Nico's Pier 38 - Honolulu, HI

I don't know what Guy was doing here. Nico's was not a diner, a drive-in or a dive. It was still a cool place. Nico's also has a fresh market. They are located in the industrial end of Honolulu across the street from the water on Pier 38.  This is Hawaii, so the view is still a 10 compared to almost everywhere else in the country.

They had a live band playing Hawaiian music and a swanky bar in the middle of the place. Even though you ordered at the counter then took a buzzer back to your table, this was no dive.

I got the mahi-mahi sandwich with the salad. The salad was a nice mix of fresh garden greens with an aioli sauce. Wow, we'll done! It's usually hard to get me that excited about a salad. The fish sandwich was equally good. I added a bit of soy sauce to spice it up a bit.

I would give Nico's an 8.5 because the food was great but it didn't fit the DDD model.


Nicos's Pier 38
1133 N. Nimitz Hwy
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 540-1377
www.nicospier38.com

Poke Stop - Mililani, HI

My impression of Hawaiian food is that it is kind of an Asian bend on normal sea food.  I'm lucky enough to be able to enjoy some really good sea food from places like the Pacific North west and New England fairly frequently.  I expected Hawaiian seafood to be at least up to those standards but, sadly it wasn't.  Hawaiian seafood at its best is just okay and that is how I would describe Pole Stop; it was okay.

With a lot of Triple-D restaurants, I wonder if I'm just missing the point because I didn't order the right thing or didn't appreciate something like others do.  Their web page says that "Chef Elmer apprenticed at the prestigious Greenbriar Hotel and White Sulpher Springs, West Virginia, where he graduated with honors, then served as sous chef under television personality and award-winning chef, Emeril Lagasse."  So, he knows what he is doing.

The Poke Stop was just a 6.0 for me.

Poke Stop

95-1840 Meheula Pkwy

Mililani, HI 96789

(808) 626-3400

http://www.poke-stop.com

Rainbow Drive-In - Honolulu, HI

The rainbow diner is supposedly President Obama's favorite place to eat in Honolulu.  There was a picture of him chowing down here on one of his visits here.  

I don't know what the President ate, but I had the mahi mahi sandwich with tarter sauce and some fries. The Rainbow Drive-In is most definitely a dive and most definitely a drive-in.  Although oddly enough, there is no drive up window.  You have to park and get out of your car.  Most people seemed to be doing take-out when we were there. I like it.  I was not blown away with the food but, it was pretty good.  It is an old time fast food place.  Your food comes wrapped in paper and in a paper bag.    

It was very popular with the local population.  The line to order was probably a good 15-20 minutes. It was also raining on the day that we visited here which doesn't seem to happen much.  They seemed to do a pretty good business selling t-shirts with their logo on it.  I'm guessing that they have a mini cult following here.

The atmosphere was even more laid back than the rest of Hawaii, which is saying something.  

I would rate the Rainbow Drive-In a 7.0.  The food was okay and the atmosphere was okay.  

Rainbow Drive-In
3308 Kanaina Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 737-0177
http://www.rainbowdrivein.com/