Where to eat: the 13 best restaurants in Hanapepe

We really liked this restaurant! We started with a special roll and two sashimi dishes everything was wonderful. They have outdoor seating with music, which made for a great atmosphere. Service was fast and very good. There are a few parking spots on the street, and they have happy hour from 3 to 5 with discounts on some drinks and rolls. Great spot

This was our first meal after landing in Kauai and it did NOT disappoint! All of the food was delicious from the karaage which was so tender with a delicious eel sauce to the golden dragon sushi role to the crispy rice appetizer. Our cocktails were amazing and tasted so fresh as well, plus we got to hang out with a local stray cat who came up to us for pets! I can't recommend this place more highly! Pro tip, they will cover the cost of your meal if you adopt the stray cat haha!

The atmosphere here is wonderful! There’s live music, a cozy patio in the back and nice lighting. The food, especially the poke, is fresh and delicious. The Chicken Karaage is also really tender and pairs well with its sauce. Highly recommend coming, just the food is a little pricey.

Even though they were very busy, we had multiple people check on us to make sure we had everything we needed. The patio was spacious and live music was nice. The food was fresh and my matcha cocktail was unique, refreshing and absolutely delicious. What we will remember the most is our lovely server going above and beyond! She also helped us with menu recommendations and other recommendations for our trip.

A wonderful local restaurant with garden dining in historic Hanapepe. Went for happy hour and got seated right away. Everything was delicious but we thought their $45 sashimi bento was too steep for the small amount we got. Other than that it was ono and will be back!

We had reservations for 6 and arrived early. The hostess was kind enough to accommodate our early arrival and sat us right away. We ordered a variety of menu items - rolls, specials, soup, sashimi and more. Appetizers were delivered to table in two waves. The entree items were staggered and quite delayed - one person in our party ended up eating alone because her roll came so late. We had no service - any requests or follow up were because we had to request our missing items. Same with our check - we had to ask and we waited 15 Minutes and had to track someone down. 20% gratuity automatically added🙁 food was average - nothing stood out and was exceptional. Perhaps we caught them on a night when they were short staffed in kitchen and wait staff?

Incredible chill spot to wind down the day with the wife. If you're looking for a chill local joint and love authentic Japanese, look no further. This is the place!

We have a split decision! I loved my Chicken Cutlet Plate. Whatever the sauce was that was on the chicken was delicious. The chicken was juicy and tender. The portion was generous. My wife got the Pork Sandwich. They put mayo on the bottom bun, then the BBQ pork, then lettuce and tomato, then another slather of mayo. I have never heard of putting mayo on a hot BBQ sandwich. It took away the flavor of the pork. The location has no air conditioning. Your two choices are to sit inside and sweat or eat outside with the flies.

Local spot for great plate lunches. Got the #11 and #5. #11 with Korean Fried Chicken, Teriyaki Steak and Fried Saimin and Rice and #5 chicken katsu, hamburger steak, pulled pork, mac salad and rice. Both were crazy tasty and portions are massive. Small little counter ordering place but the food is bomb.

If you’re looking for a local Hawaiian meal this is it! We got the #11 Korean Chicken and Teri Beef. I really loved the Fried Saimin as a side.

This was our first plated lunch on our way back from Waimea! We really enjoyed the Korean fried chicken plate and my fiancé, who never likes pasta salad, loved the Mac salad here. We shared a portion and it was a great size for us. The staff was extremely friendly and we enjoyed lunch here.

This is da spot. #4 surf n turf combo. Best teri beef I've ever had. Big portion too. Mahalo 🤙

We love finding local places to eat like this one. Cindy made it fun and she made some great suggestions. BBQ pork so tender it melts in your mouth. Korean chicken was juicy & flavorful. Its kind of off the main road but google will get you there. Portions were more than ample. I'm a big eater. On our next trip Bobby's will be on the list.

Stopped in this smaller town to shop on a Monday. Only a few restaurants were open, so we were told Bobbie's was nearby and open Ordered a Bobbie burger with fries and a teriyaki chicken plate with all green salad. We were told it would take about 20 minutes until we received the order, that it was prepared after it was ordered. Sat at one of the indoor dining tables, they did have several seats outside along the front of the building. Cashier brought us our entrees, with napkin and plastic silverware to eat it with. The burger was just fair and a bit overdone. French fries were a good-sized portion but not very flavorful. My teriyaki chicken was generous in portion size, and it was very hot in temperature. Had a nice amount of teriyaki sauce on it. Green salad had 2 dressing packets with romaine salad and some shredded carrots. I found that the chicken was difficult to chew, and had fat throughout most of the pieces. I wasn't sure if it was thigh meat or breast? The salad had a lot of brown on the leaves and wasn't very fresh looking... the Ceasar salad dressing helped with this a bit. Other patrons in the restaurant said that their meals were good, but they had ordered different entrees from ours, which included rice or the mac salad. Maybe we just didn't order Bobbie's specialty entrees that they're known for. No restrooms are available to use as patrons, and you bus your table when you leave, and place in trash or recycle cans out front.

The wait staff are friendly. Gave us the catch of the day option. We ordered the catch of the day Ono which made for a really fresh fish and chips. We also ordered the garlic shrimp which was an appetizer but they gave me a side of rice to make it a shrimp plate. Both dishes were very good and fresh. Recommend coming here for a visit.

Fresh seafood daily, and really kind and attentive service. Wife and I went here for the sunset view. Unfortunately, the seating is not exactly oriented and the view isn't ideal for sunsets. We still had an amazing meal at a much more affordable price than the restaurants near the resorts. Plus there is live music across the street on the weekend. Highly recommend!

Great spot for fresh fish & chips, poke nachos, or fish wraps! Excellent friendly service and a decent view of the Port Allen waterfront. We stayed around to watch an MLB playoffs game (Go Ms 🔱🤙) so we ran up more of a tab than most groups likely would.

Wow. Not many places get steak right, but so ono! Literally one of our fave spots across the islands. We had their specials and couldn’t have asked for anything better. Portions were huge and so delicious! Can’t recommend it enough 🤤

Great waitress. Very knowledgeable about the menu and allergy aware. Generous drinks and food portions.

Food was awesome and our waitress was great!! She was very sweet.

Great place to try authentic local food. The poke is fresh and made with fish caught by local fishermen.

MCS is the place to go if you’re in Hanapēpē, Kaua’i! The service and staff there is amazing! Mindy and I became friends after my several lunch visits. I would tell her to surprise me, in other words pick something I would eat, since I came there a lot. They have a good amount of vegetarian options! I tried all of them! If you’re looking for something heavy on a cloudy day get the Vegetarian Loco Moco with gray! Don’t forget their Mac salad and desserts! Want a quick Appetizer? Go with their Vegetarian Trio! Don’t forget to try their salads! My favorite was their Harvest Salad!

Stopped here on recommendation of coworkers to pick up dinner. Staff was friendly and helpful. My fried chicken (no sauce) and fried saimin plate was delicious and filling. Also bought pumpkin crunch and Okinawan Sweet potato crunch for dessert but I can't review them since I'm still too full from dinner!

We had the Steamed White Clam for an appetizer. For entrees, I had the Kauai Shrimp Scampi and the wife had the steak special. Can't recall the dish name as it wasn't on the menu. All 3 dishes were amazing especially compared to the restaurants at the resort. The only bad thing was we tried to go back on a Saturday but according to the listed hours on Google they're closed on weekends.

MCS is a great hidden gem. The food had great flavors and the meats were perfectly cooked. The pork belly special was perfectly seasoned. The mahi mahi sandwich was crispy and fresh. And the crispy chicken was super juicy. Bonus: the lilikoi chiffon cheesecake was an enormous portion

Absolutely by far one of the best if not the best meals I've had since landing on the island. Forget the beach clubs and the lava lava and all that other nonsense, THIS is where you need to go. I had the coconut shrimp and the MCS platter with the Hawaiian chili chicken and wow. I would eat here every day. The atmosphere is very casual, very local, very Hawaiian. Something I've been missing since I landed. Everywhere I've been on the island so far has been very...west coast, very California. No locals, nothing local being sold, no locals selling anything, but FINALLY I found real Hawaii on Kauai. Mahalo for the ono grindz. I WILL be back.

We got the MCS Combo (Hawaiian chili peppa fried chicken, teri fried chicken or plain fried chicken with fried saimin). Wife got the triple combo (had a steak, but meat was not as tender as she would have liked). Kids got nuggets and fries and Mac n cheese. Mother in law got a cheeseburger with onion rings. Food was really good. They have a fountain soda machine also. Would definitely come again.

We found it by accident, and what a great lunch! Be sure to try the local deserts.

A must stop if you’re on Kauai. Some of the best Chinese food I have ever had. This nondescript place is on the main highway between Lihue and Waimea Canyon. Go to the canyon in the morning to beat the heat and the crowds and on your way back stop here for lunch. Great portions for a good price and did I mention the pie for dessert?!?!?! You can’t go wrong. A local recommended it and they were spot on. Enjoy. Mahalo.

The katsu and meat jun were delicious. We came here though for the lilikoi pie since they advertised it so prominently on their restaurant sign, and were super excited to take a whole one home. I am sad to report however that it was extremely lacking ANY lilikoi flavor. I genuinely thought we may have received the wrong pie, but after reading other reviews, I am saddened to realize it was indeed just a subpar lilikoi pie. Crust was great! But I wish we hadn’t bought an entire bland pie. Next time, we shall just come for the non-dessert food.

We had hiked all day and were starving...found this restaurant and stopped in without checking any reviews. I ordered the Special Portugues Ulu Soup and was blown away! One of the best meals I had on the island. Came back a couple of days later and ordered the 2-meat special of Sea Bass and Orange Chicken. Not at all disappointed. If you want real local food, stop here. Great food, excellent prices, and wonderful service!

Some really good Chinese! The wontons and pork were very good. There's also a deli inside that has burgers. The Terri burger was very good and juicy. The baked good are also great.

Very long to get my food. Paid by weight on ala carte item, small choice cost me $39.48! Didn't make sense I could of just gotten a plate lunch with rice and 2 choice of the same item for $16.50?? Food was mediocre, noodles tasted spoiled. Not going back here for sure! I spent almost $80 for 3 items! Not happy at all.

When I'm working on Kauai and craving for some good Chinese food... Wong's is my go to place... Don't forget about their pie's... I definitely recommend stopping by Wong's... The entire staff will be more then happy to take care of you... Stay safe and blessed everyone... 🤙🏾🤙🏾🤙🏾

One time was enough for me not to go back! I did a pick-up order when I was on the island, and when I got the food, it was already cold. The veggies didn’t have any taste, and the lady got an attitude when I asked for the receipt. She mumbled something like “it’s going to get thrown away anyway”.

The coziest place we’ve ate on our trip. My Wife ordered a Waffle special and it was like dessert for breakfast. I ordered a Loco Moco (first time trying) and IMO better than a Salisbury Steak (closest thing I could compare to). Loved the service and atmosphere Also the name of the restaurant is a funny easter egg if you’re Japanese🤣

This is my favorite breakfast place to go to on the island. The staff makes you part of their Ohana. Sharon is an absolute sweetheart and the entire family there are so friendly and genuinely amazing people. My usual order of Hunter’s is a slam dunk on portion and it has so much food, but it tastes so good. Their loco moco is really good too! If you’re on the west side of the island, Unko’s Kitchen is a must visit. You won’t regret it!

We loved our visit to Unko’s! Food was great, wonderful place for local Hawaiian cuisine. Great value too — portions were very generous! The restaurant staff were all incredibly nice and helpful. Our waitress helped us navigate the menu and we eventually landed on the Bento Box, which had a little bit of everything!

You better bring an extra stomach! Absolutely amazing food! A great family owned local place to eat and relax. The staff was extremely nice, the portion of food is huge and the price perfect. I wish i had an extra day on the island just to eat there again. It all tasted so great. Would give this place 10 stars of i could.

Great example of local Hawaiian food. Hearty, plentiful, and served with care. Don't expect fancy linens or the attitude that often comes with them. Expect to be well satisfied and smiling when you leave. Looking forward to returning ASAP.

We live on the east side and this was the first time we ate here. Can't wait to go back. The grinds we had was really good. The breading on the chicken cutlet is one of the best I ever had.

My wife almost cried tears of joy when she tasted their homemade gravy. It’s legit

PHENOMENAL!!! Definitely must stop and have Fresh Fish Tacos on the Beach!! Will be looking for this food truck again on our Vacation!! MAHALO 😋

The fish tacos are absolutely wonderful. He had just made the guacamole and gave us a test taste and it was awesome. You can tell that he takes pride in what he does infact I walked all the way back to the truck and let him know how great it was. Out of all the restaurants we have been to I would recommend this food truck above any other establishment. We discovered this truck at Salt Pond Beach but if it's not there find out where it is. You won't regret it.

Rafael's tacos are the real deal. We have been searching for amazing tacos in Kauai and finally found them! Go eat his tacos! My husband had the El Pastor tacos and loves heat so Rafael made a habenero/onion mixture which delivered. The pork was browned, crispy, salty goodness. My grilled Ono tacos with tomatillo salsa and habanero mixture were delicious. When we went back to thank him he had his green secret sauce ready (which he usually puts on the Ono tacos) and let us taste it......I can only imagine the next level the Ono tacos would have been with his green sauce. He also made delicious fresh guacamole for us with which we topped the tacos. Rafael was very friendly, go say Aloha!

Best fish tacos on West side by far! CAVEAT: The young chef is the good one. If they don’t have his special homemade cilantro sauce for fish tacos results not as good!!! When the younger chef is there this food rivals Porkys as best food truck on island! Try huevos rancheros!! Unassuming location at Salt Pond. If you decided against this place a year ago, try it again, vast improvement!!

Rafael makes some of the best fish tacos on Kauai! The steak and chicken ones are great too. Excellent prices, and a really nice guy, perfect place for lunch after a swim.

The BEST tacos /burritos EVER! A must try if you are visiting the island. The breakfast burritos are amazing if you have a chance to catch them at the farmers market. Their food is my favorite thing I've had on the island!

Absolutely the best tacos de Carne Asada I’ve eaten. The meat is juicy, moist, and has that great grilled blacked outside. The chefs are great to talk with and for the next 6 days I will come by daily to get 4 tacos. Simply Devine!

Was leaning towards 3 stars, but the food is good - which obviously is the primary factor. The Ono (Wahoo) was quite tasty, but the waitress did not ask whether I wanted it with potatoes or pasta (it came with potatoes). Service is indifferent; the bread was bland (this almost caused me to lean towards 3 stars - especially since there is a bakery next door). It was missing the aloha spirit - I felt more a customer than a guest.

Update- they are now permanently closed. Very disappointing. It was a hidden treasurer of a restaurant. Their sauces taste like they are made from scratch and cooked for hours. Very authentic. Prices were better than expected for Hawaii, in fact very reasonable. I had seafood pasta to kill for. Better than anywhere else including the Paris in Las Vegas.

Food was delicious. Fish sandwich was to die for. We waited too long for water refills though. The cups are too small so the waiter has to refill a lot and if it's busy you'll be waiting a while.

My wife and I walked by on our way to another place and saw a plate of pasta another couple was enjoying and they raved about it. We changed plans and now we rave about it. Simple delicious Italian food. Fair price, great food.

Great food at a great price for lunch!! Surprisingly great fish and shrimp tacos, as well as fish and chips. I will definitely be back and would recommend to anyone.

First time won't be our last!!! One point off for being so warm. Ono picata was very good. Rib eye was top notch.

Flavorable food at a decent price. Menu is family oriented. Dinner menu has more traditional Italian offerings.

Favorite plate lunch on the island! The poke was so fresh and flavorful. Even better the price was great! I’ve never found a better deal in all of Hawaii for food I’ve like this much. If you’re looking for and authentic Hawaiian meal this place is a must try!

Last day on the island and my family wanted to eat local Hawaiian food. Their pork is so tender and juicy and fresh raw poke was delicious. Good Hawaiian food. Cash only though.

Really loved the lau lau Kalua pork dish that we ate. Pleasant stop on our trip! Owners are extremely nice! Aloha! 🤙

Great price/value, delicious fish :)

Amazing poke! Cash only.

Fresh and tasty. Friendly service..

Great food

There are sandwiches and then there are Caba Sandwiches. Very fresh. Blend of flavours amazing. Had the Chicken Salad with side salad (dressing amazing). Mrs had the Turkey and Avocado with chips. Very tasty as well. Owner lady very friendly 😎 Nice cozy outdoor picnic table area. Will be back 😊

Delicious sandwiches with cute little outdoor set up to sit at. They made sure to ask lots of questions so they could make our kids sandwiches the way they like them. Wonderful place!

Our turkey avocado sandwiches were really good!!! The tropical fruit bowl really did have tropical fruit in it, and everything was made fresh and with care! My son wanted the keiki turkey sandwich and she didn’t mind making it plain just for him! Beautiful presentation. Highly recommend!!! The service was awesome!

I had the Swinging Bridge lemonade and a Turkey Avocado sandwich. The lemonade comes with Lilikoi whip which I expected to be like whipped cream. It was more like butter and was amazing! The sandwich was super fresh and loaded with shredded carrots, cucumber slices and cabbage. It was excellent and I felt better about eating it than anything I’ve had in recent memory.

Sonya and her sandwiches are, simply put, awesome. The ingredients are super fresh, her kitchen is Michelin-level clean, and the sandwiches are delicious. The ambiance is cute and Sonya is a great conversationalist. She is a trained and thoroughly educated chef and sommelier. She gave us lots of personalized recommendations for our trip and even threw in some extra organic fruit. Cannot recommend highly enough.

The sweet woman working - who I think owned the truck was seriously so kind & knowledgeable. We asked her about the fruit in the fruit bowls because it was so delicious. She told us she locally sources all of the fruit & makes it to order! She took the time to inform & explain to us about the different fruit, where it comes from, how it grows etc. just such a knowledgeable & friendly person. 10/10 recommend. 💛

Omg!! Freshest yummiest sandwiches & fruit bowls EVER!! You will be back again & again!! Can’t stop craving the egg salad sandwich with all those fresh veggies! Top notch! Favorite on the island hands down!!

We stopped by for lunch on our way to Waimea Canyon. They were very friendly and made us feel welcome. We ordered some poke and garlic shrimp. Everything tasted so good. There’s outdoor seating, and they give you a buzzer to let you know when your order is ready. This is an awesome family operated business.

We just tried it, by far they have amazing tasting poke, the staff is so full of Aloha you know that your dealing with local owners who knows how to treat people, warmest atmosphere. We will be back to get more poke and plate lunches next. I Highly Recommend This Place! Definitely our new go to place 100%. Thanks for the amazing taste in everything you make.

Delicious unagi and spicy poke. The kimchi fried rice had this great garlicky flavor to it as well.

Best poke bowl we had on Kauai, and also the biggest portions and the cheapest. The owner is also super friendly. Great stop for us twice :-)

Absolutely delicious! This place deserves way more attention and customers. Do yourself a favor and stop by for some ahi and poke. Cute small family-owned place, love the vibe, and super helpful and kind :)

Great local poke place. Go here! Friendly staff and fair price - not as tourist-centric. Such great poke (from a local)

Perfect place to stop for fresh poke on our way back from Waimea. There are a few parking spots and picnic tables. The pole was delicious, I had the spicy over furikake rice. The staff said they usually have fresh cuts of fish as well, for cooking, but we stopped later in the day and they were out.