It's easy to miss this Taro chips factory but I would advise you not to! As recommended this place had the best Taro chips in town. No frills, just two flavors, regular taro and sweet potato chips. They let you sample. The host was very nice and it's located in a worn out house that you wouldn't know had this shop! It's not oily, it is not broken into pieces, it's crispy. It's pretty expensive though - $8 but what is not expensive in Hawai'i ?! read more

See all

At Taro Ko Factory you'll find fresh taro chips priced at $8/bag. When you get into Hanapepe town, drive slow or you'll might miss the house. They have a sign hanging above but it's no large. There is a side door that's open and you enter there. They sell taro chips and potato chips. I recommend the taro chips since those are thin, fried to be very crispy and salted. They accept cash only. read more

It's never open when we go during the weekday mornings, during the posted business hours. It's hard to rate here when it's constantly closed, but Yelp keeps suggesting for me to rate here... Past memories of their food, the chips were good. The service was straightforward. The ambiance was old school, a plantation era house with a kitchen showroom. I'll update my rating again when they adhere to their business hours and not always closed. read more

See all

It's frustrating when storefronts don't answer. Luckily we were in the area to check out some other shops and seen the door open. First time here so I didn't know if they were open or not. Had to enter thru the small side door and asked if they were open. It's like an outdoor kitchen vibe. Would appreciate a more cleanliness area. But I guess this works. Got the taro chips. They were inconsistent with doneness of the chip and flavor. Some were saltier than most. Some burnt some still white. Bags were greasy and the wrong bags for the delicate chips. $8 is a bit steep for such an item given. The uncle there didn't make me feel welcomed at all. But it's all good. The outdoor made it feel a little scary as the strong front looks a bit run down. read more

See all

The best fresh taro chips in Kaua'i! Made fresh daily. Simple seasoning but tastes really good! read more

This location can be very hard to find especially using both yelp and google maps. It brought us to the wrong location and there aren't big signs indicating that it's open or that there's even a store there. We kind of just walked around the area and found a small sign and walked into a random house with their door open and saw boxes of chips everywhere. They were unfortunately out of the Taro chips and just had sweet potato chips which were delicious. The guy to makes the chips and runs the business is a bit dull and blunt however (this is totally me just assuming) seems like he possibly had a stroke or something hence his flat affect so I won't hold him to it. If that was the case, I'm happy he's staying active and still able to run a business. I'd 100% rather pay more to help out a small business like this one than buy it at Walmart or some chain where it isn't as fresh. I could see him hand sealing each bag by hand. Everything is done by one person which is admirable. Just needs to do a better job advertising and putting a bigger sign where they're located. read more

Local place, just go and see if the door is open (even if sign says closed). Love their taro chips, sliced nice and thin and very tasty. Good omiyage, support local hole-in-the wall business! Ono taro chips, easy to eat the whole bag in one sitting! read more

I felt pretty lucky. I was on Kauai for the day and stopped by here on a whim at around midday; fully expecting them to be closed or sold out. Initially the placed looked closed, as there were no cars outside, and the closed sign was on the door. However, I saw an elderly man inside, whom I assumed was the owner. I got out to check and he showed me the few bags they had remaining for sale. I got one of the regular potato chips and one of the regular taro chips. I'd give the place 4.5 stars based on their product. But the customer service is what brings this place down. Namely, the owner just seems like he is incapable of being happy or being nice to his customers. Any question I asked was met with a rude, insulting response. I didn't let his negativity bring me down, but yah, he shouldn't be the one that deals with customers at all. I feel bad for someone to be that negative and unhappy. read more

Taro Ko Factory - Food Stands Near Me - Hanapepe, Hawaii

AMAZING! The chips are to die for! The trick is to find him open! Hanapepe is the best little gem on the island!

Probably the best taro chips I have ever tried, however this place is never open anymore! I went to Kauai three times in the last 2-3 years and it has always been closed. They also never answer the phone number listed on google or yelp so it is near impossible to plan a trip there. From past memories I do remember the chips were perfect and so delicious! We had tried the original taro chips and the li hing mui seasoned ones as well. Both were excellent! read more

For a non local- it was a little tricky to find. We drove right by it and it wasn't until we were standing at Longie's shave ice did I notice, the "sorry, we are closed sign." I walked over and purchased 4 bags. I loved the authenticity of being able to see where Uncle makes the chips. We are looking forward to enjoying the chips and we'll as sharing them with others. read more

Curious if this place is even open? We drove by twice during our week long trip and didn't see anything. Would appreciate more signage or hour updates. read more

Excellent chips, not so great service. It's a very small business that almost looks like a run down home. Good signage though so you can't miss it. The worker, not sure if it's the owner or not (he was the only one in there), just didn't seem pleasant. Chips are 5 stars; friendliness of staff is 1 star. read more

Chips are da bomb, wish I could send a case back to the mainland (likely be crumbs by the time they got home) No ambiance at all. Even if the door has closed sign on it still try the door. You walk in to an odd set up but the chips are the best. read more

I'm on Oahu but every time I come back to Kauai I pick up chips from here! My fave is the taro chips but I also enjoy the li hing chips.

Always go when I go back Kauai. Even if Ma guys from Lihue, worth making the trip to Hanapepe to see the grandparents old stomping grounds and grab some chips. I always like the taro and potato chips, but forgot how good the ulu was. I've had ulu chips elsewhere and we make them and it's always oily...but not at Taro Ko. Whatever they do is great. Glad I bought 2 bags ulu this trip (8 total to give as omiyage)... read more

Takes me back to 50 years ago.. like a time capsule.. Food is great but the nostalgia is irreplaceable read more

See all

This is one of those hole-in-the-wall, go eat what the locals like, farm to table, support local, MUST go to places. I always place my order for my 'Ohana on my return trip to O'ahu. I love their Ulu chips! My fave, fave, fave! The sweet potato are addicting and the taro are thin and light! read more

When my cousins heard I was going to Kauai island, they told me " you HAVE to go here. It blows away any of the commercially made ones sold in stores. " Well they were right. It's a little ramshackle house, I thought it was closed because the front door looked shut but there was a little side door open. Poked my head in, didn't see anyone at first but then an older guy came to the front and tells me "dis all get, grab your own". ( we came in the afternoon). Man of few words- real Taisho but we didn't come to have a few beers and talk story. There were plain taro chips, sweet potato chips and potato chips. I think there was also ling hing flavored chips mixed in the box of the potato chips. Each bag was $5. Yep- these taro chips are best I've had. Really crispy, lightly salted and not greasy. My friends got some of the potato chips and told me they were good. The place is in Hanapepe, just as you turn into the valley on the left as you head in. Just look for an old buss-up house. Not really a place to park, just pull up to the side or park further in town and walk up. Well worth the trip! Cash only. read more

Taro Ko Factory - Food Stands Near Me - Hanapepe, Hawaii

A "hole in the wall" for sure or maybe a "hole in the wall, in the hole in the wall." My wife and daughter refused to go inside but luckily I decided to venture in and got some amazing taro and potato chips. The Li Hing chips were interesting and a nice change of pace. Don't expect any customer service as there will be none but just grab your chips and get out. read more

I have no idea why this place has such a great review. The guy that was working there was unfriendly. The chips are way too burnt. It has bitter after taste. If I lived there I would go back for a refund. I can't believe I paid $8 for a bag. Would never go back again read more

Yummy chips with unique Asian flavors. We had plain tarp chips, and regular and purple sweet potato with the Li Hing Mui flavor. All were super amazing and crispy. With the trip. read more

Taro Ko Factory - three bags of torto chips - Food Stands Near Me - Hanapepe, Hawaii

The chips themselves are super delicious. Thin, super crisp, & perfectly seasoned. The place itself is a little house and you enter through an assuming side door that leads straight into kitchen. There you sill find two medium sized brown boxes with whatever chips they have left for the day. Dinged the place a star (but only a star bc the chips so dang good lol); Don't expect a friendly greeting when you enter lol. I greeted the two men with a friendly "aloha" and all I got were death stares. The most words that I got from the man by the counter said was him repeating my new grand total (every time i pulled a bag out of the box). Cash only! The lack of interaction/ death stares almost makes me feel like these gentlemen would prefer not to sell their goods to tourists. (If thats the case, maybe they should tell Hawaiian airlines to take their business off their website ). All in all, just come here for the chips- they are pretty tasty! read more

I love the chips. The building doesn't seems like much but it worth the stop. The city is nice to visit while you are in the are. read more

Taro Ko Factory - Chips - Food Stands Near Me - Hanapepe, Hawaii

See all

Two stars but only because this man's taro chips really are delicious. We were here earlier this year and has regrets not buying more as gifts for family and friends back home. I came here this trip specifically with the intention to buy around 10 bags... The door was open and there was no one standing there. So I said hello to see if the business was open...before I start rummaging through his stuff. A few minutes later an older man (I'm assuming the owner) comes out. I said hi there. He did not greet us, only stared at me and my friend. As I was picking out bags, I set aside 6 and was still choosing. He asked if that was all. I told him I'm still deciding on the others. He grunted, became annoyed, sighed and said he's busy trying to watch baseball right now. At that point I took up less than 2 minutes of his time. How incredibly rude!!!!!!! Didn't realize taking than 5 minutes to buy a few bags of chips was so outrageous. read more

First of all, thank you for your service. The place has a closed sign but luckily we saw the owner outside. They are open so just drive up and try the doors. The taro chips were out so we got the regular and li-hing potato and the okinawa sweet potato chips. They were very tasty and just right. I didn't need it to be over the top because I wanted to really taste the potato. The flavors really came through. Highly recommend if you are in the Hanapepe area! Also, cash only. They are $6 a bag. read more

Love this place! No trip to Kauai is complete without a stop at Hanapepe for the best chips on the island. The owner was super sweet this trip and gave us a couple extra bags for free. He's 80 years old (maybe 81) and cooks up his chips right there in his kitchen. So thin, crispy and salty... just perfect! read more

See all

What a cool place! This is a small, family-run business. The right side of the building has a side door where you'll enter the house's kitchen area. There is a table with boxes of different types of homemade chips. They have sweet potato chips, taro chips, and regular potato chips for $6 each. It's cash only and super quick. The taro chips are my favorite! They're crispy, lightly salted, and super fresh. You can just pull up to the side to park. I highly recommend! read more

Taro Ko Factory - Food Stands Near Me - Hanapepe, Hawaii

Maybe everyone hyped them up but we didn't find the taro chips to be anything special. We stopped by twice because the first time, it was closed. The second time we were able to stop by and grab some. The lihing ones were probably the most flavorful but even then it was still pretty underwhelming. read more

See all

Been buying chips from Taro Ko for 30 years but this may be the last time. Chips were sliced way too thick and were seriously overdone. Drove all the way from Koloa just for my taro chip fix - disappointing. read more

Amazing taro chips made fresh onsite - I am a big fan! If you drive by and it looks closed, check for the door on the right side of the building, maybe the guy is inside frying the chips. read more

Taro Ko Factory - Taro chips - Food Stands Near Me - Hanapepe, Hawaii

Yelp is awesome to search for food to try in Kauai. I was on my adventure and found this place in Hanapepe town. It is a small house/shop owned by an older man. It can be easily missed if not carefully looked. There's a sign that says Taro Ko and the door sign that tells you if it was open or closed. We parked by the restaurants and shops with stalls. We walked from there to Taro Ko. We also pass by a shave ice place. Anyways, they were freshly frying it when we got there. There were bags of different chips in the front counter. Each was $5 per bag. We just pick what we wanted and paid, Cash only. There were taro, sweet potato, and lihing sweet potato. We got taro and lihing sweet potato chips. Both were really crispy and fresh because it was still hot. The taro chips were thinly cut. It was good but a bit salty. The lihing sweet potato was interesting. It had lihing powder on it. It had a crunchy, sour, and sweet taste to it. These are great for gifts and snack to buy back. Worth to stop by when in Kauai. read more

Taro Ko Factory - Taro chip and lihing sweet potato $5 each - Food Stands Near Me - Hanapepe, Hawaii

Thank goodness a friend recommended me this place and told me where to go, because the first time I saw it, I didn't even realize it was this place and didn't look twice. This place is in a very old little shack at the edge of Old Hanapepe, across the street from the Welcome Mosaic sign of Hanapepe. I walked through an open door on the side of the shack. I didn't even know if I was supposed to walk through there or not. Don't be turned off by the appearance of the interior. This place is the perfect example of Mom and Pop. They make the chips fresh daily. It's pretty straight forward in there, you see a lot of chips of various kinds and the area where they fry them. The potato chips were pretty tasty. I also got sweet potato, but these were a lot harder than the potato chips which were thin and crispy. Charming little place and if you want taro chips, this place is not to be missed! read more

See all

Arrived too early on our way to Waimea Canyon. Luckily on our third pass they had just opened (10 AM). The chips are amazing! If you're questioning stoping here, don't be foolish, it's a must Part 2: The owner is the kindest man imaginable. I'd come back just to meet him again. And when he learned we were from San Francisco, his 49ers love was in full display. Go 49ers!!! It doesn't get more authentic Hawaii than this. read more

Taro Ko Factory - Food Stands Near Me - Hanapepe, Hawaii

The taro chips are fantastic. Love the fresh texture and love the small business theme...when you sell out, you're pau for the day!

This unassuming "shack" sells thin, delicious taro and sweet potato chips that are unbeatable. My wife and I bought the Li Hing Sweet Potato Chips to eat on our drive home. We couldn't stop munching even though we were full from lunch. I dinged the business one star because the proprietor wasn't terribly friendly. They really should give the shack a once -over with some paint and put a sign out front to improve business. It's really a hidden gem!!! read more

Like an old Chinese restaurant where you question how they passed their health inspection, but that's probably what makes the food so good. Lmao. Hours are totally random and when they are open, the door still has a closed sign on it. We tried the taro chips as lots have raved about and found they are a greasier version of Hawaiian Chip Company's taro chips sprinkled with garlic salt. Chips were ono but for $7/ bag a little steep. As others mentioned, the people running the place are not the friendliest but we didn't go there to make friends. read more

These are the best chips around. No others compare. I've been buying these for years and will continue to do so.

Simply the BEST Taro chips around. Thin crispy and perfectly seasoned! Every time I visit the island of Kauai It's a must to stop by and pick up some fresh taro chips. Keep in mind, there are other types of chips also such a sweet potato and bread fruit. The sweet potato li hing mui chips are so tasty also. Its worth the drive to Hanapepe!! read more

Yummy chips! Seasoned ones were my favorite! It's a tiny little house located as soon as you're entering the little downtown hanapepe area. We got some after we crossed the swinging bridge. read more