Hawaian Drive-Inn

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

The food is prepared infront and is very delicious. Adequate seating and cook time is short (10-15) minutes. Pricing is very good and features great amount of food per meal.

just know that looks are deceiving about this place, and you're grateful for that, otherwise they'd have a legitimate reason to charge a lot more. the food is awesome, especially for the price, and they make your order fast if you call ahead. highly recommended!!!...

i think this spot has the best hawaiian bbq hands down. has a huge selection of plates and food. also offers Portuguese sausage and chicken katsu musubi. most places only offer spam. after ordering from here, i usually fall into a food coma 5/5

This is the original if you want real Hawaiian BBQ you need to come to Hawaiian drive inn. I've been eating here for over 20 years, and it's still $10 for a teriyaki mix plate. Love it!

Best Hawaiian bbq in the city been going here since I was a youngster still go here great customer service they may sound rude but they not. They good people

Still my favorite Hawaiian food hole in the wall eatery in SF. The owners here just pile on so much food for each order. You can literally make 3 meals out of a regular plate order!

You know the portion size is great when it sets off the airbag alarm on your passenger seat. 🤣 Nice people, yummy food, great value.

Chicken Katsu plate was huge. Mac salad was so good! I liked the spam musubi too. I will be back to try the bbq plate and other things. It all looked so good.

Heard good things about this place and it's all true. The mini plates are a steal in today's economy and the food is fire. It is cash only, however, so make sure you bring cash. Beef rib eye and katsu are among my fave.

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 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.

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

Great food and great prices! A lot of food and very affordable. One of the best deals in town.

This is my go to cheap eats for hawaiin BBQ! Love the loco moco and chicken! I highly recommend. Good food for cheap. That's a winner in my book!

Harry

Heard good things about this place and it's all true. The mini plates are a steal in today's economy and the food is fire. It is cash only, however, so make sure you bring cash. Beef rib eye and katsu are among my fave.

amag13

Chicken Katsu plate was huge. Mac salad was so good! I liked the spam musubi too. I will be back to try the bbq plate and other things. It all looked so good.

Graeme Lindsay

You know the portion size is great when it sets off the airbag alarm on your passenger seat. 🤣 Nice people, yummy food, great value.

Janny Huang

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 😮

Anna

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.

Brayden Noh

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

Michael Louie

Great food and great prices! A lot of food and very affordable. One of the best deals in town.

Michael Lee DS

This is my go to cheap eats for hawaiin BBQ! Love the loco moco and chicken! I highly recommend. Good food for cheap. That's a winner in my book!

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.

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!!

This place is the truth. Growing up in Hawaii, I can honestly say Hawaiian food on the mainland usually doesn't hit the same -- but this spot is a true taste of home. The portions are generous and the plate was full. I got the katsu and BBQ chicken combo -- everything was fire. The chicken was tender, the katsu was crispy and juicy, and they gave a generous amount of mac salad (which most places never do). I usually have to order double mac, but this was more than enough. Food came out fast, fresh, and the prices are great too. 10/10 --top tier. Highly recommend if you're craving real Hawaiian plate lunch.

Stopped by Hawaiian Drive Inn and loved it, the food is tasty and filling, and the staff is really friendly. A casual spot that’s perfect for a quick and satisfying meal."

**CA$H ONLY** The $9.99 "mini" plate with katsu/other meat + rice + Mac salad is an unreal value in SF. Delicious and ready so fast. To-go only.

The food and service are always top notch. Maybe the cities best kept secret. To go & cash only.

Take out spot. Pretty fast service. Great food and generous portion sizes while being affordable! Got the Mini Chicken Katsu and was more than enough for me.

This is the BEST Hawaiian restaurant in all of SF. Do not mess with any of the other fakers out there. Hawaiian Drive Thru rules!!!!!!!

Might be the best cheap cheeseburger I’ve had

Joey Sullivan

**CA$H ONLY** The $9.99 "mini" plate with katsu/other meat + rice + Mac salad is an unreal value in SF. Delicious and ready so fast. To-go only.

Seth Krauthamer

This is the BEST Hawaiian restaurant in all of SF. Do not mess with any of the other fakers out there. Hawaiian Drive Thru rules!!!!!!!

Jordan Gerner

The food and service are always top notch. Maybe the cities best kept secret. To go & cash only.

Mia Rex

Take out spot. Pretty fast service. Great food and generous portion sizes while being affordable! Got the Mini Chicken Katsu and was more than enough for me.

Taysia Crabtree

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!!

Jason Kung

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.

Sheryl Maria Fontanilla

I've been coming here for almost 20 years and now I take my daughter here. We absolutely love it! The consistency has remained the same the whole time, portions are large and the food is always delicious. This is my favorite Hawaiian spot in all of SF.

Joanna Taamu

Been coming here since I was a little girl. Food is good, customer service is good. But the parking, not so good(street parking). But it's worth it. Love the workers there. Been loyal customers for so long. And then they do delivery after 4pm(right after work, I'm ordering on my way home). They have 4 tables, 4 chairs per table and 1 table closer to the register(before the remodeling). But I can't wait to see how it looks after.

You'll be accosted by the smell of caramelizing teriyaki sauce about a block before you see this place, but that gets you in the mood for some tasty Hawaiian food. It's cheap and does a brisk trade for take out and dine-in at the tables at the back. The Teriyaki chicken is reliable, the loco moco is nice as well. You can't go to far wrong given the price. The shop itself is a bit dingy, but you're not here for the atmosphere.

Great hawaiian food with fair prices. The proportions are quite generous. I always get the chicken katsu mini plate, which is about $4.25 + tax. It tastes so good! You can watch them prepare your order because it's an open grill. The spam musubi is also delicious. I've tried the mahi mahi too. It was good, but not as good as I had expected.

Dont sleep on Hawaiin Drive Inn....A Good Cheap meal...its not the healthiest food & its not abt eating there.."TAKE OUT" is what U want. The chicken katsu keeps me coming back ,the panko crust on the katsu is all the way right -BB

Good portions reasonable price good food!

Cash only. Original Hawaii BBQ, excellent cheese burger, good macaroni side for all dishes. My kids love it. Low prices. Short wait time. Didn’t give the extra star because the rice is not steamed and mushy.

I ordered the only egg item on the menus which came with Philippine sausage so salty that it was inedible to me. A young hungry person would think it was delicious.

As a diabetic type 2, I can't eat this food. Before I ate this bbq and rice and macaroni salad or potato salad or Cole slaw. The sweet rich bbq taste is great and you can smell the tropics. Service is fast and eat there or take it to go. Prices are reasonable and parking can be difficult.

The clutch short order burger/katsu/teriyaki/spam musubi spot for the neighborhood. Parklet has 4 tables but only 2 tables accommodate 2+ people. If you're going to get the double cheeseburger, consider just 2 whole cheeseburgers, for the cost. If you're going for chicken katsu, I would recommend Aloha BBQ, down the street across from Safeway.

Pretty good spot for Hawaiian BBQ. I've had the Teriyaki Beef Sandwich which is just that but with lettuce. Could be better but it's only $3.99 ($4.50), so I'm it going to complain too much. Pretty small place, and equally small area to stand when waiting for your food. No chairs. I like it though.

Alex Snazell-Holding

Pretty good spot for Hawaiian BBQ. I've had the Teriyaki Beef Sandwich which is just that but with lettuce. Could be better but it's only $3.99 ($4.50), so I'm it going to complain too much. Pretty small place, and equally small area to stand when waiting for your food. No chairs. I like it though.

Judy Wong

Good portions reasonable price good food!

Stephen Jin

Cash only. Original Hawaii BBQ, excellent cheese burger, good macaroni side for all dishes. My kids love it. Low prices. Short wait time. Didn’t give the extra star because the rice is not steamed and mushy.

Hawaiian Drive Inn #28 , is my weekly lunch indulgence ( Trade Joe Salads the other 4 days normally). But once a week is about right to keep my craving for a meat heavy meal sated. The plates come with Rice, and Macaroni Salad with the regular plates getting 2 scoops of Rice, and the minis a single scoop. (The Macaroni Salad is warm, simple and yet very tasty) Meats are cooked on a grill, and are tender and well marinated, and the Panko covered Chicken that will go into the deep fryer is pounded flat, and is oh so good. My favorites are the Chicken Katsu, and Teriyaki Steak but they also have Korean Style Ribs, Chops, and Fish. One of the more popular offerings seems to be the Musubi that can be made with things like Spam, and Portuguese Sausage (This is sort of like Sushi but at the same time its not). The couple that mans the front are efficient, and somewhat friendly and during the weekday it is not hard to find parking. Prices are reasonable, and you can expect the following. Regular size plates run about $7 - $8 Mini size plates cost about $5 Musubi is $1.80 per piece but a few of them easily make a filling meal. Sandwiches / Burgers if that is your speed are less then $3 Parking is easy but it is metered, and patrolled so bring some dimes and nickles. Food cooks fast but if you might want to call ahead, and place your order so it is ready for pickup. Balboa High School is only 2 short blocks away so expect to see the kids, and some of the teachers here during school days getting their lunch.

What I Ordered - Mini Chicken Katsu with Macaroni Salad - Teri Beef Saimin My friend suggested places to eat in SF. I don't think I will trust her judgment again lol. Two of the places she suggested were not that great to be honest. The mini chicken katsu was okay. The katsu sauce could use some work. The macaroni salad was super bland! The one king I love about Hawaiian BBQ is having Mac salad with my chicken katsu. I never like eating rice but, this time I did because the mac salad sucked lol. The Teri beef saimin was not that much better. It was more like cabbage soup with beef. I won't be ordering from here again.

It is a small Hawaiian food joint in the Outer Mission with not many amenities. Having said that, their Hawaiian BBQ Cheeseburgers are so good, that I usually order one when I am in the area. I ordered the combo, which comes with fries, which were nothing notable, and a drink, which has included those Hawaiian fruit drinks, and the first time I ate here, I had the passionfruit drink. Since then, I have come here several times, only to order their BBQ cheeseburger, which they make to order. Their storefront looks like they have probably been there for decades. Their overall menu is typical Hawaiian food, however I have tried very little of it, as I am stuck on their BBQ Cheeseburger, considering there are few places I know of that makes a memorable burger these days.

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

pheiona Gaynor

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

Mushy RICE. The Resturant looks dirty from the outside. Although the chicken was grilled well done, the rice was mushy, terrible taste, and the food has no seasoning. I do NOT recommend eating here.

Plates literally come with a piece of meat and a little cabbage. I'd go to aloha right down the road for better food and value! Also ordered two katsu chickens and they only delivered one ordered. 1/10 would not come back.