Frommer's Kauai - Jeanette Foster [108]
Ono Family Restaurant (4-1292 Kuhio Hwy., Kapaa; 80 8/822-1710). Most items on the breakfast/lunch menu are less than $10, and the portions are huge. (You may want to split an order with the kids, and you’ll still walk away full.) Breakfast is a big deal here, with many egg dishes; banana, coconut, and macadamia-nut pancakes; and a few dozen other choices. The lunch menu lets you choose from fish, veggie, steak, tuna, and turkey sandwiches. Burgers with various toppings highlight the menu.
Duane’s Ono-Char Burger (on Kuhio Hwy., Anahola; 80 8/822-9181). If you’re on your way to or from the beaches on the North Shore and the kids are starvin’, stop at this hamburger stand for Duane’s huge selection of burgers: teriyaki, mushroom, cheddar, barbecue, and the Special, with grilled onions, sprouts, and two cheeses. (Even Boca burgers are offered for vegetarians.) These one-of-a-kind burgers will set you back $4.40 to $7.25, with plenty of money left over for the marionberry ice-cream shake.
NORTH SHORE
Tropical Taco (Hale Lea Building, 5–5088 Kuhio Hwy., Hanalei; 80 8/827-TACO;www.tropicaltaco.com). Kids will love the assortment of tacos and burritos at this counter service restaurant, and you’ll love the prices.
Casa Blanca at Kiahuna MEDITERRANEAN This used to be one of my favorite dining places on Kauai; I planned my trips around eating here. But it has just gotten too unreliable in recent years—you can either have the meal of your life here with great service or a total fiasco with bad service to boot. If the owner Elizabeth “Liz” Foley, a culinary genius, who opened this stylish, elegant, open-air restaurant overlooking the manicured grounds at the Kiahuna Swim and Tennis Club, is on property, then you stand a good chance of having great food and good service. When Liz is on-site, she makes sure that every detail is taken care of, from the polished slate floors to the fresh flowers. Unfortunately, if Liz is not at the restaurant, it is not so sterling, and the service and the culinary dishes coming out of the kitchen suffer. Call in advance and ask if Liz is there—if she is, make a reservation; if not, you might want to pass. Lunch is a creative selection of Greek and Mediterranean dishes including brochettes (Moroccan lamb, Algerian chicken skewers, and Moroccan vegetable with couscous), and there is even a kids’ menu with such classics as PB&J and grilled cheese. They also have a delicious tapas menu of small items: Spanish shrimp, crostini with olive tapanade, spicy eggplant caponata, and more at Happy Hour. But it’s at dinner that Liz’s famous culinary talents really stand out, with zarzuela (Spanish stew with lobster, shrimp, mussels, tomato, and saffron), Tangine al Dajaj (traditional Moroccan street fare of stewed chicken with olives and spices served over couscous), agnello (New Zealand lamb with roasted red potatoes), and nightly specials. Whatever you order, do not miss the chocolate mousse with orange for dessert. After the sun has set, it is hard to find the unlit turnoff to the restaurant, but it’s worth the search.
2290 Poipu Rd. (in the Kiahuna Swim and Tennis Club), Poipu. 80 8/742-2929. Reservations recommended for dinner. Lunch $6–$14; tapas $6–$12; dinner entrees $14–$38. DISC, MC, V. Daily 11am–3pm and 5–9pm; happy hour 2–6pm.
Keoki’s Paradise STEAK/SEAFOOD It’s a great place to take the kids; they will love the tropical ambience here. Keoki’s Paradise is sprawling and lively and has improved with the years, with lunch favorites that include a fresh-fish sandwich, fresh-fish tacos, Thai shrimp sticks, and chicken Caesar salad—all good and affordable. In the evenings, regulars tout the fresh fish crusted in lemon grass, basil, and bread crumbs. When it’s time for dessert, the original Hula pie from Kimo’s in Lahaina is an ever-sinful winner.