Hawaiʻi Eats · island
Kauaʻi restaurants
334 restaurants, cafés, bars and bakeries on Kauaʻi, across 15 towns, including 4 plate lunch spots, 2 poke counters and fish markets, 2 saimin spots, 2 shave ice stands, 2 bakeries, 2 Hawaiian food and okazuya spots, 1 James Beard honoree and the oldest restaurants (back to 1952) from our hand-checked lists.
Plate lunch & drive-ins on Kauaʻi
By town. Each one was read against a 2025–26 menu or news story in October 2026. Every island: 19 plate lunch spots in Hawaii.
Hanalei Taro & Juice Co.
5-5070 Kūhiō Hwy, Hanalei
Plate lunchHawaiian food On the menu: poi, taro mac salad, lomi lomi salmon, kalua pig plate
A food stand founded in 2000 by the Haraguchi family, whose farm has grown kalo in Hanalei since the 1920s.
Kīlauea Fish Market
4270 Kilauea Rd, Kīlauea
Plate lunchPoke On the menu: poke bowls, ʻahi wraps, Korean barbecue chicken
A family-run fish market and grill in the Kīlauea Plantation Center that has served food since 2004.
Kōloa Fish Market
3390 Poipu Rd, Kōloa
Plate lunchPokeHawaiian food On the menu: poke bowls, plate lunches, kalua pig, lau lau
A Kōloa Town fish counter for poke, fresh fish and plate lunches.
Mark's Place
1610 Haleukana St, Līhuʻe
Plate lunch On the menu: mixed plate, chicken katsu, teriyaki beef, beef stew
Chef Mark Oyama's Līhuʻe takeout counter for plate lunches and bentos, open since 1998.
Poke on Kauaʻi
By town. Each one was read against a 2025–26 menu or news story in October 2026. Every island: 13 poke counters and fish markets in Hawaii.
Kīlauea Fish Market
4270 Kilauea Rd, Kīlauea
Plate lunchPoke On the menu: poke bowls, ʻahi wraps, Korean barbecue chicken
A family-run fish market and grill in the Kīlauea Plantation Center that has served food since 2004.
Kōloa Fish Market
3390 Poipu Rd, Kōloa
Plate lunchPokeHawaiian food On the menu: poke bowls, plate lunches, kalua pig, lau lau
A Kōloa Town fish counter for poke, fresh fish and plate lunches.
Saimin on Kauaʻi
By town. Each one was read against a 2025–26 menu or news story in October 2026. Every island: 7 saimin spots in Hawaii.
Hamura Saimin
2956 Kress St, Līhuʻe
America's ClassicSaimin On the menu: saimin, barbecue sticks, lilikoʻi chiffon pie · Since 1952
A Līhuʻe saimin stand open since 1952 that still operates out of the same wooden building on Kress Street.
Tip Top Motel, Café & Bakery
3173 Akahi St, Līhuʻe
SaiminMalasadas On the menu: oxtail soup, pancakes, saimin, hamburger steak
A Līhuʻe café, bakery and motel known for oxtail soup and pancakes; the business dates to 1916 and moved to its current spot later.
Shave ice on Kauaʻi
By town. Each one was read against a 2025–26 menu or news story in October 2026. Every island: 5 shave ice stands in Hawaii.
Wailua Shave Ice
4-831 Kuhio Hwy, Kapaʻa
Shave ice On the menu: shave ice
A Kapaʻa shave ice shop.
JoJo's Shave Ice
9734 Kaumualii Hwy, Waimea (Kauaʻi)
Shave ice On the menu: shave ice with house-made syrups
A Kauaʻi shave ice shop serving since 1992, with house-made cane-sugar syrups.
Malasadas & bakeries on Kauaʻi
By town. Each one was read against a 2025–26 menu or news story in October 2026. Every island: 12 bakeries in Hawaii.
Kauaʻi Bakery
3-2600 Kaumualii Hwy, Līhuʻe
Malasadas On the menu: malasadas
A Līhuʻe bakery (Suite 1526) known for its malasadas.
Tip Top Motel, Café & Bakery
3173 Akahi St, Līhuʻe
SaiminMalasadas On the menu: oxtail soup, pancakes, saimin, hamburger steak
A Līhuʻe café, bakery and motel known for oxtail soup and pancakes; the business dates to 1916 and moved to its current spot later.
Hawaiian food & okazuya on Kauaʻi
By town. Each one was read against a 2025–26 menu or news story in October 2026. Every island: 10 Hawaiian food and okazuya spots in Hawaii.
Hanalei Taro & Juice Co.
5-5070 Kūhiō Hwy, Hanalei
Plate lunchHawaiian food On the menu: poi, taro mac salad, lomi lomi salmon, kalua pig plate
A food stand founded in 2000 by the Haraguchi family, whose farm has grown kalo in Hanalei since the 1920s.
Kōloa Fish Market
3390 Poipu Rd, Kōloa
Plate lunchPokeHawaiian food On the menu: poke bowls, plate lunches, kalua pig, lau lau
A Kōloa Town fish counter for poke, fresh fish and plate lunches.
James Beard honorees on Kauaʻi
Honors the James Beard Foundation gave, from semifinalist up to winner and America's Classic. They're facts, not ratings. Every island: 6 Hawaii James Beard honorees.
Hamura Saimin
2956 Kress St, Līhuʻe
America's ClassicSaimin On the menu: saimin, barbecue sticks, lilikoʻi chiffon pie · Since 1952
A Līhuʻe saimin stand open since 1952 that still operates out of the same wooden building on Kress Street.
James Beard: America's Classics 2006
Oldest restaurants on Kauaʻi
Oldest first, each dated at the address it has now from its own account or a published history; the note under each one names the source. Every island: Hawaii's oldest restaurants.
Hamura Saimin
2956 Kress St, Līhuʻe
America's ClassicSaimin On the menu: saimin, barbecue sticks, lilikoʻi chiffon pie · Since 1952
A Līhuʻe saimin stand open since 1952 that still operates out of the same wooden building on Kress Street.
Opened in 1952 (Onolicious Hawaiʻi); Civil Beat (Feb 2026) says it still operates out of the same wooden building on Kress Street.
Towns on Kauaʻi
Where Kauaʻi's places to eat cluster, counted from open map data. Town pages: Līhuʻe, Kapaʻa, Kōloa.
| Town | Places to eat |
|---|---|
| Līhuʻe | 97 |
| Kapaʻa | 83 |
| Kōloa | 52 |
| Hanalei | 28 |
| Waimea (Kauaʻi) | 13 |
| ʻEleʻele | 12 |
| Kīlauea | 11 |
| Princeville | 11 |
| Hanapēpē | 11 |
| Kalāheo | 8 |
| Anahola | 3 |
| Keālia | 2 |
Health inspections on Kauaʻi
The Hawaii State Department of Health, Food Safety Branch inspects restaurants on Kauaʻi, as on every island, and posts a green, yellow or red placard at the door. It publishes results one search at a time, not in bulk, so Hawaiʻi Eats shows none.