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Friendly Waves

4.1 (173 reviews)

Friendly Waves Photos

FRIENDLY WAVES ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Touristy
Trendy

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Recommended Reviews - Friendly Waves

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Juliet O.

I came here because I saw in the reviews that they are vegan friendly but that's not quite the case. You can get a nacho plate with coconut cheese but it just tastes really bad. They also offer a vegan burger but the vegan bread was so disgusting I couldn't eat it. They need to work on making the vegan option not only just exist, but also taste good. Loved our server though! And loved to see that they offered various non alcoholic beer options.

Strawberry Guava pancakes
Susan M.

Went for breakfast and ordered the strawberry guava pancakes. The consistency of the pancake was more like a regular cake. It was dry and fell apart. Not good. The sauce was tasty, as was the fruit. Service was fine.

The place.
Berna D.

Yes good. Not good the bar being closed Hm.. weird xx. Anyways the food was medioquore which was ok. Thank you. Server was rude and snotty but all is well. Bye xx.

Chicken nachos
Jack M.

I've been to this location a few times - the vibes are good and nachos are very tasty. They didn't have alcohol available unfortunately on this visit, and it took a while for someone to take our order (even though it wasn't too busy). Will definitely be back!

Local vegetable hash
Dara W.

This place was perfect for us. We had a group of seven and wanted to watch the Celtics game. Plenty of space here with all the windows opened up that provided a beautiful breeze. The main bar area was surrounded by TVs, the staff were very friendly and helpful, and the food was absolutely delicious. We ordered wings, nachos, veggie hash, and beef bowl. We shared most items and everything was tasty. I was impressed that they offered a coconut miso "cheese" alternative for the nachos which was fantastic. You also had your choice of fresh fried nacho chips or root chips. The variety of food and drink offerings is fabulous. We'd go back for sure.

fish tacos + sweet potato fries
Abby C.

fish tacos were filling and good :) sweet potato fries were good too, but nothing special. we went in the morning because it opened earlier than most places do on the south side. they let us order chicken wings around the time we went (10amish), even though it wasn't on the breakfast menu. all the servers there were really nice and attentive

Breakfast
Raquel T.

We went on our search for a good breakfast place here in Kauai. Yes there are some quaint restaurants with the hometown feel, but we wanted something a little more. We found friendly waves in koloa. We were seated immediately with a beautiful view as we enjoyed our meal. The staff was friendly and the service was quick. The food was 5 stars. I would encourage anyone to come and enjoy this amazing restaurant.

Fried Chicken sandwich
Vince L.

In the recently built commercial courtyard, we found this restaurant for lunch on the second floor. From the name, it wasn't immediately obvious to us that it was a restaurant. It sounded more like a clothing store. We entered and were seated immediately by one of the large windows. It was nice and breezy with a great view. We ordered the fried chicken sandwich (green onion dip, lettuce, tomato, buffalo wing sauce on the side) and the OG burger (9th island sauce, shredded lettuce, charred onions, tomato, pickle, american cheese). Both came with crispy fries that were delicious. The fried chicken was well made--good seasoning with a nice crust. I'm glad I had sauce on the side as I didn't want it to be soggy. The burger was fresh and delicious as well. This new restaurant is off to a good start. And the best part? The staff! They were so friendly and accommodating. That will go a long way to their success.

Spicy Bloody Mary and a HBW Kewalo's Cream Ale
Kim K.

Enjoyed watching our college basketball game at Friendly Waves. The staff were welcoming and Kara ensured we were setup with the TVs. Our bartender, Jonathan, was attentive yet gave us time to sit and enjoy our beverages, nice & spicy Bloody Mary & a local beer, before ordering food. Happy we split the Maluhia steak breakfast burrito. It was loaded with meat, potatoes and pico with crisp pickled onions on the side. And we decided to try a side of goteborg sausage , a blend of beef and pork, very tasty. Great sports bar environment with an open airy bar and dining area.

Kalbi burger with gluten free bao bun and sweet potato fries
Victoria S.

Friendly Waves is THE place to go if you're Celiac/gluten free or just want something delicious with a chill vibe. Almost the entire menu is gluten free and they always have lots of sports playing. Friendly Waves is on the second floor of The Village Marketplace and open air, giving the feel of being in the forest. Bonus points - Friendly Waves has kama'aina discounts.

Burger and wedge salad
Tim H.

The food is delish, cold beers on tap. Service is friendly. Ambiance is great when the wind is blowing through the restaurant.

Fried chicken sandwich with bao bun and sweet potato fries
Kennedy L.

This is a super great second-floor bar restaurant atmosphere to stop in and have a drink and some food. They are very conscientious to allergies - options for gluten free modification to almost everything on the menu! They used a bao bun in place of wheat bun for the chicken sandwich. Fries were great and full bar selection. Wait staff were very accommodating of food restrictions and provided great recommendations. Will definitely return!

I believe was the OG burger (recommended by our waitress).

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1 year ago

Great gluten free. Very well informed staff. Very good food. Good bourbons to select from the bar, too

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1 year ago

Great service, well staffed. Food and cocktails were great and good prices. Will go back next time on the island.

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2 years ago

Perfect wedge salad. Enough for two meals. Poke bowl was fair. Servers were attentive. Busy sports bar

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2 years ago

Great food that's locally sourced and friendly staff. Dine in or take out you won't regret eating here.

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Page 2 of 5

Ask the Community - Friendly Waves

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I want to check out the western most sports bar in the USA. We arrived about 5:30pm and were…read moregreeted and seated immediately. As with most restaurants in Kauai it open air environment and a view of ocean. A great place to watch games and a lively atmosphere. Happy hour is available daily from 3-6pm. Our waitress was very accommodating as she notified us that we could order our two drink minimum to qualify for the happy hour food specials before 6pm and she would serve later. Flashback price on chicken wing of $0.25 each, max 10 per person. We ordered 20 buffalo wings and fish tacos. They have a great selection of the local Kauai Brewing Company beers, another reason we want to try this place. We started we the pale ale and the Cook IPA. Cold, tasty and refreshing. We also tried the chicken IPA and Fonz IPA. All were great! Our favorite was the Cook IPA. The chicken wings had a nice heat level and were perfect accompanied by beer. The fish grilled tacos were fantastic. This will definitely be our go to place to watch a game and just a quick bite. Looking forward to returning. Highly recommended!

This is a great, fun, affordable option while staying in Poipu!!! We've already been here twice…read more The key is to go during their happy hour time from 3-6pm daily. The first time we spent just over $100 for a family of 5, and last night we got out of there for $88. That is a feat in this part of town! The happy hour is unbeatable. $7 drinks and 25 cent wings. Note that you have to have minimum two drinks per person, but they don't have to be alcoholic--we got a cocktail as our first and soda water as the second. The cocktails are quite large, so you can still get the $7 price if you order a soda or sparkling water as your second drink. The waitress was super helpful and let us know that last night! We went for taco Tuesday yesterday and the tacos were $1 each! They were good--not insane but great for the price and hit the spot. The service is great and the food and drinks come out quickly despite being busy. The drinks are standard fare, nothing crazy delicious, but for the price it's great. The food is all yummy. We especially love their chicken wings! Home-fried and lots of meat. All of the dipping sauces are excellent too. We haven't had a bad dish here! Truly wonderful prices, good food, and great for the whole family.

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Lava Lava Beach Club - Kauai

Lava Lava Beach Club - Kauai

4.0
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My mom and I came here one night for dinner and then another night for drinks. This restaurant is…read morelocated inside the Kauai Shores Hotel and shares the same parking lot with the hotel. For dinner, we ordered the Hawaiian pizza and chef's veggies to share. The pizza was topped with kalua pork, pineapple, scallions, and a unique sauce. Pretty good. We wanted to eat some greens so we asked about the chef's veggies. It was roasted broccoli, bell pepper, and squash. Delicious and seasoned well. For drinks, I ordered a green-tini and my mom got a virgin lava lava flow. I actually preferred her drink over mine. The green-tini had a nice kick to it. Can definitely taste the jalapeño. The virgin lava lava flow was sweet and creamy. Perfect way to end the night! The restaurant and bar definitely get crowded, but there's plenty of space inside and outside. You can get a nice view of the beach. The weather is always good, so we sat outside. The bartender was also super kind and checked on us multiple times to see if we needed anything else. It can feel a little touristy, but I still think it's worth a visit.

Lava Lava Beach Club is absolutely worth visiting for the overall experience…read more The location is spectacular--right on the ocean with beautiful outdoor seating, tables overlooking the beach, and even swings where you can relax while enjoying the view. They also have lawn games to keep you entertained while waiting for your table, which makes the wait much more enjoyable. We didn't have a reservation and waited about 30 minutes, but it wasn't a problem. We grabbed cocktails at the bar, and they were outstanding. They are definitely on the expensive side, but they were beautifully made, well-balanced, and worth the splurge. The atmosphere is what really makes this place special. Between the oceanfront setting, live music, and friendly, attentive service, it's a wonderful place to spend an evening. The food, however, was a bit of a mixed experience. I ordered the coconut shrimp, and unfortunately they were overfried--quite dark and a little too crispy for my taste. My husband enjoyed his teriyaki steak with rice, so that was a much better choice. We also tried the calamari, which was just okay. The pieces were small, heavily breaded, and fried. I've definitely had better calamari elsewhere. Overall, I think you're paying as much for the incredible location, atmosphere, and service as you are for the food. I'm glad we went, and I would recommend visiting at least once for the beautiful setting, tropical cocktails, and live music. Just know that, in our experience, there are other restaurants on Kauai where the food is the real star. Would I return? Yes--for the view, the cocktails, and the atmosphere. For the food alone, I'd probably explore some of Kauai's other excellent local restaurants first.

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Restaurant area
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Great Dessert, Kauai Coffee cheesecake - YUm!
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RumFire Poipu Beach

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4.2
(1.3k reviews)
2.0 mi
$$$$

A very inconsistent meal here. Our table ordered the Brussel sprouts and the mussels as…read more appetizers. Brussel sprouts were very good. After we placed our order for the steamed mussels the server informed us that it would be a mixture of mussels and clams. When the dish came out, it was all clams, no mussels at all. They were very good and the curry sauce they were steamed in was yummy, but it just wasn't what we initially ordered. I ordered the fresh catch fish, which was very disappointing. The fish itself was very fresh tasting, but it was overcooked to the point of being dry. It was also bland and seemed to be unseasoned. It sat on a bed of purple sweet potato with a fresh succotash mixture on the side. The vegetables must have been plated long before the fish was ready because the potatoes and vegetables were no longer even warm, which was an unpleasant combo with the overcooked, bland fish. There was a sauce on the side, but not nearly enough considering the dry slab of tasteless fish sitting on top of cold potatoes. Others at the table ordered the lamb chops and steaks. The lamb chops were delicious and those at our table with steaks seemed very happy with them. Our server forgot to bring the drinks to 2 of the 6 people in our party. She did offer to remove the mussels from the bill due to the error in preparing this dish. Atmosphere was extremely loud, there was a singer in the bar area with the volume turned up high. That combined with the large bar area open to the restaurant made it so loud that it was nearly impossible to carry on a conversation in the dining area. It is a fairly pricey restaurant. For the price, I'd expect better service and a better prepared meal. There are far better choices elsewhere on the island.

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Friendly Waves - burgers - Updated July 2026

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