Overview
Racha Thai Waimea is a Thai restaurant in Waimea on the Big Island, listed by Google as operational at 67-1185 Mamalahoa Hwy with the phone number (808) 885-3388. Google’s current record shows daily hours from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM, and recent third-party listings broadly match the same address and phone. (restaurantji.com)
For a traveler, this looks like a practical sit-down-or-takeout Thai option rather than a destination dining room. The appeal is straightforward: familiar Thai standards, some local-leaning menu items, and enough menu breadth that it can work for mixed groups, including vegetarians. The main caution is that the web footprint is scattered across delivery and directory sites, so menu and hour details can drift; the core identity, though, is consistent. (restaurantji.com)
Cuisine & Specialties
The menu is centered on Thai staples, but it is not limited to a narrow, canonical Thai lineup. Ordering platforms show the usual curry/noodle/fried rice structure alongside salads, soups, smoothies, and a few more fusion-leaning or island-adapted items. It reads like a broad, casual Thai kitchen aimed at both comfort-food repeat customers and travelers who want recognizable dishes. (bringmethat.com)
- Overall menu style: Thai and Asian comfort food with a wide casual-dining menu; includes vegetarian-friendly options and several dishes built around coconut milk, basil, lemongrass, ginger, and curry pastes. (restaurantji.com)
- Notable dishes / specialties:
- Pad Thai Noodle
- Pad See Ew Noodle
- Drunk Man Noodle
- Green Curry
- Tom Kha Soup / Tom Yum Soup
- Papaya Salad
- Pineapple Fried Rice
- Organic Raw Chocolate Pie
- Delivery-platform listings also surface items such as Grilled Organic Chicken, Banh Xeo, Laksa Curry Noodle, and Pho Noodle Soup. (bringmethat.com)
- Price range / spend expectations: Mid-range casual. Platform prices cluster around roughly $14–$23 for most mains and noodles, with appetizers and drinks commonly in the $8–$13 range, so a typical traveler meal can easily land in the high-teens to low-30s per person before drinks or extras. This is an inference from published menu prices, not a fixed official statement. (bringmethat.com)
- Dietary usefulness / limitations: Vegetarian usefulness appears strong, and Restaurantji explicitly notes vegan dishes. Several menu items can be ordered with tofu, and many dishes emphasize vegetables. The limitation is that the published menus also show plenty of egg, fish sauce, shellfish, chicken, and beef, so strict vegan or gluten-free diners should still confirm preparation details. (restaurantji.com)
Notable Features & Ambiance
The experience appears to be casual and practical rather than polished or formal. Secondary listings describe a kiosk-style setup with outdoor seating, which fits the broader impression of an easy stop for lunch or dinner rather than a long, celebratory meal. Because the business is in a shopping-center environment on Mamalahoa Highway, it is likely most convenient for drivers and day-trippers. (bringfido.com)
- Service model and seating style: Takeout and delivery are clearly supported, and third-party descriptions indicate a kiosk/order-and-seat-outdoors format. (restaurantji.com)
- Atmosphere and decor: The available evidence points to a casual, no-frills setting. There is not enough strong evidence for a more detailed decor read, beyond the outdoor-seat / shopping-center feel. This is an inference from the venue descriptions, not a directly verified interior profile. (bringfido.com)
- Amenities or practical features: Delivery is listed on multiple platforms; takeout is explicitly noted; and the location sits on a main highway in Waimea, which makes it convenient for drive-by access. (restaurantji.com)
- Best fit: Good for a straightforward Thai lunch, an unfussy dinner, or a mixed group that wants familiar dishes with some vegan/vegetarian options. (restaurantji.com)
- Weaker fit: Less compelling if you want a special-occasion meal, a strongly design-forward room, or a highly destination-specific dining experience. This is an editorial inference based on the service model and directory descriptions. (restaurantji.com)
History & Background
There is little reliably sourced background information in the materials reviewed. The available evidence supports the restaurant’s current identity and location, but not a clear founder story, chef profile, or ownership history. In other words, this is a place with a stable public listing and menu presence, but limited accessible backstory. (restaurantji.com)
Review Sentiment Snapshot
What People Love
Review-aggregator signals are generally solid rather than spectacular. Google’s rating sits at 4.3 from 117 ratings, and Restaurantji shows a 4.0-style aggregate with a large majority of 5-star reviews. The recurring positive pattern is simple: people seem to like having a reliable Thai option in Waimea with a broad menu and useful vegetarian coverage. (restaurantji.com)
Common Gripes
The downside evidence is softer and less uniform than the praise. Public-facing review summaries do not show a single dominant complaint pattern in the sources reviewed. The most defensible caution is operational: menu items and hours appear across several platforms with some variation, which suggests travelers should not assume every third-party listing is fully current. Any broader criticism about food quality or consistency is not strongly supported by the sources gathered here. (restaurantji.com)
Practical Visitor Tips
- Google Places and Restaurantji both show daily hours of 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Uber Eats/Postmates listings currently show a slightly shorter delivery window of about 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM, so in-house hours and delivery hours may not match exactly. (restaurantji.com)
- Takeout and delivery are both supported, so this should work well as a quick stop or a room-dinner backup. (restaurantji.com)
- The address is on Mamalahoa Highway in Waimea, making it easier for drivers than for foot traffic. (restaurantji.com)
- If you want a specific dish, the menu appears broad enough that it is worth checking a delivery platform menu before going, since item availability and naming can vary by listing. (bringmethat.com)
- Vegetarians should have workable choices; stricter dietary needs should still confirm sauces and preparation because the menu includes fish sauce, shellfish, egg, chicken, and beef in many dishes. (restaurantji.com)
Verification Notes
- Officially listed name: Racha Thai Waimea. Google Places, Restaurantji, and delivery listings all align on that core identity. (restaurantji.com)
- Address and phone are consistent across the sources reviewed: 67-1185 Mamalahoa Hwy, Waimea, HI 96743 and (808) 885-3388. (restaurantji.com)
- No website was reliably confirmed in the sources reviewed; the Google record also lists website as null. (restaurantji.com)
- Operational status appears current as OPERATIONAL in Google Places. (airial.travel)
- No major verification issues found
Sources
- Google Places record for Racha Thai Waimea —
https://maps.google.com/?cid=17809623633168647522— Retrieved 2026-04-01 — Most useful for canonical identity, address, phone, operational status, and default hours. - Restaurantji listing for Racha Thai Waimea —
https://www.restaurantji.com/hi/waimea/racha-thai-waimea-/— Retrieved 2026-04-02 — Useful for corroborating hours, takeout/delivery posture, vegetarian note, and review aggregate context. - BringMeThat menu page for Racha Thai Waimea —
https://www.bringmethat.com/t/hi/waimea/96743/racha-thai-waimea— Retrieved 2026-04-02 — Most useful for menu composition, dish names, ingredient descriptions, and published prices. - Uber Eats storefront for Racha Thai Waimea —
https://www.ubereats.com/store/racha-thai-waimea/q1HGin3jTyan4B1SVSfGQg— Retrieved 2026-04-02 — Useful for confirming menu overlap, delivery window, and a second price reference. - BringFido page mentioning Racha Thai —
https://www.bringfido.com/restaurant/city/puako-hi-us/— Retrieved 2026-04-02 — Useful mainly for location-format clues and the kiosk/outdoor seating description; treated as secondary and lightly inferential.
