit more!" I would say, after one gigantic scoop. I got a scoop-plus of both ahi shoyu and "old school" ahi, which is seasoned simply with sesame oil and salt. I ended up with about 0.7 pounds of fish (both 29.99/lb), which came out to around $22. The rice wasn't great since it was a bit mushy and clumpy, but the star of the show was the fresh tuna. The "old school" ahi was my favorite for its simplicity and addictive sesame flavor. It's one I could easily enjoy without rice. The shoyu was also great, but it got a bit too saucy and overwhelming after a few bites. Overall, I truly enjoyed eating all that fresh poke. It was easily my favorite poke of the trip. ICED LILIKOI PASSION TEA - 5 I asked for less sweet, and it was perfect. It was refreshing and smooth, making it great to sip on whenever I needed a break from the intensity of the poke. I'm so glad I got this to pair with my bowl. Next time, I'll get a poke bowl with the "old school" ahi and furikake salmon. I tried my friend's salmon, and it was nutty and umami-forward, with fatty, rich salmon that I really enjoyed.

Poke was fresh and good! $15.89 ($29.99/lb) + extra white…read morerice $1.75 The new location is a bit complicated for me, but I would still go there if I'm in the area.

Dropped by for lunch to Guava Smoked. Parking lot is small with maybe 6-7 spots for parking, but…read morelots of parking on the street around the area. Wife and I both got the guava smoked mix plate with 2 proteins and a side, with us choosing different meats. This location is order up front when you arrive with self seating either inside or outside after ordering by. Cashier brought out food to table when ready. Atmosphere was nice as it really nice weather outside to enjoy a good meal outdoors. All 4 meats (chicken, pork, short ribs and butterfish) cooked well and tasted great.

I've been on a burger binge recently. Figure I'd try this place. Service was okay, if you're on a…read moretime limit this may not be the best place to get food. The burger itself was light. Very tiny portion of Kim chee, and the greens. Taste was fine, but I doubt if it's in house made. Nice view to eat, inside there's lots of seating but was too hot for me.

Authentic food, go early to miss waiting. The Taro almost tastes like greens I was raised on. Told…read morethem to bring me so cornbread and I would have felt at home. Kidding aside, it was a pleasure to experience a real Hawaiian food. We return every time we get to Honolulu.

3.5 stars We wanted…read moreto try authentic Hawaiian food and came across this spot. The owner was very friendly and took the time to recommend dishes for us, including the laulau and lechon kawali. We also ordered the BBQ short ribs. Overall, it was a good experience trying Hawaiian food, but it's just not really our type of cuisine. The laulau was quite dry, and the preparation felt more like meat that had been boiled or cooked in liquid, which isn't something I usually enjoy. The lechon kawali had a crispy pork belly texture, topped with something similar to a salsa, but it didn't suit our taste either. Unfortunately, the cabbage served with it also had some black spots, which was off-putting. The BBQ short ribs were the highlight of the meal and the dish we enjoyed the most. We appreciate the experience and the hospitality, but the flavors just didn't quite match our personal preferences.