How can someone overcook the pork and have undercooked cabbage? Everything was just so DRY and Disappointing! Even more so because it was less busy than usual. Do yourself a favor and go to McDonalds for a late night treat instead . read more

Upscale Hawaii - Kalua Pork and Cabbage Plate ($14.95) - Diners Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Food is good. Hours are incredible. PSA: DO NOT order online! I should have been more careful when checking out. I didn't realize I was charged a $6.55 "convenience fee" until I checked my receipt while waiting at the restaurant until 9:33 pm on an order that was supposed to be ready at 9:09pm. People who I watched order at the counter got their food way before I did. I don't mind waiting, just not when I've paid for "convenience" Just don't order online ever. EVER. EVER. #lessonlearned. read more

Ever since the new year for some reason they either changed their recipes or cook because it doesn't look as it good as it did last year or the years before. The steaks don't even look as appealing because of the new seasonings or not as cooked through. They don't use romaine lettuce like they did which was way better than they have now. Now it looks like mediocre school lunch. Either they have to go back to their old ways or get a new cook with new recipes because I haven't gone since then. read more

We've decided to stop at Diners@Upscalehawaii to pick up lunch. We ordered 2 of their specials, Shoyu Shortribs and Roast Turkey. Both were really soft and tender. Flavors were on point...a bit salty for my taste, but its just me because of my control of salt intake. Both were delicious. Next time I'll try their Pork Teriyaki plate. read more

Upscale Hawaii - Roast Turkey Special - Diners Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Came here this morning to grab something to eat. The beef stew sounded good so decided on that. Asked the tall, bald guy a simple question. "Does the beef stew come w/ Mac Salad?" I was met with rolling eyes and an attitude that said..."duh, you should know". I was gonna order more plates for my co-workers but after this encounter with this guy, I said forget it. I'm not gonna give my $ to a business that couldn't care less about me as a customer. They loss my business. Their name should be DOWN SCALE! The great thing is, that we as consumers have the power and choice to opt out on a business that treats customers like we don't matter. So I went to Guieb's and was treated the way a customer should be treated. Ordered my food, gave THEM my business and tipped the waitress out. Guieb's has my money now and will in the future. read more

Upscale? I don't know where they get that! Came here around 11 pm to get something to eat since late night bites are hard to find. There were two people ahead of me and it took forever. When I finally got to the front, it took another 5-10 minutes before anyone came to the window. After ordering, we waited....and waited....and waited. I could've went to Don Quiote, bought the ingredients, and made it myself by the time we got our order. A group of women came, and after five minutes, left. So maybe they need more help because it seemed like only three people were working, or was it two? I thought my French toast would be something amazing, but I could've done it myself with better bread. So Upscale? Not! Doubt I'll ever come back. read more

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Bring back the old recipe for hamburger curry New recipe not good really disappointing . The Service is good , got some staff nice and friendly, i guess the cooks better than before Filipino aunty no need yell at them anymore or at least not when I was there lol read more

Upscale Hawaii - Hamburger Curry soon as I opened it I knew its a miss. - Diners Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The best thing about this place is their food, their service is definitely NOT what keeps them in business. no matter how many times I try to go back, they are still RUDE. Another thing is I am glad you can now do online ordering but for goodness sake, update your menu. If you don't have time then take your outdated menu down. just use your online menu. Well, Well what a surprise. we picked up our order and guess what it was wrong. read more

I bought a kalbi shortribs for dinner for $18.50 and it turned out great. This is a very cheap price considering that many other places charge $28 or more for their kalbi plate. The teriyaki sauce was so tasty and the meat quality was great, not too strong and chewy and I ended up eating to the last bite with nothing left. This is a great place to find cheap meals and they are also open everyday and 24 hours. They do not close, WOW. read more

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I grew up with the original Diners Drive in. The food then was typical for local fare during the 70s and 80s, cheap and plentiful. I don't know when Upscale took over but recently read this article about the best 24hr restaurants in all 50 states and was surprised Upscale was noted #1, even above Hawaii's beloved Zippy's! Read the review yourself. https://apple.news/Ae0iQvkLURkqy75JMnc5jQg I thought, "ok, let's give it a go!" Here's my review. I'd driven by the old drive in for years. The look hasn't changed in 40+ years. It's a dive! But as they say, looks can be deceiving. I wanted to try their Filipino dishes, after all, they are located in a heavily populated Filipino community. Wednesday's special was pork guisantes ($12.95) one of my favorites! Their rendering was nothing short of spectacular! I also ordered their meatloaf, outstanding ($13.55). I chose these two dishes as a baseline for my kind of comfort food and was pleasantly surprised how tasty the food was, the generous portions and the very affordable prices. I also ordered a NY steak ($15.95) for a friend and was surprised at the portion and presentation. Never got to taste it but it looked delicious! I also found the macaroni salad to be a cut above the norm. I will definitely go back to try their other specialties! I love that they have taken old school recipes and "upped" them to gourmet meals at incredibly reasonable prices. Perhaps they can offer their food inexpensively because the focus on quality versus appearance. By that I mean, the look of the drive in has literally not changed. But what happens behind the drive in counter is what matters most of all. Looks are deceiving! Congratulations on a job well done! I am looking forward to dining at Upscale A LOT and telling as many friends and family about the remastering of an iconic local food drive in. read more

Upscale Hawaii - Pork Guisantes - Diners Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I actually was picking up a take-out order in the same complex & ended up parking by Diner's. Decided to check them out as I hadn't eaten here in over 30 yrs when I used to work nearby. Since then it's passed ownership hands a few times & currently is called Diner's by Upscale Hawaii. Thought I'd get a sandwich for lunch. It was Saturday afternoon & they were not busy, no lines. Their menu has not changed much & offer a variety of choices. They have daily specials, bentos, good selection of plate lunches with options for a mixed plate, burgers, sandwiches. & breakfast. What has changed is there is now an Upscale menu featuring steaks, seafood - lobster, shrimp, salmon, ahi, & poke. Prices seemed pretty reasonable for their Upscale menu as well as the Diner's menu. I decided on the teri pork burger. The gal at the counter was very friendly & answered my questions about the menu. The teri burgers on the menu were a bit confusing. They have a teri burger & a teri beef burger, which we know burger is ground beef & beef burger is not. I chose the teri pork burger but needed to clarify if it was ground pork in a patty or piece of pork because it's listed on the menu right below the teri beef burger. I didn't want it if it was a pork patty. The cashier confirmed it was the piece of pork & that it can be confusing. Good to know ! Sandwich was reasonably priced, well-wrapped. It came on a regular sized hamburger bun with mayo, & a few good-sized pieces of pork, & lettuce. Overall, it was ok. Taste was fine but it didn't WOW me. I probably wouldn't get it again. If you want a really good teri pork sandwich, try Richie's Drive Inn just down the street - very flavorful. If I return to Diner's in the future, I would try their Upscale menu to see if it lives up to the hype as well as their familiar plate lunches. Great customer service! read more

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I have mixed feelings about Upscale based on several late night trips for food. The name "Upscale" is also deceiving considering the area and lack of nice ambiance of the place. It's your typical hole in the wall spot for local plate lunches. A few tables outside to sit but I've seen nobody sit there. Mainly a grab n go spot. Pros: * Open 24/7 * My usual dish here is the Garlic Ahi Steak with Bomb Sauce. This is so good and pretty consistent every time I've ordered. Definitively for the garlic lovers! Just don't go kissing anyone after lol. I like the side salad to pretend I'm eating healthier haha. Under $15 for this plate which is very affordable. * Ahi Katsu Roll was great but lacking in quantity for value. * Mochiko Chicken is nicely breaded and good! Cons: * Some dishes are just okay and very oily if fried. * they NEVER pick up the phone lol. Everytime we order the phone just keeps ringing in the background and somehow they always ignore it * wait time can be 20 minutes on the shorter side or closer to 1 hour the last time we came. * customer service is not the best, ladies aren't very friendly * Can be shady area of Kalihi and rando people are usually roaming the area.. Just lock your car and park closer to the take out counter if possible. Overall the place would be a 3.5/5. Know what to order and get the Ahi Steak! read more

Upscale Hawaii - Ahi Steak with Bomb Sauce ($14.45) as of 8/2/22 - Diners Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I got our orders to go and one dish looked much better than the other. I ordered the Teri Burger with fries and drink, and my mom wanted the Garlic Salmon. The Teri Burger was tasty for a cheeseburger and the fries were crispy and fresh. I couldn't taste the teri flavor and thought maybe I got someone else's order... it was pretty basic but satiated my salt craving. It is a bit pricey for what it is, so I'll try another dish the next time I order from here again. My mom enjoyed her garlic salmon. Flavor, presentation; and portion, it was an all-around good dish. I'd give it another go again but maybe get a salmon dish instead. read more

Upscale Hawaii - Garlic Salmon with furikake rice, salad, and asparagus - mom definitely enjoyed this dish! - Diners Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Last time I came here they lost my receipt made me wait over an hour for my food, didn't even comp me anything rubbish.

Awesome service, waiting time isn't too bad, given that I only go here after 12am! Super yummy food! read more

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I stop by here often to get my clients g food.... The best is #3 bento (Teri beef-Meat jun -spam-Breaded fish-w rice and furikake) $11.50 I an sure everything else is good as well just gotta check em out read more

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This was the first restaurant I visited when I arrived the Honolulu. The outside of the establishment is deceiving because it was not clean and was in a shady part of town, but the food was amazing and reasonably priced. So much so that we came back for a second visit the next day. The fried chicken wings were ahhhmazing and came with a delicious dipping sauce. The ribeye portion was large and well cooked and you can't beat the price. Also loved the furikake dishes with different protien like beef and steak. Came with rice and a salad and was very tasty. Can't beat this restaurant for the overall value and quality. There were several picnic tables outside the restaurant where you could eat but best to get this food to go. read more

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Bad...bad...bad...food was burnt to point of not edible. Got it home , opened up plate and utterly disappointed...steak overcooked with so much char that it was tough as a nail, meat jhun fried to dark brown, almost black, and tasted not like a meat jhun, & chicken katsu had a spoiled smell that I didn't bother tasting, threw away the entire plate! I remember this place from my childhood but it'll be a long time until I patron this establishment. read more

We went to a concert and were starving after but finding somewhere open after 10 pm that's not fast food is a challenge. We were originally gonna go to a place nearby but it was closed for a private event and saw that this place was open. Perfect timing too because after we ordered the line got really long. I got the roast turkey plate and my husband ordered the chicken katsu with French fries and side order ahi katsu roll. The roast turkey was good but I wish I got extra gravy. The chicken katsu, fries and ahi katsu roll were also good and stayed crispy even though we waited until we got home to Kapolei to eat. If you come here though, expect to wait at least 20 min for your food. They have a sign that says everything is cooked to order. Forgot to take pictures before we had already started eating so portions are a little bigger than what is shown. read more

Upscale Hawaii - Chicken katsu, all fries - Diners Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Picked up lunch from upscale and yum! Did it satisfy our cravings. I got their signature ahi katsu for the first time and YUM! They give alot of pieces & they load the sauce all over the ahi. I thought the ahi was suppose to be seared inside but it was cooked fully, no problem though because it was still good! I got all salad and they have a yummy vinaigrette sauce that I really enjoyed. It comes with 10 pieces! I was so full afterwords haha My bf got their garlic ahi & thats what I usually get because its my favorite thing to eat. The garlic is cooked perfectly & my favorite part is that they put whole pieces of garlic on the ahi. YUMM! I love garlic lol they're food is always flavory and never bland. So much taste! The price is worth it too! Worth every buck! the service is good too read more

Upscale Hawaii - Garlic Ahi Plate - Diners Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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First of all.!! Service is always rude.!! Beef stew should be called potato stew.!! No carrots one celery two small pieces of hard meat and three large potatoes what a waste of money.!!! read more

I LOVE the fact that this place is open 24/7. I am always looking for late night places to get food and I will surely be coming back here when all the other restaurants are closed. I used to work down here and am surprised I didn't know about Upscale before. They have a pretty extensive menu of fish and meat plate lunches and even offer orange bang and lilkoi drink like at Zippys. They have a breakfast menu, too. I like that things are a little fancier than your typical plate lunch fare. I ordered the garlic steak and shrimp ($18) and it was delicious. I love eating whole garlic cloves and this plate had quite a few of them. The garlic shrimp was plump and well seasoned. I liked the garlic flavor and that the shrimp were a little bit larger than normal. The cashier asked how I wanted my steak cooked and I said medium rare. By the time I got home to eat, I found that the steak was more medium to medium well. I'm pretty sure it wasn't medium rare and cooked in the container, so maybe try to order one step rarer than you want. It also came with a salad, which was ok. It's not the nicest neighborhood, but I'm not there to stay and eat. There are a few stationary concrete tables on the side, so not much of an ambiance. It's also right next to the parking lot. I'll be back to try some other things off the menu, some of the ahi plates looked appetizing. The cashiers were nice. Oh, they have a credit card use fee. read more

Great place to grind in the early morning hours. I love the different variety of dishes they serve up The staff is always helpful and friendly The best part that I appreciate is that they are not commercialized. Mahalo Diners for the years of public service. read more

Lunch in Kalihi, Honolulu, Hawaii... Between church and The Dillingham Blood Bank, I needed to eat something before my blood donation. I know that my Lunch Buddy went to Upscale and I wanted to check it out myself. Located at Kapalama Shopping Plaza, Diner's Upscale shares its free parking lot with businesses such as Han Yang, Kikuya, Guieb Cafe, and Viet Chubby Boy. After perusing several wall menus, I decided to get the Garlic Salmon with Asparagus and placed my order. I didn't mind waiting, even though there were some sketchy characters around. I went to my car and drank an entire bottle of Propel, so that I could concentrate on my lunch. When my number was called, I thought that I should sit at a table instead of eating in my car. Even though it was around noon and the sun was strong, I found a bit of shade next to the ATM machine. The wind whipped around the corner just enough to keep me cool! When I opened the container, my first thought was, "It doesn't look good". However, that koge (charred) salmon skin was crisp and seasoned so well! Mmm!!! The salmon was moist and tender - just perfect! The buttered garlic splattered on the top was so rich that I consumed ALL of the white rice with Furikake topping! The fresh green salad and asparagus were a nice balance to make me feel like it was a healthy meal! The Garlic Salmon was so amazing that I went back to the counter to tell the chef how great my lunch was! I'll go back for some of the other menu offerings during the daytime. Note: this area isn't the best and Upscale is open 24/7. read more

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Food is good recommend the teriyaki short ribs. Service is very nice. It's a hole in wall but the food is good.

Upscale Hawai'i is located on King St in the same complex as Guieb Cafe. If you're not familiar with the area, it's between Farrington High School and USPS. Parking can be an issue in this lot when you come during the lunch or dinner rush since most of the tenants here are restaurants. I heard about Upscale Hawaii from several people but haven't made my way down to check them out until a client suggested coming here for lunch. They are one of the few spots open 24 hours after the pandemic. I arrived and fortunately parked in the last available stall in the lot. The restaurant had a line of people so it attests to their reputation. It takes forever to order and get your food so make a phone order before you come down. It's highly recommended. While in line, I decided to order their Furikake Salmon w/Asparagus and Cheeseburger. I ordered my client the Garlic Salmon w/Asparagus. The only reason why I got the Cheeseburger was because I saw someone pick up a garbage bag full of Cheeseburgers and another garbage bag worth of fries. I had to try it after that. We split our salmon in half so we both could try each others order. Both were good and we agree that it's worth the wait. We did hear it was better before but what are you gonna do? It was still good and we left full. I wasn't a huge fan of the sauce they put on the rice but I still enjoyed the plate overall. The Cheeseburger was overkill for me but I had to get it. Their homemade patty really stood out and I would order it again. Maybe just not in addition to a plate lunch lol. Next time, I want to try their daily specials. I definitely think they are worth the minor inconveniences to eat here. ***add on to review*** I actually came back before finishing this draft and posting. Came to try their Prime Rib daily special on Friday. A friend suggested I called and phone order it in since it's popular and sells out. I did and got there right before it came out of the oven so I got the first slice. Unfortunately, my order was medium rare and they gave me medium well. That is not edible for me but I couldn't go back to exchange it due to an appointment. I called and notified them right away. They told me to come back the following week and they would correct this issue for me. That's great customer service! Too bad I couldn't eat the original order. I came back the following week as instructed and they took care of my order. The cut this time was more fatty and quite tough but I genuinely appreciate the gesture of trying to correct their mistake. read more

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The food was just okay. It was much better back when they had the food truck in front of their family house. We got the SHOYU CHICKEN, which while some parts were moist overall it was dry and could have used sauce because there wasn't really in our plate. The SIGNATURE AHI STEAK WITH BOMB SAUCE was so much better back in the day, this one was just okay. Would go back if I'm in the area and nothing else better was open but not go out of my way like we did when it was the food truck. read more

This place used to be a really good late night spot but I have no idea what happen! I placed my order at 10:58pm and didnt get my food until 11:30pm. I just finished a late shift and wanted pancakes and bacon. I got home and found out my pancakes wasn't even edible, it wasn't cooked at all and i had to throw the whole plate away. So disappointing. read more

Upscale Hawaii - Diners Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

There is a lack of 24-hour options so we were excited to check out this takeout window in the heart of Kalihi. They have a huge menu including breakfast options, burgers. Hawaiian food, classic plate lunches like adobo fried rice and meat jun, and their upscale plates like lobster and prime rib. I went with their signature ahi steak with bomb sauce, I asked for my fish to be seared, and it didn't disappoint. Bomb sauce tastes like a mix of sriracha and mayo with whole garlic cloves. My fish was tender and tasty and came with rice and tossed greens. The mochiko chicken was also nicely seasoned and juicy. We got this with rice and mac salad. And for dessert we ordered a side order of pancakes. Highly recommend calling your order in to avoid the wait and then finding someplace close by to enjoy your takeout. read more

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I miss the simple foods from Diners in Aiea! Decided to stop by hoping to find the same menu, and sure enough I was so happy! Ordered my usual, saimin with teri-beef, cheeseburger, fries and a side order of yellow sauce. The saimin was too hot to eat had to let it cool down for a bit. The cheese burger is simple, but I like the yellow sauce with it (mustard/mayo). the bun would taste better if it was grilled. The fries, thick and hot. Service was fast and friendly. Plenty parking right in front. Will definitely return for more! read more

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Damn my garlic ribeye was raw guys Like not even rare Straight raw.... I was gonna call but idk never like complain and drive back so I guess I'm telling yelp lol read more

Upscale Hawaii - Cooking this as we speak - Diners Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

OK food. Open 24 hours. Ordered large saimin/roast pork/beef stew/adobo rice/shoyu chicken and asparagus. Asparagus was 6 puny pieces (2 inches in length) at US$5 was a rip-off! read more

I've been looking forward to trying this place out because of their wide selection of items and because they're open 24/7. I came for lunch and ordered a mixed plate with Pork Adobo / BBQ Chicken and a side order of the Ahi Katsu Roll. The BBQ chicken did not look appealing AT ALL. I think the grill needs to be cleaned because it seemed like all the burnt gunk build-up got stuck on the chicken. Pork Adobo was just ok. The fry on the ahi katsu roll was so dark, perhaps the oil should occasionally be changed. Mac salad had no flavor. Overall, I'm pretty bummed how everything turned out. read more

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Not bad. Service is good. Prices are fair. Food is good. Ahi Katsu and Shoyu short ribs is pretty mean

It's been a long time since I've been to upscale Hawaii. They used to be in a residential area in Kalihi but now they have their own brick and mortar with a lot of parking out front. The food is still very reasonably priced and you get a lot of food too. and you may want to call ahead. They do get really busy sometimes. They have prime rib on fridays. I was surprised that it had a lot of flavor. Sometimes prime rib can be bland and get tiring to eat after a few bites but theirs was really good. Do also get the ahi katsu. It's a small side portion but they do use fresh fish. read more

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If you get a steak or something that might take a little longer to prepare and you already know what you want I highly recommend calling it in. We've tried a handful of items here and have loved all of them they're super generous with the garlic butter that they put on steaks and seafood. The combo plates here are such a good value and everything is prepared to order. Its probably is more suited to take out they do have a few tables outside. Everything we've ordered has been great but I think my favorite was our last play we tried which was steak and lobster tail I seriously cannot believe what a value this was. read more

Upscale Hawaii - Diners Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Bad, sassy attitude from the cashier. Just asked what's popular and recommended, was told to look at the pictures on the window. Ordered medium rare steak, got an overly cooked, dry piece of meat. I'm more pissed at myself for ordering food after my instincts told me to go elsewhere after driving up to a dirty looking place and greeted with indifference and attitude. Do yourself a favor, choose another place to eat. read more

Upscale Hawaii - Does that look medium rare? - Diners Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

How did I not know about this place until now. I'm shook guys!!! This was one of the BEST fish plates I've ever had in my life. It only took 36 years to find this joint and I can't believe I haven't been here yet. If your skeptical about trying this place out don't be just BUY the dang plate and TRY it!!! I got the ahi steak w/the sauce and it broke my MF taste buds out my mouth!!! Can't wait to come back and try the ahi katsu. Don't sleep on this place my fellow Yelpers get here and try it, you won't be disappointed ;) Still dreaming of the chunky garlic pieces and bomb a$$ sauce. read more

Upscale Hawaii - Menu - Diners Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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We ordered online because they weren't answering the phone. Picked it up after the time it was estimated and it was ready. We got the garlic NY steak plate and a rib eye plate. Wanted both well done but only one came well done. The other one had pink inside (and not just a little). The meat was good but almost half of each piece was fat. We normally get the garlic ahi steak but we wanted to try something else. Not our go to place but once in a while maybe. read more

My adventure in seeking the best loco moco on the island. This restaurant has a a lot of options on the menu and cheap pricing for it also. I was surprised that it opens 24/7, so convenient for the night owls. Sadly, this place disappointed me for this one plate. Maybe I ordered the wrong food? I ordered a loco moco for around $8.50 and it came with a bed of white rice, a thin patty, gravy, and 2 eggs. The gravy lacked flavor. The patty was really firm like the meat was old. No taste in the patty. For the price, you get what you paid for. read more

Upscale Hawaii - Loco Moco $8.50 - Diners Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii