Kauai Family Travel: Where To Eat

If you’re anything like us, you likely spend a disproportionate amount of time thinking about, talking about, and planning what you are going to eat on vacation. Multiply that by 100 when you have a toddler in tow. I know everyone approaches food differently when they are traveling, ranging from budget all the way to splashing out on all of the fanciest restaurants. Personally, we like to find a balance of mostly budget-friendly meals (which is very relative, this was Hawaii, after all) and sprinkling in a few splurges along the way. On this trip, we also mostly stayed in places with kitchens, which, if we were the type of people who wanted to cook on vacation, could have saved us even more money. As it was, we brought breakfast and snacks for Harrison (Brandon and I are generally coffee for breakfast people, but that doesn’t exactly work for our little guy) and saved money on some drinks by buying our own at the grocery store.

For instance, we started many mornings with POG mimosas. Mimosas taste better with a view.

With that in mind, here are some recommendations for the best budget friendly restaurants on Kauai, along with a few spots worth an expensive night (or afternoon) out.

Budget(ish) Kauai Restaurants:

Chicken in a Barrel (Waimea) - There are multiple locations on the island, but the only one I can vouch for is the one in Waimea, which just happened to be located within the Waimea Plantation Cottages grounds. Thankfully we could walk there from our little cottage because the frozen mai tais were incredible. And the food was so good, especially the loaded BBQ fries, that we went there twice during our two day stay. This location serves a pretty decent pizza, as well. There are not a lot of options on this part of the island, but this spot did not disappoint.

North Shore General Store - The $9.99 plate lunch is hard to beat, even more so on this especially expensive part of the island. The gas station location is somewhat lacking in atmosphere, but there are plenty of beautiful places nearby to enjoy your meal with a view.

Coconut’s Fish Cafe - Affordable seafood, sandwiches, and pasta dishes

Fish Express - Fresh seafood to go at affordable prices that make this spot popular with locals

Hamura Saimin Stand - Counter service, low key spot where the go to dishes are saimin (a uniquely Hawaiian noodle soup dish) and lilikoi chiffon pies.

Mark’s Place - Serving authentic Hawaiian dishes, including plate lunches and bento boxes

Pono Market - Another great spot for takeaway Hawaiian dishes such as poke bowls, rice bowls, and daily plate lunch specials.

Puka Dog - So a hot dog place may not seem to be a “can’t miss” spot on a tropical island, but here we are. Even better, you can take your lunch right across the street to the picnic tables at Poipu Beach. The only problem is deciding which combo of garlic lemon secret sauce and relish to choose.

Da Crack - Simple, fresh Mexican food to go. Are you sensing a theme with the budget eats on Kauai? Thankfully, there is no shortage of gorgeous picnic spots.

Porky’s - The menu is short but sweet, with a focus on doing a few things, but doing them well. Unsurprisingly, Hawaiian style pulled pork is the star.

Noka Food Trucks - This is where to go when you can’t decide, with something for everyone. When Pono Market was out of most of the day’s specials when we got there too late, we instead headed here. We all agreed that Jimmy’s Grill looked perfect, plus the dedicated beach side seating was hard to argue with. There were so many delicious sounding options, though.

Worth the Splurge:

The Plantation House by Gaylords - Located on the absolutely beautiful Kilohana Plantation grounds, the food here looks just as beautiful (and delicious). Before or after your meal, you can check out all the location has to offer, including Koloa Rum, local shops, and even a train ride.

Eating House 1849 - A restaurant by chef Roy Yamaguchi, the focus here is history and locally sourced ingredients, with dishes that reflect the food of Hawaii’s 19th century restaurants. We really wanted to eat here after getting a recommendation from our photographer, but the restaurant was closed the evening we were there. Plus, we didn’t have reservations, which would have probably been necessary, even during non-Covid times.

Merriman’s Fish House - Another option for upscale Hawaiian and fresh seafood. We tried to eat here, but again, no reservations meant no dinner.

Red Salt - Seafood with a Hawaiian spin, this time with an ocean view. This restaurant comes highly recommended. I think the lobster gnocchi sounds incredible.

Tidepools - Although there were obviously many options for my birthday dinner, I ultimately decided on Tidepools. It was conveniently located on the grounds of the Grand Hyatt where we were staying and set above a lagoon, which provided plenty of entertainment for our active kiddo. He may have enjoyed his meal of fancy mac and cheese as much as we enjoyed our meal of fancy seafood. We started by sharing the Chilled and Grilled Seafood Platter, which was amazing. We also shared the Hawaiian Catch, which had even more yummy seafood - lobster, ahi, shrimp, and a scallop. We even saved room for a birthday dessert of malasadas. It was a truly perfect birthday meal and an excellent option for a “fancy” dinner with a toddler in tow. It firmly earned its place in the “splurge” category, though - we spent more on this meal than we typically would on more than a week of food at home.

Sweet Treats:

Shave Ice - Everyone’s got their favorites, but some of the most recommended spots across the island are Wishing Well, JoJo’s Waimea, Hee Fat General Store, and Uncle’s Shave Ice to name a few. My recommendation is to just try them all and decide for yourself.

Lappert’s Ice Cream - I missed out on the free Mother’s Day scoop, but we still managed to fit in a trip to the Lappert’s location in Princeville. The hardest part was deciding exactly which of the delicious flavors to try. This goofy boy was a fan and didn’t want to share.

Hula Pie from Duke’s - Of course I also recommend that you eat here, as well. With a gorgeous beach front location and incredible food, this is worth a meal. But at least get a cocktail and definitely don’t miss the iconic Hula Pie. Yum!

Whatever your meal budget for your Hawaiian vacation, there are many options on the idyllic island of Kauai. Although there are more than enough budget eats to keep your belly happy, I recommend that you splurge on a special meal a time or two, as well. Whatever you decide, you will definitely eat well.