Where to Eat on Kauai: Our Favorite Restaurants, From Poke to Date Night

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Kauai’s food scene is casual at heart: poke bowls, plate lunches, saimin and shave ice, with a handful of excellent sit-down splurges. Hours change by season, so check with the restaurant before you go. Every place below was listed open when we checked in mid-October 2026.

How Reservations Work on Kauai

Here’s the thing nobody tells you: every restaurant on Kauai does it a little differently.

• Some book online. A number of the nicer spots take reservations on OpenTable or Resy. We link those below when the restaurant uses them.
• Some want a phone call. Smaller places often only take bookings by phone, so call.
• Many don’t take reservations at all, and some won’t even take your name until your whole party is there. The wait can be long. Put your name in, then go sit at the bar, or grab takeout and eat at the beach instead.
• Book the splurge dinners early, a week or more ahead in busy seasons, and eat early. Lots of kitchens close by 8 or 9 p.m.

North Shore

Coconut Coast and Lihue

Kukui Grove Center (Lihue)

The island’s main mall has a cluster of quick, inexpensive local spots, handy on a rainy day or between errands. Listed in the Kukui Grove directory as of Oct. 15, 2026 (hours vary as the center recovers from the storm):

• L&L Hawaiian Barbecue: plate lunches. $ Family-friendly Casual
• Aloha Ramen: $ Family-friendly Casual
• Ho’s Chinese Kitchen and New Kim Chee (Korean plates). $ Casual
• Oki’s Best Box Lunch and Sone’s Deli & Catering: local bentos and deli plates. $ Casual
• Kauai Bakery (early mornings), Jamba Juice, Starbucks. $ Family-friendly

South Shore: Poipu and Koloa

At the Grand Hyatt Kauai

The Grand Hyatt has some of the best restaurants on the South Shore, and you don’t have to be staying there. See the resort’s dining page; the main line is 808-742-1234.

West Side

Best Brunch

• Duke’s Kauai at the Royal Sonesta (Kalapaki Beach): Sunday brunch from 9 a.m., then lunch and dinner. Call 808-246-9599. Royal Sonesta dining $$ Family-friendly
• Kukui’s on Kalapaki Beach (Royal Sonesta): breakfast daily 7-11 a.m., loco moco and Benedicts. It’s a breakfast menu, not a buffet brunch. $$ Family-friendly
• Ilima Terrace (Grand Hyatt): no regular weekly brunch right now, but the daily breakfast buffet (6-11 a.m.) is the closest thing, and they run brunch buffets on holidays like Easter, Mother’s Day and Christmas. Ilima Terrace on OpenTable $$ Family-friendly
• Paco’s Tacos Cantina (Kiahuna Golf Club): breakfast from 8 a.m. daily. $$ Casual
• Kountry Kitchen (Kapaa): the classic local breakfast. $ Family-friendly Casual

Best for Families

Kids eat well on Kauai. Our go-tos: Brennecke’s after the beach, Duke’s for an easy sunset dinner, Keoki’s Paradise (open-air, lots to look at), Hale Nalu by the Hyatt pool, Koloa Fish Market or Kilauea Fish Market for a beach picnic, Hamura Saimin for noodles, and any shave ice stand for dessert.

Great Sushi

• Stevenson’s Library (Grand Hyatt): sushi lounge with a koa wood bar.
• Red Salt Sushi Bar (Ko’a Kea): sushi next to one of our favorite bars.
• Royal Lanai (Royal Sonesta, Lihue): Sushi & Spirits by the pool most evenings (closed Thursdays).
• Japanese Grandma’s Cafe (Hanapepe).

Pizza and Burgers for the Kids

• Brick Oven Pizza (Kalaheo): longtime local pizzeria, closed Tuesdays. Call 808-332-8561. Website $$ Family-friendly
• Kenji Burger (Kilauea). $ Family-friendly
• Brennecke’s and Hale Nalu on the South Shore. $$ Family-friendly

A Splurge Night Out

For a celebration dinner, book Tidepools (that bungalow-over-the-lagoon setting), Red Salt, Merriman’s, Bar Acuda in Hanalei or Hukilau Lanai in Kapaa. Reserve early.

Night Away From the Kids

Sometimes the best thing you can do on a family trip is book a sitter and have a grown-up dinner. Start with a drink at the Red Salt bar, Stevenson’s or Seaview Terrace, then dinner at Tidepools, Merriman’s or Bar Acuda.

Babysitting on Kauai. Ask your hotel concierge first; many resorts keep a list of vetted sitters. These agencies serve visitors on Kauai:

• The Nanny Connection: Hawaii agency (since 1991) with CPR-certified nannies who come to your hotel or rental, island-wide on Kauai. 3-hour minimum. Website · 808-875-4777
• ChildCare Kauai: sitters who come to your resort or vacation rental, any time of day. 4-hour daytime minimum, 3 hours at night. Website · 808-720-0711
• Book ahead, especially around holidays.

A Taste of Home

If the kids just need a cheeseburger, Lihue can help in a pinch. There’s a McDonald’s in Lihue (and another in Kapaa), plus quick chains like L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, Jamba Juice and Starbucks at Kukui Grove Center. The Costco in Lihue has a snack bar too.

Local Food to Try

Don’t be afraid to try something new while you’re here. Kauai’s rich Polynesian history, plus generations of Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Portuguese and Korean families, all blend together on the plate, and that’s what makes eating here so much fun.

Farmers Markets

If your place has a kitchen or a fridge, or you just want snacks and fruit, skip the Costco or Walmart run and hit a farmers market. You’ll get local papaya, apple bananas, avocados, lilikoi and more, straight from the farmers. Bring cash and small bills, and get there on time; the county Sunshine Markets are short and sell out fast.

• South Shore: Koloa Sunshine Market, Mondays at noon at Koloa Ball Park. Kauai Culinary Market, Wednesdays 3:30-5:30 p.m. at The Shops at Kukui’ula.
• Lihue: Pau Hana Market, Mondays 3-5:30 p.m. at Kukui Grove Center.
• Coconut Coast: Kapaa Sunshine Market, Wednesdays 3-4:30 p.m. at Kapaa Beach Park. Coconut Marketplace market, Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Kealia Farm Market, Monday and Friday afternoons.
• North Shore: Waipa Farmers Market, Tuesdays 3-5 p.m. Hanalei Farmers Market at Hale Halawai, Saturdays 9:30 a.m.-noon. Kilauea and Princeville markets during the week.
• West Side: Hanapepe Sunshine Market, Thursdays 3-4 p.m. at Hanapepe Park.
• Full schedule: the Kauai farmers market schedule (PDF) and Hawaii Farmers Union. Times can change by season, so double-check.

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