With our condo having a full-size kitchen we saved some money by eating in. But when we did go out we stuck with a couple of our favorite restaurants on Kauai. The main draw of these places was the Mai Tai’s and happy hours.
This one was my favorite. It is known for having the coldest beers on the island. A nice cool beer fresh from the tap is exactly what we needed after driving all around the island. And Hawaii has some of the most delicious fruit infused beer, whatever tropical fruit you can think of they probably make it at Kona Brewing. We stopped here a few times for dinner and drinks. It is an inviting atmosphere where vacationers and locals come together.
We chose to eat at the Beach House because of the ocean view. When in Hawaii you want to look at the ocean as much as possible. This place has a nice variety of food that is decently priced with great service.
My parents went to Kauai on their honeymoon 27 years ago. One of the things they remembered from their trip was this bar on Poipou beach, the only bar on the beach, with the best Mai Tai’s. The food is priced well and is your typical ocean bar and grill spread with fresh caught fish, burgers, and sandwiches.
Dukes is a little bit fancier of a restaurant with a great outdoor patio. The food here is excellent. I had the fresh fish of the day crusted in mac nut, parmesan, panko and herbs with a lemon caper butter sauce. The hula pie for dessert is a staple here, it is made of a chocolate cookie crust, macadamia nut ice cream, topped with hot fudge, toasted nuts, and whipped cream. The slice of pie is big enough to share with everyone at the table.
Joes on The Green
Now closed, but has reopened and is now called the Club at Kiahuna.
This was our first stop for very delicious Mai Tai’s at a good price during happy hour. The view of the course was nice but not the best view on the island. However, we liked it so much that we went back the next morning for breakfast. Banana, mac nut pancakes, with coconut syrup and a beautiful tropical fruit plate. My favorite thing to get every time we are in Hawaii. They even had a live Hawaiian band for brunch which made for a very enjoyable morning.
You cannot leave Hawaii without indulging in a tropical shave ice with macadamia nut ice cream on the bottom, it is heaven. This shop is located in Hanalei. We stopped here on our way up to Princeville. They have a long list of syrup flavors, some of my favorites are coconut, guava, lilikoi (aka passionfruit), lychee, pineapple, and mango.
All the Coffee
I cannot forget about my good ol’ friend coffee. The Hawaiians are known for making a good cup of coffee no matter what it is. Even just a cup of Kona coffee will tingle your taste buds. However, a cup of the island-grown Kona roast is always just as expensive as a fancy latte. So make sure you prepare your wallet for all the delicious coffee you will be drinking on your trip because once you have one cup you will be feining for more. The latte’s you can find in Hawaii are insane. Coconut and macadamia nut flavored syrups are made in-house and are the perfect added punch of flavor in your morning boost. Also, make sure you stop by Costco before you leave Hawaii so you can stock up on Kona coffee to take back to the mainland.
I could not find this coffee shop we went to so it must not be around anymore. Another one of my favorite coffee shops and ice cream shops is Lapperts. As long as you stay local and avoid Starbucks during your trip it would be pretty impossible to have a bad cup of coffee. Go discover for yourself, and make sure you bring back a bag of Kona coffee for me ????
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