The portions are usually generous, and the burrito bowls are consistently tasty…read more The only downside is what seems to be frequent staff turnover. That can lead to a hit-or-miss experience with customer service, portion sizes, or occasionally missing ingredients. It's an island-wide challenge, so it's worth showing a little grace to small business owners who are doing their best.

Great food and friendly service at Red Hot Mama's! One of my favorite quick stops on the island…read morewhen I'm between visits helping local moms and babies. If you're on Kauaʻi, definitely check them out. And for natural birth support, visit www.naturalbirthhawaii.com

Such a cute spot in Princeville. Great customer service! Kind and welcoming. Love the vibe with a…read moremix of music! Sandwiches were so good and fresh. The sourdough was on point. As they say on the islands - "Broke da mount" ... Thank you @Sandwich isle! Mahalo, Courtney and Team! Don't miss out on this spot!!

Went to "Sandwich Isle" for the Mac Nut Pesto Sandwich. It has turkey, Mac nut pesto, lettuce,…read moretomato, provolone cheese on wheat bread. It was delicious. The store is a walk up window with very nice staff. They were all very polite and helpful. The service was good and they let me know right away that they had a lot of orders before me and gave me an accurate waiting time. They have seating and tables outside. Overall a very nice experience for a sandwich shop.

Such a cool place with amazing music and atmosphere! Huge shoutout to the musician who was covering…read moremodern hits in a Hawaiian style - honestly, that alone is worth coming here for. The bar bites were also really good. We ordered the coconut shrimp and chicken wings, and the wings were so tasty we ended up getting a second order. Service was great and respectful. My friends got beer and really enjoyed it. I ordered a cocktail and didn't have the best luck with it - lots of ice and a bit too bitter for my taste. I wouldn't recommend the Hanalei Sour. One thing to note: the restroom isn't inside the bar, it's on the hotel property, so you'll need to take a short walk. Overall, I'd recommend this place mainly for the vibe and live music - such a fun experince!

If only the food tasted as good as the setting of this restaurant looks, it'd be a five star dining…read moreexperience. Unfortunately, we don't eat the restaurant setting, so this is a 2 star experience instead. Came in with a group of 4, and between all of us we ordered: 1.) Coconut Shrimp 2.) Homemade Mac-Nut Hummus 3.) Fried Calamari N' Shrimp 4.) Happy Talk Loco-Moco 5.) Happy Talk Smash Burger 6.) Volcano Poke I only got to try #'s 1-4, and from those, only the hummus was any good. Unfortunately, the loco-moco was bland. There was no seasoning, and there was no flavor. My party seemed to really enjoy the burger and that was probably the best food from what we ordered. Overall, I wasn't happy with the meal and would give this a 2/5

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

Went here twice and both times they over-delivered on service and food, BIG TIME!! Made awesome…read moreaccommodations for us that were not super convenient and they were so awesome about it and handled it so well. The fish and chips were maybe the best we've ever had. Ahi sliders, spinach artichoke dip and loaded fries were fantastic. They had the World Cup playing and great view of the tv. Their mango daiquiris were sooo delicious. We would definitely go back. Amazing service.

An amazing all day vibe for the Hanalei Bay Area. Super close to the downtown parking lot, this…read morerestaurant is impossible to miss. Open air seating and a consistent lively vibe no matter the time of day, makes this spot open to all vibes and parties. Was able to stop in early to watch the World Cup games (06/2026), and then re join for dinner that evening. Food, drinks, and service were fantastic. Make sure to take staff recommendations for food as they know what best hits the palette at the end of a sunny day! The garlic herb butter shrimp pasta was incredible! Thank you Kalypso!

Wow. Their long-time signature seasoning is unmatched. A classic, simple burger done perfectly…read more Delicious food in a fun setting with great outdoor seating and a unique vibe. Super friendly team -- we chatted with them about their beef for a bit. Definitely worth your time.

Burgers were just ok. I got the surfer boy - smallest piece of pineapple they could give. The…read moreteriyaki sauce is not inside they just pour it over the halved top area. The Marion berry milkshake was totally worth it

Delicious and tasty little farm fresh food truck. There are tables with umbrellas ! Mint tea is…read moresuper refreshing and hydrating! Everything is locally fresh ! The chicken sandwich was delicious wraps are great! Super fresh ! The service was pretty quick !

When I came here for lunch, all but one of the other food trucks were closed, so this place had a…read morebit of a line (about 5 people ahead of me) and it definitely took a while to get our food. I got the chicken sandwich with the macadamia nut sauce. It wasn't super flavorful, but it did taste fresh. The bun and the veggies were good, super fresh. The prices seem reasonable, but I wasn't really impressed with the taste. The seating is limited, but the area is really cute.

Best Classic Burger on Kauai…read more We literally ran into Big Nick's by accident. Needed restroom. Stopped for water from liquor store. Crowd eating at Big Nick's caught our attention. OMG, a gorgeous and uber stacked burger (lettuce, tomato, red onion, cheese) was DELICIOUS served with a shovel of crispy, crunchy French fries. A memorable, superior on-the-go meal. Big Nick's is a food truck housed with a cluster of gift and curio shops. Great service. We were given an order number when placing the order. Food was delivered to us in a to-go box.

June 2026 Just a…read moreshort walk from Hanalei Bay beach. Big Nick came highly recommended from 2 shuttle drivers at Haena State Park. We ordered the plate lunches and they were amazing. The ambience is chill and the servers super friendly.