Small take-out place with rotating menu on their website. Popular among locals! Amazing selection of musubi, poke, plates, desserts. Highly recommend the pork Lau Lau! Comes with side of mac salad, a Hawaiian classic. Very reasonable prices--I came back multiple times to try different meals during my vacation. Their packaged desserts are great too--the kulolo was a family favorite! read more

Pono Market - Pork Lau Lau - Hawaiian Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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We tried several of the highly rated poke places on the island. This was far and away the freshest, cheapest, tastiest, and most convenient poke we had. One of the lifeguards suggested we try it and he was spot on. The staff were funny and quick to take our order. The place is a hole in the wall where you go in, order, and go. Quick, easy, affordable compared to other options. read more

Pono Market - Spicy poke ahi with all the topping they offer - Hawaiian Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

I'm a foodie and tried to find some locals favorites to try and avoid tourist traps on our Kauai visit. Pono Market was our favorite. We had no idea what we were doing when we first walked in and they could tell (haha). It's a very small store and they were limiting the people inside when we were there in Jan 2022 (Covid precautions), so we waited outside but not for very long. It's basically a big deli counter and some drink fridges. You can get a plate lunch or order items by the pound and take them home. Their plate lunch with poke and fried chicken is UNBEATABLE. The poke is so fresh and flavorful. Fried chicken is perfectly cooked. There aren't tables inside or out, and you can't eat at the food truck area next door, so we just took ours around the corner to the beach. read more

This place is F-ing amazing. My cousins picked up a fried chicken plate for me and the chicken was prefect. A perfect lunch before going snorkeling. The next day I ended going here for the Chinese Pretzels. I've only had them 2 other times in my life. I guess a woman makes them from home and delivers them to Pono Market. Chinese pretzels are like ultra thin, layered fortune cookies. I also picked up a life changing beef musubi. Even if you're not close to Pono Market you need to come here. It's worth it. read more

Pono Market - Chinese Pretzel! TRY IT!! Only at Pono Market or maybe Foodland. - Hawaiian Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

One thing I loved about this experience was the people - they were so friendly and helpful to assist and answer any questions plus give recommendations. That alone made the experience so worthwhile that it felt like eating local, which it is! Got some of the poke and the main entree of the day - plenty of food for a meal and would easily come back again. Only street parking available so you may have to walk to the place but the traffic tends to be pretty quick in and out. Note that you cannot sit inside to eat so it's just a quick go in and get your food to eat elsewhere - luckily the beach is close by to eat there. :) read more

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These dudes were awesome! Dank poke and affordable, no bullsh*t. Just rice and poke. The fish was awesome and I'm pretty poke. I would also try a hot entre if coming early, because they sell out fast! read more

The best quick bite on Kauai. The quality the portion the price, unbeatable. Good family style home made food, always fresh. Many items will be sold out before lunch peak, I always come before 11am. Many combos and choices, pay attention to the daily entree items, usually the most popular items of the day. My favorite poke here is the sesame and spicy. So combo No.5 is usually my blind buy option, add a hot entree item like the LauLau chicken, that's lunch and dinner for me. Dessert items are on the sweeter side, but also taste homemade with the love. A must try place when you are here in Kauai. read more

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Pickup only and quick service! A great place to grab some food for the beach. Staff was friendly and good was ono!!

Great local style grindz. This is a small hole in the wall gem. Great mix of different foods from snacks to plate lunches. read more

Pono Market - Stuffed chicken and Pork laulau - Hawaiian Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

3.5 stars We stopped by to pick up some poké around 9am but I was disappointed to find that there wasn't much available that morning. This place is pretty popular and there is a line to get in. They only allow about 4 people in at a time. Besides poké, they also have pastries and other dishes. I got some shoyu ahi and settled for imitation crab poké since there were no other not raw option available and a garden salad (seaweed salad). Taste wise was a bit disappointing. It was decent but not great. I expected better based on the popularity. Wasn't fond of the imitation crab. The pieces were too big. The shoyu ahi was a bit too salty, but then again it is shoyu. I had better poké elsewhere. The garden salad was good though. read more

Pono Market - Spicy shrimp roll - Hawaiian Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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Great for poke! Pono Market gets very busy at peak times so be prepared to wait outside for a bit, since they limit how many people are allowed in the store at once. However, the line moves fast and the wait is totally worth it. We came specifically for poke and they had a good variety - about 6-7 different types of tuna and salmon. They do offer combo plates with rice but I ended up just getting small containers of the Shoyu Salmon and Onion Ahi. We paid and took our food over to the beach (walking distance) to have a little picnic. All the poke was delicious, but my favorite was the Shoyu Salmon, with my friend's Sesame Ahi as a close second. Would return! read more

Pono Market - Shoyu Salmon and Onion Ahi Poke - Hawaiian Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

Came here two days in a row because it was just that good. Easily one of my favorite spots during my travels in Kauai. The must-try: chicken lau lau. This was my first time trying lau lau and I don't think it could've gone any better. The chicken was soo tender and flavorful. Not dry whatsoever. The leaf on the outside as most know is edible, but unlike other lau laus I had during the trip, this one didn't give a bitter flavor. You could barely taste it. I also tried the poke, pork lau lau, adobo chicken, spam misubi, and chicken karaage. An honorable mention goes out to the chicken karaage for its slight sweetness. I'd highly recommend trying any and all their plate lunch items!! Try and get here early because a line starts forming during the popular lunch hours. read more

I'm sad that I didn't get to try this place until our last day in Kauai... I don't think I'd have wanted to eat anywhere else. This was hands down the best food we had on the island, and the best Poke I've ever had in my life. They were also really friendly to us as tourists, it was just a nice vibe all around. This was my favorite food there and I can't wait to go back. Kauai is heaven on earth! read more

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Fresh and fabulous poke!! Probably some of the best I've had on the island. However, their hot food items sell out fast, so if you're craving their fried chicken or kalua pork, you better be there before they sell out -- which is typically before noon! Yes, you read that correctly. We tried 2 times in one week (1:30, 12:05) and each time they had run out of hot food (except the last day we tried they had some kalua pork left). This place opens at 6am and closes at 2pm, so plan accordingly if you have a craving for some ono grindz from Pono Market! read more

The food does live up to the hype! Was here on a business trip and this local girl was craving some local grindz. Ordered the fried chicken which was perfectly seasoned and crispy. Got the shrimp poke and that was awesome even on the plane back to the mainland. Dont forget the shoyu mustard sauce! Always love supporting local! read more

Low key spot, Locals feel. Excellent food! We had the poke, spam musubi, jello cheesecake. We will return every time we visit Kauai read more

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By far the best Poké we had during our visit. The Poké just melted in our mouths with the best flavor. Note: be sure to stop by early, as the market closes very early. read more

Fresh food, kind service, reasonable prices. Woulda come every day if it was open every day. Had poke bowl, grab and go sushi rolls, some kind of plate, and local snacks. read more

A must go for anyone visiting Kauai! A small neighborhood market that captures the simplicity and beauty of plate lunch. But word of caution: this place is only open on weekdays! Closed on Sat and Sun. Be sure to come earlier than 11am when you do check this place out, or you won't beat the lunch rush and you'll have to wait super long! We JUST missed the rush, and thank God we did. They only allow a few parties in at once, so after we got our food, the line was already out the door. Lots of awesome combo plates you can get! My boyfriend went with the sesame ahi tuna poke + fried mochiko chicken plate + lomi lomi salmon, and I went with the spicy ahi tuna poke + pork lau lau + mac salad. All plates came with 2 scoops of rice. The poke cubes were so gummy and fresh, no stringiness at all! The fried chicken had a bit of sweetness to it; it had such a great flavor. The pork lau lau was a bit on the salty side; maybe a little too salty. The pork was on the drier side. And last but not least, the mac salad was BOMB. I think it had bits of noodle in it too! It was one of the best mac salads I've had. Overall, a very generous portion for what you pay! The food is quite heavy too, and I couldn't even finish my plate. There are several dessert options in the market as well, such as a variety of Hawaiian cookies and manju and such! We got the Okinawan Sweet Potato Manju and Butter Cookies to go. They were an excellent post-trip snack! Not sure why this place opens at 6am....I don't think anyone is trying to eat lau lau or poke at the break of dawn, but maybe its for people to grab food for later....? Idk LOL read more

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I loveee their mac salad, ahi, and lau lau! Their kaula pork and cabbage is also really good. There is no seating, but we turned the corner into the food truck area and the falafel guys let us use their picnic tables while we enjoyed our meal. This place is solid for hawaiian plates and grabbing poke bowls for the beach! read more

Our good friend from Kaua'i recommended this place and it totally hit the spot! We had the shoyu poke bowl, scallop poke (separate side order), and Hapa plate that came with the pork laulau, spicy poke, and mac salad. Everyone that worked there was really attentive (including a worker that's by the inside door that monitors how many people come in). I know how to eat the laulau (when it's just made it's wrapped in Ti leaf ) but the worker reminded me that he took the Ti leaf out so that it can be eaten as is --this made me smile since I'm sure some people are unaware of this! Loved the friendly reminder and encouraging others/visitors to eat Hawaiian food. I hope you get to visit and eat some of their amazing food! Even if you can't eat inside the place there is a beach right by where you can park, eat and enjoy your food! read more

Pono Market - Shoyu Poke bowl - Hawaiian Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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Great place for meals. We arrived at 7am and ordered the spicy mayo poke, sesame poke, a chicken bento, spam musubi, potato/Mac salad. Unfortunately, we came too early for the plate lunches which don't get served until 10-ish or after. I think I have this right but They only make so many and once they get sold out, that's it for the day.....so, as with romance and car engines, timing is everything. read more

If you are anywhere near Kapaa you must try this Market, very local vibe. No seating take out only. They open early and seem to close when they run out of main meat options. We have tried the Pork and Chicken Lau Lau (very good, moist, adequate portion) fried chicken was good but we waited too long to eat it (not as crispy as when we picked it up) Mac Salad is a must, very tasty and consistent. Our favourite is the Sesame Ahi Poke (not spicy) so full of flavor and melts in your mouth. For best selection you need to get here early, steady stream of local workers picking up their lunch for the day in the am. The staff is awesome, very friendly and patient with explaining what is available for the day. They clearly display the days meat options and when they run out they remove item from the display menu so easy to know what is available. Also, they sell large bags of ice for only $2 . We go here at least 3-4 times when we visit our timeshare in Kapaa read more

Stop in for Poke. They had several options. Nice spot to pick up lunch for the beach.

Pono market is a must visit but get here early 6am open time because many locals get here and food goes quickly. NAH they keep replenishing but they do lots of business firstnl thing in the morning. Spam musubi,Goteburg sausage musubi, different kind of take bentonite type boxes....Real Ono! Employees are friendly and will explain things if you ask. For those who want good local food at good local prices, Pono is a must visit. Plenty of locals go there so don't feel intimidated. Local people are friendly. read more

Kauai Best 10 years later and Pono Market remains a favorite of locals and tourists alike We stopped by early on our way to the Kilauea Lighthouse and a steady line was out the door Many of the popular items including Musubi and Kalua pork had sold out by 1030 We still were able to order some delicious fried chicken and their famous pork Lau Lau and it's as good as I remember Kilauea Lighthouse was stunning with humpback whales and perfect weather. One of the most beautiful spots in the world and reservations recommended Two Choice Plate $11.50 ~ Fried Chicken, Pork Lau Lau, Rice / Two Choice Plate $11.50 ~ Pork Lau Lau, Chicken Lau Lau, Mac Salad, Rice / Rice Bowl $7.50 Pono Market (Kapaa, Kauai) Pono Market is take out only and focuses on plate lunches and poke. Many items sell out so get there early. read more

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Truly the most amazing poke I've ever had! It melted right in your mouth. Docking a star because: 1) the poke bowl is literally just rice and fish - no toppings or sauces, 2) prices are REALLY high and everything is weighed by the pound, and 3) macaroni salad was lacking flavor. The fish itself was the highlight though and tasted so fresh! I would def come again! read more

11 years later...I'm glad this place is still in business! And it's probably the cheapest take out food you can find! $10.50 gets a you Poke bowl! I was shocked at the low price, it didn't seem real! The Poke was fresh, tender, soft, flavorful, and plentiful! Pono Market also offers a variety of hot Hawaiian take out food as well. No seating area, but if the weather is nice you can do a short walk to the beach. If they have Haupia Pie, get it! There is nothing quite like it in California...sweet purple potato, fresh coconut cream, whipped cream, coconut shreds, on a perfect pie crust. read more

Great Poke bowl for a reasonable price. Ahi very fresh. Take and go. No trash can there so pack the empty tray out.

Small locals place, fantastic musabi, and now love musabi. We really enjoyed stopping here!

Very nice, welcoming people. Fast and efficient service. Amazing, fresh poke!!! It doesn't get better than this. I highly recommend this place for this deli-style storefront with good Hawaiian food! A must-try! Support local businesses. read more

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This place is a must visit when in Kauai! My family and I came here twice during our vacation because the lau lau is AMAZING and incredibly inexpensive. Lau lau is meat (we got pork) that is steamed in leaves. It's a must try dish if you're visiting Hawaii. Pono market is very popular, so I recommend going early. Also don't forget to purchase a Hawaiian Sun drink to enjoy with your meal! Parking is on the street out front. read more

Pono Market - Lau lau plate - Hawaiian Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

My favorite place to get plate lunches & poke on the island! Tip: Their hot foods become available after 10am, so I arrived around that time. They still had most of their foods available. I think coming in anywhere past noon, many of their items become sold out. Plate Lunch #5 with Pork Lau Lau & two Poke - Reasonably priced & yummy Lau Lau. The taro leaves have good flavor as well. I don't remember which flavors of Poke I got, but both were good. Fresh & good quality ahi! Maki Roll - I lovedddddd this! The rice was very very vinegar-y, but I enjoyed that since I like vinegar flavor. Furikake Spam Musubi - A standard musubi. Can't go wrong with this as a snack. Definitely my go-to spot!!! read more

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Best on Kauai. Best local/family style business serving the best poke, plate lunches, and snacks on the island! The Kubota Family has been operating this business for at least 3 generations and they continue to put out the best quality and customer service in their food choices! It's a must-stop for me every time I head to the airport to catch a flight out. Other passengers in the plane always check out what I'm having for lunch/snacks. read more

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Food was so good - especially the spicy ahi poke and the pork lau lau! and the lomi salmon is a sleeper!!! It's so tangy and good!!

My first day in Kauia and of course, I had to start off with a bang and get some poke! First stop: Pono market. I ordered a two poke bowl with spicy ahi and salmon shoyu. Both were delicious and I would absolutely highly recommend! Because it was hot, I also got a lilikoi popsicle, which was great and refreshing! All that for less than $10! I liked this place so much that on my last day here, I went and got another bowl, this time the cali and kimchee ahi. I also grabbed a musubi for the flight home. Would absolutely recommend! read more

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Tip: order online for pick up to skip the line. Delicious poke at a great price! My husband and I grabbed a poke bowl each after a hike. The line went decently quick and there was a temperature check system that was very organised. Service was great and we were in and out in 5 mins (waited in line for about 10 mins). Only thing I'd say is the poke bowl portion was a little small, even for me. I think for an average person, you will need 2 orders of the poke bowl to be full. There are outdoor picnic benches nearby that was nice to eat at. read more

Pono Market - Poke bowl and seaweed salad - Hawaiian Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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The best things we ate in Kapaa were from Pono Market. First bite of everything we grabbed was sooo fresh, and beyond reasonably priced. Whether for a snack or a meal, GO GET SOMETHING and give them deserved love. I would every day if I could. Mahalo Pono!! read more

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Was really excited to try this place but unfortunately everything was way too salty. The best thing was the Scallop Poke but even that was on the saltier side. Be prepared to drink a gallon of water after. read more

Pono Market - Hawaiian Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

I never thought I would have poke for breakfast until I came to Kauai hahah we were leaving for our flight and just needed to squeeze in a new poke spot before leaving! Pono Market was a few minutes away from our hotel on the east side. There's very limited parking and seems like locals come here often. I only tried the poke but my friend ate her spam musubi later on the flight and said it was the best she's had! They didn't have many options for poke and you can only have one fish option for the poke bowl. We each got a different flavor: shoyu, spicy and sesame ahi. The shoyu was flavorful and the sesame was just alright but the spicy ahi was THE BEST! It actually had a real kick of spiciness which was hard to find at other spots. The fish was also melt in your mouth fresh! This was all of our fav spicy ahi poke on the island! This literally is a tiny market so don't expect anything fancy. Service was adequate. The worker was friendly but seemed impatient as we didn't know which fish to get. He was nice enough to explain which were popular and flavorful and such without us asking. They sell hot food as well which seems like what they're known for but we came just for poke. The sushi rolls looked so pretty and colorful and they also had some baked goods. Def will try some other options next time I'm on the island! read more

Pono Market - Poke bowls starting from the front: sesame, spicy and shoyu ahi! - Hawaiian Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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