best places to eat in kaua

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The Pacific island of Kaua’i has a number of great places to dine, regardless if you are looking for a local plate lunch or fine dining. Here is a list of the top ten places to eat in Kaua’i, including the best restaurants on the island. When it comes to food, there are a lot of options on the island. Whether you are looking for hole-in-the-wall local eateries, or something with a more upscale ambiance, Kauai has it all. In this blog, we suggest a few of our favorite places to eat in Kauaʻi based on the atmosphere, the food and of course our taste buds!

Kaua’i is known for its amazing food. Here are some of our favorite places to eat on this beautiful island.

The Garden Island Grill is a great place to go if you’re looking for a delicious burger and fries! Their burgers are made with fresh local ingredients and are always cooked perfectly. They also have a large selection of beer and cocktails, so this is the perfect place to get away from it all after a long day exploring Kaua’i’s natural beauty.

The Coconut Marketplace & Grill is an excellent place to stop by if you’re looking for some authentic Hawaiian food! They have wonderful poke bowls that will make your mouth water with their fresh ingredients and delicious sauces. You can also try some kalua pork tacos or chicken katsu sandwiches!

The Aloha Mixed Plate is a great choice if you’re looking for something quick while traveling around the island. The menu here offers many different options including fried rice, teriyaki chicken, and saimin noodles! This popular spot has been serving delicious meals since 1954—and they know what they’re doing!

Kauai is a beautiful island that has it all. You can find everything from breathtaking beaches to stunning mountains, and when you’re ready for a break from the sun and sand, you’ll find some of the best food in the world here, too. Here are our top picks for places to eat on Kauai

best restaurants in kaua

1. Little Fish Coffee

Come for: breakfast and lunch (closes at 1:00pm)
You should try: Pakala Bowl, Breakfast Bagel, coffee of your choice
Location: 2294 Poipu Rd, Koloa, HI 96756 (next to the Poipu Beach Athletic Club)
Reservations: not necessary

This just might be your favorite breakfast place on Kauai! The name says coffee, but this place has so much more to offer.

The highlight is their açaí breakfast bowls! Each bowl has a unique mix of toppings including fruit, granola, proteins and more. It’s right amount of healthy foods plus sweet treats to enjoy for a balanced breakfast on vacation.

If you grab a açaí bowl, don’t let the size fool you. The small bowls are very filling and you could probably feed a family with the large option.

Now I can’t recommend Little Fish Coffee without mentioning their coffee options! Enjoy a fresh brew from locally grown coffee beans. Try the Mexican Mocha Latte on their signature coffee menu. Yum!

Little Fish Coffee also has smoothies that could please pretty much anyone, and a great variety of breakfast sandwiches to fill you up before your adventures on Kauai.

Sit outside and soak in the fresh air and sunshine while enjoying breakfast or lunch. It’s the perfect way to start the day!

2. Duke’s Kauai (one of the best restaurants in Kauai with a view)

Come for: Lunch and Dinner, plus Breakfast on Sunday’s
You should try: Ahi Poke Bowl, Pulled Pork Sandwich
Location: 3610 Rice St, Lihue, HI 96766
Reservations: Recommended

Literally steps away from Kalapaki Beach, Duke’s is by far one of the best restaurants in Kauai with a view. And everything about Duke’s is the quintessential Hawaiian dining experience. From the decor to the views, music and delicious eats, it’s a place you’ll want to go back to.

During lunch, the Barefoot Bar is open. Try the light and delicious Poke Tacos or Coconut Shrimp. You also can’t go wrong with a salad before returning to the beach!

The main dining room is open for dinner. Get there early to get beach-front views! From classic cheeseburgers to lobster or prime rib, you’re sure to find something delicious for dinnertime.

In the same family of restaurants as Keoki’s Paradise or Leilani’s on the Beach (one of my family’s favorites in Maui), they also have delicious Hula Pie. It’s so unique, you just can’t get anything like it back home, so better dig in at Duke’s!

Better keep Duke’s on your short list for your trip based on it’s location, and the fact that it’s definitely one of the best places to eat in Kauai

3. Kalypso Island Bar and Grill

Come for: Dinner, plus breakfast and lunch on weekends (hours vary by day)
You should try: Coconut Shrimp, Mahi Mahi Tostada, Loco Moco
Location: 5-5156 Kuhio Hwy, Hanalei, HI 96714
Reservations: nope

Recommended to me over and over again by locals, I had to check out Kalypso. It’s definitely one of the best places to eat in Kauai, and especially on the North Shore.

Let’s start with the fact that the happy hour nachos are not only affordable, but enough for 2 people to share. In fact, it could be your entire dinner.

Or, try one of their seafood specialties like the coconut shrimp, which comes as an appetizer or you can order the larger portion with sides. The selection of beers is one of the bigger ones on the North Shore, and if you like fruity mixed drinks, ordering a Lava Flow is a must!

Sitting by the window overlooking the mountains behind Hanalei, this is by far one of the best restaurants in Kauai with a view. An afternoon on Hawaii just doesn’t get better than this!

4. JoJo’s Shave Ice

Come for: Afternoon treat
You should try:
Location: 9734 Kaumualii Hwy, Waimea, HI 96796 | 5-5190 Kuhio Hwy, Hanalei, HI 96714 | 4-484 Kuhio Hwy, Kapaʻa, HI 96746
Reservations: nope!

You HAVE to get shave ice while in Hawaii. Unfortunately, it took me 5 trips to the islands before trying my first shave ice, and I’ll never go back! ‍♀️

There are multiple JoJo’s Shave Ice on Kauai, so there’s a location that will work in your schedule!

Order one of their classic shave ice combinations, like Colada Special with Pina-Strawberry-Banana Colada with a scoop of MacNut Ice Cream – yum! Or make your own with up to 4 flavors. With shave ice like Blue Hawaii, Papaya, Strawberry Colada or Guava, you can’t go wrong!

Unlike the other shave ice places on Kauai, JoJo’s gives its profits to fund free camps for local Hawaiian kids. How cool is that?

5. Kalaheo Café and Coffee Company (one of the best breakfast Kauai)

Come for: Breakfast and lunch, dinner some days
You should try: Cinnamon Bread French Toast, Island Tossed Greens, Prime Rib French Dip
Location: 2-2560 Kaumualii Hwy, Kalaheo, HI 96741
Reservations: not necessary

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the Kalaheo Cafe and Coffee Company has something everyone will love. But their breakfast is truly the shining star here! They serve more of a traditional breakfast menu, but their taste is anything but ordinary.

Between the pastries (they even had gluten-free…squee!!) and omelette, breakfast sandwiches and scrambles, their food is beyond delightful!

You’ll find a hearty breakfast here, which is unique compared to many of the other spots on this list of the best restaurants in Kauai. The first time I stopped at Kalaheo was before hiking the Pihea Trail on the NaPali Coast. I needed lots of protein for a morning hike, and this was a great spot.

Oh, and make sure your breakfast includes the cornbread muffin and POG juice. Delicious!!

For lunch, their salads and gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches are a hit. Order at the counter and grab a seat indoors or outside.

Dinner is a completely different feel, with sit-down service and wait staff instead of counter ordering. The Seared Ahi is raved about, equally as much as the steak options. You can’t really go wrong at Kalaheo!

best restaurants kauai south shore

The Beach House

5022 Lawai Rd, Koloa (808) 742-1424 Beach House Website

If you are lucky enough to reserve a table here timed with the sunset, you are lucky enough. A favorite wedding spot, this charming Pacific-Rimmer perched just above Lawai Beach delivers in every category: delicious cuisine, gracious Hawaiian service, and sweeping ocean views over a meadow that lights up with tiki torches at dusk. It almost feels like having your own, well, beach house.

Tidepools

At the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa, 1571 Poipu Rd, Poipu (808) 240-6456 Tidepools website

What is it about a thatched-roof hut over water that feels so romantic? This unique space floats above a koi-filled lagoon just beyond the spray of a waterfall. The only thing as sexy as the digs is the cuisine: a modern take on traditional Hawaiian cooking with gorgeous presentations. And doesn’t their Forbidden Rice sound almost like a dare?

La Spezia

5492 Koloa Road in Old Koloa Town 808 742-8824 La Spezia website

This quaint little corner of Italy is actually quite at home in Old Koloa Town, and it feels like an insider secret. All the pasta is made in house and includes short rib ravioli, a rich lasagne and spaghetti laden with local clams. Vintage chandeliers cast a warm glow and the well-curated wine offerings keep the cozy conversation flowing well into the evening. Romantico!

Merriman’s Fish House

At the Shops at Kukuiula, 2829 Ala Kalanikaumaka Road, Koloa Merriman’s website

Light, airy and elegant, you feel somewhere special at this well-loved, white-cloth seafooder. Creative hand-crafted cocktails set the tone for a culinary adventure as Chef Peter Merriman puts forth an array of palate-pleasers like seasonal ceviche, lobster-and-crab cakes and live raw oysters. Ask for a table on the lanai and after the sun sets on the awe-inspiring view, the candlelight eases you into a fresh new layer of ambiance. More oysters, please.

Eating House 1849

At the Shops at Kukuiula, 2829 Ala Kalanikaumaka Road in Koloa (808) 742-5000 Eating House 1849 website

True foodies will find this Roy Yamaguchi outpost romantic not just because of its cool industrial-meets-tropical interior and wonderful views, but because of the sensual food. An alluring variety of textures, flavors, temperatures and presentations co-exist here. Share a big messy bowl of the unctuous spicy ramen: it may bring to mind the dinner scene from Lady and the Tramp — one of the most romantic film moments ever involving noodles.

Red Salt

At the Ko`a Kea Hotel & Resort: 2251 Poipu Road, Koloa 877-276-0768 Red Salt website

Recently featured on Food Network, this grown-up eatery by Executive Chef and Kauai native Noelani Planas, serves up elevated seafood and local produce. Enjoy modern dishes like vanilla bean-seared mahi mahi, coconut curry bisque and a silky ahi tartare. The vast palm tree-lined ocean view is a marvel, and you may find yourself lingering as you feed each other spoonfuls of caramel glazed passion fruit cheesecake. Mmmmm.

Duke’s Kauai

3610 Rice St, Lihue (808) 246-9599 Duke’s Kauai website

With its palm-studded view across Kalapaki Beach and throwback vibe to the Hawaii of yore, you half expect Elvis Presley to pull up a chair here and serenade you while you dine. And as he crooned his Blue Hawaii classic, “I can’t help falling in love with you . . . ” you would find the lyrics oddly applicable to the slow-roasted prime rib and glazed lobster tail you’re enjoying. “Thank you. Thank you very much.”