Waiakamilo Drive Inn

Extra good breakfast with 5-​bacon and eggs however you want it.
So far all their breakfast specials are good for the price.
They have a new special french toast, 1-​egg and a meat for $ 5.30. If you choose bacon as ur meat you get 5 bacon.
We also tried the corned beef hash and egg with rice.
All their food cannot finish in one sitting. Half for brkfst and half for lunch.

A lot of small mom and pop fast food shops are largely hole in the walls. Unless you are well known, L&L Drive Inn, Rainbows, or Zippy’s, chances are you’ll be in good company in this category.
I’ve been to Waikamilo Drive Inn once before, getting a take out catering order for an office party a few months before returning here on my own on a recent visit in November 2015. And so, here I was formally checking this place out on a random Friday during lunch time. The great thing about Waikamilo Drive Inn is that it’s centrally located in Kalihi, next to Bob’s Barbeque and the McDonald’s on Waikamilo Road, but it’s official address is on Dillingham Blvd. Imagine that! Waikamilo Drive Inn is definitely a small eatery, but large enough to have a couple of tables for those who wish to dine in there. When I went there, they had a family eating and it smelled quite good. Unfortunately for me, I had to stare at their plate lunch menu for a good 10 minutes to know what I wanted. The experience here at Waikamilo Drive Inn was short, sweet, and fast. The service was good and the lady at the counter was friendly.
Waikamilo Drive Inn is one of those places where you wouldn’t know it if you weren’t looking for it. Thanks Unilocal for helping me to rediscover it through my indecisiveness! If you know where the McDonalds is on Waikamilo and Dillingham Blvd, Waikamilo Drive Inn is practically there next to Ming’s Chinese restaurant. They accept the major credit cards, so that’s always a plus when you’re not carrying not so much cash. The restaurant seemed clean and the ambiance was decently good. They don’t have air condition at all and rely on fans that circulate cool air around the restaurant space. My stay here at Waikamilo Drive Inn was brief, as I noticed that you can mix and match any two items on the plate lunch item list for $ 10.50, depending on what you want. For all others, the usual is $ 7.50, so I thought it was a bargain, especially for my first time here. For me, I decided to buy and try the garlic chicken and the mahi mahi. I should have gotten «all rice» Instead of getting Mac salad. Ugh. Oh well. I also ordered french fries on the side.
I ended up going to Popeyes down the street to eat it with a co-​worker of mine, whom has a strange addiction to fried chicken. Kind of weird. I’m glad that they didn’t kick me out for eating there without buying anything. Lol. I haven’t had garlic chicken in a while, so this was a treat. It was an interesting proposition and it was definitely better than having fried chicken, but a little bit more healthier, but not by much. It was delicious and the dipping sauce for the fish made it an interesting taste. Mixing the mahi mahi and the garlic chicken was a good option. Too bad the chicken wasn’t as garlicky as I thought it would have been, as the battered coating of the chicken skin makes up for that. The mahi mahi was good, tasted like sole or Saba. Not real mahi mahi though. Still, it was a good proposal at $ 10.50 and the French fries help complete the meal. All was good and freshly prepared.
I hope to return here more to sample different combinations or just sample more things from here. Close to my work place and in the heart of Kalihi on Dillingham. Can’t beat that! However, I find this place to be okay. While not exceptional, it’s a good place to get Hawaii comfort food at a good reasonable prices. Portions are good, as you’d fill up on rice anyway.
Support local!
B

Cheapest place to get a plate lunch, and the portions are pretty big! The lady is always very nice to us whenever we come in. Usually when we’re in a rush, we just make a phone order and by the time we get there, it’s ready and all we have to do is pay for it.

My family goes to this restaurant a lot and we’ve never had any problems. Sitting area is very homey and the service is on point! My favorites are the Garlic chicken, Loco moco, and their Mochiko chicken. I just wish they brought their slushies back.

The food is tasty and consistent and prices are reasonable. I usually order the garlic chix, chix katsu curry, or cold ginger chix. I also enjoy their home made onion rings-​nice and crispy on the outside but tender on the inside.

I came here for breakfast and it was not what i was expecting. I usually like to come here because its cheap & i like the lunch plates.
I ordered the fried rice & egg & meat special. but i dont eat meat (vegetarian) so i told them i didnt need the meat. She looked at me as if I was joking. like uh okay does it look like im kidding? no. When she told whoever was cooking what i wanted she started laughing and talked in her own language whatever. Rude, just so rude.
My food was so dissapointing. My egg wasnt cooked enough. and the rice was way too hard with no taste.
I’d come here again for lunch but not breakfast. I can’t stand bad service & bad food.

Good and bad news. The food tasted OK. Bad news is that it made me sick. I ate the Mahi burger and had a bite of my daughter’s hamburger. 10 – 15 min later I felt nauseous and sick. My daugher and son were fine so it might have been the fish. I haven’t tried anything else but I’m not going back. Hope this review helps.

If you want cheap eats, this is one of the places to go near kalihi. Quality may not all be there but it get’s the tummy filled. The food portions are more than your average at the affordable prices they offer. It’s right next to the original pancake house in Dillingham.
We ordered one of their popular dishes, Loco Moco and added a side of lup cheong. It comes on a bed of rice and a scoop of mac salad. It wasn’t very presentable but it actually tasted better than it looks. Although, I’ve tasted better. The lup cheong was good though. You cant go wrong with $ 6 plate lunches though. I’ve tried their ham sandwiches to go, for $ 3, it’s not worth it. It’s like something you can make at home with 2 slices of bread, deli ham, and mayo. Stick to the plate lunches.
I would recommend this place for those on a budget and are looking for an affordable place to get a quick lunch or dinner. Service was quick.

I ordered the hamburger steak and my friend ordered the garlic chicken.
The hamburger steak patty was salty but still edible. The rice was a tad undercooked. The macaroni salad. Was pretty plain and pretty much is like what other mac salads offered by other local drive ins. The hamburger steak mini cost about $ 5.65 I think. Can’t remember. And it has as much meat as the Zippy’s regular size hamburger steak which costs about three bucks more. That’s why I still gave this place three stars despite the the patties being a little salty and the rice being a bit undercooked.
On a side note, I sampled the garlic chicken thanks to my friend and it was crispy on the outside as it is fried. It needed a bit more garlic sauce. If it had more garlic sauce, it would have been much better as the chicken pieces themselves needed more salt, ironically. But otherwise a good garlic chicken. Itchy Butt makes better garlic or Korean fried chicken. But then Waiakamilo Drive In’s regular sized garlic chicken costs only 7 something. That’s a fair price considering the fairly generous portion. If you go to Poi Bowl you get about half the amount of chicken for over 8 bucks with their mini.
All in all, I give this place 3 stars because you get more for your money here. If you really want value, get their chicken katsu. But I gotta warn you, after eating that you will feel like you just consumed a thousand calories.

I have the opportunity to always come here as I work so near to this restaurant. I come here for breakfast, lunch, and sometime dinner.
This place is so much better than McDonalds. They have a breakfast plate which has Fried Rice, your choice or meat and eggs. Super affordable price at $ 5-​$ 6 and huge portions. Definitely a bang for your buck.
I am a fan of their Mochiko Chicken, BBQ Cheeseburger, and Onion Rings. Love and absolutely will continue to love it.
I just started to fall in love with the beef stir fry. So yummy and tasty. Great flavor!
There are many chairs for you to sit in, a tv for you to watch, cup of waters that you can help yourself to.
This place is good for small and large groups.

The food is ok. The reason I come here is for the garlic shrimp and mochiko chicken. Parking lot is open and not to crowede. It is located right next the original pancake house on waiakamilo

It’s in a strip mall setting so parking can be very hard to come by. But it’s worth the wait for the garlic chicken or mochiko chicken. You can make your own combo’s to an extant so unusually get a combo of both.
The eating area is small but usually not crowded unless it’s like lunch. There is a TV there with anything on it. I mean I’ve been in there & theirs been anything from football to soap operas.

For cheap grinds this is the place to go. I love their garlic chicken and garlic steak and shrimp plate (make sure you ask for extra sauce). If I can recall, I believe their garlic steak and shrimp plate special is a little after lunch for only $ 8+. Not bad for the amount of food it comes with. Wish they had it with ribeye instead but it’s still some pretty good New York steak. Their garlic chicken taste really great as well and it’s not overpriced like other places. Lots of flavor and chicken is juicy and moist.

At the spur of the moment knee jerk decision, a few of us decided to eat here instead of the pancake house.
The place is nice with a lot of tables but the parking might be a little tough getting a stall though.
I had the seafood combo that just had three pieces of shrimp and a piece of fish and a side of short ribs that actually made the plate because the shrimp and fish wasn’t all that. It was actually bland tasting. It was cooked at the time of ordering though.
The teri beef sandwich was ok but the meat could’ve used a longer soak in the marinade to give it more flavor.
I would give this place another try, maybe something different on the menu.

There are some plates that I enjoy and some I don’t. I like the garlic chicken, but I don’t like the mochiko chicken. For some reason, the mochiko chicken is burnt every time I order it.
But my family and I always order their garlic chicken for parties! They always have it ready by the time we need it & provide great customer service! :)

One of my favorite kalihi spots. Good food & awesome prices, with friendly prompt service. A must stop if you haven’t tried Waiakamilo Drive Inn… go check em out!

Good food, good portions, great price…
The cooler for their water is NASTY tho! Little black things were floating around my water :/​The spout looked like it wasnt cleaned for a while…
Other than that. pretty ok place… just dont get water from the cooler Lol

Unilocal 365 Challenge x 2 #258/​365
Unilocal 100 Review Challenge #3/​100
As I write this review, it feels as I have grease growing in my mouth as my stomach is reenacting the Pirates of Penzance with gusto.
This drive inn was chosen quickly because it was either this drive-​inn or McDonald’s for us to grab something to eat. However, I can just pinch myself because there were other eats near this drive-​inn!
Anyhow, the food was… okay. It’s your typical flare of the L&L theme. The location is right next to the Original Pancake House in a teeny tiny… er…strip mall?
When we walked in, the only customers cruising were high school kids eating. They have a TV to help with awkward moments of silence or if you’re busy trying to wipe the grease out of your mouth.
Dan ordered the mini chicken Katsu, while I was horrid and ordered the pork cutlet because I am still hoping Zippy’s will reconsider and put that item back on their regular menu!
The counter person was quiet and friendly. It’s obvious they are used to the high school kids because I noticed she’ll walk by their tables to make sure they’re ok.
The food came out quickly and it was hot. My pork cutlet pieces varied from nicely cooked, crunchy and reheated from the microwave. As for the greasiness of the gravy, I’m going to chalk it up to me not eating gravy as I often as I did before instead of the way it was probably prepared because my stomach isn’t used to gravy anymore.
The prices were reasonable considering they have a regular plate and mini version for a lesser price. This establishment is small and clean with about 7 – 8 tables.
My recommendation is try it at your last resort or if other restaurants around this area are crowded, then this place may be the one for you (they cater too).
Last thoughts… I’m glad they don’t add MSG to their food.

Never again. Hate writing 1 star reviews because I feel like I wasted money. Got the Beef Stew Mixed Plate. You know the one that all L&L clones have. Basically Beef Stew, Teri Beef and Hamburger with Gravy on a bed of rice. Well the Hamburger was burnt on the bottom giving it a funky taste. The Teri Beef had a fishy taste like it had the taste of whatever was cooked on the grill before it (this made for a terrible combination of tastes). In all a plate of disappointment.

I came here on a whim to try something new. Since I work in the area, we’ve been frequenting the same old places over and over and I wanted to try something different. So that’s how I got here.
First, it’s in the Waiakamilo Shopping Plaza. There’s enough parking in the lot and I found a spot right in front of the restaurant. The restaurant appears clean and it was empty although it was after lunch time (about 3pm).
There was only one lady in the front. The service wasn’t rude, but wasn’t that friendly either. I ordered a mini hamburger steak. For $ 4.95 it was a deal. I didn’t have to wait too long for the food to come out.
The beef patties are very thin but you get two with a mini, an ample amount of rice and a scoop of mac salad. The burgers tasted home made but it wasn’t anything to write home about. The gravy tasted sour and that turned me off… In my profession you don’t want to get bubble guts — that’s a definite no bueno. So I stopped eating it after one patty and threw the rest away. The mac salad was also meh.
I guess it was a deal for that much food for the price, but I’d rather eat elsewhere. The food wasn’t all that great. I’d pay more for food that tastes better.