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Kauai Diner Koloa

4.1 (100 reviews)
ModerateRamen, Pancakes
Closed 7:00 am - 9:00 pm

Kauai Diner Koloa Photos

Business Info

KAUAI DINER KOLOA ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Dogs allowed
Outdoor seating

Recommended Reviews - Kauai Diner Koloa

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Reviews With Photos

David C.

DEC2025 Good enough we came here after going to the other location a few days prior. This time we went for dinner though. Upstairs within a shopping area, we didn't have any problems finding parking or the location. Service was helpful with any questions we had, and checked in frequently with water refills. We ordered a lot of things to share for the table. Shumai, ikageso, egg tarts, chicken wing dings, oxtail ramen, tonkotsu ramen, chicken katsu loco moco style. Everything was cooked well. Each of the fried dishes came out hot and crispy. I really liked the chicken wings with the sweet savory notes and that persistent crunch. The shumai were interesting. I liked the filling, but the wrapper was also thicker which was nice. The oxtail ramen was made well and simple. Everything was cooked down and wasn't heavy in the slightest.

Loco moco da best!
Shirley J.

We ordered 2 Loco Moco and this has been one if best Loco Moco's I have had. Perfectly cooked eggs to order, hamburger patties tender and juicy, gravy light taste homemade not the dark packaged da kind and ono Mac salad. Da Best do far!!

Bbq pork buns
Bertrand L.

Decided to go to KD based on rec from a few and the convenient local in Poipu. Saw the reviews and thought it looked reasonable. BUT...as a bro I couldn't believe they had bbq pork buns! Sesame bean filled balls! SCALLION PANCAKES! Real crispy noodles! We partook in all of the above and some veggie ramen as well. Tastes - after the piping hot dishes came out and cooled a bit - were very good and authentic. Host was cool and attentive. Location on the second floor was nice. This was quite a find here down South. There's one in Lihue but since we pretty much always stay south this will be the place we will go.

James G.

The Koloa Diner is located on the second floor of the Shops at Kukui'ula in Poipu. Finding it took a minute -- the plaza isn't very big, but the signage could definitely be better. Once we arrived, it wasn't busy, and we were seated right away. It is an open air restaurant. It has a very "Hawaii" feel to it. When we ordered coffee, my partner asked for decaf and was told they didn't have any. For a place known as a Hawaiian breakfast diner, that was a bit surprising. I ordered the Eggs Benedict, and my partner went with the Silog Special -- a Filipino-style breakfast. My Eggs Benedict was good, and the eggs were done perfectly, but the potatoes were bland. The texture was spot on, but they really could've used some seasoning. Our server was friendly and attentive, keeping my coffee filled and our waters topped off. Overall, it was a decent breakfast spot -- friendly service and good food, though a little more attention to flavor (and maybe a decaf option) would make it even better.

Pancake sampler
Angela Y.

Service was a bit slow because I think they are understaffed. Food was good and servers very friendly. Love the outdoor vibe and location.

Garden hollandaise
Tammy H.

I must be honest the best garden hollandaise eggs I have ever eaten. Light and buttery flavor. Yes I did lick the plate and let me tell you it was fabulous!

Menu
mich l.

4.5 stars I ordered Hawaiian style beef afritada and it was good. They put a lot of beef, and the sauce was slightly strong in flavor, it's a tomato base stew. The banana lumpia was very good. My husband ordered garlic shrimp and we didn't realize it was a fried coated shrimp with garlic topping but otherwise it was delicious. The calamansi juice is good it was refreshing and you can taste the calamansi ( not watered down). Our food came promptly. And the waiter was very attentive. The ceiling is decorated with big fans. The restaurant is open I think no AC but with fans. This location is in the 2nd floor of a strip mall. It has elevators if you don't want to use the wooden stairs. The mall has a lot of shops and it was pretty busy with tourists and families and children. It had plenty of parking.

Unadon
Jonathan C.

Service works on Hawaiian time so don't come if in a rush. We were seated during lunch time and when no one came by after 15min, we had to go and grab menus ourselves. They have an assortment of brunch, Filipino, Chinese and Japanese dishes that felt a bit incohesive. Unadon: Average flavors but the steamed vegetables was very disappointing. Garlic shrimp: Came out piping hot but there really wasn't any flavors. Fresh Calamansi Juice with honey: Not bad. Overall, with the quality of the food and service, esp for the price, I can't recommend coming here. FYI: Extra charge if not paying with cash

Melissa L.

We flew in yesterday and were jet lagged for sure! Decided to go for breakfast as early as possible since we'd been up since 2am (8am at home). Service was outstanding (thank you, Cheri), coffee hit the spot, both our entrées were delicious! We sat outdoors and there were people doing landscaping (restaurant can't control the noise). Music was great.

Fried gyoza
Michael M.

This popular Līhu'e eatery opened a second location in sunny Po'ipu! Same menu, but some things aren't quite available yet (ask your server) since they just opened, but I'm sure they rectified this by the time I posted this review. Same friendly service and quality food as the original location, with the added bonus of ocean views and sunsets from Kauai's South Shore. Casual and possibly romantic. The kalamansi drink is my favorite, and I highly suggest it.

Chicken katsu. Piping hot crispy.  Tasty.  Large portion.
Daniel C.

It is located upstairs at the Kukuiula shops. Open air very comfortable with new seating. Service is excellent. Menu has lots of local favorites including breakfast. We went for lunch and had a very nice experience.

Coffee
Mary S.

The food was so delicious!! We went for breakfast on a Sunday morning. They offer a wide variety of breakfast usuals. My husband got the two egg breakfast with spam and I got the Filipino scrambled egg with longanisa, substituted the rice for fried rice. The service was great, our waitress was very friendly and attentive. I loved the open air seating on the second floor. Definitely will be going back the next time we are on the island.

Nice signage
Lyle O.

Came back for dinner and today came back again for breakfast. 3 visits during our stay here in Kauai.

Veggie omelette

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4 months ago

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9 months ago

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1 month ago

Excellent service. Great breakfast. Friendly servers and we had a nice view. My family went several times.

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11 months ago

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1 year ago

Business owner information

Photo of Cherie C.

Cherie C.

Thank you so much!! Hope to see you folks again!

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1 year ago

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8 months ago

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9 months ago

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2 months ago

Great for family's. Awesome staff. Tasty food for everyone. Lots of options for breakfast.

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1 month ago

Delicious shrimp fried rice and vegetables egg rolls. So much food-enough for lunch the next day!

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3 months ago

I'm sorry to say that the food is very mediocre. The one good item that we tried was the Shumai.

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6 months ago

Breakfast was very good and went back for dinner another night and the ramen was delicious. You can't beat the views while you're eating!

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Kauai Diner Koloa Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Kauai Diner Koloa

Do you serve breakfast all day?

Aloha. We serve breakfast until 1:00pm. Mahalo!

Do we need to make a reservation?

Aloha, no reservation is needed. If you do have a party of 10+, we do highly recommend reserving. Thank you!

Where are you located? In new shopping complex where Break & Feast is?

Aloha, we are located at The Shops at Kukuiula. Across Eating house and next to Tables.

What are the hours for breakfast?

Aloha, Kauai Diner Koloa is open for breakfast from 7am to 1pm.… Read more

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

Eating House 1849 Koloa - Roy's Original Szechuan Baby Back Ribs.

Eating House 1849 Koloa

4.2(1.7k reviews)
0.0 mi
$$$

It was great to know that there was an elevator to bring us up to the level of the restaurant…read more After a terrible experience at another restaurant, it gave me the idea to call and see if they had an elevator near by. The front desk staff guided me to the elevator. This trip was for my birthday. In every reservation when asked about a special occasion, I put birthday. This was the first restaurant to acknowledge my special day. The check-in staff wished me well as did the server. We had been to several restaurants prior to Eating House that didn't say a word. Kudos to the staff for its kindness. The restaurant is open air and very comfortable. It has a rustic feel. We were seated by the window on a cool, rainy night but were perfectly dry the whole evening. On top of that, our server was very helpful in guiding us to order the right amount of food. He brought us a serving of edamame which is always on the house. The shrimp & pork potstickers were very good. I had the ramen which was tasty, filling and a great choice. Our server was terrific to put the spicy oil on the side which made it easier for me to eat. My husband had the butterfish which is the best I have ever tasted. It is a signature dish and always a pleaser. The only real downside is the limited menu. We were told that because of a staff shortage, it wasn't the typical menu. This was disappointing. But they did have the best of the Roy's dishes. So far, it has been the best experience that we have had in Poipu.

My family and I went here for dinner and the waiter was great! He was very thorough explaining all…read moreof the dishes. Unfortunately, the pastry chef was not there that night but there is a great ice cream shop near by! This restaurant is great for hosting large parties as there were several including our own. I ordered the spicy ramen. I have a lower tolerance for spicy food but thought this was pretty mild. It's a 4/10 on the spice scale. It was so good and the serving size was very large, I would definitely order again!!

Photos
Eating House 1849 Koloa - Caramel Leche Baked Pineapple | Stuffed with Hawaiian Sugar & Spiced Macadamia Nuts.

Caramel Leche Baked Pineapple | Stuffed with Hawaiian Sugar & Spiced Macadamia Nuts.

Eating House 1849 Koloa - Chili Pepper Chicken Wings | Green Onion, Cilantro, Ginger, Serrano Chilies.

Chili Pepper Chicken Wings | Green Onion, Cilantro, Ginger, Serrano Chilies.

Eating House 1849 Koloa - Kamuela Tomato & Fresh Mozzarella Salad | Warm Balsamic Pancetta Vinaigrette, Kailani Farms Arugula, Pine Nuts.

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Kamuela Tomato & Fresh Mozzarella Salad | Warm Balsamic Pancetta Vinaigrette, Kailani Farms Arugula, Pine Nuts.

Naruto Noodles - Creamy Basil Pesto

Naruto Noodles

4.1(98 reviews)
1.4 mi

Since arriving to Kauai, my pals and I did not have anything soupy and was craving ramen. I'm sorry…read moreto say, but the Tonkotsu Ramen was one of the worst ramen I had...First of all, the noodles were overcooked. I can't do soggy noodles, so the moment I took a bite, "oh no..." Broth just tasted like an instant noodle one and was so viscous, possibly from the overcooked noodles. The chashu was fine but everything else from the dish was not satisfactory. I really wanted to like it, by adding spices and chili oil to salvage it, but to no avail.

This was a food truck a little north of Poipu beach. There are another few vendors in this area…read morewith ample parking. Side note: check out their Instagram for current hours. We came at their claimed open hours on yelp, but Instagram had noted they were going to open an hour later. This wasn't the greatest problem for us but could be for others. Probably the reason I'd give it one less star. We waited a bit for them to open up and take orders. They have a small tent to accommodate people who want to eat here. I ordered the tonkotsu ramen with fish cakes added. The broth was creamy and flavorful. Not too oily. Noodles portion was adequate and very filling, I would've preferred a soft-boiled egg. But that's being very picky. I appreciate their sustainability in using paper bowls which might not fare well if you're traveling. Just a side note: they charge a small percentage to use card so if you want to avoid that, bring cash!

Photos
Naruto Noodles - Tonkatsu Ramen

Tonkatsu Ramen

Naruto Noodles - Menu

Menu

Naruto Noodles

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Holoholo Grill - Poipu Skillet Frittata

Holoholo Grill

4.1(930 reviews)
0.4 mi
$$
Outdoor seating
Live music

We had a terrific happy hour on a Wednesday. The servers were all super friendly and made great…read moresuggestions. We sat on the patio by the pool and luckily the umbrella was large enough to block the sun! The food all tasted great. The crab dip with 6 or 8 pieces of toasted focaccia was high quality with real crab not surimi. We ordered the flatbread with chicken instead of pork and it was also very good with a nice crispy crust and moist chicken chunks. The wedge salad was a large piece with crisp bacon, candied pecans, grape tomato halves and a tasty dressing. It only needed some red onion to make it perfect. The calamari were crispy but the portion size was too small and the pieces of calamari were too small so the ratio of crust to fish was too high.

It was our first night in Kauai after a very long day of traveling. We were looking forward to a…read morerelaxing evening. I started with a wonderful glass of brut rose. We were told that the pupi portions were large and could easily be shared. This was true and we split the calamari and my husband found it to be too salty. We both had the fresh catch. He had ahi tuna and I had mancha which I was told was like halibut. It was thinner than halibut and reminded me of mahi-mahi. It was suggested to have it pan seared to make sure it was not overcooked. Well, it was a bit fry from being overcooked. I had a double portion of green vegetables which turned out to be 4 pieces of asparagus. My husband's ahi was served a bit more than seared and rare. His sides were 2 pieces of asparagus and a piece of carrot. In essence we each had a small piece of fish and a small portion of vegetables. This was a mediocre meal in a beautiful setting. They need to step up their game.

Photos
Holoholo Grill - Seasonal French Toast

Seasonal French Toast

Holoholo Grill - Steel Cut Oatmeal

Steel Cut Oatmeal

Holoholo Grill - Croissant Eggs Benedict

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Croissant Eggs Benedict

Friendly Waves - Great burger!

Friendly Waves

4.1(173 reviews)
1.4 mi
$$

The food here was good it just needs more flavor. More spice, more heat. There's a lot of things on…read morethe menu that are listed as having some variety of spice but most of the food was on the bland side. It wasn't bad by any means, just mellow when it could've been excellent. Personally I ordered the carne asada nachos. It's a good portion size for nachos - enough for one but not for sharing. They have lots of queso which I liked. It also had a jalepeno lime aioli which could've made the whole dish & sounded so good but was soooooo mild. I wanted more punch! & with the steak saying it's chili marinated, I wanted more heat there too. Again they were good but imo had the potential to be spectacular if they ratcheted the heat up a few notches. The consensus around the table was basically the same thing. Husband got the wings & devoured them but said they were very strong in vinegar so if that's not your jam, don't do the chili peppah water. Nice upstairs open air patio area to sit in but doesn't overlook anything other than the street and other shops. So if you're after a view, this isn't it. Giving four instead of three because of service. We had a little mixup and the manager made sure we were taken care of, even though it ended up being not the restaurants fault at all.

Friendly Waves is in Koloa. It's located upstairs. We were seated in the open air patio. We asked…read moreour server for recommendations to help us order since they had a lot to choose from! We ordered fries, boneless buffalo wings, bone-in chili peppah watah wings and a loco moco. Service was fast and our server checked on us often. Everything was very good. The boneless wings were huge! The chili peppah watah wings were so tasty but could've used a little more heat. Loco moco didn't disappoint. Would come back again!

Photos
Friendly Waves - Great burger

Great burger

Friendly Waves - Fried chicken sandwich

Fried chicken sandwich

Friendly Waves - Chicken wings

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Chicken wings

Kauai Diner Koloa - ramen - Updated May 2026

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