Ron R.
Yelp
It's been years since I've visited Hawaii. So like Shake Shack in New York, or Whataburger in Texas, or even Roscoe's in SoCal, I felt the need to try Zippy's in Hawaii before the end of my vacation. No relevance in food categories, but I had to try the local 'love it or hate it' food chain in-person. Glad I tried it too! Here's the scoop:
Dining / Atmoshphere:
~ I don't recall seeing tables, but there were good-sized booths, and they appeared to be clean. Nothing fancy, just setup similar to a Denny's or IHOP.
~ Average talking family noise-level type of atmosphere. It did get a bit louder, as it got busier in the short time we were here.
Food / Service:
~ Chicken Trio ($17.25) to try it all! This had chicken katsu, a fried chicken thigh, and Korean fried chicken with rice and mac salad. I didn't care for the mac salad as it was bland imo. The katsu I liked, but the KFC and thigh was a bit over-fried. I used the chili (no beans) to soften things up.
~ Zip Pac Deluxe ($20.95) was a local favorite with steak, crispy fish, a slice of spam, and a fried chicken thigh. Mac salad and chili on the side. This was a better combo with a little bit of everything.
~ Zippy's Famous Chili ($3.05 small bowl side) which is what they're known for and the reason why I wanted to come here in the first place. And I gotta say, it tastes just as good as their frozen chili packs from Costco lol. It's a versitile chill that can go well in a burger or hot dog. But good with any type of fried chicken in this case, I guess. I still liked it.
~ Grilled Cornbread ($3.10) good stuff. Not too buttery and not too dry. I dig it!
~ Napple Apple pie ($4.40), now this came out warmed up and yummy too!
~ As for service, we were helped by Jadelyn, who was on-point from start to finish! She made decent suggestions, took our order, and filled our water glasses when needed. When It got busier, she kept things positive and kept on smiling. She's the reason for the fourth star. Otherwise, Zippy's gets a 2- or 3-star review out of me.
In closing, will I be back? Probably, but only to try a Chili Omelette with a side of Chili Cheese Fries. At least now I can tell folk, "Yes, I've been to Zippy's, and I'm glad they are all over Hawaii!"