Waipahu$$
Highway Inn Waipahu
Hawaiian food · Plate lunch & local food
Original Highway Inn, a Waipahu Hawaiian-food restaurant dating to 1947; relocated within Waipahu.
Hale ʻAina 2026 Silver
Guide
What is a plate lunch?
Two scoops of white rice, one scoop of macaroni salad and a main, served in a takeout box. It came out of Hawaiʻi’s plantation-era lunch wagons.
What to order
- Loco moco — hamburger patty and fried egg on rice, covered in gravy.
- Chicken katsu — panko-fried chicken with katsu sauce.
- Kalua pig — smoky shredded pork, often with cabbage.
- Mixed plate — two or three mains on one plate.
- Mini plate — smaller portion, usually a few dollars less.
Where to start
Rainbow Drive-In Kapahulu near Waikīkī, Highway Inn Kakaʻako for Hawaiian plates, and Yama's Fish Market in Mōʻiliʻili.
Most plate-lunch counters are walk-in, takeout-first and under $20.
Plate lunch spots
Kakaʻako$$
Highway Inn Kakaʻako
Hawaiian food · Plate lunch & local food
Kakaʻako branch of the Waipahu Hawaiian-food restaurant founded in 1947; serves laulau, kalua pig and plate lunches.
Hale ʻAina 2026 Silver
Kapahulu$
Rainbow Drive-In Kapahulu
Plate lunch & local food
Original Rainbow Drive-In plate-lunch stand, open since 1961 on Kanaina Ave near Kapahulu; known for mix plates and loco moco.
Waikīkī$
Musubi Cafe Iyasume
Japanese · Plate lunch & local food
Takeout musubi and bento shop on Kūhiō Ave at the Aqua Pacific Monarch; part of a small Honolulu chain.
ʻAiea & Pearl City$
Forty Niner Restaurant
Plate lunch & local food · Udon & noodles
Old-time ʻAiea diner on the Hawaiʻi historic register, best known for inexpensive saimin; short drive from Pearl Harbor.
Kalihi$
Alicia's Market
Poke · Plate lunch & local food
Family-run Kalihi market and deli back in its original Mokauea St spot after a fire; known for poke and roast meats.
Airport & Iwilei$$
Nico's Pier 38
Seafood · Plate lunch & local food
Harborside Pier 38 seafood restaurant and fish market; nightly live music listed through 2026.
Mōʻiliʻili$
Yama's Fish Market
Hawaiian food · Poke · Plate lunch & local food
Takeout-only Mōʻiliʻili fish market and deli for Hawaiian plates, poke and haupia pie.
Kaimukī$
Fresh Catch Kaimukī
Poke · Seafood · Plate lunch & local food
Waiʻalae Ave poke and seafood counter with a few tables; sister shop in Kāneʻohe.
Kalihi$
Rainbow Drive-In Kalihi
Plate lunch & local food
Second Rainbow Drive-In, opened 2018 at School and Houghtailing streets with the Kapahulu menu.
Ala Moana$$
Side Street Inn (Hopaka)
Plate lunch & local food · Bars & pubs
Original Side Street Inn near Ala Moana, a pau hana spot for family-style local plates.