Hawaiian Drive Inn

We came in and we ordered first and the people behind us got their order before us and they got more. What is this mess. No order.

First time visit, not too shabby. I ordered the BBQ chicken mini plate, perfect amount of food for lunch (1 scoop each rice and Mac salad, 2 flanks of BBQ chicken). The flavor of the chicken was great, moist and not too sauced up. I wasn’t a very big fan of the Mac salad, it had a real present mayo flavor, I prefer my Mac salad to be a little less pungent. Overall, I may revisit, but I think I still prefer L&L or Ohana.

Found this place on Unilocal when I was craving hawaiian food. I had the garlic shrimp with rice and macaroni salad. It was definitely not Giovanni’s shrimp truck in Oahu, but it was tasty. The shrimp wasn’t as big as the ones I’ve had in Hawaii, but the garlic and butter were the perfect amount for me. The only thing I wished was that the shrimp was sitting on top of my rice so all the buttery goodness would drench my rice. The macaroni was a little bland for me, but edible. Overall I liked my dish and I would order it again.
My wife had the fish filet which I thought was pretty good. It was flavorful and wasn’t over powered by the batter. Plus it wasn’t oily.
This is definitely a place I would eat at again if I was in the area.

Ordered $ 32 of food and then I seen the family deal for $ 30. Maybe next time I’ll get that. I trying three different things BBQ combo, BBQ chicken and the chicken katsu and a order of potstickers. Oh combo plates came with rice and macaroni salad of course. All the employees were friendly and courteous food was ready very quickly everything smells great. Came home with enough food to feed at least five people. Now that I finished eating I’m kind of kicking myself in the ass for not stopping by this restaurant earlier everything is Great. I have no complaints with the food will definitely be returning.

Food NOT Authentic Hawaiian — WHY it seems like the owners taught their employees via internet… not Aloha way of cooking… but the double cheeseburger was good…

This place is my go to lunch place while I’m at work. I love the mini bbq chicken lunch plate. It’s the perfect amount of food at a reasonable price. Definitely recommend this place.

Good food and affordable for feeding a big family. The combination plates are enough for 2 individuals. They also offer local delivery.

First impression: What kind’ve Hawaiian BBQ, plate lunch spot does NOT have mac salad on their menu?
Answer: ‘Not a very good one.
So, with that as the starting point of our experience @ Hawaiian Drive Inn, let’s continue…
SPAM/​TERI CHICKEN MUSUBI ($ 1.79 ea)
The SPAM and teri chicken musubi were «Okay.» Musubi isn’t terribly hard to make but I’ve seen some places make a mess of it. The price point for the mususbi is about right, not to $$. The teri chicken was a bit on the dry side but other than that, the musubi was okay.
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ALOHA SAIMIN ($ 6.45)
This is what I had issue with… IF you’re going to call it «Aloha Saimin,» how about adding some love to the food like the name implies… «Eh brah, where’s da ALOHA?!»
‘Adding SPAM to a dish does NOT make it Hawaiian… ‘But it’s a good place to start! However, neither does adding slices of teri chicken and tossing a scrambled egg on top. If I sound a bit perturbed it’s because I am. «Eh cuz, if you’re going to do it, «Do it right!»
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If you’re familiar with saimin and even more so, «good saimin,» you KNOW the difference…
Hawaiian Drive Inn’s Aloha Saimin, reminded me of something that one might throw together with leftovers in a dorm room on a college budget… (‘And it tasted like it too.)
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Most Hawaiian style saimin includes: won ton, vegetables, fish cakes, dried seaweed, sliced egg, charsiu pork (Chinese BBQ pork), green onions and/​or breaded shrimp. (Note: Ingredients do vary — linguica, pot stickers, etc.) However, the key to any good saimin is the broth. Hawaiian Drive Inn’s soup was lacking in flavor, boldness, very weak. (The teriyaki chicken added more flavor to the saimin than the actual «saimin.»)
The only things on the menu that I’d consider «Hawaiian» were:
— Lau lau
— Loco moco
— Kalua pig
— SPAM (Musubi)
— Linguica (Portugese sausage)
— Hawaiian Sun (Drink)
‘And again, «WAT! NO MAC SALAD?!!»
Like a lot of fake, fast food, «Hawaiian» shops nowadays that are more often owned by people who have never set foot on the islands, it’s the same ol’ story, just another place looking to make a buck w/​island knock off, plate lunches. Sometimes, the closest thing to «Hawaiian» is the name on the front of the restaurant. Hawaiian Drive Inn is okay food @ okay prices that will fill your belly… ‘But Hawaiian, «N’aaawt!» All pau. (All done.)
BTW — Anyone else notice that the «Drive Inn» in Hawaiian Drive Inn is incorrectly spelled? I wonder if this place is trying to play off of the popular local, Rainbow Drive-​in back home in Hawai’i.
— Big Aloha! A hui hou! (‘Until next time!)
Food: 2+
Ambiance: 3
Service: 3
Value: 3

Good spot with good food. I like coming here because the people begin to remember who you are and are real friendly. They also deliver which is great if you’ve been drinking. I like getting the bbq plate and the chicken katsu.

Amazing flavor! I love their short ribs and macaroni. The staff is super friendly and the price is reasonable. This is my go to place for Hawaiian food.

Love their macaroni here! Its like no other.
I’ve been going here since high school. And it still retains the same quality food ever since. Chicken Katsu is always on point, Rice is perfect, and Macaroni is to die for.
They take phone orders when you need food prepared when you arrive and need to leave in a hurry. Their plates arent half filled either.

What a good deal with a free drink with Unilocal check-​in! It was huge portion if chicken katsu! And still busy at 4pm

Massive portions! I bought a plate for two people and it fed me for a few days. The quality of the chicken was good. It was not greasy and tasted fresh.

Very clean & welcoming service. Offers catering even delivers in Hayward Ca only. Has been a family lifesaver for us.

Good food, they deliver and the price is ALWAYS right here ! I love their chicken katsu, bbq mixed plate and double cheeseburgers! If I could I would probably dine here 2 – 3 times a week.

I normally go to Ono’s Hawaiian BBQ by Target on Hesperian, but after a shooting happened, they closed an hour early which is around the time I arrived, and I couldn’t get my food. To still get my fix, I searched the next closest Hawaiian BBQ place and it was Hawaiian Drive Inn! Turns out this place is right across from my house, and I didn’t even know.
On Hesperian, between West Winton & Middle Lane, there are 3 plaza entrances, all not connecting in the parking lot — Toys ‘R’ Us, Sizzler/​Tomodachi Sushi, and Hawaiian Drive Inn. Hawaiian Drive Inn’s entrance is located closest to Middle Lane & Southland Drive. Located in the back of the small plaza, this place has a smaller menu compared to Ono’s Hawaiian BBQ, but still offers the same popular items. As for the quality of the food, it’s decent, but not as delicious.
I ordered the BBQ mix plate (~$ 9), and this dish consists of (1) spare rib, (2) chicken, and teriyaki steak. The food here tasted different than what I’ve had at Ono’s, probably because it wasn’t as fresh. The employees here were friendly, and it seems like a family business. You can also dine in here, as they have plenty of tables around.
**Cool tip: Check in and you get a free medium drink! But only if you purchase a lunch plate :)
Aside from the Hawaiian dishes they have, they also sell Kauai Kookies for $ 2.99 each! Flavors: Chocolate chip, Kona Coffee, Macadamia Nut, and Guava. Me & my bf’s favorites were Chocolate chip, kona coffee, and macadamia nut. The Guava tastes a little funny. guava + cookies = not really a good mix. I don’t know anywhere else that sells these Hawaiian cookies except here and I’m happy I found it, cause I’ve been looking for it for the past year!
Overall, I think I would only come here again if Ono’s is closed for any reason. and their Kauai Kookies :)

I decided on Hawaiian drive inn for lunch one day and opted for the garlic shrimp. I didn’t expect it to be so tasty especially for a fast food Hawaiian place. I love shrimp and I would eat that garlic shrimp everyday if I could! You get 6pcs of shrimp which was enough for me. The only thing bad about it was that it was kind of oily. I will be back since it’s pretty close to where I work.

I don’t usually frequent Hayward, so I know very few places to eat at. I came across Hawaiian Drive Inn while on my way to an office. It’s located in a very small business park and is, itself, a small but decent enough location.
I ordered the BBQ mixed plate and, oh, was I disappointed. I paid $ 9.00 for 2 pieces of chicken, two pieces of (very small) short ribs, two scoops of rice and four broccoli florets. Now, it’s not so much about the money as it is about getting what I pay for. I would have expected to get more than literally two scoops of rice. In fact, most places are happy to give you more rice in lieu of meat because it is filling and for presentation.
While the quality was fine, I will not be returning and will be in search of restaurants that don’t skimp on the rice.
PS: I asked how much it would be for another two scoops of rice and was told $ 2.00. Ummm, no, thanks!

I’ve been coming to this specific location for years (because I work in the area) and I’ve seen how the food has gotten better — at least the BBQ chicken. I don’t know what they do, whether they marinate the chicken longer or have a different rub, but the BBQ chicken taste so much better!
They also have really good saimin — the aloha saimin to be specific. For those spam lovers, it has spam, bbq chicken, and an egg on top. The noodle size is also awesome — its basically top ramen noodles. I’ve been to Ono BBQ and their saimin is okay. I don’t mind the thick noodles so much, but there’s more thick noodle to meat ratio. Plus, the broth is just okay compared to HD’s broth.
Anyway, this place is also great for those on a budget. The mini plates are decently priced and the musubis are $ 1.69 each I think (they were $ 1.50 but I guess with inflation the prices are going up).
Something to consider: $ 4 purchase price to use a credit card.

The store itself is small and simple but the food is great. The barbecue chicken is easy to cut and perfectly grilled, the Kalua Pork is well prepared, and their saimin is really flavorful.
Good place for a quick lunch or snack :)