Updated 2025

When I first wrote this article, Kaua’i was just opening up after lockdown restrictions. I’ve updated the information about the restaurants, some of which have now closed.

Kaua’i is slowly opening up. The tourists are coming back, car rentals are maxed out, and restaurants are hiring to meet the demand. April 5 was that line in the sand, when this small island was once again transformed into a buzzing vacation destination as regular and new visitors arrive in rising numbers.

As the island opens up, we too have started trying new eateries, mostly around Kapa’a and Lihue. I’m going to share these below. Sadly many of these restaurants are now closed (2025). I decided to leave them as part of the original article and as documentation of the changes in the world.

In this article, I share our experiences with Asian food, BBQ, Burgers & Sandwiches, Mexican & Tapas, Pizzas & other eateries, and Juices & Desserts. (Quick links to the sections)

First here’s our to-try list, places that come highly recommended from various Kaua’i-based FB groups.

Hanalei – Hanalei Gourmet (5-5161 Kūhiō Hwy space 5) / 2025 update – this location appears closed; The Hanalei Dolphin (5-5016 Kūhiō Hwy)

Hanapēpē – Japanese Grandma’s Café & Sushi (3871 Hanapēpē Road)

Kalaheo – Kalaheo Café for the coconut cake (2-2560 Kaumualii Highway)

Kapa’a – Kountry Kitchen (4-1489 Kuhio Hwy), Lava Lava Beach Club (420 Papaloa Rd), Pono Market ( 4-1298 Kuhio Hwy), Mermaid’s (4-1384 Kuhio Hwy B1)

Koloa – Brennecke’s Beach Broiler for the Mai Tai’s (2100 Hoone Road), Keoki’s Paradise (2360 Kiahuna Plantation Drive), The Dolphin Poipu (2829 Ala Kalanikaumaka Street), Da Crack (2827 Poipu Road), Tidepools at Grand Hyatt Kaua’i Resort & Spa (1571 Poipu Road), Chalupa’s food truck for fish tacos (3477 Weliweli Road)

Lihue – Aloha Ginger Beer (3-3100 Kuhio Highway) [We grabbed this at Verde]

[Update August 28 2024 – The Dolphin Poipu is permanently closed.]

Asian

Garden Island Barbecue & Chinese Restaurant

4252 Rice Street Lihue | 808 245-8868 | website

Some of what we tried so far –

• plate lunch with fried shrimp, BBQ pork, macaroni salad, and rice
• saimin with duck
• vegetarian chow fun (This is my go-to) and beef chow fun (the veggie option is not on the menu so you’ll need to ask for it)
• fried tofu and veggies
• sweet and sour chicken
• egg drop soup
• Singapore Noodles

Hamura Saimin

2956 Kress Street Lihue | 808 245-3271 | website

This is an institution and one of Wade’s dad’s favourites when he used to live here. It’s still a must-go on his trips to Kaua’i. Hamura is also where his dad got Wade’s birthday cake this year. They are famous for their Lilikoi Chiffon Cake.

If you want to go where locals go, this is it. The counters are usually packed and if you are a regular, they know your order.

Hamura Saimin is a casual eatery that serves up comfort food like Hawai’i’s saimin. The name comes from Chinese word sai, which means thin and mein, which is noodles. This is a variation of ramen though like the plate lunch, it is unique to Hawai’i and its history. It seems to have evolved from the days when plantation workers brought leftovers to lunch, a sampling of food from different cultures. The workers exchanged food to eat and then the saimin emerged, an Hawai’ian invention and a product of its plantation history.

From Kauai Hawaii : 1988 – 89 Underground Guide, “according to rumour, Oahu businessmen have flown to Kaua’i just to have lunch at Hamura Saimin.” Before the kitchen was relocated to the back, it was right in the centre and customers can watch the cook prepare meals. Also back then, according to this guide, the saimin special was $3, won ton soup and won ton min $2.50, and the bbq beef and chicken sticks $0.65.”

The medium noodles were $10.50 when we ate there and are now $12.50.

The menu is primarily meat-based, with only a few fish and shrimp options. Won tons have pork and the broth is pork-based. As I don’t eat pork, Hamura’s menu was tough for me. If you are vegetarian, the saimin won’t be for you. I order the udon which comes with green onions and fish cake. There’s also shrimp tempura, another option for me.

Be sure to hit up the ATM first before heading to Hamura – it’s cash only.

Lotus Garden

54280 Kuhio Hwy C1 Hanalei (Princeville Centre) | 808 826-9999

We stopped by to grab some food on our way home from Waikoko Beach on the North Shore. The seating at the food court was full, some waiting on their orders while enjoying live music.

Lotus Garden serves both Chinese and Thai food and it was a non-stop line up when we were there. We ordered Thai Tea with boba to have while we waited for our dinner order. Wade got the Daily Special, Spicy Chile Seabass, I had the Honey Walnut Shrimp and to share, we decided on the tofu vegetable with ginger and garlic. Total $55.

The bubble tea was delicious though a tad too sweet for me. I usually ask for less sugar and forgot that part of my order in my excitement of finally getting a bubble tea. It’s been a while since I’ve had one. Bubble Tea is EVERYWHERE in Vancouver. Still someone (Wade) now understands why I love the bubbles, the tapioca pearls that took the world by storm! According to this recipe from Maryanne Cabrera’s Little Epicurean website, you can make the pearls with three ingredients – tapioca starch, dark sugar, and water.

Panda Express

4454 Nuhou Street Lihue | 4-831 Kuhio Highway, Kaua’i Village Shopping Centre Kapa’a

This is Chinese fast food, and pretty common in the US and better than shopping centre food courts. We don’t have this in Vancouver, where Chinese fast food in Richmond is real Chinese food.

If you like meat and spicy, this has good choices. I ended up with a shrimp bowl.

If you need something fast, this could be it. The lines can be surprisingly long.

Pho Kapa’a

4-831 Kuhio Highway Kaua’i Village Shopping Centre Kapa’a | closed Mondays | 808 823-6868

When we dropped by to pick up a menu, it was packed and the restaurant was filled with delicious smell of Pho. So far, we’ve only ordered takeout from what I believe is a family-run Vietnamese restaurant. The owner was super friendly and even came to the car with our order.

They have the usual Pho options, with either beef or veggie broth, salads, rice dishes, vermicelli, rolls, and bubble tea.

The food was tasty, though the portions were pretty small and prices high.

Saimin Dojo (Now Wailua Drive in)

40733 Kuhio Highway Kapa’a | 808 320-3248 website

It’s now Wailua Drive In and it’s changed a few times since we first went, when it was Saimin Dojo. Wade went for the chicken wings and I the vegan saimin. Vegetarian saimin is less common, with the traditional broth being pork-based and this was the only vegan saimin I’ve seen. I think Saimin Dojo was known for their wings. We’ve tried both the ginger style and dojo fried.

The vegan saimin was made with coconut broth and veggies, including sweet potatoes. I’m not sure if it’s the broth, the noodles, or the seasoning that had an odd flavour I cannot place. Still I’ve had it twice – I do love the purple sweet potatoes. The mini size is enough for me.

Then when they changed, we went for their ahi lunch plate and ahi burgers. It was a completely new branding and menu. They no longer had the vegan saimin.

And then they changed again and took the ahi burger off the menu.

Looking at their online menu as I update this post in 2025, their menu is much bigger and has a lot of local favourites – loco moco, plate lunch, pork lau lau, for example – and they still have the chicken wings.

Call in or order online and pick it up in the drive through and head for one of the beaches to enjoy.

Sukhothai

4-1330 Kuhio Highway Kapa’a | 808 821-1224

This is Thai with other Asian dishes. I first tried this because it’s our friend’s favourite and we went there for the retreat welcome dinner back in 2019. I didn’t have a lot of time to peruse the menu or ask my questions. I can’t take spicy food and I ended up sharing a fish dish with someone who also cannot. It wasn’t my favourite. Everyone really enjoyed their food, coconut water, and the company.

We’ve had take-out a couple of times since then. The first for lunch – I had the pad thai and Wade had a chicken or meat dish with rice. He quite enjoyed it. The pad thai was okay. The second for dinner with Wade’s parents and what we ordered was pretty good. So it’s a matter of finding the dishes that you like, from a pretty big menu.

UPDATE: Sukhothai is closed.

Sushi Bushido

Coconut Marketplace 4-484 Kuhio Highway Kapaʻa  | 808 822-0664 | now closed

We first came here for date night. When we got to the restaurant, there was a line outside and it was already pretty full. Good thing we called ahead. This place gets busy so go early or book a reservation.

We had the cold tofu (which we used in our saimin the next night), a few speciality rolls like the Green Dream, and hamachi sushi. The Salmon Dream was my choice and that was disappointing.

The staff were happy, friendly, and attentive, which did make the whole experience fun.

Update : After 20 years, Sushi Bushido closed December 28, 2024. I was surprised by this as the restaurant was packed, even on weeknights.

In the old Sushi Bushido space, you can now find Leong’s Road House. It’s the same people as Leong’s Meat House at 4520 Lehua Street in Kapa’a. It’s at the other end of town and a popular stop for meats and poke at their little standalone house. Their third location, Leong’s Market & Grill, is in Koloa, South Shore at 2829 Ala Kalanikaumaka Street.

We’ve tried their food at Leong’s Meat House and quite liked their poke.

BBQ, Burgers & Sandwiches

Chicken in A Barrel

4-1586 Kuhio Highway and 4-484 Kuhio Highway Kapa’a | Ching Young Center 5-5190 Kuhio Highway Hanalei | 9400 Kaumualii Highway Waimea | website

Why is it called Chicken in A Barrel? Their style of “smoked barbecue” uses a barrel. According to Steven Raichlen’s Barbecue Bible, the first ones were likely built by oilfield workers with surplus steel drums.

We didn’t know what we stumbled onto, when we found it by accident on my first trip. We were actually looking for another restaurant, a recommendation from one of the shops we were at. It was closed. We saw some lights in the distance and our hungry tummies led us to Chicken in A Barrel. We were pretty far away from where our car was parked in town; it was worth it.

Their menu includes fried chicken, ribs, pulled pork, hamburgers, salads, and tacos. I had the fish tacos which were really delicious!

Wade : “I like their chicken but my favourite thing was their ribs. And their brown rice.”

Chicken in a Barrel is a franchise and there are several locations in Kaua’i – Kapa’a (on the way to Kealia Beach, north end of town and at the other end, Coconut Marketplace), Hanalei, and Waimea.

UPDATE: We’ve now tried both the Kapa’a locations and the one in Waimea, when we lived on the east.

The one closest to Kealia Beach is the smallest with only outdoor seating with benches. The one at the Coconut Marketplace is bigger, with covered outdoor seating, and serves a limited bar menu. The Waimea location is located at the Waimean Plantation Cottages. It is the largest and has both indoor and outdoor seating, free wifi, and a bigger menu as it is also Da Pizza Place. Here you also find the Barrel Taps, or the beer (and kombucha) wall where you can taste a variety of drinks and pay for what you pour. My favourite is Flying Embers hard kombucha.

L&L Hawaiian Barbecue

4-1011 Kuhio Highway Ste. A-3 Kapa’a | 3-2600 Kaumualii Highway #1404 Lihue | 4492 Moana Road Waimea | 5-5190 Kuhio Highway Hanalei | website

Wade is psyched about their cheeseburgers. An easy snack after surfing. Could be the best value-for-money fast food around here.

Other things we pick up here – lobster balls, takoyaki (one of Wade’s favourites since he discovered it recently!), fish burger (which shrank in size – so disappointing), and mini croquette meal. I’ve also tried their bubble tea a couple of times. Not bad.

We usually pop in to order, head to Big Save (a grocery store), and come back for the pick up.

With four locations, you can grab your L&L in Kapa’a, Lihue, Waimea, and Hanalei.

Note that these are franchises and their menus vary.

Wahine Weenies Sandwich Shack

4-1383 Kuhio Highway Kapaʻa | 808 631-2237 | website

Wahine Weenies is located at the end of the street where Orchid Alley is. When we got there, she wasn’t there and we thought maybe she was closed for the day. Except the menu board was out. So we waited. She was super apologetic, which was unnecessary really. She was just out grabbing supplies.

Wade found Wahine Weenies online that morning. He woke up wanting a Ruben – “1/2 lb of lean Pastrami with 1,000 Island Dressing, Sauerkraut, Swiss Cheese and Spicy Mustard on grilled Jewish Rye.”

I had the Tuna Melt – “Homemade Albacore Tuna Salad with melted Cheddar Cheese on grilled Sourdough.”

The sandwiches come with a bag of chips.

FYI – from Merrian-Webster dictionary –

The word wahine came into English in the late 18th century from Maori, the language of a Polynesian people native to New Zealand; it was originally used for a Maori woman, especially a wife. The word is also used for a woman in Hawaiian and Tahitian, though spelled “vahine” in the latter.

You can call ahead or order online. Note that the menu on the website is confusing. Looks like they used a template and didn’t delete the pages they didn’t need. Look for Menu and Order online.

Mexican & Tapas

Bar Acuda

5-5161 Kuhio Highway Hanalei | 808 826 -7081 | website

Rated as one of the top restaurants in Halanei, and probably the North Shore, I can see why. Our friend Issac took us out to dinner, after a day at Black Pot Beach at Hanalei Bay.

When we went the road to Hanalei was still under construction after the March 2021 landslide. We had already been to Hanalei a few times by then and this time we were meeting our friend from California. We arrived at Bar Acuda before it got really busy and after a short wait, we got seated at a table on the veranda. Reservations are recommended.

The four of us sat outside in the ambience of this hip restaurant. We ordered several tapas to share – Seared Sea Scallop, local Cucumber Salad, Grilled Lamb Riblettes, Pizetta, Papas Ajo, and the Hawaiian Fish. I enjoyed a nice Malbec with my meal. While we joked about ordering only dessert, we never did make it that far! Next time.

Mariachi’s

4-1387 Kuhio Highway Kapa’a | 3501 Rice Street Lihue | breakfast, lunch & dinner | website

We’ve been to the one in Kapa’a a few times – date night and breakfast. And a celebration dinner for the birthday boy.

Everyone’s friendly here and we had a great time sitting at the bar.

So far, we’ve tried the beer-battered seabass tacos, mahi mahi burrito with chile colorado, huevos con chorizo, and Mariachi’s Grand Slam with oat milk pancakes. And yes, the house Margaritas. Their chips come with tasty salsa.

A friend told us that the Lihue kitchen is better. Together we went for dinner one night. It is at Harbour Mall, across from Kalapaki beach, a surf spot we frequent. This location is bigger. Because it can accommodate multiple big parties, it can be too busy. Our orders got lost and the food took a very long, long time.

Tiki Tacos

4-971 Kuhio Highway Kapa’a | 9875 Waimea Road Waimea | website

We love tacos! So we were excited to try Tiki Tacos out with Wade’s parents. Plus they know the owner, who was out at the other location in Waimea when we went.

I’ve eaten a lot of tacos of late, spending months in Northern California last year. We have a favourite taco truck that we frequented, a taco truck that Wade and his son have been going for years! Plus there are just a lot of great Mexican food all around in the area. Also Wade makes great tacos, loaded with cilantro.

If you are in Vancouver, check out Fish Counter.

Tiki Taco’s menu includes a variety of fish options, beef, chicken, lamb, pork, shrimp, and veggie tacos with homemade tortillas and salsa. I had the “Best Fish Taco.” It was pretty good. So this is one big taco and Wade’s dad had the right idea – to eat some of the toppings first then tackle the whole taco. I ended up doing this the other way ’round – finishing my meal with eating what fell into the basket.

Monico’s Taqueria

4-733 Kuhio Highway, Kapa’a | 808 822/4300

Monico’s is another popular Mexican restaurant. Located in Kapa’a, it is always busy and packed. With both indoor and outdoor seating and a great menu that includes vegetarian dishes, Monico’s offers something for everyone.

We sat outside, and had a view of the grazing goats next door.

Pizzeria & Eatery

Bobby V’s Italian Restaurant Pizzeria

4-484 Kuhio Highway (Coconut Marketplace) Kapa’a | 808 821-8080 | website

One night, we were hankering for pizza. Somehow we landed on Bobby V’s. Just a couple of simple pizzas.

Their website advertises fresh local ingredients, handmade hand-tossed dough, and 100% real mozzarella cheese. Sounds good, right? It just didn’t taste good. The crust was hard and not tasty. Was it because the pizza wasn’t hot anymore? The cheese sat on top like a sheet of wax. We were pretty disappointed, at least the sunset at Kealia didn’t disappoint. Hanging out at the beach makes everything better.

This may be a place that’s good for happy hour, which is 11AM – 5PM every day, with a few bucks off appetizers, draft beers, and certain wines. Or maybe their Tuesday and Wednesday evening spaghetti and meatballs.

It got 4 stars from nearly 500 reviews on Tripadvisor so maybe it was an off night and dine-in may be better.

Olympic Café

1354 Kuhio Highway Kapa’a | 808 822-5825 | Breakfast, lunch & Dinner

This is another popular restaurant. We ate here at the retreat in 2019. The waitstaff very quickly put tables together for us. I think there were 12 or 13 of us. The service was quick and the portions generous. I shared the daily fish dish with a friend.

The second time we went, it was date night. We sat at the high tables overlooking the street. Drinks and appetizers. The bar was packed with people while the restaurant was still pretty empty. This was prior to the re-opening of April 5.

The next time was after the tourists started returning en masse and the difference was obvious. We too had visitors and anticipating a lot of people, we went for a 6PM dinner. This time, I had Fish & Chips, with enough for a snack later. Others had a burger, Casear salad, Blackened Fresh Fish, and the daily fish dish. Good times.

For a while Olympic was not opened for dinner. It likely struggled with staffing issues which was a common problem. It’s now opened from 7AM to 9PM and continues to be a popular place.

Taps and Hops Eatery

4-885 Kuhio Highway Kapaʻa |  808 378-4199

I think this was the first place we ate at after I landed in Kaua’i. We were just driving down the road, seeing what was open (not much) and we decided to give this place a try. It was fun, our first Kaua’i date night.

We sat in the lounge area. They have a main menu and a Happy Hour menu for 12 – 3 and 5 – 8. This is when I was first introduced to Loco Moco, and pupus in general. Basically pupus are appetizers, finger food, and snacks. My first choice was a fish burger and because they were out of fish, I went for the garlic shrimp dish. Wade had the Kaua’i Beef Sliders. It was a very fulfilling and satisfying dinner. It was a lot of fun and just great to be out and about again.

Juices & Dessert

Wailua Shave Ice

4-831 Kuhio Highway Kapaʻa | 808 634-7183 | website

If you are from Asia or have visited, you know all about shaved ice or Ice Kachang. It’s a bowl with shaved ice, usually with pink rose water, green pandan, and some sort of yellow syrup. Toppings include corn, red beans, grass jelly, evaporated or condensed milk, cendol (dessert made with green rice flour with coconut milk and sugar), fruits like mango, jackfruit, and durian.

In Hawaii, you get Shave Ice, not Shaved ice.

I had my first taste at JoJo’s in Hanalei the day we went to visit the Kilauea Lighthouse, the Pier, and the Dry Cave. It was delicious with the macadamia nut ice cream at the bottom. The three of us shared one, and even then, it was a lot!

The next place I tried was Wailua Shave Ice when they were still in a food truck in Kapa’a. We went after our retreat welcome dinner and shared several flavours. That was fun.

Wailua Shave Ice is now in Kaua’i Village Shopping Centre, around the corner from Safeway. Personally, I love the food truck experience and their new location feels pretty sterile. This was before April 5 and Kaua’i was still pretty closed down so is that it? The first time in there was lacklustre. And then I discovered the coffee and fluffy coconut cream top. This, however, doesn’t seem to be on their menu any longer, according to their website. JoJo’s had a version which I haven’t had get a chance to try and their menu is being reinvented as well.

JoJo’s Shave Ice

5-5190 Kuhio Highway Hanalei | Coconut Marketplace 4-484 Kuhio Highway Kapaʻa | 9734 Kaumualii Highway Waimea

I like JoJo’s. I’ve been to both the Hanalei and the Waimea locations. The last time we were in Waimea, they had just run out of the Macademian Nut ice cream. Nooooooo… This is really what makes it special, for me anyway. And Lilikoi on top!

Basically you can’t go wrong with any of the choices. I’ve tried the North Shore and Lilo & Stitch. Next I think I’ll check out the Li Hing Mui though I’m not sure about how it. Li Hing Mui is salty dried plum in Chinese culture. Salty, sweet, and sour, all at once.

Kaua’i Juice Co

4-1384 Kuhio Highway Kapa’a | 2360 Kiahuna Plantation Drive Poipu | 4270 Kiluea Road Kilauea | website

I’ve been following Kaua’i Juice Co on Instagram for a while and was excited to try some of their juices. We popped over here while we waited for our sandwiches from Wahine Weenies. (I’m sporting the tank top I screen-printed in Singapore)

Despite their name, Kaua’i Juice offers more than just cold-pressed juices, with a daily menu. I had Black Pearl, “basically the cleanest coffee you’ll drink” I’m told and Wade had Omega This.

Black Pearl – Coconut meat, coconut nectar, cold-brewed coffee, cacao kotuku reishi spores, kotuku pearl powder, vegan probiotics, and Tahitian Vanilla.

Omega This – soursop, orange, mango, dragonfruit, pineapple, and chia seed.

Both were delicious! Black Pearl was not what I went in for – just so many choices. It paired well with my tuna melt sandwich and reminded me about getting some pearl powder. I have this sustainable freshwater one from Sun Potion.

What is pearl powder?

From Sun Potion’s website:

Pearl is a revered longevity food that has been used for centuries by Taoist Herbalists to support one’s inner and outer radiance. It is an excellent source of minerals including calcium, zinc, iron, selenium, and amino acids. Pearl has strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and helps to support the body’s natural collagen production, even and clear skin, strengthen bones, and support the nervous system, healthy sleep cycles, and Shen (Spirit).

When we lived in Kaua’i and went to Kaua’i Juice, they also stocked Kaua’i-based Fractal Forest. I had discovered this brand of wonderful shilajit and other wellness products and was stoked to see them in the shop. Fractal Forest does ship outside of Hawai’i.

Writing this in 2025, in California, I feel blessed to have lived on Kaua’i and O’ahu for a few years. I will use my Kaua’i Juice jars and wear my woven bracelet with fond memories of island living, which to be honest, we really miss.