Grace’s Inn

My dad recognized this place so I told him to meet me there tonight so I could check it out with him. Had the katsu curry and liked it quite a bit, good portion size (decently more than L&L) and the side salads were pretty tasty. My dad had one of the mixed plates and it was gone in minutes, that’s a good sign. We’ll be going back for sure.

I can remember going to the Grace’s on Beretania (the old location, not the current one by Times) after bowling many years ago. The food seemed so awesome back then. Now, the same food is only ok because of so many competitors that I know about and can easily detour to. The teri beef is a bit tough but coated in very tasty teriyaki sauce. The hamburger steak, roast beef, and roast pork are similarly not as tender as they could be but are coated with tasty brown gravy. The *good* dishes are all deep fried. Gravy or teri fries are crisp and hot and covered in the respective sauces. The chicken katsu is really good — better than L&L in my book. Flavorful even without the dipping sauce but perfectly complemented by the on-​the-​sweet-​side katsu sauce. The pork cutlet is a sleeper here. Really good, tender, a bit fatty, and covered in their brown gravy.

Who hasn’t been to Grace’s? Well, it’s been a long time, but I went recently and I was actually pretty impressed.
First, decent amount of parking, but depending on the time of day, might be difficult getting in and out of the lot, especially during pau Hana traffic. It was ok for us since we went during lunch.
The variety here is quite impressive, lots of combos and specials, and the prices are
reasonable.
I ordered the locomoco and chicken katsu combo, which comes with rice, Kim chee, and choice of 2 sides, so got mac salad and Asian slaw. Oh yeah, the chow fun, can’t forget about that! Paid about $ 8 and change, very reasonable.
The hamburger was not dry and hard, but actually quite tasty. The gravy was standard fare, nothing great. The katsu was nice and crisp, and like their katsu sauce way more than L&L.
Overall, Grace’s has survived all these years by selling good food at reasonable prices.
Forgot to mention that the people here are super nice and courteous!

Service is minimally polite. I’d like to thank other like minded folks for getting good the chicken katsu loco moco like me and making it a regular menu item. Chow fun is alright, I always remember it better than it was.

After my last failed experience with this place I finally decided to give them a try again. I shouldn’t have bothered.
Since I was working at the office I had my wife pick up dinner for me and bring it to the office. We decided on Chicken Katsu which apparently they are known for having the best.
When dinner arrived the chicken was overcooked and dried out. This could have been compensated by dunking the chicken in the Katsu Sauce, yet there was none to be found. They sent an order of dried out, overcooked Chicken Katsu with no sauce at all.
I had to close my office up early so that I could go somewhere else to pickup a replacement dinner. I couldn’t just have them replace the sauce they forgot because after fighting through rush-​hour traffic getting back there the food was cold and inedible.
If you are hungry and are looking for somewhere good to eat, do yourself a favor and go somewhere else.
Avoid this place like the plague!

Suprisingly tasty, had low expectations because it looked like a dive but was pleasantly suprised with their ‘Stir Fry’ noodles, I would definitely order them again. The place doesn’t look a little fast food like on the interior.
Don’t let the divey look fool defer you, it is a basic little eatery not out of this world good but not a disappointment. ⁴⁄₅ because the locals eat there (great sign) and they are doing the best they can.
Prices are $ 6 – 8 a plate

Was driving past on my way home, suddenly I steered into the right lane so that I could turn in, guess my stomach decided I was headed here for dinner. Haven’t been to Grace’s in quite awhile since it was out of the way for me. Chicken Katsu was good with the mac salad and Kim chee on the side. The chow funn on the bottom is such a small portion now. The reason this review is rated a 5 star is because Sarah, a young gal that exemplifies customer service. As I and other customers entered she always looked up, smiled and welcomed customers even while ringing up others. She even ran to the door to help a customer exit. I think the cook forgot my order, Sarah saw me waiting for awhile and politely reminded the kitchen about my order. Good food, great service!

Great little diner! Their portion sizes are very good. They offer mix plates so you can combine two of your favorites. Got the mochiko chicken and chicken katsu. The Asian slaw is ok, the Mac salad is good because there is too much mayonnaise. The meet comes on a bead of noodles. You can choose two sides: green salad, Mac salad or Asian slaw. Comes with their version of kimchi. There’s is enough Indoor seating.

An old favorite of mine that has stood the test of time…
I just ordered and enjoyed the Loco Moco mixed plate. Hamburger steak, chicken Katsu on a pile of rice and chow mein noodles covered with gravy and an egg on top. The food at Grace’s still tastes the same after all these years. My favorite location was the one in Waipahu.
Ideally, I say, COMFORT FOOD AT ITS BEST!

What can I say, I left Hawaii eight years ago, and Graces Inn was as delicious as ever. Thank you for being a landmark of HI.

1. I grew up right up the hill from Grace’s so I’ve been here more than I can count or remember. I always order the chicken katsu. Regular plate comes with 2 scoops of rice, small mac salad (which I don’t eat because they put relish in there. a lot of people like it but I don’t), small chopped salad, small kimchee, a little bit of chow fun, and of course, chicken. YUM!
Fast service and I never had any problems/​issues here. I think they give free drinks if you have a military I.D. Junk thing is that traffic along the main road can SUCK nowadays, so it may be hard to get in and out of the parking lot. Tip: can park in the bigger parking lot where pizza hut is located. :)

The roast turkey special! Very very good. It sales out quick sometimes so get it early. And if it does sale out or they don’t have it that day on special… Get the chicken katsu… One of the best on the island… Chow fun comes underneath the meat u purchase… But the turkey has stuffing underneath… Been coming here over 20yrs and they never disappointed me. Only when I come late and they sale out of the turkey haha jk. Aloha

One of my favorite places I’ve loved dreaming about ever since it was introduced to me back in college. Since then, I stored at back of my mind that it’s there on Beretania Street. Love that curry and al dente chow fun underneath the delectable crunchy chicken katsu. It was always a popular place for quick fast food with bc of that home cooking, comfort-​food taste.
YuM!!!
Well, today I’m out at the Aiea location getting myself a beef curry fish tempura chow fun mac salad plate lunch dinner treat!
It’s not a fancy place and in fact, looks almost like it’s been here forever (because it almost has) but provides that tantalizing homemade taste zest I appreciate.
Disclaimer: I’m not too much of a fast food person. I eat at Zippy’s once in a while; I eat here less often only bc there are less locations. In my opinion, Grace’s Inn provides a better value and taste than Zippy’s plus, if you cannot already tell hahaha, I really like the taste of the food here.
Let’s break down the contents of my yummy, less-​than-​$ 10 plate:
Mac salad ⁵⁄₅
Not overly majo-​y in fact, less mayo than usual for mac salad. It’s got a nice tangy mustard flavor. You can see the macaroni very clearly and they don’t really stick together.
Chow funn ⁵⁄₅
— Dry noodles with bits of teeny beef pieces that provide the mild flavorful beef taste; also has slivers of green cabbage
— Noodles are thick and wide; perfectly al dente
— For some reason these just make me sooooo happy
— I long for the day these noodles once again populate the entire main compartment plate lunch bed under the main dish. (Yes, there are ppl like me who know the diff! Lol)
Beef curry 4.5÷5
— A little burnt today (maybe from sitting in the pot for awhile?), curry is strong, taste is creamy, pleasant flavor, maybe a little salty
— Beef are chunks and are soft not dried out, potatoes are soft, carrots are super soft, onion pieces are cooked thru to clear
— I should have gotten that scoop of rice instead of two mac salad cups.
Fish tempura 4.5÷5
— Fried crispy outside, soft and crunchy wow that look like huge triangular-​ish fish sticks but moist and soft inside with nice fried crunchy outside.
— Fish is soft and flavorful. Maybe a bit too oily than I’d normally like. Note to self to ask for napkins to dredge off some cooking oil.
Tartar sauce ⁵⁄₅
— This is a thick Mayo dressing with mustard taste, served as a tangy vinegary dip for the tempura fish.
— Goes very well with the fish.
Kim chee ³⁄₅
— Ahh this is ok. It’s cabbage that’s soft crunchy and has a strong vinegary bite. Maybe too vinegary for me but well, it’s nice to have an included veggie.
What did I think?
Smart; multi-​dimensional. Grace’s is smart to flavor– and texture-​layer their plates. It’s a subtle flair I really do get and appreciate. Salty-​savory, mildly sweet, tart-​vinegary and –mustard-​y, gently crunchy, creamy-​moist in different ways.
Which reminds me. Next time I’m gonna get that scoop of rice for my beef curry. I feel a little bit like I’ve eaten a bit too much mayo. Then, in a word to myself: Whoops; sorry, Jules; my bad :/​let’s try the right combination next time! :)
I got my fill of Grace’s Inn for awhile enough to keep me happy!
Yippee! :D

Super cheap and good! Dinner for family of 3 for $ 21 and free fountain drink for military.

Got the Curry Beef special yesterday. mmm lil spicy (I think mostly from pepper) for me, but still good… LOVE the MAC salad there… donno what their best plate is IMHO… but I haven’t found one I don’t like.
I will be buying their coupon deal!

I must have passed by Grace’s Inn numerous times without actually paying attention to the location. When I met a friend there for dinner recently – and for dessert at Dave’s Ice Cream – I looked up the locaiotn only to realize that I actually knew where it was all along.
There’s a parking lot available below the restaurant; you can also park on the Laundromat side. My friend and I met for dinner on a Friday around 6:30 p.m.
The restaurant itself isn’t the biggest nor the cleanest, but there was a steady stream of people coming in and out during the whole time we were there. Lots of people came in for take-​out orders, but there were families who dined in as well.
By far, I heard orders for katsu the most of all other menu items. But, the guy at the window told me the mochiko chicken was also one of the restaurant’s best sellers.
You order at the window and then wait for your number to be called, whether you’re dining in or taking out. My friend and I decided to share the regular plate of katsu – which turned out to be smaller than I expected – but that was fine, since we were going next door for dessert.
I’m not too picky when it comes to katsu, so I was perfectly happy with the version from Grace’s Inn. I’m not sure if I would make a special trip out here, but this Pearl City location was more convenient than the one in town (since I know the area well), and I would order this katsu again.
Here’s my two cents:
«Chicken Katsu Plate»: This regular plate comes with two scoops of rice (we got white rice) and two of three salad choices. Since my friend and I both like mac salad, we got two scoops of that. The regular plates also come with a little container of kim chee. The chicken pieces were piping hot when our plate came out, which was good because everything tasted fresh. I especially liked how there was a small bed of chow fun noodles under the chicken … the noodles were sort of sparse, but that was a welcomed element to the meal. I tend to be picky about mac salad because I don’t like it when it’s too runny or when there’s too much mayo, but this version satisfied because the flavor was light and it wasn’t too liquidy for my liking. The pieces of chicken were on the thinner side; it was a 1:1 ratio of chicken meat and the katsu breading. The breading didn’t have a thick layer, but that also led me to not feel super heavy or bloated when the meal was done. I think they could have given a little more katsu sauce with the entrée, but I actually don’t mind eating katsu solo (without the sauce).
«Chicken Katsu Sandwich»: I was really curious to see what this sandwich tasted like – let alone, looked like – but I guess I’ll have to save that for another visit. I would probably want to spruce up my sandwich a little and get it with fries or something.
«Hot and Spicy Chicken»: This is one of the daily specials, but I like a little kick with my chicken, so I’m intrigued to see what this entrée tastes like. I’m not sure if it’s more like Korean chicken or if the sauce really is hot! I guess I’ll just have to try it one day and see …
«Chicken Katsu Loco Moco»: This item is featured on the breakfast menu and I saw it on the regular portion of the menu, but I would love to try this one day. I do like traditional loco moco, but not every restaurant makes a katsu version, so Grace’s already gets brownie points for that. I would probably get mine with fried rice instead of regular rice … worth paying the extra fee! If I didn’t get this «Chicken Katsu Loco Moco,» I would probably want to try the Corned Beef Hash version.
«Tonkatsu»: If chicken katsu isn’t available, I would be just as happy with tonkatsu. I would probably get this entrée with the same sides as my regular chicken katsu plate, but I’m eager to compare the two and see how the chicken version tastes different.
«Mini Laulau»: Laulau has to be one of my favorite foods, so even though it’s a daily special, I wouldn’t mind going to Grace’s on that specific day to get my laulau. I just love it when the meat is super flavorful, hot and tasty inside and everything tastes fresh. I would probably get this entrée with the mac salad from Grace’s because I actually really enjoyed the texture and consistency of it.

One of my go-​to plate lunch places, selections are good. You can order your special mix (within constraints, tho). Cheap, fast, tasty.

I used to go to the Beretania location during my high school years when the plate lunches were around $ 3.00…inflation is part of life… so if I go here I always buy 5 of the certificates where you get a plate and what kind of amounts to a free medium drink… I always get a special mix with chicken katsu and two other things… whatever specials appeal to me that day… I think some of the things are microwaved now where the gravy gets gel like during the time it takes to go home… so it doesn’t get a 5 star like I remember from 30 years ago… but still reasonable… just need to order the katsu and remember the good and not so good other choices…

Graces! Oh how I’ve missed you! I used to go to the Kaimuki graces religiously after school was done, so eating the food brought me back a bit.
Staff: The guy behind the counter was really friendly, he took our order without a problem, although people behind us ordered after us and they got their food before us. We did wait kind of a long time. The chairs and tables were dirty though, and when we first walked in no one was in the restaurant. We had to wipe our own table and chair down.
Food: I ordered a tonkatsu, it was just OK nothing special. To me I probably wouldn’t order it again. Everyone else got chicken Katsu, they seemed to like it. I did however love the teri fries and that’s what brought me back to my high school days. So DELISH. The Mac salad was good. They give choke! For a regular sized plate they give two scoops lol. All in all a lot of food for the price which is good.

I’m going to make this very easy for you.
There is only one thing you need to know about Grace’s — CHICKEN KATSU!
Now all you have to decide on is whether you want toss or mac salad. :)