Founder of HawaiiGuide & certified travel expert with 20+ years of experience in Hawaii tourism.
Best Dining on Kauai
Kauai, known as the Garden Isle, offers lush landscapes and a dining experience rooted in the island’s abundant agricultural traditions and rich traditions. From quaint roadside food trucks to farm-fresh restaurants, Kauai serves a range of culinary delights that celebrate local ingredients and Hawaiian flavors.
Whether you’re craving fresh fish tacos, tropical fruit straight from the farmers’ market, or authentic plate lunches, Kauai’s dining scene will leave you satisfied and wanting more. Join us as we explore the island's best local eateries, hidden gems, and must-try food spots.
Lau lau on Kauai
If you find yourself in Lihue (a likely discovery if you’re visiting the Garden Island) you’ll absolutely want to visit Smiley’s Local Grinds. Visitors often mention the lau lau served here as being some of the island’s best - and what’s more, at 4100 Rice St, it’s just down the street from the self-explanatory Kauai Beer Company.
Smiley’s is open every weekday from 9 am to 8 pm.
Mixed Plate on Kauai
Mark is king when it comes to the mixed plate on the island of Kauai. Having received a fair amount of press over the years, this adored local spot is so known for plate lunch that it has its own signature, best-selling mixed plate, which comes with chicken katsu, teriyaki beef, and beef stew.
Mark’s Place has been in Lihue since 1998, when chefs Mark and Wendy Oyama founded it. The restaurant has been routinely listed among the best food places in Kauai, if not all, of Hawaii. Mark Oyama was recently inducted into the Hawaii Restaurant Hall Of Fame.
You’ll find Mark’s Place at 1610 Haleukana Street, open on weekdays from 11 AM to 6 PM.
Malasadas on Kauai
Believe it or not, the smallest and typically most rugged of the 4 main islands recently pulled off a David-and-Goliath-level upset. Lihue’s little local bake shop, the modestly-named Kauai Bakery, was voted this year by readers of Hawaii Magazine to have the best malasadas in the whole malasada-loaded state. This dealt a stunning defeat to the reigning champion, Leonard’s on Oahu, and has been repeatedly described by Hawaii Magazine as nothing short of a “dethroning.”
What more needs to be said about malasadas on Kauai, or where, on such a small island, you should probably get them?
Poke on Kauai
The most authentic local food originally was a food truck, but it has upgraded to a restaurant. Here you'll find some great poke.
On the island of Kauai, in the town of Poipu, you’ll find the Kauai Poke Company. Here is a source of fresh and beautifully prepared poke bowls and dishes. Scroll around their Instagram if you want to see some examples for yourself!
The restaurant is open daily, from 10 am to 3 pm. You’ll find it at 2250 Ainako St, Koloa, HI 96756
Shave Ice on Kauai
The island of Kauai is home to one of the most distinctly high-end shave ice experiences to be found anywhere in the state. Waikomo Shave Ice stands out from other Kauai shave ice shops for its use of all-natural ingredients. No artificial flavors, no artificial colors, and, best of all, served in a real coconut shell.
Find them at 2827 Poipu Rd in Koloa, open 12 pm to 5 pm.
Loco Moco on Kauai
On this smallest and typically more limited of the four main Hawaiian Islands, there seems to be something of a clear winner among general opinion.
Mark’s Place makes up for its uncreative title and currently down (but hopefully soon back up) website by serving what most seem to say is the best loco moco on the island. This is another very local, takeout-only spot on our list; you can find it in Lihue at 1610 Haleukana Street.
They also sell homemade cookies, an obvious upsell.
Additional Kauai
Dining Information
Be sure to also check out our local dining pages for Haupia Pie, the best authentic Poi, Saimin, and Manapua. Additional Kauai dining resources are included below.
