Meg’s Drive-In

Great plate lunches and love there burgers. Tried the beef stew, breaded Mahi Mahi, and the chicken cutlet. Good food and the cashier Ruby is awesome and provides excellent customer service. Great to have a eatery like this in the heart of Kalihi. One of the specials which they rarely make is the Swiss steak.

Had a craving for beef stew and found Meg’s Drive-​in on Unilocal.Absolutely awesome beef stew. They even had brown rice to go with it and mac salad. Price was very affordable and portion was perfect. Lots of meat and vegetables. Totally suggest if you love beef stew, head on down!

I haven’t been here for years, I remember the food being tasty and plentiful. I wated to try something different., so I chose the Seafood combo. The plate had a skewer of (4) med size shrimp and a slice of Ahi steak and served with tartar sauce and a piece of lemon. My wf had the BBQ burger w/​fries. she said the fries were good, and my son had the chicken Katsu which was plentiful, similar to L & L. I think I’ll go back to my seafood combo at St. Louis D.I.

I’ve only been here once. I heard that the beef stew was good, so I ordered it. I really liked it, but it would be nice if the portions were larger.

Today I went in for my first visit to megs drive in. My girlfriend turned me into their cheeseburger a few months back, and ever since then I’ve been craving them. Like stay up all night fascinating about the cheeseburgers craving.
I went in on a Thursday at 3:20pm. The place was completely empty. I walked up to the counter where I seen the cashier lady and said hello. She pretty much ignored me and didn’t return the greeting. After a few minutes of mindlessly fiddling with the napkin holder she decided to walk over and take my order.
I ordered the double cheese burger and a side fries for $ 5.92. I asked if the yellow came with the order and she said yes. But when I got my food there was no sauce to be found. Then I went up to ask her if the sauce comes with the order again and she said it was 52¢.
So the food… the double cheeseburger was just as I remembered, thin but very tasty. I wish I had remembered to get it deluxe as to add some healthy component to my meal. The side of fries $ 2.25 was surprisingly delicious. They are thin cut and crispy like McDonald’s fries, but not overly salty the way McDs can be. I think it’s my favorite fry I’ve ever tried.
I would give them four stars if the service had been more friendly with me. It thew me off a bit at how quick she greeted the lady that walked in after I ordered. And given that and a cleaner feel to the dining room I’d give them 5.
I will go back to try the zing wings

Ahh, such a great start to my morning. I’ve been craving a good breakfast plate and I’ve found it. And at a really good price! I ordered the breakfast plate and a side order of pancakes (short short stack). The service is very fast and efficient. There’s no wait and I love it. Planning on coming here another morning !

If you want a location that serves good beef stew Meg’s is the place to go. I have not eaten here in a while and was craving beef stew so I went. It is located on Waikamilo Street across from McDonald’s in Kalihi.
The beef stew is one of the best stews in Oahu. It is not the typical tomato base ones but has a nice hearty beef flavor with plenty of beef and vegetables. A plate is around $ 8 and comes with 2 scoops rice and mac salad. If a plate is not what you are looking for they also have stew bowls from $ 4.50.

So HAPPY to see Ruby back! She is our favorite counter person that handles the afternoon/​night time shift. Really great worker that is always friendly.
FOOD: Now I can get my Deep Fried Hot Dogs (which goes great with an order of French Fries and a side of Yellow Sauce) again.
PARKING: Several stalls in front of the restaurant reserved for customers though it can get crowded at times.

Yellow Sauce, Yellow Sauce, Yellow Sauce! Smother this yummy dressing all over a bag of fries and you will certainly know why I keep coming back!
Meg’s Drive-​In has been a permanent fixture on Waiakamilo Road for many years. I stop in in the mornings on the way to the place I spend most of my daytime hours. (Though it is a JOB and WORK, I don’t think of it that way. I love what I do and my bosses. But that’s a story for another time)
As you approach the Drive-​In, you can see the outdoor seating from the street. Six or so tablebooths. In the customer parking lot, there are fourish parking stalls fronting the business. See the name painted in the stalls.
Ten or so table inside the open air (ish) dining room. The front door remains open all day. The tablebooths are fixed, meaning, seats can’t move away from the table. Tables inside have independent seating.
The cashiers are really friendly and patient, for those of us who need to read the entire menu before approaching the counter.
I love beef curry and miss the curry Masa’s served when they were on Liliha and Kuakini, many years ago. (If anyone is familiar with Masa’s curry, and know someplace that makes similar, let me know.)
Meg’s beef curry is really good and comes in at a close second. Lots of tender pieces of beef, carrots and potatoes. Not a very strong curry flavor. Just right.
I ordered the 16oz. ala carte portion to go (I had leftover rice at home). A
The french fries are skinny fries. 90% of the time I get fresh fries. 10% of the time I get half old half fresh. Today I got all fresh. A
Also ordered a side of yellow sauce, which they charge for. (This sauce reminds me of the sauce Tasty Freeze in Waianae used to serve, except there weren’t any chunks of pickles in theirs. Smooth and creamy.) I’m not sure of ALL the ingredients to this sauce, but I want to say Mayo, mustard, and relish or relish juice. I tried to duplicate it at home, but failed. Anyhow, this sauce over grilled potatoes, hash browns, tater tots, french fries, is the bomb y-​all! A++++
More favorites are the cheeseburger and double cheese burger, which are both topped with, of course, YELLOW SAUCE. Just can’t escape it, and don’t want to!
Go get some!

The owner is a very rude
Can’t even act professional ar all
Can tell came from a loser family
No father or mother
Don’t go here .
They sell spoil food to you and don’t even give refunds

I ordered the popular beef stew and green river. The beef stew was a little fatty for my taste but still very good its served with rice and macaroni salad. The Green River is a drink that’s simply delicious I’d come back just for that!

I grew up in Kalihi, and It’s been a long time since I’ve been here. But you know what? Coming here for the first time in yeeearrs, brought back good memories for me because it seems like while everything moved on with the times, Meg’s stood still. Nothing fancy. No fancy tables or chairs, just a local drive-​in with lots of local customers grinding out in a casual setting.
They have a little patio like area outside, and enclosed seating on the inside. It’s very clean and well kept, and the employees are all very friendly, and «auntie like».
After I left, I thought to myself I should have ordered the steamed fish because while sitting there waiting for my food, 2 people walked in and ordered it. Plus, the pics on Unilocal looks good. But the chicken katsu also got good reviews, and so that’s what I got. Just like the reviews describes, it was good. Very light and crunchy. I didn’t care for the sauce so much because I tend to like it sweeter, but it’s okay because I don’t drench in it anyway.
Until next time. Meg’s, don’t change. I like you just the way you are.

The beef stew is really good… I will be back to try more of their popular plates then I can make a better review on this place… all in all its a good plate lunch place… I just wish they would give bigger portions

This is a classic Hawai’i take-​out diner. When I eat here, I feel like I can forget about Kaka’ako and Haleiwa changing and just focus on the good things in Hawai’i life like beef stew and hamburger steak. If you’re in the neighborhood, stop by this Kalihi gem.
Heads up: parking can be rough.

Sketchy neighborhood? Check.
Limited parking? Check.
Ran out of Hawaiian plate? Check.
Came here for dinner wanting to try the Hawaiian plate but they ran out so opted for the katsu chicken and mahi instead. Parking was a pain because the restaurant is on a busy street with limited parking outside the lot. Drove around and found a homeless encampment around the corner. Katsu and mahi were average, not worth the drive just to get those items. Will try to visit earlier next time and try the Hawaiian plate.

First time here. Had good reviews and we kept driving past it on the way home. One of my customers gave me a gift card for Meg’s and I’ve been meaning to use it for a long while. This place is on the right side going Mauka on Waiakamilo just before the Chevron gas station.
Ok, here we go!
First thing was parking… There’s several stalls right in front designated for them. We got there for the last one cause the rest of the parking lot was packed! Turn around were pretty quick and cars came in and out pretty quickly.
We walked in and it was really clean and neat. We were very impressed at how clean the kitchen and dining areas were! There’s a small dining area inside and another along the street side. The daily specials/​menu boards were big and clear. Prices I think we’re a lil pricy, but ehh support the small local places that’s left around here yeah? Oh yeah, and they got a green placard from DOH! Hehehe.
Ok so, get parking… Check. Clean/​neat… Check. Friendly staff… Check. Green placard… Check. Menu/​daily specials clear… Check. Hmmm… What’s next… Oh! The food! Right!
Ok, I got the surf & turf, which was $ 11.25. (The menu board says «market price») There was 4 small garlic shrimps on a skewer, a decent cut of ¼″ steak (simple salt/​pepper seasoning), a nice ½″ thick filet of a white fish (sorry, forgot what kind… Maybe ahi?), 2 scoops rice, and Mac salad. The flavor was simple and not overpowering the food. The fish seemed a bit dry and over cooked and the steak was a wee bit tough. Hey… Psst… They got the Green River!!! I got me a medium size, which looks kinda like a large. (Happy camper here!!)
My wife had the Hawaiian plate (daily special) that was $ 9.00. That had pork laulau, a bowl of beef stew, 2 scoops rice, small cup of lomi lomi salmon (plenty salmon that was the same size as the tomatoes and onions), ¼ of what looked like a small Maui or Ewa onion, and a small cup of salt so you could season the laulau yourself. She really liked the lomi lomi salmon, which says something cause she usually doesn’t like raw onions.. She liked the laulau as well as the beef stew. There was 2 pieces of beef, 1 piece carrot, and 1 potato. She was impressed they could all fit in the bowl cause the pieces were at least 1−2″ cubes! (I wanna try that next time cause it smelt so good!)
We also got a side (7pcs) of the zings spicy chicken wings for $ 6.00. The batter kinda reminded me of KFC and Popeyes, but with a spicy kick at the end. The flavor was good!
Ok here’s the… I wouldn’t say «bad» part, but we (wifey and I) agreed that the next time we go there and we have time to eat there we would. We think the food would taste better if we ate it while it was hot and fresh. See here, we took it to go and went home to eat. And of course we got stuck in traffic (go figure, eh?)! Doh!!!. When we got home about 45mins later, we were surprised to find the food still warm! So you know it was steamin hot when we got it!
So… Hot/​fresh food… Check. Now would we go back… Heck yeeeaaahh! Thanks Meg’s for a good experience and food! See ya next time!

New to this place. Moderate price with average plate lunch cost $ 8.50. Had the bbq hamburger steak. It was tasty but not worth the 8 $. Would be better to have 2 Pattie s instead of one. N the two scoops rice n Mac were also kinda small. I’m a big guy so two plate lunches would have made me full. Anyways the menu is diverse, parking tight but would eat here again.

Went for dinner. Tried the Chicken Katsu Curry. Loved it! The only negative was that their curry tasted old.

After Kenny’s Restaurant closed in Kamehameha Shopping Center, I’ve been searching for the best liver with bacon and onions plate and have not found it till I visited Meg’s. I’ve tried others but it wasn’t prepared how I like it. Thank you Meg’s, for being so close to my home and for finally satisfying my liver craving. Even the onions are cooked how I like them. Please don’t stop making this!

First time eating here & I have to say that the food is very Ono. I ordered the Chicken Katsu & a green river drink to go.
Service was very good & the lady at the counter was very friendly. She told me that the Chicken Katsu may take a little more time which I didn’t mind waiting. It was worth the wait! Don’t forget to get some refreshing Green River with your order.
Parking is very limited but luckily someone was leaving when I pulled in the lot! I will be back!

First time eating here tonight, on a Tuesday. Found a parking spot right away. Pretty chill place, maybe 10 or so tables inside. Finding a table, no problemo. Service was quick & gal that took our order at the counter was ok. I had the wing dings. They were seasoned a bit on the salty-​side for my personal taste, but they were crispy & Meg’s wasn’t stingy on the chicken. I might have these again in the future. My husband had the beef stew which was ono. Not a huge portion, but the beef was pretty tender. You don’t feel like you’re chewing a dog toy lol. I will probably order this next time we come. Oh yes, there will be a next time. Thank you, Meg’s.

I was recommended to try the beef curry plate. It was reasonably priced with a decent amount of food! It barely lastd 7 minutes!

Saimin is popular for a reason, its good. Food is good and made fast. I would call ahead if takeout only since parking is a premium.
I recommend this oldy type drive in. AND yes they have green river.

Good vibes here; classic drive inn atmosphere. Don’t come anticipating over the top friendly service, they ain’t there to please the tourists, most of the customers that swing through are locals… well that’s my observation at least.
But the food’s good and the menu offers almost every classic Hawaiian dish you can think of. Forget L&L’s, this is where ya wanna go to get some good grub. Especially if you’re hungry, cause their portions are pretty generous. Our chicken katsu w/​curry over the top sat for a little while before we ate it, but it was still bomb, so I can only imagine what it’d be like if we ate it while it was fresh and crunchy. My bf luhhhhv’d their Zing chicken wings, he said and I quote, «These are the best wings I’ve never had!». Tbh, I don’t agree… but they’re are still pretty damn good.
I like the area, a bit quieter, almost industrial feel. Which is coo if you wanna escape the city where parking is a b*tch and dine at a chill spot.

Stopped here to pick up lunch, for kids & me
since they are on Spring Break.
They were busy!
I placed my order & waited close to 15 mins.
I finally got the fish. #yay
This was on my mind, since the last visit.
Today I got:
Chicken Katsu Curry– Sep. sauce, 25 cents extra.
7 piece spicy wing zing — 6.00, (for 2 dollars more, I could get a plate instead)
& the Chinese style fish, Thursday & Friday Special.
This is mediocre, taste exactly like the steam fish at the Chinese restaurant.
except your eating it local style with mac. salad.
FYI: the fish they use is Basa fish.
Nexts time, I want to try the roast turkey special & Mochiko Chicken.
My plan is to try different items every visit. ;0)
Overall– We enjoyed our food today & We had leftovers for the nexts day.

When you ask people what is their go-​to place for chicken katsu, you’ll often hear «L&L» and «Grace’s». What I don’t hear very often is «Meg’s Drive-​In», which puzzles me because their chicken katsu is AMAZING. Perhaps it’s because they only have one location in Kalihi, or maybe it’s because they don’t advertise. I wouldn’t have known about their chicken katsu if it weren’t for a couple of friends on social media who kept telling me to check their katsu out. So I did, and they were right. It’s good! It’s crispy, not greasy, and the chicken is moist.
Parking can be a challenge. They have a few dedicated spots in the parking lot, which are often taken during peak meal times. If you are patient, you can wait for one to open up, since many customers eat and run, or are picking up take-​out orders.
Order and pick up is at the counter. They have inside and outside seating which is always clean and inviting.

The other day I was driving through Kalihiville with my co-​worker in tow and suddenly had a mad craving for a plate lunch! Not just any-​kind skinny boy plate lunch! I mean BIG TREE-​PLUS LOCAL BOYS plate lunch, but where? How about that old greasy-​spoon diner on Waiakamilo Road called…
MEG’S DRIVE-​IN!
Ahh yes! *Light bulb shines brightly in head* One of those places you simply forget about, but a truly local landmark that should be on every tourists map in Waikiki! Nope, it’s not in prime real estate beach location, in fact, this dated diner is located across the projects (is that politically correct?) or housing in the heart of the industrial area of Kalihi! Pretty cool, huh? A simple diner caught in a Hawaiian time warp, circa 1950 – 1960’s! Yet, it so belongs here!
MEG’S DRIVE-​IN!
So, as we approach this place, I realize I haven’t been here in years or has it been decades? I kick myself thinking have I’ve become a snob avoiding places like this? I mean it’s guaranz I’ll be well fed aka KANACK ATTACK! We walk in and immediately feel like small french fries in here, as some pretty BIG BOYS are already grinding away! I mean BIG TREE-​PLUS LOCAL BOYS! Hey, you know what? These boys sure as heck know food, right? In fact, inside joke amongst some old-​time Unilocalers… Would you feel more confident eating at a place with a skinny 98-​pound Gold Elite Unilocaler? Or, more confident with a 300-​pound smiling behemoth with forearms as big as your thighs?
MEG’S DRIVE-​IN!
Yup! BIG BOYS EQUALS BIG GRINDS! So, after perusing the BIG menu & «Specials» board we order…
CHICKEN KATSU CURRY ($ 8+tax): The chicken katsu was nicely fried with juicy meat & perfect golden brown exterior! Rice was fluffy & fresh (choice of brown rice too) and Mac salad! The curry was rich & tasty! GRADE: A
PORK GISANTES ($ 8.00+tax): Delicious pieces of sliced pork marinated in a tomato based sauce! Unlike most places consisting of a ton of peas, bones and fat… Here it was all about the MEAT! Meaty! Taste was spot-​on! Rice
was fluffy & fresh and Mac salad homemade! GRADE: A
The workers aka «Aunties» were «local nice» and efficient!
Hey, at least they were smaller than us! Haha! However, on this day the patrons were BIG BOYS from the area… Then I realized it was lunch hour and we were in the industrial part of town! Most were very hard-​working blue-​collared workers the size of Jesse Sapolu (NFL football legend and local boy from Kalihi)! RESPECTS, YO!
So yup, I definitely recommend…
MEG’S DRIVE-​IN!
A place that keeps it simple and honest! Generous and delicious local comfort foods! A place that has survived the fast-​food invasion and the fancy schmancy places with over-​priced salads in town! Don’t expect «Pacific Rim Cuisine» or «Asian Fusion» in here! If you do… Keep on walking, Brah! But if you want a truly local plate lunch, I mean BIG TREE-​PLUS LOCAL BOYS plate lunch… This is the place! Okay, I won’t completely ignore the skinny 98-​pound Gold Elite Unilocaler, heck many are my RL friends, but I’ll only stick with their advice for fancy salads and cheesecake bites! Sorry, TBH I’ll follow the BIG BOYS for a BIG PLATE LUNCH… THEY KNOW! KANACK ATTACK!
OVERALL GRADE: 4.2-STARS!
LIVE ALOHA…
Unilocal REVIEW #431

One of the last remaining diners I can recall that still exist on Oahu. Located on Waikamilo Road, this place still serves up the local dishes that Hawaii people have come to love.
Being that I work in the area, I frequent this place for lunch not only because the food is good, but the price is great. You can get a plate lunch consisting of rice, mac salad and meat for about $ 8 – 9.
Daily specials are posted and if you are dying to try something make sure you call before you go down. They tend to run out of the specials, which leads me to believe that its just that good.
I consistently go for the Boneless Teri Chicken. It is truly boneless and the breading doesn’t soak up the sauce to make the taste to strong. The chicken is tender and soft, so its was to cut with a fork. There are days that I don’t want rice, so I will do an all Mac. Yes… im from Hawaii so I love Mayo!
There 2 windows, so if you are feeling like you want to enjoy the outside views and air, you can order from the outside take out window. If you are one that needs covered seats, you can dine inside. Its all about choices.
The ladies that work the window are very helpful. They can recommend plates depending on how you feel or what you are craving that day. Always friendly and with a smile.
Go check this place out if you are in the area. This is one of the last local diners and it does bring memories back

Those three stars stand for three and a HALF stars. Just so you know.
After driving past this place roughly two thousand and three times my little family and I finally stopped in.
Here’s the assessment:
Cheeseburgers: Winner! My kids loved these and I enjoyed whatever sauce was slathered onto the bun.
BBQ burger w/​lettuce and tomato: These were great as well, though you need to ask for mayo if you’re not big on dry buns. Dry burger buns. Not dry buttocks. I would think everyone prefers their buttocks dry unless they are very… special. Incidentally, if you enjoy your burgers with a more balanced ratio of meat to burger, you may want to go for the doubles. They are possibly the tiniest burger patties I have ever seen.
Saimin: Surprisingly delicious.
Beef stew: I allowed several rave reviews to pressure me into this. Sadly, I thought it was absolutely disgusting. For perspective, I like my beef stew on the tomato-​y side with a bit of sweetness like at Young’s Fish Market (which is almost too sweet), so if you are like me I advise you to absolutely NOT order the beef stew because you will hate it. However, if you are someone who will eat stew from a can and enjoys a good jaw workout and the delightful sensation of meat stabbing your gums forever and ever because it’s wedged between your molars, then you will probably love it.
On another note, we returned a few days later for burgers and fries, and the burgers were noticeably different. The BBQ burger seemed to lack BBQ sauce and the cheeseburgers had very little of the special mayo thing they put on it. So… inconsistent. Hopefully that day was a fluke.

Oh Meg’s. You got that lovin’ feelin’.
This place takes me back. Nice aunties working the register. Clean interior but that comforting oldies look. Prices that leave some money in your wallet.
And mean grindz, brah. Quintessential plate lunch, local food, done goooooood. I always come for breakfast. Corned beef hash. Banana pancake. Grilled Cheese. Mashed potato gravy on the side. Hey, if you eat it in the morning, iz breakfast, right?
Awwwwriiiight.
Parking: There’s a few stalls reserved specifically for Meg’s right in front of it.
Did you know Aala Meat Market is right next door. Grab one plate lunch, den go pick up dat wagyu steak for some mean bbq.

It’s like Rainbow Drive-​In but I think for locals. It definitely made it feel legit.
+Hawaiian drive-​in food. We had the loco moco, it was good. They’re known for their beef stew so we also sampled that and it was yummy. Really good over some rice. My bf ordered the Mahi Mahi since he wanted something healther, that was very lackluster and was served with super mayo-​y macaroni salad, I think that’s something you can skip. Stick to the greasy fare if you’re coming here.
–Service was eh and the restaurant was greasy/​dirty. It was a little off putting.
–Parking, there’s only two designated parking spots for the diner.
–Cash only.

Classic local greasy spoon where you’ll find a variety of inexpensive plate lunches, sandwiches, burgers, and saimin. Since you order at the counter, you save on the tip too!
I had the cheeseburger and fries that comes with a drink for $ 5. Great combo, especially with green river! My husband had the zing wings which comes with two scoops of rice and mac salad. The wings were really tasty and had a flavorful coating.