Restaurants in Kaua'i
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Bubba's
Locals hardly go here but this local chain has become the haole-tourist mecca. The 100% Kaua'i-beef burgers are fine (and vegetarians can opt for ginger-teriyaki tempeh burgers) but try the locals' fave, Duane's Ono Char Burger instead.
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Omoide Bakery & Wong's Chinese Restaurant
Established in 1956, this slightly divey Chinese diner also specializes in pies - liliko'i chiffon pie, a Kaua'i obsession. The Hong Kong and Cantonese menu features the usual laundry list of chicken, beef, pork and seafood dishes.
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Mermaids Cafe
Plate lunches for the hippie-granola set? You bet. And we guarantee you'll be tempted to try everything on the menu, from the classic seared 'ahi and nori wrap to overflowing plates of coconut curry topping veggies, tofu or chicken.
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Pacific Pizza & Deli
- Kaua'i, USA
- Restaurants › Deli
Traditional or wacky, it's all here, from Mexican (ground beef and refried beans) to Filipino (Langanisa sausage and grilled eggplant) to lomilomi salmon. The calzones, offered in each pizza-combo flavor, are ideal for single diners.
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Red Hot Mama's
The last eatery before the end of the road, this little counter serves up generous burritos, tacos (around US$4 each) and fresh Caesar or tuna salads. Note the collection of hot sauces displayed outside (with the warning not to disturb any!).
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Brick Oven Pizza
Always jammed with tourists, Brick Oven has developed a cult following. The brick-oven pies are tasty, but mainland aficionados might be underwhelmed. Ideal for vegetarians: a truly meatless combo piled with premium veggies and stock-free sauce.
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Bali Hai Restaurant
Another feast for your eyes awaits at this open-air dining room with a panoramic view of Hanalei Bay. For breakfast, go local with poi pancakes and taro hash browns. The dinner menu is heavy on seafood. Cheaper eats are served at Happy Talk Lounge.
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Hawaiian Blizzard
For the island's best shave ice, stop at the white van parked outside Big Save. Owner Aaron Furugen is the low-key guru of shave ice, perfecting the art since the 1980s. Kids flock here after school and neighborhood regulars hang out and talk story.
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Hanalei Gourmet
- Kaua'i, USA
- Restaurants › Deli
The best bets at this lively café-bar-deli are huge sandwiches on house-baked bread. The sit-down meals, from a sampler of lox-style local smoked fish to crunchy mac-nut fried chicken, are tasty and unpretentious, if more mainstream American than local.
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Ono Family Restaurant
Kaua'i's old-time diners take their omelets and pancakes seriously - and you can taste the results at Ono's, a fixture in Kapa'a. Choose from 18 types of omelet or opt for the incomparable tropical pancakes (from US$7 with bananas, macadamia nuts and coconut.
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Pizzetta (Koloa)
The setting is touristy (and most patrons are tourists), but the Italian fare is tasty and reasonable. Pizzas feature gourmet toppings such as fire-roasted veg and feta, with or without grilled chicken. On the run, try pizza by the slice (from 11:00 to 18:00).
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Monico's Taqueria
Hawaii is no hotbed of Mexican food so the piquantly authentic dishes made by a local girl and her Mexican husband are special indeed. Fish burritos and tacos feature the day's catch, while fresh guacamole and homemade red or green sauces awaken your tastebuds.
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Kaua'i Pasta (Lihu'e)
Locals prefer rice to pasta, but Kaua'i Pasta has proven popular. Colorful salads meld diverse flavors, such as peppery arugula, creamy goat cheese and sweet tomatoes. Hot foccacia sandwiches, classic pasta mains and luscious tiramisu are well made and generous.
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Naniwa
If you're stuck in Po'ipu with sushi cravings, your only option is Naniwa, which serves flawlessly fresh, impeccably presented, expensive Japanese cuisine. Two-piece nigiri average around US$11 and maki rolls start around US$12, but the combinations are creative.
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Mi Casita
The colorful mural and lively piped-in music add just the right atmosphere for the filling Mexican fare served at this cozy family-run restaurant. Standouts include the seafood lover's fajitas, with sautéed ono and tiger shrimp, and fresh fish tacos.
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Mema
Not the best, not the worst, Mema serves savory dishes that can be tailored to your meat-philic or meat-phobic preference: you choose either tofu, chicken, pork, beef, fish or shrimp. The stir-fried eggplant with basil and red chili with coconut milk are favorites.
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eb's EATS
For 'healthy gourmet' eats, both vegetarians and omnivores will find satisfaction at this casual counter with patio tables. Sandwiches are especially creative, eg oven-roasted turkey with pesto mayo and wild-mushroom meatloaf. Save room for scrumptious baked goodies.
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Papaya's Natural Foods
- Kaua'i, USA
- Restaurants › Deli
Find your typical unwashed, pierced and dreadlocked clientele here, at Kaua'i's biggest and best health-food store. Dishes from US$5, salad per lb around US$7. Stock up on bulk items, vitamins and supplements, organic produce (pricey), bottled water and deli fixings.
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Kalapaki Beach Hut
Sure, it's touristy. But this archetypal beachside café faces Kalapaki Beach and features big breakfasts, from egg-and-cheese sandwiches to tasty omelets sautéed with fresh ono. The fast-food lunch menu features belly-pleasing burgers and sandwiches.
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Kilauea Bakery & Pau Hana Pizza
Go early for the best selection of gooey mac-nut sticky buns, sourdough loaves, tropical Danish pastries, etc - they can sell out before noon. The pizza is rather bready, but features tasty toppings like smoked ono, Kilauea goat cheese and fresh sugarloaf pineapple.
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Lihu'e Barbecue Inn
Dark and deserted on the outside, the food and friendly service inside are a surprise. The menu is almost a book, with a wide selection (but inexplicably no real barbecue). Don't expect gourmet dining, but the fish dishes are delicious, especially the seared 'ahi salad.
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Polynesia Café (Kuhio Hwy)
It might resemble a typical touristy joint, but this is a step above. Its signature 'ahi (or tofu) plates are yummy and filling, and the breads and sauces are freshly house-made. The Asian-Hawaiian-Mexican menu might seem a random hodgepodge but, hey, they make it work.
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Café Portofino
If you cringe at white tablecloths, low lighting and live harpists, keep looking. Otherwise, the traditional Italian menu features fine pastas and lots of veal, such as house specialty osso buco (veal shank). The atmosphere is rather formal and kids are barely tolerated.
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Wrangler's Steakhouse
Hearty appetites will enjoy this cozy, ranch-style restaurant. Meat eaters should try the signature 'sizzling' New York-cut steak, juicy and prepared to your liking, while indecisive types can choose a main of Japanese tempura, teriyaki beef and sashimi. Vegetarians, keep looking.
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Savage Shrimp
If you're a fan of garlic and shrimp, find the white van parked on a grassy roadside patch near Koloa Landing for heaped plates of Brazilian-style shrimp cooked with garlic, coconut milk, cilantro and tomatoes. Be prepared for blazing sun and greasy fingers (the shrimp is unpeeled).
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