Best Places to Get a Mixed Plate in Hawaii

The Best Mixed Plate in Hawaii

Where to Find This Local Favorite

The mixed plate is Hawaii’s answer to a complete meal: two scoops of rice, one scoop of mac salad, and your choice of protein. Expect to pay $10–16 at local spots. For that price you get a full plate of kalua pork, chicken katsu, beef teriyaki, or lau lau—whatever the kitchen does best that day.

The format traces directly to plantation-era Hawaii, where workers from Japan, the Philippines, Korea, Portugal, and Puerto Rico ate lunch together and started sharing food from their respective cultures. Nobody planned it. It just happened, and the mixed plate is what it produced. A few chains made it permanent: L&L Hawaiian Barbecue is the statewide operation that standardized the format and spread it beyond Hawaii. On Oahu, Rainbow Drive-In in Kapahulu is the old-school benchmark—cash-only, no frills, and consistently good since 1961. Zippy’s, a local chain spread across Oahu, runs a version that’s less iconic but consistently solid for a sit-down experience.

The island-specific guides below cover the best spots on each island—places that locals actually go back to.

What Is a Mixed Plate?

The standard build is two scoops of white rice, one scoop of mac salad, and one or two proteins. The protein is the decision: chicken katsu (breaded and fried, served with katsu sauce) and beef teriyaki are the most common, but you’ll also find kalua pork, lau lau, shoyu chicken, and occasionally kalbi short ribs. Most places let you mix proteins for a dollar or two more. The mac salad matters—local-style mac is heavier and creamier than mainland versions, made with Hellmann’s and kept cold. A thin or stingy mac salad is a tell.