Blink and you miss it! Mermaids Cafe is a tiny little place in Kapaa Town that can most easily be identified by the small gathering of hungry patrons surrounding it; and rightfully so. Ahi Nori Wrap, Fish Tacos, Seared Ahi Salad all appear and taste so fresh you'd think they had an ocean in their kitchen! read more

I think I would've been more impressed if I were a vegetarian (who seem to have the greatest reviews of this place)... but I found it just OK. Service was friendly despite running out of several lunch items, the alternative menu items were good, fish tacos were ok. Meh. Wanted to love it more... Wished I did. Glad it floats some people's boats because I do love a good hole-in-the-wall place like this. read more

Came here spontaneously looking for some local healthy food. I ordered the peanut satay w/ veggies, tofu & brown rice. My husband ordered the black bean burrito with chicken in a spinach tortilla. Mine had a perfect taste to it, although next time I would ask for more sauce. The brown rice soaks it right up. My husband was looking for some salsa- as his was a little dry as well. For salsa they had a pico de gallo type or a SUPER hot sauce. All in all cooked well, great flavors. Would definitely stop by again. read more

After working up an appetite hanging out in the sun at the beach all day we decided to eat here to satisfy said appetite. We ordered the ahi cilantro wrap and the tacos, thought both were pretty good, but... The warp was tiny and was about $13. I could have eaten three of these wraps. It's Hawaii so you expect to pay more but I'm not a fan of leaving a restaurant hungry, that's just ridiculous/preposterous. We had to go next door to get more food. Food was fresh and tasted good though. read more

Fish tacos were the best that we have had since starting our trip to HI. They were moist and juicy! Only issue is that if you wanted the option to have chicken in your meal, they had already run out! Not sure how since chickens seem to be running freely through all of Kauai--lol! read more

I ordered tropical fish tacos and ate them out back by the beach - they were absolutely delicious and fresh. I told my wife where I had lunch on the phone and she promptly ordered me to go back to Mermaids and buy another to-go order of tropical talk tacos with some Thai iced tea for her. Na provided service both times and she was awesome - she even suggested we get the Thai iced tea without ice and put it on ice at home so we can maximize our Tea experience - perfect! We really appreciate the extra service. Mermaids is always delicious and we're happy to live nearby so we can eat there often. read more

Bland. Great ideas but flavor lacks. It's food. But not good food. We tried the wraps only. Hopefully the noddles are better (they were out of ingredients for it at 2:15pm). read more

Yum, some good curry here. Made fresh. Friendly people. Tasty recipes. Reasonably price.

I spotted this gem as we were driving up to the Napali Coast... on our way back I made my husband stop for a quick bite to eat. I think this was the best decision we made on the island!!! read more

A family friend that lives on kauai recommend this spot and the ahi nori wasabi wrap. Being a fan of all those things, I thought it was one of the most delicious things I had ever tasted especially after kayaking the wailua river. Some friends thought the wasabi was too strong but since I am a fan it was perfect for my taste buds. I didn't think the wait time was too bad, but there isn't too much seating so we had to wait for a table. But definitely worth it. read more

I had the Ahi Nomi wrap. It was huge and I could only finish half but it was terrific. You choose the way u want Ur fish cooked and I had mine seared. It tasted like a giant sushi roll! My boyfriend had the fish taco of some sort and it was fantastic as well. With our 2 large meals and 2 lemonade it came out to about 24$. Good choice but heavy pricing. read more

I almost always get the Ahi Nori wrap at Mermaid's whenever in Kauai, but I broke down and had the daily special, the Gangsta Wrap (mostly based off name alone). Super delicious, super fresh. read more

Best was the curry. Wraps in general feel huge to me, these are no exception.

Mermaids use to be tasty & wonderful. Now everytime I eat there, I'm disappointed. The nori wrap and chx satay wrap were mostly brown rice & both have no flavor. Im not sure what changed, but it's never worth the money spent anymore. I ate 1/2 and threw the other 1/2 away. read more

I had the ahi cilantro wrap which was delicious and my husband had the ahi nori wrap which was like a huge sushi burrito. This was some of the freshest ahi we had on the island and it was only slightly grilled so still raw inside and delicious. We called in our order and took it to go which worked well. read more

Perfect for a quick and cool lunch, Mermaid cafe is basically a small shack in downtown Kappa where you order at the counter & eat outside. I had the fish tacos, a little bit spicy and generously portioned. Mermaid Cafe can be a little bit expensive ($10 for the fish tacos +beans and $2.50 for drinks), but you'll be full when you leave. Cashier was helpful, and the food only took about 5-7 minutes to prepare. Try the thai tea with coconut milk for an island treat. read more

Wife and I shared a chicken foccacia sandwich. It was greasy and doesn't hold the chicken well at all. It also wasn't cheap... about $10. It wasn't satisfying at all and wasn't made to be shared since it was fairly small. read more

If I were only there now...eating freshly made ahi cilantro wrap. Ah. Bliss. Read the reviews. Decide if you like eating casual-style and you're not easily offended or nitpicky. Just relax and enjoy your food! Maybe some of the cooks here are better than others? The times we went it was perfectly good. Lots of fresh seared ahi chunks nestled in delicious cilantro/lemongrass/garlic sauced rice wrapped in green tortilla, for all that, the price is reasonable! read more

Nearly a year since I ate the ahi nori wrap, and I still dream about it!!! THE best wrap I have ever eaten in my life. Must go back to Kauai. First stop, last stop, and many stops in between: Mermaids Cafe! read more

Get the Ahi! Yes the service is not exactly fast, but you're on island time. Relax and enjoy the view while you wait- its worth it!

If you are looking for a quick quality bite at walk-up cafe in Kapaa, Mermaids is a great choice. A bit pricey but still quality. We had the Ahi wrap and a bean burrito with chicken (ask for them to kick it up a notch if you want it spicey) and it was very good, not great. All seating is outside but they have a nice vibe and good service. read more

Ahi nori wrap. It's the bomb. Parking is sometimes hard to find because of all the tourists in the area. Also has a reaaaaalllyyyyy long wait to order food. So it might be best to call in. It could take up to half an hour just to order. But well worth it. Wish it wasn't so busy all the time.. read more

I finally got here the last day of my vacation and I'm super glad I did! I was craving thai food and their coconut curry is incredible. They cook it on a stove right in front of you. It was so fresh and delicious. Service was great and the food was amazing. I will definitely go back next time I visit. read more

This place is the bomb Nori wraps are excellent. I like local places some times they are out of certain veggies that way you always know it's fresh. Highly recommend this place last time we were here it was just luck and dinner now they are open for some good breakfest read more

Really good food, very healthy and fresh. The hibiscus ice tea is delicious as well as the peanut satay wrap. The person who took our order wasn't friendly, but the other lady was nice. Service could be a little better so that's why I am giving 4 stars instead of 5. read more

Stopped here for a quick dinner later in the evening (about twenty minutes before they were closing up for the night). Can tell it had been a busy day for them because there were all out of beans and weren't serving any of the plate options! My boyfriend and I ordered the tacos and the second ahi wrap (not the spicy one, the one with cilantro). We also had a Thai ice tea and a lemonade. I really enjoyed the wrap. The ahi was fresh and the cilantro dressing was a delight. My boyfriend also really liked his tacos. They served the tacos with a side salad (since they were out of beans) and a slice of lemon (because they were out of salad dressing). We both also really liked the hot sauce that was on the table. We will definitely be back if we have the opportunity to visit the island again. I would just make sure to get there earlier so that the menu wasn't as limited. read more

Great option for vegetarians. Low key place with great food. During my stay I visited several times. The black bean burrito was my favorite. Each time I was there they ran out of several ingredients and service was a bit lacking, so minus 1 star for that. read more

These tacos were the best I have had in my life! Such great flavor! This two person shack handled a mad rush of people like a pro! To top it off the food was awesome! You have to stop by here for lunch and grab something! read more

I got the black bean burrito and a hibiscus lemonade. I DEFINITELY would recommend this place. The burritos are HUGE and the homemade sauces are awesome. The man who worked there was friendly too. I'd suggest to eat on the side in the little alleyway on a hot day, we got a cool breeze and it felt really nice. You certainly get your money's worth here. read more

We had the ahi satay wrap, the poke bowl and the focaccia sandwich with ahi. Hands down sandwich won the taste test. The sauce won us over. But all were very good. Service was great. Only gave a 4 because was closed first couple of tries. It was a bit expensive, but that is Kuaui! read more

Do not miss this tiny spot during a visit to Kapaa. The food is fresh and delicious. You watch the ladies prepare the food in a tiny kitchen. Kapaa tacos were amazing. This is a must visit on Kauai. read more

If your craving an ahi nori wrap mermaids is not the place to go.. Your way better off going to the grocery store, buying a slab of ahi, brown rice, green tortillas, wasabi, mayo, milk, cucumber, nori and making your own at home. What they call an ahi nori wrap is 80% rice, a good amount of wasabi mayo and 5 or 6 small cubes of ahi (if your lucky). Sometimes the ahi isnt even pink which is just such a waste because ahi that isnt seared isnt worth eating. Being born and raised on kauai mermaids was a favorite growing up and the family would make the trip from the north shore to kapaa for dinner on occasion. Their burritos were almost twice the size they are now and at least a dollar less. The last 3 times ive been here i was very disappointed with the quality of their food compared to what I remember. Sadly I wont be eating here again. After finishing my meal I felt ripped off spending $40 on 2 small burritos and an iced tea. read more

Best meal so far on my trip to Kauai. I had the ahi poke bowl and it was incredible. Also, the service was incredibly fast. There is nothing worse than having to wait a long time for food when you're hungry. My husband and I will definitely be returning before the end of our trip. read more

This was my first meal in Kauai, and it was recommended by "the Ultimate Kauai guidebook". I had the ahi nori wrap, and my BF had the tropical tacos. His tacos were so yummy. The nori wrap is unusual, and I ordered the ahi "well done", it was a unique taste, but i think it would've been better if it were "seared", so I want to go back and try it seared. Laid-back employees, and outdoor seating. I'd try it again and recommend it to friends. read more

Great little cafe in Kapaa - it is 'a must' for locals and visitors! My boyfriend introduced me to this place and I will go back there anytime. Must try the Ahi (seared) wrap with brown rice and wasabi sauce. The wasabi sauce (if anyone has the recipe, please let me know - it is DELICIOUS) holds this whole wrap together nicely with a nice zing to the ahi, cucumber, nori, and the brown rice. All the flavors and ingredients are very complementing. Very hearty yet healthy. Goes well with a lemonade or Thai iced tea. Their salads are great too, their ingredients are fresh and usually organic. Great and friendly service. read more

This is exactly what I wanted! We drove up the canyon and came back down into Kapaa looking for a good healthy meal. We saw mermaids cafe and that they had Ahi burritos. I got the ahi burrito with cilantro, and he got the ahi burrito with nori and some yummy wasabi sauce. I think I liked his better but mine was really good, needed salt, but this place uses organic everything, brown rice and low sodium/sugars. I had the hybiscus tea and he the hybiscus lemonade, both where good, both low on the sugars. The burritos are big enough to share one, I stuffed myself because it was just that tasty! read more

We had the ahi wrap and the pesto mahi mahi focaccia sandwich and hibiscus lemonade. It was all soooo good, and very reasonably priced. It's a completely casual place, the person who took our order was friendly, quick, and the cook behind her was working away the whole time. If you happen to be a large group, or arrive at the same time as many others you may have to wait - it's not fast food a la McD's(thank dog!). Chill, you're in Kauai getting great local food at a good price (hard to find). Also - add avocado to whatever you order, the local avo's are tasty too. read more

Maggie at Outfitters Kauai mentioned this place to us. We decided to check it out. It's a very small hole in the wall and if you don't pay attention you will drive right by it. Ordered the Ahi Nori wrap that ish was the bomb! If you are not a fan of wasabi tell them to go easy on the sauce. read more

Got this tip to check this place out from our guide Johnny at Ali'i Kayaks. FRESH, TASTY, AFFORDABLE! Pulled up there Saturday night and just 2 other couples were there, one waiting for take out and another eating. We ordered the Ahi Nori Wrap (as per Johnny's suggestion) and the special fajita tacos (tuna)--seared tuna, of course! Both together came out to $20 even! Perfect since we had just spent a fortune at 22 North the night before. The wrap was huge! Filled with seared tuna, brown rice, cuks, avo, nori, and a wasabi sauce! The special fajita tacos (seared tuna with onions, pepps, and shrooms) came with black beans and homemade salsa! It was soo good! My taste buds were so happy!!!!!!! :) read more

This cafe was recommended to us by one of the locals as a great sandwich/salad spot in Kapaa- and he was right. Mermaids has great selections for vegetarians and meat eaters too. I had a huge salad with avocado and goat cheese while my husband had the ahi nori wrap. The portions are great and the service is very friendly. The reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is because there's only about 4-5 tables to sit at outside. While we shared with another couple and had fun meeting them-for such a popular spot they need to expand on their seating. Cash only too so go prepared or call in your order so it's ready when you get there. Walk up and order at the window and try one of their sweet flavored iced teas like Hibiscus Mint. It's in the cute old town of Kapaa with lots of shops and cafe's around-fun to walk and window shop in this town. read more