Restaurants in Waimea

“delicious calamari and curry mussels appetizers, rib eye entries a must and for dessert brownies with ice cream and fried banana”

“Delicious smoothies and friendly staff….Purple Haze and Enter Sandman were our favorites!”

“We loved The Fish and The Hog!! The BBQ Sampler was amazing. Our waitress Hiwa was great and everyone was so nice! We were excited to meet the waiter Ben who was also from West Virginia. We would definitely eat here again!”

“Absolutely, the food was delicious and service and restaurant were amazing !”

“Very good. Went for a long drive to find some authentic Kaluha Pig and Mac salad and this was the spot. I'm from the mainland but it's a must whenever I visit Kauai. 🤙”

“Just want to thank all the great people at Waimea Coffee for buying some of my block prints!🤙🏽🌴 big help! too good you guys🤙🏽❤️”

“We drove about 45 minutes to try GJs Huli chicken. We were lucky enough to get the last 3 plates they had. Each plate is a half chicken, rice and macaroni salad - plenty enough to share. We were not disappointed it was some of the best rotisserie chicken we've ever had. Even the white meat/ breast was tender and juicy. We had enough left over to enjoy chicken Alfredo back at our condo as well as chicken breakfast burritos. We would definitely make our way back again the next time we make it over to the Big Island. Note, it is picnic style so bring a cooler, some chairs or blanket and cop a squat with friends for this delicious Hawai'i lunch plate. .”

“Love the coconut curry with shrimp. Also a fan of the Korean ribeye & Teri chicken.”

“First off, I can’t tell you how much I love their Overboard IPA. But I digress. We stopped into the brewhaus for lunch twice, and had incredible meals both times. The brewery is laid back and quaint. In a dream life I’d be a regular there.”

“personal service, drive thru, best coffee”

“We drove from Kona to visit this little tea shop and it was well worth it! I had the scenic point with watermelon boba and my husband had the watermelon fruit tea with lychee jelly. I can honestly say I’ve tried several other places on the island and Tea O’clock is tops! The scenic point is a jasmine tea, you could tell it was fresh. The flavor was absolutely beautiful! The watermelon fruit tea was just as you’d expect it should be. Nothing was watered down, only flavorful teas here!! I highly suggest this place!”

“Absolutely incredible experience! The food here is consistently amazing — every dish is packed with flavor and clearly made with so much care and attention to detail. Beyond the food, what truly sets this place apart is the hospitality. Libbey makes you feel genuinely welcomed the moment you walk in. You can really feel the heart behind this business, and it shows in everything from the service to the atmosphere.
If you’re looking for a spot with outstanding food, next-level hospitality, and a staff that truly cares, this place is a must-visit. Highly recommend and can’t wait to come back!”

“Jade Palace – Waimea’s Hidden Gem for Big Groups & Big Flavor

We’ve found our go-to spot in Waimea: Jade Palace, where the food hits the spot, the service is fast and friendly, and feeding a hungry group doesn’t break the bank.

We walked in with a party of six—no reservation, no wait. They sat us right away (huge bonus points), and parking was a breeze. Gotta love a place that’s both convenient and delicious.

Our usual? The Family Dinner for 4—and yes, it fed all six of us with ease. We ordered:

Orange Chicken – perfectly crispy with a tangy-sweet glaze.

Salt & Pepper Fish – light, flavorful, and not greasy. A sleeper hit.

Beef with Broccoli – classic, tender, and comforting.

Mongolian Beef – bold flavors with just the right kick.

The service is warm and attentive without being overbearing, and the kitchen turns out food impressively fast. It’s hard to find a spot that hits all the marks—great prices, generous portions, tasty dishes, and reliable service—but Jade Palace does it effortlessly.

Pro tip: Come hungry, come with friends, and don't sleep on the family dinner—it’s the best deal in town.”

“Great place to grab a drink and relax. Erica is probably the best bartender in the history of everything.”

“We loved this spot for lunch and coffees with the locals Service was kind, drinks were unique and yummy and lunch was fantastic. It’s attached to a store with all kids of fun things to peruse. Fun atmosphere!”

“All of the food is super fresh and unique, with them all having their own styles and flavors. The local Hawaiian shrimps being incredibly flavorful, and the mushroom bowl being a first time discovery. With the atmosphere being very relaxed and calm, truly a Hawaiian experience”

“Island Breeze have been Rated the Best Luau on the Big Island of Hawaii!”

“i had the ribs... delicious”

“I brought Chef Allen Hess my freshly caught fish. He expertly prepared it into culinary art! The atmosphere and service is top notch, as well as the flavors and presentation. Do yourself a favor and order a few oyster shooters as well. 🤤”

“Luana Lounge is the bomb. Great view of the ocean, very chill atmosphere with great drinks and sushi options. Reasonable prices given the Mac daddy location. If you have the opportunity you need to check it ”

“I ordered the wor wonton min and it was loaded with veggies and won tons- no complaints! I also got a 2 choice plate with roast pork and beef broccoli and the rice noodle- could’ve had more beef broccoli on the plate but there was generous amounts of roast pork and noodles. Both ladies working behind the counter were patient, kind and courteous.”

“Valentine Dinner. Food was good, very busy so server was a bit overwhelmed with took many tables. Location is gorgeous. Prices are steep not sure experienced was worth $500 for two people.”

“Such a great spot for lunch. Trinity makes amazing food recommendations and brilliant cocktails. Thanks for being a friendly face.
Ariel also was a great addition to the team”

“spent day at beach and caught sunset with clear skies at Hau Tree. I'd suggest reservations, but looked like they do walk ups. lookout for a roaming cat (quiet and friendly)! good food too!”

“We were lucky enough to stay in Hawaii for eight days and our dinner experience at Manta was the highlight of our trip. The ambiance and sheer quality of the food and service was unmatched compared to all of our other dining experiences. Stand out personally was the bistek with the oxtail marmalade and the side of sweet potato leek. I can't wait for my next trip to come and enjoy again!”

“Lovely setting with music and hula. Staff friendly and gracious. Food simple but good...there was a lot of background noise from diners while singer was playing but location of seat can mitigate that. Malasada for dessert a must have...”

“The restaurant is a great place to dine after a day at the beach and you don't want to get all fixed up, although no swim/beach attire is allowed. The food is reasonably priced and good quality. The fish tacos are very flavorful and good portions , the salad with king prawns is enough for a meal, we have also had the burger, nachos , and fried fish. Everything has been well prepared and very good. The Ube Colada is excellent!”

“Get there for sunset. Slightly more casual than Brown's. Menu was diverse and interesting. Food was excellent and slightly cheaper. If I could choose one, I'd choose Binchotan over Brown's but both are excellent.”

“Fantastic food and Service”

“Had the best burger of my life today served up by fantastic, friendly people! My husband and I shared the OG with bacon and as soon as we took our first bite we were wishing we. had our own! We sat in the shade waiting for our order which was delivered and then it was explained how to eat it, Absolutely the best! We are here for 19 more days but may just have to make the drive back to Waimea again for another burger ~ we will order 2 this time!,”

“Food was fantastic! If you are on vacation don’t eat at the resorts come get and eat authentic fresh food! It’s well worth the trip! The staff is also precious people!”

“Both times we had JoJo’s shaved ice while visiting Kauai the shaved ice was great! However I do have to say, the employees working the Kapa’a location was much more welcoming and friendlier than the Hanalei location.”

“The Lava burger was one of the best I have ever had. If you are in Waimea don’t pass it by.”

“Korean Chicken Plate. Generous portions. Exceptional flavor. Saw this food truck rated very highly, and it’s legit. Grab a cane drink next door while you wait.”

“What a fun place to eat. Phenomenal food and fun folks. Sunday night with Matt, Daryl, Danby and Bok-Choy Nagasaki Boy. See you in February”

“Best smoothie bowl I had while in Kauai, but also in Hawaii overall. I got the Gandhi bowl, which was phenomenal. I appreciated that the smoothie is made with oatmilk because it was more creamy, as opposed to the watery smoothie bases I had elsewhere. The toppings were generous and very well curated. They do not skimp! I had macadamia nuts in every bite, along with goji berries, papaya, banana, and granola. This place is well worth a stop before or after the Waimea Canyon. I hope I get to visit again someday!”

“excellent place to enjoy a getaway”

“After a long morning at Waimea State Park, I picked Da Booze Shop because the name made me laugh. Well the jokes on me because the food, service, and atmosphere were stellar! I have always loved eating in Mom and Pop places because they always have the best food. I got the Mahi Katsu and had enough leftover for a snack. If you are traveling with kids this is a great place to eat. You can eat across the street at the park and let the kids play and expend some energy.”

“Soo good! Do yourself a favor, and stop for coconut water and snacks.”

“Totally awesome authentic burger place. My only regret was not ordering another burger. My sister had the Surf Burger and I had the Hi-Heat. On the drive back to our hotel, we just randomly kept saying what a great burger those were. Honestly surprised we didn’t turn around and go back for more.”

“We ate here for the first time last night, it was fantastic! We sampled several different items and they were all delicious. The serving sizes are almost like a tapas portion. We started with the Lava tuna roll and spicy edamame. The tuna was fresh and beautiful. The edamame was VERY spicy, and delicious. I ordered pork dumplings for another appetizer and they were great. For our entrées my wife had the small tuna chirashi tuna bowl with miso and I had the Yakitori gourmet skewers. One each of pork belly, beef and lamb. They were all outstanding. My wife said it was the best dinner she'd had on this trip. We spent roughly $80 on food plus the tip and were full and happy.”

“One of the best pies I ever had!!!”

“Good place for dinner after a day exploring Waimea Canyon. We ordered a veggie pizza for take out. The pizza was fresh and delicious. We enjoyed it.
However, we asked to 'substitute' a few toppings but were charged for 'substitutes' as 'extra toppings'. One pizza cost us $45+ tips. So, we paid for the toppings we never had on our pizza too. in this regard, make sure you check before paying.”

“We wholeheartedly believe that Patisserie Nanako is the best bakery on the Big Island. Our love story with their cakes & pastries began last year when we were on the island for wedding planning, and my sister - who is a HUGE fan of the bakery - insisted we give them a try. From the very first bite, we were totally blown away. We tried a variety of their cakes, and they were all equally delicious - moist, perfectly balanced, and not too sweet. When our wedding reception arrived in April 2025, Patisserie Nanako created not just one, but four cakes for us: coconut, tiramisu, lilikoi, and strawberry. Every single one was a hit! Our guests couldn't stop raving about how delicious the cakes were, and many of them kept asking where we got them. We saved our main cake to enjoy on our one-year anniversary, and we are already looking forward to eating it! A special thank you to Jimmy for being so kind, flexible, and easy to work with throughout the planning process. If you're on the Big Island and looking for pastries / cakes for your wedding, or simply to enjoy as a treat, come here!!!”

“Tasty pizza, decent price (for Hawaii 😉), DO NOT Underestimate how big 18 inches is!! 😄 Plenty to feed 3-4 hungry adults! **CASH ONLY** tax included in prices (I can’t add a photo for some reason. Maybe I can in comments. 😕)”

“Pleasant little place in Waimea to stop for a smoothie. Sat in front to enjoy our smoothies and watch traffic go by. Support the local businesses wherever you travel!”

“Being able to get quality local products and enjoy the community.”

“Best Shave Ice. Anywhere.”

“After one bite my fiancé and I hired them to grill for our rehearsal dinner. Every guest was blown away by their lamb and beef burgers! They have endless creativity when crafting a dining experience and menus. We are so grateful!! Would eat there every day if I could! Couldn’t meet a nicer more genuine duo! A must eat when on the Big Island!”

“Absolutely amazing. This is a must when de ending from waimea canyon state park. Unbelievably delicious and filling.”

“✌👍🙏😊❤ Yummy Garlic Shrimp”

“Had teriyaki chicken from this excellent food truck on December 10, 2025. Quite honestly, it was the best teriyaki chicken I’ve ever had. So delicious.”

“Totally awesome authentic burger place. My only regret was not ordering another burger. My sister had the Surf Burger and I had the Hi-Heat. On the drive back to our hotel, we just randomly kept saying what a great burger those were. Honestly surprised we didn’t turn around and go back for more.”

“The market is a very very convenient shop that has a great selection of items that you can get while you are staying at the resort. They have a small restaurant that has a good selection of food.”

“Lunch with your toes in the sand, these folks do barbecue right!”

“It’s really hard to come by a place like this anymore, and I’m so happy I was able to indulge in their menu items because their rolls are MAYJAH and on Tuesdays they have the best sweet and sour spare ribs I ever had. 20/10”

“What a quaint and cute subway location! The staff were so kind and friendly; seemed to have fun together and enjoy working there. This place is very clean and everything was crispy fresh! Best subway sandwich I've had in a long time. Highly recommend this location!”

“I ate here regularly for several years. The food is wonderfully classic plate lunch fare. I'm particularly fond of the Korean chicken with double spicy tuna poke.”

“Legit. This is a proper donut. A must stop if you’re visiting the Big Island. We didn’t get any with filling…that seemed like a step too far. These were delicious and perfectly doughy. Cinnamon rolled were the best.”

“Great food and great service. Love the Friday clam chowder especially.”

“Just finished eating the Turkey pesto pannini, waffle bacon sandwich. Was really delicious, best place in waimea for sandwich and breakfast. Will be back anytime we are in the area!!”

“Cute little shop that sold different cut fruit and smoothies. Bought sliced mango and a guava+pineapple+passion fruit smoothie, highly recommend both! Deliciously ripe and great after a hike in the canyon”

“I want everyone to know that the Kings Bestro in Kingstree SC is a wonderful restaurant. My food was done to my order. The service was the best. The staff were excellent. They are located in the train depot. Give them a try. You will be happy you did. Thank you.”

“I have been coming here for 12 years!! I can’t believe it’s basically the same. I hope these folks stay open forever, their chicken is the best I’ve ever had. Amazing portions for the price too!”

“First off, my husband & I purchase at least once or twice a week. Haven't been upset until this last order. This week I ordered two bowls of beef stew and one plate of beef stew. To say I was disappointed in what we received is being nice. I ordered BEEF STEW, I did NOT order RICE with a few pieces of beef (they were really CHUNKS) which is EXACTLY what we received. The bowls themselves were loaded to at least 3/4 of the bowl with rice and that's NOT an exaggeration..IF I wanted RICE I would've ordered such. In each bowl there were three, yes three chunks of beef stew that really should've been cooked a bit longer; it was tough, used a knife to make them bite size. Oh yea, one small potato and one slice of carrots...wow! L&L can do one hell of a lot better. The service on the most part is pretty good although it can be taxing to understand them being they are foreign with heavy accents...somehow we make it work. Atmosphere...the walls sure can use a paint job especially where we sit; to ask your clientele to wipe their tables is preposterous. Since when is it the patron's place to wipe the dang tables, I'm surely not doing it, that's what you have employees for.”

“The food is really good, reasonable prices, and very fast service. We ordered two pho with everything and asked for noodles separately for our son. They brought our food within minutes. It was a perfect stop in between activities.”

“One of the best pies I ever had!!!”

“Quiet little bar nighttime hangout at the Westin 7th floor. Great grab n go during the day. Live music 7-9 nightly with brick oven pizza mon-tues, great looking sushi creations on the weekend nites. Say hi to the friendly bartenders and chill out for a nightcap. 5 stars”

“The best burger and fries I have had on the island. Customer service was amazing. Friendly staff. 5/5”

“I have ordered here many times and this restaurant stands out from the others. Everything is fresh and made to order. The pad Thai, which I requested very light on the spices and cilantro, was excellent. The only complaint I have is that sometimes the wait time is long, so if you can call ahead, you may save yourself some wait time.”

“It was an impromptu stop and surprisingly good. We tried 3 different items and all excellent”

“They greet you with a Happy Smile as soon as you enter...that’s how you draw your internal customers to come back👍”

“Got a gratitude blended coffee drink which is salted caramel flavored and fabulous. The owner is super sweet and helpful. I will definitely go again and recommend it to my friends”

“The Lava burger was one of the best I have ever had. If you are in Waimea don’t pass it by.”

“Nice and clean place, by the golf course and the beach. The food was amazing as was the service. Our waiter was Kuhoa and he was super nice and attentive. I had the noodles with veggies and my boyfriend had a hot dog. Both dishes were delicious ?!! We definitely will be coming back here.”

“Had teriyaki chicken from this excellent food truck on December 10, 2025. Quite honestly, it was the best teriyaki chicken I’ve ever had. So delicious.”

“I have ordered here many times and this restaurant stands out from the others. Everything is fresh and made to order. The pad Thai, which I requested very light on the spices and cilantro, was excellent. The only complaint I have is that sometimes the wait time is long, so if you can call ahead, you may save yourself some wait time.”

“Really good pizza, convenient location in The Shops.”

“Fantastic food and Service”

“Had the best burger of my life today served up by fantastic, friendly people! My husband and I shared the OG with bacon and as soon as we took our first bite we were wishing we. had our own! We sat in the shade waiting for our order which was delivered and then it was explained how to eat it, Absolutely the best! We are here for 19 more days but may just have to make the drive back to Waimea again for another burger ~ we will order 2 this time!,”

“Nice and clean place, by the golf course and the beach. The food was amazing as was the service. Our waiter was Kuhoa and he was super nice and attentive. I had the noodles with veggies and my boyfriend had a hot dog. Both dishes were delicious ?!! We definitely will be coming back here.”

“Get there for sunset. Slightly more casual than Brown's. Menu was diverse and interesting. Food was excellent and slightly cheaper. If I could choose one, I'd choose Binchotan over Brown's but both are excellent.”

“Food was fantastic! If you are on vacation don’t eat at the resorts come get and eat authentic fresh food! It’s well worth the trip! The staff is also precious people!”

“Both times we had JoJo’s shaved ice while visiting Kauai the shaved ice was great! However I do have to say, the employees working the Kapa’a location was much more welcoming and friendlier than the Hanalei location.”

“Very good. Went for a long drive to find some authentic Kaluha Pig and Mac salad and this was the spot. I'm from the mainland but it's a must whenever I visit Kauai. 🤙”

“Love the coconut curry with shrimp. Also a fan of the Korean ribeye & Teri chicken.”

“Delicious smoothies and friendly staff….Purple Haze and Enter Sandman were our favorites!”

“Totally awesome authentic burger place. My only regret was not ordering another burger. My sister had the Surf Burger and I had the Hi-Heat. On the drive back to our hotel, we just randomly kept saying what a great burger those were. Honestly surprised we didn’t turn around and go back for more.”

“Just want to thank all the great people at Waimea Coffee for buying some of my block prints!🤙🏽🌴 big help! too good you guys🤙🏽❤️”

“Love, love, love! Must do in Waikiki.”

“Legit. This is a proper donut. A must stop if you’re visiting the Big Island. We didn’t get any with filling…that seemed like a step too far. These were delicious and perfectly doughy. Cinnamon rolled were the best.”

“excellent place to enjoy a getaway”

“Amazing location and the food is soooo good. Best place to eat on westside!”

“Absolutely amazing. This is a must when de ending from waimea canyon state park. Unbelievably delicious and filling.”

“It was an impromptu stop and surprisingly good. We tried 3 different items and all excellent”