Jo Y.
Yelp
Opened on 10/2/1961 by Seiju "George" and Ayako Ifuku, Rainbow Drive In sits on its iconic location off of Kapahulu Ave. Seiju was raised in Okinawa and moved to HI to join the army where he learned to cook. After WWII, he worked at Kapiolani Drive In, and then opened Rainbow Drive In in Kapahulu. It served 50 cent chili rice plates, $1 bbq beef plates, 25 cent hamburgers, and 14 cent fries.
The Ifuku Family's philosophy was to serve plates with generous portions of hearty, simple foods with 2 scoops rice and side of mac salad at reasonable prices, which continues to be the restaurant's philosophy today. It kept prices low and focused on volume sold. Their target group was the working person and the Waikiki Beach crowd, as it was situated right outside of Waikiki. Seiju's son helped named the restaurant, as he lived in Manoa Valley ad saw frequent morning rainbows, hence, Rainbow Drive In became its name. Today, 3rd generation Chris Iwamura, who is the grandson of Seiju, oversees the restaurant today, which continues to be family owned and operated and sells 1,000+ plates daily!
Over the years, Rainbow Drive In was featured on Diners, Drives Ins and Drives, Hawaii 5-0, and Magnum PI. The publicity brought in many visitors (now 40% of all customers) that in 2005, a souvenir shop opened right next to the restaurant, selling logo wear and food items, e.g., original chili mix, related to the restaurant. The successful restaurant then expanded to 4 franchised locations in Kalihi, Pearlridge, Waipahu, and Ewa Beach, with each having its strengths and drawbacks.
Rainbow Drive In Kapahulu serves a mixture of Asian, American, and Hawaiian cuisines that include the following:
* Plate lunches: mix, bbq beef/pork, loco moco, mahi mahi, hamburger steak, Portuguese sausage + 2 eggs, bacon w/ 2 eggs, chili, beef/pork cutlet, boneless chicken + gravy, spam + 2 eggs, chili moco, shrimp tempura.
* Sandwiches & burgers: Rainbow Royal/Special, bbq pork/beef, spam, egg salad, mahi, boneless chicken, hamburger, cheeseburger, hot dog, chili dog, bacon, tuna salad.
* Sides: loco moco, saimin, chili rice, mac salad, fries, tater tots.
* Daily specials: shoyu chicken, roast pork w/ gravy, shoyu pork, fried saimin w/ bbq beef, chopped steak, bbq ahi, kalua pig & cabbage, beef stew, curry stew.
* Breakfast: special, fried rice, corned beef hash, arabiki, French toast, pancakes, waffles.
* Drinks: soft drinks, slush, slush float, tea, coffee, water, orange juice.
All plate lunches come with 2 scoops rice and 1 scoop mac salad. Fries can be substituted for rice, and cole slaw may be substituted for mac salad at no extra charge, which I like.
I normally order the boneless chicken + gravy with fries. I used to order the mix plate, but it is on the dry side without any gravy and there is an extra charge for gravy. The generous plates would last for several meals. In recent years, however, I notice that the quality of the food often is not the same as before, as their recipes haven't changed to reflect the times. While meat items are sometimes dry, the gravy is the lifesaver and yet plate lunches are comfort food that are sold in quantities based on nostalgia. It's a good deal if you're looking for a bargain. The popular ice float is always refreshing to have on a hot day, which I've always enjoyed! I also like the old-fashioned takeout boxes with covers that the plate lunches come in, which may be of an added cost, but is nostalgic to Rainbow Drive In from the get-go.
A few years back, my favorite was their fried half chicken, which they no longer offer. It took about half hour to prepare, so I can imagine it was time consuming and therefore, removed from their menu. I wish they could bring that back!
Construction workers appear to like their plates. Whenever I do repairs at my home and need to feed lunch to the workers, they enjoy anything from Rainbow Drive In!
Staff is friendly, efficient and works quickly; however, during the busy lunch hour, there is a wait to get your orders, as staff is working as quickly as they can and at times, may have a shortage of workers. It's best to call in your order, as it will be ready for pickup when you arrive.
Rainbow Drive In has a rewards program. At first, I wasn't aware of it, but was told by staff when I called in an order and paid by credit card upon pick up. Staff enrolled me quickly with discounts on future purposes.
Hours of operation are Mon to Sun 7a to 9p. There is a private parking lot for the restaurant that gets very busy during meal times. Just wait on the side, as people come and go.
The iconic Rainbow Drive In Kapahulu still sits where it started 64 years ago and offers the same classic dishes! This nostalgic establishment is part of history which will always have generations saying that time stands still and will always have conversations about these classic local dishes! Support local!