As you might have gathered from some of my past blogs, when I am on vacation I like to try the local restaurants. My trip to Kauai was no different. We went all over the island trying some old favorites, and some new places recommended by fellow travelers and locals. I find that if you want the really good places try what the locals like, and also look for the hole in the walls that have no parking spaces. This can mean that there are some good things to be found.....or that it has really bad service.
Bad food or mediocre service wasn't something that I had to worry about on this trip. Whether it was the delicious fish taco that I had at Tropical Taco in Hanalei, or the fancy meal I had at Keoki's Paradise. The food was always fresh and tasty, and the atmosphere was family friendly and ready to assist us in any way. We never got any trouble for being the couple with the wheelchair and the toddler. In fact we opted to get a sitter one night and go to Kieko's Paradise only to see that they welcomed guests with kids (although at the prices I am not sure I would ever take a toddler there).
Let me give a run down of my favorite places for dine in or take out from this and my last trip.
South Island:
Bubba's Burgers is a local institution that serves some very good burgers. The Kapaa one we ate at had a no frills seating area, and a counter that overlooked the street so we could watch the tourist and locals shop and go about the day. Lets just say a good burger and people watching made this a nice place to go, especially is you have a pick eater.
Poipu Tropical Burgers is a family style restaurant that serves breakfast lunch and dinner. This is the type of place that my wife, son, and I could find something we truly wanted to eat. We went there for brunch, and dinner. They have great pancakes, good eggs, and nice crispy bacon. I also had the fish and chips there and can say for a place that has a little of everything on their menu it they were pretty good. The service is what makes this place nice. They had a place ready for us by the window, and the crayons and graham crackers were at the ready for my hungry toddler. It can be difficult to find parking at the Poipu Shopping Center where it is located so make sure you add some extra time.
And since I am on the topic of the Poipu Shopping Center, we ate at two other places there (Pukadog, and Papalani Gelato)
Pukadog specializes in hot dogs with exotic toppings such as mango, pineapples, and other types of relish (traditional toppings are there as well). You basically get to customize your own Polish or Veggie dog. It wasn't my favorite place but my son liked the veggie dog with mango salsa (it is very sweet with just a hint of salty from the hot dog.
Panalini Gelato was a nice treat. If you have never had gelato Hawaii is a good place to try it. It is a creamy Italian ice cream with some unique flavors. They did a respectable job and the staff was very friendly. I guess I just preferred the shave ice at Pono Hale Family Restaurant.
Keoki's Paradise is a more upscale restaurant great for taking that special someone on a nice date. If you get there before 5 you can have an opportunity to take advantage of half portions and chef specials. I had a petite fillet Mignon and lobster with a nice salad and yummy ice cream pie to split with my wife. Cap that with a few good drinks and it made the splurge for the babysitter that much more worth it.
North Island:
Tropical Taco I will not lie to you. This is the reason we traveled to the north shore of Kauai. They have the best fish tacos I have ever had. Fresh caught, fresh cooked, simple ingredients make this something I crave even when I am off island. My son isn't a big fish eater so he had a fantastic bean burrito which was the size of his head and which he made short work of. It is also nice to walk around Hanalei afterwards because you just never know what you will find there. Cap off the experience with shave ice and you can hit the beach satisfied.
West side:
This is where we ate the most and is the mid point between Hanalei/Princeville in the north, and Poipu/Koloa/Port Allen in the south.
Brick Oven Pizza has two locations (Kapaa, and Kalehio). We ate at the one in Kapaa which was clean friendly, and didn't balk at the wheelchair and toddler as we came through the door. They greeted my son with a dough ball to play with and had no problems with our pizza choice (mushroom and Portuguese sausage). It was delicious, really some of the best I have had. If you are looking for a place were you can catch a game (several big screen TVs showing different sports), get a good drink, and be family friendly. You would be hard pressed to get a better place.
Mema Thai Chinese Cuisine, first I will say that this wasn't bad food. I think that they keep the spiciness down because this place does a ton of tourist business (take out mostly). I live in an area that has really great Asian food so when I say this is pretty good food it means something. Just make sure that you ask for a little extra spice, and try the pineapple fried rice YUM!!
Ono Family Restaurant. Big portions of good fresh food make this family style place a must if you are in the area. The topper is they have a shave ice booth just outside that has the BEST shave ice on the island (i mean it there was a vote).
Eggberts This is a standard for us as a breakfast and lunch restaurant. It is located in the Coconut Market Place and is what I look for in a restaurant. Cheap and Cheerful. It is kid friendly has tons of choices on the menu and you do not have to be dress up. Just don't go in there and ask for a fruit plate. This is a classic breakfast joint and they want you to enjoy yourself with their excellent fair. Try the banana pancakes with coconut syrup. Makes me hungry just thinking about it.
I will add more places on to this post so if you are going to Kauai check in every now and again for my reviews.
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