I met up with some friends for lunch today (thanks for giving me a ride Noelle!) at Rainbow Drive-In. It's a classic drive in where locals go to get their chili, chicken katsu, loco mocos, hamburger steak with rice and mac salad and of course, their famous slushes (which I still haven't tried). It was crowded at lunch time with business people and beach attired locals in line for their midday grinds. We couldn't find any open seats but were more than happy to pile our lunches on the hood of Noelle's car and stand and eat. Order at the counter and your food will be ready in a matter of minutes. Steph and I had the Bar-B-Q Beef Plate ($5.50). About four or five slices of tender sweet beef was served on a bed of shredded cabbage along with rice and mac salad. I don't usually like mac salad, wait, I take that back, I do like mac salad but I try not to eat it that often for fear that all the mayo will kill me. Mac salad fear/love aside, Rainbow's had an exceptionally good, nice and peppery version. Erica had the Mix Plate ($6.00) which came with mahi mahi, teri beef, chicken katsu and the requisite two scoops of rice and mac salad. Sorry for the shadow in the picture!

Rainbow Drive-In is a prime example of a local plate lunch spot: plenty of satisfying food at great prices designed to be eaten at the park, on the beach of even on the hood of a car. Only in Hawaii!

Rainbow Drive-In
3308 Kanaina Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815