4 Best Restaurants in The East Side, Kauai

Relying heavily on super-fresh island fish and local meats and produce, this restaurant offers creatively prepared food that is a great choice for value and consistent quality in a relaxed refined setting. The nightly fish specials—served grilled, steamed, or sautéed with succulent sauces—shine here. Other sound choices are the savory meat loaf, prime rib, or the chicken and mushrooms; the ahi poke nachos and sweet-potato ravioli are not to be missed. The coconut cheesecake and warm chocolate cake are dessert highlights. The spacious dining room looks out to the ocean, and it's lovely to eat at the outdoor tables when the weather is nice.

Large helpings of simple but satisfying, hearty fare are the focus at this no-frills spot in the slightly run-down Rice Shopping Center. Breakfast standards like stuffed French toast, shrimp or standard eggs Benedict, blueberry pancakes, waffles, and eggs dominate the menu and are served until closing. You'll also find many Island favorites, including saimin noodles, tripe stew, oxtail soup, and hefty plate lunches featuring kalbi (Korean barbecue beef), roast pork, and chili and rice. A small selection of sandwiches and burgers rounds out the offerings.

If you like a super hearty breakfast, try this family-friendly restaurant, a Kapaa mainstay since 1975. With its familiar food, cozy atmosphere, and friendly service, it's a great spot for omelets, banana pancakes, waffles, and eggs Benedict in two sizes. Lunch selections include sandwiches, burgers, and loco moco. It's very busy at breakfast, so expect a wait. 

Kauai's largest natural-foods market, now in much larger digs fronting the highway in the same shopping center, offers a cold grab-and-go menu of deli and green salads, wraps, soups for reheating, smoothies, and sometimes fresh sashimi.