Always on my Radar finally stopped and tried out Kent's Drive Inn. They're located next door to Royal Kitchen and Kukui Cafe right along side of the river . Everyone I talked to regarding Kent's Drive Inn is not their plate lunches but their BBQ burger . It's real plain and simply light Mayo with perfect amount of Teri sauce with a homemade beef patty on a bun. I've tried other places and the Teri sauce is just so messy and leaking out from the bun . I would definitely go back in the near future and try their plate lunches with a side of a BBQ burger lol . Service is fast and friendly . Support local read more

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On the way home from my Chinatown shopping I decided to try Kents Cheese Burger Deluxe. Fresh lettuce and tomatoes with a homemade beef patty. The bun was a little dry. The cheese was not as flavorful as high-end Burger shops. Overall It's worth the price. Enjoy read more

Kent's Drive Inn - Cheese Burger Deluxe - Chinese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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This spot offers a solid mix of Chinese food along with other local favorites. It's cash-only, so be sure to come prepared. I tried the minute chicken with cake noodle, and it was pretty tasty. From what I've heard, it's been a staple in the Chinese Cultural Plaza for years. Seating is limited, so takeout is probably your best bet. I'll definitely be coming back to explore more of the menu. read more

Here is the current menu August 25, 2025. Had mini chicken katsu . So much food . The service is always good . Mom and Pop business. read more

Kent's Drive Inn - Mini Chicken katsu - Chinese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Mini Fried Rice. Lots of meat, nice size for $10 98 tax incl. Good value for the price but just needs salt/pepper or shoyu for flavor. Gave 4 stars instead of 5 for this reason. read more

Kent's Drive Inn - Mini Char Siu Fried Rice - Chinese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This hidden gem was no to shabby. For a little hole in the wall in the heart of china town there food was pretty amazing with a not bad price tag attached to there options they have here for plate lunches. It is a grab and go kind of place so keep that in mind they also only accept cash so be prepared with that to as they do not accept and car what so ever. Parking is a bit challenging to find. All in all if in china town and looking for a reasonable plate lunch with a pretty generous portion look no further Kent's Drive Inn I'm sure will fill you up. read more

Kent's Drive Inn - Shrimp fried rice - Chinese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I heard Kent's has one of the best cheeseburgers, so I had to stop by while grabbing some baked manapua next door. I come here expecting comfort food style - small, simple, homemade, no frills, meaty cheesy goodness burger, and that's just what I got! I am comparing it to what I usually get at select L&L's or Loco Moco's (I have my favorite locations when it comes to burgers, and many are hit and miss). If I had to describe it it is very similar to Jolly Bee's Cheesy Yum Burger with a larger patty. Very good but not with the journey to China Town alone. I have also tried their Chinese food and it's pretty good. The service is awesome (nice people) and the prices are very affordable, just be aware it is cash only! read more

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Cash only!! Not usually busy. Mom and pop operation. Next door to Royal Kitchen. Lunch plate and Chinese dishes, they also serve breakfast. read more

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I cannot believe this hole in the wall only has 66 reviews??? At least it has a 4.2 star rating average. We stopped by after visiting the super famous Royal Kitchen. We had originally was only going to order drinks here but the menu was calling our name and everything looked so good. My kids picked out the mini orange chicken and mini chicken katsu and WOW it was so good!!! I am not exaggerating. My super picky kids said it was sooooo good. I am glad we stopped by and supported local. There is no seatings inside. Only one chair by the door for those who need to sit when they wait for their food. You can sit outside but I find that there are always homeless people sleeping there. It's probably not very clean. It's cash only at the time of this review. The lady working was also so nice to us. We were really happy with our experience here and can't wait to come back and try all their yummy foods!!! read more

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Large portions, good prices, good food. I got the curry beef stew and upgrades to all fried rice. Lots of beef and fried rice was pretty good. Gotta try the other stuff that people here said they like next time read more

I've had a couple of other items on the menu, but this was the best one yet. I tried to post a picture, but take my word for it

4.5/5 star Kinda hidden in the back by river street but has delicious, cheap food. Been here twice and I am in love with the curry beef with fried rice. The plate is packed and really should've been for 2 meals but my bf and I devoured it. Other dishes I've tried were the: crispy gau gee -yum Lemon chicken - wish I had the sauce on the side when I did take out Pork cutlet- tasty Salt pepper shrimp - not super crisp but flavorful Beef choy sum- great read more

Kent's Drive Inn - Curry beef with fried rice - Chinese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Back again cause I was in the area, prices are still great considering other plate lunches place on the island. read more

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This place has been here forever, right next to Royal kitchen in the Chinatown cultural plaza. Food and prices still good. read more

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Kent's Drive In is a real dive in a disreputable part of Chinatown, but it is a true local joint that serves delicious local plates and Chinese food at an unbeatable price. After reading about Kathy H.'s disappointing visit to a Kalihi restaurant to satisfy a craving for lemon chicken, I realized that I had never tried lemon chicken. I wanted to try it for the first time at a restaurant known for serving good plate lunches. I looked up lemon chicken on Yelp, and Kent's Drive In was one of the restaurants that came up in my results. The mini sized lemon chicken plate is packed with a sizable amount of katsu chicken in a tangy lemon sauce, and comes with a scoop of rice and a scoop of mac salad for only $5.85. I ordered a side of crispy gau gee for $3.50. Bring cash because Kent's doesn't accept credit cards. I've tried orange chicken before and wasn't a fan, so I was preparing myself not to like lemon chicken either, but I thought Kent's version was delicious. Its chicken katsu was well cooked and had just the right amount of lemon sauce that it didn't drench the katsu. The lemon sauce had a good balance of tanginess and just a bit of sweetness. The gau gee was hot and crispy. This was very satisfying for a plate lunch meal. A hearty dinner for under $10 is an amazing deal. Kent's is one of my top choices for cheap eats in town that offers delicious Hawaiian style comfort food. read more

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Ono Chinese food on the go. Friendly owners. Parking is time and space limited. Try um! read more

Chicken steak fried-rice. Nuff said big portions and yes, it's dam tasty. I come to Kent's from koolina just for this dish. I highly recommend it to everyone. read more

The plate lunches I really loved are the Mongolian Beef, Fried Chicken Wings, and Teriyaki Pork, 5 stars!

Kent's. How do I describe to you Kent's to relay my great affection for this hole in the wall place while warning you what to expect. It's not in the best part Chinatown. Located in the back side of the Chinese Cultural Plaza along the canal and right next to Royal Kitchen. You definitely want to keep watch on your surroundings and know what the people around you are doing. That being said... Kent's is AWESOME for Chinese takeout. Have been coming here for many years tho hadn't been here in a long while. Looks like they may have gotten a slight facelift. Even the lady behind the counter and the younger cook look different. Still the same fast and more than reasonable AND delicious takeout dishes. The menu is limited yet what they do they do well. Came here few days ago to pickup food for my mom. Sampled a little. We all loved the dishes. We had: regular plate lemon chicken with all rice, fried rice upgrade...mini beef bittermelon with all rice, and the most delicious pumpkin and pork spareribs. Back today to repeat with some variation. Trying the steamed fish. Kent's also has local plate lunches which come with rice and mac salad. You aren't going to win any healthy eating award here but you may leave with a serious kanak attack and need a nap after! read more

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Needed some food for my kids hungry bellies and royal kitchen was already closed so we opted for some plate lunch at Kent's. I've been here a few times when I was little - place looked pretty much the same. Being in Chinatown they have a decent Chinese selection - crispy gau Gee (why do they always call it crispy - it's never served any other way?) , orange chicken, chow mein, eggplant tofu... We picked vege egg foo young and the KS garlic chicken. Still don't know what KS means - Korean spicy? Kent's special? 2 mini plates were the right amount of food for the 3 of us. Chicken was decent with lots of bits of garlic on it. Egg foo young was good. Their Mac was average but tasted good mixed w the garlic chicken sauce. The owner was super friendly to the kids. Trying to push more fried goodness on them. She encouraged me to park in the lot next time since they validate and wanted to give me a Togo menu when I took a pic for this review. Overall a decent place to go to if you need some local grindz read more

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Child hood, hole in the wall. Believe it or not, their cheeseburgers are my fav! I guess it's kind of nostalgic for me, so I may be bias. I always order 10 at a time! The lady knows me. She's super nice. It's a must try if you're around the area. read more

Our church caters lunch from Kent's frequently. The food is plentiful, delicious, and reasonable. The food is consistent. There are no surprises on the taste of the food. When we order ahead and specify a specific time, the food is ready for pick up and is still hot. There is no waiting for your food. The restaurant is in Chinatown, where parking is a premium; there is a medium-sized parking lot in the back of the restaurant. It is a paid parking lot with a grace period. We drive to the back of the restaurant, load up the food trays, and leave during the grace period without paying. The couple running the restaurant are always friendly and appreciative of our purchases. Once in a while, we stop off for plate lunches, and they are perfect. It is the catering that I rave about. When you serve the food to the group, no one complains. We keep going to Kent's Drive Inn for all the above reasons. read more

There are three tables if you decide to eat there. I suggest you take out, as it may not be the cleanest due to the surrounding area. Food here is good consider my the price. The workers are always pleasant and appreciative for your business. I would recommend for a quick lunch on the go. Plus there are a variety of dishes to choose from. read more

Kent's Drive Inn - Entrance - Chinese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I had ordered the hamburger as I first noticed it on the top photos on their Yelp main page. Hamburger turned out to have a tiny slide patty. Very disappointed. read more

Ordered the oyster chicken plate with cake noodle Friday around 2pm. Made fresh and hot was delighted it looked just like the yelp photo. This regular plate is lunch for 2 people. Sadly the chicken is dry and had to fight with with it as it seems to be tough as well. Had many bone shard bits as expected from the chopped areas and the oil they use must be "super used up" it was gross. Burping this old oil aroma later on was a bonus I did not enjoy. I am all for saving money but not at the expense of grossing out customers. Still giving 3 stars anyways -its edible but will not be ordering this again. Oh well? Ill try the other dishes later and hope its better than this. read more

Had Mongolian beef and BBQ chicken last night. I confess, neither tasted like what I expected but both were very good. The Mongolian was a bit sweet (thankfully, not like sweet and sour crap). The BBQ chicken tasted more like teriyaki-light. We liked both. So cheap too at $11 for two small orders that were more than enough for the two of us. The lady working the counter was very friendly and answered all our questions about the various dishes. Hard to beat the cost of this place -- and it's just two blocks from our place :-) read more

Kent's Drive Inn - BBQ chicken on the left; Mongolian beef on the right - Chinese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Simply a hole in the wall. It's near the canal and homeless people surrounds this place. So go daytime they close at 7pm. I recommend going there before 6pm. Everything i ordered i have never been disappointed, they have burgers to chicken katsu to lamb stew or have the bar b que mix plate. awesome read more

Kent's Drive Inn - Part of their menu - Chinese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Great hole in the wall, walk up to the counter take out. This place has all kinds of breakfast choices and lunch but the Chinese plate lunches are the best part, very broad menu and available as mini-plates or regular sized, Kent's is the best bang for your buck around here. There's nothing "mini" about their miniplates, except for the price. You can grab your food and sit at an outside table and people watch. I've been eating here for over 20 years, you should check it out too! read more

Debbie K. Kents Drive In is the go to place for huge portions, reasonable prices & onolicious food. Everything on the menu is lip smackin' good. Susan is very friendly she cooks & serves up the yummylicious plate lunches. If you want tummy filling, lip smackin' food Kent's Drive In give it a try oooooh so good you will go back for more. read more

Excellent lemon chicken and Teri beef! There is something for everyone here - Kids and hubby approved!

Da bomb food bruh good price too i drive from wahiawa to wat here fried rice n bbq chix winnahz

I've eaten here once and had the char siu chicken (see photo). It was pretty filling and the price cannot be beat. I had a mini plate so it's even more affordable for $4.55. It came with the Chinese style bbq chicken x rice x mac salad. The lady at the counter was nice like the other reviewers said, and she was amenable to answering my questions about the dishes. I had been eyeing the lemon chicken but when I saw that they had char siu in chicken form, rather than pork, I just had to try it. I was pleased with it but didn't like the skin all up in it. Maybe the dish can be requested to be cooked without it. Besides the great prices, I like how it's not hot plates of old food sitting around decomposing and being served all cold and stale. When I placed my order they actually cooked my dish and I waited. I used that time to go to the liquor store around the corner (towards the Chinese mall) to get a root beer (only 75¢). There's seating inside, but if you want to enjoy the weather, there's plenty of seating outside too where there's chess boards on the tables. I gave only 4 starts cuz of that skin...but I plan to go back and try the lemon chicken, or some other tasty sounding dish, and see if there's an extra star in my pocket. Update (1/14/11): I've been back several times and I'm actually a little disappointed (I'm taking back one star, thank you very much). I tried the lemon chicken and although I liked the meat portions, I didn't like the taste. I don't know what it was, the sauce...or maybe the oil they used to cook it? But there was a bitterness and aftertaste I didn't like. I felt kinda sick after eating here that very day. But in their defense, just before eating that lemon chicken I did have this melon drink and a char siu bun while I was in Chinatown...so maybe my stomach wasn't happy with all this mish mosh of food I was shoving down my pie hole. I went back one last time and tried the bbq chicken. It was okay I guess, but not something I'd probably get again. I guess my expectation wasn't met as I was craving bbq chicken like the one cooked on a grill and dripping with some sweet honey, molasses type sauce...this isn't what I got but the typical plate lunch type of bbq. So I can't fault them for that, it's just my expectation wasn't met like I said. I feel like I owe them one more shot though so let's see what I order that day... read more

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Been coming here since I was a high school student in the early 90's. It's not the same owners but the recipes are still similar. Kent's is the ultimate hole in the wall plate lunch place. It is literally a hole in the wall. Their prices can not be beat and their portions are huge. They have a massive menu, it's like two restaurants in one. They have your standard plate lunch menu stuff and then they have a huge Chinese menu as well. I've never had anything here that I didn't like. My favorite thing to get here is their lemon chicken, I just love the crispy chicken with the sweet lemon sauce. You will not find a cheaper plate lunch place than Kent's but the food is still great and portions are larger than the other plate lunch places. read more

Kent's Drive Inn - Regular size lemon chicken. Broke da mouth! Only $7.45!!! - Chinese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

What can I say that hasn't already been said. Kent's is in the most run down part of Chinatown, but it's serves up some ono plate lunches at cheap prices. It's a winner and I'm surprised I had never stopped in after passing it countless times on the way to Royal Kitchen. After a recommendation from a friend, my office decided to check it out. The group had cold ginger chicken, pork cutlet, and a few orders of the lemon chicken. I enjoyed the lemon chicken, it was a good portion, very tasty. Everyone else seemed to like their selections as well. It's hard to find a plate lunch for under $10 anymore. I'm sure we will be back soon! read more

What can I say? I love this place! and this is my childhood right here. The mama in there is always very sweet and still remember me til this day. She has an old lady and man chef that's been cooking it up their ever since. She also has her kids work there too. Family restaurant for sure. I remember they were on the newspaper... (back when social media didn't exist). . I used to eat here almost everyday with my friends when we were young and broke. We would come in with just enough to get a plate and she would sometimes even catch us on a few coins if we didn't have enough. I always get the chicken Katsu and the sauce they provide with the katsu is really the reason why I can't get enough of this place. This katsu and it's sauce they give is different then the regular tonkatsu sauce. You gotta try it. I also get the cheeseburger here. Something about it is so juicy and delicious. They have a huge menu, and everything is good. I'm writing this review and I'm probably going to head over there sometime this week. I miss eating here and talking with the mama there. She's so nice and the fact she remembers all of us (me and friends) whenever we come back is just assuring she's so caring about her customers. Hope to see this place get busier. read more

This location isn't much to look at, but the price, portions and quantity is spot on. Most regular plate lunches run $7-9, which is about right these days. Although the plate is full and plentiful. They also offer mini plates for almost every item. The building is old as most of Chinatown is historic, but this place is more of a "to-go" place. I like the variety of local themed plates and chinese items... read more

Mama & Papa owned business. Good food, good prices, large portions, always friendly. Whenever I'm in town nearby, I always stop by to pickup food for my family. Been a customer since 2003. Highly recommended. read more

I discovered this place by accident, due to a co-worker who mentioned this place one day out of the blue and we just went there for take out. I did not know this place existed, simply because I don't go into Chinatown much at all on a regular basis. It's nice to see hidden gems within your own city. Kent's Drive In reminds me of a small mom and pop L&L Hawaiian Barbeque starting up. In fact, Kent's Drive In can be the model for any small business that does fast food service, restaurant dining, and catering services. The owner speaks Cantonese Chinese, so my co-worker phoned ahead of time to place the orders. It was cool to hear the ordering other than English and even better to be bilingual too. In any event though, Kent's Drive In is a place where small mom and pop businesses do exist here in the urban steel jungle of Honolulu, but it's tucked away in the edge of Chinatown. You may not know it's here, but they are open for business and they do have a good plethora of local comfort food to comfort your stomach on any given day. The only problem with doing business here is the fact that it's CASH ONLY! Yes, CASH ONLY. The few times we've been here so far, I had to remember to grab cash from the ATM beforehand rather than trying to bum it off my co-worker every single time. Kent's Drive In is relatively small. There is no real dining area to speak of. It's basically a kitchen and a take out place. Like L&L Hawaiian Barbeque, but no dining area. For those of you who enjoy the dining experience, there are tables outside near the canal, but usually there are elderly people there talking story and may be gambling there from time to time. My experience here at Kent's Drive In has been nothing but good here. I mean, you get what you pay for, which is local comfort food. The classic entrees are always there for you, as well as some of the other stuff you may or may not have had before. Chinese cuisine meshed into local kine grinds proves to be a good mixture here. Not sure how much people dig Chinese cuisine that also offers local comfort food favs, but I'm sure there's a fan base somewhere. For me, it's an alternative to the other local style plate lunch eateries out there. The prices here are comparable and competitive with other restaurants offering the same or similar products. Quality is good and delicious here and I hope you will find it to be truth. With any luck, you'll find your favorites and then some more, which will make you return for your daily fix. Kent's Drive In is located on the border edge of Honolulu's Chinatown and Kalihi at the Chinatown Cultral Plaza. It's physical address is 100 North Beretania Street, Honolulu HI 96813. The service is friendly and they give fast service as well. For best results, call ahead to make sure they get that order in for you and you can arrive there and be able to pick it up without waiting. It was great to be able to pick up the order without having to kill time and wait for it to finish. For anyone who knows Chinatown or has business there, you know that parking options are horrendous and is very very limited. Street meter parking is always the best, but there's always paid parking in the nearby parking garages. You'd want to arrive early to get parking before the traffic gets too dicey - usually around mid day to mid afternoon. If you are like me, many bus routes pass through or near the Cultural Plaza complex. The nearest bus stop is at the intersection of River Street and North Beretania Street. The other one is located at Hotel Street and River Street, but you'd have to walk a block or so more to get there. My go to food option of choice would have to be either beef curry, chicken katsu, or the ever popular: barbeque chicken. They offer the quintessential mini version or the regular version. Rice or mac salad. I usually do "all rice". This place does not have wifi for your enjoyment. Overall, can't complain - although the cash only thing is a little annoying, but what can you do. Supporting local businesses is awesome! 4.0 stars! Support local! B+ read more

Not your fanciest location, but the food is definitely "broke tha mouf" kine food! I had the lemon chicken and to my surprise it was only $7 and some change! Definitely tasty, the chicken was well cooked and crispy! The lemon sauce was tangy but not too tangy to the point where it can be sourly uneatable! I am definitely coming back to this place to try the other dishes that I've read about. The parking isn't that bad; plenty of street parking. The service is great especially through these times that we currently live in! read more

If you're hungry, you will love the portion size at Kent's. They are very generous and the taste is awesome. Variety of menu items from local style plate lunches and Chinese food to burgers and fries. My favorite is boneless chicken...which is simply the chicken katsu with brown gravy instead of katsu sauce. The owners are very friendly and always accommodating. If you order ahead you could probably park in the curb (Kukui St. I think) and grab your food. read more