Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Rice Box Cafe

    4.5 (234 reviews)
    Open 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 3 weeks ago

    Rice Box Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    RICE BOX CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Dogs allowed

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Rice Box Cafe

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Deb K.

    A little pricey but you get a large amount of food and could seriously split a plate. The eggplant/tofu plate was delicious as was the miso salmon patties and furikake garlic chicken! Definitely worth the visit!

    Claire H.

    We love Rice Box Cafe! The staff is always friendly and welcoming! The food is reasonably priced for the portion size and the food is always tasty! Rice Box Cafe is our go to place when I don't feel like cooking!!

    Pork chops
    Todd M.

    Everything I got here was fantastic! Cashier knew all the items on the menu. Even suggested a few things to try. I think there were two small tables to eat in but to be very honest. This is solely a take out joint. The food is delicious. The wait is not that long. The staff is friendly. Can't ask for much more.

    Lyla D.

    We were assisting my eldest sister, who lives in the lovely Mililani Mauka neighborhood, with preparing travel documents for our family's trip to Australia and New Zealand when she suggested we have lunch at Rice Box Cafe. Although she had been a fan of their generous and tasty takeout plates from Rice Box Cafe since their pop-up days at various farmers' markets, she has continually raved about them and shown her excitement when she discovered the brick-and-mortar location, Rice Box Cafe - Gateway Mililani Mauka, in late 2024. We usually trust her dine-out suggestions in Central O'ahu, so we heartily agreed to call in our lunch orders to-go since we weren't sure if their small dining room would be crowded at the time. Typical of my very organized eldest sister, she whipped out a copy of the Rice Box Cafe's menu before I could even open my Yelp app and suggested several of her favorite local-style Japanese to-go plates. We're omnivores, so everything she recommended sounded delicious to us, and we called in our order, which was ready for pick up within 10 minutes, or just enough time for us to drive down the hill to the restaurant. FOOD: -Miso eggplant w/Agedashi tofu: miso marinated roasted Japanese eggplant and fried tofu topped with kabayaki a.k.a. "Unagi sauce", sesame seeds, chopped green onions, and served with choy sum, steamed rice, and tsukemono. The thick miso-marinated roasted Japanese eggplant slices were "meaty", delicious, sweet, and tender to the bite. Big 1" lightly battered and fried tofu cubes added to this plant-based protein-packed plate. I barely finished half my heaping lunch plate before pushing it aside, my appetite comfortably satiated by its flavors and textures. $17.25 -Salmon Katsu: crispy fried panko-crusted fresh Atlantic salmon topped with masago ponzu, shiso aïoli, sesame seeds, and green onions. My husband declared Rice Box Cafe's salmon katsu the best-tasting locally prepared dish he's ever had. He doesn't usually like having sauce on anything deep-fried, because the crust gets soggy, but NOT so this time. The masago aïoli was thick and savory, enhancing the salmon's flavor. He was also impressed by the tenderness and moistness of the fried salmon fillet, which contrasted nicely with the crisp, yet not mouth-shattering, panko crust. He gobbled down his entire takeout before my sister and I got halfway through our meals. $19.50 -Sake Garlic Shrimp: sautéed (shelled) shrimp in a garlic sake butter sauce with sesame choy sum. My sister also wolfed down her lunch while extolling the flavors and silky texture of the garlic-sake butter sauce. The lunch plate had at least a dozen shelled shrimp, and she also showed me that each was tender-cooked and juicy. She did offer me a taste of her shrimp, but I declined because I was savoring my plant-based meal. $18.75 Walking into the small restaurant, the friendly cashier/counter help greeted us and confirmed our name and order. Although a package sat on her counter, I was relieved it wasn't our order, because she stepped back into their kitchen and brought out our three boxed lunches. She packaged our order while my sister paid and handed the bag to me. The package was a "wrist-bender," and I could tell that the portions would be pretty substantial. The Rice Box Cafe at Mililani Mauka's Gateway is a hidden gem in this neighborhood for its flavors, generosity, and value. We look forward to returning for more.

    Reuben L.

    Wow, what a hidden gem. Saw this place awhile back online but never had a chance to visit here. This place is basically designed for takeout with only 2 sit-in tables. We arrived closer to closing and was able to get a table. It was clean and up lifting modern. The staff were very polite and accommodating. They went over the menu with us. We had the Furikaki Garlic Chicken, Dynamite Ahi Cake, Garlic Ahi, Misoyaki Salmon, and Nishime. I had a taste of all of these dishes and each had a unique taste of it's own. To sum it up, all dishes were incredible, rich in taste, fresh and flavorful. This is my new go to place in Mililani. I would order any dish anytime. I love them all, lol.

    Dynamite ahi cakes
    Marisa G.

    I haven't been here in a while and I wanted to eat something different! They're located in Mililani Mauka next to Poke Stop. It's pretty small in there with 2 tables. Each table has 4 seats each. I looked through the menu and what other yelpers reviewed about... my mom and I decided to try their dynamite ahi cakes. I asked for the sauce on the side. Each plate comes with rice, pickles, and edamame. The ahi cakes were a bit overcooked... they tasted good but the texture was like rubbery. I was expecting the texture to be like crab cakes. The sauce was absolutely delicious! I hope it was just a bad day for them. I'll be back though... I want to try other items on their menu :)

    Dynamite Ahi Cakes
    Jennifer T.

    Rice Box Cafe is a hidden gem, possibly Millilani's best kept secret. The storefront is inconspicuous and, upon entry, there were only two tables. Everyone seemed to be getting takeout but we opted to sit in and enjoy our food fresh from the kitchen. We didn't want to eat too much so we got the Dynamite Ahi Cakes to share and it was the best decision ever. Rice Box is now my favorite local plate lunch establishment! The ahi cakes were moist and I loved their negi-kabayaki sauce--not too sweet and with a slight (good kine) burnt that added so much depth. When I go back, I definitely want to try the Dynamite Chicken and Salmon Katsu. I saw some rave reviews about the miso eggplant so that may be good to try as well!

    Dynamite Ahi Cakes
    Rodney G.

    Rice Box Cafe is Mililani Mauka's best kept secret!! So much so that I've held off writing a review for a loooong time now. Lol. Located in the Gateway at Mililani Mauka, it's nondescript from the outside and only has a couple tables for dine-in. But it is very neat and nicely lit inside. Mostly everyone does takeout from Rice Box Cafe and I would assume the majority of their business comes from takeout orders. You can also order online which I've done for all the times I've eaten here. The portions are good-sized for the price and the quality of their dishes is 100! Their menu isn't expansive but the items that they do make are just so good. I can appreciate a smaller menu that leads to focusing on the quality of the menu items that they do offer. I quite certain everyone in Mililani already knows about Rice Box Cafe....word of mouth has made it a pretty popular place already and it's probably my favorite takeout spot in all of central Oahu right now!

    Teriyaki chicken
    Malia B.

    I got the teriyaki chicken and the miso salmon for takeout. The teriyaki chicken was a good temp for takeout but the salmon was on the colder side. Overall good flavor and was a healthy lunch

    Danielle M.

    Came here on a Sunday around noon, and it was definitely busy! Lots of people were picking up phone orders and more people were coming in, but even with the crowd, we got our food pretty quickly which was great. The space is small. There are 2 of tables of four inside, but the food makes it worth it. I ordered the Dynamite Ahi Cakes and it was so delicious and filling! It came with two scoops of rice and three ahi cakes. I couldn't even finish it all and took the leftovers home. My husband had the Furikake Chicken, and my brother-in-law tried the Dynamite Chicken. Both were good, but if I prefer the Dynamite Chicken more. It was crispy that's why. Service was friendly and efficient despite the rush. Definitely a great local spot for comfort food in Mililani!

    Miso Salmon
    Alisa K.

    We were in the Mililani area and wanted to get some food. I looked up Yelp, and found Rice Box Cafe with good reviews. Figured it was something different than burgers and plate lunch, so we decided to try it out. It was super easy to find, although the parking area was small. We sat in the car for a bit, and noticed how many people were getting food from Rice Box Cafe. Its a small shop with maybe about 20 items on the menu. Its like Japanese style plate lunch. We ordered Miso Salmon and Miso Eggplant with Agedashi Tofu. Both plates came with two scoops of rice, pickled cucumbers (japanese style), and under each entree had hijiki with corn. The miso salmon was pretty good. The fish was dry but the flavor was good. Even though the Miso eggplant with the agedashi tofu was my plate, my husband kept wanting to eat my plate. I recommend that plate. It was so good and so flavorful! The cashier that took our order was awesome. She was very sweet. I waited in the car, while my husband, who is disabled, waited in the store for the food. The cashier was so nice. She opened the door for my husband, and even carried our bag of plates to our car. As I was about to leave, she ran out because apparently my husband forgot his phone and keys on the table. Big kudos to her! I wish and hope they open more locations in town. It'll be good to have a good japanese plate lunch place in town.

    Yuzu Kosho Pork Chops
    Val S.

    The ease of ordering is at your fingertips. Service is always good when I pick up my order also. My favorite item from Rice Box is the Salmon Katsu. The flavor is good and the batter around the salmon is always crispy. I haven't seen the pork chops on the menu, so decided to to get the Yuzu Kosho Pork Chops. Now, if you like spicy you're gonna like their dipping sauce. It was too spicy for me, but I was okay with just eating pork chops as is. It had good flavor and the batter was crisp. Also came with sautéed onions.

    Dynamite Chicken and Furikake Garlic Chicken
    Chanel A.

    I was craving fried chicken and came across Rice Box Cafe, a cute, cozy restaurant, at the edge of Millilani Mauka. We were greated with friendly, helpful service and shared the Furikake Garlic Chicken and Dynamite Chicken. Both dishes featured hot, crispy chicken, tsukemono (pickled veggies), edamame, and white rice. The Dynamite Chicken was definitely my favorite of the two. Flavorful and saucy. I'll be back for the Dynamite Ahi Cakes. The restaurant is a bit tight with only two tables. Luckily we were able to get a seat but plan to take-out in case it gets busy.

    Ahi patty plate

    See all

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Deb K.
    138
    605
    1020

    20 hours ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Lyla D.
    857
    2086
    43495

    7 months ago

    Helpful 8
    Thanks 4
    Love this 8
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kim R.
    48
    58
    32

    7 days ago

    Absolutely everything. The food is tasty the workers are very friendly and the portions are great for the price

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 2
    Love this 2
    Oh no 1

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    28 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 8
    Thanks 1
    Love this 7
    Oh no 1

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Rod U.
    591
    1725
    5659

    1 year ago

    Helpful 24
    Thanks 9
    Love this 23
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 9
    Thanks 2
    Love this 6
    Oh no 2

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 18
    Thanks 11
    Love this 20
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 9
    Thanks 5
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Scot U.
    111
    309
    1505

    2 years ago

    Helpful 13
    Thanks 3
    Love this 15
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 3
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    21 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    28 days ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 6

    Ask the Community - Rice Box Cafe

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Japanese 33,630 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Aloha Salads

    Aloha Salads

    3.4
    (226 reviews)
    7.1 mi
    $$

    I came to Aloha Salads for lunch with my mom, and it was nice to have something fresh and lighter…read morefor a change. I ordered the Paniolo salad and substituted the jicama for grilled chicken, while my mom went with the grilled cheese and tomato soup combo. My salad was pretty tasty! Everything tasted fresh and I like the bbq ranch dressing it came with. I also had a few bites of my mom's grilled cheese and tomato soup, and that was really good too. It's hard to go wrong with a grilled cheese and tomato soup. The only downside I would say was the price. Our meal came close to $40 for a small salad, a grilled cheese with tomato soup, and a drink. It did feel pricey, but I also understand that healthier foods come with a higher price tag. The staff was friendly, and our food came out quickly. Overall, it's a solid option if you're looking for a fresh, healthier meal!

    The freshness brings me back!…read more The store is usually very clean and bright. The counter space was also pretty organized. The tables and chairs to sit down were also wiped clean. The cashier was pretty cheery and happy go lucky when I came in. She did not tell me anything, like thank you, after I ordered and went straight back to the island to finish the task she was working on before I arrived at the counter. When she handed me my order, she did tell me thank you though! I ordered the Fresh Island Ahi wrap on this trip. When I got it, it was pretty delicious as usual! I love coming here because the ingredients are so fresh, and the blend of all the ingredients together just hits your mouth as a foodgasm. The only thing is I shouldn't have tried to open up the wrapper holding the wrap together. When I did, the fillings all came out. Lol! I ended up eating it like a salad and a wrap by stuffing the fillings back in. It was still delicious. If I don't get the wrap, I usually get the Ono Island Ahi salad. It's all so yummy! If you are at Pearlridge Shopping Center, I suggest giving them a try! The ingredients are all locally sourced too, which is always a plus!

    Photos
    Inside the store
    Inside the store
    Aloha Salads
    Mediterranean with gyro meat

    See all

    Mediterranean with gyro meat
    Ba-Le Sandwich Shop

    Ba-Le Sandwich Shop

    4.0
    (277 reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$

    My favorite is the shrimp summer rolls #1 and Vietnamese iced coffee…read more - Shrimp summer rolls are made fresh, light and delicious. -Vietnamese iced coffee is perfect for a pick me up in the middle of the day. I like coming here, the service is quick especially being on my lunch break, the wait time isn't long. I can have something that's healthy and filling. There's always guest dinning in. Ba-Le Sandwich Shop seems to be very popular in the community. It's a casual & well kept restaurant great for anyone who enjoys the taste of Vietnamese cuisine. A must if you're in Mililani. ***Closed on June 1-24, 2026 for vacation and will be reopened on June 25, 2026. ***

    I always like Bale's I love the Lemongrass chicken Bah mi with croissant, and the summer rolls…read more So went to the Mililani restaurant before I used to go to the one in don quiotes Waipahu but it closed Service was awesome food was good and order came quickly, it was busy that day we went there a lot of people and take out orders, place is nice and clean, it's a good place to go for lunch maybe dinner, parking is good if you can find one there's no bathroom in there but it's between Foodland and the shave ice shop

    Photos
    Order #22 and chicken pho with 2 order meat balls
    Order #22 and chicken pho with 2 order meat balls
    Okinawan Sweet Potato Tapioca - so friggin good!
    Okinawan Sweet Potato Tapioca - so friggin good!
    Special Banh Mi Rate 5/10 - No Jalepeno, 2 Of the meats weren't what I expected. They were thin & Not the usual meats in a Banh Mi.

    See all

    Special Banh Mi Rate 5/10 - No Jalepeno, 2 Of the meats weren't what I expected. They were thin & Not the usual meats in a Banh Mi.
    Assaggio

    Assaggio

    3.4
    (673 reviews)
    1.0 mi
    $$

    We have always passed assagios mililani but haven't really given them a chance because the other…read morepasta restaurant in the area had been our go to. That was until they started reducing their portion sizes and food quality kind of declined, so we decided to be adventurous and try assagios out; and boy were we so pleasantly surprised! We love the portion sizes -- and the option to do a small or large. We always opt for the large so that we have enough pasta for the next days lunch. If you know you know, leftover pasta tastes even better. Their portion sizes are great and their ingredients just taste fresh. We usually get the garlic cream fettuccine with chicken, which comes with broccoli. My mom usually gets the spicy seafood pasta with pink sauce, and my dad gets shrimp assagios. All solid options. Can't forget the homemade salad! Only complaint is the desserts are mid, but honestly that's such a small issue as there are tons of dessert places in the town center right next to the restaurant. We love it here and this place has been one of our biweekly dinners!

    Met up with a friend at this restaurant. Ambiance was great, service was good, but the food wasn't…read morethe greatest. The clams served for one of the pasta dishes didn't taste fresh. I'd choose another entrée next time. 20 photos should be included, although Yelp doesn't always post them all with my review.

    Photos
    Upon walking in.
    Upon walking in.
    Ross
    Ross
    Shrimp Vegetable - Small, with pesto and rigatoni pasta

    See all

    Shrimp Vegetable - Small, with pesto and rigatoni pasta

    Rice Box Cafe - japanese - Updated July 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...