Highway Inn Kaka'ako | Hawaiian & American Diner in Honolulu

Highway Inn Kaka'ako is a casual dining establishment specializing in authentic Hawaiian and American comfort food. This family-friendly restaurant offers a relaxed atmosphere suitable for solo diners, groups, and families with children. With a focus on local specialties, the menu features a range of traditional Hawaiian dishes alongside familiar American diner fare, complemented by a selection of beverages including craft cocktails, beer, wine, and coffee.

Open daily with extended hours through the week and a slightly shorter schedule on weekends, Highway Inn provides flexible dining options including dine-in, takeaway, delivery, and no-contact delivery services. The venue supports accessibility with wheelchair-friendly parking, entrances, seating, and restrooms, making it convenient for all guests. The casual and cozy environment is enhanced by live music on select days and a bar area offering happy-hour deals.

Pricing is moderate, reflecting the quality of ingredients and authentic preparation methods, with combo plates and small plates available to suit different appetites and occasions. Reservations are accepted, though wait times can vary during peak hours. Customers can expect quick service in a setting that balances local tradition with a trendy atmosphere.

For a comprehensive view of the menu offerings and to plan your visit accordingly, exploring the full menu page is recommended.

Sandy Kong

21/03/2026

I tried the butterfish with gravy and added smoked meat. The smoked meat was bomb. The flavor so good! The fish was also good but I found the gravy to be salty and nothing else. The Mac salad was ok. Poi wasn’t my thing but still an experience to try. The sweet potatoes and dessert were good. My hubby got the chicken lau lau and added the chicken long rice. Star of the show was the chicken long rice. He wasn’t a big fan of the chicken lau lau bc the ratio of leaves to chicken was too many leaves for him. I liked it once you add some soy sauce and chilli water which it needs bc it doesn’t have much seasoning on it. I still enjoyed it tho!

Kiu Siu

20/03/2026

Our party of 3 had delicious local Hawaiian food at Highway Inn. The dining room is casual, looking close to a diner or cafeteria. We found the service friendly but slow and forgetful. A pineapple beer was brought to us instead of the pineapple margarita we had ordered. It took a reminder and 30 minutes for the right drink to be delivered. Halfway through the dinner I ordered a glass of red wine and it took another reminder to the waiter after 20 minutes for the wine to be delivered to our table. One of the 5 dishes we ordered was never delivered. Since we already felt pretty full from the 4 dishes, we asked the waiter to cancel the 5th dish. We still recommend this place for the food. But one needs to be patient with the service.

Matthew Garcia

15/03/2026

Great spot for trying some authentic Hawaiian food, more of the working class variety with some unique flavors. The pork combo plate was pretty pricey but adding a side made it eye wateringly expensive, nearly $30. Not enough food to justify that price. Happy to have an easy entry into the local flavors but that was a gut punch.

Glenn Gatineau

19/02/2026

A perfect spot for authentic Hawaiian food! From classics like laulau to poke, it’s a delicious introduction to Hawaiian cuisine and a must-try for first-timers. I’ll definitely go back when I’m in the area again!

Jonathan Mathews

04/02/2026

Super happy I ended up having time to go here at the end of my trip. Got the mochiko chicken—deliciously crispy, flavorful, and with sides of rice and potato Mac salad. Parking may be tough to find depending on when you go as the strip mall this place is in can get busy. They use a ticketless system that honestly worked pretty well. Free for up to an hour and a half

Brianne Smith

10/01/2026

We stopped in at the end of a tour after hearing about this place through Southwest Dining and Fetch. We arrived mid afternoon and it wasn't busy at that time, so we were seated right away. Being from the Midwest, I greatly appreciate the menu and cards on the tables explaining what everything was. I knew that I wanted authentic Hawaiian food so I ordered the combo plate while my mom ordered the fish sandwich (huge filet and delicious bun), my husband ordered the Highway Inn Fried Rice (SPAM!!!), and my step-dad ordered the Hawaiian Moco. We come from a BBQ city and I ordered BBQ pulled pork a lot but I have never had pork as juicy as the Kalua Pig. We hadn't eaten since breakfast and were quite ravenous when we came in yet none of us could finish our meals. Had we been staying somewhere local, we would have taken the rest to go but we were on a cruise ship so we had to leave it behind. What an amazing place, walkable from the cruise port!

John Gaddis

19/12/2025

Always a pleasure to eat here. The family & I loved it as per usual. Coming back to Hawaii from Tokyo, very convenient with nice people & great Hawaiian food.

Ann Narimatsu

16/12/2025

First of all we came on a Saturday nite around 6pm. Everyone in your party needs to be present. You put your name on a list and they'll let you know when your table is ready. We were told for that time it would be around 20minutes and sure enough, we were called in 20minutes. However one friend was still looking for parking but even with her arriving, the wait wasn't long. I don't eat Hawaiian food as I'm pescatarian but I love squid luau and that is what I ordered. It was delish, I only wished there was more of it. I also felt like certain sides should just automatically come with it like lomi lomi as that's more of an accompaniment than a side imo. I also could have used more rice. lol. Items are served on plates that remind me of elementary school dishes where everything is divided. It was all very tasty and service was good. I'll definitely come back as my kid loves laulau chicken long rice. My friends laulau looked awesome. Parking was definitely a challenge at that time so be mindful.