Heights Drive Inn
99-128 Aiea Heights Dr, Aiea, HI, 96701
Heights Drive Inn Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Aiea for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Aiea for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Aiea for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
99-128 Aiea Heights Dr
Aiea, HI, 96701 - Phone (808) 487-8884
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :6:00 am - 6:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : No
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : No
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : No
Drive-Thru : No
Caters : No
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Kawikali ..
Great hole in da wall place to eat. Love da teri beef and mac salad from here. You have to pay for parking so I usually call my order in first and pick up. Cash only.
(5)Cyndy K.
Cyndy's Bottom Line: Yummy plate lunches! 3.50 stars for food 4 stars for service I stopped by because I was craving for fried noodles. My sister recommended Heights drive Inn. Please know that they do not accept credit cards, cash only. I was relieved I had just enough cash in my wallet for my plate lunch order and also for parking. The parking is free for the first 10 minutes. I paid a dollar for parking and paid cash. There is an assortment of plate lunches, burgers, sandwiches and okazuya item too. I ordered the special on the board - fried noodles and boneless chicken. The ladies working behind the counter are squared away and get the orders out quick but not in 10 minutes to avoid paying for parking. The plate lunch I ordered is a carbo loaded lunch. I loved the macaroni salad...don't know what makes it taste so good because it really doesn't look like much but it is yummy! The fried noodles are just the same. Ono..the noodles are cooked perfectly not chewy. The chicken is flavorful and goes well with the noodles. There is a lot of food on this plate. You can share or have it for dinner too. Ono food! But would not consider coming often because of the parking situation. It is a busy and crowded parking lot.
(3)Rick C.
Dingy, divy hole-in-the-wall kind of place.....but if you can get past that, they have really great tasting food at very reasonable prices! Try the Teriyaki Beef & Chili Combo Plate.....comes with two scoops rice and mac salad. Damn good, and only $8.50 *Wish they were open for dinner too, though.
(4)Nikki M.
Boyfriend said it was the best katsu he's ever had and loved the spare ribs. I enjoyed my terri beef. Cleanliness doesn't seem to be very high on the list though. Also, thanks for the tip to try the green river. It kind of tastes like melted green otter pops or green shave ice syrup.
(4)Renee W.
Awwwww man! Ordered the Teri Special, Fried Noodles and a Chicken Katsu plate. Daughter and I shared the Fried Noodles and Katsu...yummmmmmmz! We still have leftovers for dinnah! Best Fried Noodles ever! You can actually see the chicken in the Chicken Katsu, not like some other places I don't wanna mention, and the breading is just right. Teri Special is always one winnah!
(4)Jenn K.
The food here is delicious and at reasonable prices for the generous portion you get. We often get "the special" (teri beef, fried noodles, rice, and mac salad) and the bento box (teri beef, chicken, hot dog, spam, rice). The "boneless special" is also very good. Instead of teri beef, you get teri chicken.
(5)NicoleAriel L.
Okay, so I feel really weird writing a review for this place because I've lived here all my life & ate here countless of times. They have been here forever & never fail to disappoint. To start off, they are cash only...but don't let that inconvenience you. Have cash on you & get your keester in here! This is not a complaint, it's a heads up for you so that after you read up on how good they are you're aware that they don't take plastic. Today I got their roast pork. They give a good amount; the pork is soft & not too salty & comes with gravy. It's accompanied with two scoops of rice & a scoop of macaroni salad. Surprisingly, I usually can't down the taste of drive inn mac salads, but I certainly have no reason to turn their's down. This is my all time fave from them & makes for a great source of comfort food! If you're not too big on gravy, seriously...just ask for it on the side or something. This plate is a "must try". My boyfriend had their fried noodles & bbq chicken. I have to admit, he is "no new friends" when it comes to food, so he sticks with it. But it's the bomb.com ! Also accompanied with rice & mac salad. The fried noodles is not disturbingly too oily with: kamaboko (fish cake) , green onions & bits of char-su. They have a lot of different menu items to choose from, including burgers, fries & musubis for the little ones who are picky on what they eat. They tend to run out of their musubis, why? Well because they are yummy, duh! Their fries...I know, I know. They are just fries, but nope...I take my potatoes seriously. It's fried in clean oil. The taste is fresh & it always comes out nice & hot! Accompany your meal with a fountain drink or try their GREEN RIVER. Don't ask me what it taste like, cause I only have one answer..."good". This pretty much concludes my review. Please don't judge me negatively. This is not my first Yelp account, but it is my first review. I never used my other account & made it a few years ago so I can't remember the credentials to log in. Plus this was an awkward review for me being that I ate here one too many times to find anything wrong about them. I do hope this was helpful for you first timers though. Enjoy!
(5)L. T.
You have to pay for parking :( plus it is hard to find this place. It is in an office building where I would never think it would be in. But once you get there the food is yummy yum yum. We ordered the beef teriyaki and the fried saimen was sooo good. The green river I can pass on but I think if you grew up on the island that is a fond memory for me it was pure sugar. This is a place we would travel and eat at the price is plentiful! Yummy yum yum
(4)Chris A.
Does anyone remember when Zippy's plate lunches came in paper fold up boxes? Well that trademark alone made me fall in love with their zip packs (I guess you could say I'm easily pleased). Heights Drive Inn not only serves really good plate lunches at ridiculously affordable prices, but guess what their takeout plates are placed in? Paper takeout boxes! My favorite item here is the fried noodles, it is what keeps me coming back. It reminds me of manapua truck noodles from back in the days minus the drenched shoyu and 5 times exceeding in quality and flavor. Another favorite: chicken katsu, you can't go wrong with this plate since this is above your average katsu and the amount of chicken they give you is excessive. Heights Inn is a hole in the wall and years ago you could say I wouldn't touch their food with a ten foot pole... their menu board is rotten yellow through age, and also has a good amount of dust and grease collection that is highly noticeable while ordering at the counter. They don't have a takeout or online menu so it's best to just snap pictures of their boards. I stopped myself from posting these pics on Yelp though because the dirtiness of it could scare people away, me on the other hand... I am surprisingly passed all this. Located in the Aiea Medical Building (across from McDonalds and Times), they are right where the entrance is to your left. There are some diner style seating in here, not sure exactly how big that space is since I've only gotten takeout. & I've always came on the weekends (after the lunch rush) to avoid fighting for parking or paying a validation fee. Their weekday hours are from 6am - 6 pm, and weekends are 7am-3pm. Their food normally takes less than 10 minutes to be prepared. Definitely a spot you need to consider for takeout if you're in the area.
(4)QT P.
Food is good. Dine in need more space but no one will clean up! And you need be patient with the cashier. She is so mean. Make sure you know what you want before you order and you don't need to pay until your food is ready
(4)Cara H.
Their fried saimin and teri beef plate is bomb, mac salad on point. They give a lot of food, enough for two.
(5)Lea K.
A local and childhood favorite, the fried noodles and Teri beef makes me a little nostalgic. After 20 years, this place has not changed and it's comforting to know you don't have to travel far for comfort food.
(4)Joan A.
The BEST plate lunch hands down! I grew up and lived in Halawa Heights so this was always the go to spot when we were super hungry. The taste hasn't changed as far as I can remember... Still broke da mouth! I order the HEIGHTS SPECIAL with either Teri beef or boneless Teri chicken.... it depends what you're in the mood for and it comes with fried noodles, rice, and two scoops mac salad...yikes! This plate is usually too much for me so I'd say it can feed two people. Another MUST at this place is the GREEN RIVER... Yes they have it and also Lilikoi! If I'm driving from town and I'm craving Heights special... I'll make the stop regardless of the parking...they give you a free spam musubi for the parking inconvenience! Their located downstairs in the Aiea Medical Building and right across the street from McDonalds...easy to find!
(5)Mark H.
Why 5 stars? Best chicken katsu I have had! Thick pieces of chicken, excellent sauce, but what separates their katsu from the rest is their panko crust. Good crunchy texture to the panko crust. Sometimes texture is what brings everything together. It did for me in this case... I read a yelp thread about best mac salad, and many had chosen Heights Drive Inn. I don't see why. The mac salad had bits of carrots, but nothing else to make it special. My mac salad was noticeably salty for those salt-sensitive folks--probably a salty batch on this day... Cash only--no card. Nice aunty working the counter. Cordial with lots of aloha. Even the building parking lot attendants were full of aloha!
(5)Samantha T.
Can't ask for more! This place has been open forever and there is a reason for the. Great food+ Good price and and friendly staff!
(5)Nelson Q.
This is a spot you go to when you want quick tasty local grindz.. I love the look of this place-simple, laid back. and even the old school menu boards indicate not much has changed here. Staff is friendly and they do a great job at helping you navigate your choices. This seems to be a favorite lunch spot with the locals as well. Ordered the #1 Combo which seems to be the popular choice here-Two scoops rice, bomb mac salad, a mound of fried saimin and a meaty portion of teriyaki beef-straight up kanak attack for sure! Parking can be a hassle, but once you find a spot, you're good to go! ALOHA!!! Shaka Meter: \uuu/ \uuu/ \uuu/ \u 3.25 YELP 365 CHALLENGE 2014-(3/365) "The Hidden Hole In The Wall"
(3)Kim I.
I was hoping for some delicious fried noodles. I was very disappointed. The noodles were salty and they were not even close to being the fried noodles I'm use to. This place is also VERY dirty. They never clean their tables. One lady's table was so sticky she requested someone to come to clean it. I seriously was disgusted by this place. The reviews brought me here and the food and place sent me away running with regret.
(1)Rissa K.
I was in the neighborhood so I decided to come here for breakfast. It is located inside the Aiea Medical Building ground floor. They have a variety of local plate lunches, breakfast, as well as Okazuya. I also bought 3 pieces of Andagi. I ordered their breakfast special that came with 2 eggs, spam, 2 scoops of rice and 2 pieces of toast. The portions here are def generous enough for 2! I been hearing a lot about their fried noodles and teri beef! Next time I will order that! Parking here isn't free but there is a grace period of 10 mins free. This place is also Cash only so make sure to bring cash!
(3)Sanoe D.
I have been eating here for 36 years. Everything, the owners recipes are still the same! The best, in my opinion macaroni salad in Hawaii! For real. I love their Teri beef over fried saimin with charsiu and green onions, rice and salad! Broke my mouth!! I also love their chicken katsu and roast pork too! Their okazu items are also yummy like the corned beef hash and shake and bake style chicken! Mmmmm plus they make tasty andagi!!! Find them in old town Aiea Heights.
(5)Heather S.
I've been here twice. The first time I got the chicken katsu with fried noodles, and the second time I got the boneless chicken and fried noodles. The katsu and boneless chicken weren't bad tasting, but they did not stand out to me. I've tasted better katsu and better katsu sauce. After the first couple bites of the boneless chicken, I thought I really liked it. But, after a while, I was pretty much over it. By just appearance, it looks like it had a ton of flavor, but it just tasted salty to me. The fried noodles lacked flavor. At my recent visit, my fried noodles literally had only ONE piece of char Sui. The Mac salad wasn't my favorite either. With all the good reviews, I had high expectations of this place. Unfortunately, it fell short. Buuut, I'm willing to come back and give this place another try.
(3)Keith K.
5 Stars for quantity of food and price. 5 stars for really nice aunties at the service counter 3.5 stars for quality... the spare ribs are tasty, but the fat part was way too much and pasty. Bleck! Loved the mac salad and chow fun noodles. Liked the teri steak. I'll likely be back and will definitely remember this place if the Alley Bowl is too long for a wait.
(4)Denell G.
This place gives a lot of food. My husband and I shared the combo plate and it was still too much food. I give it three stars in that they give you a lot of food but it wasn't the best teriyaki chicken and beef I've had. It was just ok food if you're really hungry.
(3)Haylee F.
We came here for 2 reasons: 1. Macaroni salad. This Mac salad changed my life! I don't know how I've never tried this awesomeness! It comes with every plate so you'll be forced to try this island favorite. 2. Fried noodles. I'm a huge fried noodle fan (no one makes it like the Manapua man) and these noodles were simple but tasty! Paired with Teri beef...winner! They also have GREEN RIVER!! Gaaaah!! I don't think this review needs anymore than the bullet points above!
(4)Bea M.
Parking is a pain! But the teriyaki burgers are really yummy! I call in my orders and grab and go. Much easier.
(4)Sheila E.
This place hit the spot! Glad we stopped by! Portions are good. Got s chicken katsu special and beef teryi special.
(5)kristine f.
I'll be honest I was not a huge Heights Drive Inn fan until about a year ago. This review is solely on their Fried Noodle + Teriyaki plate. I am not a fan of Mac Salad or anything Mayo related so I get mine with extra chicken. The Teriyaki Chicken is very juicy and tasty. The Teri beef is tasty as well but I prefer the chicken. As for the fried noodles, the taste is so dead on. I use to crave Leeward Drive Inn's fried noodles like no other bit over the years it surely has lost it's touch. Plus, why would I drive 20 minutes to get a plate of fried noodles when I can get a tastier version in my hometown. Parking is a pain in the neck during lunch hours. Be sure to call your order in ahead of time to avoid lines.
(4)Chris O.
Portions was large and taste was better than average. Little pricey for what it was, mac salad was salty to my taste. Katsu was thick and plentiful. Noodles were average.
(3)Bobby K.
For me the bests thing here is the fried saimin. I've had other stuff, but the fried saimin or fried noodles is what I like the most. They have pans for take out and we've done that for company pot lucks before and you get a lot of noodles for the price. The only bad part about this place is the parking. It's humbug to get in and out of the parking structure and it's always packed because it's a medical building. So you have patients going in and out of this place all day long. We've actually parked across the street by McDonald's when we couldn't find parking here.
(4)Lori W.
BANG for your buck! (And yeah, just like Psyche S., I hate that parking buck too--but the food, oh the food...). The boneless special is winners; love the char on the boneless chicken. Big pieces, just the right amount of fat, good flavor. PLENTY noodles, along with every other traditional plate lunch starch (rice, mac salad). Heavy plate, served in the pie-box style container with the little piece of tape to close it. No Styrofoam here, for you guys taking it back to the office and reheating. The chicken still tastes great on the 2nd day, if you're like me and can't finish the whole thing. Eh, it's plenty food!! Chicken Katsu is also huge, with nice crunch, a good golden brown color and trimming on the chicken so you get meat and not just fat. Even the mini bento is BIG--maybe a pound weight just on the mini. Highest price plate is still less than $12 total. Sweet! And yeah, there is still the Green River kingdom there, for all you lovers of the stuff. :) BIG value. If you have any reason to go to the Aiea Medical Building, just...go. 4.5 stars but defaulting to 4 because of the paid parking. Maybe it's asking for too much, but could you guys maybe please validate that gate parking? Added plus--when so many fab Yelpers (Jarod H., Ricky R., Psyche S., Emi, etc.) think the place is at least a 4-star rating, I think--maybe someday we'll all meet up by accident there!
(4)Danielle P.
DELICIOUS FOOD! So much food for the $ you pay and it's amazing! Best chicken Katsu I've had!!
(5)Psyche S.
I am only usually here when my kids get sick and have to visit the Dr. This is due to the paid parking (normally $1 if you are there for less than 30 mins). But here's a tip: phone order before getting there so you make the FREE 10 minute grace period! Eh, sometimes the dollar makes a difference.....for some odd reason. LOL Okay, so my "go to" plate is always the roast pork hamburger steak combo. The pork is winnah, the Mac salad is winnah, the rice is winnah, the gravy is winnah, the hamburger is.....well, not really winnah but good enough. The BBQ chicken and fried noodle combo is also a go to plate. The only sucky thing is the parking, but oh well, sometimes it's just worth the hassle. Is it wrong of me to sometimes welcome my kids being sick?
(4)Jen P.
The 1 star rating is for the poor service. The girl that is working today is not very nice at all. She obviously hates her job. The only reason why we are here is because my husband likes the Special combo fried noodles & teriyaki beef which is reminiscent of his childhood days. Good local drive in style food but the service sucks. Good thing we only come here once in a while. I'll give the food 4 stars.
(1)Patricia I.
Opens at 6am for those earlybirds. Must try their famous Fried Noodles & Teri Beef plate.
(5)Adrienne P.
A lot of times that we come here, the quick service makes us eager to come back for more. Add to the fact that the food is absolutely exceptional and reminds me of my childhood days, I'm always willing to come back. Today, however, I was a little bit insulted. It's not too often that I come by anymore, due to the fact that we no longer reside in Aiea Heights. My mom asked me to pick up the Teriyaki Beef special and I figured I would buy some for my husband and our roommates as well. The cashier was kind enough when I gave my order and asked that I wait to pay while the order was being made. She told the chefs in the back my order (5 Teri Beef Specials) and I could hear them in the back crudely yelling (and groaning), "Phone order! Phone order!" Now, I didn't know that I had to make a phone order and the initial idea was to only grab one plate for my mother. And I very well can't call them to place an order while I'm driving. Therefore, I was slightly insulted by the chef in back. Nevertheless, we will probably be coming back for the food. I'll have my husband PHONE ORDER if we decide to get some for everyone. And he'll probably be picking it up from now on as well. Cheers.
(3)Tash M.
I'm born and raised on the East side, so I know nothing about the hidden gems of the West. My bf, who is Maui born and raised seems to find all these eateries through co-workers. Heights was one of these places. Hidden in the Aiea Medical building, we came on Kamehameha day, so parking was ample, but I can see if businesses were open how parking would be an issue. Greasy spoon-type, comfort food is what Heights serves. We were told to try the Heights combo(?) BBQ chicken and fried noodles--of which my bf got--and I got the hamburger steak. And a green river. Looks like they also have a lot of other drive-in type foods: teri-beef, spam eggs rice breakfast specials, katsu, et cetera. There is a seating area to the left of the ordering counter. A bit dated/grungy, but air conditioned. Food came out quickly ( under 5 min) I have to say, the noodles were my fav. I ate most of my other half's food ;) Hamburger steak was a little salty, but the gravy tasted homemade (not the Lowry's instant gravy.) Green river was super sweet. I'm not a fan, but its pretty standard tasting as far as taste. Price-wise, it's pretty affordable, with most plate lunches under $10, towering with food. All in all, another good find!
(4)Yasmin V.
How this place has such high reviews puzzles me. When we arrived, there was a long line of people, so I thought "Mmm, this place must be good". Turns out some people were waiting for 45 minutes for their order. We got our food in 30 minutes (quite long, considering its "fast food) The seating area was so filthy...I'm guessing the last time the floors were cleaned was a few years ago. We ordered the Katsu Special and Beef Teriyaki along with a couple of burgers. Chicken Katsu and Burgers were decent...noodles were horrible ! If you are in a rush, or looking for a decent place to have some food, don't bother to stop here !
(1)Bruce F.
Our first meal on our first trip to Hawaii and it was by far the best meal we had at a restaurant while here. We tried four different dishes and all were delicious. Macaroni salad was absolutely wonderful. This seems to be a place mostly for locals because we seemed to stand out as tourists despite saying nothing about it. While we were eating a worker came over and gave us souvenir key chains. What a nice added touch especially when their food was all they needed to give us a fantastic time.
(5)Jen P.
If you want lots to eat this is a place to go..you might need to share a plate with someone. I do..but parking sucks when the Medical building is busy... Order a head then pick up..that's what I say:)!
(4)Jennifer M.
The workers here are very friendly. They greet you with a warm smile. They also have a mirror so when their back is faced toward you they can still see you. I always get their boneless special which consists of chicken, fried noodles, mac salad, and rice. Best possible combination ever. I love to get this with a green river drink. I wish I knew what green river is so I can make that at home. Lol. Parking could be difficult so the best thing to do is call in your order and pick up.
(5)Ewa K.
Excellent local fare. We had the special with Teriyaki chicken & beef, pork short ribs and a hamburger with gravy. Rice & macaroni salad. All locals and busy. It was hard to find...underneath the medical center.
(5)Lei N.
After work, Jeremy took me here for an early dinner. It was almost closing time for them. I wasn't feeling well so I just asked for a saimin. Though we were dining in, they served their foods on paper plates and "to-go" containers. We were the only ones on the side (where the tables were, eating). We sat the farthest we could away from the trash can since it was open and there were flies coming by. Their saimin was okay but I didn't like having bugs flying by as we ate. Jeremy had me try a green river. Candy green looking and tasted like candy. A bit too sweet. Played oldies on their radio.
(2)pat m.
Teri special one time! Baked chicken one time! Boneless one time! OMG... GREEN RIVER! the Mac salad here is probably my favorite.. This place never let's me down.. Oh except for one thing.. These days parking attendants.. Call in your order!
(5)Kehau B.
Ate lunch with my daughter. .so Ono!! Teriyaki special plate with extra Teri sauce.. I love this place
(4)Jarod H.
Ono foods! If you want an excellent plate lunch, with more bang for your buck, this is the place to be. Plate lunches are super ono and delicious. One of the last few places to have the elusive green river soda drinks. Parking is junk, but this is the place to get a good fat load in. Highly recommended.
(5)Caitlin B.
Heights has been serving my family for at least the past 30 years. The same lady who works there recognizes my mom's voice whenever she calls to make a take out order. Talk about family-style restaurant! This place is a little hole-in-the-wall located at the bottom of Aiea Heights Medical Building. Everything there is quite delicious! My favorite is their hamburger steak - with their homemade patties and gravy, oh, & the mac salad - you can't go wrong!
(5)Pua L.
So I've been back for a little under 2 years now and finally made it here....whew! I guess I shouldn't have expected much, but here it is: We called in an order, 6 plates thinking it would be easier to do that instead of ordering there and having to wait. NOT! My husband arrived maybe 5-10 min later than the time I gave when I placed the order and long and behold the order was never made. Reason: they thought it was a prank order! Really?!?! When I placed the order the woman I spoke to asked for a name and phone number for the order. I gave her the information. Why, what was the purpose in asking that information if you not going to use it?!?! She never even called to confirm, just took it as a joke and didn't have our order ready. WTHeck. So my husband had to wait and hit the afternoon traffic. They gave him a spam musubi for the inconvenience.....LOL Service: need I say more than what's posted above? I'm BIG on customer service, I believe this is a deal breaker for me. I would give them a second chance if the food was 4-5 stars, but nope....not this place. Parking sucks, more of a hole in the wall....you can definitely find better elsewhere. Food: not what I expected from 10 years ago...my fault. The Teri beef was right on, but the spareribs was way too sweet and the meat was tough, the noodles had no flavor, except from where the meat was on top, how can you mess up rice? some was hard, some was too soggy...ugh! The Teri chicken was too salty and too much ginger (May as we'll have ordered ginger chicken), Katsura was dry, I could go on and on, won't be back for sure!
(2)Stephen H.
I wouldn't recommend the Heights to the pantheon of local plate-lunch places, but neither would I condemn it to Yelp 1-star purgatory. What was the name of that lunch wagon at the Ala Moana Beach Park-side entrance to Kewalo Basin? Keau? Keaau? The best roast pork I've ever had. I'd start my "all-time best" list with that wagon. Was it reincarnated somewhere else? Ah, but I digress. Had the "boneless special" for lunch today. It's 2 pieces of teri-flavored boneless chicken thigh meat atop a bed of fried saimin + 1 scoop of rice + 1 scoop of mac salad for $8.25 plus tax. A-OK. Chicken and fried saimin overdone but tasty. Mac salad salty. Plastic menu board dis-colored by age and grease amusing. Considerable dustballs hanging pendulously from light fixtures not so much. No, this place ain't in the "heights" of local fast-food/experience. But would probably pass muster with "Glenn Miyashiro". "Not bad, not bad."
(3)Keola m.
Great place for comfort food. Lots of parking on the weekend but, not so on the weekdays. I believe you gotta pay to use the lot at the Heights. However, there is lots of parking across the street .. shhhh, as long as they dont know you going to the Heights. Great food and really great Teri Chicken. Fried noodles are really good as well. The Roast Pork was a little salty to me but never the less....it disappeared. I suggest having your food to go because the dine in seating area is not that clean and kinda small. But, I love this place and it has become my "go to" place when I'm not too sure what to eat.
(4)Elizabeth D.
This place is da place to get REAL plate lunch!! Just like back in the days. Old skool fried noodles, marinated teriyaki meat, crispy and tasty chicken katsu. Their macaroni salad isn't just macaroni and mayo, it freakin really tastes good!! Unlike many other places, no taste what so ever!! I cannot say nothing bad about the food cuz frankly I never taste one plate lunch this good in a long time. I've been coming here for like forever and I hope this place stays open forever. With many of the small mom and pop places closing down, it saddens me that maybe these kind of places could be a thing of the past. I live in the west side so it's a treat when I come here every time. The only thing is the parking but its like 1.00 for 1/2 hr. u have 10 minutes grace period if picking up food so parking would be free. Go here and get a plate!! Ono
(5)Julie H.
We ate there Fried Noodle combo w/BBQ Chicken and it was bomb.com with the loads of Mac Salad.. Which I love!! now days some places be cheap on their Mac Salad. I say I will be returning to try their other Combo's as well! Their sweet&sour spare ribs looks delish!!
(4)T F.
OMG! Broke da mouth! katsu special is my daughter's favorite. I LOVE their fried noodles! So much foodfor the price!
(4)Mika H.
Old school plate lunch! The best thing to order is the fried noodles or the beef stew. They also make some pretty good mac salad, and I'm not even a fan of mac salad.
(4)Steph B.
Boneless chicken special is the best!!! ( rice, noodles,Mac salad and boneless chicken )
(5)Lori F.
This is the place to go when you are really hungry for lunch & want leftovers for dinner. The plate lunches here feel like they weigh 2 lbs., I swear! One of my favorites here is the Chicken long rice - love the shoyu sauce. The only downside here is the parking lot is usually full. I think it's cool that they give you a free spam musubi in return for your parking fee. Clever thinking to whoever thought of that.
(4)S S.
Hamburger Steak. GREAT SERVICE. BEST FLAVOR for HOMEMADE hamburger steak. Yum Yum Yum. (Too bad canned gravy.) If they made a homemade gravy for the hamburger steak would take it up to gourmet. There are a few tables to sit and eat, but... Heads Up for the Parking: $1per 30 min; "10min Free" but takes at least 5 minutes to park and at least 10minutes for start to finish quick food order. So... end up paying$1, unless you park across the street and use the crosswalk. Located Aiea Heights Drive, bottom floor parking level, Aiea Medical Center Building, Across from McDonalds.
(3)Juliann C.
The GOOD: * I am surprised they've received such great reviews. Probably because most of their customers grew up with Heights Drive Inn * Friendly service * Big portions The BAD: * Parking sucks * Menu is difficult to read * I ordered to hungry man two eggs & hamburger steak - it was different, but wasn't the GREATEST, yknow? yeah, it was okay. * Sanitary-ness was......... a ZERO. It disturbed me how visibly unsanitary this joint was. I mean I get it that in Chinatown yknow, they are openly unsanitary.. but in Aiea? I expect more! The WEIRD: * The gravy had a funky texture. I didn't necessary like it or dislike it. It was funky though! * My friend Tyler noticed that what we thought was designs on the wall paper were actually sitting/squatting flies that were scattered across the wall. Small kine freaky & gross!
(1)Michael C.
I'm on a quest to find the best green river drink on the island. Parking Wise: The parking here is in a paid parking lot, so just be aware of that. Though the restaurant usually gives people a spam musubi to make up for this. Service Wise: The gal that worked the counter was very friendly and helpful. There was even a lady that did a great job cleaning up the tables. Our order came out very quiickly. Food Wise: I would say the food here is quite good for what it is, drive in food. But that wasn't what I was here for so let me tell you about the green river. They have the old fashioned juice machine, so that is a tremendous plus. It constantly mixes it so it isn't to water or overly sweet but just right. The only thing that could do to improve is to serve it in crushed ice instead of cubed ice. I will definitely be back!! #Yelp 365 064/365
(4)Bryce A.
Heights has the best loco moco I've had, and I've tried a lot of different ones. Heights' version of it is called the "Hungry Man", and it comes with 2 hamburger patties, 2 eggs (generally over easy, but you can ask for whatever style you want), gravy, 2 scoops rice and 1 scoop mac salad. The hamburger patties are homemade and tasty, the eggs always seem to be cooked just right, and the brown gravy is delicious. The mac salad is pretty good but on the salty side and has a decent amount of mayo (which is to be expected in any mac salad), so I usually ask for all rice instead. I haven't had anything bad from Heights - the boneless special is another great choice. Plates are pretty big, probably splittable if you aren't ridiculously hungry. If you do split, you might have enough room to go across the street for some Ice Garden or Samurai after. Heights is in the medical building and uses the same lot, so if you don't get in and out in 10 minutes then you will have to pay for parking. If you call in your order for pickup you can generally make it in time.
(5)Cris G.
I always come to the Aiea Medical Building for my family's doctor appointments and I occasionally stop by the Drive Inn for a snack. I get the famous fried noodles special, which is one of my weaknesses and cravings. Their food is good and service is friendly. I can't complain about that. I had to give it 3 stars though just because it isn't the healthiest place to eat at, and most things here are very greasy. But I guess you don't come here for health food... Also, in my opinion, they could clean the place better. I'm big on cleanliness... This is a good place to grab a snack once in a great while for me.
(3)Nori M.
It's always nice to find a hole in the wall in an unexpected place. Heights Drive Inn is located on the ground floor of the Aiea Medical building, which is definitely a strange location for a plate lunch spot. Parking is tough, but they don't seem to be hurting for business, which made me even more curious about this place. Let's eat. FRIED NOODLES Yakisoba, fried saimin, or simply "fried noodles"-- call it what you will, I'm always up for some good pan-fried pasta. Heights Drive Inn's fried noodles are not terrible, but they mostly taste like the oil they were cooked in. There are really no toppings to speak of save for a light sprinkling of green onions on top. Sadly, you will find no char siu, egg, or kamaboko rubbing shoulders with these noodles. CONCLUSION: Standard fried noodles and that's it. The mac salad has more going on than these noodles. BONELESS CHICKEN What are you supposed expect with a name like "Boneless Chicken"? I expected bite-sized pieces of pale chicken more akin to something you'd find at a Chinese restaurant. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Heights Drive Inn's boneless chicken is everyone else's BBQ chicken! This chicken looked mighty tasty as well, with a nice dark brown color. Clearly this chicken was marinated in something. I'd wager that the chicken was soaked in shoyu and nothing else, as that is definitely what this chicken tastes like. It's rather salty and there's not a hint of sweetness to balance things out. That said, the flavor is not bad, just not as well-rounded as you might hope. Still, way better than L&L. CONCLUSION: Don't worry, it's just BBQ chicken. A 3 on the IBBSBCG (International Bob's BBQ Scale of BBQ Chicken Goodness) mostly thanks to it's delightful color. CONCLUSION The irony of a plate lunch spot on the ground floor of a medical building is not lost on me. As if they needed to drive the point home, Heights Drive Inn absolutely piles the food on the plate. The boneless chicken includes 4 juicy thighs, enough to satisfy just about anyone. If that isn't enough though, just get the combo plate with the fried noodles and you'll be walking out with leftovers for sure. Heights Drive Inn also wins on value. Whereas most plate lunch spots start at $8 for a plate, you can get a COMBO plate for $7.50 here. When you see how much food you get, you realize that the value here is incredible. Heights Drive Inn did not exactly wow me with their flavors on my first visit, but I will be returning to try other items on their menu. I'm sure there is a gem in there somewhere.
(3)Loren O.
Growing up a "Daddy's Girl", the two of us often went to Heights for our Saturday lunch after the swap meet. It was always 2 teri beef specials, and a small green river :]. This little plate lunch place is on the first floor of the Aiea Medical Building. Beware, they haven't renovated anything, so it looks a bit runned down! But their plate lunch is awesome :D I recently went again with some friends, and I still can't stray away from my teri beef special and green river. I don't know why my dad and I always ordered 2, I couldn't even finish mine this time! One scoop of rice over a huuuge mound of fried noodles, a few slices of super flavory teri beef and a big scoop of mac salad. YUMM. Sorry, all I can talk about is their teri beef special :/ So good, I haven't tried anything else :p
(4)Santi T.
There's good eats and then there's great eats which is how I would describe the Heights Drive Inn. This place is my epiphany when it comes to plate lunches. Located in the lobby of the medical office building, they deliver solid food with many local favorites. Now if you're ready to expand your stomach, come and order the chicken combo plate which includes a couple pieces of teriyaki chicken thighs, fried noodles and mac salad ($9). The chicken speaks for itself! If you can finish this, I give you props because they are generous with their portions. The ladies here are hard working and very sweet. Each time I come by, they always give me a free spam musubi for my troubles in their parking lot. Order a plate, find a park and make it into a picnic. Afterwards, you'll be ready for a nap! Tip: call in your order.
(4)Michael C.
After a bargain-filled shopping expedition at Ala Moana, my friend (who lives in Aiea) asked me to stop at The Heights Drive Inn to pick up lunch before dropping him off at home. I had never been here before and actually had no idea where this place was. As we were nearing the freeway cutoff, for some pecuilar reason, I started to sing to myself the theme song from that 90's tv show from Fox, "The Heights" sung by that guy who later was Donna's boyfriend on 90210 after the show got canceled. Ok, sorry for the nostalgic flashback to tv shows from the 90's.....moving on. And so the bargain shopping expedition ended with a satisfying lunch. Located in the Aiea Medical building, this was my first visit to the heights drive inn so my friend was kind enough to offer recommendations. He felt their 2 best menu items were the hamburger steak, and the combo of the fried noodles and teri chicken. Hmm...hamburger steak I thought, that sounds good! There was actually a slight delay to order since the "auntie" at the order window was catching up with someone who I assumed was a regular customer who she hadn't seen in a long time. Overall, the customer service was fantastic. Local people serving great local food. Which leads me to the hamburger steak: Incredible. Simply mouth watering. The plate lunch came with 2 scoops of rice, macaroni salad, and 2 generous pieces of hamburger steak drowned in gravy. I was definitely satisfied and can't wait to go back! TIPS: 1) PARKING: My friend told me there's usually a small fee for parking. There was a parking attendant on the day we went (Saturday) but she just told us to go ahead and park, and we didn't have to pay any fees that day. 2) CASH ONLY.
(4)Stephanie C.
I used to eat here almost every day after school and I would always order a cheeseburger and a small green river. I remember the cheeseburger being delicious because of some sauce that they would put in it. I haven't eaten that in years so I'm not sure if it's the same as I remember (sorry). Nowadays, I just order the fried noodles and let me tell you, Heights has the BEST fried noodles on the island! This is the only place that I will eat fried noodles since no other restaurant / drive inn compares. The portions are huge and at a very fair price. This is one of the only places on the island that serves a green river. The parking sucks here and they know it but in return, they give you a complimentary spam musubi if you just came to eat at the drive inn.
(4)Kimis K.
First time here got the Katsu special- Chix Katsu, mac salad, rice & fried noodles with a green river. Paid around $10.50 food was ok, lacked flavor all around. Even green river tasted mostly like water. Make a phone order because building charges $1 after the 10 min grace period. Place is also pretty crowded w/ employees from the building. Pretty friendly staff. Looks locally owned. Old drive in style:) only a few tables inside.
(3)Sean D.
Been a while since I've been back. Still the same good plate lunches, however Parking is NOT free. No Validation ($1/hour). But they gave me a musubi in exchange.
(3)Myong C.
Since recently moving to the area I've been slowly trying to familiarize myself with the more well-known Aiea eateris. Heights Drive Inn is in a really convenient location, right across the street from the major shopping center, but with a little inconveneient parking that requires you to take a ticket, stamp it, and hope you get out within the 10 minute grace period if you're doing take out. I've tried two items on their menu now and not very impressed. The first was the roast pork which is my go-to dish at any plate lunch place. The pork was soft enough, but it was the weird thin cut that I don't really like and the gravy was very odd. It was as if it couldn't make its mind up to be a liquid or a solid and was stuck in this transitional, goopy state. The second attempt was the fried noodle and boneless chicken special. The fried noodles weren't bad and neither was the boneless chicken which was basically boneless thighs cooked in shoyu chicken marinade. But what really turns me off about this place is the macaroni salad. It's funny, whenever I read Yelpers stating that something was "inedible" I usually think to myself, "yeah, whatevers, just more Yelp hyperbole" but the mac salad at Heights is indeed inedible. The mayo is of strange flavor and the salad overall is just way too salty. I thought perhaps it was a one time mistake but the taste was consistent both times. I actually took a second bite each time to confirm its terribleness. BLEAH! I hope that other popular Aiea eateries I check out aren't as disappointing as the Heights.
(2)Jessie M.
Heights is kinda the forgotten drive inn, due to it's location, & Parking can be a pain, but if you can deal with it there you'll find some of the best plate lunches on the island. I've never had a bad meal there. Today was a good day because I was in Aiea so I dropped by to pick up some grinds for me,& the fam.. I got the supper combo which had Teri beef, spare ribs, & hamburger steak..(boom)!!!! That's what I'm saying.. The other pl that I picked up was the special combo, Teri beef, fried noodles.. Since I haven't been there in a while I've forgotten how bomb a** the food was. There was enough food for 2nd's... To me that's a good meal.2in1..lol to say I lov this pl is an understatement...
(5)Heidi N.
Special one time! Fried noodle teriyaki meat special with a scoop of white rice and the mayonasiest mac salad ever! Size, quality and speediness has never changed; they even got faster now that they have the parking limitations. They are on it! They will help you to get your food without having to pay parking by telling you exactly when to punch out. By the time you get back, your can grab your food, and start walking to your car. I seen them do this on my last visit there. Their baked chicken, yes is greasy, but more importantly it is different and tasty. Only problem is that it's part of the okazu menu which means, when they are out, they're out. Still love this place and go whenever I am in the area and have been good enough to indulge in a starchy meal. Nah! When I'm in the area, I just go! Yeah, even if it looks dirty.
(5)Jack H.
Cool old place in a Medical complex Good spareribs bad Tankatsu Friendly ladies at the counter No refills - seriously? This a real joint and nothing frilly. Parking is a pain but you can pay to park.
(3)Joseph C.
Place rocks. Everything on their menu I've tried has been great. Only downside is that they don't accept credit cards along with the rest of Hawaii it seems. Kind of tricky getting in and out of this place on your first time as well.
(4)Emi H.
Holy giant plate lunch Batman! I've lived in Aiea for most of my life and this is only the second time I've ever been to the Heights Drive Inn. Came here randomly to pick up some lunch for the family. Walked up to the counter and I got really excited when I saw all the little old biddies at the register. Little old biddies are always a good sign of truly naughty and delicious plate lunch. They've got the little old biddy mojo that you just can't replicate. Ordered the Heights "Super" combo for $9.05 that had two scoops rice, macaroni salad, teri beef, chicken, spare ribs, hamburger steak and three old biddies. Okay it didn't have any old biddies in it, but that's how many were taking orders at the counter. Also ordered the fried noodles w/ boneless teri chicken $7.50. Portions were gi-normous! Enough for 2-3 people. "Super" combo wasn't super though because everything was piled onto the rice and mixed together. My spare ribs tasted like hamburger gravy and my chicken was a big mess. Like Monk, I like my food segregated into their own little compartments. Found a giant piece of fat in my food which didn't make "the situation" any better. Fried noodles tasted okay but not like Grandma's noodles which is always the end goal when looking for great plate lunch. It was so busy during lunchtime at the Heights, so the biddies must be doing something right! It's not for me though and if I'm going to clog my arteries with giant pieces of fat I want to make sure it's completely delicious. Sorry Heights, I'm going to go biddy hunting somewhere else.
(3)Al M.
Thank god this spot is still around! Since I was a kid everything has always been great! Love this place.
(5)Dean H.
"BONELESS SPECIAL!!" yelled to the cooks in the back is like music to my ears at Heights Drive Inn. 2 pieces of teriyaki chicken on a bed of delicious old school fried saimin, 2 scoops rice, and a huge mound of mac salad. Now what you gonna say about that? NOTHING cause it is ONO. And what should you wash it down with? That is RIGHT, 1 large green river. You might ask, what is a green river. Well guess what, I don't know but think of lemon lime malolo syrup with water. You know, da green one. And again, what you gonna say about that? NOTHING cause it is ONO. Ok, I cannot say I have tried anything else there cause that is how good the boneless teri chicken plate is...I may have ate breakfast there and it was good...I may have had the spam musubi (since it was free cause of the horrific parking situation) and it was good....but you gotta do the boneless chicken.... cause you know why.... it is ONO..... 014/365 YELPY 365 challenge....
(5)Nicholas S.
This is the place to be if you feel like you can "eat a cow". Well I have have been coming here since I was a little kid. I would go to my Dr. Appointment upstairs and then get a fat plate lunch to reward my self. I recommend pretty much everything from their hamburgers to their notorious plate lunch specials. But every time I go now days I always get the boneless chicken special. Their special is One scoop rice, one scoop mac salad, an entire plate of house made noodles and what every you choose on it. And to top it off I always get a large green river.
(5)Cheryl S.
So I was told that this place has awesome fried noodles. So we ordered a chicken katsu with fried noodles and a combo plate of chicken katsu and spare ribs plus a cheeseburger... Yeah yeah we were hungry. The katsu was good however the fried noodles were ok. I'm not sure why people say they have good fried noodles. Plus usually fried noodles has fillers inside like kamaboko, green onions, char siu, just to name a few typical ingredients but I really think mines just had fried noodles yeah just noodles. The noodles were tasty but nothing omg fantastic I need to have more. Bummers!! Also I am not sure if the cheeseburger was made with a homemade patty or a previous frozen pre made one since it was flat and round. I really like fresh homemade juicy not frozen patties. The burger was ok but again nothing special. They do however have awesome customer service and the lady taking our order was super nice and friendly. Plus she gave us a free spam musubi with our order. That was nice of her. Maybe next time we will try something different.
(3)Christina S.
I never dine in...always take out. Call in your order. Sometimes the wait is 20-30 mins on the weekends. Plus you need to pay $1 parking now. They have a 15 min grace period. Take my advice...call in your order and get the teri boneless chicken with fried noodle special. Carb loaded so make sure you have a bed near by to sleep :)
(4)Rod U.
Nothing ever changes at the Heights. That's saying something considering how long this neighborhood haunt has been in business. All the plate lunch staples; teri beef, shoyu chicken, spare ribs, roast port, hamburger with brown gravy are flavorful, and cooked just right; just the way grandma made them. No burnt shoyu (L&L), tender chicken and spare ribs. Yep, home cooking. While mixed plates offer the best variety, it is NOT the best way to experience the food. Your selections are just piled on top of each other. Sweet and sour, teriyaki, brown gravy, in melting mayo...an interesting flavor combination for sure but not coming to a Ben and Jerry's near you any time soon. Note: You have to pay for parking. Show the cashier your parking ticket for validation, and get the best spam musubi for free. Its made the old way, with salted rice and crispy spam. Sorry to my Midwest friends but spam is good eats! Recommended.
(4)Jane L.
I've never eaten here until yesterday. I finally decided to try it. I've passed this place for years but never bothered to try until I read reviews on yelp. The guy that helped me was so cordial and polite. I ordered the fried saimin teri chicken plate and med green river. It was so delicious I will def be back again it was worth the $9.69 that I paid.
(4)Ricky R.
Heights Drive Inn, THE place for fast food fried noodles! Everything is good here, but I love the boneless special. The teriyaki beef special is good too, and their mac sald is tasty. One of the few places that have a mini Okazuya, the spam musubi is good too. Try the "green river" for a blast from the past drink! I always eat here when I take my kids to their Doctor's office, which is in the building, they validate parking too!
(5)David T.
Quite a strange place for a drive inn, though across the street there's a bowling alley restaurant, so it's not too strange. At the ground floor of Aiea Medical Building lies Heights Drive Inn, which has been here as far back as I can remember. My dentist is here and the only reason I get excited to see him is because I know I'll get a plate lunch from heights right after. I usually get hamburger steak, chicken Katsu, or roast pork, though I also like their roast beef and burgers too. Their brown gravy is very thick and plentiful, and they do not go easy on the meat, gravy, or Mac salad. One scoop of Mac salad is more like 3, piled extremely high and tight. I'm always satisfied when I come here. Their fries are also very good, and they have green river! The Katsu is simply one of the best I've had on the island. You'll never want L&L again if you try theirs. The Katsu sauce is also fantastic, not watery and tasteless like most places. Parking is a huge pain, regulars will park across the street at mcdonalds and j-walk over. The best thing about this place is the value, they serve up a HUGE plate lunch, and they do old school paper box style take out. Definitely recommend it if you're in the area.
(4)Val S.
I love Heights. I always gotta stop by and get my teri beef plate when I come home. The taste never changes! The place never changes either! And the staff! Ha! I love their mac salad! I love how they still put your plate lunch in a paper box with the piece of paper over the plate. Somehow it tastes so much better and brings back so much good memories! Parking sucks. Getting in and out of there sucks. I really want to give this place 5 stars because it is to me. But if you are thinking about eating here, it is definitely a greasy spoon like Paul C mentioned. It's a trip to the old days. Food just doesn't taste like this anymore.
(4)Sheena C.
One "special" and a green river, please. The food is not the best ever, but if you grew up in the Central area and/or went to one of the pediatricians in the building, coming here just makes you miss the "good ol' days." I love how they still use the old-school plate lunch technique (paper plate in a paper box) and although I'm not really a fan of the mac salad (too oniony for me) I love how they pile it on (looks like a double-scoop icecream!). This is the true definition of a "real" plate lunch!
(4)Bryan I.
Waaayyyyyy better than ubiquitous & low-quality L&L; probably on par if not better than Zippies but totally localized instead of a chain. Everyone knows (or you know by now looking at the reviews) that you can't go wrong with the fried noodle plate, but I as a bigger fan of the chicken teriyaki (very soft & moist & perfectly flavored). The mac was just right, too (it could have done fine with a bit less mayo, but I've yet to find a mac where that isn't the case). Definitely worth trying out!
(4)Joanne N.
Heights Drive in brings back so many memories for me. When I was little my pediatrician was in the building. After my Doctor visit my Mom would buy me Spam Musubis and Green River. Now that I'm a Mom, my daughter goes to the same pediatrician's office. Every time we go to the Doctor we stop at Heights Drive Inn afterwards. The Musubis are plain-- no teriyaki which is my preference. They gave really tasty sweet sour spareribs, and they still have Green River! Definitely a place for comfort food!
(4)Carol M.
The Teri Beef plate is the bomb along with their fried noodles! They pile on the Mac salad like you won't believe. Not too many places serve Green River and here one place that do.
(4)Becky U.
CRAZY! HELLA FOOD FOR A GOOD PRICE! Good to order on your flight back home..
(5)Amber O.
I'll come here only when parking is free (Sunday), I will only order the sandwiches, because I have a super delicate stomach and as much as I wanna eat katsu, and hamburger steak, I can't handle the grease. It's pretty dirty, so I won't eat inside, I'll eat in my car or take it to the park. I love the gals who work in the front, no nonsense-drill sergeant-drive in-Nazi's, screaming the orders to the cooks in the back, but still nice to the customers :) All in all, there is always something on their menu yummy enough to try.
(3)Dina N.
For a plate lunch, this is my favorite on the island. They give a LOT of food AND the food is excellent. I'm not much of a starch eater but I have to have the fried noodles when I go there. They have a combo: boneless chicken/noodles or teri beef/noodles that are both great. Family owned. Been there forevs. Must go!
(5)Grant S.
My mom used to work in the Aiea Medical Building and my family loves Dr. Stephen Yano so of course we come to Heights! This place has always held a special place in my heart (in more than one ways, one loving, one hindering blood flow). The spam musubi is BOMB! The breakfast plates with bangers eggs and rice are always good. BUT THE REAL REASON YOU GO HERE IS FOR THE GREEN RIVER DRINK! The location is perfect too, you go dentist, you go heights, you go doctor, you go heights, you go bowling, you go heights (and try not to get run over). Also, Heights is very good to their employees. It is nice to hear from the workers that they are well taken care of! I love this place! Always coming back!
(5)Joy G.
We parked across the street outside of starbucks and walked over, bypassing the parking problem, which we didn't know whether was allowed. The woman was hilarious and will tell you when to put your parking ticket in. The food was slightly greasy, but in a good way. I enjoyed the mac salad and the masubi was just okay.
(3)Paul C.
This place is great, a real greasy spoon type place. I really like the chicken katsu and chilli, there's something about the chilli here that sticks to your ribs and makes you feel great. Keep in mind this place is seriously greasy, please don't go every day. Also the parking sucks, and it's not a place to take a date, but it's super old school and probably been here 100 years given the inside jokes about said parking printed the on the spam musubis. One must always get a green river to accompany anything here. Not doing so is like not getting a pepsi at burger king.
(5)Brian A.
Went again yesterday! The "Super" Combo was great as usual and had plenty left over to take home. What's funny is that my girlfriend isn't usually a local diner type of girl, but she always wants to come here. That's saying something in of itself! We went at lunch time and this time we had to pay for parking (Just $2. We were there for a short time, I think it's pay by the hour though. Not too sure.), but the little Auntie gave us a FREE spam musubi with a funny note on it (view my picture to see what it says). There was plenty of people there this time. I also found out why everything tastes so good because they left the side kitchen door open and I peeked in. They have an army of little old Auntie's working back there!
(4)Kristy L.
Was our last day in Hawaii and after a trip to Pearl Harbor, we were starving and decided to yelp the nearest tasty eats. "Heights Drive Inn" was listed as being close by so we thought, why not? Our fellow yelpers seemed enthusiastic about the Super combo so of course the mister was all over it. I, however, was intimidated by the description and instead went with the fried noodles with chicken teriyaki. Both dishes came with 2 huge scoops of macaroni salad that I could have done without, but overall, the meal was excellent -- especially since we opted to eat it overlooking Magic Island during a sunset. Perfect way to end our trip! --K
(5)Kai B.
grease city....my stomach is gonna hate me PROS: you get plenty food in your plate lunch CONS: parking sucks. super duper greasy Greasy GREASY WHAT I ATE: - FRIED NOODLES with BBQ CHICKEN (special): this is about the only thing on the menu that i'll order from here. it's your typical bbq chicken, but i like how they put kamabuku in the fried noodles (pink fishcake). if you're forced to eat here like i am, i'd order this - BENTOS: i never can finish this...not because it's a lot of food, but my stomach can't handle the grease. I thought I was the only one in my family that didn't like it, but my bf couldn't stomach the whole thing either... I'M SORRY HEIGHTS DRIVE INN: i grew up in aiea, so we've eaten here A LOT over the years...unfortunately. Athough it always wasn't that bad. I don't know if my palette changed, but my stomach can NOT handle all the grease on the food. sometimes i feel like i can feel the grease as soon as i walk in...but i'm just one person. my dad LOVES here...which is why I am always forced to as well. so i apologize for the bad review, my mama taught me that if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything...but after the last bento, I really couldn't keep quiet.
(1)Mark M.
Green River. Don't know what it is? Well then my friend, you apparently have never been to Heights. I grew up on this joint. I love it. It's all about the Heights special. Those damn noodles are addicting I tell you. The special plus a large green river equals a dance party for your taste buds. Now, I admit that the quality of the food has dropped a little over the years, but in this day and age, who's hasn't? Don't get me started on Zippy's. The portion sizes have stayed the same fortunately and the same lady that's been working the counter all these years always greets me with a smile. She knows what I'm here for. Green River.
(4)Michelle W.
The Special with teriyaki is a favorite. Fast service, reasonable prices and courteous counter staff make it a pleasant experience. Some inside seating available. Parking on weekdays is not free, but usually just a dollar.
(5)Amanda L.
A must visit local drive inn! I can still remember the first time I had their Mac salad...hello best Mac salad!! Cash only and some items are a little costly. Once you eat here, you'll get that I gotta have some Height's Special feeling. The noodles are good and simple. Comes with a scoop of rice that I'm always surprised isn't mushy. I like the Teri beef over the chicken but try both. Of course you get the best MAC Salad! Tried the shirt ribs and the sauce was too sweet for me. I normally eat the special in two servings - so the way I figure the extra cost equates a second meal. Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy! Don't forget the green river.
(4)Stefani C.
I was very pleased when we bought our lunch from the Heights Drive Inn. Parking is a dollar but the Heights Driv eInn will give you a spam musubi free. The fried saimin and the teri chicken were excellent! Even tasted good the next day! Their bentos which comes with either teri chicken or baked chicken, hot dog, bbq meat & rice is good also. We'll definitely be returning.
(5)Jewelyn T.
I came here twice this month while on vacation. Heights Drive Inn is down the street from where I'm staying, so that's the only reason why we came here for breakfast. I wouldn't come out of my way to eat here. We only order the Portuguese sausage, eggs and rice. comes with 2 scoops of white rice, your choice of eggs and white toast with jelly. Parking is now $1 at the minimum... so they give you validation and a spam musubi for dealing with paid parking.... which is a nice gesture. I don't do fast food chains, so Heights Drive Inn... fits the bill for good local breakfast... that's fast and filling. No long lines and not a long wait. They have a decent amount of tables. If you're in the area and looking for a local spot. Stop by here. When I lived on the island, my ex bf from years ago was a fan of their fried noodle plate with teri beef. (Wish they had brown rice!) Customer service is a mixed bag. Very local. 1st visit: the local lady was really talkative... and asked so many personal questions and even asked to look at a picture on my phone. 2nd visit: the lady was in a rushy mood and just took our order. Reasonable Drive Inn prices. Thanks HDI for filling my craving of Portuguese Sausage, eggs and rice!
(4)Dave F.
One star for the food, no stars for the rude, rude service...
(1)Mike D.
If you love teri beef this is the place for you. Always tender and the heights fried noodle teriyaki beef special is winners as well, excellent value for your money.
(4)Madelyn S.
Katsu special one time! Love this place...nothing beats getting your plate lunch pounded with some artery clogging mac salad! It's always a dilemma when I come here....will it be the teri chicken special or the katsu special???? Lol regardless I'm never disappointed...the only way this place could improve is if they extended their business hours....they would bank!!!
(5)Tyler A.
HUGE PLATES.....that's how i want to start off this review because that is one of the best things here is the portion size. There are so many things that i could tell you about this place but there are only a few i need to mention because these things are the best. The "Heights Speical" is one of there signature plate lunches it comes with Teri Beef, fried noodles, mac salad, and rice. I know it sounds kinda simple and yet it is but its AWESOME in your mouth ;). Also you should try out there Green River drink it's pretty awesome as well. Overall great food, great portions, and great Taste.
(4)Nathan N.
The huge plates knock you out. Heights Drive Inn has to be one of best plate lunch places on Oahu. Mac salad is awesome, teriyaki beef is sweet and teriyaki-ish, boneless chicken is bbq'ed perfectly and of course everything is on a bed of fried saimin. Bad azz! You gotta have: Boneless Teriyaki Chicken plate And everything else. It's all good.
(5)Mang Glen C.
me and hubby came around 1 pm. We called it in as suggested by other yelpers. Very quick, generous and friendly! Food got super combo so could try it all. Out of it like teri beef, ham steak and mac salad. So much to eat. Had to order a side order fried noodle $6.95 since it didn't come with super combo. But I really enjoyed my saimin fried noodles. Ate it up! Also got musubi w/validation. and we did not pay parking.
(5)Todd T.
Anyone that lives in Aiea probably knows about this place. When I used to work at Aiea Shell this was my lunch spot for cheeseburgers and fries. My favorite plate lunch is the "Special". Rice, mac salad, teriyaki beef, and fried noodles. It is so much food you can share. I remember buying bentos there when I used to go on school field trips.
(5)Alyssa M.
this small food place is located on the first floor of the Aiea Medical Center. Parking is a but of a cramp. looks a bit run down, but the food is GREAT! their burgers are good..they have some kind of sauce they use & their fries are DELICIOUS!! but you gotta try their fried noodles :) mmm..
(4)MikTrev L.
Worst parking situation ever. Food is good. Love their teri beef. I've learned that if you show your parking claim ticket, they'll give you a free spam musubi (or something)...
(4)josh v.
Attention all gluttons! Heights Drive Inn has sizable plates to fill any persons' so called bottomless stomachs. Guaranteed to put you into a heavy sedation after a huge meal from this Inn. During football season, this is where me and my friends would pick something up if we were lazy to bring the grill. Its really close to the Aloha Stadium. We would all order the Heights super combo, a behemoth of a plate lunch. So much different items in one plate, BBQ chicken, hamburger steak, teri beef, sweet sour spare ribs along with the usual two scoops rice and a heaping scoop of mac salad. Everything was piled on top of each other just so everything could fit onto the plate. The spare ribs was really ono, you can tell it was cooked for a long time. The cartilage was super soft, it had a pork fat-like consistency. This plate is huge and is pretty greasy, and although it is a delicious masterpiece, it should be consumed in moderation. To wash all the heavenly goodness down, I suggest going with a green river. This the very first place I had a green river and the only place I know that serves it. I don't even know how to explain the taste of it, like green fruit punch, maybe? But I do like green river over fanta fruit punch! The con of coming here is the parking. Heights Drive Inn is located at the Aiea Medical Building which is private parking. Heights Drive Inn validates your parking stub but for only 15 minutes. You can tell that they are aware its a problem and could take more than 15 minutes to get the food by giving a complementary spam musubi. On the musubi, there's a sticker that says "parking $#!#!", acknowledging that they know its a problem. Its only a dollar for an additional 30 minutes, though. Smart on Heights Drive Inn's part. It will most definitely keep loyal customers. Its a shame that this place doesn't get the same recognition as Rainbow's. Maybe it doesn't have the same history as Rainbow's but I would put Heights and Rainbow's up near the top.
(4)Cameron K.
"Special one time" - enough said. Damn good food. First stop right off the airplane.
(5)JC R.
I give it 5 stars because it's hard to find true "Local Food" served the traditional plate lunch way. I've been going here for years and the food is consistently the same .... ono-licious! My favorite is the Heights Special: Teri beef, fried noodles, mac salad and rice. My eating partner eats about all the daily specials they have and is never disappointed .... recently, it was Roast Pork--tender and smothered with gravy. Want to know how popular it is? Once we went there and the person before us ordered about 20+ plate lunches for Hawaiian Airlines staff...just goes to show...locals know where to eat good food. Go early and enjoy their okazuya - baked chicken is super yummy and have it with chow fun or musubi. Only downside is the building recently started to charge for parking...however, if you dine in, they will give you spam musubi on the house....for that reason, I added the last star to make it 5 stars since they appreciate you coming and paying for the parking.
(5)Mark P.
This place is too hard to get to. With the paid parking, and difficult traffic, the only time I've eaten here is when I have an appointment in the building for my Dr's appointment. Food is average.
(2)James W.
I love this place! The best plate lunches around. I live in town and will drive out to Aiea just to eat here. Some of my favorite plate lunches here are the hungry man (loco moco), spam-teriyaki mix, beef curry, fried noodles, veal cutlet. The daily specials are good too. Loooove the 2 scoops of mac salad! Besides the plate lunches, one of my favorite things to eat here is ....... a cheeseburger. That's right, a cheeseburger. It's a "local style" cheeseburger with a mayo-mustard sauce wrapped in the traditional yellow paper. It's hard to find burgers like this now days. TIP (as of 12-16-10): Parking here is no problem after hours but a bitch during business hours. During business hours phone in your order. There is a 10 minute grace period so you don't have to pay for parking if you can get in and out in 10 minutes or less. Anyone who comes in with a parking ticket for validation gets a free "sorry for the parking hassle" spam musubi (even if you don't have to pay for parking).
(5)Dust B.
Whenever I'm back in Hawaii I gotta get my Heights on. Boneless chicken special is exceptional. You. Will. Die. My stomach is doing somersaults just thinking about it. The fried saimin is so onolicious! And the mac salad is unfuckwithable. Though it's probably like sooo fattening, I really don't care. Don't cheat yourself, treat yourself.
(5)Daryl Y.
I went there today for lunch and had the Heights Special ...it was treri beef and friend noodles...very good..also the mac salad was good to..I am kind of picky when it comes to mac salad...and I liked this one...ok the bad part Parking it seems that you need during the lunch hour as it is in a medical bldg most of the doctors are out to lunch and no one is there...i got to park right up in front...fyi they have add a prepay parking now and its right behind the drive inn
(4)Love S.
Gilbert A. took the words right outta my mouth. I DITTO everything he said. Read his review. If Hawaii had a ROTD, I'd give it to Gilbert A. Fried Noodle special (tender teri beef, fried saimin, 2 massive scoops of mac salad and 2 scoops rice-a carbohydrate nightmare) with a Lilikoi drink, my mouth is salivating right now just thinking about it.
(5)Eric S.
Cool... looks like I'm the first non-local reviewer to this... so time for some outsider perspective. I added this to my bookmarks for my recent trip to Oahu with the family, and was excited when it appeared a the closest restaurant to Pearl Harbor. As one reviewer mentioned, it's in an office complex, and as such, a bit hard to find. Other than that, it couldn't be more perfect. I went for the Special, as suggested by reviewers, and housed down almost the whole thing. The teri beef was super tasty, the noodles were among the best I've had and the mac salad is so rich and mayo-y that I couldn't finish it all (and if you don't like mayo, you'd be advised to skip it). My 4 year old had a grilled cheese, and it was old skool good, wrapped in a wax paper sleeve. My wife had the same as me. TASTY! I wish I could go back and have more right now, though my heart and arteries are sure glad it's 5000 miles away.
(5)Jennifer H.
Ok if you want your typical plate lunch/lunchwagon food, go here. I'm tired of eating plate lunches by the time Saturday rolls around and I'm in Aiea so I usually get one of their sandwiches. This place is PACKED! They have the green river (everytime I go, somebody's drinking this) so you know you're in your comfort plate lunch zone. Their oily goodness is good, but defniitely not good if you're trying to stay away from the fatty goodness of plate lunches. You can't go wrong at this place. I guarantee you'll find something that'll hit the spot, just like you expect it would.
(3)Gilbert A.
The Heights Drive Inn is what Loco Moco dreams of being: an authentic Hawai'i style plate lunch diner serving 5-star meals at 2-star prices. I was first introduced to them by my mother, and she by hers.They were both friendly with the Japanese cashier who worked there back in the '80s, known for her thick black mascara, waist length hair, lee press-on nails, and Portagee mouth. I fondly think of her as the working class version of Kimora Lee Simmons. What makes the Heights Drive-Inn a must-stop? In addition to the fabulously unhealthy rice, macaroni, and entree combination of your choice, their fried (saimin style) noodles are divine. It's been years since I last savored a taste of them, but my memory is inclined to attributing the noodles' greatness to its shoyu marinade and green onion/pink fish cake garnishing. Order these as part of the "Special", and you'll receive a sumptuous cut of teriyaki beef. Wash this down with a green river or lilikoi drink, and you're really doing it local style. Their cheeseburgers are juice-dripping great, and--this being Aiea, with its large Japanese community--they have a small but delectable selection of Hawai'i style okazu treats. Tops on this list are their cone sushi, sweetly wrapped in a moist aburage shell, as well as their pork hash and rice cakes. The Heights Drive Inn, which is housed in the lobby of a medical building across the street from the Aiea Shopping Center, is a mainstay and source of pride for Aiea folks who refuse to be won over by better known plate lunch institutions, like the Rainbow Drive In, and certainly the Loco Moco. We know better.
(5)K K.
Grandpa, tell me about the good old days.... This place reminds me of the kind of place you go with your grandparents. I've been going here since I was a little kid and it's been consistently good all these years. Whenever I go here there's only 1 plate that I always order. Boneless Chicken special. Comes with boneless teri chicken, and 3 wonderful starches; fried noodles, mac salad and rice. I tell you the teri sauce on the fried noodles and rice is the best. Service is like a production line. The workers have it down to a science. Orders come in and it's yelled to the kitchen and plates start appearing like magic. Mac salad is scooped by the order taker so if you want it on the side be sure you mention it in a clear and loud voice. Sometimes the "aunty" taking the orders don't hear you unless you speak up. The only downside I can think of is the parking. If you plan on going during lunch it's a pain to find parking in the lot. They now have a ticket system so you will have to remember to validate your parking ticket or you'll have to pay. If you're picking up food, it's a good idea to come with a friend in case the lot is full. If you haven't tried the Heights Drive Inn, I highly recommend you go and experience a piece of plate lunch history.
(5)G V.
Teriyaki, fried noodles, mac salad, all ono. Hard to find parking during working hours, thats why i go on sundays! Good plate lunches for sure!
(4)Jerome B.
It was because of Heights Drive Inn that I had my first swim into the "green river." I've never heard of it before until my coworkers had mentioned it in their, "man, I remember when I was a kid and I drank the green river blah blah blah." Well, where I grew up in San Diego we have green rivers, but that's because of the Tijuana sewage. The green river at Heights (for the people whose eyebrows are furrowed, thinking WTF is a green river) is actually a green fruit-punchish drink. It wasn't carbonated and the best way I can describe is if you melted the green Otter-Pop and drank it. It's the syrupy goodness that gets yah. And just like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles "Secret of the Ooze," you'll think you'll mutate after having it. And after having wrote all of that nonsense, all that really mattered was that it was good, sweet, noncarbonated (but with enough sugar to rot our teeth out), and worth a try. Shall I continue with the rest of the food review? Or are you sick to your stomach about the green river. Don't let it scare you, because this place is a very good plate lunch place. I ordered a combo that came with 5 different kinds of meat. 5... and the portions can feed the biggest and baddest of boys (or maybe I'm just too small to appreciate those massive portions). It came with teri beef, hamburer steak, spare ribs, a pork chop I think, and kalbi. Maybe I'm exaggerating, but I swear as I was eating I felt like an archaeologist excavating layers of a pyramid, there was so much meat. Two scoops of rice and mac salad. Everything was good. Nothing was terrific, but everything was good. I can't give it a 4 rating if I gave Helena's a 4. But it's way better than L&Ls. So after you're done swimming in the green river, get their plate lunch to recoup those calories. You'll come out mutated with that crooked, one-sided TMNT smile and a shell (or maybe with a bit of love handle).
(3)Kiva Y.
From the Yelp comments, my wife & I tried this place this past Saturday for lunch & it was everything good that was mentioned. The teri chicken & the teri beef was good (although the teri beef was more tasty). The mac salad was good enough to mention & the fried noodles was also good. The only not so good thing was that the noodles was a bit salty; not sure if it always is, or someone put in too much salt on this day. But I would definitely go back again. Side note - the cashier girl told me that they still give a free spam musubi if you show your parking stub. :)
(4)Nicole K.
i'd always go here with my mom after my doctor's appointments. i hated getting shots, but i really looked forward to getting hamburger curry. they used to have slush floats, if i remember correctly. i haven't gone there in a while because i go to a new doctor :( but hopefully i'll make the trek out there soon :)
(4)Brandon H.
I grew up in Aiea with the Heights Drive Inn as my default place to eat out. As time went by I realized just how good I had it! -Before the Loco Moco, there was the "Hungry Man".(come on Aiea people, you know it's true) -Burger Bowl, just rice, burger patty, and gravy... in a bowl... -Fried saimin with teri-beef... still the best ever(respect to the late Jumbo's though)
(5)Len B.
A local recommended this to us and we went looking for it. Hard to find - across from the bowling alley in the medical building. Kind of a walk up counter. Looks a bit dive-ish and frankly without the recommendation we would have walked away. IT WAS SO GOOD!!!! Forget Rainbow, this is flavorful and has been the best for traditional plates we have tried here.
(5)Stacey A.
Heights has a bit of nostalgia for me because this place is always on my dad's list of places to eat when I'm back in the 808. According to him, the original owners had another drive inn in Waianae waaaay back in the day. One day that place burned down and they relocated to Aiea and he's been coming here til this day... Anyway, enough history - the food is good and cheap, but the parking can get a little hectic when this place is busy.
(4)Daniel C.
get the boneless chicken special. BEST PLATE LUNCH EVER!
(5)Leon H.
This is def a hot spot. They do things the old school way with fried noodles and cheap prices.This a great plate lunch place and they give a lot to. Cant ever go wrong.
(4)Denise Y.
Heights Drive Inn has the BEST fried noodles on the island!
(5)Les M.
Heights Drive Inn! I haven't been there in so long, I miss the teri beef, fried noodles, all their okazu stuff. I have to get to Aiea very soon. It's a good thing they are in the Aiea Medical Building, cause their food is broke da mouth! :)
(5)Jason K.
The Heights specials are good and the Super Combo is huge and has lots on the plate which plate lunches should be, and the Green River drink tops it off... Good place to go eat if you are going shopping at Pearlridge center or Aloha Stadium Swap Meet...
(3)Jason E.
great plate lunches, in a hard-to-find location in the medical center. Fee to park, but reasonable with validation by the restaurant.
(5)Kayfo T.
Wow- I don't know this place could have gotten 5 stars from so many yelpers. It was definitely a 2 star experience. First of all, the cashier was pretty rude. As soon as we approached the window, he told us we have to hurry up and order because they're closing in 15 minutes. When we placed our order, he asked if it was takeout or for here- then before we could answer he said "never mind- it has to be takeout, we're closing." Wow. Bad first impression. I ordered the chicken katsu with chili. The katsu was pretty good but the chili definitely tasted like canned chili. My friend ordered the beef stew, which he didn't care for at all. Then menu said the plates came with salad, but by that, they meant a poor version of mac salad. I'm pretty sure I won't be returning to The Heights Drive Inn.
(2)Sarah A.
I love this place!!! The special is all I ever eat from here and my mouth waters just thinking about it. This is just a good old fashioned plate lunch. No fancy stuff and definitely not healthy. YUM YUM YUM!!!
(5)William L.
Old school baby!
(5)David S.
The previous reviews have already gone over the specialties so I'll let you know how to order like you're a "regular". If you want to order the teri beef and fried noodle combination all you have to say is that you'll take a "special". To order the boneless teriyaki chicken and fried noodles you ask for one "boneless". Between the two, if you're hungry and want more meat than i'd suggest the boneless but if you're looking for the best teri beef on the island then i'd go with the special. Before i forget you should wash your meal down with a green river (lime flavored drink) because there are few restaurants left of the island who still serve this long time classic.
(5)