Hawaiian Drive Inn

2025 update. Hawaiian Drive Inn still serves up a lot, and I mean a lot of food. There is enough food for two light meals. This evening, I got their fried fish $12.50 and a loco moco $13. There's an option to go with all macaroni salad instead of rice. The gravy mixed with the hamburger patty with a fried egg tasted great. There's something special with that combo. Although, maybe I should have gotten a single scoop of rice instead of all mac salad. As for the fried fish, that tasted OK. It needed more tarter sauce than the single cup. Service was fine. It took about 10 minutes for my food to be ready as there were a few people in front of me. There still isn't anywhere to sit. The dining area is closed. Take-out only. Original review: There's an obscene amount of chicken in their chicken katsu plate $10.50. They double stacked it in the container. This dish tasted OK. It needed the katsu sauce for it to taste OK. The little cheeseburger $3.50 was disappointing. It was missing regular cheese burger ingredients like lettuce, tomato and onions. This hole in the wall restaurant didn't have seating due to Covid, so to-go only. Waiting for your food on the street can be chilly so bring a windbreaker. Good job staff at Hawaiian Drive Inn.

I've come to this place a few times before and got the chicken katsu mini plate. Had the broccoli lunch plate with chicken teriyaki this time. All the food is very delicious and great price. Can't beat that combo! Went back a few hours later to get the short ribs mini plate and the person taking my order remembered I've come before 😮

I would fly back to SF to heat the Katsu and Mac salad. Delicious Hawaiian food! Best crab rangoons I’ve had. Spam musubi was 10/10!!

I have to tell you that the food here is delicious, the servings are huge and the price is worth it!!! I got the seafood plate that has fish, shrimp, one option of meat rice, salad and macaroni. I do have to say that I am not a fan of the macaroni, but everything else was delicious and I have no complaint. It is a small business and tends to get a little busy but the service is fast. I would recommend ordering here for some good Hawaiian food.

Experience was good overall especially because the service was fast and parking was convenient and easy to find in the afternoon, however the meal itself I will give it an OK especially because the rice was very disappointing it wasn’t steam rice at all it was more like a cake ball. Meat was good

The woman that took my order was really nice. The price was standard for a lunch, I got the chicken katsu plate, it was 12.50, so pretty standard. It was really good even tho i had like no appetite. The shop was kinda dirty but its not like I has eating there.

Pretty straightforward! Order, pay and take your food! Great food.

Take out & cash only place, so I had really high expectation, and it was beyond my expectation. Glad I don’t live nearby bc I would have it too much

I came here with a large group of friends as part of a self-planned food tour. The group decided to order two party trays--one with short rib and one with chicken katsu. Despite it being a last-minute, on-the-spot order, they prepared the trays decently quickly, probably within 20-30 minutes. The short rib was pretty standard, with some pieces tasting a bit more charred than others, but overall good. The chicken katsu was really nicely fried--crispy with a good amount of meat and juiciness. The chicken katsu tray also came with a tub of katsu sauce, which was light and flavorful without being too salty. Honestly, it was one of the best chicken katsu I've had. And we got a lot of the katsu - we finished all the short rib, but there was still quite a bit of chicken katsu left at the end. This is a really solid spot for Hawaiian food, and I would definitely come back again!

I love this place! Usually gets pretty busy but food comes out fairly quick. The kitchen is open so you can see them cooking the food. Food is always consistently good. There's no more dine-in just take out and no bathrooms. It's cash only as well. Highly recommend!

Staff was friendly and hardworking. Everything could've used more seasoning. Mac was just pasta and mayonnaise. Meats and rice were cooked well. Place is 100% a pickup restaurant; no seating.

Hawaiian food is one of my favorite foods. I have always enjoyed a great plate of Hawaiian BBQ at Hawaiian Drive Inn on Mission street in San Francisco. I been going to this place for decades. One of the best value in the city. They don't deliver and it's cash only. This place has everything from chicken to seafood. This is the place for good food vibing , it's the original San Francisco Hawaiian Drive Inn.

This is my boyfriend and I's go-to-spot for a cheap, quick, and filling meal! I love this place as all I have to do is call in my order, and it is always ready on my drive order. The owner and chef are nice as well! (NOTE: THEY ONLY TAKE CASH SO BE PREPARED) The only reason it's missing a star is cause the food is on the non-healthier side, but that is as expected! Still super yummy and one of my favorite Hawaiian drive ins in the bay.

Not really much to say other than it's delicious and you'll definitely get a bang for your buck! Prices are fair and portions are huge. This place is cash only but there are plenty of banks and atm's that are walking distance. The place looks very run down but don't let the appearance fool you, it has been here forever. A true gem and staple in the excelsior. My go to is the chicken teriyaki, with rice and an extra scoop of mac. Pair it with a crisp Diet Coke and it's heaven.

Known for authentic Hawaiian-style BBQ lunch plates, noodle dishes, and kalua pig sandwiches. Good value and portions at this location, especially the mixed BBQ plate, loco moco, chicken katsu, spam musubi, and burgers.

You get a lot of food! Food is pretty good too and not expensive at all - a good value. I had the chicken katsu and also ordered a mini-plate of short ribs. Two ribs come in the mini-plate. The ribs were good and the katsu was crispy. The food was not overly salty and didn't leave you thirsty hours after the meal. This place is purely take-out and a hole-in-the-wall place. If I lived in the area, I would return to try other plates.

Fast, Reliable, Good and Cash only! Whenever you want good food and great prices, this is definitely the place for you. More than a decade and it still make me wonder how they can take orders without writing things down, regardless of how many items you order. You were able to dine in here pre pandemic but now, it's a to-go only place. Their most popular item is the chicken katsu but I prefer the chicken teriyaki. Tip: you can also ask for a mini version if you don't have a big appetite.

Food was descent. Chick was full of flavor. Quick grab. Cash Only. Very Affordable. Parking can be tough, recommend carry out.

Great food, if I'm nearby I'll swing by. Prefer this spot to the chain store Hawaiian places.

We order them from Uber Eats usually once a month. Haven't found anything we don't like yet.

Really good value for the money. Make sure you bring cash. Two Chinese guys working the grill and fryer. So much chicken katsu! We ordered 2 meat combo - katsu and Kalbi. Ask for extra sauce. We also asked for 2 scoops of Mac salad and 1 scoop rice. $16.25 out the door. Fed the both of us for dinner. Be prepared to wait a bit as everything is cooked to order. The katsu was crispy and tender chicken thigh meat. The Kalbi was thinly sliced but still tasty. Very generous portion size!

It's restaurants like this your parents/grandparents relied on for excellent food for excellent value. Hole in the wall staple serving locals that are barely surviving. A+++

I always get Hawaiian Drive Inn for their quick dinner option. My two favorite entrees are the chicken katsu and the chicken teriyaki. You absolutely have to get a spam masubi when you're there. The fish sandwich is a real special treat and I order it when feeling a bit indulgent - omg it's so delicious and tastes exactly like a filet-o-fish but better. You can't beat the prices here.

Can't recommend them. Ordered 10 musubi for a class potluck and they decided to double stack all 10 piping hot musubi in a single to-go container. Not one of those large aluminum party trays - one of those clear to-go clamshells. This meant the seaweed wrap on all of them turned to mush and started falling off when I tried to separate them because of the double stacking. Not smart and not classy ruining my whole order so they could save a few pennies on a second container.

I called and pre-ordered a large tray of spam musabis for a group camping trip on Fourth of July. I ordered 40 and I think the lady on the phone said they could do orders of 20/40/50. Not only were they one of the few Hawaiian places open on this holiday, the price was actually cheaper than most other places I called. When we picked up the order - Each musabi was larger than we thought and they were good! I was very happy with the musabis and they were a hit with all the kids (and adults) at the campsite. Cash only! I'll be ordering this again next time we have a party.

Food: 4.3/5 best bang for your buck here! i can tell that this hole in the wall is a place where lots of blue collar workers come in and out of to pick up a quick and filling lunch for a great price. we got the Loco Moco and the Teriyaki Mixed Plate Lunch and they both hit the spot. the char on the Teriyaki Mixed Plate was delicious and plentiful. the loco moco was good but the gravy tends to make the entire plate soggy so if they had dividers in their to go containers that would be ideal. both plates were hefty big boys that were able to feed us for two meals because we couldn't finish it on the first round. the worker was nice enough to move the table and let me see their drink selection because he saw I was leaning and squinting towards them to read the labels haha. overall, a great meal for a great price in SF(coming from a broke college student)

Tried it for the first time today and the quality of the food really is so much better than the chain Hawaiian restaurants. First off the portion of the mini and the regular is a lot along with the fact that the meals are very well priced. I go the regular chicken katsu and a mini short rib. There was so much chicken katsu and in the mini short rib there were two whole pieces of short rib. The picture of the chicken katsu does not do it justice, there were layers of katsu.

My family has been patronizing their location in the Excelsior for the past two decades. Their location is on a narrow space with a few tables towards the rear. We would order here when we need a quick fix for dinner. I usually call in our orders for pick up. Tonight we ordered a mini plate of Chicken Katsu, regular plate of Chicken Katsu and a regular plate of Hamburger steak. The lady on the phone said the orders are ready within 10 minutes. Since this location is cash-only, make sure to ask the staff on the phone to calculate your bill, so that you're ready to pay in cash. In case you don't have cash, be sure to stop by the nearest banks one block away on Ocean & Mission. Ten minutes later, we arrived at their location. Note, their mini plates include a scoop of steamed calrose rice and macaroni salad. The regular plates are basically double the amount found of sides and protein found on mini plates. In my opinion, their best seller is their Chicken Katsu. They are fried to perfection and the cooks usually chop them up immediately after frying and before you pick up your order. Their style of freshly frying and chopping the katsu retains the crunchy texture. The quality of their Hamburger steak has slightly changed because it became less salty, however the gravy was lacking some umami flavor. The gravy's color became lighter brown (closer to beige). On the other hand, their burger patties are still soft, chewy and not over cooked. I personally cannot finish a regular plate by myself, yet their portions are truly shareable. Hawaiian Drive Inn is the OG spot for Hawaiian food in the Excelsior!

Cheap but filling food. Closed down seating area since Covid. Can't beat burger fries and a drink for under $10 in SF. Got the bbq special since probably won't be back for a while due to moving to the other side of SF. Nice to be back in the old neighborhood even if just for a little bit.

Pretty good quick hawaiin fix! Food was prepared well and in a timely manner. ill defintely come back!

Family owned everything was fresh and made to order. Highly recommend this shop for quick eats.

This is my favorite Hawaiian place in SF! A hole in the wall, no frills joint in Excelsior. Parking is metered along mission or free in the neighborhood and the place is CASH ONLY. My favorite dishes to order are the Chicken Katsu, Loco Moco, and Spam Musubi. I've heard they serve a good burger too so I'll have to try that next time. The rice and mac salad is always on point, everything is made to order and served hot! I can probably eat one combo mixed plate for 2-3 meals, you really can't beat this place!

I was picking up Tea from TS Cafe, and then realized I had parked in front of Hawaiian, with that a complete change of dinner plans was needed! FYI: Hawaiian Drive Inn is my goto for Teriyaki, Katsu, and Musubi. Understand that I was going to prepare a Calzone for dinner, but when I realized that I was steps from Hawaiian it just made sense to change plans. Parking to be honest it can be a pain but I had always managed to find a space within 2 blocks be it day or night. As for dinning covered seating can be found outside but that's a more viable option during a sunny day. Regarding service you order, and pay at the door. The staff is very efficient, and polite and this locations does a fair amount of orders, plus the wait is rarely excessive. As for tonight, my order of Teriyaki Chicken was placed around 7:30pm, and it was quickly filled. As expected the serving of Chicken was generous, wonderfully marinaded resulting in a flavorful and butter-like texture. The Hawaiian style Mac was Yummy and it was enhanced by the juices from the chicken plated next to it. Btw given the chicken comes on a bed of veg can we say the plate is healthy and well rounded? So why do I come back? The staff at Hawaiian puts out consistently good food at a fair price, in the form of Mini, Regular & Party plates / pans depending on your need. They are always respectful to their clients, and the quality/value is hard to beat.

Good plate lunches here on the mainland. My favorite go to is the chicken Katsu, perfectly fried but still moist. Been going here for years and they never disappoint. If you are looking for a plate lunch similar to what you can get on the islands this place won't disappoint, not exactly like Hawaii but will definitely pass

Not the easiest neighborhood to find parking. This spot has been around for a while. I used to push my baby in her stroller here. Shes 7.5 now and they still recognize us. Seafood mix plate, combo meat plate, spam musubi are always great options. Pieces, whether meat or seafood, are large and juicy and flavorful. They are busy enough so that the ingredients are fresh--good enough for me.

Good value, get plenty of food. After living in the islands for 8 years we found the food to be pretty good. The Chicken Katsu is spot on! We ordered the chicken teriyaki and it was good but not BBQ grilled like we get in Hawaii which is the best. Just passing through so won't get a chance to go back in awhile.

This place was recommended to me, so I went and looked and paid for parking, only to find out they DO NOT ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS. No seating either! So I went across the street to Guadalajara Tacqueria, where they had BOTH, plus parking in the back!

Food quality doesn't change from years back. Service is the same which is OK. Good price for the quantity and quality of the food is not bad!

There's an obscene amount of chicken in their chicken katsu plate $10.50. They double stacked it in the container. This dish tasted OK. It needed the katsu sauce for it to taste OK. The little cheeseburger $3.50 was disappointing. It was missing regular cheese burger ingredients like lettuce, tomato and onions. This hole in the wall restaurant didn't have seating due to Covid, so to-go only. Waiting for your food on the street can be chilly so bring a windbreaker. Good job staff at Hawaiian Drive Inn.

Consistent food quality. My go to neighborhood place for BBQ short rib, chicken and pork chop plate.

Really traditional food! We love Hawaiian food and are in hawaii every year and of you need a fix, this is the place. Will definitely be back again.

We keep coming back! It's that good. My boyfriend and I are so glad that we found this gem in our neighborhood. Whenever we are in a pinch for time and hungry, or just too lazy to cook, Hawaiian Drive Inn, is our go-to spot without a doubt. Our usual order is one Chicken Katsu plate and one combo plate with Chicken Katsu and BBQ short ribs. We can't get over how much food you get for the price and sometimes it's enough to split into two meals! The Chicken Katsu is crispy and fresh, without ever being greasy. The BBQ short ribs are full of flavor and grilled perfectly. I can be picky with how I like my jasmine rice and their rice is also fresh and fluffy. They were closed for a period in 2020 and we were devastated. We're so happy to see them open once again. Note that it is cash only! Customers pick up their orders at the entrance, so contact is kept to a minimum. Will continue to support locally own small businesses like Hawaiian Drive Inn!

Came on a Sunday afternoon around 12:20pm. No line. They're only doing takeout right now. Went up to the door and ordered. I was given a 10 minute estimate. Ordered the chicken katsu plate and teriyaki mix plate. They gave a lot of meat in both plates and allowed me to swap a scoop of rice for another scoop of mac salad. Katsu was good, crispy and moist. Teriyaki was too sweet. Beef was too chewy. Chicken was okay. Short ribs were overgrilled. I won't get the teriyaki again, but if I was ever craving katsu and was in the neighborhood, I would go. The portions are huge for the amount you pay. They're cash only, so make sure to bring some.

This is hands down still my favorite hawaiian bbq place. Prices are still cheap and portion sizes are still very generous, even after all these years. More than that, their quality is certainly second to none. Everything is pretty much made to order so you can sure that upon pickup, your fried fair is hot/crispy, cabbage is crunchy, and mac salad unctuous as ever. No seriously, that mac salad is worth every last calorie it contains. It's creamy and doesn't try to do too much. There's no weird tang (looking at you Ono) and you can also request double mac if you so choose. At this point, we've basically tried very protein option, but chicken katsu will forever have my heart. The fried fish, loco moco, and pork chops are close seconds though. Beef short ribs are mostly bones but does have a delicious grill flavor. When it comes to visits, I would say we are definitely bi-monthly regulars. We used to come much more often, but At this point in my life, I need to maintain some semblance of health, y'know.

Heads up: CASH ONLY! Been coming here for years and their portion sizes are sooo worth it for the price. Really cheap and affordable and so many options to choose from. My usual is a small chicken katsu plate and the katsu is always crunchy and juicy. Macaroni salad is good, rice is kind of like soft sushi rice, and katsu sauce poured on top is the cherry on top. Recommend ordering on the phone and going to pick up since it's faster than waiting outside. Due to COVID, they closed the inside of the establishment, so you have to order at the table at the door and wait outside for your order.

The only Hawaiian bbq I can eat ! Super nice clean and fast our big order was done in 10 min freshly made Our go to order is Bbq mix plate Chicken katsu Bbq cheeseburgers And bbq chicken masubis 10/10 recommend!

Where do I start with this place, Well I started going here back in high school and have never looked back. The food has always been the same quality and the sizes barely changed if any. Some of my favorites here are all of the musubis, the burgers, chicken katsu and BBQ chicken, but everything else is really solid and all great prices! The people working here are awesome hard working people and are very kind especially if you are to them. Unfortunately these days there aren't any seats to sit down and eat like before but for sure a great spot to grab and go, but make sure to order a head or be prepared to wait a little while they make your food as they do get really busy.

Note: This is for a takeout order we made in September 2020. OVERALL There are several Hawaiian BBQ restaurants in Excelsior, but this one is by far the busiest, always has a line of people waiting for their order. THE COST Super affordable. Dinner for two, plus leftovers, was $35. Just FYI, Mac & Cheese comes as a side with everything! THE WAIT They were very fast. We ordered around 5:30pm on a weekday, we were told 30 minutes, our food was ready in about 15. THE FOOD * Loco Moco - 4 stars. Surprisingly good, patties tender, runny yolk. * Chicken Katsu mini plate - 4 stars. Yum! Great breading. * Teri short rib mini plate - 3.5 stars. Tasty but meat tough! * BBQ Cheeseburger - 3 stars. So bad it's good! * Spam Musubi - 3.5 stars. Tasty spam, but the seaweed wrap was stale.

CASH ONLY AND HOLE IN THE WALL HAWAIIAN FOOD! alright so the name does not mean you can drive into the store, but what it can give you is tasty and filling food! This place is 5x better than the one on San Bruno Ave. Did I mention their musubis only come out to 2.55 a piece?? Heck yeah! Musubis are PACKED with rice. There's still a good amount of meat and sauce in the musubi. Just a heads up, their loco Moco does taste like cafeteria meat (as most other Hawaiian chains do), but they are super generous with their portions. This is my usual go-to with a musubi and I tend to have leftovers. If you like cheap, tasty Hawaiin food, please check this place out! :)

B We have been going to this Hawaiian Drive inn since our Senior year of high school. That's over 22 years!! They were closed for a few month for remodeling. They Re-opened the restaurant & the food taste great. The only reason it got 4 Stars It's because parking is hard to find in that areas

I was all for going to a different restaurant but they were closed. Im so glad this was within a block away. So glad. They have combo two items for 14.99. I picked short ribs and pork chop. I was in the mood for pork chops. Both were so juicy and nicely seasoned. Came on a bed of cabbage, macaroni salad that wasn't heavy with mayonnaise, and 2 scoops of rice. This was piping hot. They have all kinds of musubi, pan fried fresh.

Never disappoints! Been coming here for years! Their quality and service has not changed for many years except for their prices (thanks inflation) but they're quick and delicious! A go to spot for your Hawaiian fix!

Hawaiian Drive Inn may be a new go-to for plate lunches in the area. My boyfriend and I were craving a Hawaiian plate lunch and decided to try this place out since we would be in the area. They offer combo plates and mini plates. They are doing to-go orders during quarantine so we arrived and placed our order and we were told it would be about 10-15 minutes. It only took them about 5-7 minutes to put our order together. We were thankful for that because we were hungry! The combo plate that my boyfriend got included teriyaki chicken, beef and short ribs with rice and macaroni salad on the side. I got the chicken katsu mini plate with rice and Mac salad on the side. All of the food was delicious! Everything was flavored well and had the perfect texture. My chicken katsu was served with a teriyaki sauce on the side that went perfectly with my meal. I liked the option to order a mini plate because it was the perfect size for me (I actually had a little leftover because it was pretty full too). Highly recommend checking this place out if you're looking for a quick, easy and yummy plate lunch!

Holy crap! Wasn't expecting much but they give you HELLA food!!! I'm a big dude, and this is more than enough for 2 meals!

Hawaiian Drive Inn My bf and I are trying to hit up all the spots in San Francisco of what we consider to be "cheap eats" under a 15-dollar budget. The aroma, the hunger in my stomach, and the hospitality I felt as I walked through the door, made me feel right at home. We both ordered a regular Loco Moco, which came with two burger steaks, gravy, eggs, and a side of macaroni, all were topped with a massive serving of rice, and filled us right up! I was able to save my other half for my lunch the following day! I think my favorite part about this experience was that it was made to order, so it took some time, but fortunately, there wasn't anyone ahead of me so I was able to have my order fulfilled quickly for a 7 pm dinner on a Wednesday. I can't wait to try more items on their menu. All in all, it was a great experience and I will be sure to return in the future!

Fresh food, big portions, affordable prices, fast service. Highly recommend this Excelsior gem!

I was just talking to my Bestie about this particular Hawaiian Drive Inn. I told her this is the best one to go to. The food is super delicious. The seasoning is always on point with their meats. And they give you so much food. It's so cool to watch them cook and plate your order. The employees are always nice and make sure they get your order right. It's a small but very big restaurant. And most of all, their food is super delicious!