Are you planning a trip to Kauai and want to know the top food spots? Find out where to eat on Kauai with kids for families who love tasty food!
This post about where to eat on Kauai with kids was written by Hawaii travel expert Marcie Cheung and may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.
After 40+ trips to Hawaii and countless hours on Kauai’s roads with hungry kids in the backseat, I’ve figured out which restaurants are actually worth the stop.
My kids have strong opinions about food (don’t they all?), and I’ve learned the hard way that not every “best of” list actually delivers when you’ve got tired, hungry little ones in tow.
So here’s the real deal: my family’s go-to spots organized by where you’ll actually be exploring on the island.
These aren’t just places I’ve researched online. These are the restaurants we come back to every single trip because the food is that good and the vibe works for families.
I’m Marcie, a Certified Hawaii Destination Specialist, professional tourist, and mom who’s been visiting Hawaii since I was 10.
My grandmother lived part-time on Kauai, my mom currently lives here, and I’ve danced hula for over 20 years.
Between my family connections and decades of visits, I know this island pretty well.
If you want help planning your Kauai trip, I offer personalized Hawaii travel consultations where I can help you map out the perfect itinerary.
Looking for more Kauai guidance? Grab my complete Kauai Travel Guide for Families with daily itineraries, kid-friendly activities, and insider tips.
Or sign up for my free 7-day email course on planning a trip to Kauai to get started.
Quick Kauai Food Facts
What’s Kauai known for food-wise?
The shrimp. Seriously. Kauai shrimp is sweeter and more flavorful than anywhere else in Hawaii.
You’ll also find incredible poke (raw fish salad), plate lunches (local comfort food with meat, rice, and mac salad), and some of the best malasadas (Portuguese donuts) you’ll ever taste.
Is dining expensive on Kauai?
I’m not going to sugarcoat it: yes. Plan on spending $15-25 per person for casual meals and $30-50+ for sit-down restaurants.
But here’s what I do: we eat bigger lunches at casual spots, then cook simple dinners at our rental. Stock up at Costco or Walmart in Lihue right after landing, and you’ll save a ton.
North Shore Restaurants
The North Shore (Princeville and Hanalei area) is where you’ll find some of Kauai’s most beautiful beaches and dramatic scenery. It’s also where my kids will happily stand in line for donuts.
Holey Grail Donuts
This place is 100% worth the hype. My kids don’t mind waiting here (which is saying something), and honestly, I don’t either once I smell those taro donuts frying.
Holey Grail makes donuts to order using taro-based dough fried in coconut oil. They’re vegan, but you’d never guess it.
The flavors rotate weekly and feature local ingredients like lilikoi (passionfruit), local honey, and Kauai-grown chocolate. Get their four-pack tasting box so everyone can try different flavors.
They also serve nitro lattes made with housemade coconut cashew milk that are honestly better than most coffee shops back home.
Where: Two locations – the original red food truck in Hanalei (5-5100 Kuhio Hwy) and a Kapaa spot (4-1543 Kuhio Hwy)
Hours: Daily 7am-1pm (Hanalei) or 7am-2pm (Kapaa)
Why we love it: Hot, made-to-order donuts that taste like nothing else. The taro gives them this subtle, earthy sweetness that’s addictive.
Budget: Budget-friendly (donuts are around $4-5 each)
East Side Restaurants (Kapaa & Lihue)
The East Side is where you’ll probably fly into (Lihue airport) and where many hotels and vacation rentals are located. It’s also home to some seriously good food.
Mark’s Place
This is our first stop the second we land in Lihue. While everyone else heads to their hotel to unpack, we grab food here because we’re starving and Mark’s is only a few minutes from the airport.
The kids immediately go for spam musubi (spam and rice wrapped in seaweed), which they inhale before we even get to the car.
I get one of their hearty plate lunches. The beef stew is fall-apart tender and rich, perfect after a long flight.
Their famous mixed plate (chicken katsu, teriyaki beef, and beef stew with rice and mac salad) easily feeds two people.
This isn’t a sit-down restaurant. It’s takeout only in an industrial area, but the portions are huge and the prices are reasonable for Kauai. Locals line up here for a reason.
Where: 1610 Haleukana St, Lihue (in an industrial area near the airport)
Hours: Monday-Friday 10:30am-7pm (closed weekends)
Why we love it: Authentic local food, massive portions, and it’s right by the airport. We literally stop here on the way to our rental or on the way back to catch our flight.
Budget: Budget-friendly to moderate ($10-15 per plate)
Passion Bakery
My kids are obsessed with the malasadas here and insist we grab some on every trip. I’ve lost count of how many times we’ve swung by this cheerful yellow bakery in Kinipopo Shopping Village.
Malasadas are Portuguese donuts – fried dough rolled in sugar. Passion Bakery offers different flavors (key lime, espresso, POG – passion fruit/orange/guava), and they’re all amazing.
Get there early for the best selection because popular items sell out.
Beyond malasadas, their breakfast sandwiches are huge and delicious. My go-to is the Hawaiian breakfast sandwich with their house-made chorizo on sourdough.
They also make fresh artisan breads, cookies, and pizza if you want to take something back for later.
Where: 4-356 Kuhio Hwy #121, Kapaa (Kinipopo Shopping Village)
Hours: Monday-Saturday 7am-12pm (closed Sunday)
Why we love it: Those malasadas. Also, the family who runs it is incredibly welcoming, and everything is made fresh daily.
Budget: Budget-friendly ($3-8 for pastries, $8-12 for breakfast items)
Duke’s Kauai
When we want a nice family dinner with an ocean view, we head to Duke’s. It’s right on Kalapaki Beach with a 30-foot waterfall and koi pond running through the restaurant. The kids love watching the fish while we wait for our food.
Duke’s has a kids menu with all the standards (burgers, mac and cheese, chicken), but what you really come here for is the Hula Pie.
This dessert is massive – macadamia nut ice cream on a chocolate cookie crust, covered in hot fudge and whipped cream, topped with more macadamia nuts.
We’ve never finished one, but we keep trying.
The fish here is consistently good (try the macadamia nut-crusted catch of the day), and they have a salad bar if you want something lighter. Live Hawaiian music plays most evenings, adding to the vibe.
Where: 3610 Rice St, Lihue (at the Kauai Marriott)
Hours: Daily 11am-9:30pm (Sunday brunch 9am-12pm)
Why we love it: Beautiful setting, reliably good food, and that Hula Pie. It’s also nice to have somewhere a bit nicer for a family celebration or last-night-on-the-island dinner.
Budget: Moderate to splurge ($20-40 per entree)
South Shore Restaurants (Poipu & Kalaheo)
The South Shore has the most reliable weather on Kauai (it’s the sunny, dry side) and some fantastic food options.
This is also where you’ll find Waimea Canyon, so these spots work great for breakfast before or lunch after your canyon adventure.
Kalaheo Cafe
We do breakfast here whenever we’re heading up to Waimea Canyon because their pastries and hearty breakfast options fuel us perfectly for a day of hiking.
Their cinnamon rolls are ridiculously good – warm, gooey, and absolutely massive.
My husband always gets the Kahili breakfast (Portuguese sausage, eggs, and green onions scrambled together with Monterey Jack cheese), while I usually go for their macadamia nut pancakes with coconut syrup.
They’re only open Wednesday-Sunday, so plan accordingly. Sunday is breakfast-all-day, which is perfect if you’re sleeping in.
They also serve lunch and dinner on certain days, and everything we’ve tried has been solid.
Where: 2-2560 Kaumualii Hwy, Kalaheo (in the upcountry mountains)
Hours: Wednesday-Saturday 7am-2pm (breakfast/lunch), Wednesday-Saturday 5pm-8pm (dinner), Sunday 7am-2pm (breakfast all day). Closed Monday-Tuesday.
Why we love it: Huge portions, those pastries, and it’s perfectly located for a Waimea Canyon day trip. Plus, they use locally sourced produce and Kauai coffee.
Budget: Moderate ($10-18 for breakfast/lunch)
Koloa Fish Market
If you want to understand why locals obsess over poke, come here. Koloa Fish Market has been serving fresh fish and poke since 1994, and it’s hands-down some of the best on the island.
They have tons of poke varieties – wasabi ahi, Korean-style, kimchee tako (octopus), spicy shrimp, and more. Get a medium or large bowl so you can try multiple kinds. The fish is buttery and melts in your mouth.
They also serve plate lunches (kalua pork, grilled ahi, shoyu chicken) with rice and mac salad. Everything is takeout only, so grab your food and head to nearby Poipu Beach or Anne Knudsen Park to eat.
Fair warning: the line can get long, especially around lunch. But it moves fast, and the staff is efficient. Cash saves you the 3% credit card fee.
Where: 3390 Poipu Rd, Koloa
Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 10am-3pm (closed Thursday and Sunday)
Why we love it: The freshest poke on Kauai. Period. This is what you come to Hawaii for.
Budget: Budget-friendly to moderate ($10-18 for poke bowls)
If you’re planning to capture your family vacation memories professionally, I highly recommend Flytographer.
They connect you with local photographers anywhere in the world, and you can save $20 when you book through my link. We’ve used them in Hawaii and the photos are stunning.
West Side Restaurants (Waimea)
The West Side is where you’ll find Waimea Canyon (the Grand Canyon of the Pacific) and some incredible shrimp.
Shrimp Station
I’m just going to say it: Shrimp Station makes the best coconut shrimp I’ve ever had. Not just on Kauai. Anywhere.
The shrimp here are locally caught Kauai shrimp, which are noticeably sweeter and more flavorful than mainland shrimp.
They prepare them several ways (garlic, Cajun, Thai, beer-battered, coconut), and you can’t go wrong.
But that coconut shrimp with papaya ginger tartar sauce? It’s ridiculous. Perfectly crispy, not too heavy, served with fries.
You get 10-12 good-sized shrimp per plate. This is a roadside spot with picnic tables, perfect for grabbing lunch before or after Waimea Canyon.
Where: 9652 Kaumualii Hwy, Waimea (right on Highway 50)
Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Friday-Sunday 11am-5pm (closed Wednesday-Thursday)
Why we love it: That coconut shrimp. We’ve tried other places, and nothing compares. The location is also perfect for a Waimea Canyon day.
Budget: Moderate ($13-15 per plate)
Plan Your Kauai Trip
These restaurants represent years of trial and error on our part.
Some of Kauai’s most hyped spots didn’t make this list because when we actually ate there with our kids, they weren’t worth recommending. These nine? We genuinely come back to them every trip.
A few final tips:
- Rent a car. You need one on Kauai, and it makes getting to these restaurants much easier. Check Discount Hawaii Car Rental for rates.
- Call ahead if a place takes orders by phone. Mark’s Place and Passion Bakery both do, which can save you time.
- Bring a cooler if you’re getting poke or food to go. It stays fresh longer, especially if you’re heading to the beach.
- Don’t skip the local spots for chain restaurants. You’re in Hawaii – eat Hawaii food.
Want more help planning your Kauai adventure? Check out these resources:
- Kauai Travel Guide for Families – complete planning guide
- Free 7-Day Kauai Planning Course – email course walking you through the planning process
- Hawaii Travel with Kids Podcast – listen while you’re doing dishes
And if you want personalized help creating your Kauai itinerary, I offer one-on-one travel consultations where I can help you plan everything from which restaurants to try to which beaches are best for your kids’ ages.
The best Kauai restaurants aren’t always the fanciest or most Instagram-worthy. They’re the ones where the food is genuinely delicious, the staff treats families well, and you leave full and happy. These nine spots deliver every time.
Now get out there and eat some really good food.
P.S. Join our Hawaii Travel with Kids Facebook group to get connected with other families planning a trip to Hawaii!
