Where to Eat on the Island of Kauai, HI
Aloha Kauai, the land of poke, kalua pork, and açaí bowls!
During our trip in early May 2018, we spent 4.5 days eating our way around the island.
We ate our way from the south side to the north side of the island, biking through small towns like Koloa and Kapaa, and stopping in local community markets.
While we had tropical staples like açaí bowls, we also had the opportunity to try traditional Hawaiian cuisine and some fusion too.
Below are 11 of my favorite picks.
Happy eating!
A word of advice before you get started/go anywhere in Kauai: it’s very important to check times. Some restaurants and shops close as early as 3:00 PM, and some are even closed on Sundays or Mondays.
1. The Best Açaí Bowl
Kalalea Juice Hale ($$) (Anahola) | Basically what you’d imagine aloha in a bowl to taste like. But even better. This was by far my favorite stop throughout our self-guided food tour. The açaí blend in the King Kong is made with açaí, apple bananas (more tart version of our Chiquita bananas), strawberries, and cacao powder. And it’s hiding under the delicious goodness of more apple banana, homemade granola, macadamia nuts, goji berries, peanut butter, cacao syrup, cacao nibs, honey, and cinnamon. And a killer view of Kalalea mountain while chomping away at this refreshing concoction? Island life can’t get any better.
Close Runner-Up: Anake’s Juice Bar (Koloa)
2. The Best Traditional Kalua Pork & Poi Plate
Hanalei Taro & Juice Co ($) (food truck available in Hanalei or Līhue community market on Saturdays) | When asked about traditional Hawaiian fare, locals advised us to try 3 things while on the island: kalua pork, poi, and kulolo. Kalua is a traditional Hawaiian cooking method which utilizes an underground oven called an imu, so kalua pork literally translates to “pork cooked in an underground oven”. Pretty nifty. Poi is a traditional part of native Hawaiian cuisine and is made from baking and pounding taro, which is a main export from this island. Kulolo is a Hawaiian dessert made primarily with steamed taro and coconut milk. Our kalua plate came with a few sides, one of which was poi (bland tasting, like congee — the natives warned us about this so it wasn’t too surprising!) and the others were salmon salsa (refreshing), taro macaroni salad (pretty tasty), and a slice of kolulu (faint sweet taste, reminiscent of dates). 10/10 would recommend if you’re aiming to try some traditional fair!
3. The Best Hot Dog
Porky’s Kauai ($) (food truck available in Waimea or Kapaa, depending on the day) |Porky’s is a Hawaiian twist on the traditional American hot dogs and grilled cheese sandwiches. And let me tell you, they absolutely hit it out of the ballpark!! It’s a grilled bun (with a bit of cheese coating the outside), and a perfectly grilled pineapple infused pork sausage topped with roasted kalua pork, grilled onions, and pineapple. And the sweet & spicy sauce is the bomb dot com. Would 100% ship a few bottles back to the mainland if they started franchising that sauce.
Close Runner-Up: Puka Dog (Koloa)
4. The Best Fresh Pineapple
Kauai Sugarloaf Pineapple ($) (Līhue community market on Saturdays) | Fresh pineapple is actually quite rare on Kauai in comparison to its neighboring islands Oahu and Maui. There are only 3 pineapple plantations on the island, but all grow a special varietal called Sugarloaf White Pineapple. We wanted to visit Hole in the Mountain Farm (in Moloaa), but they only host plantation visits on Thursdays, so we had to settle for visiting their stall in the local farmers market. This white variety is much sweeter, less fibrous, and apparently lower in acidity! Still pining for more 🍍
5. The Best Pastry
Midnight Bear Breads ($) (available in Hanapepe or Līhue community market on Saturdays) | This delicious coconut croissant had the perfect lamination, and the perfect tropical shaved coconut filling, reminding me that I was indeed living my best island life. The shop can be found in Hanapepe, dubbed the biggest small town of Hawaii, but we found their stall in the Līhue community market on a beautiful Saturday morning. We got there an hour after the market started (opens at 9:30 AM) and they already sold out of their cruffins, kouign amanns, and macadamia nut cinnamon rolls — so get there early!!
Runner-Up: Passion Bakery Cafe (Kapaa)
6. The Best French Toast (and Breakfast)
Anuenue Cafe ($$) (Koloa) | Anuenue directly translates to “rainbow”, and this quaint little cafe is like a double rainbow after a storm. They’re open at the crack of dawn at 6 AM and they get crowded/have limited seating, so come early! The French toast is the best I’ve had in a long time, most likely due to the sweet fluffy Hawaiian bread and the fresh eggs on this island. Holy moly their eggs are amazing. Makes me feel almost grateful for the wild chickens that roam free and wake the entire island with their cocka-doodle-doos at 5:30 AM. The French toast is topped with haupia (coconut pudding) and roasted macadamia nuts. It’s nuts how good this is (and I’m from San Francisco where we take our brunch game very seriously). Bless you, stupid chickens.
7. The Best Hawaiian Fusion Burger
Kenji Burger ($$) (Wailua) | Served on toasted brioche buns freshly made exclusively for Kenji Burger at Passion Bakery (just 2 min south of this joint, which we also visited, and had yummy macadamia sticky buns), the Hapa burger is a delicious Japanese twist to the typical American burger. Much of Hawaiian food is influenced by Japanese cuisine, so it was cool finding this burger joint, which just opened in 2015. I personally prefer a thinner patty and plain cheeseburger (read: In-N-Out), but this one was quite delicious too. It’s topped with sriracha pineapple slaw, bacon, cheddar cheese, grilled onion, and a Japanese BBQ sauce. Delicious island twist. And Furikake fries are also not to be missed!
8. The Best Ice Cream
Lappert’s Hawaii ($) (available in Koloa, Princeville, and Hanapepe) | This is the true island dream. Lappert’s ice cream flavors are inspired by the tropical island, and churned fresh in Hanapepe. My favorites were the Nene Tracks (vanilla ice cream + chocolate covered honey roasted almonds, cashews, peanuts, mini peanut butter cups, chocolate fudge and salted caramel) and the Kauai Pie (Kona coffee ice cream + coconut flakes, dark chocolate fudge, hamakua macadamia nuts and vanilla cake crunch). They also have delicious tropical fruit sorbet flavors for those looking for something a bit lighter.
Close Runner-Ups: Tropical Dreams Gourmet Ice Cream (Kapaa), Pinks’s Creamery (Hanalei)
9. The Best Malt Milkshake
Pink’s Creamery ($$) (Hanalei) | They use Roselani ice cream, which can actually be found at grocery stores throughout the island, but what’s worth the trip here is any milkshake with their housemade malt (extra $1). Their Haupia (coconut) flavor is delicious, and even better when paired with the Chocolate Macadamia Nut in the malt milkshake. We also ordered the Original Hawaiian sandwich (Kalua pork, pineapple & muenster cheese on Hawaiian sweet bread and grilled to a golden perfect). On a nice day, this combo would be perfect to enjoy with a view of Hanalei Bay.
10. The Best for Special Events
Keoki’s Paradise ($$$) (Koloa) | This is the perfect location for a special night out (we celebrated a birthday). Outstanding service and beautiful seating in front of the waterfall and live music and hula dancing throughout the evening. What’s really cool here is they’ll help recommend native Hawaiian fish that’s best for your preferred method of preparation. We settled on two: Opah (panko and macadamia nut crusted) and the Manchang (ginger cilantro steamed). While both were delicious, I personally preferred the Manchang as it’s a super delicate fish, and the lighter preparation of the ginger cilantro steam lets the fish shine. Our delicious meal ended on a high note with a complimentary birthday Hula Pie for him. The hula pie has an Oreo crust and is filled with macadamia nut ice cream and drizzled with chocolate syrup. Divine. A beautiful birthday surprise, thank you Keoki!
11. The Best Poké
Foodland ($) (grocery chain available in Kapaa, Kilauea, and Princeville, etc.) | Yes, the poke with the best taste-to-price ratio on this island is in fact from a grocery chain. For $11.99 per lb (and $9.99 for additional lbs), you can’t find a shop that has more options that are more tasty or fresh. I know because the quality and taste is on par to all the runner-ups I taste-tested: Kilauea Fish Market (Kilauea), Koloa Fish Market (Koloa), and Pono Market (Kapaa). Your wallet will thank me. You’re welcome.
Close Runner-Ups: Koloa Fish Market, Pono Fish Market, Kilauea Fish Market
Are you planning your trip to Kauai? Read about my favorite adventures through Kauai below:
Mahalo for reading! Have you visited Kauai before, and do you have other recommendations? Please comment and share below!
