Wally Ho’s Garage & Grill

Got here before 1PM on Monday. Not busy. Safety inspection was quick. Ordered a loco moco. Didn’t wait long. Super ono. Friendly staff. Definitely will come back.

Great place for a plate lunch. Get Lynn’s Awesome Meat! It’s so good they always run out!

James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Jane Russell, Sinatra, Don Ho, Wally Ho, Marty McFly, etc. Something smells like the 1950’s. Something looks like the 1950’s. Something sure bops like the 1950’s. This something is…
WALLY HO’S GARAGE & GRILL!
And yes baby, Wally Ho is real and quite alive ‘n breathing! Originally a leeward-​side gasoline station back in the 1950’s, Wally Ho has found a unique way for his business to survive and thrive today. On one side of his «garage», his son Timmy oversees the garage and is in charge of safety check inspections. On the other side, daughters Sheldene & Maydene are frying up Breakfast, Korean Garlic Chicken, and other local-​kine grinds. Wally’s other son Mason runs this beloved «greasy-​spoon» that’s caught in a time-​warp in a good way, son!
Yup, this is obviously a family owned and operated business, and yes it also smells Back to the Future-​ish, circa 1950’s! After some training near Pearl Harbor I needed to feed my wazoo then I remembered good ‘ol Wally! I jump on my unreliable ’63 VBB Piaggio and head on down… Just like Marty McFly would! It’s located on Kamehameha Highway in Aiea, shared parking with Dixie Grill. I park. I straighten my collar. I *flick* my unfiltered Lucky Strike… I walk in…
HO’S AMBIANCE: Definitely a throwback to a bygone era. You feel the presence of Don Ho (no relation to Wally that I know of), the collection of vintage everything on the walls, counters, and people. The old photographs adorn the walls. The old school locals and the military from nearby Pearl Harbor frequent this place with shoes shined and a craving for yesteryear… Eggs frying, aprons dangling.
HO’S GRUB: I’d say «greasy-​spoon» with some flair. The typical American-​style breakfasts, some with local twists, plate lunch specials, and yes, the hamburgers, grilled-​cheese sandwiches, and other bites you’d expect in 1957. I opted for a simple breakfast of scrambled eggs, links, and hash browns. The hash browns were as good as any fancy expensive breakfast joint, in fact, it was better, child. I washed it down with a can of Hawaiian Sun pseudo juice. Oh and get that OFF-​DA-​HOOK Lilikoi Lemon bar!
WALLY HO’S GARAGE & GRILL!
A unique eatery almost impossible to find in today’s world of hustle and bustle. I am glad Wally & family in tow has survived throughout the decades and are still very much alive and well! Is it the best? Nope. Is it the tastiest? Nope. Is it fancy? Hella NO! But hey it’s way cool! Today, Wally Ho’s no longer pumps gasoline, but if you ever need a safety check for your 1957 pink Cadillac or lube your 1982 Delorean give this place a whirl! And while you wait… Grab a bite to eat & dream a little dream. Hey, good luck finding another one-​of-​kind place just like this… Wally Ho for President, Baby! *revs engine*
And oh no… I’ll refrain from any «HO» jokes, silly! Later Gator;)

uh., seriously. I was looking forward to eating everything in your entire restaurant… and u guys are closed on sundays… it’s like going up on the most craziest roller-​coaster ride. slowly ticking and ticking… and when you almost get to the top… dey stay closed on sundays… just kidding, eh I’m glad you guys are wise enough to know that money is important, but being able to enjoy life to the fullest is a true blessing. my name is Dino and I played the happy birthday song for the birthday dude at «Da Suites» hotel with my harmonica. (then it broke. it was old anyway). I guess I’ll try to experience your grinds another day. garlic chicken beef stew mix baby… if can

You have to keep this place a secret! Every time I’m on the island for work I eat here. The food outstanding the awesome meat is my best! Never had a bad lunch!

Really awesome place. Everyone was really friendly. Great customer service. Thanks for my safety check! The restaurant has breakfast and lunch!
Tip: Call ahead before you go down to get a safety check. They don’t take appointments but they will let you know what time would be best to go in.

Howdy folks. How are all my fellow Unilocalers out there doing? Right now I’d like to tell you all about an ono grind spot on Oahu. But it isn’t some tourist trap in Waikiki. Oh no, no. This place is purely local. It’s a place called Wally Ho’s Garage & Grill out in Aiea. An automotive repair shop and dinner all in one. Pretty unique huh?
Back in the day I used to deliver auto parts for a place called Redline Automotive in a part of Honolulu called Kalihi, which is no longer there. RIP Redline. I used to get excited when I would get a delivery out that way for it meant that I could stop by Wally Ho’s and grab me one of their delicious homemade chocolate brownies and a milk. And let me tell you those brownies are soooooooo good. They are better than sex. I would eat that thing in the delivery truck, which is something I wasn’t supposed to do. But who cares? I know I didn’t.
I wonder if the owner remembers me. I remember the first time I delivered a part to his shop I greeted him with a nice «howdy». I think he may of though that I called him a «haole» for he just gave me this look as if to say, «what did you just call me?» People in Hawaii used to sometimes mistake my howdies for haole. All you local people will know what haole means. But he’s a groovey guy.
Anyways, back to the food. This place also has the best hamburger steak on the island. That is no joke. Wally Ho’s puts Zippy’s hamburger steak to shame. They give you two big thick hamburger patties with a generous portion of rice, macaroni salad, and covered with lots of delicious gravy. So ono. Many places only give you one thin patty, like they do at Zippy’s. And also like they do at Zippy’s, a stingy portion of gravy. That used to always annoy me about Zippy’s. But this was never a problem at Wally Ho’s. They know how to do it right.
In addition to all the delicious food you get, it won’t bust up your wallet either. Their prices are more than responsible. Especially considering what you get. Great food at responsible prices. Is this starting to sound like a commercial?
Anyways, whether you are local or a tourist, go check out Wally Ho’s Garage & Grill in Aiea. You won’t be disappointed. If you are, than something is wrong with your taste buds. Happy trails.
Nasty Nathanial

Garage is awesome, did exactly what I asked for and needed. No upselling, what an awesome shop. I know how to work on cars, just don’t currently have space. So nice to find honest shop. I highly recommend this shop.

Let me start by saying this: the owners are Mets fans. So as a Mets fan myself, they would have gotten a decent review regardless. But this place needs no sympathy points.
Been by this place a bunch of times. But when it’s set inside a grungy old garage, expectations tend to drop. But after giving this place a try, I’m just sad I didn’t come by sooner.
Service was great. It’s a family-​run joint and they make you feel like family.
But that loco moco… Flawless. Patty was grilled nicely, and full of that great charred favor. Eggs were cooked well, and gravy was tasty, and tied the dish together well.
The other stuff on the menu look good too, but I have a feeling that I’ll have a hard time not ordering the loco moco every time. When your place has a sign in the window that reads «best loco moco» expectations are gonna be high. And this place certainly delivered.

Man, have I been missing out all these years.
Wally Ho’s Garage and Grill is one of those places that «you don’t know, unless you know» places. (For the food at least).
I’ve passed by it a million times, literally. For years and years and years, I always drive by, not thinking to stop by, mainly because I just saw a garage, and thought nothing of it. Not until my other half recently mentioned having been there a long time ago.
Wally Ho’s Grill is definitely the place to go!
Here’s my experience!
Whenever I’m on my way to work, I typically stop by McDonald’s every morning with my other half to get a platter, or sandwich or whatever honestly. Just something to get me going. And like most others the BREAKFAST ALL DAY going to be a thing I got very excited. Anyways one day, we overslept big time and missed the mcdonalds breakfast time at 1030, so we drove on the direction o work, and THAT’S when Wally Ho’s was brought up. So we decided to check it out.
I walked in, took a look at the HUGE menu they had (loterally, it’s a LARGE whiteboard, nice and big so you can see everything).
Menu is organized very well, by breakfast, lunch, and specials, and each category you have sub categories and options. Makes like SO EASY.
I decided to get their Hamburger Steak, AND the kind lady working offered gravy all over. Who could turn that down?! Let’s give it a go. Other half orders a Loco moco. We got to our job, and my mouth was watering. The food smelled so ono through the bag! We open up the plate I was SHOCKED. The food looked A-​Mazing!!!
Needless to say, we dug in, and not a single grain of rice or drop of gravy was left on either of our plates. The food was just delicious.
We decided to come back a couple days later, and changed it up to try the breakfast. And oh my god, I’m just so amazed by how consistent their food was. 2 times in a row the food was great.
Anyways to cut it short, after those first experiences, we’ve been back every week at least 3 times a week for breakfast for at least 2 months now. And man oh man is it worth. So many choicez!!!
So worth it that we haven’t eaten mcdonalds breakfast since!!! Even though they launched their breakfast all day, SORRY MCDONALD’S, you no longer make the cut!!!
WALLY HO’S IS THE PLACE TO GO!

I like visiting places with good memorabilia, especially of eras gone by. Must be an old thing. So, had this place bookmarked and it was time to knock it off.
It was hard to figure out parking so I just parked behind this truck in the gas lane. As we entered, we were greeted. I asked if it was okay where I parked and they said yes.
Looking over the place I’m pleased to see how well it is decorated with photos and other memorabilia. There is a display case filled with their home made pastries. The banana bread is huge and we decide to get one.
Looking over the menu mom orders the teri chicken and I get the Taiwanese Shoyu Pork. Service is good, but not much above the average. The chicken is a bit salty and so is the pork. What I do like is there is a toss salad that comes with the meal and not the standard mac salad another starch my body just don’t need.
The prices are okay, the food was okay, the service satisfactory but the banana bread, even though larger, was, I believe imoh, a little over price. I will come back because it is quiet and the nostalgia there is beautiful to see.

I don’t say this lightly but best damn omelet I’ve had on island and have came here a dozen times now or so. The rest of the menu, nothing special, standard Hawaiian fare and nothing spectacular lunch or breakfast wise but the omelet, damn good.

Not sure what the big deal is here… probably won’t figure it out any time soon. :-)
Food is good but not great, but the ladies are really friendly.

I liked the atmosphere of the restaurant, it had a diner feel to it.
I read a review stating the employees treat their customers like royalty. I disagree. I placed a phone order and the woman on the other end sounded unhappy that I called. When I picked up my food she looked less unhappy but barely even smirked. She wasn’t rude or anything, and I’m just saying for the sake of my A-​OK review.
I ordered a chicken katsu plate with white rice and potato mac salad. The smell of the chicken was unusual, different from other take-​out restaurants that I have had. The temperature of the food was between room temperature and warm. The quality of the rice was so-​so, kind of hard. The salad needed a little more salt and pepper for my liking but the noodles and potatoes were cooked perfectly, and there wasn’t an overload of mayonaise. I like when there’s some shredded carrot in the salad too, which they had. The flavor and consistency of the chicken katsu was actually very good though. The pieces of chicken were very juicy and cooked well. It was almost as good as my dad’s homemade katsu.
Mango bread is served as a very thick piece. I liked it, it was moist and had a good amount of walnuts and mango. It was almost as good as my mom’s homemade mango bread.
I may come back for some baked goods. I am not much of a plate lunch-​eater but maybe I’ll try a sandwich some time.

The mechanic is extremely rude. I went there to get a safety inspection and he saw me drive up– no greeting, no hello, just glanced at me and went about his business. Another customer arrived a second later and he helped that customer then continued about his business. I approached him to get some help and he abruptly said, «You’re going to have to wait a minute.»
I decided to take my business elsewhere.
You lost a customer, Wally.

Today they forgot to turn on the fryer but I don’t care. Almost any amount of waiting is worth it. Best plate lunch ever. Staff is super friendly and they remember you. A seriously awesome small town experience in the middle of Oahu’s hustle and bustle.

I checked this place out because well the name was intriguing. How many breakfast places are in mechanic’s shops? Anyway there are just two breakfast items to chose from: 2 Eggs any style with choice of meat and starch; and the good old Loco Moco. I had the eggs and it was satisfactory but nothing special and not even that cheap all things considered. The Korean Garlic Fried Chicken looked and smelled awesome so I may give this place another try but for lunch. If you’re in this neighborhood and you need Brekkie you’re probably better off continuing down the road…

Found this Delicious Gem after doing the USS Arizona tour as we wanted to find a place nearby instead of returning back to Waikiki to pretty much avoid the crowds. Went on Unilocal and found this Gem!
Korean Garlic Chicken and Lynn’s Awesome (aka Tri-​tip) Meat plate lunch
Yum Yum Yum.
Thank You Unilocal

So I’ve secretly been in love with Wally Ho’s ever since I’ve moved here. The first time I seen it there was a Snap On truck visiting the garage side. It made me feel at home because my brother in law was a District Manager for Snap On (used to sell it for a year) and now owns a garage. I could see my own family owning a awesome Mom and Pop place like this.
So we went here to get our inspection done and the guy gave us the best aloha vibe and was super fair on telling us what we needed to fix our car. We fixed the jeep, came back and decided to finally dine in while it was being worked on. We actually ordered several things, but I want to RAVE ON is the pastrami sandwich. They didn’t even have rye bread that day and it was sooooooo good. Best I’ve had in a long time, if ever. Also the lilikoi bar was so good as well. It’s similar to a lemon bar, but better and island style. The staff was amazing. My daughter made sure and thanked Aunty before leaving. She was impressed by the food (and I have a picky eater on my hands) Big shout out to Wally Ho’s. Even though the parking is slim pickings (and everyone knows I suck at parking) I will definitely come back for my piece of home and aloha spirit.

The first time we drove past this place, I only caught a glimpse as we passed it. It literally is an old gas station/​garage that was turned into a tiny restaurant. After seeing it, I turned to my BF (who had chosen the place based on Unilocal reviews) and asked if he was sure. It did look a little sketch. He said yes, so we circled around, and boy was I glad we did.
They had very few spots in front of the joint, so we parked next to Runners Hi and in front of Dixie Grill. As we walked it, we were greeted with two white boards full of local meals. I opted for something I’ve never had before, the Okinawan Shoyu Pork. The meal came with 2 scoops rice and mac salad… and it was really good. The pork stood well with the flavorful soy sauce marinade/​glaze.
Since it is a really small place, seating is very limited, so depending on the time of day, you might need to take it out.