Hanalei Burger

Big Nick's was such a standout spot during our time in Kauai! I ordered the chili pepper chicken…read morebowl, which came with three pieces of juicy, flavorful chicken that had the perfect spicy kick -- not overwhelming, but definitely satisfying. It was served over a scoop of rice and made for such a filling, delicious meal. On the employee's recommendation, we also got the taro wedges, and I'm so glad we did! They were crispy and crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, and yes... a little oily -- but in the best, indulgent way. The sauce that came with it (not sure what it was!) was SO good and paired perfectly with the wedges. My husband ordered the taro burger, and we both loved it -- it ended up being his favorite vegetarian meal on Kauai! Good to know: there's parking in the back, which is also where the bathrooms are located (just ask for the key). Overall, Big Nick's is a must-try for flavorful, local-style comfort food. Everything we had was delicious, and we'd absolutely come back!

Fresh, savory meats! Crispy, fresh shrimp! Texture-licous Mac/potato salad. Friendly, welcoming…read moreservice. Didn't know where we were going to grab dinner but this one hit the spot. Especially after the super religious chicken barrel spot ran out of chicken and ribs (but not Jesus). The outside patio is nice, with stools, and we saw a rainbow. The end. The sequel! We went back, a 2nd time. My partner's idea. It was still tasty. There are bowls instead of plates, which is less food. I should have gotten that.

Inside

Local favorite

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The Sandbox

4.5(102 reviews)

1.2 mi

Very nice outdoor eatery at the One Hotel in Hanalei, Kauai. Walking into the hotel reminded me of…read morethe White Lotus series, beautiful hotel. The Sandbox was not busy surprisingly so we were seated right away. It's next to the pool area so it is very casual. Service was good, maitais delicious and the food was great. We settled on sharing some pizzas, salads, and futikake fries for the littles. Def would go back again.

This restaurant is in the One hotel in Princeville, so you need to know that up front. Once you get…read morethere and park, actually finding the place is an adventure - down one elevator, across the floor, down another elevator then around the property to find it. Oh, and their hours were very limited. That said, it's a cool place and the food was very good. Service was prompt and our server knew the menu very well. The cocktails were OK and overpriced (welcome to Hawaii) the food was spot on - good burgers, good pizza. The walk back was pretty dark and there was limited signage, but we managed!

Bar

Tempura Kaua'i Shrimp Tacos at The Sandbox

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Poolside Dining at The Sandbox Restaurant & Bar

Chicken in a Barrel BBQ - Hanalei

4.2(1k reviews)

After hiking Kalalau (18 miles... yeah), we were beyond hungry -- the kind of hungry where you'd…read moreeat your own backpack if it had sauce on it. So we pulled up to Chicken In A Barrel BBQ around 6:30 PM on a Thursday, and honestly... it hit the spot in the best way. We ordered the 1/2 Chicken, the #3 Baby Back Rib Plate, plus a full order of fries and a side of ranch. Total came out to about $50, which felt totally fair for the amount of food and how filling it was. The ribs were my favorite part -- smoky, meaty, and not dry at all. They had that real BBQ vibe without being drowned in sauce. The chicken had a solid char on the outside and stayed juicy inside (which is not easy after a long day when you're eating fast and don't want to mess around). Fries were crispy and salty -- exactly what you want after a hike like that. This place is simple, casual, no fancy nonsense -- just good BBQ that makes you feel human again. If you're on Kauai and you've been hiking all day (or even if you haven't), this spot is absolutely worth it. We left full, happy, and already talking about coming back again.

I've been chasing the memory of the Huli Huli chicken I had off the side of the road on the Big…read moreIsland so finding another spot in Kauai was a MUST. We ended up at Chicken in a Barrel and honestly... super good and super flavorful. I think I kept unfairly comparing it to that fresh-off-the-grill roadside chicken experience in my head, but this place still absolutely delivered. The chicken and ribs were both really yummy and definitely worth the stop. Also loved the service here. I had asked for dark meat but got white meat instead and was totally fine with it, but the guy came back out like, "Oh no man, you wanted dark meat huh?" and insisted on fixing it even after I said it was okay That kind of service always stands out to me. Only thing missing for me was a good hot/spicy sauce option because I LOVE heat But overall, definitely recommend

Inside

Loaded fries with pork

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Half chicken smoked

Opakapaka Grill and Bar

3.9(404 reviews)

3.5 mi

If you ever find yourself near Hanalei on a Taco Tuesday, this is the spot to hit! We split a combo…read moreplate that had both fish and shrimp tacos which ended up being one of the best things we ate on the island. The portion size was big enough for 2 of us to share which was a huge plus. Our servers were wonderful and attentive, checking on us several times throughout our meal. The views from this restaurant were beautiful, overlooking the ocean which perfect photo spots that were about a minute walk down. Live music started as we were leaving which was a fun addition.

I've eaten here so many times. And usually have the ONO Fish sandwich. Which is huge. Today we try…read morethe cup of chowder. It was ok, I didn't get much seafood (which is what I was excited about) - not even one shrimp. Oh well The Ahi Nachos were DA BOMB! Lots of fish there. Visually it could have used more sauce but tastefully it was perfection..... we had another wonderful experience here today! It's "our" spot

Now open for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Breakfast was outstanding!

Breakfast sandwich with avocado and tomato and bacon and egg!

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Fluffy pancakes with coconut syrup

Kauai Burger

4.0(1 review)

0.0 mi

The food was good. I didn't like the self serve at the table app. Not able to speak to a server to…read moreask questions or make special requests. Beer was cold. Not impressed. We had a Smash Burgers. I would have liked grilled onions or any onions but not option seen. Wandered around the inside looking for help and finally gave up. But the burger was good and the fries fresh and also good.

From the owner: Start your morning in paradise with us! Fresh, local and organic breakfast. Eggs, bacon, coffee…read moreand more

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The Hanalei Gourmet

3.8(1.1k reviews)

This little local restaurant was a little hidden gem located in the Hannalei shopping center old…read moreHanalei school. It's been here for a while. You can tell by the decor for the building. You can sit inside or out and they have the doors open so the wind was going through, which of course made me cold. But they have gluten-free buns. So I was able to get a Burger and side salad because the fries were preseasoned and therefore not gluten-free which seems to be the theme on this island. Smh. The young lady who took our order was very friendly and gluten-free herself so she knew exactly what I was going through and has a list of items that can be gluten-free. I ordered Fresh Island Fish Sandwich at $26.95 Grilled fresh garlic buttered fish served with a lemon caper dill mayonnaise and "the works" on a toasted gluten-free bun. It was huge! Juicy and very flavorful. The House salad was also huge and the house thousand Island dressing that came with it was delicious. My husband ordered Moe's Ultimate Burger at $23.95 with Guacamole, bacon and pepper jack cheese with "the works" and his came with the seasoned fries. It was a huge burger as well and very flavorful. He enjoyed it. We ordered the virgin piña colada's at $7.75ea. They were in a 10-120z or regular size glass and tasted pretty good coming in at a cool third place. There's a bar inside that you can sit with TVs to watch surfing and or games. The decor is paintings from local artist from what I gather that you can also purchase. We'll definitely visit here again.

They always have great fresh fish. Today we had marlin and chips and it was amazing as usual…read more The Cole slaw recipe was different though. Miss the old one.

Bar seating is bright and airy.

Fish taco

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Inside

Kalypso Island Bar & Grill

3.7(1.8k reviews)

Looking for a local place to celebrate a Birthday, the reviews were spot on!…read moreThe food was fabulous! The service was outstanding Trevor was very attentive. We will be back! Thank you!!

I love this place. It gets pretty busy at lunch hour so drop in for an early lunch or an early…read moredinner. Seating along the openings or on the front porch make for a very pleasant ambience while dining. The menu has a lot of great choices and the beer is served ice cold. We travel to Kauai a lot and I have probably been to the place a dozen times. I've never been unhappy with the service or the food. This is probably the best restaurant in Hanalei, definitely top of the list on the entire north side. It's better than the Beach House on the South side even if you get a sunset dining table at the Beach House.

Inside

Coconut shrimp

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Virgin pina colada with strawberry

The Terrace

4.3(292 reviews)

0.2 mi

Would come here again and again and again!…read more Lovely atmosphere and service was great. The food is delicious. I had a poke bowl and my husband had the tuna sandwich. Everything was very fresh and flavorful. I loved the sauce on the poke bowl. Drinks were delicious as well and they had a fabulous drink menu so it was hard to decide what to order!

Last night in Hawaii and we got 2 bar seats at the last minute…read more Reservations for this place were not available, as there seems to be only a couple "sit-down restaurants" on the North Shore. But the friendly staff found us a spot, despite showing up last minute. (the place we tried to go was closed for technical issues?) Our Waitress was super fun. FURIKAKE FRIES...??? That's a thing? It is, and they're great. Plus a Pina Colada Tres Leches dessert???? (thank goodness it was small, b/c we ate so much this trip) ONLY REGRET was there was a cute lil' KITTEN waiting outside for scraps. I should've brought him a piece a fish. Next time, Kitty.

The entrance to the space.

Coconut shrimp appetizer

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The view

Tahiti Nui

3.9(1.9k reviews)

Fabulous food, drinks, and service…read more Tiki man pizza is a must. A huge assortment of toppings and a very hearty and delicious pizza. Would come back here for the pizza alone. Gluten free is marked on the menu and the waiter was very helpful. They are famous for their mai tai which is good, but didn't quite make it as our favorite mai tai! Not sure what the hype is

We ordered a Hawaiian pizza, which was actually pretty fun since it was my first "Hawaiian pizza"…read morewhile being in Hawaii. We added jalapeños and sausage to it, which gave it a nice extra kick and made it more flavorful. The pizza itself was decent, good crust, good toppings, and it hit the spot, but overall it felt fairly standard rather than anything standout or unique. Still, it was a pleasant experience and a fun stop in Hanalei!

Reserve ASAP. We reserved a few days before. Seating placement first come, first serve. Still enjoyable at all seats

Coconut shrimp

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Mai Tai

Hanalei Taro & Juice Company Lunch Wagons

4.5(409 reviews)

We loved Hanalei Taro…read more Great kalua pig and their mac salad was one of our favorites. Taro mochi?! I could eat that every day. The portion of kalua pork was huge. And we loved the ginger lemonade too. She was friendly and it was super fast. Highly recommend!

Really good and unique taro burger and taro hummus here! Service is quick and was a great meal post…read morehiking! Also don't skip the taro mochi it's great and a cross between mochi and sweet bread loafs (like banana bread).