Big City Diner

We came in tonight after 9pm. As we walked in through back door, we could hear all the cooks singing! How awesome is that! I ordered chicken parmesan, husband ordered steak and our son ordered hamburger steak… our food was ono! Our waitress stephanie was great! She had a wonderful Aloha spirit. We will definatly come back again!

Big City Diner has become one of my family’s favorite spots for dinner. The service is excellent here and the food is always tasty!

Always great service here. It feels weird walking in through the kitchen, but the staff is always so friendly and gives warm greetings. And if I order to go? They totally don’t mind giving me a water to go.
I love the burgers here and the chili cheese fries. The salads are yummy too, but beware, they are hardly healthy.

After having a super shitty experience at this particular location, I wasn’t sure I’d be back. Even after management offered me a gift card to come back and give them another chance-​which Mom and I did, but at the Kailua location. I really wanted to stay away from the Kaimuki one.
However my RA support group wanted to meet there so I had no choice but to go back. Luckily this time round was a vast improvement.
I don’t remember our servers name but he was Asian and young and full of energy. He was attentive and kept our waters and coffees filled. My breakfast, the bread pudding with Haupia cream sauce was delicious. And it comes with bacon and sausage and our server brought me a whole extra plate of bacon.
BCD Kaimuki really has stepped up their game or just gotten better management. Good job!

You can certainly pass on this local spot. The customer service was good but overall the food was just okay. Not sure what it is about Oahu but at all the local spots we visited there were roaches… Big City Diner being one of them.
I order the Nachos (that were just okay), the Thai Shrimp Lettuce Cups (terrible frozen shrimp with no flavor — why was this a special?) and the appetizer wings which were good.

After a recent disappointing experience at the Kaka’ako BCD, we purposely drove past it a couple of nights ago to get to the BCD in Kaimuki. Since you often pay to park in this area (in the lot or on the street), this would not be my first pick, but we found parking right in front of the restaurant, and since it was after 9p, it was free. Score!
At that hour, we really weren’t looking for dinner as much as a happy snack. An order of chili fries and their classic brownie sundae were just what the doctor ordered. The chili cheese fries came out first; the fries were nicely fried — not oily but crisp — and there were plenty of them. The chili was enough, but I wouldn’t have argued if they had put on another scoop. The brownie sundae was big (for three of us!), but we were surprised that they used Hershey’s chocolate syrup rather than hot fudge or chocolate fudge (as they usually do at the BCD in Kailua). A little disappointing, but this was still a plentiful, tasty dessert.
Our server was friendly, helpful, and attentive — really a cut above for a diner.
For diner fare, this place is decent. I’d give 3.5 stars if I could. Favorites from the past have included the Paniolo burger, the Opa sandwich (on a special), and the two items we got this time. Don’t forget to ask about the weekly specials.

We went here on Easter Sunday after church. My absolute favorite thing to get at Big City Diner is their loco moco. It’s really one of the best I’ve ever tasted. But last Sunday I wanted to try something different because I was in the mood for more of a breakfast meal. Before we got seated I looked at one of the menus and decided that I wanted the French toast. But then when we sat they said they it was a brunch menu. No French toast on the brunch menu So I quickly found something else to eat. I got the bread pudding with haupia sauce over it. Yum! That was so delicious! It came with sausage and bacon and I couldn’t eat all of it.
We must’ve stayed there for a couple of hours just talking and catching up, and they were very nice to us. They didn’t rush us to get out of there and gave us our space. Big City Diner is a great restaurant and you should try it if you haven’t already.

Great service fast good food! Kyle awesome! We will be back for breakfast! Heard fried rice super good. Ordered with my pork chops! Tytyty

Big city diner has such great food; my boyfriend always gets the loco moco, and I try different things now and then but I love their chili.
I really love this location because they have the best service, not just compared to the other big city locations, but better than allot of the other restaurants, period.
I always see the same workers, they always have a smile on their face and have a great attitude. I go here a couple times a month and I hope it never changes. I simply love this place.

Grabbed a large chocolate shake to go after work the other night and they gave it to me in a tiny styrofoam coffee cup. Are you serious? When I asked the worker if this was the largest size they had he just smiled and walked off. $ 7 for a tiny cup? No thanks. I’ve picked up shakes from this location in the past and the to go cups were never that small. Won’t be returning here any time soon. Step it up Big City!

My favorite here: Hamburger steak w/​garlic mash! The hamburger steak is sooo moist and juicy. I don’t think I’ve ever had a dry hamburger steak from Big City Diner.
We just came here again tonight and although it was pretty busy, there was no wait. We got seated and our server was very attentive the whole time. We were a bit tired so we were grateful that it was a quick, but delicious meal. Before the meal, I was intent on getting dessert (been craving something sweet all day), but I was so stuffed by the end of the meal, I had to pass on dessert. I was getting so full before I finished my hamburger steak but it was just so good, I couldn’t just leave a couple pieces on the plate… lol.
All in all, another great dining experience.

Parking: Ample, private, paid lot (but CHEAP) & street metered parking
Seating: Booths, chairs or combo — can accommodate small or large groups
Air conditioned (hey it matters…)
Cleanliness: 4 stars
Full bar
Food quality: 5 stars
Healthy &/​or Vegetarian options available
Portion size: Bring a super empty stomach or prepare for leftovers
Service: 5 stars
Price: $ 10-​$ 15 a plate
Wait time for food: 10 – 15 minutes
Before I start my lengthy review, I have to make a suggestion to everyone out there: If you’re getting fries, ask for a side of their Guava-​BBQ sauce for dipping. I want to drink that sauce. They need to bottle and sell it. I try to buy some every time I go there, but they just can’t do it.
I’ve been coming to this Big City Diner for almost 2 decades now and since they’ve opened other locations, this one has remained the best. Everything I’ve ever tried from the menu has been absolutely amazing. Every person I’ve ever introduced this place to falls in love.
My latest visit was last Thursday Feb. 18 for brunch. Our server Sheryl was so amazing it prompted my review. Unfortunately they don’t serve lunch before 11 so for the first time ever, I had breakfast. It was pretty good! Had the fried rice, eggs and Portuguese sausage. Sheryl was extremely helpful explaining what each dish contained and which combo we should get.
The only reason for 4 instead of 5 stars is that they could use a lil upgrade. This place hasn’t changed since the first time I ate here and some of the booth seats are getting out of sorts. But I still highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who loves to eat! Or if you don’t love to eat but you’re hungry… come here anyway ya weirdo.

Four of us came in around 10:30 p.m. to get something to eat, and I a beer, after working a school fundraising concession stand at Les Murakami stadium. We were stinky, smelling like garlic fries, and tired. What I really appreciated about my visit was the waitress. She sat us in a roomy area with not too many folks around us (the restaurant had a few people), and was smiling at this late hour. She let us have our time choosing what to order and she made accommodations on a couple of our orders without giving the impression that it was too much trouble (one was no bread for the burger but please replace with extra lettuce, and the other was no veggies in the burger). I really appreciate good customer service. She was even thoughtful to split our bill so we didn’t have to think about doing any more mathematics. Haha!

Ate here twice during our stay in Honolulu. The first dinner, we ordered family style and shared the dishes, which consisted of cobb salad, Chinese chicken salad, steamed fish, kalbi, bbq ribs and brown rice. The salad portions were HUGE and fresh, everything crisp and dressings tasteful and not overly cloying to the palate. The fish was equally fresh and delicious; I had heard it was catfish but I was surprised because normally catfish is «muddy» tasting but I think I was confusing the «mainland» type of catfish with this dish. I believe it was «swai» fish, which is a sort of Vietnamese catfish instead. It was prepared simply, like Chinese style, steamed with ginger, scallions, oyster sauce and a drizzle of hot oil. Delicious! Kalbi was good, altho I’ve had better. Ribs were tender, fall off the bone, and meaty. It was quite crowded but food arrived promptly and efficiently. Service? FANTASTIC! Both our waiters were friendly, helpful, accommodating and never made us feel rushed. Both were class acts and among the best waiters I’ve ever had. Kudos to management and the owner for promoting great customer service! CONS: None. PROS: Huge amounts of great food, esp the ribs and steamed fish. EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE, 5 star all the way! I
Our second meal of the week was equally delicious and we had the same waiter as the previous trip. Amongst the items our party had were the big breakfast, kimchee fried rice, hamburgers, steamed veggie plate, chicken wings, salmon salad and the burger on the texas toast. The kimchee fried rice was excellent with the perfect blend of kimchee into the rice, not too overpoweringly salty or spicy. I had the burger on the texas toast and the patty was fresh, well seasoned and cooked perfectly. Mushrooms and cheese completed my burger and it was delicious down to the last bite! Service again was excellent, with the same warmth and aloha as the previous visit. CONS: None. PROS: Again, delicious food with outstanding service. I would recommend Big City Diner to everyone and I look forward to my next visit during my next trip to the islands. Again, 5 star customer service!!!

We just returned to Honolulu from the mainland, my wife could not wait to go to Big City for a burger. We were disappointed as the hamburger seem dramatically different having no taste. It seemed as if the atmosphere at the diner had also changed, after leaving I realized that the leg of my shorts had a black stain which came from the underside of the booth we sat in. This was disappointing as I had always felt The Kaimuki diner was one of the cleanest. We are not sure we will return, which is sad.

We went here on Valentine’s day to try their Valentines special. We went early about 5:00pm and there was parking in the back and the restaurant was not that crowded. A good start, The special was Prime Rib with Blue crab cake which was delicious. the crab cake had some kind of hollandnaise sauce on which was ono. The prime rib was overdone, I ordered it medium but it looks like the put it on the grill and came out well done. My cousin ordered the same but medium rare and her prime rib came out perfect..

Been coming here with the family since they opened. Tonight Keoni served the wifey and I. Awesome service as usual. That guy is always smiling. I personally love that you walk thru the kitchen area when you come in and leave. The cooks are always happy to greet and thank you as you pass. Every so often you catch Rob cooking in the kitchen. Till next time.
Ohh btw, Lane, any chance can we get the southwest chicken salad on the regular menu? Just saying.

I went to BCD with a coworker after a grueling night shift to get some breakfast. I ordered the poached egg over toast with avocado and mushrooms and it was superb! The egg was done perfectly and the mushrooms were cooked just right and all the flavors came together so marvelously! To top it off the waiter was kind and attentive and filled my water cup often (although I hear service is hit or miss here). My only complaint is probably the parking situation but once you find something, you’re pretty much prepared for a delicious breakfast!

This one is hard to review. The food I have found is always super ono at BCD, but their staff is so hit and miss at different locations.
This review however is for the Kaimuki BCD, which I had breakfast at yesterday.
Mom and I arrived early cause we had a really busy day and wanted to get a good breakfast in to start. At 7:30 we were one of only four other tables. There were about six servers working from what I could see. I figured his would at least mean quick service right? Hahahaha… NO.
So we both order coffee, and it comes pretty quick and our server says she will be back in a minute to take out orders. And we wait and wait and wait. We are looking all around for her because now it’s been ten minutes and she is talking story with another server in the back. We try waving her over and she definitely saw us but still didn’t come. So we flagged another guy down and asked if we could order.
Finally, 15 minutes after she had delivered our coffees (which were empty now and in need of refills) she comes and takes out orders. We ask for a refill on coffee and says ok and walks away. And we wait and wait.
30 minutes after our arrival our food comes out. I ask again if we can have a coffee refill and if I could also have water for the table. 5 mins later she comes back and fills our coffee and brings ONE glass of water. Um, ok…
So we finish eating and she is MIA since she brought out food and we look around and she is talking story with that same coworker in the back so we try to flag her down for our check. We really just wanted a nice quick breakfast. But at this point we have been there an hour and there are still only 6 – 7 tables full.
We watch our server reorganize the cutlery on 2 – 3 tables nearby us, then go play with the menus for a bit, stare out the front door for awhile, all the while ignoring us as we try to get our check. Finally mom is so pissed that she flags another guy down and asks for our bill. He goes over to the waitress and we watch her ROLL HER EYES and hand him the tab. Are you f**king kidding me? Is there somewhere more important you need to be honey? Cause clearly it’s not at work.
The food was great, as always. But they need to get rid of the jaded employees that don’t want to be there. They ruin it for everyone. BCD would have gotten 4 stars if it weren’t for our server. Watch out for her, older lady with her hair in a bun and a serious chip on her shoulder.

Ordered the large chili and rice through Aloha2Go. Opened the box and was beyond disappointed. Everyone in my office is literally crying from laughter. This is the most disgusting thing I’ve seen in quite awhile. We all know that we eat with our eyes first and this plate looks like it fell out of my dog’s butt. Simply unacceptable. How easy it would have been to put this in a tall Styrofoam bowl. Rice in the bottom, chili on top and voila — lunch, but no.
My co-​workers here are DARING each other to try it because it looks so gross.
I’m psyching myself up to give it a try — wish me luck.

I met up with some friends for dinner who were visiting from the mainland. I got a call asking if I wanted to join them here. There were 15 of us total. I got here about 7:30pm and the place was fairly full. I know that Big City Diner has its regulars.
For some reason, everytime that I’m at BCD, I always order their Loco Moco. Nothing else on their menu jumps out at me. Their Loco Moco is pretty good. I order it with over easy eggs and the eggs are creamy every time. They give two eggs. I love breaking those eggs and having them ooze all over my beef patty. I ordered my patty medium well and it was cooked spot on, a little pink on the inside. The grains of white rice were soft but not mushy. I would have given this place four stars had it not been for the gravy. It was so salty. I’m not a huge fan of rice. I usually eat all the protein and take a few bites of the rice. This time around, I finished all my rice. I couldn’t eat the patty by itself.
My husband ordered the Smoked Turkey and Jack Melt. I took a bite and thought that it was delicious. The sandwich was served warm. The bread was toasted and the cheese melted. Everything blended nicely. The fries came out piping hot and crispy.

I got spam loco moco for lunch and it was A-​OK. You can’t mess up spam loco moco.
I also tasted the fried rice and it was also A-​OK.
3 stars!
QUICK TIP: PARK AT THE LOT IN THE BACK. IT’S SUPER CHEAP.
Big City Diner is almost yummylicious!

I haven’t been to Big City Diner for several years but I ate there with my parents tonight. They have good food at reasonable prices and to my surprise, it wasn’t that crowded for a Saturday night around 6:30pm!
Being the breakfast fanatic that I am, I ordered the fried rice and added two eggs over easy. This is one of my favorite meals and it never disappoints! The portions here are really big so I took home about half of my dinner, which will make for a great breakfast tomorrow morning!

Big city diner in Kaimuki is my go to place with my «mom friends» as we enjoy the child friendly atmosphere, the endless coffee, and the good breakfast. Most of the wait staff is really nice and fun to talk with. This past visit though, the host (the manager) forgot to tell the waiter that we were seated and we waited a really long time to be helped. Moms need coffee STAT! Seems like the manager needs coffee in the morning too… Haha!

This was the 2^nd time I ate here and Im never going back first time the gravy was way to salty and so when I came back the 2^nd time I got a big Burger and the bun looked like they threw around a few times before serving it and the fries had that old oil flavor only reason I went back is cuz my gf likes the Cobb salad

The food was good, sorry to say nothing special. The reason I am giving 4 stars is because our waitress was amazing! We were there with a young child and she said she would go start the kitchen on her food while we think about our orders. The food was good, definitely filling. your basic diner food with some differences. I would definitely go again just because it’s easy, and close to a yummy gelato place just down the street.

As the years have gone by, I’ve chosen to eat at BCD less and less. There’s just something that’s been lost over the years. The portions are still big enough for small lunch the next day or a 2am fridge raid that night but the quality of the food just isn’t the same.
The things i’ve alternated eating when here is the Hamburger steak with crispy onion strips or Mamasan’s monster meatloaf on a bed of sauteed spinach. But the dish that I’ve always loved here was their Guava bbq ribs. They were always fall of the bone tender and had a nice sweet/​tart caramelized bbq sauce. Unfortunately the last 2 times I’ve ordered it here, I was painfully disappointed. It seemed like they no longer caramelize the sauce to finish? The ribs were pretty dry with the sauce just poured over them instead of nice and caramelized tartness.
I guess I’ll give the ribs a 3^rd try just to be sure, I still hold out hope since I have some nice memories of BCD.

THIS IS ONE ROCKING LOCO MOCO! it’s one of the best because you can substitute fried rice for white and even for a few dollars more make it kimchi fried rice. The burger is good not great but the gravy is unctuous. They never fail to get the eggs the way you like them. The mac nut pancakes with haupia crème are delicious but we were sad there was not a banana in the house to put on our pancakes.

One of my favorite places to dine! From breakfast to dinner to late night snacks, they have delicious local choices like Kim chee fried rice. My favorites are the classic burger, portabello mushroom or the salmon burger! Their salads so so fresh with Nalo greens! Dessert-​gotta have the not so small Oreo sundae. Next to the delicious food, the service is the best! Everyone greets you when you enter through the back, passing through the kitchen. The servers are also so friendly and happy! They have sports on TV just in case you didn’t want to go to the gym.
All perfect there! You’ll need to go as check it out yourself!

I love diners and diner food, which is the reason I am here for lunch. Big City Diner has an extensive menu and a full bar as a bonus.
Service was very much on point from when we were greeted immediately upon arrival to when the staff thanked us upon our departure.
Unfortunately, I could not find anything on the menu that appealed to me. This problem was likely compounded by the prices — definitely higher than comparable diner-​type establishments and local standards (e.g. Zippy’s). The value is just not there. We ended up sharing the BCD Chili Nachos appetizer ($ 12.49) which was very mediocre at best.
I was very impressed by the staff and it was clear that they value their customers. But this is a restaurant, so food quality needs to be there. It wasn’t.

After checking out the new Champs Sports Grill, my bestie and I were looking for a place to have a few more drinks and eat some food. We walked up the street and decided to just stop at Big City Diner.
We walked in and decided to sit at the bar. The bartender was great! We ordered some wine, Kim Chee Fried Noodles and their Bread Pudding. The fried noodles were just okay — nothing memorable in my opinion. I felt like the noodle to «toppings» ratio was a bit off for my liking (could’ve used more noodles or less toppings). However, I have to say that the bread pudding is amaze-​balls! My friend suggested ordering it, and I was skeptical since I’m typically not a bread pudding fan, but it was love at first bite.
I’ve been to this particular Big City a couple times before and all were good experiences. However, I recall once not being served alcohol at this location because I had one of those temporary paper licenses (the ones you get when you renew), which are supposed to be valid. That kind of annoyed me, but my friends and I ended up just going elsewhere, so it was no biggie.
Overall, I enjoy dining at Big City Diner for quick, casual sit-​down meals and will most likely end up at one of their locations again.

New stuff, and an improved weekly specials menu!!! BCD is changin’ it up on their weekly specials, and some of the regular menu items. New stuff: some of the entrees now come with a side of yummy sautéed veggies — made to order, it’s a mix of what’s fresh and available that day. Excellent in that it comes with your meal, and good way to get some veggies in if you don’t dig salad. Also, be sure to peruse the menu for some other changes and options. Weekly specials: Ohhhh… you’re gonna like these! New additions are the lettuce shrimp wrap platter (fill, season and wrap as you see fit), the crispy battered fish wrap (a play on a chicken wrap, and totally yummy!), and the bacon-​wrapped Paniolo dogs with crispy ‘Ewa onions, BCD’s guava bbq sauce, and cheese (waiting for this one to come around on the schedule!).
While I will miss the BLTA wrap from the weekly specials, the crispy fish wrap I tried tonight in its place was winnah! Tender fried fish, fresh lettuce, tomato, cabbage and red onion (the sliced cabbage and onion made it something like a ‘slaw, which you’d expect to find with fish n chips) and seasoned with their signature Paniolo dressing for a bit of zing. Everything meshed very nicely for a great blend of flavor and texture. Definite endorsement here from me! I wonder if maybe they’ll still offer the Thai cold noodle salad once in a while as well? In any case, definitely go try out the new stuff (or your old favorites!) and have a satisfying meal! Tell @BigCityDiner and @BCDlane what you like on Twitter!

The last time we went back to Big City Diner in Kaimuki, I felt like eating Asian. So I scanned the menu and decided on Korean Kalbi Steak.
I’ve had their Kalbi for breakfast before with eggs, and have always loved the way they prepare it — heavily marinated, then charred slightly over the grill.
That’s what they brought me. But instead of thinly sliced ribs with bone (their breakfast style), they brought boneless steak — two nice pieces, deliciously marinated and garnished with sesame seeds and chopped green onions, and nestled nicely over fresh cabbage slaw.
Accompaniments were a big scoop of white rice topped with furikake, and a nice little pile of spicy kim chee.
That was a very nice lunch!

Diner food with a local twist!
Ling Hing Margaritas? Yes please!
$ 5.99 Keiki Lunches including loco moco? Yes please!
Kimchi Fried rice? Yes please!
I had the Grilled Tequila Chicken & Portobello Mushroom Stack
Here is the description according to their website.
Herb Marinated Chicken Breast Topped with our Tequila Cream Sauce,
Grilled Portobello Mushroom & Jack Cheese on a bed of
Fresh Sautéed Spinach…12.99
I have to say, it was very flavorful, really good but I didn’t see spinach in mine.
Kids pancakes are good. They ate all of it. If you ask nicely, they will give kids free balloons. Overall, would come again as we’ve been here a few times to meet up with relatives. I highly recommend this place over Liliha for diner food. Come here on the weekday if you can. If you come on Sunday, you can park on the streets for free. But if you can’t find parking, park at the lot for $ 0.75 an hour.

I have been a few different times. Both at breakfast and during dinner. The scrambled eggs have always been really good, not sure what they do to make their eggs taste better. The french toast is awesome … I was not able to finish the order. The last time I got the large stack of pancakes. Big mistake … no way anyone can finish the big stack … get the small. You still won’t finish them but they are really good!
Décor is a little dated, but showcases local athletics.

Its aight.
This Big City Diner is located on Waialae Ave, in between of Kim Chee II and Maguro-​Ya. They have parking available on the street or in the paid lot in the back. The venue itself is spacious and has a decent amount of seating. I ended up ordering a ham and cheese melt sandwich and my boyfriend got a burger. The food here is ok.

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!
This is the original location, and I believe the best! It’s in an old shopping center right in Kaimuki. There are other restaurants around and lots of shopping. Kaimuki is a nice town to walk around. The inside has a 70s feel, probably hasn’t changed much since. The bar is old and classic. The booths and tables all have a nice view of the street and it’s always just busy enough to be fun. All the staff are nicest here, probably since it’s a small town. Check it out next time you’re in the area!