Best Places to Eat in Kauai
All pictures are my own unless otherwise noted/sourced; do not use without permission.
When we go to Kauai, we always opt for the island food! I am not going to Hawaii to have Panda Express or Thai food. I can have that at home! Seriously though, try the local foods because after all, that is part of traveling right?
The fresh poke is literally THE BEST! They’re freshly-caught, the morning of, so they’re pleasingly fresh! There are also many options to choose from, from shoyu, to Hawaiian, to those lathered in sauces! All are very good so you can’t go wrong with any, although some places will be slightly better than others.
The laulau is definitely a must-try if you haven’t before! At first it may look scary or strange, but I promise you, it is so enjoyable! They’re basically well-seasoned meat wrapped in taro plant leaves and then steamed! Most of the time, the meat is pork. However, sometimes they’ll have fish, chicken, or other meats too.
The plate lunches are so much food and so delicious! They typically come with two scoops of rice, macaroni salad, and an entrée or two which is mainly the protein. Most of the time, the entree options are grilled teriyaki chicken or beef, kalua pork, chicken katsu, shrimp, hamburger patties, mahi mahi or some kind of fish, some sort of BBQ meat, spicy Korean chicken (my favorite), etc.
So read on to find out what the best places to eat in Kauai are!
Leong’s Meathouse
Located in Kapaa, this place looks like a little shack but has delicious food! They also have a variety of different things poke and local food. The portions are a bit small but the price is reasonable. We always go here every time we are in Kauai.
Our favorites are: the pokes, laulau, lomi lomi, chicken long rice!
Tip: check their hours before going!
Hours are typically:
Mon-Sat: 10am-5pm
Sun: 10am-3pm
Foodland
Unfortunately, there’s only one Foodland in all of Kauai! It is located in Princeville, which is north of Kauai. We usually stop here for lunch whenever we’re in Northern Kauai. The poke is so delicious, and very reasonably priced. In addition, there’s so much food to choose from at Foodland. They have hot food, cold food (deli), exotic drinks and snacks, seafood, bakery, pharmacy, etc. All are wonderful!
A must-try is the taro mochi, usually located in the bakery section. It is so good and addicting! I get it every time!
Hours: daily 6am-9pm
Island Country Market at Coconut Marketplace
This Island Country Market is located at the Coconut Marketplace. They open early and close late, so it’s a great stop before you go somewhere or when you get back into town late at night and everything’s closed.
They kind of mimic an ABC store, except they literally have everything! Everything, including souvenirs, booze, coffee shop, deli (hot and cold food), gelato, cake, pie, malasadas, acai bowls, a lot of take-out options like musubi and so on.
A must-try is the lilikoi chiffon pie. It is located in the coffee shop area, in the front when you order. This pie is absolutely delicious! It is so light and fluffy, and moist! SO GOOD!
I also love their macadamia nut latte! It's so delish!
Hours: daily 7am-8.30pm
Waikomo Shave Ice
I know everyone loves a good shave ice. A non-chemical tasting shave ice. Most of the shave ice I’ve tried are made of chemical-like flavors and I don’t like them. When I tried Waikomo Shave Ice, it’s the best shave ice ever, in Kauai! There’s only three in this world that I love: Waikomo (Kauai), Ululani’s (Mauai), and OBISIC (Big Island).
Basically, these places that I love, they use all natural (not dyed) sugar and flavors. Waikomo Shave Ice comes with topping, including honey, coconut cream, and fruit! My favorite flavors are guava, pineapple, and lilikoi!
Waikomo Shave Ice was previously located on the way to Poipu Beach, so we usually stop there on the way to watch the sunset / turtles, but they have recently moved. Their new location is in Kalaheo, which is past Poipu. The location has a few benches / seating areas (some are shaded), which is nice compared to the previous location.
Hours:
Monday: Closed
Tue – Sun: 12pm-5pm
Puka Dog
My favorite snack in all of Kauai! I know I have a lot of favorites, haha, but this is really one of my favorites! It’s a bit pricey for a hot dog, but I promise it does not disappoint!
Located across from Poipu Beach, this Hawaiian-style hot dog is a Hawaiian favorite! It is literally a polish dog (you can get a veggie dog too if you’d like) inside a bun that is crispy on the inside, and topped with tropical relishes and Aunty Lilikoi’s Hawaiian mustard! Not only this, you can choose the spice level too (choose from mild, spicy, hot, or lava)! I always get HOT, it comes with a kick, which makes me drool. I also get two flavors of relishes: pineapple and mango! Ok, I’m drooling dreaming about eating this right now!
Hours: Daily 10am-8pm
True story:
We arrived at Poipu. Cliff said he’s going to get a hot dog. I was like, “ok, I don’t want one, I’ll be here.” He said “are you sure?” I said “yes.” He shook his head and said “ok….” and left to get his hot dog.
A short while later he came back with the hot dog. I didn’t care. He said “try this, I think you’ll like it.” I said “no I don’t want to.” He insisted. Ok fine, I will just take one bite so he will stop bugging me!
One bite. Ooo my tongue is dancing! It’s full of flavors. Ohh it's a spicy hot dog, wow, even better!
Bite two, wow, this is messy! BUT SO DELICIOUS!
I told Cliff with a serious face, “this is my hot dog.”
He had to go back and get another one for himself. Hahaha.
Now, this is our tradition. We can’t ever go to Kauai without eating a puka dog!
Smiley's Local Grinds
In the city center is Smiley’s Local Grinds, a take-out local food place! There are no seats to sit, so be prepared to TAKE-OUT only! You can go there, order, and wait for your food. OR, you can call in advance and pick it up!
I love their chicken, it’s always perfectly cooked; crispy and delicious.
They have daily specials; you can find out more HERE.
Hours:
Sunday: Closed
Mon – Sat: 11am-8pm
Garden Island Barbecue & Chinese Restaurant
It was late at night and most restaurants were closed. We found this spot still open, tried it, and we kept going back.
The food was full of flavors, the price was reasonable, and the portions were huge! Best of all, the service is always great every time we went! You will never run out of water; they are so quick about refilling it!
Once there, you’ll notice that a lot of locals come here! So obviously it’s a popular local spot.
Their menu is HUGE, there’s chicken, seafood, noodles, everything literally! It makes it hard to decide on what to eat! We mostly just get the “local” plates though, not Chinese food but I’m positive those are delicious too!
If you want to dine in, they have a lot of tables, and this place is great for groups!
Note: Parking can be tricky. In the back, the parking lot is quite small so during peak times it will be impossible to find a spot. Street parking is available too.
Hours:
Mon-Sat: 10am-9pm
Sunday: 10am-8.30pm
The Fish Express
Note: this place is TAKE-OUT only!
**Parking is very limited!
If you’re craving poke, this is another good spot to get your fix! The poke is always fresh!
They also have lunch specials, Hawaiian plates, seafood, other prepackaged to-go food and snacks, etc.
One time they had laulaus too! I think maybe that was a Saturday, but when they run out of food, they RUN OUT! Anyway, yes I remember their laulau to be moist and delicious too!
Hours: daily 10am-4pm
TidePools Restaurant
Located at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa, TidePools is a beautiful restaurant with a very romantic open-air setting. It is known for the beautiful and romantic ambiance, appetizing food, and exceptional service. Tidepools has a waterfalls backdrop with thatched-roof bungalows that seem to float above lagoons that are filled with koi!
Their menu is quite limited however, but the fresh fish and steak options are delicious; they do come with a unique Hawaiian flair!
This place is a bit on the pricey side, and I was skeptical thinking we’re paying for the view and ambiance. However, the food was surprisingly delicious.
Few things to note:
· RESERVATIONS are strongly recommended.
· Arrive an hour or two early to check out the property – it is beautiful there!
Hours: daily 5pm-9pm
Lava Lava Beach Club
A nice restaurant located next to the beach, the Lava Lava Beach Club definitely gives you the island feel!
They have live island music from 3pm-9pm daily, which actually is my favorite about this place!
The food is sort of a hit and miss. I got the pineapple fried rice, well because I wanted that cute pineapple! However, I didn’t enjoy it. My friend got something else on their special menu, which was pretty good!
I think I would go for a drink and the view, ambiance, and live music!
Tip: go a bit earlier for sunset and get a seat next to the beach area!
Hours: open daily
Breakfast: 7am-11am
Lunch: 12pm-3pm
Light fare: 3pm-4.30pm
Liquid Happy Hour: 3pm-5pm
Dinner: 4.30pm-9pm
Kauai Juice Co
It’s not your typical juice. It is all organic, cold-pressed, and locally sourced juice! It is truly delicious!
They not only carry fresh juice, they also carry kombucha-on-top, pantry items, grab and go plant-based food, and other things too!
We got the “omega” juice, which includes Soursop’ Orange, Mango, Dragon fruit, Pineapple, and Chia Seed. It was one of the best juices I’ve ever had! We quickly went back for seconds! I wish we had tried this sooner; we could have had it that many more times!
Tip: if you like exotic, try the OMEGA THIS juice!
Hours: daily 8am-5.30pm
Konohiki Seafoods
Located in Lihue, Konohiki Seafoods is the epitome of Hawaii life. They offer a great selection of Hawaiian desserts and seafood. Their primary focus is on take-out only, but it’s still worth checking out! You’ll be amazed at the variety of selections! Additionally, we saw a lot of locals coming in, so you know it’s a hot spot!
They also have local style lunches, poke bowls, bentos, and so much more!
What we love about this place is that they open early! If you’re heading somewhere for the day, you can grab some food (for both breakfast and lunch) and go! It’s so convenient!
Tip: get there early or they will run out of the good stuff!
Hours:
Mon-Sat: 6.30am-5pm
Sunday: Closed
Kauai Bakery
If you must try a bakery in Kauai, it has to be Kauai Bakery! It is located at the Kukui Shopping Grove Center.
They have both sweet and savory desserts; with some savory being buns filled with Portuguese sausage, cheese, meat, etc.
If you must try something, it should probably be their malasadas. They have the classic malasada, and some filled ones including flavors like lilikoi, ube, guava, Nutella, oreo, etc.
They also have manapuas, cinnamon rolls, cakes, and other specialty desserts.
I actually haven’t made it here because the hours are odd, and they’re closed on Sundays and Mondays! But will definitely try again in the future trips to Kauai!
Tip: get there early or they will run out of the good stuff!
Hours:
Tues - Wed.: 6am-12pm
Thursday: 6am-1pm
Friday-Saturday: 6am-2pm
Sunday-Monday: Closed