Our mac salad served on every plate lunch

Mac salad…it’s no secret. It’s just damn good.

I know we talk a TON of mac salad…aka macaroni salad. This ubiquitous side is usually served with everything in Hawaii.

“Like everything?” Like Home Depot in Hawaii will probably include a side of mac salad when you purchase lumber.

For those from the mainland, the phrase most often heard is “Two scoops rice, one scoop mac salad…” which forms most all plate lunches in Hawaii. Yes, this is standard in the “boneless chicken gravy all over” from Rainbow’s or “Chili dog plate” from Zippy’s or “Sweet sour spareribs” from L&Ls, “Chicken Katsu with extra rice and kim chee” from Graces, the list goes on and on…

Ingredients: elbow macaroni, water, salt, mayo, hard-boiled eggs, celery, carrots, onions, garlic salt, and pepper.

So – to give you an idea on how we make/serve OUR mac salad…

Mis en place on the ready (Clockwise from 12n: celery, carrots, onions, hard boiled eggs

Elbow macaroni. Al dente please!

Once your al dente macaroni is cooled and cold throughout, add mayo (we prefer Best Foods brand, but Hellman's is kinda the same)

After mixing in the mayo, add a handful of celery. MIX!

Carrots, onions, now MIX!

Hard boiled egg...mixa mixa

Add (to your taste) garlic, pepper, salt to taste. We prefer a liberal dose of The famous Chicago Spice House's "Back of the Yards Garlic Salt" for this. Serve chilled. ONO!

Now we realize there are a few lots TON of variations on this.

*W&M Burger adds imitation crab to their mac salad.

*Rainbow Drive In adds more mayo to their mac salad.

*Grace’s (I think) adds pickles to their mac salad.

*The Surge Manor adds mustard to their mac salad.

*In fact, my grandmother added tuna to her mac salad.

(I know I know, Heights Drive Inn serves the plate lunch reverse of two mac, one rice w/ chow mein-MacMac)

So in essence, you just have to figure out what works for you.