I always try to eat at unique and local places when I travel and avoid the major chain restaurants for a more unique and local experience. This was our experience in Kauai.

Trip report:
Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa Review
Review of Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa Grand Club
Review of Captain Andy’s Sailing Adventures and Kauai Photo Tours

Places to eat

Da Crack
Hanalei Taro & Juice Company
Keoki’s Paradise
Sueoka’s Snack Shop
Kauai Kookie
Jo-Jo’s Anuenue Shave Ice and Treats
Chicken in a Barrel BBQ

Da Crack

Cheap and good Mexican food with a serious kick. It’s literally a hole in a wall with only a couple of seats outside. My wife got the fish taco which was amazing. I went for the burrito and it had a serious kick in the sauce. Having lived in Texas for a while, Da Crack is legit. We ate here twice during our stay.

Hanalei Taro and Juice Company

How can you go wrong with traditional Hawaiian food and taro?

Keoki’s Paradise

There’s only one reason to go to Keoki’s – Hula Pie. Beautiful cookie crust, with macadamia nut ice cream, hot fudge, macadamia nuts, and whipped creams.

Sueoka’s Snack Shop

Sueoka’s is right by a grocery store and well attended by the locals. I got the hamburger and onion rings and tasted very ono.

Kauai Kookie

Another local spot for a hamburger and french fries. A great sitting area out front and delicious food.

Jo-Jo’s Anuenue Shave Ice and Treats
There are tons of shaved ice options around here. Our favorite was Jo-Jo’s which was especially refreshing on a very hot day.

Chicken in a Barrel BBQ

The perfect ending. This was our final stop before going to the airport. I got the sampler platter with red beans. The seasoning and juiciness were beyond belief and this is a die hard BBQ fan from Texas. This one out of any of them is not to be missed with their unique barrel cooking.

I think I ended up putting on ten pounds with all great, local food we ate. We opted for mostly hole in the wall places instead of sit down restaurants. I really enjoyed being in Kauai.