Southern Comforts: Good Eats

Raise your forks in the air because it's a food revolution! Here's to all the great grub that we have encountered over the years.

Poipu Dining & Grocers

A classic and beautiful restaurant to visit after a long day at the beach is Brennecke's Beach Broiler that is located on the second floor overlooking the beautiful Poipu Beach. Downstairs is a small business that sells handcrafted wind chimes and other outdoor decor. Located at 2100 Hoone Road, this is a great place for a romantic dinner overlooking the sunset.

Puka Dog is one of the favorite eateries on the island. Friendly to meat eaters and vegetarians alike, this unique hot dog stand is extremely popular with the locals and tourists alike so be prepared for a line but the end result is definitely worth the wait. Each hot dog is delicately placed in a blanket of dough and cooked to order. I have never been a fan of hot dogs but whenever I visit Kauai, I always find myself chowing down on a veggie dog or two. Puka Dog is located in the Poipu Shopping Center at 2360 Kiahuna Plantation Drive.

Line Forming Outside Puka Dog

Poipu Tropical Burgers is located adjacent to Puka Dog in the Poipu Shopping Center. While this restaurant has been slammed on Yelp, I stand firmly behind it as it offers a vegetarian friendly menu and creates a house made veggie burger.

Entrance to Poipu Tropical Burgers and Outside Dining Area

Kukui'ula Market is a vegetarian grocer that offers a limited selection of vegetarian and vegan foods. If you have any dietary restrictions, I would suggest swinging by this market as it (along with the Living Foods Market & Cafe in Koloa) are more likely to have the product(s) you are looking for. Located at 2827 Poipu Road next to Outfitters Kauai.

Koloa Dining & Grocers

Old Koloa Town 
Pizzetta is on the main stretch of Old Koloa Town and is one of the only Italian restaurants on the Island. It offers a relaxed atmosphere and you are more than likely to come across a couple of chickens or kittens while you eat your dinner on the terrace.

Inside Dining Area and Outside Terrace

Sueoka is a small grocer in the heart of Old Koloa Town that has an added feature- a small shack attached to the outside of the market that offers some of the Island's cheapest and ever so delicious eats. This is by far one of the secret hole in the walls on the island and is a must stop for a quick snack or an early lunch.

Street View of Sueoka

Snack Shop Located Outside Sueoka's

Koloa Fish Market is located at 5482 Koloa Road and is next to the Wine Shop. It is not in the same strip of stores in Old Koloa Road but is further up the road near the Post Office. If you are in the market for the freshest fish on the Island, take a stroll into the Fish Market but be warned that they do sell out quickly so don't expect much if you roll in the late afternoon.

Big Save is located at 5516 Koloa Road and is next to the Koloa Fish Market on the other end of Old Koloa Town. This is the nearest grocer to anyone staying in Poipu and is cheaper and has a greater selection than Living Foods, Sueoka's, or the Whaler's General Store. There is a hot foods section that offers fresh sushi (including spam musubi) and an in house Subway if you aren't looking for a sit down lunch or dinner.

The Wine Shop offers a selection of wines that are not sold in the other grocers or at Costco. The supply of the store is dependent on the shipment of wine so it is possible that they may be out of a certain wine for longer than anticipated. If you are looking for a specific wine, you may be able to request to have it shipped there rather than carrying on the plane with you.

Shops at Kukui'ula 
There are a couple Bubba Burger locations across Kauai (Kapa'a and Hanalei) and it has had rave reviews from locals and tourists alike. At Bubba's, the lettuce and tomatoes on their hamburgers are extra as they need to ship those veggies in from the mainland. You may want to forgo the extra ingredients as the lettuce and tomatoes aren't always as fresh and oh so delicious as those found on the mainland.

Greasing up the Ol' Arteries

Living Foods Market & Cafe is as close to a Whole Foods as you are going to get in Kauai. The beautiful shop offers organic, vegetarian, and vegan foods. There is also a made to order cafe in the market that offers flatbreads, sandwiches, desserts, and a cold bar.

Cafe Menu

Marketplace

Located in the parking lot of the Shops at Kukui'ula (just go with me on this), is the best food truck in Kauai- the Savage Shrimp Food Truck. Their menu includes tacos, salads, po-boys, and an amazing plate of garlic shrimp that makes for an amazing lunch after a day at the beach. Make sure to check out this food truck- you can thank me later. 

The Food Truck 

Garlic Shrimp 

Lihue Dining & Grocers

Kukui Grove Shopping Center 
Genki Sushi is a popular sushi chain in the Hawaiian island that charges sushi by the plate. I made the mistake of challenging my younger brother to see how many plates of sushi he could eat and my mom ended up paying the hefty price. Each plate of sushi or other Japanese appetizer is labeled as either yellow ($1.55), green ($2.30), red ($2.90), silver ($3.95), or black ($4.95). You can either pull sushi off of the conveyor belt that wraps around the restaurant or order from the waiters. Once you are finished, they tally up your plates and you are off.

Challenge Accepted

Sushi Conveyor Belt

I had my first sandwich from Deli & Bread Connection after a kayak and hiking adventure and couldn't believe how amazing it was- I convinced myself that I must have been so hungry that I imagined its superiority over all sandwiches. I went back and much to my surprise, the sandwiches really are that good!

Register at Deli & Bread Connection

If you have a sweet tooth, the Kauai Bakery is definitely for you! They offer a range of baked goods from cookies to malasadas (a delicacy that never lasts the night in our condo). They also offer the most amazing dessert that has ever touched my lips- the guava chiffon cake. It's fluffy and airy deliciousness has yet to be matched.

Some of Kauai Bakery's Treats

Times Supermarket is the Lihue supermarket for those without a Costco membership and unwilling to travel to Walmart. It has a great hot bar that varies from Italian to Hawaiian and they used to grill up meats in the parking lot although I am not sure if they still do so.

Duke's Kauai is a relaxed restaurant located at 3610 Rice Street near the Nawiliwili Bay in Lihue. Duke's overlooks the ocean and while you wait for a table you can walk 200 feet to the ocean and let the ocean waves crash against your legs.

Entrance to Duke's 

Duke's at Night

Hamura's Saimin is one of the best kept secrets in Kauai. It is located at 2956 Kress Street in Lihue and is a bit difficult to find but if you have a smart phone or Siri, you will be fine. The small restaurant churns out the most delicious saimin, udon, and ramen that you will ever experience.

Food Nirvana Awaits

For those of you with rum cravings, head on over to the award winning Koloa Rum Company that surprisingly is not located in Koloa but rather is in Lihue. Located near the Kauai Community College, the Koloa Rum Company offers its visitors to sample their wonderful alcoholic bounty in their tasting room that is located on the Historic Kilohana Plantation. The tasting room hours vary but each tasting occurs every half an hour during the designated tasting hours. If you fall in love with their oh so delicious rum, you can purchase some of their liquid gold at their store, which is also located on the Kilohana Plantation. The Koloa Rum Company is located at 3-2087 Kaumualii Highway. 

Variations of Koloa Rum: White,Gold, Spice, and Dark

Tasting Room