Kauai Restaurant Tips by Stephen-KarenConn

Restaurant Name: Bubba's Burgers

The man who took our order here told me that Bubba's Burgers is the smallest burger chain in America. With only two restaurants on Kauai and one on the Big Island, I don't see how they could be any smaller and still be a chain. This is a laid-back funky place which serves decent burgers at a good price. Their tongue-in-cheek motto is "We cheat tourists, drunks and attorneys," so if you're ever going to "be a traveler, not a tourist" this is the place to do it. From our table at Bubba's in Kapaa we could see across the highway to the Kapaa Beach Park, and a group of local young people playing vollyball. As the sun went down behind us a full moon came up over the Pacific. Good times, good feelings, good food.


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Theme: Local
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: 808-826-7839
Directions: Hwy 56 on the north side of Kapaa, and also on the Hwy. in Hanalei.
Website: http://www.bubbaburger.com/restaurant.html

Restaurant Name: Beach House Restaurant

When Karen's daughter, Laura, and her new husband, Brian, visited Kauai on their honeymoon in June they came back raving about the Beach House Restaurant. So we planned one of our days on the island to be at the Beach House about an hour before sunset for dinner. The place was packed, and reservations are strongly recommended. Our table was one back from the oceanfront but still afforded a splendid view of the beach and the sunset through the coconut palms. The service was attentive and the food was the best we had on Kauai. We considered it the most romantic evening of our nine-day vacation.

Favorite Dish: We ordered two different seafood dishes and shared. Both were excellent. Since it was splurge night we topped it off with the Molten Chocolate Desire. Yummy!

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Theme: Pan-Asian and Pacific Rim
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: 1-808-742-1424
Address: 5022 Lawai Road, Koloa, Kauai, Hawaii 96756
Directions: Along the South Shore of Kauai, on the road to the Sprouting Horn.
Website: http://www.the-beach-house.com/

Restaurant Name: Gaylord's Restaurant

Gaylord's Restaurant is set in the original covered courtyard of a grand plantation estate named Kilohana. It was built in 1935 by Gaylord Parke Wilcox was the most expensive and most beautiful home built on Kauai in the era when sugar was king. The prosperity brought by that enterprise is reflected in the mansions built by the sugar plantation growers, and that is especially evident here. Both the service and the cuisine at Gaylords reflect the grace and charm experienced by the wealthy plantation owners in that bygone era. We found it a special place for a memorable lunch.

Favorite Dish: Whoever wrote the menu at Gaylords should win a prize for "Best Menu Description." Here's what I ordered:

FRESH MAHI MAHI: Caught by Captain Greg Holzman while trolling off Kauai's west side: Fresh dorado pan seared with a macadamia nut crust served on Molokai purple potatoes, finished with a carmalized pineapple curry butter sauce, accompanied by stir-fried vegetables.

It tasted about as good as it sounds. Karen had a seafood salad which was equally as good.

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Theme: American
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 1-808-245-5608
Address: P.O. Box 3121, Lihue, HA 96766
Directions: On Hwy. 50, 1.4 miles northwest of Lihue.
Website: www.kilohanakauai.com
Other Contact: hilohana@hawaiilink.net

Restaurant Name: Waipouli Restaurant

We were drawn to this restaurant by the inexpensive breakfast we saw advertised on a local television station. It is located in a simple storefront in a strip mall, and obviously caters more to locals than to tourists. It was a great place to enjoy a hearty inexpensive meal and also to soak up a little local flavor. If I spent a lot of time on Kauai I would eat here often.

Favorite Dish: I experienced a breakfast first for me: eggs with hamburger steak, rice and gravy. It was tasty, filling and served with a iced tea and a smile.

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Theme: Local
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: 1-808-822-9311
Address: 4-771 Kuhio Hwy., Kapaa, HI 96746
Directions: Behind McDonalds Restaurant, in Kapaa, along Hwy. 56.

Restaurant Name: The Hanalei Dolphin Restaurant & Fish Market

This restaurant was recommended to us by the concierge at the resort where we were staying, so we tried it for our first dinner in Kauai. The restaurant was nice and the food was good, but frankly I thought it a just a bit over-rated and over-priced. Our table looked out over a small Japanese-style garden, but we felt it fell short of it's potential considering the awesome beauty of the surrounding area. The service was good and we enjoyed talking with the friendly couple at the table next to ours.

In addition to the restaurant and fish market, the Dolphin Center contains a couple of art galleries and about three other shops offering jewelry and clothing.

Favorite Dish: Since this is the "Dolphin Center," I ordered the grilled Dolphin. No, I didn't eat Flipper. This was the Dolphin fish, not the sea mammal. They also call the dolphin fish mahi mahi, which sounds a bit more tasty. It was dry but OK, although I felt the serving was a bit small for the high price they charged.

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Theme: Seafood
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: 1-808-826-6113
Address: P.O. Box 782, Hanalei, Kauai, HI 96714
Directions: One Hwy. 56, just east of the center of Hanalei
Website: www.hanaleidolphincenter.com