We were on the north side of the island and craving sushi. We stopped by about 3pm on a Tuesday. Love the huge sushi rolls here, aka sushi burritos! We ordered one ahi, one spicy ahi and two crab rolls. Yes, they use real crab meat. The soy wasabi sauce is complimentary with the rolls, although ginger is $1.50. And we got two and happy we did. Half a ginger per sushi roll is advisable. All the rolls were fresh tasting and flavorful, even more so enjoyed on the beach an ocean view! Highly recommended! read more

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Very expensive for what you get. Pretty common in Hanalei and Princeville. Food was good. But price was tourists pricing. I am a tourist. But wouldn't go back because of the price. Server was great. Food was good. But did not blow my mind. Cool setting along the river with little outdoor tables and more covered seating inside with an open air concept. You know, Hawaii. Low stars because of price in relation to food yumminess read more

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Fresh and delicious! The friendly staff were excited to have you there and share the fresh fish and other offerings from their menu. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The location and ambiance was island perfect and my poke bowl was not just delicious but somehow just the right size![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Salads and sushi rolls held up to my poke bowl, thanks team for sharing a bite. I did not share any of my bowl ... it was mine! A definite must visit and a staple on any visit to the island in my future. read more

A family-owned spot in downtown Hanalei for 30+ years. Arrive early to put your name on the list - they gave us a buzzer and we walked around to the neighboring businesses while we waited. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We were seated on the covered patio, overlooking their lawn and the Hanalei River.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The food was straightforward and good, but what we liked the most was our server. I sadly don't recall her name but she was a young girl who grew up in Hanalei and clearly has passion for food and for service. She knew the menu and spoke confidently about it, and shared little anecdotes along the way - she was attentive, informative, joyful, and yet not intrusive. A shining service star. The mixed tempura starter was tasty. The salad was a plate of fresh veggies - fresh but basic in presentation and flavor. I personally might skip this next time. We really enjoyed the daily special of soba noodles with yuzu sauce. Bright and citrusy. And the sushi rolls we enjoyed were clean in flavor with a focus on the fresh fish: -Next Best Thing -Hamachi -Avocado roll Another friend said that she orders the sushi rolls to go. And she also told me about their neighboring fish market, if you want to get fish to make at home (we did not have time to check that out). To cap our our meal, we shared a piece of the Homemade Dolphine Ice Cream Pie and it was decadently delicious! read more

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Man oh man has this place fallen. If you have see my reviews I'm pretty spot on, quality customer service portions and taste are a thing of the past and this once prominent north shore establishment has succumb to the fate of so many establishments. Unfortunately the quality and customer service has suffered, nothing special about any meals...at one time the chilled fish on squaw was excellent but not anymore. To save the embarrassment I won't go further on Yelp. I would say keep searching on the north shore and pass this overpriced establishment that has lost its way in taste quality and service. read more

I had the lobster and scallops, firecracker sushi and shrimp tempura it was all so delicious. Waitress was excellent celebrated my birthday by giving me a bowl of icecream. with my fudge brownie. I forgot her name but being a former waitress i am super impressed that she handled her busy section flawlessly! read more

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Went here for my birthday and everything was amazing! [[HIGHLIGHT]]He food, service, ambiance, scenery..... it was lovely and the food was amazing!!![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

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We ate here years ago and had such a marvelous time. I'd say if you are in the area and want a good meal, then you should definitely check it out for the freshest ocean offerings. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We gathered as a family of 9 and had an amazing dining experience with great service and an authentic local vibe.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Don't be in a hurt, have a drink and chill into the ambiance of the island.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Been spending a lot of time on Kauai this past year and one of our favorite places to stop by and grab some sushi rolls is the Dolphin, not the main restaurant but the fish market on the backside of the restaurant. They have a nice assortment of fresh seafood, pok'e, rolls, and cuts by the pound. We usually get a couple rolls and share them, really like their spicy ahi and spicy salmon rolls. Fish is always super fresh and they are filling for sure. They also have some artisan products for sale like sauces, jellies, pasta, and nuts...a lot more as well. Definitely recommend here but come early, rolls often sell out quick. read more

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Love the Dolphin and come here whenever I'm on the island. An absolute must. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Friendly service, fun vibes, great food.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The Flyin' Hawaiian with SEARED hamachi (ask for it seared it makes a difference) is THE BEST SUSHI ROLL I'VE EVER HAD. I ordered 3 last time. Truly incredible. All the nigiri I've had there is wonderful and I love the seafood chowder, miso soup, and the edamame with sesame oil. The Unagi hand roll is delicious. No notes. read more

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Place was packed, but the sushi was just average--by far the worst sushi we had in Hawaii and we preferred sushi from our local spot on the mainland. Most concerning was an odd experience we had with a particular roll. When we arrived, the server pulled a roll from the top of the bar and said "all our rolls are large, like this ___ roll" (I forget the name of the specialty roll she showed us). Then, when our food arrived, she said "here's your ___roll" which we hadn't ordered. We told her that we hadn't ordered that particular roll, and she took it back and put on top of the bar, leading me to believe that it was the same roll she had shown us when we arrived. When we were closing out our tab, we heard our server say to someone else on staff "no, don't throw it out, we can still sell it" while gesturing to the roll on the top of the bar. So, I'm pretty sure they had a sushi roll sitting out for over an hour in the tropical heat that they were trying to trick us--and subsequently others--into buying. Thank goodness we were paying attention to what we ordered because this seems like a health hazard. We both agreed that this was the least fresh-tasting sushi we have had on our trip, and now we know why. read more

The Hanalei Dolphin is great but GO AROUND BACK - you'll find the Hanalei Dolphin Fish Market and the best sushi rolls & Poke on Kauai - not even close. You can thank me later. Open from 10am-6pm. Go early (get there NLT 3pm or your fav sushi & poke will be sold out). The Poke should last for a couple of days - after that, sear any that's left - it's fantastic seared. Looking to score cheap eats - they have a few day old rolls for $8 - The sushi on the day old rolls is just as good but the rice tends to not be as moist. One roll is all you need for dinner - they're enormous. Looking for more than sushi rolls - the Poke & Poke Bowls are delicious!! read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]Cute place with a pretty outdoor seating[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]], came here for dinner when we were on the island and had the monchong grilled fish - it was a pretty big size and was delicious. Service was just okay. read more

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Came for the seafood chowder and ahi rolls they sell in the back of this restaurant. The seafood chowder is just like clam chowder and theirs is excellent. Not sure what the clam like meat is but they don't call it clam chowder for a reason but it taste and feels like clam. The roll is well made and we liked it . Definitely coming back for more goodies the next time. read more

We ate here twice - first got some excellent poke bowls from the market then a couple of days later at the sushi bar restaurant. The market was fun - they had huge slabs of fish and various other awesome delectables. It was a hard choice! My daughter (a sushi ninja) agreed the poke bowls were some of the best we've had (and we had a LOT in Hawaii!). [[HIGHLIGHT]]The full restaurant was awesome - we got to sit at the sushi bar and had an amazing time![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We had their omakase roll that was poetry in a sushi roll and many other delicious offerings. My daughter ordered uni sashimi and they spent 15 minutes crafting her offering - it was absolutely beautiful! And they added a little more uni than usual - she was in heaven! Definitely give both a try, worth every penny! read more

Food is okay but extremely overpriced Service was a bit slow but okay Chairs are hard and uncomfortable Took a long time to get meals after order. Casual, open air environment read more

The Dolphin - Bar area - Seafood Markets Near Me - Hanalei, Hawaii

Overpriced for mid level food, restaurant is dark to the point of not able to read the menu or check. They started cleaning us out of the restaurant 15 minutes before their listed closing time. read more

I was a little hesitant with all the mixed reviews but I'm so glad we had dinner here before we left! We chose to dine outdoors, it was early evening and the sun was still out. The service was great; we had someone with celiac and our server provided detailed options! We ordered the crispy calamari and stuffed mushrooms for apps; both delicious and freshly prepared. I didn't expected a calamari steak vs the usual rings but it was so yummy and tender! The boys all ordered fish and chips, I ordered the rainbow poki bowl and our god daughter ordered a gf sushi roll. The seafood was so fresh and all the food was delicious! I wish we had more room for dessert but we were so stuffed from all the delicious food! read more

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Arrived during happy hour, when the restaurant was closed. The staff had a lot of attitude when we asked to put our name on the waitlist for dinner, hence taking a star off, but the space the patio is in is beautiful so we elected to order poke that came from the market and we sat outside the restaurant. This was some of the BEST poke I've ever had! Definitely glad we made the stop! Water jugs were empty which was frustrating. We just brought water in from our car. read more

The Dolphin - Seafood Markets Near Me - Hanalei, Hawaii

We got to The Dolphin around 4:30 pm on a Friday to put our name on the list and ended up snagging one of the outside tables while we waited, which was perfect because they were happy to serve us drinks. We started with a passion fruit margarita and Moscow mules, both super refreshing and a great way to kick things off. For food, we shared the calamari and I have to say, I've never had calamari cut in such big, chunky strips before. It was different in a good way and really tasty. For my main, I ordered the fish and chips. The fish itself was good and cooked well, but I'd probably skip the fries next time since they were nothing special. We also had the opah, which was a really nice, flaky piece of white fish, along with vegetable skewers that paired well. The seafood chowder was delicious and comforting, and the hamachi was fresh and flavorful. Our waitress, Phoenix, was super friendly and made the experience even better. She's been there for 15 years and it really shows she knew the menu inside and out and took great care of us. Dessert was the ice cream pie and honestly... it was to die for. Overall, great drinks, solid food, and a fun vibe while waiting for a table. Definitely a spot I'd come back to. read more

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Dolphin Fish Market is our staple for fresh fish to go we enjoy Monchong, Opah and Ono prep easy broil with their house seasoning and fresh locally sourced bag o Salad, da Blue Cheese BC and don't forget the croutons! The Staff you guys rock it gets super busy, customers pack this small space bring your patients (and try to figure out your order before entering and only 1 or 2 go in to order very tight space) If it's packed if you can wait 25-20 minutes go shop come back - the staff are grinding all day to deliver your epic fresh fish offerings be patient and give them a smile and thank you - Although prices are $$$$$ the freshness is worth it read more

We were greeted by the host...if you count "hey what's up" as a greet for a somewhat pricey restaurant. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Casually got walked through the patio and were brought cups of water... cups with lipstick stains on them![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We were going to give it a second chance, ended up waiting 20 minutes without being greeted by the server. Not sure if he was overwhelmed by the one other table he had, but we decided to help him out and leave before we ordered anything. read more

King Crab rolls are to die for. So scrumptious. Had fish and chips today that were really good too.

This was the first place we ate upon arriving in Kauai and ended up being a good choice. It's a cute spot right by waioli stream with outdoor and indoor seating. We ended up sitting inside right next to the bar which kept producing delicious looking tropical drinks. Our service was excellent and as a lot of these reviews mention, Brandt was our server and loved his energy and insider tips. It was difficult deciding what to get from all of the tasty sounding dishes on the menu, and with Brandt's help decided on the teriyaki ahi and swordfish. Don't be fooled, the teriyaki on the ahi is very light and it's great flavor, as well as with the special seasoning they gave. Cocktails here are also fabulous and was a great way to be welcomed to the island. Note that prices are a little on the higher side, the cocktails are around $20 and the teriyaki ahi was $46. These are fresh caught fish so the pricing seems about right and you can taste the difference. read more

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Went to the dolphin fish market and ordered the rainbow poke bowl and seafood chowder. Both were literally amazing. Poke bowl is $25 so a bit pricey but was very fresh fish and the sauces were amazing read more

The Dolphin - Seafood Markets Near Me - Hanalei, Hawaii

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I used to love coming here - on my last trip on island, I came here probably 5 times. This time, I stopped by for a couple rolls and was a bit disappointed. The rolls I chose were large and fresh but were lacking in flavor. The hot sauce the waitress provided and the ginger is what gave it the most flavor. It sadly was nothing to write home about and underwhelming. Our waitress wasn't very personable and we were shocked at how it wasn't busy at all. I guess their quality went downhill? read more

The Dolphin - The dolphin - Seafood Markets Near Me - Hanalei, Hawaii

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We stopped here right when they opened, it has a beautiful garden behind the restaurant. I had the fish sandwich and my husband had the calamari sandwich and both were very good. We both ordered Onion rings and should have only ordered one as we couldn't eat it all. Staff was friendly. read more

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Wow. Laid back vibe and super fresh sushi right along the river. Great beer selection and just go with the servers suggestions and you will not regret wandering in. read more

The Dolphin - Right next to the river... chill vibe. - Seafood Markets Near Me - Hanalei, Hawaii

The restaurant is very nice; indoor, patio, and garden seating. Our waitress was very nice and attentive. Ordered a calamari sandwich which was pretty good size; able to half it and share an order of frings (fries and onion ring combo). The prosecco with passion fruit was nice and was the seasonal beer on tap. Great place to eat and relax. read more

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AMAZING. We sat at the bar to wait for a table and loved the sushi's chefs so much we passed on the table and stayed put. It was the best meal we had in Kaua'i by far. Would highly recommend and would definitely return. read more

I would like to start off with saying that not all negative experiences deserve negative reviews. There were some good points to this restaurant, so I will share my experience as a whole. When I arrived at this restaurant with my family, I went up to the hostess stand and grabbed a menu to review as we waited. When the hostess arrived, she grabbed the menu from my hand and asked if we wanted to be seated for lunch. I said yes, I was only trying to see what they had. She snapped back with, well do you want to have lunch or review the menu, because I'm not sure what you're doing. My initial reaction would be to leave, but we drove out specifically to come to this place, so we stayed. Unsure why she was angry about, but the rest of the lunch I could hear her bad mouthing the other servers, other patrons and a little family that had stopped to look at the water. It was a bad look for restaurant having this person as the one who greets and seats people. That interaction aside, the location is nice and relaxing. Our server was nice and the food came out pretty quickly. I had the fin burger, which was a big nice piece of fish. Everyone enjoyed the food and drinks, my kid loved playing around in the grassy area around our table. Overall I gave this place a good rating, despite our experience that day and I'm hoping that lady has better days. read more

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Loved this place so much we came back again a day later during our trip! Both nights were busy but we were seated quickly- one night by the sushi bar inside and another outside by the river, which was beautiful at sunset but keep in mind it did get pretty dark to see once the sun went down so I'd recommend the outdoor seats for daytime. The sushi & sashimi was extremely fresh and flavorful. Some of the best salmon belly I've ever had! We tried a variety of sashimis and rolls and couldn't have been more impressed. A must-visit when in the area! read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]Dolphins is a great place for island ambiance and fish.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] They have great sushi rolls and nigiri. Had their daily catch. And get the seafood chowder. So good! All wonderful. Our server Nick was fantastic. However, their prices are too high. That's the unfortunate part. I get that food costs more on the islands but they're a little over the top. But we'll be back. It's our tradition. Oh and don't order the mai tai. Too sweet. Martinis and the Rising Tides were great. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Fun place to eat.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The food is very high quality so expect whatever you order to come out tasty!! Service is good but a little on the arrogant side read more

The Dolphin - Seafood Markets Near Me - Hanalei, Hawaii

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Very good sushi, presentation was great, see the picture, good size not gigantic bite size. Great service and very casual ambiance ambience. Price was more than I expected. read more

The Dolphin - Sushi - Seafood Markets Near Me - Hanalei, Hawaii

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The food was okay but overpriced. Not only was it overpriced but the service was slow. It took 20 min for our food to be served. I ordered a salad with fish of the day ( how long does it take to make a salad?) and my husband ordered the fish sandwich. The salad was a ripoff - $16 and extra $14 for the fish for a total of $30!!! I don't recommend ordering the salad. you're better off ordering the batteted fish and fries. So. so sad that the travel app recommended this restaurant. read more

One my favorite restaurants we went to on our visit. The fish was so fresh and cooked well. The restaurant is right next to the river. read more

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Food was pretty good, Tierra our server had a horrible attitude to us. Another server had to even excuse her behavior. Made me not want to go back. read more

Staycay from Oahu to visit friends who were visiting from the mainland. They love it there...But there is a reason you walk in and no asians or locals...food really isn't very good and it's overpriced. Yah, we were in Hanalei so to be expected but it was talked up so I expected a lot. No res, and small spot. No biggie, we went early for our table of 18-ish. Ordered 9 cocktails while we waited...Bam $200 right off the bat. Drank throughout, so big part of our bill. But we had choke kids, so could have been way worse. The menu is overwhelming and since I was in charge of ordering for myself, hubs, and baby, I just winged it. - Seafood Chowder - actually very tasty. Fresh? No clue...it's in chowder, so doubt it. But yummy. - Artichoke Crowns - tasty, but couldn't really taste the artichokes. I grew up eating it steamed wiht mayo/shoyu, so this was a little overwhelming. Tasted like Italian seasoning. Good if you don't like artichoke. - Edamame - cooked well. Seasoned well. These were good. - Shrimp Tempura - at least it wasn't the Costco frozen ones, but not very good. Manini shrimps, and not sure if oil was dirty or if was too hot, but something tasty a little funky. - Hamachi Kama - oddly the waiter kept trying to get me to not get the kama, and get shutome instead. Not sure when Shutome became better than Hamachi, but not in my world. This was okay. Needed a sprinkle Hawaiian Salt. It came so late though so we were full. The rolls lil bit too haole. Just want something simple without all the fufu stuff to cover up the taste of fish. Settled on the - Napali Roll - real crab topped with ahi. Needed thicker slice ahi cuz after that much vodka hard for taste when it's paper thin. But at least simple so was actually pretty good. - Ordered the Flyin Hawaiian since I'm a sucker for softshell crab, but didn't get it Think they gave the Hanalei instead. Junk. Too spicy to taste anything. I wouldn't go back unless the friends really want to since our entire purpose was to hang out and have a good time. We def had that! But def not the best food experience. read more

We stopped by the Dolphin Fish Market for lunch and had the worst service ever experiences during our trip. The staff was noticeably rude, unwelcoming, and dismissive, which made us feel very uncomfortable as customers. Service matters just as much as food, and this was a big letdown. The prices were also quite high, and given the poor attitude, it didn't feel worth it at all. There are so many better options in Kauai where you'll be treated kindly--unfortunately, this wasn't one of them. read more