3 Best Restaurants in The East Side, Kauai

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We've compiled the best of the best in The East Side - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.

Kukui's on Kalapaki Beach

$$$

The meals at Kukui's feature Hawaiian, Asian, and contemporary American influences, and the open-air setting with a view of the ocean makes it a pleasant place to dine. It's spacious, making it well suited to families and those who want a relaxed setting. The short dinner menu includes rack of lamb, kalbi rib-eye steak, salads, flatbreads, burgers, fresh fish, pasta, and a few vegetarian options. Prime rib is served on Friday and Saturday nights.

Mermaids Café

$

Located right on the main drag of Kapaa, this café has an exterior that's a bit grimy and noisy, but it's worth a stop to order takeout and walk to the beach instead. The poke salad bowl and ahi nori wrap made of seared tuna, rice, and cucumber with wasabi cream sauce are the best picks here. Other choices include hearty fresh salads, sandwiches, tropical tacos, stir-fry noodles, and satay made from either tofu or chicken.

4–1384 Kuhio Hwy., HI, 96746, USA
808-821–2026
Known For
  • Poke bowl
  • Variety of satisfying salads
  • Popular spot

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The Plantation House by Gaylords

$$$

Located in what was once Kauai's most expensive plantation estate, Gaylords pays tribute to the elegant dining rooms of 1930s high society: candlelit tables sit on a cobblestone courtyard that surrounds a fountain and overlooks a wide lawn. The menu is eclectic, offering Portuguese fish stew, shrimp pasta, scallops, steak, sake short ribs, chicken, and a few vegan and vegetarian options. Be sure to start with the fresh ahi poke stack. The banana cream pie with a coconut crust is a tasty twist on an old favorite. Lunch offers some hearty salads, soups, hot and cold sandwiches, and burgers. 

3--2087 Kaumualii Hwy., HI, 96766, USA
808-245–9593
Known For
  • Unique courtyard setting
  • Quiet dining
  • Delightful outdoor seating

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