History
The loco moco came out of Hilo's Lincoln Grill in 1949 when a gang of teenagers called the Lincoln Wreckers asked owner Nancy Inouye for a cheap, fast lunch. She dropped rice in a saimin bowl, topped with a hamburger patty, a fried egg and brown gravy. The first boy nicknamed Loco gave the dish its name. Cafe 100 in Hilo, opened in 1946 by 442nd Infantry veteran Richard Miyashiro, now sells 29 variations. Rainbow Drive-In in Kapahulu Honolulu has slung the canonical version since 1961.
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Common allergens: Gluten, Egg, Dairy
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 400g ground beef (80/20 chuck)
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Sea salt, black pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 350ml beef stock
- 1 tablespoon shoyu (Japanese soy sauce)
- 2 large eggs
- 400g cooked short-grain rice, kept hot
Method
- Mix the beef with Worcestershire, a heavy pinch of salt and several grinds of pepper. Shape into 2 patties about 2cm thick.
- Heat a heavy skillet over high heat. Sear the patties 3 minutes per side for medium. Transfer to a warm plate.
- Lower the heat to medium. Add the butter and onion to the skillet. Cook 4 minutes until soft. Sprinkle the flour over and stir for 1 minute to cook out the raw taste.
- Whisk in the beef stock slowly to avoid lumps. Add the shoyu. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes until thickened. Season.
- In a non-stick pan, fry the eggs sunny side up in a film of oil. The yolk should still be runny.
- Build each bowl: two scoops hot rice, patty on top, egg on top of the patty, gravy ladled over the whole construction. Eat immediately.
Tip from the editors. The gravy can be made entirely in the burger pan; do not wash it between steps. The fond from the seared patty is half the flavour.
Where to eat loco moco
Loco moco in Honolulu
Rainbow Drive-In ★ 4.5
Rainbow Drive-In in Kapahulu Honolulu has slung budget plate lunches since 1961, with mix plates of loco moco, BBQ beef and boneless chicken averaging $11.
TryPlate lunch with two scoops rice
TipLunch peak 11:30-13:00. The mix plate at $14 is the most expensive plate and feeds two.
Zippy's Kapahulu ★ 3.8
Zippy's Kapahulu in Honolulu is the 24-hour diner of the local Higa-family chain, the city's most reliable late-night sit-down with chili, saimin and the Zip.
OrderChili and rice plus a side of mac salad.
TipOpen 24 hours, dine-in and drive-through. The chili and rice and a saimin bowl are the late-night order.
More places near Rainbow Drive-In and Zippy's Kapahulu
Not on this list, but close by, nearest first. Every one is in our guide with its address, hours and what to order.
- Uncle Bo's Pupu Bar and Grill Seafood, under 100 m away
- Ono Seafood Poke, about 400 m away
- Waiola Shave Ice Street food, about 650 m away
- Leonard's Bakery Portuguese, about 900 m away
- Musubi Cafe Iyasume Street food, about 1.0 km away
- Sweet E's Cafe Brunch, about 1.0 km away
More cities are in research. Want loco moco covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.