Koa Avenue Drive-In

Super yummy! Service was sucky but I had the chili moco and it was wonderful!!!

Reasonably priced and big portions! Beef & fish in mixed plate is great. Never too busy and plenty indoor and outdoor seating.

This place was a hidden gem. I just wish I knew about it sooner. The guy at the rental place told us about this spot. The prices are very reasonable and portions are huge.
The staff seemed cool, they were bumpin’ Biggie in the kitchen and I saw the dishwasher bobbin’ his head when he walked by.
I had the chicken katsu which was on special for $ 5,95, i Think… It was awesome. I’m not even a fan of katsu normally. I only got it because the lady eating at the counter was smacking her lips and mmm mmm mmmm’ing so much lmao… Glad I did though! Their macaroni salad was scrumptious too. It was a lil sweet but had a tang to it also, just the way I like it.

This place is awesome !!
LOCAL prices, quality LOCAL eats, LOCAL serving sizes, and LOCAL people. what more can you ask for?
love this place and been eating here since they opened. I love the casual kitchen environment and it just feels like your are eating a home cooked meal from your Aunty/​Uncle. Koa has daily Specials, but you have to get there before noon because they sale out «FAST» On Monday my all time favorite is «Aunties Meat Loaf» which sales out before 11:30am best to call ahead to reserve a plate or 2.
This is the only place where I approve of the mac salad because it does not have that mayo after taste.
What else can I say about Koa Avenue Drive-​In, other than it’s truly amazing.
It’s clean, the staff is very nice (very friendly), and the food is great tasting, quick and reasonable.

When we travel, we always ask the locals where they like to eat on their day off. The doorman at our hotel recommended Rainbow Drive Inn, and we are so glad we did.
Just a short 15 min walk from our hotel and away from the tourists on Waikiki beach, we joined the locals in a long line for some of the best mix plate on the island. Since I eat all sorts of meat, I had a little bit of everything and my boyfriend went with the mahi mahi plate.
I have no idea what they hammer and marinate the meat with to make it so thin and taste so good. It also comes with a couple of scoops of rice and mac salad. We also ordered a slush with a scoop of ice cream too.
There was so much food we could have easily shared one plate between us. Definitely make this a stop on your trip. You’ll get major street cred with your hotel staff.

«hey Fritz, where do i go to get great local Hawaiian food?»
Easy. you come to Rainbow Drive Inn!
Just 3 blocks away from the busy Waikiki beach, this place have been servicing Locals and visitors for over 50 years! with great food such as the loco moco, chilli hot dogs, and their famous Mix plate consisting of Chicken, Pork, and mahi mahi. there’s no wonder there’s a huge-​ass lineup everyday rain or shine! And to top it off, you also get 2 scoops of rice AND a mac salad on the side. are you kidding me???
A serious must-​try when your on the Island!

This is the best place to eat AFTER GETTING SMASHED AT WANG CHUNGS! The food is top food all around — not just when you’re drunk. The service is fantastic and everyone is so kind.
My gf’s friend recommended this place to us because she used to live in Waikiki and told us not to miss this spot.
She had the mixed plate and I had the Korean Chicken special. Lemme tell you, they PILED ON the food. I eat a LOT, and there was enough food to satisfy me. The Mix plate had beef, chicken, and mahi all bursting with flavor. My Korean Chicken was tender and juicy.
We ended up eating past closing time because there was so much food, and we were about to head outside to finish eating but the Manager told us to stay inside to finish our meal. Most other places would tell you that they are closing and kick you out!
When we come back to Waikiki, this is a definite stop.
A+

The most deliciously standard plate of loco moco in the universe. I have never tried anything else here, and never will.
I’ve been here before, but never felt compelled to write a review for it, since said review would be the most boring review ever, as can be observed from the previous sentence. But, enough time has commenced, and the loco moco amazingly never changes here, and a review finally spilled out.
Like most plates of loco moco, it stays in your stomach for many centuries after you ingest it. Though the ingredients aren’t as good as many other places that serve loco moco elsewhere on the island, it still gets the job done, and quickly.

It’s now called Koa Avenue Drive-​In*

While shopping around King’s village, a lady was giving out flyers about a new drive in, small resturant called Koa Avenue. She said it used to be a Rainbow Drive in…
Not backing out from a hole in a wall spot, we decided to go over there and check it out before heading back to our hotel. It is located right on the next building next to Iyasume Musubi… I see a white sign placed on the side walk facing next to the store
Ordered 2 mix plates to go for $ 14.50. It consists of 2 scoops of rice, tartar sauce, macaroni salad, fried chicken, and bbq beef
. Oh wow it really hit the spot. The flavor from the beef and chicken were amazing. I got full already just eating it halfway but I forced myself to finish it all the way since we don’t have microwaves in the hotel… I think I gained 2 pounds that night.

What’s better than sex on the beach?!? (the drink. haha) Koa Avenue on the beach!
Previously known as Rainbow Drive-​In, this place is now called Koa Avenue due to different ownership and is located WALKING DISTANCE near Waikiki beach. The other Rainbow Drive-​In is located on Kanaina Ave.
After hearing gruesome stories of the loco moco, a Hawaiian native dish, from my tour guide, I knew that I had to try it! A loco moco dish consists of white rice, topped with a hamburger patty, a fried egg, and drizzled with gravy sauce.
I was excited to devoured this loco moco into pieces, assuming it was going to be some monstrous impossible task. But I did it and it wasn’t so bad! The loco moco gravy complemented the patty and rice perfectly well. Satisfied at the rate of $ 6.75 means I had a very good deal! =)

Great cheap local Hawaiian Food
Mix Plate
Breakfast plate
Loco Moco
Boneless chicken plate
Terri beef
Can’t go wrong.

First stop right off the plane. The chili dog was awesome… mix in some rice and mac salad and its a great combination. My husband’s shoyu chicken also was delicious (I almost ate all of it for him).
Places like this make me want to move to Hawaii… this is their fast food. Forget McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s and all the others. I’d rather get plate lunch any day and this place is on the top of my list next time I’m in Honolulu.

First stop after landing in Hawaii: Rainbow drive inn for some plate lunch! What’s plate lunch? It’s like L&L but SO MUCH BETTER! Found this location which was newer and closer to where we were, so our journey to get plate lunch began. Went up and down Koa looking for ‘Rainbow Drive Inn’ and realized that it is also called Koa Drive In.
Got the loco moco and combo plate. Just as delicious, if not better than I remembered! Loco moco gravy was perfect and went well with the items from the combo plate. Combo plate included Korean BBQ, Mahi mahi, and Chicken… all were absolutely delicious!
I honestly liked getting plate lunch from here better than the rainbow drive inn off of Kapahulu, cause it was less crowded. Took our plate lunch to go and enjoyed it on the beach! Great way to start off our trip!

Spam, eggs, rice, and some peanut butta cups sprinkled all over. (just kidding, but name the movie)
Every time I’m on Oahu, this place is a no brainer. I can’t base the review on any other food other than the spam, and is not needed because it’s all you need!
If you’re looking for a quick lunch after scootering around (another cousin tradition even if we have a car while visiting –_​-​), this is the spot. The place can get crowded, and that’s a good thing! Good food, good prices, and close to Waikiki. As a matter of fact, I’d love a plate right now. DROOL.

Rainbow Drive Inn = good food. Whether you’re a local, vacationer, or martian, there’s something to love about Rainbows. It’s location is super prime, so you can stop in after a day of cruising around Waikiki or checking out the Honolulu Zoo.
The food is tasty, with everything from pork chops to chili dogs; granted, the portions vary from dish to dish but overall you get a decent sized meal. It tastes a lot more «home cooked» than, say, L&L, but the price is a little higher as well.
One of the only gripes I have about this place is that finding parking and/​or seating is usually a hassle. Rainbows is typically packed, and unless you’re favored by the parking gods, you probably need to park in the residential area behind the place. They did open up additional seating areas, though, so at least that issue has been addressed.
Overall, this place is ono. If you don’t mind the parking hassle, you should definitely check this place out, as the plate lunches are winnas.
Like chicken dinnas. YAWPS!

I haven’t had Rainbow Drive in for like 4 years. Mostly because the parking was always tight and I don’t live in town, don’t take it personally. From what I remember of the original location it was a really popular plate lunch place and what mainlanders would call greasy spoon. The mixed plate at the original was alright.
Now in year 2010 there is a new location out in Waikiki steps from the beach. Parking is still a problem, but sticking anything in Waikiki will yield that issue.
This location is much cleaner than the original but has the same food. Yay. So I ordered the mixed plate, a staple of the Rainbow Drive in diet. The mahi was normal mahi, nothing special. The teri beef was quite good. I really really don’t like teri beef but for some reason this thicker cut slice was really tender and surprisingly good. The chicken was also very very good. Very juicy and well cooked this piece of chicken was the jewel in the crown. A very generous piece produced a very satiated Grant. I wish there was an accompanying sauce for it and that would of made it addictive.
I will most definitely be back here soon. Probably on a Sunday when parking is free. haha.

I’ve always been a fan of rainbow’s drive in… and now that there’s one right down the street from my apartment I can only pray that my will power is strong enough to keep me from indulging more than my once every 2months:)
The food here tastes the same as the original, but the portions seem smaller…
the inside has some nice dine in seating but while i was waiting for my food i felt like i was burning up the entire time. hopefully the owners will invest in some fans or some ac sometime soon. other wise there are some picnic tables outside where you can take in the fresh air.
overall i like this location, and would recommend it. hope to see it get more and more busy in the next few weeks!

I rent my boards from KBS which is above this Rainbow Drive Inn location. I didn’t realize this was Rainbow Drive Inn til the locals in the lineup start talking about it.
I’ve always wanted to try this place and finally got my chance. Actually ate here 2 days in a row (which is a no-​no). I ordered the mix plate which comes with (mahi mahi, fried chicken katsu style, and beef). Not as greasy as L & L but still good. A few drawbacks though… the rice scoops are small. I’m filipino. I gotta eat rice. The chicken didn’t have any katsu sauce. Smaller menu then L & L. A good choice for plate lunch if you’re in Waikiki.

Alas, Rainbow has opened in Waikiki. I am the happiest person in the world now.
Walking to work after my workout I happened to walk along Koa Ave and found out that Rainbow Drive Inn just opened today. Wheee Haaa
BBQ Steak and Eggs $ 5.25. How can you go wrong. I going back for lunch. Todays special is Beef Stew. Yum
K Im way too excited.
Its in the old Ezagiku place. counter space for eating and 2 picnic style tables outside in what use to be a garage. Nice, clean and new. I love it.
Go check um out. Go, Go check um go.