Kauai Island Grill

This place has good food, but it’s rarely open it seems. I even went one time and they were closed during their «open hours» Eventually I just stopped trying and I go elsewhere for Hawaiian food, such was the case today, when I had a craving and knew they’d be closed.

So far I have tried the following here… and all have been delicious.
Beef shortribs, Kalua Pork (with and without cabbage), Chicken Teriyaki, Beef Teriyaki Mochiko Chicken, Haupia cubes, & Mochi Butter Cake.
Yes, they are closed at times during normal business hours. But from what I have been told they have a sick family member who has to be taken in for radiation treatments. Family comes first, and being that this is a small mom & pop type location, they really don’t have much other option than to close up.
Try calling before heading out, because if you can get in there… you should. The food is delicious. Only note I would like to make is the teriyaki’s are a little on the sweet side, but still good.

A small place full of big smells and big value. I ordered it to go, but are every bite before I left.
This place is bomb, but takes a minute to prepare so call ahead or show up with time & money… I hate to admit it… but it’s better than Roxy’s for teriyaki chicken.

We really enjoyed the food. I ordered the #9 Kekaha Special (teribeef, spare ribs, fried chicken, fried egg, rice & macaroni salad) and it was delicious. Had a chance to talk story with owner «Uncle» Kimo. We will definitely be back when we return to Oregon.

Ono Grindz
The sweet sour spare ribs is the best I every had.
If you need your hawaiian/​local food fix, this is the place. Best in the PNW!

David S. You’ve obviously never heard of the phrase «Island time». It’s true this place is closed a lot but it’s their business and they make their own hours so… relax! This place makes the best Hawaiian food. You would have to go to the source to find anything like this, believe me I lived on Maui for six years and lived off of this stuff. When I moved back to Oregon I tried every So-​called Hawaiian restaurant there is and this is the only place that gets it right. The Auntie that works the counter is genuinely sweet and filled with aloha. I highly recommend the pork lau lau, but everything I’ve tried there is great!

My wife and I had a great experience visiting the underrated island of Kauai, so when we saw the name we wanted to try it out. It is a tiny establishment with four tables, two inside and two outside, and about four bar stools. The business appeared to be family-​owned, and they were too happy to talk about their home in Kauai when we mentioned our experience. They didn’t have poke when we visited, which they serve when available fresh. So, call ahead if you want poke. We tried their teriyaki chicken, and it literally (and this isn’t being used incorrectly) melted in our mouths. It was the best teriyaki I’ve had, which says a lot seeing how common the dish is. A normal dish comes with a large scoop each of rice and macaroni salad, and we were able to share a light lunch. Nice people and nice food– will visit again!

If there was an option for less than a star, that’s what they’d get. They’re never open, over priced, and for some reason can’t get a simple order correct. Don’t waste your time Unilocalers.

The people working there are super nice and very helpful. I would definitely come again.

This is a hole-​in-​the-​wall, so don’t expect long opening hours, great décor, plentiful seating or attentive staff.
What you can expect though is some of the best Hawaiian food in this area. I am comparing the dishes to offerings from Roxy’s, L&Ls and NoHo’s.
I vacation in Hawaii every year, and this place tides me over in-​between.
I normally do take-​out, as there isn’t much seating and the place isn’t going to win any awards for atmosphere & ambience.
The owner can be a little gruff, but once you get chatting with him (especially on topics about the islands), then he can be a real hoot.

GARBAGE, ABSOLUTE GARBAGE: Rude owner, what a clown and an ass; FILTHY restaurant, the place hasn’t been cleaned in a very long time. POOR QUALITY meats and disgusting sauces; I lived in Hawaii and have had some of the best food there, and this place IS GARBAGE. Save your money and your time.

I didn’t listen to the other Unilocalers and went here without calling. Big mistake. Even though I went during normal hours the place was closed. This shows a disrespect to the customers and will not be going back.

I am super impressed not only with the taste and quality of the food but the amount we received as well as the customer service. This is a tiny little place that I would consider a «whole in the wall» establishment. We used the as a take out catering for one of our clients graduation parties recently and everyone commented on how great the food was. The staff was super helpful and even loaded everything into my car for me, gave instructions on how to keep it all warm and were just super friendly. I must say that for the amount of food we got we didn’t pay nearly what other places had quoted us. Thanks for helping make my clients day so great!
Lisa Marie

Fantastic food. I noticed someone else posted about their hours or availability. I know they do a lot of catering. This is because their food is fabulous !!! They cook to order. This is half of what makes them great, by the time your food is ready, your mouth is watering. True Hawaiian style..

First time here I was quite impressed by this place, I was not expecting much, since I have been trying other Hawaiian food places in the area, but been disappointed, but actually I really liked their food, I ordered the chicken teriyaki plate and it was really yummy, I am a fan of Lumpias so I had few Lumpias and they were really very tasty. The place is family owned and they were really nice and will do the best to make people feel as if you they are a part of the family
Then the I came back recently with my neighbor, I had the Kalua pork, and the look was very good, looked juicy, and tender… on the other hand I have had this item before in Hawaii and in other places, and to my opinion it should have a richer smoky flavor and scent. It had a very plain taste, it tasted as if it had been boiled in plain water. Maybe more salt would have added to this particular dish flavor. The mac salad was a little too drenched in dressing. We decided to share the Hungary Man Plate but beside being too pricey it had also a little too much fat and was pretty greasy, not much food in it. In general is a good menu and an OK food, will keep on trying other items and might return to change my feed-​back!

Ordered the katsu style chicken with gravy. Gravy was average. Mac salad needs more pepper. Overall, the meal was good.

Kauai Island Grill has THE best Hawaiian plate lunch I’ve had since moving to Oregon.
I know that’s a pretty ballsy statement to make and I stand behind it 100 000%. Sure I’ve tried 808 Grinds, Ate-​Oh Ate, Roxys, that place across from Uwijimaya and others I’ve now forgotten the names of… they were all ‘eh’. What really puts KIG head and shoulders above the rest is their focus on their customers. Auntie makes you feel as if you’re at mom’s house grabbing a quick bite to eat. If they’re catering an event for you, they’ll close up shop to focus entirely on your gig (which is why I think some reviewers feel like KIG is always closed). They are an authentically small family-​run business so you know they’ll treat you like family and never like a dollar sign and that they run KIG for the love and passion of great food just like back home.
If you’re one of those folks who claim «I support local!» then add Kauai Island Grill to your list. The owners and their kids who help run the place are locals and run a deliciously honest establishment.

Was referred here by a friend, who told me if I was looking for authentic Hawaiian Food I should try this place. It was a little out of my way, but we like trying new places.
Ordered the «Teriyaki Mixed Plate» which consisted of Beef and Chicken, with one scoop Mac and Rice.
The meat was literally swimming in teriyaki sauce. Which was so salty and overpowering we didn’t end up eating it.
Portions were small for how much they charge and we were disappointed in the quality of the food. Won’t be back anytime soon.

Absolutely amazing food, but it feels like its NEVER open! It’s always so disappointing!

Ono grindz!!! Friendly people! Haven’t had Hawaiian food this good since I left Maui. Definitely worth checking out!