Verified in Honolulu.
Plate lunch is a signature dish of United States; we have verified places to eat it in Honolulu. Two scoops of rice, one scoop of macaroni salad and a protein (kalbi, chicken katsu, kalua pig, mahi mahi). Start with where to eat Plate lunch in Honolulu.
Two scoops of rice, one scoop of macaroni salad and a protein (kalbi, chicken katsu, kalua pig, mahi mahi). The canonical Hawaiian lunch born in the plantation cane fields and now sold from every drive-in window.
The plate lunch came out of the 1880s sugar plantation lunch bento; workers shared rice and protein at the field-edge break. The post-war 1950s and 1960s saw stationary drive-ins formalize it: Rainbow Drive-In in Kapahulu opened 1961 with the still-canonical mix plate. The Higa brothers built Zippy's as a 24-hour version starting 1966. L&L Hawaiian Barbecue exported the format to the mainland from 1976. The basic grammar (two scoops rice, mac salad, protein) hasn't changed in 80 years.
Where to eat in Honolulu:
Where to eat Plate lunch in Honolulu: the editor picks
Guided tour · 9 hours
Experience the top sightseeing bus tour on Oahu with this island day trip. Explore Oahu's natural wonders, cultural sites, surfing spots, and shopping meccas on this f...
Water activity · 2.5 - 3 hours
Enjoy a 5-course dinner with Maine lobster and prime tenderloin of beef on a sunset dinner cruise. Sway to the tunes of live jazz music and dance the night away on the cruise.
Water activity · 2 hours
Enjoy a 5-course dinner with Maine lobster and tenderloin steak on a sunset cruise. Watch a live Hawaiian show, listen to music, and enjoy views of Waikiki and Diamond Head.
