Casual dining in Kauai

Hello all...we are staying on the North Shore for a week in Kauai next week. We will probably want to go out for dinner to a ';nice'; place only once, preferring casual meals to fancy (any suggestions on a fancy place??)

Does anyone have any suggestions on places to go to get good relatively inexpensive meals? We like going to new places and we eat seafood and meat and pasta equally...not really picky eaters!! Also, suggestions on inexpensive places for Happy Hour?? Brunch?

thanks!

Lisa

Casual dining in Kauai

There are some good and cute places in Hanalei, just past Princeville on the North Shore. I had killer nachos at one restaurant/bar, but at the moment it%26#39;s name is escaping me (although it is right on the main street).

Casual dining in Kauai

Lucky you - the North shore!

The town of Hanalei has some wonderful food - our most favorite was Zelo%26#39;s Beach house - generous portions, very reasonable. My fav was their fish burrito. Also a drink called a Wicked Wahine. :) Another great place is Neide%26#39;s Salsa and Samba - Brazillian and Mexican food.

Also, try the green Van as you enter town for their Shave Ice - my fav was the Hanalei sunset w/macadamia ice cream. They are only open until about 5, so it%26#39;s great to hit after the beach, before dinner.

For fancy dinner out, you can drive just about anywhere on the island in under an hour, so that could be a real special occasion. There is an excellent Italian restaurant in Kalaheo - small town on the way to the Waimea canyon. Lemongrass and Coconuts in Kapaa is good, also.

An excellent book is Kauai Revealed - they rate the dining in Kauai very well - usually right on the money.

Didn%26#39;t have breakfast out often - best thing would be to buy fresh fruit on your way to the North shore - their is a little market in Kapaa. Try the tiny bananas - wonderful!

Have a great trip! :)

Not really on the North shore, but on the way is Dwaynes Ono Burger, which was really quite good. I had planned on checking out Bubba%26#39;s Burgers, but didn%26#39;t get a chance this time!

For breakfast in Kapaa, try the Kountry Kitchen. A little old style diner that makes good, reasonably priced breakfasts, many include juice or coffee with the meal. I especially liked the Special Omlette (kalua pig, cheese and spinach!) with hashbrowns or rice, toast and coffee was about $8.99

Aloha :-)

Dan

Do you like sushi ? If so Genki sushi in Kukio Grove shopping center is pretty good. Nothing fancy at all and very casual. You sit at the table while a conveyor belt brings the plates to you. Pick the sushi you like off the belt and when you check out you pay for just the plates you eat. They will also make you special rolls to order if you ask.

Alan

Korean BBQ in Kinipopo was cheap, filling and good.

We also love Zelo%26#39;s. Fancy up north?......we like Cafe Hanalei.

We also visit Hanalei Mixed Plate several times during our visit....good grinds and cheap.

Foodland believe it or not has a great deli for a quick lunch on the way to the beach.

If your around Poipu and are starved for Mexican.....try Tacqueria Nortenos....huge portions and very cheap.

Have fun, Harry

I am very fond of Zelo%26#39;s too, love their Pina Coladas (always feel they don%26#39;t short the rum), happy to do a burger or mahi mahi sandwich, cool off, and watch the tourist parade from the deck. Like the Polynesian Cafe just next door as well, a lot. Similarly, I enjoy the tremendous view of Hanalei Bay and a burger or mahi mahi at the Hanalei Bay Resort restaurant right next to the Bali Hai Restaurant. The Bali Hai is more expensive and I have never dined there.

I have heard and read good reviews for the Hanalei Dolphin restaurant that I think is a little more expensive than the ones I have mentioned here.

There is a sushi maker at the Hanalei Foodland. I pick up some spicy California rolls and drive down to the bay, walk way out to the end of the picturesque pier, kick my feet over the edge and nibble my sushi. There is a ';Subway'; in Foodland as well, always handy for a spontaneous picnic and to rehydrate after a long day in the sun.

Mostly do breakfast in Kapaa at Kountry Kitchen or Ono Family Restaurant and sometimes Eggbert%26#39;s in the Coconut Marketplace. Really down home and budget is the Wailua Marina Restaurant right on the river and on the road that leads to Smith%26#39;s Polynesian Luau. Coming from the North, it is the first right after the Wailua river and traffic signal.

Good Italian at the Cafe Portofino.

If you are over in the Poipu area you will enjoy Brennecke%26#39;s. Sit on the 2nd floor deck overlooking the beach and, again, menu has burgers, fish and shrimp.

Fancier for my budget is ';Coconuts'; in Kapaa. Love the ambience, atmosphere, and wasabi crusted ahi!

Note: Dan in Santa Rosa...did you just want to go to Bubba%26#39;s for the experience? It was three strikes and out for me between the Kapaa and Hanalei sites.

I%26#39;d like to repeat the suggestion for Zelo%26#39;s Beach House in Hanalei. Very good food and reasonably priced (there really are no dining bargains on Kauai). Polynesia Cafe is quite good as well and even more reasonably priced. They have a good breakfast menu as well as lunch and dinner. 3 egg omlette for $6.95 including bkfst potatoes and toast.

For a high-end dinner, everything at the Princeville Hotel is great, though we only ate lunch on the beach (which was excellent). The view is outstanding! I can also recommend Cafe Portofino, though it is at the Marriott in Lihue.

If you are in Lihue and want Mexican, Ricardos (in 2nd floor of shopping plaza across from Marriott) was quite good and very reasonable.

Unfortunately, we listened to the many recommendations for Duane%26#39;s Ono Burgers. Poor ambiance, way overpriced, and the burgers are small and average at best. If you want a great burger, try the one at Zelos!

Also if you make it to Hilo Hatties (in Lihue), ask for one of their coupon sheets at the register. It included several buy-one get-one offers including Polynesia Cafe.

Congrats on choosing the north shore. You will love it!! We never minded the drive to the rest of the island because we always got to go ';home'; up north.

Along with everyone else%26#39;s good suggestions, I%26#39;d like to mention The Shack, again, in Kapaa. They have early bird specials---meals as well as drinks. I got a very good steak one night for about $10---not bad anywhere, not just for Kauai!

Lisa...you asked about ';happy hour';. Near your lodging I think, is the Hanalei Gourmet with a HH from 3:30 to 6:30. The Princeville Resort advertises a Sunday brunch, but I do not know the name of the restaurant and have never been there.

In my earlier post I mentioned Zelo%26#39;s as one of my favorites, but forgot to add that they have HH too.

I forgot to mention a sleeper and that is ';Mark%26#39;s Place'; in Puhi. Turn left when you see Kauai Community College. Puhi is a mile or so from Kukui Grove shopping center.

Lisa, if you have never visited the islands before I want to say at each airport you can pick up all sorts of tourist guides. There are Kauai dining guides for each side of the island. Those will detail answers to the questions you have pose regarding location, price, hours, brunches, happy hours, etc. But, you NEED US to let you know which are two thumbs up and which are not. The Kauai phonebook actually has printed a number of menus in the Yellow Pages!

At the airport tourist guides are stacked in the kiosks in baggage claim as well as the entrance lobby. Your hotel will have some, but you will find the greatest number at the airport.