Wailua Drive In is a popular Hawaiian restaurant in Kapa'a, Hawaii, known for its fresh, local…read morecomfort food like plate lunches, burgers, and katsu. Popular menu items include ahi katsu 10/10, chili pepper chicken 9/10, and Hawaii's own- loco moco (not a huge fan in general). They offer a variety of other options, including poke, ramen, and sandwiches, with convenient takeout and delivery available. It's definitely a local favorite due to its generous portions, authentic Hawaiian cuisine and friendly service. We ordered the fried chicken and poke combo with wonton chips and the ahi katsu (my absolute fav). The ahi was fried to perfection- crispy on the outside while rare and tender on the inside. The sauce on the katsu was absolutely fire!!! So good! Macaroni salad was creamy and delicious. And the rice was perfect. Obviously, you cannot visit Hawaii without having some of their poke- always fresh and delightfully tasty. The marinade was savory and packed with flavor.

First time to Kaua'i and I'm looking for some local eats. From the reviews I've read, this seems to…read morebe a popular place. GETTING THERE: It was extremely easy to find. Its right off a main road and you cannot miss it. Parking lot was a bit small, but there was plenty of parking. AMBIANCE: When I went there was plenty of seating. A bit dead, but I also did go pretty early. There were a bunch of decor of older American pop culture like Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, etc. But also Hawaiian themed decor (obviously). SERVICE: You gotta walk up to the front to order. I was approached almost immediately as soon as I walked up to the menu on the screen. The girl working was super friendly and welcoming. I made my order and she gave me a pager for when my food was ready. FOOD: I ordered the chili pepper chicken, which was recommended from the girl at the counter. My friend ordered the ahi katsu. The chili pepper chicken was good! It was crispy and extremely flavorful. It was slightly too salty for my taste, but luckily the rice does help balance it out. Some of the crispness was sacrificed for the sauce, but it was overall still pretty crispy. I loved that they used boneless chicken thigh. I was expecting bones or lots of breading but it actually had a perfect ratio. I wasn't much a fan of the mac salad. It was like a mix of mac and potato salad, but more like a potato salad. I'm not big on potato salad, so that makes sense. My friend's ahi katsu was alright in my opinion. The sauce that's on it was good and enjoyed all the flavors. The tuna was just a bit overcooked to my liking, but idk how else one would make a katsu without overlooking it too much. Maybe bread the fish and freeze it before frying? Idk man, I'm not a chef lol but the tuna would definitely be better if it was less cooked. OVERALL: Honestly, I would still come here again. I still enjoyed the meal and the service was pretty quick. Both items were both worth trying. All the flavors were there and the little things I didn't like were just personal preferences. Its a great place to pick up a lunch plate and enjoy it at the beach.

If you're visiting Kauai and looking for a local lunch spot, Pono Market is a must…read more We stopped in for lunch and ordered a little bit of everything: pork lau lau (which was a hit with my toddler, no less!), a couple of different poke options, and a plate with karaage and poke. I can't remember exactly which poke varieties we got, but I believe one was their shoyu poke and the other was a spicy ahi. Regardless, everything we ordered was absolutely delicious. This is exactly the kind of mom-and-pop spot I love finding while traveling. No frills, just friendly people serving great food at reasonable prices. The poke was fresh, the karaage was flavorful, and the lau lau was tender and comforting. The staff was welcoming, the portions were generous, and the prices were fair, especially considering the quality of the food. There are plenty of places to eat on Kauai, but spots like this are what make a trip memorable. We'll definitely be back the next time we're on the island.

Pono market was legit everything they say it is on tik tok!…read more the fish was super fresh. They also have options for poke bowls if you'd like, they offer half and half options of ahi fish just different flavors. If that make sense. Honestly loved it so much! Service was super fast paced everyone going in knew what they wanted and it was also lunch time so everything was moving fast! It is a store like place, so it kind felt like I was walking into a deli but with fish options!

Epic Poke bowls. Hands down best poke on the island. I ordered the Kamikazi plate and you can…read morechoose 3 different scoops and choice of eel sauce, sriracha mayo or wasabi mayo drizzle. I got a side of Mac salad, kimchi cucumbers and spam musubi for a later snack. The plate was enough to feed two people so I had half left over. Highly recommend and enjoy the bowl on the beach across the street. All the poke flavors are delicious you can't go wrong.

Drive slowly if you are looking by for this place, we drove by 2x, the old signage is difficult to…read moreread -- but it's not far from the road, so keep your eyes peeled. With that said, this place is truly a hidden gem! They close at 3:00 (so keep that in mind). The poke was so fresh and the texture was perfect...almost like a fresh gummy bear! Lol We had the cali-style poke with spicy mayo & avocado and the sweet Maui onion poke -- both were deliciously perfect! My husband had the 2 item combo with kalua pork and poke adobo; both were very tasty -- the pork adobo was nice and tender and not too salty (just right). The service was friendly and fairly quick. There are a few picnic benches nearby, other than that this is not a dine-in location -- strictly to-go. Highly recommend and will definitely come back next time we're on the island!

So we weee during by and ahead to stop by since we normally go to the one on Oahu in Wahiawa…read more The food was good and the service was great as well We got the following Chicken in a barrel Kauai #2 sampler Burrito Loaded nachos

My husband and I shared the #4 Chicken and Rib Plate. The chicken was juicy, flavorful, and cooked…read moreperfectly. The baked beans, rice, and mac salad completed the meal. The ribs were okay, but not quite as tender as we expected. Portions were generous, the food was tasty and laid-back island vibe made it a great stop while in Kapaa.

Making a reservation was interesting. The phone wasn't tied to the actual restaurant but a bar so…read morewe had to wait for the manager to get our reservation. That was the least of our concerns. Our server Stephen was great, he made sure we got everything and checked in with us as well. The food was slow but I understand cause at the same time a party of 12 did a walk in and Stephen was able to communicate with us as well. My overall experience with service was 10/10. The food, we ordered the oysters and something tomato, it was too good to remember, but the highlight was the gnocchi and the special they had which was the rib eye. Words cannot put how much I loved it, but it was a 10/10. The ambience was also good, it wasn't hot, it was in a nice area next to the beach. You don't get wind or sand blown on you. Overall 10/10.

Fabulous food and drinks aside, we would come back for the service alone. Our server Jo went above…read moreand beyond for us and her recommendations were spot on! Presentation was amazing as well as the ambiance.

Honestly, i thought this place would be overpriced restaurant to milk the hotel guests. I was…read moresurprised to find the prices reasonable for the food, view and proximity. I had dinner there twice and had poke bowl, fish salad and tacos. Everything was ok but i am not gonna lie, i looked at other people's plates and wished I had their food instead of mine lol. Their burgers and chicken fingers looked great. You order at the bar and pick up at the bar. So there is really no "service" since you also have to bus your own dishes.

What a view! Add the strongest tiki vibes & I'm all in. You can park at Lydgate park and easily…read morewalk over, if you are not staying at the Hilton. You place your order, are handed your finely crafted tiki drinks and are given a buzzer for your food. We ordered two versions of the Mai Tai and both were delicious, you can't go wrong. There was plenty of covered seating to choose from. The basic burger was cooked to perfection and delicious. I love sweet pickles, so I was a happy girl. The fries are coated in some sort of magical crispy dust. The view can't be beat. You will not regret stopping by here. Beware of the highly trained chickens, lol.

The fish katsu was 86 'd But the kalua pig got good flavor…read more................/.............................. Husband had the hamburger steak - gravy is bomb!

Great burger from a food truck. I had the reg 6oz hamburger and my husband had it with Swiss…read morecheese. We shared an order of fries as well. Made to perfection. Great service. Enjoyed sitting outside in the beautiful weather of Kauai as well.

Amazing service sat right on the beach! craving some poke nachos and it hit the spot everything was…read morefresh.

This restaurant is located in a hotel with walkable parking in their lot. They also offer valet…read moreparking for the restaurant. After you walk to the lobby, you'll meet the hostess who will sit you. We were sat outside over the beach sand patio. We had great views of the ocean. I ordered their burger with tater tots. It was cooked perfectly and tasted great. Tater tots were really good as well. I ordered their lava cocktail on the rocks. It was OK. A little too sweet. I noticed someone else on a different table ordered the same thing and they left theirs halfway. The service was prompt and friendly. It's a very chill and laid-back vibe. It was just what I was looking for. As a warning, don't leave your table unattended with food because the birds are watching and waiting for your fries. After we ate, we walked towards the ocean and found this cute little swing chair, which makes for a perfect photo-op.

The moment my husband and I landed, we wanted to get the vacay going by looking up where to eat…read more Based on the time we landed we noticed alot of places closes by 8pm.The Fish Express was close to where we were at and they were closing at 4. We were there around noon and it is amazing to see that most of their fish were gone, I knew that was a sign that this spot was gonna be good! The fish express offers ready to go foods, hot food, and also fresh fish like a fish market! My husband and I always just get the poke and this time we tried ahi shoyu poke, ahi maui onion poke, ahi spicy poke with crab, and sliced tako. They don't have a seating place everyone either ate it outside the store or in their car. The poke... cuts like butter! When it cuts like you know you picked a good spot! There's something about getting the first bite at the start of your vacation that kick starts the day, time, and the vacation. Getting the right eats makes a person remember that special place and since it was our first time in Kauai, finding The Fish Express and eating one of the best pokes really set the mood to our vacation and I can't wait to go back!

Thor little spot was great!! Fish was pretty fresh! They…read moresell everything per lb and they options for poke bowls also. They have toppings à la carte. It's pretty reasonably priced, If I had more time I would have gone back for more! And they were super friendly also.

Not only was the food amazing but the service and vibe was outstanding aswell! We ordered the og…read moremusuvi and the bomb musubi

The Musubi Truck is a must visit for anyone visiting Kauaʻi. There are a few parking stalls in…read morefront with street parking nearby, plus covered picnic tables with misting fans that make waiting in the summer heat a bit more comfortable. There's even a small merch booth to browse while your food is being made. We waited about 20 minutes, but the staff were incredibly friendly, and it was well worth it. I ordered the Lifeguard Bento, which comes with the OG fried Spam musubi, truffle tater tots, choice of poke (I got spicy mayo), and rice for $20. The fried Spam musubi was so good that I'm not sure I can eat musubi any other way now. I also thought the truffle tater tots were an odd choice to offer at first, but they ended up being some of the best tots I've ever had, and the portion was generous. The spicy mayo poke was fresh and flavorful, making the whole plate a pretty solid value. This is one spot I'll definitely be coming back to every time I come back.