4. Restaurants

Big City Diner

Ward Entertainment Ctr,1060 Auahi St, Ste 4, Honolulu, HI, 96814
  • (808) 591-8891
  • Store is closed

Big City Diner Menu

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant menu details.

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant cholesterol menu details.

  • Joshua T.

    Been going here since I was a kid, never had a problem with them. Service is good, food is fine, no complaints! I had the cheeseburger and fries with a side of their guava buffalo wings! I was very hungry that night to say the least. Big City Diner really speaks for itself so there isn't much to say other than it's a solid place to go for a casual dinner.

    (4)

  • Sharilyn B.

    Always good food here. This time I ordered the guava-bbq ribs.....D-E-LICIOUS! Order only the "not so big slab" if you're a small eater, but if not, order the regular big slab. My friend ordered the boneless kalbi steak which was also very yummy....ALMOST as good as my family home cooked ones.

    (4)

  • Amy Y.

    My friends and I went came here to eat for one of my friend's birthday. She really wanted to come here for a long time. We went there around 5ish and it wasn't that busy so we got our table pretty fast. So we each ordered something different to eat. Surprisingly the portions are pretty big and most of us couldn't finish it. I ordered the Paniolo Chicken salad (not so big size). It was delicious. The dressing was great. Salad mixed with corn was amazing. They had the nacho kinda chips with salsa around the salad. I love those! The chicken had enough taste. It was pretty filling. I would recommend this dish. Maybe next time I would order this again. It was around $9. My friend got a cup of ice cream dessert for her birthday. It looked good. Only our waitress was singing the Happy Birthday song along with us. I knocked off one star because our server seemed kinda annoyed by something. So her mood toward us was a little grumpy. But overall, this place was really nice.

    (4)

  • Iris J.

    Lihing mui margarita was Amazing!!! Salmon w/miso ginger sauce was pretty tasty but prefer ginger soy sauce better!!! Service was good ...at this visit!!!

    (5)

  • Keoki R.

    Usually the service is much quicker but unfortunately the day we stop in for breakfast it takes almost an hour to get our food . Also , we had to have the expediter locate our server to get our bill .

    (2)

  • Gary D.

    Love coming to big city diner. One of our favorite places. Especially when we do a movie at ward. Great place to grab a Ono bite at a good price. Real mellow and casual.

    (5)

  • Cindy L.

    Great and convenient location. We had breakfast there and enjoyed the outdoor seating. H loved the loco moco with fried rice. I had the mushroom omelette, which they messed up on because they didn't give me any mushrooms. Then the server said they could give me some mushrooms on the side. I was like WTH. Then the manager came by and said that they gave us 15% discount on the omelette. Gee... thanks a lot. But really, I want mushroom in my omelette.

    (3)

  • Christine K.

    Check out the weekly specials.

    (3)

  • David P.

    Everytime I have been to the BCD, the service has been great! Very attentive, personable and able to make a menu recommendation for me or my guests. I have referred several people there and each group has had a similar experience to mine. The food served is perfect comfort food and reminds me of good old fashioned home style cooking. If you are going in expecting gourmet, you are entering the wrong place, but if you are looking for good food at a good price, sit down and enjoy!

    (4)

  • Belle B.

    I wanted to like this place. I really did. Maybe I just didn't know what to order. Maybe I just came on an off day. I think I might have just wanted a little more than diner food. Looking at the menu, nothing really jumped out at me. They had many options on the menu, but looking at it I thought there really wasn't much on the menu at all. Didn't want a salad. I don't really eat burgers. I wasn't in the mood for breakfast. I ended up ordering fried noodles. It wasn't really what I wanted, but I figured that noodles are always a good option. They were just average. Even the food that other people ordered wasn't really appealing to me *loco moco, kalbi steak, hamburger steak. This isn't a place I would immediately volunteer for a meal, but if we end up here again I will try to be more open minded.

    (2)

  • Yvonne O.

    I took my sister to this great restaurant..My sister ordered the New York Steak.. ..Because she could not eat spices that were added on to steak. ..she eat very little of the steak. Although, the cook did try to correct the problem...she could not eat it.. My food was great. .yummy. Waitress was great.. Because we had gone to celebrate the life of one of my sisters passing. .was important to treasure that night. I called the next day and spoke to the manager.named Misty. .explained what had happened. .She apologist and remembered me last night, and wished that I had asked for her. .because service was so great. .did not want to cause any problem. Misty apologist and said, :please came in and let me redo your sisters steak. .and please ..let her have it for lunch.. I will be a customer for life because ..Big City Diner cares about their customers...with the Aloha. . Thank you..Misty and the ..Big City Diner. . They have the Ohana....and showed how much they care about their customers. .mahalo!

    (5)

  • Nat N.

    If you come here for breakfast, you must try their Ani's Cinnamon Bread french toast! It's an absolute winner. Slap on some whipped butter and dip each piece in maple syrup and you will be in heaven. Our waiter was very attentive and made sure we were in and out in less than an hour. Our coffee and water glasses were bottom-less and the food came out in lightning speed. My niece's egg's benedict was delivered as a smiley face (check my photos) - not sure if that's how it always comes, but it definitely brightening up our meal!

    (4)

  • Susan N.

    Food was not good. My son had meatloaf. It looked horrible and tasted terrible. The last time I went it was pretty good. Don't plan to go back.

    (1)

  • Debra N.

    The best food ever and affordable with weekly specials. Asian Fish is week 3 and 6. It melts in your mouth! I've been going to BCD for two years. Service is fantastic.They are in great demand with the locals and can get really busy. I'll wait for my food with an appetizer or salad to help during those busy times. This is a suggestion for those demanding and high expectation individuals. If you don't make reservations, expect to wait. If you have allergies, you must let the serve no ahead of time, that's a given when you dine out. Servers can't read your mind and your responsibility as a parent or individual. I have many allergies, raw green onions and onions. I let my server know....

    (5)

  • Peter M.

    Went here a few weeks ago (new to Yelp, so I thought my "check-in" was comments) ordered the Kahiko Hawaiian Plate and a kids hamburger with fries, food came it fast, BUT it was room temp, the beef stew and kalua pig was cold inside, the lomi salmon was dry and it tasted like the refer, this location is no where as good as the Kaimuki restaurant.

    (1)

  • Nick V.

    as a bartender and server im very patient when sitting at a bar........ this place gives a bad name to the industry i ask two people for help one cashing out and the other just lost both no response.....i don't expect much from here just sad that people are giving a bad name to a hard enough industry we work in.......

    (1)

  • Kelly G.

    Open Christmas day with time to kill before our movie (Django Unleashed), my hubby wanted to get slightly buzzed and eat. Sat at the bar and got our orders in fairly quickly. The Sam Adam beers were good. We ordered some kind of Christmas special, a berry french toast? Delicious. Portions are alright. Service was great for the holidays. The hubby loved it all. Prices were alright for me, but pretty standard for diner fare. Great location, parking usually available. Great place to come eat.

    (4)

  • Jana M.

    Consistent food and service. My friend won a trip to Vegas at their "VIP Super Bowl party" ! :) Loco moco was pretty good. My friends love the fried rice. Most of it is not super healthy local food but it is what it is. friendly staff. Decent bar selection and good desserts.

    (4)

  • Krysten I.

    Big City Diner salads are always soooo delicious. I've tried the cobb salad and salmon salad, and I'm the kind of person who orders the same thing every single time I go back. I've tried their weekly specials a couple times and haven't been disappointed. Big City diner must take pretty good care of their workers, because we see the same waiters and waitresses have been there for years. They're always so friendly too! :)

    (5)

  • Melody T.

    Derrick was an absolute joy as a waiter! Very friendly, knowledgeable, charismatic and efficient. Our dining experience was great because of him. This was our first time at this location. There was plenty of parking and plenty of tables available at the time we came. We were greeted with a friendly aloha and was immediately seated in a booth...plenty space for 5 adults. Derrick came to introduce himself and was very personable. We ordered some saimin, chili rice and more. Food came out quickly and with a smile! He came to check on us to make sure our food was satisfactory...as it was. Decor was a nice diner decor and atmosphere was nice. Because of this location, I would imagine it would become busy during peak hours. However, was really nice in the morning - brunch time. This review was long overdue, I visited Big City Diner back in October of 2013 and just now got around to writing this, and wanted to be sure I gave Derrick a raving review. Mahalo!

    (5)

  • Corinne E.

    Came here for Thanksgiving dinner after watching Frozen at Ward Theaters. I was surprised at how great the service was... not sure why... not sure why I don't often think of this place as a "go-to" place to eat either. But food came out fast, service was great, food tasted great. We were happy! Loved the Li Hing Mui lemonade.

    (4)

  • Brad M.

    On 01-20-15, my girlfriend and I were gonna see a 1030 pm movie at Ward Theaters and decided to grab a quick bite to eat at Big City Diner Ward since it was next to the theaters. Anyway, the restaurant was still open with about 20 minutes left until closing and the hostess said it was okay when she seated us (there were still about 15-20 people left inside too). We were seated right next to the kitchen which was about 10 feet away and I heard an Asian female cook wearing glasses say to a waitress in a very loud clear voice, "I don't give a f#%k already, all these f#%kers coming in so late...this is bullsh#t...I don't care!!" This made me so furious!! I wanted to jump up from our table and storm out the front door to eat someplace else. I calmed down and we ended up eating the Chinese fish w/ bok choy, which was pretty good actually. The management should talk to their employees to make them realize that if the sign says "open," then you're still open for business and should remain professional at all times. On the cook's behalf, the food was pretty delicious but I didn't appreciate her attitude.

    (1)

  • Janda D.

    I've eaten here a few times, only because the other restaurants were busy and we were hungry. Ordered a steak- small and over cooked. Nachos- greasy and chips were already soggy. Calamari- greasy and soggy & also garlic fries, which turned to be the best one, although, drenched in grease as well. Ended up with a 90$ tab of wasted food . Its "OK" if you're hungry, but if you want good food for 100$ i say just go to a nicer place and spend the same amount of money.

    (1)

  • Tiffany Y.

    I tweet for Tuesdays! Now, I know why most tweetups that meet at Big City Diner are on Tuesdays and well...Fridays for the Big Ramen! Last night, my honey and I went to dinner at Big City Diner Ward with a couple of our friends. As we were waiting for our friends, I decided to check-in via Yelp and Foursquare. I noticed at the bottom of the check-in, there was a notice for "Twitter Tuesday". That if you are following @BigCityDiner and you find out the password, share that with your server and up to four individual meals will be discounted. How cool is that? The Ward location is pretty good. I've been here several times before last night and our service has never been bad. Last night, our server, Nino was really great. After he sat us down, he relayed the specials of the day. And one thing I noticed...he was very easy going with a huge smile on his face. I ordered the Hamburger steak with garlic mash potatoes (yum) My honey ordered the Salmon (I don't eat seafood) Dessert: Oreo Sunday (single serving) With great food, there is always great conversation with friends. This location did not even hint to us that we were there past closing time until we looked around and noticed they were setting up for the next day (yikes). Again, great service, Lane and to the BCD Ward Location Team especially to Nino!

    (4)

  • Jennifer C.

    I've come to this location a few times, but my most recent visit was for Father's Day breakfast. My Dad loves breakfast food and i figured I'd bring him here, since he's never been. We came in on Sunday morning at 8AM and were seated right away. This is where customer service started to go downhill. Our waitress took our orders, but our food took about 20-25 minutes to arrive and it was not that busy even for Father's Day. When we finally got our orders, we were missing our plate of macadamia nut and haupia sauce pancakes and orange juice. It took us awhile to flag down our waitress, she seemed to be all over the place. There were even different people coming by to our table to check on us, why are there 2 other people checking on us? It was weird and confusing. I ordered the veggie-tofu omelette with brown rice. It was bland and not tasty at all. There was nothing amazing about it, the ketchup I added was the saving grace. After they finally brought out the remainder of our order, the macadamia nut and haupia sauce pancakes were okay. Even Boots & Kimo's was better. The presentation of the food was disgusting. It looks like they rushed our order because they forgot it, threw the three pancakes and globbed the haupia sauce and just threw the macadamia nuts on it (my Dad was so hungry, he ate it anyway before I could take a picture). The haupia sauce was overflowing onto the table because they just threw it on there. My Dad said his omelette was alright, it wasn't anything special and he was disappointed in the service. He asked multiple times, "Why do they keep forgetting our food?" "Why is it taking so long?" I felt so bad and I wish I had brought him to another place for his special day. Don't think I'll be back here for breakfast again.

    (2)

  • Rosella M.

    The food was disappointing. My husband had the meatloaf plate - it was a skinny, premade patty (the menu described it as monster meatloaf but my hamburger was thicker) with canned gravy and instant mashed potatoes. I had a hamburger with garlic fries, the hamburger was ok but the garlic fries were just regular fries with a blob of fried garlic hiding in the pile - some of the fries had no garlic flavor, others were overwhelmed with garlic. I could have had a better burger and fries across the street at Kua Aina.

    (1)

  • Ron M.

    Most noisy brunch ever ! Couldn't hear my own conversation. Clatter of plates, carts, staff noise, kitchen conversation overpowered guests. FIX THIS PROBLEM.

    (1)

  • Rissa K.

    Great service and location. Had the steak pupus and taco salad. Yummy! Great local food if you want something other than Zippys.

    (4)

  • Chris L.

    nice waiters but bad service (not attentive) and horrible food. we had the salmon citrus salad and pan seared salmon- both superdry + salad tasted weird. we asked for a piece of new, less dry salmon and got it more than 10min later when we were already done eating. left hungry.

    (2)

  • Kainoa L.

    Went there late at night, order the Malibu Chicken sandwich. The chicken wasn't fully cooked! Got sick from the horribly cooked chicken. Only good part was their fries. Only reason why they get 1 star.

    (1)

  • Will B.

    This is a good place to get something to eat before or after the movies. You get the full Big City Diner menu here, but the space is smaller (without being cramped) and the food comes more quickly. They don't have as a much of a bar as other BCD locations. My favorites are the Paniolo Chicken Salad (which has been a winner for 15 years) and the Ms. Teri Burger. I've recently become a fan of what they do with portobello mushrooms -- try the sandwich instead of a burger sometime. And the apple pie a la mode is great!

    (4)

  • Keith R.

    Food was decent, fast service and clean.

    (3)

  • Berneta A.

    I've been here a bunch of times but this is a great place to catch sports games. A few weeks ago after getting out of work my boyfriend suggested Big City Diner to watch the end of the Spurs vs Heat final game. I was skeptical but to my surprise upon arriving it was half empty and TV's are conveniently set up everywhere to catch good angles. Items to stay away from: Calamari Tempura Strips, that garlic-wasabi aioli sauce just doesn't have any taste no matter how much you mix it in the hopes it'll get better and the Meat Loaf. Love the Thai Chicken Salad and Chili Nachos, yum. The edamame as an appetizer is yummzers too and you get a ton of them. It's an appetizer for four people. I was surprised on game day that everything came out so quickly (apps in 5 minutes the rest of our order in 10 min) despite the fact that every time I glanced over to the exhibition kitchen the cooks were starting transfixed at the TV's. Hey I would probably do that too if I were working, it was an exciting final game. Minus one star for the sketchy server next to our section that continued to not give her tables change and customers had to ask for it and she also made change for people out of the $$ she got from other tables.

    (4)

  • Remy P.

    I went here with my friends to eat a nice meal before our movie and to say I wasn't satisfied is an understatement. First off, our waitress never came to our table unless we called her over and through out the whole meal she would forget what we asked for. The fryer broke right when we got there, so we had to change our meals. Instead if fries we wanted salad, the salad dressing tasted off and the salad itself is just a bowl of lettuce. The food in general wasn't very good. I would not come back.

    (1)

  • Dee M.

    Dining Experience: 1/15/10 This is a decent lunch type establishment on Ward Street away from the buzz of Waikiki. I ordered the club sandwich and it was pretty decent. The BF didn't care for his philly steak and cheese sandwich. I actually like the charm of this dinner. They seem to offer quite a few specials to assist patrons during these economic times. I was particularly impressed with the Tuesday discount given to active duty military. Overall, I would recommend Big City Diner for a no frills lunch that won't put a dent in your pocket book.

    (3)

  • Marisa A.

    We've been coming to this restaurant for about a year now. We go every week for breakfast. We have a regular server Vanessa who is FABULOUS. We went on a day that Vanessa was off, and that will never happen again. We ordered our breakfast and everything seemed to going fine, until the manager came into the picture. The phone was ringing and he saw that his staff was busy and he barked at someone to ANSWER THE PHONE. As a person that used to work in that industry I find that APPALLING. He doesn't seem to answer the phone, help expedite food, seat anyone or ask any of the guests how everything was going. I know 2 of the other managers there and they work their butts off helping their staff. If that wasn't bad enough, 2 feet away from us the manager outright(in hearing distance) yells at one of his front of the house staff members. You don't even know how that made me boil up inside. You don't EVER talk to your staff like that let alone in front of guests. My boyfriend was sitting next to me facing the kitchen and the manager is walking in our direction and looks directly at my boyfriend and gives him this stink look. That was the last straw. I said as soon as we leave i'm writing an email. I write an email, and get a response asking for more information, and telling me that their whole staff is going thru re-training. I said nothing about the staff, only about the manager and he didn't mention anything about that manager. I emailed them back and said there was nothing wrong with the staff, only with that manager. I never got a response back...it's been two weeks. My boyfriend wrote a similar email and no one ever responded to him at all. I don't like writing bad reviews because it hurts a business, but when they show you that they don't care if they have your business or not, it's time for a review.

    (2)

  • Kazuo O.

    I only eaten breakfasts here so this review only covers the AM offerings. For the most part, I have settled on Big City on occasions when the other nearby breakfast eateries were over capacity. While you may think breakfast is hard to mess up, Big City Diner has consistently served up less than ideal food on the dishes that require slightly more skill than meat, eggs, and rice/other starch. I do appreciate the ability to get a boozey breakfast at 8 am. Likes: Boozey breakfast, service generally friendly/courteous, easier to get seated with a large group on weekdays and early compared to other places. Dislikes: overall food quality vs price. There are just so many other great options in the area. Bottom line: If in going to forgo the eye opener, I'd rather pick up Sodexo's offerings at many of the fine hospital cafeteria's in the area (Women's and Children's being one of the best in State). Two stars because I would still eat here in a pinch.

    (2)

  • Jim D.

    Would defiantly not recommend this place to anyone. Out server Jimmy K. Was so rude, no eye contact, never came back to check on us and just dropped the check and walked away. When I gave my credit card to pay it says "check ID" , the server. And back and in a rude asked for my ID. I will never come here again and I will defiantly post this on my face book as well so everyone will know not to come here!!!

    (1)

  • En I.

    Visited the Ward location this past weekend on 10/11 and the staff was very friendly. The manager was very pleasant and took very good care of us (4 adults and a child). he may recall our visit . . .

    (4)

  • Irene G.

    Every time I go here there's usually no wait and if there is it hasn't been any longer than 10 min. The seating arrangements are a little awkward. You have your typical bar and booths BUT, there's also a weird row of tables and chairs where you're sitting in the middle of a walk way. I always request not to sit in that section. There's tv's all over the restaurant so it's a good place to go when a game is going on. They are pretty high to the ceiling so your neck may get a little tired from looking up. Food here is like an other diner. I've tried their teri burger, kalbi plate, fried rice, fried noodles, calamari, and chicken salad. Everything is ok, nothing spectacular. The usually have specials during the week that cost $10 per entree. Last night my boyfriend had their philly cheese stake sandwich on special. It was by far the worst philly cheese steak I've ever tasted. Instead of it being thin slices of steak like you're used to in a sandwich, it was chopped up pieces of steak, similar to what you would find in a chopped steak dish. I had the kalbi and it's been consistent. By far the best thing on their menu I've tried would be their calamari strips (ask for cocktail sauce and mix both cocktail and the sauce they provide together) and their teri burger. I'm a big french fries fan and their fries are a 2 out of 5.

    (3)

  • April J.

    Service was good. The island famous really loco, loco moco really isn't all that loco... the onions are an ingenious idea but that's all that's really special about it. The calamari strips with wasabi mayo was amazing (and we aren't even wasabi lovers)! But both our entrees were unfinished simply because they weren't that great... we'd say it's a tad overpriced base on our mediocre plates. It's almost as if we could easily cook them on our own. Probably won't be back, love the workers though!

    (2)

  • Kim L.

    This place is just alright.... I expected more as we had been told by many locals how "great" it was.... The poke was partially frozen, and didn't seem like it had marinated long enough. The Kalbi beef was good, but nothing exceptional. Service was pleasant and friendly. Wish I could give it more stars- but the food didn't wow me..

    (2)

  • Kristine L.

    We had a delay in our service but they've offered us great service after that and a free dessert

    (4)

  • Emma K.

    I like the big city at ward. The people are friendly and the food is waaaay better than the others I've been to. Not to mention the closeness to good entertainment. Breakfast is good, served til 11 or 1130 I think. Some great choices: pancakes, fried rice, eggs, spam, you name it. And for a great price! Lunch and dinner are great too. I love their portabello mushroom salad, Philly cheesesteak, AND the absolutely most delicious bread budding Ive had thus far.

    (4)

  • Jon K.

    How can you screw up over easy eggs?!?! The yolk was like a hard boiled egg! Gravy was horrible! Canned gravy tastes better than this! Top it off with a burger patty with no flavor, and you've got one hell of a meal! This is why I only eat the kimchee fried rice! You should fire your cook!

    (1)

  • Natasha G.

    Decided to give this place a try since I have never been there before, first thing I noticed when I walked in the doors was the smell, smelled dirty. We were led to the back of the restaurant and I noticed that considering they have retro tiles, for some reason they had sporadically placed hallway rugs that didn't match....next thing I noticed was the table was oily/ smudgy, seats had no cushion left and the ground was filthy, napkins and other things from the previous people. Menu is a little weird to navigate and the waiter failed to tell us which side we were on ( I was wondering why half was upside down) I ordered the crispy onion hamburger steak, my boyfriend got the kimchi fried rice and I got my son the grilled chicken with rice. Found it funny they don't offer chicken nuggets or something, it's just straight up grilled chicken breasts. I tasted it and it was decently seasoned, as for mine....the description said the crispy onion was suppose to be sweet - it wasn't. My fried rice was very bland, kinda gross, the mushrooms I added were obviously canned - not fresh, gravy tasted burnt and so did the burger though it clearly wasn't. Bottom line, my whole dish tasted burnt or cooked on a dirty stove/grill. My boyfriends fried rice looked gross and dry but he didn't comment on it. The best thing was the bread pudding. If I ever come back here I'll be sure to just get dessert, the food was just down right sad and our bill for 2 entrees, 1 kids meal, 1 dessert and 2 drinks with a basket of fries was $61. I went to the pogoda and got more food for $40 ( and it was good) went to Shokodu and left highly satisfied for only $50 and to take it even higher we went to the beautiful Mac 24/7, got alcohol, 2 entrees, pupu, dessert and paid about $65, I was seriously disappointed to pay so much money for such shitty food in a dirty, poorly lit smelly dive. Never going here again. Oh, service was okay.

    (1)

  • Yosh W.

    Always great service especially from Derrick! Food is served quick! Great veggie alternatives and they will substitute any meal just the way you like it!

    (4)

  • Leilani F.

    Ive been here many times and I've never been impressed with the food. All the items on the menu are things I could make at home. I order a salad, it's drowning in dressing. I order salmon, it's super "fishy". I order chicken, it's bland and rubbery. Ive only had one nice server. One had an attitude and another forgot about us! Seriously come on now! Ive given you so many chances and youve let me down everytime :( I don't know why this place is so popular the food is terrible. The one star is for the bread pudding ONLY.

    (1)

  • Jimbos B.

    Was going to see a movie next door at Wards theatre so my wife and I came here to eat. I'm so glad that we did. The food was great. The waitress was awesome! She knew the menu and was very helpful. The food was great. We had the calamari appetizer and it was probably the best we have ever had. We will definitely be back.

    (5)

  • Ilene B.

    Great breakfast selection and they have a treasure chest of small toys for the kids and a helium tank at the ready for balloons! Super friendly employees and good size portions.

    (5)

  • Jamie D.

    It's a must go to diner in Hawaii!! Granted that parking is a bit of a nuisance at times and the food is not like something to die for... There are still some good stuff that keeps me coming back from time to time. *Prices are decent, food is yummy, and they have a variety of foods to offer even the pickiest of eaters. -Their salads are pretty good (if dressing is an issue for you, then ask it on the side-duh). I like the paniolo chicken, oriental chicken, and the Thai salad choices. - Love the calamari tempura strips with the spicy garlic Wasabi aioli sauce- yummers! -Loco moco, kim chee fried rice, garlic fries, burgers, just to name a few onolicious dishes. I'm definitely a fan! Side note: If they can only get the cooks at the back to be consistent. For the most part they are, but there have been a few times that get my husband to grumble about his food. Somehow it keeps happening to him. Hmmmmm!

    (4)

  • Shelley E.

    Yesterday was Sunday and I had a great day with the kiddos which basically meant no major fights, stabbings, or horrific name calling all day. The teenager did his homework and the monkey played nicely and quietly. We paid a visit to the grandparents and they were pleasant as well so the plan was to enjoy dinner at CPK since I received a bunch of gift cards and the kids love it there. But before I gorge in a bunch of cheesy carbs I went for quick 3 mile run as soon as the BF came home from work. 30 minutes later I return high off my running endorphins only to come home to chaos. The monkey is screaming bloody murder, the teenager is yelling, and the BF is nowhere to be found. Well turns out in the short 30 minutes I had left, SOMEONE (that person has yet to come forward) broke my brand new $300 glass floor lamp from Inspirations. It's history. I guess the boyfriend thought if he cleaned up the glass it would have less impact on my wrath. He was wrong. SO after about an hour of yelling, screaming, lecturing, drilling, cross-examining, story changing, and lots and lots of tears I finally calm down. Then the BF was like "OK well let's go to dinner"...WHAT? There is no f$*%ing way they are going to get rewarded with CPK now. Now as "punishment" I make the decision to go to Big City Diner. I'll admit it's not my favorite restaurant, so I already felt like I was the one being punished. I was still in a foul mood, but when we arrived we were greeted with such great hospitality I thought, OK this isn't going to be that bad for me. But I wanted it to be bad for the rest of them because this was punishment! Everyone ordered and we got our food out timely, hot, and at the same time! Once the food came, silence fell upon our table as the eating ensure, Wait a minute! Everyone is supposed to be upset, feeling riddled with guilt and hating their food right now. But no, everyone is so happy and the service was so attentive, but not just our server, by the manager as well. I mean they couldn't have made this 'Punishment' any more useless and utterly pleasant! I had the country fried steak, the teenager had the kim chee fried rice hamburger steak, the BF had a burger, and the monkey had chicken wings. The whole experience was so pleasing I somehow gave in to letting everyone share brownie sundae! What kind of pathetic parenting is this?? UGH!!!! Big City Diner gets a big fat A for having excellent service and good food, but they get a big fat F for carrying out what should have been a horrible painstaking punishment!

    (4)

  • Lai T.

    I didn't know what to think of Big City Diner since the reviews are all over the place for it. We had a gift card and would be in the area so we called in our phone order. When we got there, I was surprised at how heavy our bags were. I ordered the Paniolo Burger and my bf ordered the kimchee fried rice w/ eggs. My burger was huge and I was immensely full after only having eaten 2/3 of it. The side of fries which came with the burger probably weighed over 1 lbs. I wish they weren't so soggy but since we were a phone order, they probably were sitting there for a while. The kimchee fried rice was not my favorite, but the portion was equally big as my burger. Between the two of us, the food fed us through lunch and dinner. The service was also pretty quick and friendly. I would definitely visit Big City Diner again :)

    (4)

  • Liz C.

    It took the host a full 5 minutes to realize that we were standing two feet in front of him, because he was doodling a really nice picture of a shark. A waitress was staring at us the whole time this was happening and just watched. The host finally noticed our presence but didn't apologize. We sat down. Our waitress was good. But the food runner threw our food on the table and ran away when we tried to ask him something completely ignoring us. The poke appetizer tasted like cotton balls soaked in sauce and covered in onions. They brought out my food with the appetizer for some reason and then brought out our one other dish about 15-20 minutes later. Why?

    (1)

  • HI P.

    I gotta say this is my favorite Big City of them all! :) Parking: Lots and lots of different areas to park at Ward. You may need to walk a little, but hey I don't mind. Need to walk off the calories after dinner. :) Food: I ordered their nachos (sorry forgot to check the price). It's HUGE so totally worth it. There's chili, cheese, olives, onions and corn. Yummy yummy for my tummy! Bf ordered their cheeseburger and fries (about $10). Definitely good portion size as well. He says this is one of his favorite places to eat a burger. He also decided to add a side salad for $1.99 more. I think this was his way of trying to eat healthy. Hee hee. Overall: All in all, I give this place two thumbs up! Always great service and everyone is so friendly. Food came out in a jiffy and our waitress didn't skip a beat when refilling my bf's iced tea. What more can we ask for? Definitely one of our better experiences.

    (4)

  • Matt A.

    Server was awesome. Manager also came by to make sure things went well. Had salsa and chips, chilli for appetizers. Salsa was bland, chips was fresh. Chilli also bland and tasted beany. Had Kalbi Steak (recommended by the server). Good choice. Meat had flavor and was tender. Definitely will come back again.

    (3)

  • Judy F.

    Brunch with the family. Sought shelter here from hurricane Ana along with a ton of other people. But the wait was maybe 10 minutes. Not bad. The food was delish. Split a tofu omelette withy husband. Also split a Malibu chix sandwich. They forgot the avocado. When the avocado came out, it looked like it had been out for a while or handled a lot. But it was still good. Service was friendly and on point.

    (4)

  • Janel D.

    Big city dinner is know for its local food and Kim Chee fried rice. My experience was less than exceptional this time around and not happy with the service. First the host wanted to seat my handicap significant other on the other side of the restaurant knowing that it was far for him to walk because of the crunches. Then I open the menu and the menu like usual is way to big! To many selections and a turn off to not have the specials highlighted correctly. It's confusing and doesn't explain. To many advertisements in their menu as well. It is a local favorite or an advertisement company? Server didn't really greet and took about 15 mins to bring us water. Have to wait another 15-20 mins to order food. Never coming here again!

    (1)

  • Greg C.

    There's no diner finer! That's what I discovered when I first ate here all those years ago. Even though I spend most of my BCD dollars in Waipio now, I still find my way to the Ward location once every few months. My latest experience after the Aids Walk was great, although the wait to get in hovered around 30-minutes. If you know me, you already know what I'm ordering - Grandma's Kimchee Fried Rice, two eggs sunny-side up on top of it, and a bottle of Tabasco sauce on the side. Ah, that's a kickin' breakfast of champions! The coffee is always good, the OJ is a little over-priced, and the service is what you'd expect from Hawaii's version of a mainland diner. The menu is full of typical mainland breakfast, lunch and dinner fare. You'll find pancakes, link sausage, omelets, burgers, fries, and meatloaf. With the few exceptions of loco moco, the aformentioned Kimchee Fried Rice, and porteguese sausage, you wouldn't know you're in Hawaii. The prices are very reasonable which is part of what makes BCD so popular and crowded. Parking is really convenient here, either across the street on the flat lot, or behind the restaurant in the parking structure. If you're going to see a movie as well, take advantage of the garage valet parking and save yourself the stress of circling looking for an empty stall ($5 for valet, plus tip). If you see me in BCD with a hunkin' plate of Grandma's rice, some link sausage, and a hot cup of coffee, don't be shy about coming over and saying hi, but don't expect me to share!

    (4)

  • Faye M.

    I've eaten here for breakfast, lunch, and dinner over the years...and even just drinks and all times I've had the best service!! I know they have that program where they have to do specific steps with each customer and it seems like they've all bought into it! The food is good too - for lunch and dinner, I usually get the Salmon Salad or a Clubhouse Sandwich w/Garlic Fries. For breakfast, I've had their Kim Chee Fried Rice, Pancakes, French Toast...it's all good over here!! If you're lucky enough to get Bubu as your waiter - you'll be entertained the whole time you're there! IDK if he's trying to be goofy, or he just is - but I always leave in a good mood after being helped by him! Another good thing about eating at this location, is that I can hit up Nordstrom Rack before =OR= after eating there! Yaaaaaay!!

    (4)

  • Alejandra D.

    Food was ok but not for the price. Mash-potatoes tasted like they were made out from a box and for a $18 dish that's not right. But I guess that's what you get from eating at a diner. Service was quick which is good is you are hungry.

    (2)

  • Royden H.

    Horrible service. Couldnt even get seated. Host seated the person in front of me and never came back. FOUR servers just walked by me and didn't even acknowledge me existence. After being constantly ignored I was like "EFF THIS PLACE!! IM OUT!!!" I put up with the high prices and mediocre food only because of the lack of options of places to eat in the area. I will NEVER come back to this location again and will never recommend it to anyone. It seems that the location has gotten so comfortable with its tourist traffic, that it neglects the locals. The Ward location is such a contrast to the Kaimuki one. After writing this review I'm not even hungry anymore. Why can't I post negative stars?!?!?!

    (1)

  • Sharon H.

    For a late-night dinner or dessert after a movie, Big City Diner in the Ward complex is just the spot to cater to a group that includes a 9-year-old with a picky appetite. And, best of all, the wait staff were super nice and allowed us to linger so long we ended up opening another order ticket. Our favorites of the night: bread pudding a la mode -- is there any other way to enjoy it?! -- and thick cut french fries in a basket. The fries were hot, crunchy and salty, just the way I like it! The 7 of us were amazed that our waiter did not write any of our orders on paper, but he remembered exactly what we wanted, wow!

    (3)

  • Brian R.

    Won't be going here anymore. Last few visits they seemed inconvenienced by my fiance's crutches and the service has gone downhill over the years. Went there today and the AC seemed to be acting up so it was very muggy inside. Asked nicely about it and was snapped at. Maybe he had a bad day, but a simple acknowledgment would have been fine. It was more comfy in the parking lot than the restaurant. Menu has gotten stale over the years as well, nothing really excites. If you want BCD I find the pearlridge or waialae location better.

    (2)

  • Cathy M.

    Went to dinner before a movie and I ordered the chicken parm special. Wasn't impressed with the flavor of the tart tomato sauce. Hubby got the kim chee fried rice and enjoyed it. What bothered me most was the poor service. Having been in the industry I was disappointed after the initial order was taken. We hardly saw our waiter James. The food came out via a runner and we weren't asked how the meal was until we were almost done. The manager was the one who cleared our plates and gave a the leftover containers. Service is much better at the Waipio location.

    (2)

  • Michael W.

    Great breakfast place to dine with lots of free parking! Had the Pancake Sandwich for just $8.99. Two each of 8" pancakes, eggs, strips of bacon and link sausage. What a deal! Wait help greeted us with menus and a friendly smile. After taking our orders, drinks were delivered promptly and were always kept full. Pancakes were light and fluffy, bacon was crisp, pork links were well browned and eggs were really easy over. Such perfection of deliciousness! I highly recommend this establishment to everyone!

    (4)

  • Cher P.

    Over the years that my family has eaten here, we've manage to receive an awesome service for the most part. But today I'm not writing about the service because I'm pretty satisfied with the way the servers work. It's busy lots of tables to tend and most often friendly and polite. So anyway 10/3/2013 at approximately 8:30ish or so. We went to the Ward location. It was NOT busy but there were lots of patrons. So of course we've expected food to be perfect and at perfect temperature. For me HOT fresh. So we ordered cheeseburger with fries, chicken salad loco moco and their famous chicken wings. Believe it or not everything of what we ordered were terribly wrong. Like I said we've been eating at Big city diner so I know how the food taste. And yes I've eaten or tasted everything in the menu. So I know how they taste. Well our order Cheeseburger/fries-bun ok meat-rubber vegetables-wilted and old they even forgot the onions the worst part the French fries was oily flimsy and not even hot. Loco moco-gravy had a funny spice taste was very thick or heavy and very salty. Oh here's the crazy part I ordered scrambled egg on top. Yes they scrambled the egg -1 egg yup that's right I egg and anyone who's cooked one scrambled egg before knows how a one egg looks like right? Oh the worse part is they tried to spread it out so it would look nice but no no no no - presentation was a total turn off. I wondered if the cook checked it before it was brought out because I'm pretty sure that if a caring employee saw that there was no way that would have made it to the table. Total FAIL. Then omg the famous fried BBQ chicken. Total FAIL it was absolutely wrong to even serve that. Ok here it is. BBQ Chicken is from the ready to eat bag from SAMs club. I so positive it is so fricking wrong. They warmed it in the microwave oven. Didn't they know I don't eat microwave food. Lol Ok so I know it wasn't the original chicken because first it wasn't crunchy it wasn't hot it didn't have the same kick on the sauce and it was microwaved - I'm sooo pissed off. Shame on them. And so we looked over at the kitchen station and hmmmm they weren't busy they were just lingering congregating doing nothing why didn't serve the food correctly. We'll let me tell you why. It's either the manager on duty was not around or didn't care. Because if the manager was at the station all of the food that came to our table should have not made it. The salad was chopped up for big mouth person onions were not even completely cut but it was hmmm ok. Ok- owner boss manager whatever you call yourself - don't let your employees take over your business. You want patrons to return then you'll need manage the employee have them have heart and let them treat your business as if it is there. Start serving QUALITY food !!!!! Don't let them take over!!!!!! Food was terrible I exempted to tell our waitress that hmmm well didn't she notice the food was barely eaten !!!!!

    (1)

  • Jason W.

    Busted a Han Solo/Chewie and smuggled a take-out of the Double Down Hot Dogs into the theater to watch Moneyball. It was a brilliant decision! While the dogs at Big City aren't as good as Hank's Haute Dogs, I liked what we got for the price and it sure beat the theater fare. Plus there's something about completing a smuggler's run... Get's four stars for the price, the taste, and the experience.

    (4)

  • Steak Lover K.

    I always go for breakfast, I'm giving it a 5 star for the omelette, it's fresh ingredients and real eggs. Ok so it tacky and there are chips in the mugs but the food is great and there's always service with a smile :)

    (5)

  • Guy K.

    It's been a year or two since I've ordered take-out breakfast from this place. I stopped ordering weekend take-out breakfast here due to what I saw as a decline in quality control. I ordered a loco moco last weekend 'to go'. When I arrived, it was sitting on the counter ready for pickup. I was the only one in line at the time and said that I ordered a take-out and that it was probably the one sitting on the counter. Short version of this episode, the waitress ignored me and seated a couple of people that had arrived behind me. Then she ignored me again and seated another couple that arrived while she was seating the first couple. A man (who I assume was the manager) got my take out order for me. The total was $18 something. I left a $20 for payment and tip even though no actual table service was provided on the take-out order. According to people I know in the service industry, it's good manners to leave at least a $1 tip on take-out orders at restaurant-type places. Since the floor staff at Big City Diner does not seem to want my business, I will gladly take it elsewhere and provide my opinion on the quality of service at the place. There are also several better choices in terms of food quality and flavor than Big City Diner. Kakaako Kitchen, Nico's Pier 38 and I Love Country Cafe to name three that kick butt over this place. Good work Big City Diner !! You have made yet another ambasador of bad reviews and recommendations for your business complements of your floor staff.

    (1)

  • Compassionate R.

    This is only my second time eating here. There are known for the ribs but I ordered the meatloaf instead. Service I will rate a 6 not the greatest but at least the waitress smiles. My husband ordered the Korean Kal bi

    (3)

  • Coreen L.

    Yummy local options for breakfast, lunch and dinner -- or anywhere in between too. Fast service, great crew and huge portions.

    (4)

  • Ivana T.

    I went here for a quick bite before catching a movie at the Ward center, the chili is great but besides that, I didn't care much for my meal. I believe it was called "sistahs patty melt" it just tasted bland. I have been here for breakfast before and I do recall having a strong bloody mary, I would recommend breakfast only.

    (2)

  • Heather P.

    I seemed to have missed something here. I did not like it. Maybe I need to try something else, but I ordered what sounded good to me at the time and it was a bust. Baby back ribs with guava bbq sauce- I love ribs, i love guava, i love bbq...but together did not mesh well with me. The ribs came to me with a puddle of sauce at the bottom. The sauce is way too overpowering and frankly I dont think its a good blend. Sometimes less is more. Chili- Craving for that Hawaiian Drive-In chili thats sooo good, but majority of the group wanted to come here instead. Gave it a try and its not that great. I prefer more meat than beans in my chili and I did not get that

    (1)

  • Krysten S.

    Okay so when you're hungry... you're hungry. My friend and I had decided to go here for lunch today because it was in the area. We had about a 20 minute wait to be seated since it was "crowded." We go inside and then we're seated in the back by the restroom. Our waitress was a fairly old woman who could seem nice given the first glance. Nope. She kept glancing at my face and never smiled, no matter how polite I was. Was it my nose hoop that threw you off? I'm not sure. She filled our waters and took our orders. After about 45 minutes of no food and no water refills, we finally got our meal. Apparently the kitchen had been backed up because of a new chef and also because the restaurant was "crowded." My friend and I looked around us and there were plenty of stalls open. The people who had even come in after us had gotten their food faster! Once the food came out, low and behold, it wasn't hot. The only thing hot? My rice and my temper. I had gotten the Kalbi and Eggs w/ Rice. The Kalbi was too thin, eggs weren't seasoned and they were both cold. My friend had gotten the Malibu Chicken Sandwich. Her sandwich wasn't warm, her fries were soggy and the chicken was tough. What's wrong with this picture? My food was so NOT worth $15. Sorry to the people who like this, but there are plenty of other places i'll be going to for local yummy diner food. Sadly, I won't be back to this one anytime soon.

    (1)

  • Mindy B.

    Order their fried rice, Waiting over thirty minutes for order to come then arrives it cold, with over easy egg on top warm. Send back. They scoop egg's off top microwave fried rice place now cold egg on top and bring back. So disappointing. Will not be going back.

    (1)

  • Rico S.

    Service here is shit. Hostess was a Bitch. Walked away still talking about the specials. Sitting for over 10 minutes and no service.

    (1)

  • Gabriel T.

    This place is like the Denny's for local people or the local version of Denny's. The vibe and atmosphere almost fits into like what a Denny's is but just all localized. My favorite things to order here are the edamame for pupu's and fried rice. I also like their burgers too. The loco moco is pretty beast too. This place is really big when it comes down to sports especially UH sports since they are very supportive for them. They would have deals for UH students and such. The staff and customer service is good. It's conveniently located in the Ward Center right by the theaters and right next over to Starbucks. The prices are good and the serving size for the dishes are really good too. Yelp 365 Challenge #118/365

    (4)

  • Little D.

    I am not a frequent customer at this Big City Diner. I like their large menu selection. Nothing is bad, nothing is special, just a diner. Their salad is good. Their eggs benedict is ok. Their lemonade is good. I rate 3.4 Stars.

    (3)

  • Tellia W.

    I don't like everything at this place, but I do like their grilled salmon and their taco salad is pretty good. It's a good place to go have dinner before a movie.

    (4)

  • Sam G.

    10% Military discount on Thursdays I brought my family here after they flew in on a Wednesday and I forgot, bummer! The food is decent diner food, and usually is enough to fill you up. They have specials for each "week". I got the kailua sliders since it was the special. Parking is always convenient because you have a choice of parking in the garage in the back or by TJ Max, or the outdoor parking across the street.

    (3)

  • Ed L.

    I come here from time to time and love the comfort local food that they serve. While the Kaimuki location is closer to home, I was here with friends to watch a movie next door at the theater complex. What better way to go and have dinner than at Big City Diner? There are plenty of other choices to dine in, but my friends wanted to eat at this place. I guess the atmosphere is the same as anywhere else Big City Diner is. The food is average, but the taste is good. They give good sized portions and the pricing is decent, but not overwhelming. This place is good to watch the UH Football and NFL football games on the weekends, if you don't have LIVE TV. Plenty of parking at the Ward Theater parking structure.

    (3)

  • Aaron B.

    Horrible nachos they were a tasteless mess. The "award" winning loco moco was awful I couldn't even cut through the hamburger patty. The one plus the waitresses was friendly.

    (1)

  • Shuji K.

    Great place to kill time waiting for the movie. Service was fast and frienly. Thanks Erin? Appetizers are just right for me. Don't wanna spoil my appetite--wanna eat popcorn and kakimochi. Favorite Appetizer items: Nacho Wings Edamame Favorite Meals: Fried Rice Loco-Moco

    (3)

  • Anna F.

    I came here for a friend's surprise birthday party. The bad thing that happened was the staff at the door spilled the beans. When my friend gave the name the reservation was under, the staff told her "by the balloons." What the hek?! There goes the surprise party. Major FAIL! The food here is okay. I don't love it but I also don't hate it. Their portions are big and I highly recommend sharing. If I were to come again, I would come at a time where UH is playing football because they have so many TVs in there. I sat in back by the booths and there were 2 TVs in sight.

    (3)

  • Lou L.

    OMG, this has to be the worst dining experience I have ever had!!! besides the 20 minute wait time to be seated which can be expected on a Sunday around brunch time, my wife and I waited another 30 minutes for our food. Well my wife waited and got her food. I had ordered the French toast and the waitress came back and said they were out of batter? Not sure what it would have taken to make more batter but apparently it was a task no one in the kitchen was up to. My second order to replace the batter less French toast finally showed up around the time my wife finished her meal. Well most of it showed up. In the mean time the poor waitress is telling the hostess to not seat anymore people as the kitchen was not able to keep up. The worst of all was the manager. The entire time we were there, no one is getting food and the waitress staff was on the verge of tears the manager just stood there with no apparent care in the world. Shame on you Mr Manager. Shame on you Big City for having such incompetent management. One star is over rating but I think I have to put at least one.

    (1)

  • Aaron K.

    Food: 4/5 Price: 4/5 Service: 5/5 Organization: 5/5 Layout: 5/5 Atmosphere: 5/5 I would like to extend a loud round of applause to our waitress, Carly, for providing me and my friend with an amazing experience at Big City Diner. This was not my first time (it was actually my second) and it shall not be my last either. Her service was amazing and really embodied the attentiveness and professional personalty that makes dining fun and memorable. Our food was brought out promptly and glasses refilled. The one minor minor ding I would mention is that no specials were mentioned but that was because our conversation was more oriented towards burgers which she gladly recommended her top three favorites (Ms. Teri-Burger, The Magic Mushroom Burger, and The BIG Burger). She mentioned that the Classic Burger and the Paniolo Burger were also favorites. Both my friend and I ended up ordering the Paniolo Burger ($11.99) which is a juicy 1/2 lb burger smothered in a spicy guava BBQ sauce and topped with cheddar cheese, bacon, crispy onion strings, red onions, lettuce, and tomatoes. I didn't find the spicy guava BBQ sauce to be over powering but my friend who is a bit more sensitive to spices was sweating just a bit. Haha. The burger was flavorful and fine by itself. And thankfully, it didn't fall apart or drip out messily. The best part was that the meal comes with fries! These are nice cut steak fries that I know go great with any diner burger. All this for $11.99, I know I did a decent review on Kua'Aina's across the stress but I would definitely stop by in this place to order a great meal with great service! Sadly was too stuffed so I couldn't try the desserts even though they looked appetizing. Oh well, just gotta have them half my meal next time that way I have room for more food. Haha. The layout is definitely nice. We were seated by the window facing the theaters and by the bar so we had some shows playing on a few screens while we were eating. There were booths on the other side but a simple table was enough for my friend and I. Couldn't really tell if there was music playing or not but my friend and I were too consumed between the food and our laughter to really notice. Overall, I am definitely a fan and will be returning very soon. I still can't wait to have their Grandma's Incredible Kimchee Fried Rice! I've had it before but it has been years since I have had the chance to eat there. Nom nom nom is my theme when I visit this venue again!

    (4)

  • Beth I.

    BCD is totally a mixed bag. Years ago at their original Kaimuki location I loved their poke, nachos, and kim chee fried rice. I've gone a dozen times or more up until now and you don't quite know what to expect. Sometimes great, sometimes meh, and sometimes you just wish you could get your money back. This last time (2 weeks ago) was a meh experience. The drinks we had (I: cosmos, BF: newcastle) were great. The cosmo was delish and generously poured and the beer was served in a frosty glass. Poke was terrible. It was very obviously frozen, grainy/sandy, and really salty. It had lots of shoyu and onions just cut and thrown on top, not soaked in the sauce (the kind that are so bitter your mouth hurts). A redeeming factor was that service is friendly, but still not quite enough to go back even if I'm starving.

    (2)

  • Brandon S.

    Big City is a great place for lunch or a casual relaxed dinner. The food is good, the portions are ample, and it is affordable. This time around I ordered the boneless Korean kalbi steak. The steak had great flavor. The sauce was very good. The meat was tender.

    (4)

  • Jimmy M.

    One of the Managers contacted me after reading my review and I was very impressed that they would take the time to do that. I love that BCD is locally owned and operated, and that they actually care about the opinions, ideas and "voice" of their customers. I'm going to give BCD another chance, eventhough I had originally decided that the last time I went, would be the LAST time I went. I'll check it out again soon. Come on BCD! I'm cheering for you! :)

    (3)

  • Lisa L.

    Two nights in a row of late night dinner, and both times were great. We eat at Big City Diner every so often, but we made it a point to go and use our Festival of Giving ticket which had a 50% discount on food. The food and service was excellent at both times. We had eaten out at various places this week due to visiting family. On one occasion, we had breakfast at a restaurant that is owned by a family member. After tonight's dinner, I would recommend BCD over the other restaurant. My husband ordered the fried rice with 2 eggs. Not only was the price less (even before the discount), but it was not salty like the one earlier in the week. The pancakes mac nut panckes with haupia creme sauce was delicious, but the price was also much less, and there were 3 large ones in a big stack. My ramen was loaded with toppings, and the side of kalbi steak was perfect! The kalbi I had earlier in the week seemed dry. After comparing the food of both places, BCD is definitely a repeat while the other may not be for a while. Hats off to our server, Erin, who was attentive and efficient. She even remembered us!

    (5)

  • Kat D.

    The only other time I've eaten at BCD was about 10 years ago, at their University location. I remember it being OK, nothing fantastic. With that being said, I've never been super excited to eat here again, but it was the only thing open at 9:15 on a Sunday night. I got the portabello mushroom burger and my friend got the chicken stir fry with brown rice (which he said is his usual). I have to admit that I was surprised to find several vegetarian options on the menu. I mean, most places don't offer vegetarian options, so to see them here (at a diner type place) was a nice surprise. The burger was good, with cheese, sauteed onions, lettuce, and tomato. It was a bit on the "juicy" side; in other words, messy. But that's OK because I had lots of napkins, and managed to eat half of it with a fork instead. The fries that came with it were super tasty as well...very crisp and seasoned well. I had a bite of my friend's veggies with rice. The veggies were seasoned very well, and there was a nice assortment of veggies in there; celery, peppers, bean sprouts, broccoli, snow peas, and others. It reminded me of a stir fry mix I buy frozen, but I'm certain these were fresh veggies. What bothered me about this place is that it was so stuffy and hot inside. Nevermind the fact that we were seated next to the open kitchen as well. I don't know if they were having AC problems or if it's always like that. Also, the employees tended to be standing around chatting with one another rather than tending to their tables or cleaning up. I like to see busy workers. Or at least workers pretending to be busy. Overall an OK experience, but my return depends on factors such as time of day, scale of hunger, and who I'm with. Recommended for those looking for good sized portions at a reasonable price, and good flavors.

    (4)

  • DJ E.

    You can't go wrong with the menu choices here. Love the Aloha here.

    (5)

  • Darren N.

    Getting there: Right across and on the same side as Buca. Ambiance: Large diner-like feel with some fancier bench seating on the sides of the restaurant. Service: Helpful and polite. They box up your leftovers and don't switch boxes on you like I've seen in some other fancier places... Food: Garlic bread was not too crispy on one side and you could tell it was on the same bread (and shape) of their burger menu items but the flavor was good. The freshly made (piping hot) garlic fries are a bit different than what you usually get at other places, they were more deep fried to a darker brown and a bit thicker than thin sliced fries which was okay. I had the loco moco because I couldn't quite decide what to get on the menu. My indecision didn't come from any abundance of menu choices but all the choices they had sort of ran together. Nothing stood out. That being said, the loco moco was prepared well and came with brown/white rice. Usually presentation is not a concern to me but the plating of the loco moco was very simple as if the components were just put on top of each other any which way. I've had loco moco at other places that really put it in some organized mountain of food. My party primarily came here for the bread pudding which was the best part of the meal. 4+ scoops of vanilla ice cream topped with whip cream and a large block of moist bread pudding. I heard it was good. Who to bring: their tables sit 4 comfortably. How much to bring: 20 should cover everything. Verdict and Takeaway: 3 stars for decent food and good service. If they broaden their menu options they would do better I think. Other similar restaurants compete better with their options in my opinion. Final notes: I must be watching too much Top Chef.

    (3)

  • Lorilynn L.

    Enormous dessert!

    (4)

  • David V.

    We came here in 2012, and the kalbi was awesome. We came back again in 2014, and the kalbi was awesome. The best kalbi I've had in Hawaii. I wish I could remember our waiter's name because he was excellent. Enjoy!

    (4)

  • R T.

    What a terrible experience at lunch today. We were seated in the bar and our bartender / waitress acted like she didn't want to be there. I ordered fries and a chicken salad which I figured were very simple dishes. When the fries arrived they were extremely burnt and were just to hard to eat along with the raw marinated chicken tossed in big chunks on top of the salad. Leaving the food untouched the bartender brought us the bill without asking how our food, that's great customer service!

    (1)

  • C L.

    I went here for breakfast. I had a two or three egg omelet (can't remember) and you could choose up to TWO ingredients (cheese being one of them - don't omelets come with cheese?) and any additional items are a dollars each. The omelet came with your choice of a side, I chose hash browns, which were barely cooked at all. The omelet was small and didn't have much cheese in it. The thing that bothered me most about this tiny omelet and under-cooked hash browns was the act that it was $10.00. I will not be back. Service was slow and it was not busy.

    (1)

  • Gspot H.

    The fried rice is good. Like that you can get breakfast late here. Parking available, and can park in shaded garage usually during the lunch hours. Love the big booths

    (4)

  • Angelo A.

    If you want comfort food, this IS your place. Customer service is usually very good, yet sometimes it can be lacking. My only complaint is that sometimes the place (ward) smells like an old dish rag. Portions are plentiful (tons).. Quality is great for diner food.

    (3)

  • Reimi D.

    BCD is definitely one of those places where you need to figure out what your favorite dish is and just stick to that. I've heard horror stories about certain breakfast items, so I generally avoid breakfast there. I used to go to the Kaimuki location quite a bit it was never a memorable experience...the food was always...okay. For awhile I just stuck to their portabello mushroom sandwich, which I actually really like. But other dishes like their hamburger steak, or salads...well, just mediocre. I went to the Ward location about a week ago and finally found my go-to BCD meal. Their bacon-avocado burger. I forgot what they call it, but I was thoroughly impressed. The burger was close to well done, which I didn't ask for, but it was still very juicy. And really, you can NEVER go wrong when you add bacon and avocado to anything. The bacon was cut thick so that you could actually taste it. The fries were just right. Service was efficient considering how busy they were (a Saturday night) and though I had to ask for more water, it wasn't like they were just standing around talking. Bathrooms were clean, could've been cleaner, but was ok by me. So will I be going to BCD for their fried rice, salads, or other dishes. Probably not--I've had better and hate being disappointed. BUT when I'm in the mood for a burger...a real burger...that's not over the top expensive, I know where to go.

    (3)

  • C K.

    It wasn't great but it wasn't bad. Food took a little long to come out and my friend's chili fries were cold. I got the Thai salad which was really good but a lot of onions. The Thai peanut sauce that came with it was really good but I expected it to be creamier. It was a little thick to be used in place of salad dressing. Server was nice and we were seated quickly. I would eat there again especially on a discount night or with a coupon but it wouldn't be my first choice.

    (3)

  • S Y.

    I cannot count the number of times I have been here. But I can say that it's the kind of restaurant that makes me want to try everything at least once. So with that said, I've never tried the same thing twice from here! This is the first place I ever tried the Loco Moco. The Korean steak and eggs, made it OK for me to justify ordering too much Korean BBQ so I can have leftovers with eggs for breakfast at home! The Kimchee fried rice has caused me to get heartburn early in the morn. But hey, it's nothin a little otc meds can't handle, right? The pancakes with haupia sauce, can never be on the same level as Boots & Kimo's... but it will suffice! The teriyaki burger... meaty & zesty! That's all I can remember off the top of my head, but it's enough for me to plan on coming here again and again...

    (3)

  • Dennis C.

    The boneless Kalbi steak with fried rice was full filling!

    (5)

  • Wayne S.

    went there last night for the 3rd time. There is a reason why its been only 3 times. First 2 were not good experiences so why a 3rd? FREE DESSERT!! hahahahahaha So this rating is based on the food and not the bribe of free dessert. Service was good, the hostess leading us to our seat was horrible and so shallow when she said have a nice dinner. Food was barely ok. I had the meatloaf and again I found it just ok. My wife had the Portabello Mushroom and chicken. Chicken was tough and dry but the mushroom was good.

    (3)

  • Milton K.

    Went there today (4/10/2012) after my "usual" movie, and had "Scott" as my server and Les as the Manager. BOTH of them were ON TOP of their "game"! Had something different to day - The "BIG Ramen" and the side/optional of boneless Kalbi Steak and BOTH were FANTASTIC! Soup had a wonderful flavor, noodles were firm and NOT soggy, and overall had a TON of "toppings" to round out a BIG BOWL! Actually had more OTHER STUFF than the NOODLES! LOL! The Kalbi Boneless Steak was tender AND abundant with FLAVOR! I LOVED IT and somehow it "dissapeared" quickly - I could have used MORE! (Looks like I HAVE to get the Kalbi "ANYTHING" next time!) Overall, (as ALWAYS!) I had a FANTASTIC time, SUPERB Service, and great food! Thanks Guys!

    (5)

  • K H.

    This was a go to breakfast spot for us. Never a too long wait, our waitress knew what we wanted before we even ordered it and the food almost always hit our expectations. Sometimes less consistent at lunch and dinner. Usually a good deal, good atmosphere and fun location to walk f breakfast lunch or dinner at around ward warehouse.

    (3)

  • Adrian B.

    I normally dont get very excited over omelettes but the portuguese sausage and mushroom one I just had was so full of flavor that I just had to compliment them on it. Another plus was that it was huge and I couldn't finish it. The icing on the cake was our server Vanessa, she was attentive without being intrusive. This is why we keep coming back.

    (5)

  • Page I.

    The food's decent, but... what kind of "Hawaiian style" diner doesn't serve mac salad!? My family and I went at around 3pm, and they were still serving their "brunch" menu which didn't seem to have a very wide selection, especially if you're a chicken girl like I am. I ordered the Monterey Chile chicken sandwich ($9.99), and I thought it was pretty good; they used a potato bun, piled on the Jack cheese, and the chicken breast was smothered in this ono spicy guava BBQ sauce. The fries it was served it were just standard, nothing special--didn't come with any dipping sauces, and there was no seasoning added. Menu's pretty cheap and the food's good for its price -- I usually go here when I'm with friends but we don't want to spend too much money.

    (3)

  • Ron N.

    Ok, so I go to watch the Detroit Lions Lose Monday night Football and the San Francisco Giants were vying fro the World series. I ordered 3 or four $2.75 Miller lite Pints when KCCN Disc-jokey offered an entry to win a Vegas Trip for Two.. I waited ordered Half Off Pupus -"Wings and Fresh Vegetable Platter". At 5:03 PM I heard the Disc Jockey Announce My name as the Winner .. I have to leave on The Friday preceding this Monday Night Game. When I was at Vacations Hawaii I heard that the same guy Keeps Wining like 10 times last year. It is a Good Idea to get Down there wand watch your Monday Night Football. Last Year I won a T-Shirt.. You have to check with KCCN which Big City Diner they are going t be at. They have great food as well.

    (5)

  • B M.

    There's nothing big city about this place and the diner vibe is very minimal.

    (3)

  • Chad Y.

    A Hawaii staple of mine that fails to disappoint yet fails to inspire. They offer your local menu selections that will certainly a please a wide palate. The portions are large and at fairly reasonable prices, while the service is pretty darn good! I've tried a good chunk of their menu, yet I still find my true love the Loco Moco...The salads are good and good sized. They are filling, full of flavor, and certainly use fresh ingredients. The hamburger steak is huge, however they put quite a bit of deep fried onions so be sure to avoid it if you don't like onions or trying to impress a date. The service is always good when I've gone, Derrick (I think that's his name) has always been good and entertaining!

    (3)

  • Jayson D.

    I hit this place up every chance I get... I think their breakfasts really stand out, but I've had decent lunches and dinners as well. They make my favorite pancakes on the island, and I've tried them all. (That's right--they beat the pants off the Original Pancake House and pancakes are even in that establishment's name!) I'm sort of a pancake snob in this regard. I adore the paniolo potatoes as a side, and I love how Linda and Bubu (waitstaff) always seem to remember how I want a large skim milk brought to my table when my pancakes arrive. As for dinner, I've had their fried rice, noodles, and I'm a regular orderer of the malibu chicken sandwich. Little recommendation: Ask for onion rings instead of fries and have them bring you a side of their special BBQ sauce in which to dip your onion rings. The onion rings are so impossibly thin and lightly breaded that you just can't stop eating them. And there's a full bar so if you want a beer or bloody Mary with your meal, then indulge! Other BCD locations leave me less impressed by comparison. Even when I lived in Kaimuki, I'd avoid the Waialae location in favor of the Ward store. Ward just seemed to employ more people who "had a clue." There are other breakfast places I enjoy, but none are so great that they'll make me prefer them over BCD. Order up and enjoy! A hui hou!

    (4)

  • Margret C.

    We went here on a recommendation from our server at Denny's on Kuhio Ave.- she said that's where lots of locals go. So we went to this one for dinner (several locations), located at Ward Entertainment Center. We both had Uncle Danny's Fried Rice at $8.99- pretty good, it was almost as good at the one at TGIFridays (closed- it was the best fried rice, by far). Prices for salads, sandwiches, & local dishes are from $7.99 to $16.99. Fried Min at $7.99 looks enticing- might get that next time (this means we would come here again). Kids menu. $10.00 Weekly Specials- until it's all gone! Happy Hour (mon-fri 3-6, 2 drink minimum) & other Specials. Alcohol: beers, margaritas, wine. Lots of choices here. Coupons in the latest issue of "This Week In Oahu." For more info check out the website: bigcitydinerhawaii.com

    (4)

  • Annie W.

    The place is filled with awesome waitress and waiter or at least the 2 that waited on us. I gave it 2 stars, because the food is not good. I had the mamasan meatloaf and it tasted like compressed meat (hot dog) Flat peices of meat with brown gravy. I must say it did not look like meat loaf and sure did not taste like it either. I am so disappointed =/ My husband had the chicken breast sandwich and he said his meal was fairly decent to good. I had a bite of their salad and it smells like it's never been washed and or it just came out of a salad bag. The ambiance is great, it definitely has a diner feel and superb service. We'll just have to give this place another go next time and order a better dish that they might be known for.

    (2)

  • Eugenia W.

    Awesome food as usual, with supper speedy service. Our favorite place to eat when seeing movies at Ward.

    (3)

  • Ckrybabyy L.

    love thee environment and food!!! garlic fries are too die for:)

    (4)

  • Kelsey T.

    Big City Diner is okay, but like most diners, the food is a bit on the greasy side. It's almost like a more expensive plate lunch place - and most times I would probably get a plate lunch instead. Maybe this is because I don't like kim chi so I've never tried their famed kim chi fried rice. I have had the fried min noodles, which despite the greasiness, were pretty decent and the portion was a good size. As for the poke, the freshness of the fish was good and there was a lot more than I expected. However, the "secret" sauce for the poke was a bit too hot, and after I was halfway through the dish, it seemed like my tastebuds had gone numb. Same with the spicy sauces served on the side. Decent dish, if you just don't OD on the sauce. Service is so-so, it really depends on when you come and who you get. The last time I was here was with a large party and there was some trouble getting people the right food, getting a dessert menu or the dessert mysteriously not showing up. However, they split the bill down by table (since we had a lot of tables pulled together), which made it much easier to pay the bill.

    (3)

  • Kim S.

    Service = 2.5 stars. Brisk. Have to flag down the server to get service. Not trained in a consistent manner. Food = 3 stars - Tho I've only eaten breakfast here. Large portions - always leftovers. Arrives quickly. No ambiance.

    (3)

  • Evan A.

    kim chee fried rice!

    (5)

  • Weon Y.

    Honestly, this is a 3.5, but I'm restricted to using whole stars - so 4 stars it is. Just went here yesterday for a bite after the movies with my friends, and thought Big City Diner was the way to go. After being queued for 10 minutes, we were finally called in and welcomed by a friendly waitress. Straight to the point, my friends ordered burgers and I ordered the Really Loco Moco, after having a fantastic experience with that plate during my last visit to this place. Once we were given our food, I immediately noticed the portion had become smaller - and I mean by A LOT. Rice portion was cut down to about 30%, patty by 10, the only thing that was kept consistent from my last visit was the single sunny-side up egg and the gravy. I felt I was being ripped here...and this costed 10 bucks! You might think that's cheap, but really, value is extremely important for me. In addition, my friends' burgers looked the very same from the burgers I've last saw. So many have changed internally during my last visit, and this was just a year ago. To top it off, we ordered dessert (the Big Oreo Sundae, I believe that's what it's called) because none of us really felt full. We were introduced to a bowl that doesn't live up to its definition of "big". Really, it was just six small scoops of Bubbie's vanilla ice cream with three Oreo's cookies - drizzled in chocolate syrup and caramel syrup. Frankly, it tasted great but again, I felt we were getting gypped - I guess time has changed. Long story short: Great food, good service, but portion value was mediocre. Perhaps I'll just order something different next time.

    (4)

  • christine a.

    Derek is the best. Excellent food you HAVE to try the macadamia pancakes with the haupia sauce it is to die for!

    (5)

  • Sabrina Alexandra L.

    My ex and I were recommended to this place by a staff at the hotel we were staying at and it was definitely a great choice. We were only in Hawaii for 5 days and we came here two times cause we enjoyed it a lot. We had the same server both times and he's such a funny guy. Very attentive and kept us entertained. He remembered us the second time we went too. The food portion is huge, very filling and really tasty. I had the Veggie omelette with rice and toast the first time and the Kimchee Fried Rice the second. Both really delicious. I'll be sure to come back here again when I visit Hawaii.

    (5)

  • Michael M.

    The service was so poor, that I left my table before even placing my order. I am seated quickly enough. Asked if I'd like some coffee. The lady brings me coffee & asks if I am ready to order. I ask her to give me one minute to decide. The coffee cup had lipstick smudge in the rim. I wait 5 minutes to place my order & ask for a new cup. 6 minutes go by & no service. I came to the conclusion that this diner can't even do the simple things. I was not about to wait and see if they #uck up my food order too. Maybe breakfast is not their strong crew.

    (1)

  • Shane S.

    Service was good during a 12/1 brunch. Both my guest and I ordered breakfast items at around 10:45 am. Food came out prompt and hot.

    (4)

  • Sara F.

    My husband loved the patty melt and garlic fries. It as hot and fresh and presented well.

    (4)

  • RosemaryAnn T.

    Haven't been to BCD since before the Kailua one opened! It was definitely, definitely more expensive than I remembered. Are they all that pricy or just the Ward one??? Well, first impressions: bigger than the other locations and mostly not booths. I had heard that brunch was crazy busy, but perhaps that is only on Sundays; it was moderately full but we still managed to snag a booth for two. --But only after waiting and waiting and waiting at the entrance to be seated. Eventually, though, someone noticed us, asked if we had been helped, and then flagged someone else down and told them to seat us--and this person seated us only to tell us that someone ELSE would be helping us. So the wait was annoying, but then the waiter was even more annoying. 1) Asked us if we wanted "caffeine" (rather than something to drink or letting us know what kinds of things they have to drink at breakfast time--and I remember them having a killer cup of hot chocolate [but I was so annoyed that I just had water]). 2) He wanted to take our order less than 30 seconds after handing us menus. Literally. 3) Less than two bites (again, literally) after we got our food he asked if "Everything came out, ok?" 4) Came by several more times to check on us though we were clearly busy chatting [and it wasn't as if all the tables were full or anything!]. 5) He pseudo-redeemed himself: brought us the "itemized" check before we asked and he said "pour vous"--French in the polite form. ***Edit*** I just remembered this--the waiter made a comment about me clearing my plate. Now I'm not overweight or sensitive about the normal girlie BS (and don't think I eat big portions relative to the normal local gal), but if you are, just know this going into it, okay? ***Edit End*** On to the food: like I mentioned, it was much more expensive than I remembered. But also good. My fried rice had peas but not carrots (I'd definitely have preferred the reverse) but chunks of meat--and not just fatty bits but actual fried meat--and really nice sized bites of egg. My friend had the oatcakes. The "fresh fruit" was only honeydew and cantaloupe slices. Thin slices. And a single piece of pineapple. They came out like little triangle pieces of fried tofu. She swears she liked them, but she only ate ONE of the four cakes. Summary: Expensive menu for a diner (and all their good stuff is UNhealthy), not really classy service, but a good diner. I'd go back, and that's saying a LOT for something that is turning into a chain! P.S. "Brunch" is misleading if you're thinking of brunch as anything but the breakfast menu and the lunch menu being served simultaneously . . .

    (4)

  • Mary K.

    I have been here a couple times after night shift, they open at 7 am, service has always been good, to refilling coffee, friendliness only one time did I order hash browns and my waiter forgot, he was busy so three stars. Eggs Benedict is good but small and only available on sat or sun but the mimosa and or bloody Mary's are strong and good if that's your thing!

    (3)

  • Suppermommy W.

    Hamburger steak was horrible. Dry, way over cooked and like 1lb of onions in the hamburger. Really funny aftertaste also. This is my last time eating there. No thanks.....

    (1)

  • Sim M.

    Had some time to spare before going to see a Movie next door, plus I was a bit hungry. Great service, great food, great beer. I had a good time here, and it made watching the flick at Ward all the more enjoyable.

    (4)

  • Brendon D.

    "Kim Chee Fried Rice" Kardashian I've never even heard of kim chee fried rice in my life. Then Big City Diner opened my eyes. It's not too spicy. The flavor is killer. The size is HUGE. We had great service. Our waiter was funny as hell. I'd love to have him again if I ever go back. This seems like a great spot to hit on your lunch break or shopping in the center across the street. In4mation is over there, by the way. Looking around the table the portion sizes were big all the way around. I'd probably go back. Don't half step. Order something that will taste good as leftovers too.

    (3)

  • Les Is More M.

    I've been to big city diner many times. been to different locations too. know the menu, and have a reasonable expectation of quality, service and atmosphere so I like to think that I know what I'm getting into when I do visit. dinner tonight was a little different, as I was somehow seated in a booth next to a family with a couple of impish toddlers. at first it was OK, but after a while the incessant kicking and screaming were getting to me. I pulled a chair from the table beside the booth, and sat on the end of my table because I just couldn't take much more of the kicking and screaming. (thanks for keeping your damn kids in check knuckleheads!!!). I told our server (sean) that I "borrowed" the chair because of the kicking and screaming, and he empathized with a "no problem at all" and even apologized, although the kids behavior was clearly not his fault. sean even comp'd dessert, which I thought was above and beyond my expectations. I later realized that just maybe once in a while, businesses like big city actually DO appreciate customers and don't take their experiences for granted. That alone adds a star and if there was a way to make it 4.5 instead of 4, I'd give it to them. FOOD: I ordered the loco moco and was presented with an option of white, brown or their famous fried rice!! I don't ever remember the fried rice being an option in their loco moco before so I jumped on it and it was every bit as good as ever. I actually reluctantly chose the loco moco over the kim chee fried rice because I know you can't go wrong with either, but portions are way too much to consider ordering both!!! Thus, the fried rice loco moco was an excellent compromise.

    (4)

  • Am C.

    I used to love Big City Diner! I don't know what happened, but I just stopped going for a while... I would periodically get cravings for things like sweet bread french toast or their veggie omelet. Oh! And kim chi fried rice, meatloaf, garlic fries... yum! More often than any of those, even, I get cravings for their Cobb Salad. Anywhere can do a cobb, right? I don't know what it is about BCD, but I love their cobb salad! I can't put my finger on what's different about it, though. Today, I thought I'd finally swing by again and grab a salad to go for dinner. And while I was there I couldn't resist picking up some kim chi fried rice too. Man oh man I'm having a great dinner tonight! There's just something about Big City Diner, its atmosphere and its food... I guess it just feels like your neighborhood diner? Everyone's friendly, food is tasty. Why did I ever stop coming here?

    (4)

  • Dustin E.

    My firend and I both had the special ~ Chicken with Alfredo sauce on pasta. Unfortunately, it was anything but special. The chicken had little to no basil flavor, but there were sticks of the stems that were too hard to eat still in the dish. The sauce was too runny thin and didn't have enough flavor until I bumped it up with some cayenne flakes. (just gotta ask for the cayenne). Since I had not much to be excited about, I splurged on an Oreo sundae. That helped me to be satisfied. The TVs were great, since I got to watch a bank robber being chased down, shown live from San Diego. Not as good as a Hawaii 5-0 episode, but at least no one got hurt. :-) The service was pretty good since the place was not very busy. Thanks for the good service. Yelp 365 challenge #23/365

    (2)

  • Scott H.

    Mediocre local style chain-restaurant food. Seriously...it's just a convenience because it's right next to the movie theater, and there usually isn't a line to get in like every other eatery at Ward on a Friday or Saturday night. Much better burgers can be had at Kua`aina across the street for about the same price. Pretty much everything is very blah. So blah I don't even want to stay up any later writing anything more in-depth...unfortunately my wife likes the place, so I'll probably be dragged there before or after some stupid movie she want's to watch.

    (2)

  • davis k.

    I finally went to Big City Diner, where I discovered that Kim Chee Fried Rice is pretty gross. I realize this doesn't make mathematical sense. I like kim chee. I like fried rice. Therefore, KC+FR = awesomeness!? Except it wasn't. Kim Chee wasn't spicy, and there was way too much won bok and not enough rice. If you're in the area, head to Kakaako Kitchen instead,across the street.

    (2)

  • Reimy K.

    This review is based on how kid-friendly Big City is! They have a pretty extensive kids menu and I really appreciated how they brought out my son's meal very quickly--- so he didn't have to spend too much time entertaining himself. Also, what made his day was the balloon our waitress gave him before we left! My food was OK--- but being a mommy, I'm always looking for kid-friendly restaurants and this place definitely delivers that!

    (4)

  • Kelly Anne A.

    On June 16, 2012 after watching a movie at Ward Theaters my BF and I were hungry so we decided to eat at Big City Diner at Ward. While waiting to be seated my BF asked if we could sit in the bar but unfortunately the bar section was closed so there was only a big table by the window and we took it. The waiter came and took our drink order, then about 10 minutes later he came to take our food order. I actually didn't want to eat a burger but I ordered the classic buger it was ok and my BF ordered a Paniolo Burger which he said it was good. The wait time was kind of long like about 15mins and people that came in after us started to leave before us because their food was done earlier than ours. I was kind of busy. If the wait for the food was shorter it would have been a better review.

    (1)

  • Shannon H.

    BEST CHILI RICE EVER. I love the chili rice. The poke is also great! Super affordable, super friendly, super quick. Great specials, great selection!

    (4)

  • Mai T.

    Ive been to the Big City Diner in Waialae and in Ward. The first time i went I ordered a Burger and it was pretty good! They have friendly service and the one at ward has a small bar section if you want to get a couple of drinks before the movies.. It is a nice place to have lunch and I also heard their breakfast is awesome.

    (3)

  • Zhen L.

    I've been coming here for years, and I haven't had a bad experience yet. I noticed the waiters are really friendly and personable; they give good recommendations if you ask for them. Usually on a busy night, there is a wait time. However, it shouldn't be too long of wait. Typically, I like to go for lunch as it is less packed and I can walk-in right after I checked in. Food: I a big fan of their Mama-San's Meatloaf. If I don't know what I'm going to order, I just order this. I've tried many other items as well, and I thought their burgers were pretty good as well. Overall, I give them a 3-stars. They're a good place to eat and the service is good. Even though I enjoy their food, I feel as if a certain quality is missing; something I can't describe. However, I consider their prices good, and I enjoyed my experiences there.

    (3)

  • Wendy I.

    Food is OK, not outstanding. We go there because we bought a bunch of groupons. They also take the idcard, which we appreciate. I'm never "craving" for Big City. My favorite location is the Pearlridge one, even though we live on the east side. Friendly staff there.

    (3)

  • Nicole K.

    I give this place 5 stars because the hostesses and wait staff always treat us well. Even when we go in to eat right before closing. I used to work at a restaurant, and believe me, it sucks when you just want to go home and someone walks in at the last minute. Usually the last thing that I want to do is put on a happy face. But the staff here does that. Maybe it's because I come here a lot, but they're always really friendly. I love their burgers!!!! I highly recommend you try them. Warning though, they're pretty hefty and it does get messy. My all time favorite is probably the loco moco or the korean teri beef. Soooo good. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.

    (5)

  • Rob D.

    Big City Diner at Ward is very convenient and the food is always pretty good. My only gripe here is that the beer is never cold as beer should be. Its usually slightly cold which is not how beer is properly chilled. The employees are very friendly and seem to like working there.

    (2)

  • Erika R.

    My boyfriend and I went to Big City on Valentine's night since it was the closest food place that would serve quickly before our movie. We ordered their Valentine's specials and..ewww!! Eeeek! Yuckkk! My furikake crusted ahi was sooo grossss. The fish was definitely previously frozen, which I expected...this is Big City after all..but it was almost spongy, flavorless, and soo disappointing. I tried my boyfriend's prime rib plate. He was eating it and didn't remember he had ordered prime rib (he's forgetful) and then commented, "This pork chop is a little dry." buahahahahaha!! I think that says it all. But I do enjoy the meatloaf and garlic mashed potatoes. Think I'll stick to that from now on.

    (2)

  • Cheryl K.

    Surprisingly a pleasant experience. We wanted to go watch a movie so we wanted to eat nearby. Big City Diner. Been to the others and it has been bleh so I was not expecting an amazingly delicious meal. Anyways the staff sat us quickly and they were pleasant. I ordered a heineken light and my husband ordered a margarita (lol, I know its backward). I ordered the tequila chicken and mushroom stack with brown rice and my husband ordered a chicken sandwich with garlic fries. I really enjoyed my meal. I was super full and at almost all of my chicken and portabella mushroom and only had a tad bit left for my disposal of a husband. Anyways, we both liked our meals and drinks. They were pretty busy at the time but the service was on it. My opinions may be slowly changing about Big City Diner. Probably depends on what you order.

    (4)

  • Serena F.

    Awesome burgers. Magic Mushroom Burger? Delish. I love their Ray-Chan's Island Style Poke, Wings over Big City, and edamame. The poke is light, and perfectly seasoned with lots of veggies underneath. The wings are in a bbq guava sauce, and served with the perfect bleu cheese dressing (not chunky, not too pungent). The edamame is in a soy based sauce. I prefer sesame seed oil, but it was a really interesting combo of flavors. I always get the kimchee fried rice. The portion is bigger at the Kaimuki Location from my experiences, but the hours are longer here at Ward so I regular here more often. Lots of coupons in UH Manoa's newsletter, the Ka Leo :) One server there, Chavis, doesn't need a notepad and has a mind like a steel trap! Very friendly guy, and so impressive.

    (5)

  • Nini C.

    Hawaiian Style Denny's without the cheapiness. The food was delicious!! Salmon, portaugese sausage, French toast, omelete, pancakes, and oh the bacon! My uncle ordered a side of bacon and got at least SIX slices! In the mainland they give you TWO for the same price. Damn mainlanders. There's nothing Gourmet about it except that it's a breakfast joint that satisfies you if you are craving breakfast food. Even if you aren't craving it the food is YUM and the portions are BIG. Would I go back there? Hui ho, yes!!!

    (4)

  • Waiki C.

    Great food & service! Hamburger steak with onions and gravy. So Ono!

    (5)

  • Sandy D.

    Went with my family (husband and two kids) for dinner. We occasionally eat at Big City Diner. The kids like the pigs and peas in a haystack and I like the calamari appetizer. We were seated next to the kitchen and I could see the dishes being prepared. As I was eating, I saw a waiter pick up french fry from the ground and toss it back into a bowl. At first I thought it must have been a rubbish bowl, but I kept watching and saw that the bowl must have been the french fry bowl because it became part of another person's meal. My husband says that it's normal practice, but I'm not eating there again. I can't believe that the waiter just picked the fry up from off the floor. (This was no 5 second rule. That fry had been on the ground for a while) This didn't just happen, but I remembered to post this because I got an email about specials that were happening at Big City.

    (2)

  • Jesse J.

    Very disappointing. This diner is in a prime location with a lot of potential for a really good diner. Our orders were one of the weekly specials the chicken parm, and a chicken sandwich. We also ordered the chips and homemade salsa. First of all the chips and salsa were not homemade and took forever to come out. They were obviously out of a bag and the salsa was not homemade or fresh. The entrees were also lackluster with absolutely no flavor. I could go on but it's not worth my time or yours. At least the server was nice. I really wish I would of been disappointed at the Panda Express next door rather than this place.

    (1)

  • Dennis W.

    Think I must have gone on a really bad night...really bad night. Seemed like the "specials" were pre-cooked and the cook had no taste buds! Service was okay...but the food makes a place!

    (1)

  • Kalyn K.

    Great food, good service. Try the kim chee fried rice!! Yum! The portions are huge so you get your money's worth! Staff is friendly,but they can be a little slow sometimes. The first time I went I was told by some friends to try the garlic fries. The garlic was so strong, I was breathing garlic even the next day!! So I was a little hesitant to try it again, but I did and it was just right. Maybe the cook went garlic happy that first time! So far everything that I've tried has been really good. Way better then Zippy's!!

    (4)

  • Robin W.

    Good for a diner, but yes, it is a diner. I got the meatloaf, which was pretty good...the mushroom gravy helped the flavor. And it was served with spinach and brown rice to make it healthier. (you can get mashed potatoes for $2 more) My husband got the Cobb salad. It was just okay. I am not a fan of luncheon meats on salad--it had shredded turkey and diced ham. It should have had blue cheese crumbles, but instead, was served with blue cheese dressing. We did get a big comfy booth and our food was served super quick....it was a weeknight. Being next to the movie theater, the kitchen is probably used to getting people in and out quickly.

    (3)

  • Vanessa H.

    Been here a couple of times, and it's been pretty enjoyable both times. Server was nice, atmosphere was calm, but the food was just OK. I had a fish sandwich. Actually it tasted very good.....but was full of bones. I can understand one or two bones, but a ton of bones is not acceptable. Hubby ordered the chicken ceaser salad. He said there was WAY WAY too much dressing on it. Overall, would probably go back because the prices are affordable. I will have to keep trying different things from the menu to see what they can cook "well" lol.

    (3)

  • Brent K.

    Big City is comfort food, carters to locals. Great service. We come here cause it's next to the theaters. I it wasn't there's to many other good places. We always end up eating to much. Hard to stay up at a late night show. LOL

    (3)

  • Traci J.

    What was I thinking? I should have ordered either the chow mein, the fried min (not sure of the difference), or the ribs, instead, I ordered some chicken sandwich/burger thing. I think it had onion, avocado, mushrooms and provolone over a grilled chicken breast. Everyone else at the table ordered burgers so maybe that was why. It was good, but I could have stayed home and had this at Red Robin. Darn it. Maybe next time.

    (3)

  • Clay K.

    Eat here at least once a week. Take out is fast. Consistent quality. Nice beer selection on tap.

    (4)

  • Mallory M.

    Always a great place for breakfast and cheap too. My boyfriend and I always come here when we don't want to cook breakfast. We love twitter Tuesdays! 20% just for looking up their password on twitter thats awesome! Service is pretty bleh but sometimes can be really awesome! Their paniolo patatoes are really good with some over easy eggs and crispy bacon!

    (3)

  • Manx T.

    Had lunch the calamari pupu was excellent as was the hamburger steak and hamburger. We had two very good Mai Tai just wish the server would have came by during the meal instead of when we were finished to ask if we wanted another. If asked sooner we would have and spent another $12. Seems like most places are like this you get one drink and the server is happy to get that out of the way and then ignores you till check time. Also had to ask for water. I will try it again in the future. It would also help if you were told the drink specials as none are listed plus there are no drink prices they say Happy Hour prices but you don't know if it's special or not even on your check.

    (3)

  • Sara L.

    After the Yelp Birthday Party, my friend and I stopped here just to be gluttons. She ordered apple pie ala mode and I had da burger and fries. It was a Friday night around 10 and we were still seated straight away. They were out of lemonade which makes me give this more of 3.5 stars rather than 4 but the strawberry iced-tea was pretty good. The waitress was really nice and didn't even rush us to eat and get out. A great ending to a great night.

    (4)

  • Raymond S.

    Kalbi ribs and fried rice are excellent. We had the best service from Derrick.

    (5)

  • Dennis M.

    Trying the fish ahi Cajun style along with a vanilla shake. Small shake was good and well done. Cajun fish was not spicy as expected. Service attentive and good. Portions were fair with a lunch time amount of fish. A thin layer of green leaves under fish and good scoop rice.

    (3)

  • Misha T.

    I like this place, their kimchi fried rice is frickin awesome, i mean really really good. And you know whats better? KIM CHI FRIED RICE LOCO MOCO yes it's insane. yes it's insanely delicious. yes you would be insane to order it. but you would be way crazier to not order if if you were in the area. ORDER IT. FREAL. TRUTH. anyways yadda yadda yadda good service, good atmosphere.

    (5)

  • Toan N.

    @ BCD Thanks so much guys for supporting PASS! The Pacific Alliance to Stop Slavery thanks you guys a bunch for giving back! For more info on how to stop human trafficking in Hawaii, visit: traffickjamming.org . Mahalo everone! Food is above average, frie

    (4)

  • Michael Q.

    Gets busy during dinner time around 6pm. Best time to go is lunch when its not as crowded. The teri burger is actually quite good. The breakfast here doesn't break the bank but give good portions. If you get there earlier enough you can get the early bird special. Don't know what it is? You'll have to find out for yourself. Your welcome Big City for the free marketing.... It's also nice that its close to the movie theatre so you either eat after the movie or watch a movie after you eat.

    (4)

  • Max K.

    After a late night movie, my gf and I had a bite to eat here. I've eaten at other locations a few times before but for some reason this time was awesome! It wasn't crowded and we got a table as soon as we arrived. We sat and ordered a Kim Chee Burger and the Fried Noodles. It wasn't more than a few minutes and our food was in front of us...wow, that's service....and it came with some smiles. The Manager that evening stopped at our table a few times and was very courteous, attentive and comedic. Anyways, the food was really good. The burger was huge and filled with Kim Chee. They say their Kim Chee is famous and it was really good Kim Chee. Not the bottled stuff you find at any grocery store, good homemade Kim Chee. The Fried Noodles were really tasty and there were a lot of ingredients in there. I'll definitely think of going back to this location again after a movie at the Ward Theatres. I think our meal was cheaper than the movies were. Good job, Big City Diner!

    (4)

  • PDC S.

    Garlic fries...only after your meetings are done for the day!!! Great people to have lunch with....and your clients will enjoy the staff too!

    (5)

  • Rod J.

    We have been to Big City Diner many times. In late April, we went there for hamburgers and fries one evening. My hamburger arrived nothing short of being like the leather sole of a shoe: it was dry beyond belief and the flavor of any juices being cooked (rather, pressed) right out. I used to work at hamburger joint many decades ago so I've cooked thousands of hamburgers in my lifetime, and I know an overcooked and lifeless hamburger patty, and how it happens. When i complained to the server about the dryness of the burger, he merely said, "oh it's just dry around the edges." What kind of response is that? I am less dissapointed with the hamburger patty and the cook who killed it, but more disspointed with the server. What right does he have to judge the burger that I bought and I had sank my teeth into? The worst part was that he did nothing to correct the problem or offer an apology. Maybe this isn't the place to come to get a hamburger anymore. I used to get good hamburgers here but I will not take a chance on BCD for burgers. Plus, I don't need a server to patronize me with inappropriate remarks when I'm the one paying the bill. By the way, I did not tip the server and told the manager of the restaurant why.

    (1)

  • Jon C.

    Food is good! Food 3 out of 5 Very poor manager & waiter service, it is already hard to bring elderly and children take elderly, handicap and children out to eat. Very poor elderly / handicap rules for the restaurant. Manager refused to accommodate my elderly handicap mother! I was Wondering if I should talk to ADA handicap discrimination. Management 0 out of 5 Waiter had no right to reprimanded my 6 year old son for dropping a few pieces of macro Ronni and cheese on the floor. I was very angry for making my son cry. 0 out of 5

    (1)

  • Kalae P.

    When seen in movies, I sometimes wonder where I can get that traditional diner looking meal? Yes, there's Zippy's & Likelike Drive-In, but I'm hungry, as in been starving for a whole week hungry, and I want some local flare to the All-American dish. BIG CITY is yo place for that pretty huge-sized plate, loaded with diner quality foods with local flavors and twists to American originals. You will NEED to try the Li Hing Mui (pronounced 'li-hi-mui'; had a friend who pronounced as 'ling hing mui'....yeah, idiot haha) margarita, it's pretty much a whole-lot-o-yum-yum in a cup! As for the food, I can eat pretty much anything here. Everything tastes pretty great & as expected for a reasonable price (depending on how much you intake) So...head on over to big city cause they'll for sure have something you'll like! *wish they were 24/7, just saying. PS their commercial is kinda lame, don't be persuaded not to go after watching it

    (3)

  • Tara C.

    All American Diner style with lots of Japanese and Hawaiian influence! I had been here once before and enjoyed it on my last trip to Hawaii, so we stopped by for breakfast yesterday. I knew the Fish and Eggs plate was good from ordering it last time, but this time I felt I had to try that local favorite: Loco Moco. For those who don't know, it is usually a hamburger patty served on a bed of white rice, topped with a fried egg and then the whole thing is covered with brown gravy. Artery-clogging goodness. I had never had it before. Lucky for me, Big City had a Keiki's (children's) menu with a small Loco Moco. Great price too- $3.99 for the meal, plus a dollar charge for being a big kid. It was still too big for me to finish completely. The hamburger patty was a little tough, and it was definitely salty just as I had been warned it would be. But still tasty and good energy fuel for a busy day of exploring Oahu!

    (4)

  • Ferdinand H.

    I didn't know exactly what to expect, strolling into this joint -- A diner in Honolulu... it's got to have something Hawaiian on the menu, right? I'm no authority on all things Hawaiian, but I will say that Kimchee fried rice, susube, and other dishes have really given the fusion cuisine that seems to make up a core of Hawaiian convenience food are quite charming. I had the Kimchee fried rice with two eggs, poached with a big diet coke with infinite refills. It was a sunny day and I really needed re-hydration. Friendly service and somewhat Americanized fried rice made for a pretty good deal. 4/5 for diner food!

    (4)

  • Chie F.

    WOW! Their breakfast was so good, I was very pleasantly surprised! It took forever to get anyone to seat us (people would see us but not say anything. Finally we had to say something. But no big deal.) I ordered the ULTIMATE TOFU-VEGGIE OMELETTE. OMG So good!! There's tofu, mushrooms, spinach, and a whole lot more. It comes with brown rice with Furikake, and wheat bread toast. YUM! I want to go back soon just for that! See my pictures of it!

    (4)

  • Rain C.

    Not the best branch of the BCD chain but if you're in town and you're hungry, their food is still better than most you can get for this price. I'm a fan.

    (4)

  • Ian G.

    So after eating here a few times I think that it's time to stop coming here. While the staff is friendly enough, the food is honestly 1.5 stars. Our pulehu fat, I mean steak, was very bland. The fried min needed to be mixed more cause all the flavor was on one side of the plate (obviously not on my side). Finally, the caesar salad needed more cheese and less dressing (it was drenched). Again, I just should have gone to Zippy's. Don't waste your money please and go find somewhere else to eat. Also beware of their drink specials cause they seem to change them at a whim. Even though it says that the drinks are discounted on the pupu menu, they are not. They will just give you a lame excuse which I am too tired to get into. I'm an honest reviewer...TRUST me!

    (1)

  • Cynthia A.

    Eaten here twice. First time ordered the pupu steak. It took forever to come out, and was crazy tough. Ended up leaving most of it and rushing off to my movie. Second time came here more recently, tried the new chicken fried steak. I'd had it at the Waialae Ave. location and REALLY liked it - was so good! But at this Ward location, they decided to make it with panko, which seemed like it might be a good idea. After trying it, I'm going to ex-nay panko fried steak. Doesn't work, at least not at this Big City Diner. I think they cooked it too long because eating it was like eating extremely tough, overcooked chicken katsu. Without salt. I had to add lots of salt and ask for extra gravy. The gravy at this location tasted watery. Don't eat here, especially don't order anything involving steak, just go to the Kaimuki location. Better.

    (2)

  • Dee Y.

    We came here for dinner. I had the guava bbq pork sliders and husband had the meatloaf. They're not bad, but nothing special. The service was really good. I also had my friend's blackened ahi salad. It was pretty good. Not sure if I'd come back again though. Not really my thing.

    (3)

  • K E.

    Instantly greeted and sat at a table for two we were handed menus and instantly shown the special 10$ meal options for the week. Not too interested we knew what we wanted the second time the waitress came around we ordered. Salad and Steak, medium well. The salad came out in no time.. 5 minutes max? Good service! I love when I order salad and it comes before my meal. Then the steal arrived later, perfectly cooked. Medium to a T. Water and drinks were refilled promptly yet our waitress wasn't too over-insistant on anything. Good food. Pelehu Steak with Garlic Mash. So Ono.

    (3)

  • Mike L.

    Last time I had breakfast there it was at the kunia rest near outback.Had the friedrice and the Portuguese sausage wasnt even cooked. I hope they made corrections. Havent been back there since.

    (1)

  • richL L.

    Everything I ordered was sent to my table cold. Not to mention that my waitress wasn't attentive whatsoever. We didn't get refills nor got asked if we were doing "ok". To my knowledge, french fries is supposed to be hot, but stale and cold. Even my kimchee that I got with my kalbi was warmer than those fries. I've been there 3 times and every single time it was a disappointment.

    (2)

  • MamaMichelle A.

    WORST PLACE EVER TO EAT!! Dont bother, customer service is lacking, its very DIRTY, everything we touched on our table was sticky, there were gnats flying around our food, and the waitress forgot about us for a good 10-15 minutes cause she was too busy chatting with another table (no, not taking an order, CHATTING) We called over another waiter to order and got the "WAIT" look.. like REALLY?? Then, he never came over although he passed our table a bazillion times between the wait look and when our waitress finally remembered we were sitting there waiting. The food was nothing to brag about, I could have made the same thing at home for half the price. Big chunks of chicken on my salad made it very difficult to eat in the little bowl it was in and not enough dressing (of course it took forever to get more dressing) We also had chicken wings that were so hard, we only ate them because my 2 boys were starving and it was difficult to get the waitresses attention. It took forever to get our bill, I would have walked out and nobody would have even noticed. I finally got out of my chair to get the bill and approached the manager who is clueless of what is going on around her. I saw people punching out and leaving work when they could have been of some help, or she could have kicked her performance up a notch. I did not leave a tip since my husband was also grossed out and insisted we leave after our meal. I did, however, leave a note on my receipt that this was the worst experience ever, and that we would NEVER be back. Id rather go to L&L around the corner. At least they wipe the tables there.

    (1)

  • Wayne T.

    I had the eggs benedict here 3 times in the past 6 months. The first time it was pretty good. The hollandaise was tasty but could have used a little more. the second time was about 2 months ago. This time the yoke on the poached egg was hard boiled. Because I was in a hurry and my GF was eating her meal I ate it. However after some thought I decided to write a complaint to the Ward restaurant. The VP of Operations sent me a $10 certificate and a letter telling me that a new chef was brought in to this location on May 16. On Saturday I made a third and final attempt. We got there around 1:30. There were many open booths in the dining room but we were seated in the bar area on a small coktail table. I had to try the benedict once again. I anxiously cut the "poached egg" anticipating some runny yoke. However the yoke was on me again...OVER COOKED. Plus the english muffin was soggy and the hash browns were burnt. I will never dine here again. When ever I get a craving for eggs benedict, it will be straight to Wailana's. I have been eating the benedict there since the 80's. Always consistent. The best on the island!

    (1)

  • Jennifer H.

    I had really awesome BBQ ribs here with Guava BBQ sauce..OMG for like 19 or 20 bucks you and a friend can pig-out on some ONO-lishous ribs...SHARING IS CARING..=p Get the BBQ sauce on the side. Wish I had a picture to show you guys but it was so good that I couldnt wait to take a picture!!! The waiter I had was suuuper funny and kinda nasty cause he was telling us nasty jokes and was reallty a rascal-type character..older Chinese man in his 40's...I love how they have Heffenwiezen beer here too. The menu is awesome because they have a little of everything for everyone. Even if you're on a diet or a vegetarian, you can get something decent here. The portions are generous and there is such thing as a Kim-Chee Burger! The only thing I can say bad is that the onion rings are like "onion strings". They are flimsy and greasy. Wailana Coffeeshop/Diner off waikiki still has the best beer-battered onion rings.

    (4)

  • Teresa M.

    Terrible service; establishment was dirty; burger was bland. The waiter didn't even know about the Pupu special. First & last time eating here.

    (1)

  • Clement Y.

    I come here a lot mostly for breakfast with my family I think they come here more than I do they practically know my sister by name. The food is great i've never had a complaint about anything I ordered. Happy hour here is great as well half off pupu's can't go wrong there. I especially like the fact that the owner will tweet to you to see how your meal was i think that is totally cool that they give that kind of attention to their customers.

    (5)

  • Lauren W.

    Stopped in last night (a Wednesday) for a late-night dinner at around 9:20 pm and they were already closing! I thought they were open late...is this a sign of the times? Or just a normal Tuesday night. Hope this restaurant doesn't close! Poke **** Spicy (if you use the dipping sauce), I like the smaller chunks of ahi Pupu Steak *** Basic, salt & pepper seasoned steak (For those of you that are amazed at how much I eat - based on some of my other reviews - this is more like a NORMAL dinner for me!) They are gong to have a special for the weekend of Valentines Day (Fri-Sun) and they will have EGGS BENEDICT! I think I might stop by just for that!

    (3)

  • Marck N.

    I used to think this place was good, when they first started off years ago. But my return trip to the Ward location changed my mind. Maybe it was the location, as it was not the original. Or the cook being different. But my meal of the fish of the day was not that great at all. I would have rather gone to another place to have grilled ahi. It was too dry with no flavor. That goodness for shoyu. Live and learn and this was a lesson learned, too many years too late.

    (2)

  • Elbert K.

    General Idea: Hawaiian style diner with influences of asian (specifically korean). Pros: It's just alright. Cons: If you are in Hawaii, then loco moco is something you get serious about. Two scoops of rice topped with a hamburger steak smothered in gravy with two overeasy eggs on top with a side of Hawaiian ice cream (aka mac salad). Here they offer the normal version and they also offer a loco moco over kim chee fried rice. I've heard claims at how this is the best loco moco, but I definetly DISAGREE. You don't mix oil and water, and thus the loco moco and kim chee fried rice don't mix. Tricks of the Trade: Plenty of space and good servers.

    (2)

  • Michiyo T.

    Disappointing service from the hostess to the waiter and the manager on duty--3/24/12-8:30 pm. too bad because I used to enjoy going there after a movie. Auwe----no wonder there were so many empty tables-- we informed the manager of unwelcoming hostess--but he did little to assure we had good service and attention. We had to flag the waiter down for a dessert menu--then he never returned to take our order. When we informed the manager again---he tried to offer us a free dessert-- too little--too late...Bye-bye-Big City.

    (1)

  • Josh L.

    I guess the recommendation is to get he Kimchee Fried Rice or one of their breakfast deals. I had a regular burger and fries. It was just okay, nothing special. Also shared some MacNut pancakes. Didn't wow us like Gazebo in Maui. Not sure if I'd come back

    (2)

  • Kimberly L.

    An "old" standby of mine...even came here after high school graduation! Who would've thought that just a few years ago, it was not the big chain of restaurants we know and love? I've been here for breakfast after early-morning surf sessions, and I can attest to the severely healthy taste of the food. It was satisfying, but not my favorite meal to eat here. What I really like (and what I order every time) is the Paniolo Chicken Salad. It's consistently filling, savory, and very tasty! It has all the right ingredients for a salad, and it's presently quite nicely considering it's being served in a diner. I have had some bad experiencse with the famous bread pudding, which is not concocted in a way that I like. I like my bread pudding oozing with creamy sweetness, not dried like a square of bread. Theirs is closer to bread than pudding, so it doesn't match my taste. to each his own. I feel like there's something for everyone on the menu here.

    (4)

  • Shirley Mina Y.

    It was Teacher's Institute Day so Cora. and I walked back here from the Blaisdell. We were seated quickly but didn't get our coffee and water until much later. I had to show our waitress the special that was advertised in the Institute Day flier but then we were told that they were on a "brunch schedule" and lunch wasn't going to be served until later. I ended up using a coupon from the Japanese magazine that was out on the curb with the Honolulu Weekly newspapers.

    (3)

  • Wendie J.

    Love this place:) Always have a great meal and the service is FANTASTIC:) Love the mix of local flavors, the price is right and when i ask for anything special- dressings on the side, no mayo, leave off the onions, i never get any attitude or *sigh*- it's always NO problem! I've eaten there a lot and i'm never disappointed. You know a place is special when you see the owner there- thanks Lane for a great place to bring friends, meet friends, and to have Hawaii Five-0 Tweetups! :) When we have Five-0 Tweetups there is a special Five-0 menu and everything is $5 and yummy! Even at the Pearlridge or Waipio restaurants- it's the same. Great place and great food and great people working there who seem to really love their jobs! :)

    (5)

  • Gene K.

    Meh. It was nice to get seated quickly without a moment's wait. But it was literally right next to the entrance. But it didn't really feel like it. There is quite a selection on the menu, not Cheesecake Factory huge, but large enough that sis didn't know what to order. I've been watching Food Network and Travel Network lately with lots of country fried steak, so that was my choice with the garlic smashed potatoes. I helped sis narrow it down to the Malibu chicken sandwich with garlic fries. The food came out in about 3 seconds flat. Not that I was timing them, but that's what it felt like. The country fried steak was ok, but not tender enough to cut with a fork, which I miss from the south. Skimpy on the gravy, too. Now the big surprise to me was the chicken sandwich. I'm not a big fan of ordering chicken sandwiches at places that aren't chicken places because it always seems dry to me. But this was good. And the garlic fries were so garlicy. The waiter brought us ranch to dip the garlic fries in. Yum. The portions are huge, too. So the prices don't seem as bad since you almost invariably get leftovers. But the quality of the food is really just, whatever. I'd come back here if I was with someone who wanted kim chee fried rice, or with a large group. But that's about it.

    (3)

  • Marjorie C.

    For the once I had something different (I usually get the kimchee burger), I had their $10 weekly special, kalua pork sliders with a guava sauce. I thought they were small but they were the perfect portion (3 sliders and a mountain of skin-on fries), helped myself to my bf's cajun fries (he got the wasabi burger, huge portion and good) and after that we got the apple pie ala mode (comes with bubbies ice cream & whip cream). I was pleasantly stuffed and not sick stuffed (must be the balanced portion of kalua sliders). I got to use my entertainment book's $5 off coupon so the bill came out to under $40 with tip (tipped off the balance BEFORE discount). I particularly like this Big City Diner because although it gets busy, the service is on par. It's cleaner than the Pearl City one and the hustle and bustle of Ward just makes it feel like you're in the midst of everything. I prefer BCD over Teddy's Burgers...I can't help but love the kimchee burger!

    (4)

  • D J.

    Beer for breakfast

    (4)

  • Tyler C.

    One of the few places I will eat at while at Ward. Food is pretty good, especially the burgers and fried rice. It gets busy during the weekends, just because of the proximity to the theatres.

    (4)

  • Emmy D.

    I've given this place a few too many chances and I'm tired of it being so tricky to order. Sometimes the dishes I've ordered before become entirely different when I loved it the first time. It happened especially with their kimchee fried rice. Their other items sometimes don't have garnnish while other times they do. I guess the cooks really just do their own things around here. 2 out of the 4 occasions that I ordered with my family/friends, their fried rice came out very SOUPY and RED from all the SOUR kimchee juice. They're STILL inconsistent. Food you order today will look different if you order another day. They need to train their cooks to make the food one way: GOOD! Unfortunately I disappointed a few friends and my family by proudly bringing them here after a good movie only to be served bad food on their very short vacations. I still feel bad that I really disappointed my sister that day because both of us had been craving for kimchee fried rice for nearly a month, and when the day finally came, the smell and taste almost made her vomit. I will not come back here anymore. Having a 50% chance of getting a lousy cook to make our food on the rare occasion that we actually eat here is really bad. Change or retrain one of your cooks because he/she obviously doesn't believe in quality and consistency. Having the last kimchee bits out of an empty jar poured into the rice with the soup when it's clearly gone sour while every other, what, 100 plates of fried rice gets nicely done is so not fair. To have it happen TWICE? Unbelievable.

    (2)

  • Karebear W.

    Dog friendly with tables in front of the restaurant. Service is pretty bad if you're sitting outside, at least on the particular day that we went. The hostess "forgot" to inform our waitress that we were waiting outside. About 10 minutes later without any service at all, I had to ask if our waitress would be coming out.

    (3)

  • Jeff M.

    My cousin took me here for the loco moco. That is all I have to base this review on. Burger patties on a bed of rice, drenched in gravy and sunny-side up eggs? It's one of those concoctions that sounds so evil, it must be good. And that's exactly what it was. It's no different than your usual diners. But it has the loco moco. Can I say I almost had guilt with each and every bite? Almost.

    (3)

  • Kendal T.

    We had a pretty nice time the waiter was pretty nice. Some what helpful, and the food is always good. They were cool with us splitting the check up as well which can be a hastle for them. The only thing I was unsure of was when he had given me Tue change. He forgot to give me a dollar, but my check was for like 17 something so I just left him a 20.

    (4)

  • Nikki D.

    Meh sums it up. Waited to be seated since there was nobody in sight and I wasn't sure if I was supposed to seat myself after a while. I only saw my server to give my order and get my bill. Didn't get anything to drink for a while after food had been delivered (by someone else). I'm in no hurry but hey, if you want me to get it myself, just let me know, right? Chili Taco Salad, smaller portion was just okay. Chili was all right, not great and also not warm. Food was quick to come out. Prices were too high for what you get. There were lots of choices on the menu so I will probably give it another shot, maybe somewhere not so touristy.

    (2)

  • Montie M.

    Very mediocre. Wasn't expecting much and that ended up being what I got. Went to an advanced screening at Ward Theater and as we were walking, didn't want to go too far to eat. That pretty much leaves Dave and Busters (which I loathe) Buco di Beppo and Big City Diner as the options. Read a bunch of reviews for Buco on here and saw that it generally gets a very mediocre rating as well. The menu looked decent for Big City and thats one of the up sides. They had some interesting choices going on. We were seated quickly but it took them a good while to get around to taking our order despite the place being fairly empty. I couldn't hear the waiter at all over the tvs and the kitchen noise. I think he must have been new. Ordered the garlic fries and the seafood linguini special. First they brought the fries to the wrong table, then realized and brought them to us along with an appetizer we didnt order. The fries had maybe 3 specks of garlic on them at most, so we asked them, very nicely, if we could get a bit extra. They were nice about it and took the fries and brought them back with more garlic after. Once they came back they were very soggy. Not sure if they had way too much liquid in the minced garlic container or if they put them in the microwave or something, but they were kind of worthless after that. They were also a bit on the cold side. The entree was ok, but again fairly mediocre. The seafood didn't seem very fresh and there just wasn't any real flavor to be had. The portion size was decent and the garlic bread was pretty good. The staff were all very nice and friendly and its certainly convenient if you're going to a movie, but I certainly hope this isn't representative of what Ward has to offer. The prices were also very reasonable. the fries were 6 bucks for a decent amount and the entree was 14.99.

    (2)

  • W K.

    OMG just had their 'local catfish w/oyster cream sauce & bok choy" WHAT CAN I SAY...AMAZING. the fish was cooked perfectly and the oyster cream sauce...OMG OMG GREAT! I want more! I guess I'll have to go back for more. price $12.99 but the taste was fantastic!

    (5)

  • Mari N.

    I've come here quite often, usually for lunch on Sunday after church. The reason? It's close by, the cost isn't too pricey, the place has a no care if da keikis are screamin' kine atmosphere. Real kick-back. Don't really have to worry about stink eye from other tables cuz their keikis are loud too. I've really only had the Kimchee Fried Rice here. It's pretty good, and the portion is huge. I could make better kimchee fried rice, but hey, sometimes I no like make 'em myself! Get lazy das why. I wish they had free refills on drinks cuz the food does tend to be on the salty side. Maybe they do now? I don't know because the last time I went, they didn't. And the last time I went, the Kimchee Fried Rice was made from brown rice. I don't remember it coming with brown rice unless you specifically ask for brown rice. Anyway, fried brown rice wasn't as good as regular kine fried rice. I hope they don't give me brown rice again. I'm gonna have to ask them next time!

    (3)

  • David E.

    Big City is my go-to morning after a typical "Ok, I'll go out for one drink and now I'm back at my apartment and it's 4am" night. He's what I like about BCD. I like diners. I like the fact that you can go in at any time of day and know what to expect, no surprises. The waitress' are usually good and the manager at the Ward location is one of the hardest working men in show business. He's always smiling, always helpful, and just an all around great guy to have working there. He really cares. I love the BIG Burger, and back to the hangover, this is something else I love about BCD. On many occasions, I've come in for breakfast and asked if I can order something on the dinner menu. They check and the answer is always yes. THEN, I mix it up... Big Burger WITH a fried egg. No problem and my hangover's gone. Alternate favorites are the nachos, poke, and the kimchee fried rice is decent. The last thing I will say about this BCD is the speed your food comes to you is mind blowing. My daughter is a huge breakfast fan and by the time she'd finish ordering her beacon, eggs, pancakes and fruit punch, it would be on it's way out.

    (3)

  • Rolly E.

    Worst service I got from this place ever. Will not dine here again. Our waiter took over 15 mins to come back to take out order. Our food came out fast. But he never came back. We ate our food. Our drinks were empty. We. Tried to flag him down but he looked like he was angry. We didn't get our check till we finally flagged him down. Never again. Over an hour half to eat a. Burger and get our check. Really

    (1)

  • E C.

    Our son was in Honolulu on business and came in here with some local friends. When he got home he had rave notices about the food so we checked it out the other day. The loco moco, even without kim chee, was excellent and the service was really quick. Next time back, I may even try something else. We used to go to Like Like, but I heard that its quality has gone downhill. In any event, the crowd at Big City is much younger and livelier and the place has nice energy.

    (4)

  • Mathew K.

    ok i've only been here once and i thought it was fantastic. i got their signature loco moco. at least i thought it was their signature loco moco. it was a regular loco moco, but instead of white rice, it had bacon fried rice. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM come on how good does that sound?! when i ate it, i felt as happy as akon does in this video: youtube.com/watch?v=lQlI…

    (4)

  • Sunny D.

    A family-like diner with food that just hit that sweet spot in you're stomach. I ordered the famous " loco moco" over steamed rice and ahi wrap. These two plates I devoured in minutes along with a delicious root beer float. Great food for the price. 10% off with the brochure flyer. (0.~)

    (4)

  • Anita L.

    This chain offers great portions and your regular diner style food with a local twist. I had a lovely spinach and mushroom omelette with a side of kimchee fried rice. The little guy had silver dollar pancakes and a side of bacon which he gulped down in a few minutes and then came over and attacked MY bacon. Dad had a healthy selection of oatmeal cakes with raisins. To me they were just too dense and cakey, very boring to eat 4 slabs of this with nothing else to counter the experience with. Still we love this place because it brings back memories of living on the mainland, but we can get rice instead of potatoes if we so choose. Ya can't beat that! Plus, our server Derrick was a TRIP!

    (4)

  • Tiffany A.

    I love this restaurant! Somehow I always end up here when I'm at ward. Cheap prices for good food! My go to items are the Malibu Chicken sandwich and the Philly cheesesteak. And the desserts... The brownie sundae is amazing and awesome to share.

    (4)

  • William L.

    The salad was good but the Kim Chi fried rice was the worst I have tasted and seen. It was mushy and sticky and the Kim Chi was weak.

    (2)

  • Brandon B.

    Big portions that are great for family style dining. The place is kind of showing it's wear with the smell of cleaning chemicals and food grease here and there. Quality is kind of spotty for some dishes where some look generic and others look pretty good.

    (3)

  • Becky T.

    Pretty good depending on what you order. My go to dish here is their loco moco. It's huge and they'll serve it on mashed potatoes if you ask. Hamburger here wasn't too impressive though. Chili is crazy big. Thursdays bring your military ID and you can get a discount. It's where I go when I'm hungry but not feeling too picky,

    (4)

  • Rey T.

    Yes, the argument may be that Big City Diner is just another Chevy's-TGI Fridays-Sizzler-type chain restaurant, but I'm here to tell you that none of those other restaurants have what Big City has. If you're lucky enough to find parking in the Ward Center parking garage, it's a short walk to the front doors of this family-friendly eatery. Without thinking twice about it, order Kimchee Fried Rice. A mainstay in Hawaiian cuisine, it's even better here at Big City. The flavors of this fried rice are blended perfectly just so. The Kimchee, scrambled egg, Spam, and soy sauce mix so well together with the moist rice, you will start to wonder if you can make this at home so you can enjoy it everyday. Well you shouldn't. Just so you have something to look forward to on your next trip to Hawaii. Also order the Baby Back Ribs with Guava sauce. I know right, guava? Well get your head out of your behind my friend, because your presumption is incorrect. This sauce is sweet, tart and salty in all the right proportions. That, and the butter-knife tenderness of the ribs are to die for. If you didn't just die from how good the rice and ribs are, eat some more starch in the form of the Garlic Fries. These fries should not be treated as some afterthought side dish. I've had Gordon Biersch fries before and those pale in flavor and comparison to these Garlic Fries. Part of the goodness is how soft and moist the fries are. The other part is how awesomely garlicky they are. Try not to breath into people's faces afterwards.

    (5)

  • O G.

    2 words: Guava ribs. That's pau hanas (game over) right there! For the most part this place is a glorified plate lunch place (albeit with big portions) but order the guava ribs and you'll get something that looks like it was taken out of a cow that was surreptitiously injected with Barry Bonds' leftover stash. And the flavor is quite ono ("delicious" in Hawaiian). Garlic fries are good and with other dishes you'll get a healthy (or rather, unhealthy) amount of food kerplunked on your plate. One thing I would not order again is the kim chi fried rice. I've had it twice and both times it was mushier than a movie on the Lifetime channel using recycled actresses from 80s sitcoms. You can make better kim chi bokkum bop at home. For the guava ribs alone this place gets 4 stars!

    (4)

  • Shay F.

    I like their boca burger that they have here... it actually has flavor and tastes good! Yum!

    (3)

  • Will F.

    The best place to visit right before seeing a movie because its right around the corner from the theaters. I like the Kim Chee Fried rice but without the green peas. The green peas kill it cause they put too much and they're just nasty. I'm still a little iffy on the menu because even though there are great items on the menu it seems like the quality of the food prep and consistency has dropped off over the years. However, I do give them 5 thumbs up on the (short) dessert menu. And its cool to watch sports there if you're not super into the game but want to peep at the scores. You go there to eat but not watch games and eat cause the tv screens are small and old. I still like the place though.

    (3)

  • vera b.

    I've only eaten there twice, but both times had been great! Food and service is great. The kitchen is right there (the nearest row of seats is literally a step/talking distance away); so if you're the type that gets paranoid and worried that the cook would do some funky stuff to your food. Seems kid friendly, serves alcohol/bar available, reasonably priced.

    (4)

  • Josh B.

    Was in town for a week eating mostly fish and local food and my wife and I felt like having a burger. This place was convenient so we stopped in. Definitely glad we did. The chili was great, as were the fries. The burgers were cooked perfectly and the buns were fresh and tasty. Unlike any hamburger buns I had ever had before. My wife seemed to really like the milkshake as well. The prices were also very reasonable. If you like burgers, fries and chili, this is the place for you.

    (4)

  • Danielle Y.

    Sat down late at night. Asked for the "breakfast for dinner menu" I had heard about (where did I hear this? I swear it used to be on their marquee...). Waitress seems confused, says they don't have one. Registers our look of horror and disappointment. Then asks "Do you still want to eat here?" and did not seem upset at all when we said...actually, no. Then got up and left. So while I have not eaten here yet, the waitress gets 3Stars for being super understanding about the need for eggs and toast (french toast for A & E) for a late night dinner.

    (3)

  • Brandon G.

    great lunch specials daily , i love this place its a nice spot to catch up with old friends over lunch

    (4)

  • Michelle L.

    this is one restaurant i really wanna like. i gave it a few tries and was just not impressed with the food or anything. definitely not a place i'll wanna eat on a whim.

    (2)

  • Lisa L.

    We frequently see their commercial on local TV, but never been, so we decided to give it a try. There were three of us and we ordered: Kim Chee Fried Rice Ahi Poke Ma's Monster Meat Loaf Cheesesteak Sandwich with Fries Kim Chee Fried rice was way too mushy. Not enough flavor in the poke. Meat loaf was not bad...a-okay. Cheesesteak didn't have thin slices of beef (like the Philly kind), but cut strips of beef, and not enough melted cheese/grilled onions/peppers. Pros: The servers had a great attitude and was very helpful. It's a great location next to the Ward movie theaters. Has decent size portions of food. It's a great place to watch UH football games.

    (2)

  • Stephen B.

    The food here is always on point. Hadn't had a loco moco in years, I tried there's...end of story, go to Big City Diner right now! Great happy hour and and a Huge menu with big portions.

    (4)

  • David C.

    I used to always go here when my friend was working so he could get me a discount. Their prices are pretty reasonable as it is though since they give you a lot of food. I like their kim chee fried rice and their bbq chicken salad.

    (5)

  • Anthony N.

    50% OFF coupons r AWESOME!!! i expected my plate to b small because im using a coupon but NOOO, was i wrong!! My plate was LOADED!! I had the VERI-TERI STEAK with brown rice! SOO SOO GOOD!!! YUM! =P $8 for that HUGE plate!! cant go wrong... 1 of my friends got the ribs.. I think that was worth $9!!! 2 slabs of ribs on a bed of lettece?? and a SUMO size scoop of rice!! Anyways, service was pretty good and food came out quick.. I Love 50% OFF!

    (4)

  • Ikaika T.

    Their portions are out of proportion! I always go with the hamburger steak... because if I want something grilled, I'm gonna want something fried on top of it - like onions or something, battered in beer. ...and of course, some HEALTHY brown rice (and a bite of pineapple), which should cancel out all the brown gravy. yep...

    (4)

  • TJ W.

    Decent burger. Very friendly staff. Very limited draft beer selection. If it wasn't for the very friendly bartender I would have given it one star but he ruined it before the end of my meal by prodding me to pay my check cuz he was leaving. I was only half-way through my burger, for god sakes!! I hate it when servers do that, and if you are that impatient for a tip that you can't wait for me to at east finish a burger then u don't deserve a tip at all.

    (2)

  • Stan M.

    good price, good food and good service. you can go here everyday and never get tired of it because of the large menu.

    (5)

  • Bee U.

    Went for Sunday Brunch with the family and there was no wait which was awesome because the kids were so hungry. Waiter was friendly but a guy from the back rushed to our waiter while he was at our table and very loudly said "tell your customers almost out of white rice...they just started a new batch of white rice ok" OMG he didn't try to be discreet about it and our waiter kinda looked at us like "I guess I don't have to tell you about the rice situation" Anyway, husband ordered steak and eggs (as usual) Son got corn beef hash w/fried rice (waiter offered fresh corned beef because of St. Patty's Day so we took him up on the offer since there was no extra charge) Daughter got the Chili Nachos and I got the Sock-eye Salmon eggs benedict. Everyone's food came out except the Chili Nachos. Our waiter apologized and said it was because he was trying to hurry up and get the our order in before they ran out of rice lol that he forgot about the nachos. It didn't take too long to get it though. Waiter checked on us and husband asked him about the fresh corned beef because my son got regular corn beef hash on his plate. Again he apologized and admitted that he was rushing to get our order in before the rice ran out. Chili Nachos-really like the colored corn chips Steak & eggs-good Corn beef hash w/fried rice-ate most of it Salmon Benedict-ok Macadamia but pancakes w/haupia sauce-big fan Would've gave 1/2 star more for friendly waiter

    (3)

  • D. N.

    Big City Diner is a favorite place for our family to wind up after a day of shopping or errands. The menu is not too extensive and is pretty straight forward with the usual diner fare of burgers and sandwiches but also has local specialties and a few salads. The dessert menu is yummy but expect huge portions so order accordingly. The Ward Center location is always busy but the Leeward side locations are a little roomier and have extensive outdoor seating. The service is better than your average diner on the mainland and they are very kid friendly at all locations! I like that eating at Big City Diner is supporting a local business as well as feeding my belly!

    (4)

  • Nancy B.

    the food was okay. had the really loco moco. the thing they really need to change up is the service. servers were horrible! didn't fill our drinks until we aksed. they came out with the wrong order and it took forever for us to find a server on the floor to help us with their mishaps.

    (2)

  • Kevin S.

    Despite being a chain restaurant this place definitely has its share of items that reflect the local influence - such as their kim chee fried rice and other dishes. On a whole the portions are large and the pricing is quite reasonable. The staff was very friendly, but I really wouldn't say that anything in particular blew me away. The food was good - not exceptional. Although I must admit the garden burger my friend had was surprisingly good considering it was a meat substitute. Anyway, not a must visit, but if you're in the area and hungry its not a bad place to stop in on. Oh and their deserts are freaking huge so if you want an extra 500-1000 calories save room.

    (3)

  • Mike K.

    Great food, healthy portions, friendly service. Recommend the calamari, veri-teri steak entre and finish with bread pudding. Good balance of mainland standard and local-style selections. Great for the whole family from young to old. My mainland friends make the poke and kim chee fried rice must when they visit.

    (4)

  • Candice D.

    It's cheap but without the cheap feeling. Big City Diner is one of my favorite places to go with family/friends when you're not looking to spend a lot to just hang out and eat great food. My favorite thing to do is get the Poke (some of the best poke EVER) and a plate of the HUGE fried rice. And when I say huge, I mean I have to share this sucker with at least 1 other person. At least. So this is my favorite meal there. It costs less than $30 and can easily feed 2 people, and possibly even 3 depending on who you go with: Poke (the price stays the same, but the amount changes with market price, at least that's what I think they do) Fried Rice Apple Pie. Seriously. Those three things shared between people is enough. And if it's not enough, just toss some fries for a couple bucks. That'll fill you up plenty. The service is also awesome each time that I come here, they make you feel like family.

    (5)

  • Lona L.

    I went for lunch during a weekday and it wasn't too busy but the service was excellent. I had the cheeseburger and though it was not spectacular, it was better than a lot of other diner foods I've had. Prices are reasonable and a nice comfortable atmosphere for friends and family.

    (4)

  • Dale C.

    When service came around, it was friendly and nice. The food came fast, but what it really felt like was eating at an open air zoo. There were flies and mosquitoes biting customers and flying around the tables. I don't know if management knew this since nothing was really done about the flies and mosquitoes that were present. Well, I don't know if electric bug zappers and fly swatters were necessary, but definitely get rid of the flies and mosquitoes some other way. Service could be faster, and the restaurant could be a little less stingy about napkins and soda. Yes, soda was unlimited, but they quota you by not servicing the soda too quickly! Soda is cheap, so I don't know if that's a really good gamble on customer service. I mean, if one orders unlimited soda refills, one sort of expected unlimited refills, not begging to ask for another one. Comes across sort of cheap to paying customers.

    (2)

  • Andrew K.

    Meh. I've experienced better.

    (2)

  • babynorah t.

    I just don't get the appeal of this place. My friend bought the Costco certificate so we checked it out. I guess he'll have to finish up the voucher amount. As for me, no need to ever come back again.

    (3)

  • Daisy S.

    My hangout pace with the best garlic fries and chili of course! Not the best of food but those two are always my faves whenever I went there other than the burgers. They are pretty okay.

    (3)

  • Grimeater A.

    This restaurant suffers from "Everything tastes the same" syndrome. Nothing really stands out. I dislike how they glorify their dishes to be so good in the menu. Everything is salty and has a signature "grease" taste to it.

    (2)

  • Victoria K.

    I know several people who really like this restaurant but for the life of me I don't understand why. I've eaten there numerous times and the food is ok but nothing special. There is couple of salads that are decent but the rest is average and not worth the price. I'd suggest Grilled Salmon Salad or Panlolo chicken Salad which is fairly good. Also, their desserts are terrible. I have a sweet tooth and lot of times would try out desserts whenever we go. In Big City's Diner, I tried Big Brownie pie-which is basically brownie with ice cream. Brownie was very cakey, dense and dry-I made better brownies out of packaged mix. Recently, I was there for dinner(someone gave me GC) and ordered Apple Pie for dessert-it is awful beyond description. Don't be expecting an actual pie because it isn't-its a two pieces of puff pastry(which are dry and taste like chalk) with some cooked apples in the middle. Apples are very cloyingly sweet and definately not spiced the way apple pie is supposed to be spiced. My hubby likes apple pie but even he didn't eat more than a few bites. And finally, atmosphere is depressing-dark and run down. Actually, location at Ward is not as bad as locationn in Kaimuki which in my opinion, look like a total dive. All in all, if you want that kind of food, go to Zippy's which is much better, especially for a price.

    (2)

  • Tommy B.

    Locals love and flock to this place, but I find the food pricey and just barely so-so. For breakfast the other day, I ordered the pancake sandwich. The bacon seemed to have been cooked much earlier and was soggy and greasy. My eggs over medium were done quite well, but my pancakes (and I'm a true pancake lover) were really, really tough! I do have to say, though, that every time I've been here, the service has been friendly and they've worked hard to be attentive.

    (2)

  • Ed K.

    yesssssssss ono local grindz right? wrong! the kimchee burger was interesting... its a burger with juicy soggy kimchee in there. normally, i like adding condiments such as ketchup, mustard, and or tabasco but didn't want to risk the "flavor". not the finest of culinary cuisine. tssk tssk =Z

    (3)

  • Oh Y.

    An underwhelming experience. They're skimpy on the good stuff. My portobello mushroom salad could have handled more shrooms and less of the romaine spines or stems or whatever they're called. The kids menu was loaded with fatty, deep fried fare and I've noticed that this is standard at most places. I guess they figure the kids have a lifetime left to repair their arteries.

    (3)

  • Thomas K.

    I have only eaten at the Pearlridge location previously...and there only one time. I enjoyed the food, but for some reason haven't found myself back into a Big City Diner. Well, I stopped in today at the Ward location and had breakfast. I ordered the fried rice dish with the two eggs. I thought it tasted pretty good and size of the portion was just about right(I have a big appetite so portion size is important to me). Service was excellent. All in all...I recommend this place. Thumbs up.

    (4)

  • Matty T.

    Great service, good food and lots of it! Kim Chee fried rice is the best! A surprise, the veggie sandwich is really tasty with lots of crispy fries. My husband ordered the Kim Chee Burger and really enjoyed it, but I had a hard time putting the two together.

    (4)

  • amanda c.

    big city is always good...hadnt went there inawhile..n we just happened to go there cuz we had no idea what to eat at 9:45 at nite....(i was thinkin somewhere at alamoana..but yeh...being the time it was everything was closed)...so bruthur drove us to ward n we went to big city "whiner"..we got there in time to get the late-nite menu..so we checked that out...n bein that my new years resolution is to always get something new on the menu..i got the malibu chicken sandwich...not bad...it was w/ mushrooms n gooey cheese n seasoned chicken on a wheat bun..think it was wheat...anyways..pretty bomb...except when they say avocado is on this sandwich..maybe next time ill get more than 2 little tiny chunks..which is primarily the reason i got the sandwich..meh..maybe the cook was tired or somethin..it was still ono tho...ate all of it n the fries (which freakin matt asked to be crispy for his order..n then made both our fries extra crispy...meh...i was starvin tho..so i scarfed it anyways... after our meal we shared the bread pudding..omgggg...all that ice cream n whip cream n the bread pudding itself is pretty bombtastic. all in all..our aloha-friday feast was bomb n our waitress brianne was very nice too ..shoots

    (4)

  • ed k.

    Read many positive reviews on Big City, decided to give it a try. Am I missing something? I found the food to be below average. Their famous kim chee fried was way to oily for my palate. The garlic fries lacked crispiness and garlic. The nachos in the chili nachos was of inferior quality. The only positive of Big City is it's atmosphere.

    (1)

  • Nida O.

    This place is good when you're feeling like diner-ish food. I was here last friday and had the clam chowder soup, chilly nachos, and chinatown noodles. The soup was good, the nachos were alright and the noodles were a negative. now that i've went beyond the club house sandwich, i know what to get and what now to get.

    (3)

  • Clinton L.

    Visited the islands again during Thanksgiving. Wanted a big juicy hamburger or something ono and had the choice between Kakaako Kitchen, Kua Aina, or BCD that day since they were all in the same general area. But-t-t-t...based on our last crappy experience with this particular establishment and didn't want to drive all the way to the Kaimuki location, we opted on the Kua Aina across the street. I think we made a wise choice!

    (1)

  • C K.

    I haven't been there for a while, and I finally went back again last night. It was as bad as I remembered. My husband had steak & I had the kimchee fried rice. the steak was overcooked, the fried rice was oily. Not to mention the soup was so salty, I couldn't even drink it. The only thing we enjoyed was the french fries. The service was great though.

    (1)

  • Jo Ann V.

    5 stars to the staff--they know the majority of their patrons are either going to the 16-Plex upstairs or have just come from there, and they are efficient and courteous. I prefer sitting at the bar with hubby and ordering appetizers (fried calamari, poke & if we're really hungry, a grilled steak) and drinks from the bartendress. If the bar is full (it usually is), we don't mind waiting outside - a great place to people watch. I was all set to do that last night since we were told it would take 20 minutes for a table for two. The pager starts blinking like Christmas lights after a whole 3 minutes. My calamari steak would have been better without the wasabi sauce all over it. Hubby was happy with his medium rare pulehu steak. We split the apple pie ala mode (good thing!) which was so huge that the couple in the next table thought it was actually 2 servings. Even when Panda Express opens next door, we'll probably continue to frequent BCD.

    (4)

  • Aaron I.

    kimchee fried rice, mmmmmmmm!

    (4)

  • Eric M.

    try the loco moco over kimchee fried rice. though not an actual menu item, you can still order it.

    (4)

  • Kanoe I.

    Had my two fave dishes for dinner last weekend!! Paniolo Chicken Salad and the Calamari. Always my usual dishes....Yum!

    (5)

  • Jennifer Y.

    We took my cousin and his girlfriend here for dinner last night, and it was a great experience. It wasn't crowded and we were seated right away, our waiter was attentive and didn't pester me when I couldn't decide what to order (he gave me extra time to think about it), and the food came right away. Everything was tasty, especially my burger. Even though the bun was a little saggy, the patty was bursting with flavor and the fries were really good. My mom liked her stir fry, my dad liked his breakfast, and my cousin and his girlfriend liked their loco moco. I haven't been there is so long that when we were leaving I forgot that everybody, from the waiters to the cooks to the busboy told us thank you. It was a great evening.

    (5)

  • Amy B.

    Really pleased with my brunch this morning! I ordered the Kalbi steak and eggs (cooked over medium) with white rice and it was definitely my kind of brunch. I sliced up the Kalbi, mixed everything up together, and then doused it in hot sauce. Yum! My boyfriend ordered the big breakfast and a short stack of the macadamia pancakes with the coconut sauce (I can't remember what the word is for that). I had a bite of the pancakes to try them, and another bite, then another bite....they were really good. The service was excellent. We didn't have to wait very long to be seated (about 20 mins- 1030 on a Sunday), our food came out quickly, and our waitress was attentive.

    (4)

  • Terry K.

    Now I remember ! Why I haven't been here in awhile. Every restaurant as with human beings has its good points as well as bad. I've now concluded the ONLY reason this place stays in business is because of the proximity and convenience to dine, close to shopping, close to movie theaters, close to beach,and that is it With many places we diners have to choose from,sometimes,Ike this place- convenience is not worth the value you pay for . Service has much to be desired, management, or so their name tags designate also has much to be desired as well. All that said,my experience is summed up this way-overdone eggs Benedict - more than hard poached try hard period! Coffee Luke warm.exchanged my order for fried rice which was oily, onions were raw and it was layered with an overdose of soy sauce Need I say more?

    (2)

  • Keola H.

    Good customer service. Great food. Grandma's kimchee fried rice was awesome. Decent portions. Paid 9 something for 2 people. We were both full and ended up having left overs. Ordered the food to go and still got served as if we were dining inside. Host served us water without us asking while we waited for our order. Seats with umbrellas outside if you prefer to sit there instead of inside.

    (4)

  • Michelle B.

    Wish there were more local cuisine, but the food it good and customer service is great

    (5)

  • Angel H.

    We had a party of 9 that came for dinner last night. I had the loco moco with fried rice and the hubby got some kind of chicken salad. The loco moco was huge and I could only eat half. I took home half for lunch the next day. It was pretty good and the eggs were cooked just right, how I like them, over easy. My husband was being a hog and didn't let me try his salad. He only gave me a couple of onion strings from his salad lol. He said he liked the salad but they only gave him 4 or 5 pieces of chicken. A couple of my friends got the boneless kalbi. They let me try a piece and that was really good. When I go there the next time, that's what I'm getting. It comes with kim chee and steamed rice. They said that the white rice was dry. I better remember to get it with kim chee fried rice, although that was really bland the last time I got it. The service was so so. The waitress seemed like she was having a bad day. We got there at 7 and left around 8:30. After we ate, we were sitting there talking and having a good time. My friend was visiting from the mainland so we were catching up. The waitress decides to come over and starts sweeping under our table and around our feet. I guess she was giving us a hint to leave. I looked around and there were empty tables so it wasn't like there was a wait. I thought that was pretty rude so we just left.

    (3)

  • Kelli S.

    Though the Pearlridge Big City Diner (BCD) is closest to me, if I'm meeting a friend in town or my mom and I are running errands in town, we'll often stop by this Ward location for lunch. Generally, if we go early, the restaurant isn't too crowded. During all the times I have been to this location, we've been seated pretty quickly. Even when I went with my cousins in a larger group for a Sunday lunch, it didn't take long for us to get a table. There are lots to choose from on the BCD menu, no matter what time of the day you go. Here are some of my must-haves: "Big City Club": This is my favorite sandwich from BCD, and it's such a bummer that it's only available at lunch! If I'm going to BCD for lunch, my entrée is usually a toss-up between this phenomenal sandwich and the "Loco Moco." BCD's "City Club" is different from other club sandwiches because of one essential component--thick-sliced, perfectly toasted Texas toast. The sandwich's bread makes it amazing! It's filled with hickory-smoked turkey breast, crispy bacon, avocado, tomatoes (I order mine without), lettuce and Wisconsin Jack and Cheddar cheese. Yum! I've always lucked out with scoring really great sandwiches on every visit to this BCD. The cheese is always melted and gooey, and the bacon is crispy (not too fatty or soggy). The turkey is tender and the Texas toast is grilled to perfection. I also really like the skin-on fries that come standard with most sandwiches -- they're not too thin (in fact, they're a little on the thicker side), and they always have just enough seasoning. This is a great combo that I highly recommend getting for lunch. "Upcountry BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad": My mom got this salad on our most recent visit to BCD. It included chopped Romaine with grilled BBQ chicken breast, roasted corn and crispy sweet onions, served with the eatery's homemade BBQ ranch dressing. My mom usually gets the "Paniolo" salad, but she decided to switch things up and try something new. She said the Romaine tasted fresh and crispy, and there were sufficient pieces of the tender, grilled chicken breast. The onion rings, though, were the best part of the dish--they were thin and crispy (I had a few to taste) and provided the salad with some needed texture. The BBQ sauce was yummy -- sweet with a slight kick. I'd definitely be open to ordering this salad one day. Great addition to the BCD menu. "Mama's Homemade Bread Pudding": This is my mom's favorite dessert, but she gave it up to enjoy the "Brownie Pie" with me. This dessert is served warm and comes drizzled with haupia crème sauce and is topped with roasted Macadamia nuts and whipped cream. My mom loves how the bread pudding is sticky, sweet and flavorful, with all the fragrant spices of cinnamony goodness. She usually orders it sans the whipped cream and says it tastes just fine plain (not a la mode). "Big Brownie Bubbies Pie": This dessert is probably one of my favorites--ever--because it includes Bubbie's ice cream. It features a brownie cut in triangle-shaped halves topped with vanilla bean ice cream, whipped cream, a hot fudge drizzle and macadamia nuts. I always get my pie sans the whipped cream--unless I'm splitting the dessert with my cousin, who loves the whipped topping. The brownie pie at this location is better than most because 1) they don't skimp on the ice cream (unlike the Pearlridge location that I most recently visited), and 2) the entire plate is sprinkled generously with powdered sugar for extra sweetness/elegant effect! The brownie taste is always consistent at this location--it's moist, tender and chewy, pairing perfectly with that luscious vanilla ice cream. The hot fudge drizzle and bits of mac nuts only make this dessert more stellar. "Ani's Awesome Cinnamon Bread French Toast": Because I like sweeter items when it comes to breakfast fare, this French toast is right up my alley. It features billowy pieces of French toast that's baked fresh every morning. Though I don't usually go to BCD for breakfast--I've only been for brunch once, and I ordered the "Chocolate Chip Pancakes" (that I now no longer see on the menu), this would be at the top of my must-try list. "Mama's Breakfast Bread Pudding": Talk about dessert for breakfast! This bread pudding is a delight in itself, but you get a good mix of sweet and savory with this breakfast entrée, as it comes with two sausage links and two strips of honey-cured bacon. The bread pudding comes with its traditional haupia crème sauce, roasted Mac nuts and whipped cream. If I brought my mom to BCD for breakfast ... I'm sure she would get this dish! "Spam Katsu Loco Moco with Fresh Kalei Eggs": This is one of the rotating weekly breakfast specials at BCD, and I've never ordered it or seen it in person, but it sounds absolutely delicious! It features panko-breaded steak topped with two local, fresh Kalei eggs. I'm interested to see what the spam katsu tastes like ... and of course, I would get my eggs over easy.

    (4)

  • Misty P.

    I went here to eat after a movie with a friend. We originally wanted to eat at Dave and Buster's, but since the movie let out late, they were charging a cover fee, and we did not want to pay it just to eat. The only other option nearby was Big City Diner. I haven't eaten here in a while. It was pretty much empty for a Friday night. I ordered the pancake sandwich which comes with 2 pancakes, eggs your style, bacon and link sausage. The food came out fairly quickly. I loved the eggs and meats, but the pancakes were so chewy and rubbery it was meh. We both ordered orange juice with our meal, and we both agreed it had a weird aftertaste. Like it was halved with real orange juice and Tang! powdered drink mix. Service was mediocre. Towards the end it sucked. We waited for our bill for a while. Finally the waitress came, and it took forever for her to come by to take our bill. Instead she was in the kitchen area (which is open so you can see) talking and laughing with her co workers. Instead we just brought the bill to the front and another waitress cashed us out. I've experienced better food for the price. We may have well gone to Zippy's.

    (2)

  • Diane S.

    I was looking for a steak salad and found it! Had the new Thai salad with steak that was very good. Love the peanuts and dressing, yummy! Steak was ono too but not med rare as it said it would be. My honey had the special fish and chips, it was really good. Gonna come back again!

    (4)

  • Chew L.

    I've been here several times each time I come to Honolulu. I always love the food and the service here. I love roasted macadamia nut pancakes with haupia sauce and side order of papaya and Portuguese sausage. Yummy!

    (5)

  • Diane K.

    After finding out that REAL Gastropub was closed for a private event, my friend and I gave D&B a go only to find it was hell on earth. Screaming kids, even louder obnoxious adults and nowhere to sit. In our early 20s, we would've sucked it up and made the most of it. These days, we weren't having any of it. All we wanted was to have drinks and enjoy some appetizers with conversation sans blaring arcade madness. I hadn't been to Big City Diner in over a decade. It was my first time at the Ward location and it was an overall pleasant experience. We both had Blue Moons and ordered seasoned edamame and and fries. Best of all, it wasn't noisy, which meant we actually heard each other while we were catching up. This is an underrated spot. The food is good and the prices are reasonable.

    (4)

  • Dextin A.

    Ive read other reviews on here and i kinda disagree... service has always been awesome...the food is consistent not a 5 star meal by any stretch but they dont charge you for a 5 star meal either....the dessert here is big to say the least and how can you not like bubbies ice cream...great comfort type food at an affordable price

    (4)

  • Carrie G.

    This place used to be awesome... But now its overpriced mediocre food. The only good thing about it is its open late-ish. We went on Saturday night around 10pm and waited for ~10 minutes for our server to first acknowledge us. She said she didn't see us sitting in the booth even though hubby is 6'2! We ordered the Big burger ($15) and a Paniolo burger ($13). We asked for them medium rare and had to sign a 'waiver' (print/ sign names on a blank receipt, but no statement) to get it cooked that way. Both of our burgers were medium anyway after the hoopla waiver signing. A burger at that price should be cooked as specified. The cheese on my burger was good but the bacon they use is paper thin so not much quality or taste there. The bun was cold (always a turnoff) and the burger meat was greasy. My fried onion strings included the skin from the outside of the onion, so I couldn't chew and swallow a few of them fully. I love having to spit food back on my plate. We ordered baked garlic fries ($1 extra) but I'm pretty sure they were fried not baked and the garlic was just lumped on, not tossed around so it was clumpy. Add a $3+ soda, tax and 20% tip and it was over $40 for 2 burgers and fries and 1 soda. It wasn't even good food. If it was epic burgers, I'd happily pay up! In a place like HI, restaurants can't rest on a good rep from years ago and charge too much for crappy food. BCD is more like BSD.

    (1)

  • Peter T.

    So going to start this with the Ward Ave. location and the Waialae are night and day having been to both. Waialae vastly better parking and service while Ward has better food. Anyways hit up the Ward location today and while the food definitely hit the spot, was disappointed as hell with the service. Got a seat pretty fast from the manager but then didn't see the waitress (Foon or something near that) for another fifteen minutes, not even an initial water and coffee. After that wife got rice even though she said potatoes, kid got food well before us (ten minutes) meaning she had to sit and stare at it for bit watching it get cold, and a cardinal service sin (at least the way I was raised) is the waitress collected the bill and tip prior to us leaving. Minus the service though, food was solid and vastly better than the Waialae location and most of the competition. I got a three egg omelet, nothing special but equally wasn't bad. Wife got the avocado and mushroom benedict, was tasty. Kid got the chocolate pancakes and only real complaint was lack of fluffy butter. Foodwise my only real compliant, but this is island wide short of Harbor Pub which seems to be only damn breakfast place on Oahu that knows how to cook potatoes, was the crap potatoes. Hashbrowns were the standard frozen deep fried square block (as opposed to the proper pan fried shredded hash) and the home fries were that standard crap Hawaiian baked square potatoes which need to go away forever. Will hit up again as really the only edible game in town for a early Sunday breakfast in the area (i.e. before 10 am and no crazy lines).

    (3)

  • Michael G.

    Excellent place for dinner. The ribs are super good. Fall-off-the-bone tender. Service was good and there was no wait to be seated. The big brownie pie was awesome too!!!

    (5)

  • Domain H.

    Not a fan of this place at all. Once I opened the door and got a whiff of the dirty mop water I was pretty much good. My wife really wanted chilli dogs so I stuck it out. The waitress took our order and preceeded to the bar where I seen her pluck something from the vicinity of her nose. 5 mins later we asked to move to a booth so the same waitress grabbed my drink with her fingers around my straw and moved us to a booth. Food to me isn't the best and could use some work on customer service. The prices are good compared to the amount of food you receive. This has been the second big city I've been to with the same conclusion surely I will not be coming back again.

    (1)

  • Leslie A.

    I went to Big City Diner on a Friday night around 7pm. I was expecting the place to be busy but I was surprised that we were able to be seated immediately. Our server was quick to greet and take our order. I ordered the kimchi fried rice with eggs. The kimchi fried rice is a huge portion so make sure you share with someone else. I really liked how they included a lot of kimchi. I swear, there was kimchi in every bite I took! Overall, it was a pleasant experience. The food and service was great. Despite this, I'm giving it 3 stars because I haven't had a chance to taste the rest of what they offer. However I will definitely come back in the future! HINT: If you have an ID card, you get discount! "15% OFF dine-in food ONLY with drink purchase per person after 10pm Fri-Sat, 10% OFF dine-in food ONLY with drink purchase per person Mon-Thurs open-close. Up to 4 persons per iDcard." ( theidcard.com )

    (3)

  • Reid O.

    Big City Diner has been one of my faves for years. The Ward BCD has been my usual stop before or after a movie at the nearby theaters. Great place for a quick meal in a comfy place. The employees are usually always helpful and quick to recognize you if they've helped you in the past. Mamasan's meat loaf, the boneless kalbi and of course the loco moco are my go to meal choices. If I'm looking for a lighter meal, splitting a salad is always a great choice as well. The quality control is always top notch and always served pretty quickly. I wish they would bring back the calamari steak though. Probably the only thing that keeps me from giving them a 5 star rating since the only other seafood dishes they serve are fish which I prefer either steamed or just salt and pepper fried. None of that fancy stuff with the drizzles and sauces on them. Still though...BCD is a great place for to eat!

    (4)

  • Micki K.

    Somewhat of a good restaurant to eat at, it'll either be a hit or miss some days. Located under Ward 16 Theatre, ample amount of parking. I usually order their Baja Burger, pretty tasty but pricey at the same time. My boyfriend orders their loco moco, which is also pretty decent. The main reason why I come here is because I crave their desserts, which btw, is bomb! A huge pile of sugar glory on such a big plate, served for an amount of four people! I love their bread pudding ala mode and big sundae! Let me tell you, even with two people, you won't be able to finish it! Overall, I like this place. I will be back whenever I'm craving a burger or dessert.

    (4)

  • Alexander G.

    Big City Diner is one of my favorite fun places to eat in Honolulu. This place is a beast with many heads. Their menu is huge and changes depending on the day and time you go. They have a good happy hour and bar area. The wait staff is helpful and fast at all locations, you'll recognize the same people each time you go. The management is friendly as well, always coming over to talk. I love Mama's Fried Rice, Kimchee Fried Rice, all the burgers, especially the Paniolo Cheeseburger, surprisingly the chili dogs, and salads. I often enjoy coming for breakfast or brunch- the eggs benedicts are all delicious as are the sides. One of the best places for unsweetened iced teas! The Ward location is one of the newer feeling ones. The inside has a 50s vibe with leather booths and checkboard patterns. I love the old photographs of the area and Ward Plantation. The bar here is the most fun, overlooking people traffic and brightly lit. I rarely have to wait for a table. It's also close to a lot of shopping and the Consolidated Ward Movie Theatres! Great place for the family!

    (5)

  • Jody S.

    I absolutely love this Big City Diner. Why? Namely because of the waitstaff. While I've not necessarily enjoyed my experience at some of the others, this one seriously has the friendliest, coolest and most professional staff employed there. I always get a cool waiter or waitress that ends up chatting with us, offering menu suggestions, refilling our water and drinks and simply bringing the food hot and in a timely matter. They also remember you and make you feel welcome and at home. I give kudos to the staff here as I am certain they are busy with a lot of traffic and different people...yet they are friendly and warm. My fave place to eat if we are visiting Ward for shopping or for the movies.

    (5)

  • Jenn R.

    great experience on a busy night from beginning to end 15min wait as promised, hostess even held our table while we finished our smoke. Server was on point w/every ice tea refill, appetizer&entrée delivery, to closing of the bill. JB, our server had me at my request for schiracha ...but I was beyond amazed when she came back with not one, but two ChocolateChip cookies (after declining the dessert menu as I was craving for cookies) I mean how odd was that or maybe I'm the odd one?! Such surprise treat honestly tickled my tummy and she wasn't even tryin, natural above and beyond service are rare-lasting impression. Thank you JB, if you are a mother..I hope your children gave you a call and said somethin nice today while you are workin hard Happy Mother's Day Sweet Lady

    (5)

  • Jon C.

    Ok. This is definitely not the same thing as the original in Kaimuki. I used to live down the street from that one, and BCD was a favorite standby. This one is more commercialized and sterile. The deco is sort of TGIF-ified. My daughter was in feed mode and remarked that the service was slow. "Shouldn't it take just five seconds to cook?" No, probably a little longer than that, I explained. To be honest, they were a little slow. Ok, it was about 25 minutes. Slow for what we ordered, a hotdog and a hamburger. The food was sparse, not the BCD I remember. Burger was over cooked and flavorless. Fries contained... potatoes. The children's meal was also uninspiring. Sorry to say that we should have given this one a pass. The price does not match the value. Daughter said it was too yucky. She'll usually eat anything.

    (2)

  • Susan S.

    Always Great service & Ono food! Very Satisfied customer every time! I tried the week four special fish and chips it was the bomb.

    (5)

  • Jason R.

    Had a waiter named George, he did a great job. He suggested the Pulehu steak which I really enjoyed. I also took his suggestion and got there bread pudding ala mode (it's was awesome). It was a great way to finish off a father daughter day.

    (5)

  • John A.

    At Big City Diner portions are big! I had uncle Danny's fried rice and a sample of ribs.

    (4)

  • Chris Y.

    Find myself gravitating to this restaurant because of its great location in Ward Entertainment Center (easy to grab a bite before the movies), availability of parking, and diverse menu. The dining room features many booths, which I find much more comfortable than tables. Love that there are many screens to watch sporting events. The menu is so diverse that I sometimes have a hard time making up my mind! My compliments to the wait staff who have to know the big menu and all the nuances! It's a good mix of local food, salads, burgers, and entrees. There are also weekly specials for $10.99, featuring 3 selections, which appears to be a good value. I'll have to try one of these on my next visit. They allow substitutions (add $0.99 for salad instead of fries), which is diet-friendly for those watching their waistlines (like myself - hate watching it grow, lol!) The edamame, Thai salad, and fried noodles are my favorites! Service is great with friendly host/hostess and wait-staff. Big City Diner (and this particular location) is on my go-to list of restaurants. Try it, you'll like it!!!

    (4)

  • Pam H.

    This place is such a hit and miss with me, but because I do get the occasional great hits I keep coming back. I've tried the Kaimuki location a few times and I can never seem to get a home feeling from it. I get a "I'm RUSHING around so stay outta my way" sense.... So we do visit the Ward location often as the parking is better there if there's no major movie that just came out. The staff there is friendly and I did notice just yesterday that it was a much older staff serving the tables.... What that is I have no idea, but it's not all that bad of a service. I ordered their salmon entree and it comes on a bed of spinach and a scoop of rice. You can choose between white or brown rice. I had two pieces of salmon on my plate and the first salmon was very moist and drizzled with a miso sauce that made it very yummy. But then I started to dig into my second piece and it was over cooked and dry..... UGH Hence the hit and miss. Needless to say I still enjoyed that first piece of Salmon. We did skip dessert because although they LOOK delicious it's a bit below average when it comes to the taste. Oh wait! I did try the bread pudding once and that was delicious, but then I tried it again on another visit and it was too dry. My take on this place.... It's okay and I would still go there again and keep trying different entrees but it's nothing to rave about. Hit & Miss foodie = At least their not god awful....

    (3)

  • Jenny T.

    Now I remember why I don't eat here after the first experience here. The food looks good but it don't taste good. I order the meatloaf and I feel like it's to peppery for me and I had a stomachache after that. The service now this old lady was my server and she not all that there but it's okay, I don't blame her. While they was bringing the food to our table I guess the food runner literally gave the plate to my little sister and her arm is broken with a cast on. I thought that was really rude. Don't plan on coming back!

    (2)

  • Aulii H.

    This place is great for groups who want a different selection of food options. They have local and American options, with specials that vary. I haven't really had anything bad here, but I have to be in the mood to eat here. If you're looking for healthy options, this is not the place for you. I've had bad service a couple times, which turned me off for a while, but those people are either off, or don't work there anymore in the more recent times I've gone. If you're surrounded by decent food, and good friends, the bad service can be overlooked.

    (3)

  • Shawna A.

    I will NEVER return to this location. I really like the food at the Waipio and Pearlridge locations but this place, yuck! First off we get our drinks and the cups had funk in it! Well I'm not gonna complain just yet....my food hasn't arrived. We get our food and my "homemade" corned beef hash looks and taste like it's "canned" corned beef hash. The food wasn't worth the price. I should've went with my gut feeling and ate at Ruby Tuesday's in Ala Moana. Go somewhere else!

    (1)

  • Stephanie B.

    A friend and I needed to grab a bite before hitting the movies so we decided to stop by Big City Diner. My friend asked me to put our names on the list, as sometimes there is a wait, while he stopped at a store around the corner. As soon as I walked in I was greeted by the host podium, and that was pretty much it. There was another customer in front of me, and it took a minute for the shift supervisor to seat him. As he stepped between me and the other customer to grab a menu I smiled and said "Hi." To which he replied (without a smile) "Hi" and immediately walked away. There was no "Just one moment please" or "I'll be right with you", he simply walked away and seated the other customer. When the other customer was seated the supervisor DID NOT COME BACK. Instead, I was handed off to a waitress, who walked away from me once again, without saying much. She called to me from across the room to tell me that the booth she picked out was dirty and needed to be cleaned. She left me still standing at the front of the restaurant to clean the booth. While she wiped the table down another employee approached me and asked if I had been helped yet. To which I replied that, yes, I was waiting for them to clean a booth. When I was called from across the room again to be told my booth was ready, the male employee handed me a couple of menus and shrugged "Oh, ok, whatever". The waitress took the extra menus from me and I sat down. All of this occurred in the first three minutes of walking in the door. After being seated I was attended to only once to order my drink, it took considerably longer for my friend to be served when he arrived, even though the staff greeted him when he walked in. When we had finished eating, which we did quickly as to avoid being late for the movie, my friend waved to several staff members for the check, which went unheeded until the supervisor very, very, very, slowly made his way over to the kitchen side of our booth. Our waitress dropped the check at our table without a single word, we payed, we left for the movie. Two stars for absolutely terrible service, but a very good burger. If I could give 1.5 stars I would because my friend had complaints about his meal. We will not be coming by BCD next time we want a meal before our movie.

    (2)

  • Jozlyn H.

    Lots of parking! This place is like a better local version of Denny's..... hmmmm I don't think I should compare it to that place because I actually "like" Big City Diners food. Been here several times and this is what I normally order: Breakfast - some sort of omelette.......or their kalbi and eggs. Their kalbi is tender and tasty, must try! or their loco moco on fried rice (you have to specify you want fried rice with that) Lunch - Kim chee fried rice, paniolo burger or portabello burger. All of these are delicious! I guess it depends what kind of "mood" your in. Dinner........ I must say, I have not been here for dinner yet, although, I'd probably order their paniolo burger or portabello burger. The servers and hosts are really nice and catering. I've haven't had a bad experience yet. Sometimes there's a wait, but I've never waited more than 30 minutes for a seat. I'd recommend coming here with a smaller party because the bigger your party, the longer it takes for the food to come out (my opinion.... eh cause when I'm hungry, I'm hungry!) Definitely a kid friendly / family oriented type of place. Lots of locals eat here

    (4)

  • Mahina C.

    Big City Diner is always known for their local foods, always packing in BIG portions. The best thing about this place, is that it never really disappoints and if i usually order my regular, i'll always leave a happy camper with a sleepy face on because i'm in food coma and need a bed STAT! Although parking is always a huge pain when coming to ward, especially coming on busy weekend nights this place always supplies good deals towards anyone! Deals when you go to the UH games with your ticket stub, deals for watching the UH games. Good deals on happy hour & of course giving that extra discount to broke college students trying to make a party living life. Highly recommend this place for small office dinners or lunch because my boss likes to bring us here for an office outing and bonding, and what better way to bond then over some soybeans and calamari? My always have to order is the loco moco or hamburger steak with gravy all over. Of course they offer brown rice, which always is another plus in my book! The fried rice is pretty tasty too and unfortunately when my other boss ordered the kalbi, it kinda seemed skimpy to where i felt like she needed to ask the question "Can I have kalbi with my rice?" Soybeans are always a hit, especially in their garlic soy sauce and the calamari was crisp with no oily feeling or oil left behind leaving a trail. My only downfall to BCD is their specials. Now what makes specials, specials is that it's so delicious that it's a special and they only make it at a certain time. My mistake was trying the special Penne Pesto Chicken pasta and i really wish i didn't. I ate everything but the pasta. There just wasn't flavor to it and not much pesto either. BUT, just because this one experience happened (which is my bad on my part) doesn't mean I won't be coming back here for my regular Loco Moco with brown rice & gravy all over!

    (3)

  • Ole Skool Hawaii O.

    Was there Sat, 29 May after a movie. The wings we ordered were old, like it sat for days. The bones were dark. The hamburger and fries were pre-cooked hours prior, dry and reheated luke warm. Told the manager we were not going to eat any more after one bite. He gladly took the food away. We paid for our drinks and went to Buffalo Wild Wings, where the wings were hot fresh out the grease and the hamburger hot off the grill melting cheese.

    (1)

  • Crystal V.

    Came here over the weekend and had nachos and fried rice. On the weekends they have a special brunch menu which is cool, especially if you want reakfast food. I always order the strawberry iced tea to start and its always refreshing and delicious. The nachos are tasty and has their chili, olives, cheese, and I forget what else but it comes with salsa and ranch, which sounds weird but it's really pretty good. My only wish is that they would layer the toppings because sometimes there are too many chips. The fried rice was bomb! Seriously. I'm anti-rice and I thought it was delicious...as in I would order it again. The ingredients were chopped nicely, whoch made me feel like the chef likes what they do, and it had the perfect amount of flavor and fried to make it a tasty tasty dish. The reason for the 3 stars is that the service is hit or miss. Ive had a server go above and beyond, a server not even bother to ask if I want to see the dessert menu (which is a sin in my book - haha), and ome not eben bother to give refills, so if your big on great service, you may or may not get it here.

    (3)

  • Rhea M.

    Now I remember why I stopped coming here. I took my siblings out for an early dinner and they were just about empty so we decided to go in anyways. First off, the server had a snobby attitude and second SHE WAS SICK. Coughing while taking our orders. Why do they let people like her take my order and serve my food when she's sick!? Our food was OK nothing that great. But what annoyed me the most was the amount of FLIES attacking my siblings and I while we ate. SO UNSANITARY and super uncomfortable while I ate because it felt like I was waving my hands to shoo away the flies every 5 seconds. They need to take care of that ASAP. I used to love this place! But ugh never again. I'll probably just stick to the one in pearlridge.

    (1)

  • Ro M.

    Normally go to the BCD in Kaimuki area. Happened to be in the area one evening and stopped in for dinner in the Kakaako area. Good service and friendly staff. Food is always dependable.

    (3)

  • Deanna H.

    Just walked out! Hostess was nice enough brought us to our table. Then said "Matt" will be by to take care of us. Over 15 minutes go by. No one has shown up. We didn't even get waters. The restaurant wasn't even busy - the people next to us ordered, had their order double-checked, and even got the food before anyone approached us. Three other ladies walked by us with the Big City Diner uniform, and even a lady who was in a blue uniform, without any acknowledgement. Ridiculous.

    (1)

  • Hokulani A.

    I've at this BCD only for breakfast and from what I experienced it has been overall pretty good. The wait time average on all occasions (4 times maybe) was about 10-15minutes. Breakfast at the Ward location seems like a hot place to be. The food was good as well. I can't remember what I ate but I had no complaints. One thing that did stand out was this particular waiter who was waiting on another table next to us. Very very friendly guy (Tall Skinny Asian guy with salt/pepper hair) and took the time to answer any questions the party had about the menu. He also gave his top favs he liked. Just a great personality especially first thing in the morning. What also impressed me is the kitchen staff. At the Ward location if you're seated in the right area you have a birds eye view of the kitchen. The head chef that was working when my family and I went was a local braddah. He really communicated with his sous chefs and wait staff effectively to get the plates out to the tables in a timely manner. I also like the fact that the wait staff helped each other with their tables. Good place to eat!!

    (3)

  • Tab S.

    When I was a kid growing up in Kaimuki, big city diner was like a good meal and decent price and generally memorable experiences. I loved the veggie garden of eden burger fries. But coming to this one at ward totally ruins my memories. It makes me think one word. Ghetto. This food is so ghetto in the ward location. McDonald's is better. And less expensive and tastier. The cooks obviously must not give a *bleep* about the food quality presentation or taste.

    (2)

  • Kris P.

    Wow I was actually surprised at the ratings for this place. Lived nearby from 2007 to 2012 and this was our go to place for last minute dinners or if I needed go solo dine for the night. In fact we went so often that some of the wait staff knew us. One was Vanessa. Sweet lady that was always so nice to us. Things I get here that I recommend: big beers, burgers, Kim chee fried rice, meatloaf, garlic fries, and eggs Benny. And they own the title of my all time favorite dessert anywhere at any price point...the brownie sundae. It is an awesome concoction of a brownie, choco syrup, bubbies ice cream, whipped cream, and Mac nuts. Can't go wrong here, especially before or after a flick. Parking sucks, but not really their fault. Good eats!

    (4)

  • Jaswant A. S.

    Came here for breakfast one morning. Didn't know where to park so we parked in Marukai parking lot then walked into Marukai for a few minutes and then walked over to Big City Diner. A very nice older woman was our server and she brought us coffee immediately. I had the Kalbi and eggs - never had that combination and it sounded good - something you definitely wouldn't get at Denny's. The Kalbi was marinated just right - good stuff. What's cool is their open kitchen setup - you can see them make your food. I like this location more than the Kaimuki one - more space in the actual restaurant. Big City's menu is also big enough to have something for everyone. Prices are reasonable. Will definitely be back sometime.

    (4)

  • Don L.

    Took the kids for breakfast. it was nothing to write home about. Everything was bland and nothing that would give me a wow factor and make me want to come back. Service was SLOW and the waitresses took their time on everything. just meh.

    (2)

  • Yoselyn F.

    Tonight I had 15 minutes while waiting for a film. I ordered soup and bread, simple right? But I had no server and reached out to one who happened to be passing by and while she treated me well I was out of her section. This meant the check sat with my cash on it for 5 minutes. But I had already waited to be served for bad bread and now to pay. My previous experience wasn't that different. I ordered a burger sat and waited only to find out 10 minutes later that it had not been actually ordered. The staff was nice and gave me free dessert but really I just wanted a burger medium well, it came overcooked and is probably the worst burger I've ever had. I ate it, quickly because by then they were closing and I needed to run, for the bus. Tonight I tried again and am left feeling just ok. My bread had a vinegar taste that ruined the awesome soup meaning half of my meal was ruined by the other. Tragic really... Especially since the bread tasted worse the colder it got and it's just bread!!!!! Something I rarely pay attention to but when I missed the movie by 5 minutes it suddenly became really important and worth discussing. Diners to me symbolize good, fast food reflective of local cuisine. This is my default spot for that experience and if this place starts to focus they could be awesome. Maybe I was spoiled by the steak sandwich they no longer carry but something has changed...

    (3)

  • Frankie R.

    Here's a updated review of this place. It has been a while since I ate here. Me and my friend were very curious about the pau hana specials, since we were in the area and came from proto hub. I have to say that I was not able to use my isle discount card (iD) which the waiter was trying to find out if I was able to use two discounts. I was not too crazy about the garlic fries that I ordered because after that, it got too much garlic. The last time I ate there was back in may of 2012 and I was pleased with the service I recieved. If I do return to this restaurant, I want to make sure that I can be able to use my isle discount card so that way I can take advantage of the offer with the card so there will be no confusion or mix up. There seemed to be a little confusion about the isle discount (iD card) and the pau hana specials there should have more clarification with this so that way the people who uses the iD card will be able to remember when to use it and not to use it. They should inform customers about how the iD card works and take it from there.

    (3)

  • Cassie E.

    The worst loco moco I have ever eaten in my life! The meat is so disgusting I literally puked it out after. I've never had such a bad experience to where I puked it out after!!!! The meat looked like rubber!!

    (1)

  • C W.

    AMBIANCE: It's a DINER. It fits the bill. BATHROOMS: Dirty. Messy. Dark SERVICE: Every person we encountered was friendly; we were seated immediately. Our orders were taken quickly. MENU OPTIONS: The menu is huge. If you're indecisive, maybe you should peruse the menu before you get there. Two stars because I've had better everything in other establishments. Better food. Better service. Cleaner bathrooms. I would consider giving another star just for its location. It's so convenient to the movies and valet parking.

    (2)

  • Oldchineseguy L.

    Big City Diner has a Thanksgiving dinner special for $16 that is the perfect size for my wife and I. The dinner includes all the Thanksgiving fixings (turkey, stuffing, garlic mash potatoes, yams, and cranberry sauce) plus a pumpkin macadamia crunch for dessert. It's a pretty good deal. The taste and quality is good, diner quality. Service is A-OK. Food is A-OK. Will return.

    (3)

  • Kent I.

    I've been coming here for years. There's many items on the menu to choose from. Two kinds of fried rice, and you can even request the friend rice be made with brown rice. Weekly specials are great. One of my favorites for breakfast is the roasted macadamia nut pancakes with haupia creme sauce - it's so delicious! My other favorites are the garlic fries, thai salad, taco salad, meatloaf, and loco moco.

    (5)

  • Nat W.

    Big City Diner is a solid diner option to kill time while waiting for a movie. I have tried their Loco Moco and kimchi fried rice. Both of them were okay. Milkshake was very small but expensive. But the food came out super fast. They have 15% off for military on Thursday and don't forget to check out those free magazines for travelers. There are coupons for this place usually.

    (3)

  • Carolyn I.

    Delicious fare in a cool, casual, calm environment. Service is quick and attentive and the expediting of food is spot on (ask for Kristen). This is our "go to" place on discount Tuesday movie nights at Ward Entertainment Complex.

    (4)

  • Tamara P.

    My family, friends and I have all dined here many times and the food and service can definitely be hit or miss. The service has ranged from the friendliest most attentive server to the grumpiest most inattentive server. The food is usually pretty good, although I only come here to order one thing from their menu, which is their kim chee fried rice with an over easy egg on top. I have tried ordering similar dishes at other restaurants in Hawaii and on the mainland, and no one has come close to the taste of their specialty fried rice dish. The next time we're back on the island of Oahu, you know one of the places that you can find me!

    (4)

  • Garrett Y.

    I love coming here just to eat their fried rice and loco moco. The only 2 dishes I always get and nothing else.

    (5)

  • Christopher D.

    It's a diner. It's a local chain. It serves comfort food. What are you expecting, the Ritz Carlton? Food is always delicious no matter the location you choose to visit. It decent food at a great price. Not great, not bad, just right in the middle...where they should be for this type of restaurant. I particularly like this location based on service. Breakfast, lunch or dinner, the staff is always on their game. Dined for breakfast yesterday and my server was attentive, polite, got my order correct, refilled my coffee when needed without asking...everything you want from a server. His name was George and he should be commended on his attention to guests and his service (eh hem management). Been a few times for dinner also and had equally positive experiences. Perfect when you want to fill up before a movie at Ward Theaters and not eat theater concession food.

    (4)

  • Diamond T.

    Service wasn't all that great. Server was pushy and sarcastic. No extra napkin (my 8 yr old was with) no refill on water. Chicken wings was super dry an over cook an our ranch dressing was blue cheese. I ate the hamburger steak with kimchee fry rice. Fry rice was ONO but hamburger was undercook. Only reason y there getting 2 stars. Cuz the kimchee fry rice was that good.

    (2)

  • Dustin H.

    Made a quick stop before heading to the beach. Very close by the theater and beach. Service was amazing and quick. Food was quick and great. Highly recommend. Will be back soon

    (4)

  • Terry L.

    I love that they give good food and good portions for a great Price I hope Rey don't stop I love they omelette and they pancakes and Fried rice

    (5)

  • Eric Robert R.

    Big City Diner - "Trying" to be Cool... Seems like this Big City Diner has been here forever! Yet, it's one of those places after visiting once or twice, or three times... You fooled me three times? You just walk on by thereafter. Why? -The overall 3-stars rating of BCD is spot-on. Average food for what you pay, and well, just average! -Nothing that bangs on the menu. Typical American food with a few items with a local twist. -No true identity. I mean BCD is "trying" to be vintage 50's, "trying" to be local, "trying" to be chain restaurant, "trying" to please everyone. Just "trying" doesn't work for me. -Maybe I'm just salty that my ex-girlfriend raved about the fried rice here- supposed to be bomb- had it once, twice, NOT three times... NO, it's not bomb! It's average at best. Wait- it's BELOW average- I remember it as being super GREASY and I couldn't finish it once and twice! I still can wipe that nasty grease off my lips! Heck, I could make better fried rice with the leftovers in my fridge! Is there anything good at BCD? Yes. -Stick with the American foods, like burger & fries & that type of stuff. I mean what diner can fail cooking the American basics, right? -BCD does give large glasses of H2O with cubes- if that counts for anything. -The location at busy Ward center is the ideal spot for this diner! Awesome for lazy diners! -Oh, and drinks are like 50% off on Wednesday nights, if I recall correctly. Seriously, I don't hate the place. It's just kind of there. Still better than nasty fast foods! Just no true identity. I mean I use to go to REAL 50's style diners in San Francisco, like the legendary Mel's Drive-In & Johnny Rockets! Here at Big City Diner there's no commitment to be anything specific. That's where it falls short... Average, very average with no true identity. Would I return? There are so many choices out there with a much bigger bang, but hey, if it's on your tab? Shoots... We go! Just don't order that grease-dripping fried rice! Ewww. OVERALL GRADE: 2.9-STARS! *****This review is part of my Burger series list. Please follow me & follow my journey! LIVE ALOHA... YELP REVIEW #265

    (3)

  • Christa B.

    I've been to the BCD in Aiea, but this one seems to be better. We wandered in here after attending a great yelp at the movies event. It was late and we wanted something fast and we were a bit skeptical about eating here and thought fast food would be the better, more convenient and quicker way to go. I'm glad we decided to go with BCD because service was excellent and the food came out within just a few minutes of us ordering. George our server was attentive and on the ball with refills and requests. The spicy guava wings are crispy and sweet. The calamari strips are crunchy and tender; not too chewy like calamari can be. The wasabi aioli they serve the calamari with is an excellent accompaniment. This is a great place to eat before or after catching a movie.

    (4)

  • Karen T.

    The food was decent, I had a cup of the seafood chowder and a teri burger with fries. My grandkids had stuff off the keiki menu and enjoyed it. The reason for 2 stars and not 4 is we were sitting in front of the food station and they were trying to sweep something out from under it. About 5 feet away from our table. Other than that, the service was ok and the food was ok.

    (2)

  • Al D.

    Can't go wrong with BCD. The service is usually good. There's lots of variety on the menu. There's booze. There are vegetarian options and seafood. Good sandwiches.

    (3)

  • Greg U.

    Keep coming back here for breakfasts and brunch. They are great and never disappoint. The waiter we have gotten is great fun and a good server. We came once for dinner but it wasn't that exciting. As long as I can get the macadamia nut pancakes with haupia syrup I am a happy boy.

    (4)

  • Cris W.

    Ribs are surprisingly delicious. Diner style food and atmosphere. Great place to eat before movies at ward.

    (4)

  • Nikki N.

    One the last resort places to eat here. I had the portobello mushroom salad, not the freshest ingredients. The portions are big, which is a double-edged sword. Great to share but if you are solo, you feel like a disgusting pig after. Go to Panda Express.

    (1)

  • Randall T.

    Server was great! Very friendly and accommodating to our 3 kids. Good local favorites and easy parking.

    (5)

  • Alex W.

    I went to this restaurant with a group of friends for breakfast. We had 9 people. We had 4 people on 1 table and another 5 people with 2 babies on the other table. The environment is pretty good. I ordered the classic eggs benedict. The server is friendly and nice. Food is okay, but the paniolo potatoes are kind of overcook and little bit dry. The price is okay. Notice: The restaurant charged 18% tips for a group of 6 or more. They didn't do much setup for our table. I am surprised that the restaurant included tips on the bill because they combined the check to make the table with a group of 6 or more. So they can charge us 18% tips rather than giving 2 separate bills on 2 tables, then we can pay our own tips.

    (3)

  • Lina T.

    The other week I came to BCD for dinner before -attempting- to go to the movies. I ordered a small sized salad as an entry and the two other people I was with ordered Kimchi fried rice and Kimchi fried noodles. Their portions were huge, probably would be able to feed two people with their portions. My salad was bleh and wouldn't recommend it. I had the Salmon Citrus one (I can't remember the name exactly). Presentation was nice and the salad looked nice and fresh but the dressing was extremely watered down and the salmon was over cooked and very dry. I had to finish it because it was quite expensive for a half size and I didn't want to waste! I also ordered the Roasted Garlic fries which I loved because the fries were perfect and the garlic was not undercooked so you get the sweetness of the garlic. The service was a little slow. Took a while for our server to take or order and give us our check but he was very polite and professional. There was an issue while printing our check but came to let us know and it was fixed right away.

    (3)

  • Ed K.

    Big fan of Big City Diner, usually we go to the Pearl City location but we went to the Ala moana one. Service was slow. Food was good but fries were cold. Not impressed with the service here.

    (2)

  • B B.

    I've eaten at Big City Diner in the past; and it was okay, but I must say that the last two times I've visited, have been great experiences. On my first visit, I ordered the short stack of Macadamia Nut Pancakes with Haupia Cream Sauce. Overall, it was tasty - however for my own personal taste, after a while I got tired of the Macademia nuts in the pancakes. There was just too much chewing and crunching, but I mean what do you expect I guess with nuts inside a pancake. Lol. The Haupia sauce was to die for!!! From it's creamy texture to it's subtly sweet coconut flavor, it hit the spot! I love that you didn't need to drench your pancakes with syrup because just a very thin layer of this sauce was more then enough. My waitress was friendly and very efficient. I didn't have to wait for a table and the food was brought out quickly. The second time I came, we ordered A short stack of regular pancakes (2 pancakes), a side order of the Haupia cream sauce and Uncle Danny's Fried Rice and Eggs (2). The pancakes were served hot and fresh off the grill and were fluffy, delicious and enormous. And of course, as I previously mentioned the sauce was delicious. Even my mom really liked it and she doesn't like too many sweet things. The fried rice was really tasty. You get a humongous portion. My mom thought it was a little greasy though. Nevertheless, still super yummy. We shared both dishes and still have a ton of food leftover. Our waiter was really great. He was perceptive, funny and quirky. Just like the previous visit we were able to get a table right away and our food was brought to us promptly. Overall, from these last two visits my view on Big City Diner has completely changed. No longer is it a mediocre restaurant in my eyes, but rather the perfect place for a delicious breakfast to delight your taste buds and at a great price! I will definitely return again. I suggest that you try it out too!

    (5)

  • Aisha C.

    One of the best experiences I've had at a Big City Diner. I've been to the Pearlridge and Waipio locations, but the wait staff here at the Ward location was exceptional! Thanks, Chivas for being very attentive and consistently checking in on our table.

    (5)

  • Kaiwi Y.

    It's usually decent here but today we waited for over 45 minutes for our meal and then it was served undercooked and cold. Thumbs down guys.

    (1)

  • Charmaine S.

    I've eaten at this location, Waialae and Kailua. My most recent visit was this past Monday. I met up with a few friends the night before I left to go back stateside. Whenever I come home, I always go to pretty much the same places. For some reason the fried rice just didn't taste as good as it used to. The rice was a bit on the mushy side. I got the loco moco w/ fried rice. The portion size was enough to feed two people. My daughter got the boneless Kalbi, which was cooked just right and not overly chewy. All I wanted to do was catch up with my friends and family over dinner, but we kinda got booted out early. The waitress started to clean up around us. I thought that was a tad unprofessional, but hey anything to make a buck right. Next time, I'll just plan a BBQ.

    (3)

  • Kelley M.

    'Incredible' Kimchee rice?? Meh, I've had better Lots of cool add ins though

    (3)

  • O O.

    They serve humungoid portions. The food is alright. It's priced well for the amount they serve. But I would have thought it not possible for anyone to finish an entire plate of food they serve. I mean, burping till evening comes, portions. But I saw one of my brothers eat 2 whole plates of food. One was admittedly, a salad but man, oh man, the description of "large portions" doesn't even come close. I believe he ate a Thai salad which filled the entire plate and a "sista?" hamburger and fries plate with lots of veggies. My younger brother. The wolf man. Stomach of mystery. Opu man. I went with 2 hearty bros. One older, one younger. Older bro finished his plate. He bought a nachos side to share. It was too much for the three of us. But, and by no means do I understand how he does this, he always orders a coke and coffee with his meals. Ugh. Cigars still stripping his taste buds again. He also drinks his water. How can? Water boy. Barrel keg. Slosh bucket. I had the portabello mushroom burger with swiss and fries. Burp. Red peppers which I am still feeling in my gullet in the form of a smoldering burn. But that's my fault, I had to push myself to try to eat it all. I couldn't. For $8.99 plus a dollar for the fries, it might have been worth it to anyone else. But I hate sloppy, wet burgers. Not juicy, sloppy. I should have eaten it with a knife and fork. I needed about 10 napkins. Fries were really crispy and good. Lettuce, onions, cheese, all fresh. Tomatoes blahhhhh! Mushy, mealy, not sweet and flavorful. But pig me ate it anyway. Oink. Fatso. Big ass. Idiot. Waitress whose name I did not get was OUTSTANDING. I'll add her name after I speak to my bros. They'll remember. Was it Danielle? Oh dingy dong it. Well, anyway she was fast, friendly, packed up my unfinished soda, humorous, ready with the coffee pot, iced water and soda refills for older bros continued wet dreams. She earned every bit of her 20% tip and I think they should simply keep what they get. I don't understand the stupidity of making bad waitresses split tips from these hard working ones. The buss boys should not get tips but neither should they get minimum wage. All tables were bussed quickly and quietly. Diners moved in and out with smiles and take home boxes. Buurrrrp. Minus a star for the wet burger. And minus another star because their brunch menu on weekends does not include giant veggie ramen or fried saimin which is what I wanted in the first place. Talk about a wet, sloppy lunch.

    (3)

  • Andy F.

    Imagine a steak; a medium rare New York Steak with Pulehu spices to be more specific. Sounds good right? Sounds orderable right? Wrong! This was one of, if not, thee worst plate of food that I have ever seen in a restaurant. I came here on a Thursday night with two of my good friends for dinner because one of them had a gift certificate. This was my first time eating here, and I already had a premonition that this isn't going to be a good culinary experience based on a number of negative comments from friends, family, and colleagues about Big City Diner. Everyone was right. That steak.... When I first saw it, I was literally shocked. The steak was so thin and small, it seemed as if the cooks decided to slice one whole strip of steak into two or three pieces. And because being so thin, it definitely was not medium rare. The steak was well overcooked, tough, and basically ruined. In addition, the steak was bland, and poorly, poorly sliced. If we weren't in so much of a hurry or had that gift certificate, we would have immediately sent that steak back, got up, and left. It just blows my mind that that plate of food even left the kitchen, let alone be served to customers. At $10.99 too!! We also ordered the Kim Chee Fried Rice, which was moreso Kim Chee on top of mushy Rice that "Fried" in a pan to heat up. This was just a soggy, oily mess of rice with way too much Portuguese sausage, some peas and onions, and chopped napa cabbage that barely had any Kim Chee flavor and a sprinkle of green onions on top. A terrible plate of food. Next, we had the Chicken Wings in Spicy-Guava BBQ sauce. It appeared fine when it hit the table, but looks can be deceiving. First, the taste of the wings was just too sweet, and that was all you could really taste. There was no spice, no hint of BBQ, or even a taste of guava for that matter. Poor balance of flavor. Second, the wings were over cooked, which made the meat tough and unappetizing. Lastly, I'm not sure where they order their wings and how they are when they arrive, but there were several pieces of the middle portion of the wing that had the bone from the chicken wing tip broken but still attached to it, which if you were not careful, you'll receive an unpleasant jab in your mouth from that piece of bone. No one eating chicken wings is expecting a radical bone attached to the wing that's set to cause pain in ones mouth. Unacceptable! Finally, we ordered fries....which came with the Cajun seasoning that we did not order in the first place.... They were dry and under-seasoned. Just awful. Seriously, did we come on a day with new cooks who has never cooked in their lives? The fries were acceptable, but still poor overall. The wings were too sweet and poorly cooked. The fried rice was a mess. And the steak.... that was indeed the worst plate of food that has ever been served to me. There was nothing right about it. What a waste! As for service, it was fine. The staff was friendly and attentive. Though, there were way too many servers roaming around in such a small place. The food came out fast, maybe too fast. The dining room was your basic diner style with booths all around, and multiple TVs on the walls. Nothing special. The odd thing is that the kitchen is wide open (I wish I paid all my attention there after we ordered, but catching up with friends was more important), and it's not exactly the prettiest sight. Plus the fact that there were quite a few things wrong going on back there, such as some food items that should be chilled on ice, but sat in water that may or may not have been melted ice, some food items left uncovered, etc. Overall, no one should come here, ever. Stay home. Go someplace else. Avoid this place like the plague. If the cooks cannot get the basic idea of cooking steak and fried rice, and frying chicken wings and fries right, then there's no hope for everything else. I would give it zero stars if I had the option.

    (1)

  • Hoon L.

    Something strange about their customer service. I had dinner with my 3 kids last night. I thought it was going to be simple. 3 burgers for them nothing on it. Condiments on the side. NOPE! Mayonnaise on the bottom of the burgers. This would not have been a problem but my middle child is highly allergic to dairy, eggs, nuts, etc.... Asked if they can get me another burger "dry", 15 minutes later it came how it the original should have. Oh btw, I was charged for 4 burgers. Didn't notice it until I got back to the hotel. So disappointed in their basic customer service. No need to ever go back. Nothing special about the place expect for the cool decor.

    (1)

  • Kelly W.

    Food is decent...I had the Chile chicken sandwich, which was super difficult to eat but very good nonetheless. I think it may be a bit pricey for what you get but it's not bad. Their garlic fries, like all others are pretty oily so don't eat too many - which is difficult to stop bc they are delicious. No waiting time to be seated but took a decent chunk of time to get the food out to us. Overall, not a place I like to go often but is nice every now and then.

    (3)

  • Alizabeth H.

    We love big city dinner. We eat here once a month or more. When we are in the ward area, it is big city dinner or DNB. Parking can be hard to find if there is a new movie out or event going on near by. Parking is free but if they have valet upstairs, its $5. Handicap cards get you the parking free at valet. Big city dinner is not fancy. Its a local food place with local music playing and sports and the news playing on the TV's around the restaurant. The service is usually fast and friendly but today it was slow. I got a new waitress that forgot a lot and took a long time to bring us dessert. This was the first time I had bad service. I always have a great experience here. It was all good because we were not in a hurry today. Great food, great company, good service most of the time. Give this a try and review it yourself :)

    (4)

  • Keisha B.

    I love this Hawaiian diner. As a vegetarian, it is always difficult to go to a diner and pick up some veggie friendly food. The first time I first Big City, I was in love. And, there is more than just one choice for veg heads! You have to get their fries! They will not disappoint! The menu encompasses so many different options as well as great prices on beer and drinks. They also have a happy hour! The team is always so friendly and nice!

    (3)

  • Peter J.

    We ordered two 1/2 slabs of Guava Bar-B-Q Ribs . Upon first bite both of us were met with the taste of RANCID Pork!!! Not only did it taste bad but it smelled like old, rotten Kalua pig . Smothered in their Ono Bar-B-Q Sauce . Upon telling our waitress, the management was informed . My guest was confronted by Michael, the manager, who suggested that it was the sauce. We had no problem with the sauce as previously mentioned . With no apology . I was in the restroom when he challenged my guest's alleged report on the foul tasting meat. I asked to see him and reiterated the horrific culinary experience . I even asked ...if he had tasted the meat . He answered "Yes". Even though the waitress had told my guest that he tossed it immediately....and just tasted the sauce . And also said that 7 had already been ordered with no complaints. QUESTION: " DOES THE MANAGER HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHALLENGE A CUSTOMER's OBVIOUS POOR CULINARY EXPERIENCE WITHOUT SO MUCH AS AN APOLOGY?" Now I know why their new location in Kaneohe Windward Mall is having a Rough time Opening . Our Kupuna who are buried at our little family cemetery are very Unhappy at such Non - PONO Treatment ! AUWE!!!

    (1)

  • Mr K.

    Ate here once for breakfast while on a recent vacation. I had a half order of kim chee fried rice. The portion was pretty large. Was ono, no complaints. My wife had the cinnamon bread french toast. She liked it, but the she went over the top and got a side of the haupia cream sauce. Now she was in heaven. Our little one had some choco chip pancakes and was more than happy. Great breakfast spot. Can't speak to the rest of the menu.

    (4)

  • Chanel V.

    I love their weekly specials they have here. The food is great here. Their nachoes were greatly just I think it waiting a little to be sent out to us that it was a bit cold. But I tried their smoked turkey jack melt sandwich. It's was DELICIOUS! The staff was friendly, came to our tables often to fill our drinks and asked how was the food. The wait on the food was great, I didn't expect it to be that quick.

    (4)

  • Jeana P.

    Date: May 13, 2015 Where: Big City Diner Occasion: Late night dinner After attending the free screening of Mad Max: Fury Road at Consolidated Theaters at Ward...Doug M and I was hungry to get food in our stomachs. We were at Dave & Busters before the movie so we wanted something different. We really wanted to eat at Panda Express but they were in the process of closing down for the night. Big City Diner was the next option. We were greeted by a gentleman who led us to a table. The menus were given to us and the man mentions that we were in week 4 of the specials. Pork chops with mushroom gravy was one of the specials for the week. I already had that the last time I was at the restaurant many months ago. The mushroom gravy reminded me of cream of mushrooms. I studied the menu and opted to try the seared salmon. Once the plate of seared salmon arrived...I noticed there was some kind of sauce drizzled on top of the salmon. I had cut the salmon to taste it and it was missing the buttery flavor. I was kind of disappointed on how the salmon was cooked but I still ate my meal. (Sorry did not take a photo shot of the food since my phone was dead....I got to invest in a portable charger that does not depend on a wall outlet). When an individual checks in at Big City Diner on Wednesdays there is a 50% off of wine. I'm not much of a wine drinker and I would not know on which wine would go well with any type of meal I'm eating. LOL.

    (3)

  • A G.

    I used to LOVE Big City Diner. Now I will definitely think twice before going there. This is the second time we've gone and took forever for the server to come to the table so this time we walked out . This first time was a couple months ago for dinner - the wait would be forgivable if it was busy BUT it wasn't. Today was mid-afternoon and again not busy, about half full. We were seated and saw who I think was supposed to be our waiter walk past numerous times talking to other tables around us and bussing tables without a word. Also saw a couple of servers and people in red shirts hanging around the food service area and talking. After close to 10 minutes we got up and left - don't think that was even noticed.

    (1)

  • Zoe T.

    This morning's breakfast was really good. We got great service and our server was very friendly, funny and helpful. Wish that they would always have someone like him all the time. He made this morning's visit to BCD very pleasant and enjoyable. Wish I could get kind of service all the time!

    (4)

  • Tara R.

    Worst service ever and music outside was too loud. Me and my friend didn't leave tip because service was bad.

    (1)

  • Daniel S.

    Had bad service from two people here however the manager comped our meal for the troubles. Food was good as always

    (5)

  • Alec F.

    I came here with friends for the first time this week after years of walking right past it. No one had ever suggested it and it doesn't necessarily scream "COME EAT HERE" so I've always generally ignored it. But I'll be back for sure! As soon as we got seated and took a look at the menu, I understood the "diner" part of the name - the menu is extensive and honestly, there's probably way too much to choose from. That's usually not a good thing, considering that if a menu is too big, all the food is subpar. Nonetheless, I ordered the meatloaf burger and a beer and my friends got the special (pork chops, I believe) and another burger. Our waitress was super friendly and the place had a very chill vibe... again, like being in a diner. It seemed like a good place to grab a quick bite or just hang out with friends. We got our drinks pretty quick and our food not long after. I was delightfully surprised - the meatloaf burger was unique and delicious! I never had thought to eat meatloaf in burger form, but it was topped with onions and pretty bomb. The fries were good as well, and my friends enjoyed their food too. Maybe it's not the most amazing food I've ever had in my entire life, but hey, it was a solid dinner. The bill came around and the waitress had no problem splitting it for us and it didn't cost an arm and a leg (gotta love that, I appreciate my appendages). It's cheaper than Buca di Bepo but a little above Panda Express - and ironically located somewhere in between the two as well. I'd definitely recommend for a quick bite before a movie or late night snack!

    (4)

  • Ryan M.

    Came with a mainland friend and I told him to try something with the guava BBQ sauce so he got the ribs and he really liked it. I had the paniolo salad which was fairly good. We ended up staying for 2 hours or more hashing it out but the staff was really patient with us and kept our drinks filled. Pretty consistent place. I've come here for breakfast a few times and enjoy it.

    (3)

  • Marko C.

    I heart Big City Diner! I came here twice in one week just to eat their breakfast! Get the Loco Moco with Kim Chee Fried Rice. Amazeballs! This is their specialty kim chee fried rice, topped with one hamburger patty, an egg, and smothered with brown gravy. The dish is huge and it can easily be two meals (which it was for me). Ask for extra gravy, as the gravy here is delish! Grade: B+ Also get the boneless Kal Bi (Korean Meat) with Kim Chee fried rice. The dish comes with 2-3 generous slices of Kal Bi. The meat was tender, delicious, and well marinated. Fun to eat with the kim chee fried rice. Grade: B+ Service was amazing. Server George was our waiter twice, and this man deserves a raise and promotion. He was super friendly and anticipated our every need! best in class! Food Grade: B+ Service Grade: A Worth the Money Grade: B+ Overall Impression Grade: B+

    (4)

  • Jennifer K.

    This is a review for week 4. Don't ever get the pork chops with mushroom gravy. The first bite you take into this would taste like you're taking a big spoonful of salt. It's disgusting.

    (1)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :7:00 am - 10:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : Yes
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Breakfast, Dessert
    Parking : Valet, Garage
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Full Bar
    Outdoor Seating : Yes
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : Yes
    Dogs Allowed : No
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : Yes

Big City Diner

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