On our way to the Kauai Coffee Company, we decided to drive a bit further and hit Hanapepe for lunch. Ku'ulei's Gourmet was an awesome choice. The staff were super friendly and the dishes hit the spot. The focaccia for the sandwiches was soft and chewy and the pesto was amazing. For a refreshing beverage, definitely try the "honey lemon grass green". Thanks! read more

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Stopped here for lunch while visiting Hanapepe. Great place with tons of options on the menu and amazing service. We got the Hungarian mushroom soup, pesto pasta and Spinach Eggplant Lasagna. All the three tasted wonderful. Also got a lemonade as it was too hot that day. Initially we got a bar seat as there were no tables available when we went in and later switched to a table as they became available. The restrooms were clean and everything about this restaurant was good - the decor, food, service read more

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Delicious food and really good prices. Everyone was so kind and very helpful. I had placed a phone order but when I got there realized they had a high chair so I asked to switch to dine in. It was a happy, relaxed environment with regulars and tourists. The staff, I think, are mostly family and they were so wonderful and helped me manage feeding my 1 year old son by bringing him sweet potato and helping him in and out of their gorgeous high chair. I'm so excited to go back! I usually don't have a regular lunch spot when I'm out that way, but I've been telling everyone to go to Ku'ulei's since I ate there. I had a great experience and want to thank them if they are reading this review! read more

Hands down the best place on the island to try truly unique dishes! We ended up here completely by accident, and the place was super busy. Even so, they managed to seat and serve us within about 20 minutes, which was impressive. Ambience inside is really cozy. We ordered the ahi katsu, split pea soup with smoked tomato, an ice cream sandwich, and sushi. Everything was absolutely delicious, especially the ahi katsu - easily the standout. There was that much fish we even needed more rice! The sushi had this unreal sauce with roe on top that made it next level. Highly recommend this spot, just make sure to come before 3 pm! read more

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Over 200 reviews and a 4.9 rating -- that's the kind of place that sets expectations high. So yeah, it was only a matter of time before I came in for lunch and finally tried their poke. First impression? Busy. Like, really busy. There was a line just to get inside and then another wait to actually get a table. At first it feels a bit chaotic, and you quickly realize the space is small and probably not designed for this kind of tourist traffic. But here's the twist -- they take your order while you're in line. So by the time a table opens up, your food is already on the way. Total wait for us was about 20 minutes, which honestly felt fair given how packed the place was. Now the food. This was, without exaggeration, the best poke I've had so far. Perfectly fresh fish, balanced seasoning, nothing overdone. Just clean, honest flavors done right. We also ordered a shrimp tempura roll and tomato soup -- everything hit. No weak spots. The kind of food that makes you slow down and immediately think about coming back for more. Pricing deserves a mention too. About $105 for four people, which in today's world -- especially in Hawaii -- feels more than reasonable for this quality. Atmosphere is casual, local, no-frills, but warm. You can tell this place is about the food first, not the show. The only real downside is that they close early (around 3 PM), which is a shame -- this would be an easy dinner favorite too. Bottom line: totally worth the wait. One of those spots where great food makes you forget the line, the crowd, and the limited seating. I'd come back without hesitation. Highly recommended. read more

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My favorite place for lunch. Get the Kauai rolls! Like a grid California roll with bbq and roe. The perfect stop after a Napali coast ride or Waimea canyon hike! Fast & friendly service, a few tables outside and tables inside along with a counter. Well worth the stop!!! Be sure to get cookies and th ginger tea too. read more

Stopped by after a hike and loved the cozy, casual vibe--just a few tables, friendly chatter, and fans to keep things cool. With only a couple of staff members, it can take a bit to get seated if it's busy and you're dining in, but the warm service makes up for it. The Hungarian mushroom soup was creamy, savory, and comforting. You get a choice of rice or focaccia--went with the bread, and it paired perfectly. My friend got the creamy pesto pasta, which came in a generous portion--enough for two meals. The poke bowl was a little on the salty side but fresh and hit the spot post-hike. The ahi katsu was delicious--crispy, sweet, and salty, served with a light, crunchy salad and delicious mac salad. We also shared a double chocolate macadamia nut ice cream sandwich, which they kindly helped cut in half for us. The calamansi limeade was a refreshing finish--tart, cool, and not too sweet. Friendly, helpful service--someone even offered to refill our water bottle. Would definitely return! read more

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Totally worth the wait! Yes, it was a bit hot inside, but the food made up for it 100%. Everything came out fresh and hot. I had the ahi katsu and WOW -- perfectly cooked with a crispy crust and amazing flavor. This place is a little gem tucked away in Hanapepe. It looked like a group of sisters were running it, and they were doing an awesome job. They had a great flow going in the kitchen and you could tell they really care about what they're serving. I wish I had room for dessert -- it's made in-house and looked sooo good. Next time for sure! We're already talking about coming back. Highly recommend if you're in the area or taking a drive. read more

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This quiet little local spot captured our attention because one of our group has celiac and we wanted to get the gluten free lilikoi cheesecake. She was not disappointed. The staff was attentive and very friendly. They had a lot of to go orders which seemed like a sign that locals like it too. The Reggie rings were mouthwateringly good. I also had the ahi melt. One group member had the katsu ahi, another the ono fish and chips, Hawaiian plate and our celiac member had the garlic shrimp which was gluten free. I also had the green tea with some house made lemonade. read more

Ku’ulei’s Gourmet - A mural nearby - Soup Near Me - Hanapepe, Hawaii

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Still our favorite place on the island! Yummy fresh food & locally owned. Always happy to see Ku'ulei & terrific to see her restaurant thriving. Her mom & sister work there too. Today, I had the yummy menehune meal & small Hungarian mushroom soup (in honor of her grandma, who often sold that soup at a local Farmers Market). Menehune salad was tasty & dressing. Mini California roll was stuffed with crab. Soup was yummy as always. And I love the calamamsi limeade. My husband enjoyed his fish & chips. Big piece of ono! We split a double chocolate mac nut ice cream cookie sandwich. Always delicious! read more

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I need you people to understand something. It's been 3 years since I've eaten at this place (sorry it's taken me so long to review) and I still think of one thing: This place's ice cream sandwich. I can't tell you of any other food at any other place that has left such an impact on me. Before this place, I would never even consider eating one. Now? It's all I think about. If I'm at a restaurant and I see they have ice cream sandwiches, I order it. Just hoping, praying even, that it might come as close as this place's. I've traveled all over since eating here, this was my spiritual awakening -- my third eye was opened. I have never, and fear I may never again, taste an ice cream sandwich as good as the one I ate here all those years ago. I just can't find anything better and believe me I've tried. Store bought, local, even when I've traveled domestically and abroad, there's just nothing that even comes close. Even the second best ice cream sandwich is still several light years away from this one. Warm home baked cookies with a generous layer of vanilla ice cream in between. I mean what are we doing? What's going on? What's even the point of it all? I've lived. I've experienced the highest highs. It's all down hill from here people. This is where it ends. I've had several friends travel to Hawaii since I had the pleasure. They ask me for recommendations. "What should we do?" They ask. "Where should we go?" They inquire. I tell them: "Just do the usual stuff you'll have a good time, but when you're ready for something truly life changing, go to Ku'ulei's Gourmet. Their food will hit the spot, but the ice cream sandwich is otherworldly." To the two sisters that run this place: I beg you. Just don't stop. You are masters of your craft and I will never stop thinking about your heavenly ice cream sandwiches until I can scrape together enough cash to get myself back to Hanapepe and taste euphoria once again. You've changed one man's life. I'm forever grateful and I hope we meet again someday. For now, this review will have to do. I think I also had a sandwich, if memory serves, it was quite good too. read more

This place was AMAZING! A large variety of options, and everything we tried was delicious! Service was wonderful as well. I can't recommend this place enough. read more

I really hate to leave a review. This place is so darned good that it is already difficult to find a parking. The food is essentially gourmet to use a clique. Whoever's back there in the kitchen is a genius. Even a fish sandwich has been sautéed in some kind of wonderful seasoning and don't get me started on their pesto pasta and seared ahi and dear Helen's incredible mushroom soup of course can't be beat. Andrea, Kuulei and crew must make dear departed Helen proud. They are such hard workers and still keep smiling as do all of their customers. Lucky you if you find a parking place. read more

The onion rings were FANTASTIC. 3 stars because literally one order of their seafood onion rings took a full hour to get. We ordered after we explored all the shops etc. so had to wait an hour in the car. Keep that in mind if you are on a time constraint. read more

Wonderful food, cute place, great friendly service. We had the seafood wrap which anywhere else would cost $25 for the sheer volume of crab, plus "homemade" pita chips. Delicious! The Ahi katsu was tender and also delicious. Inside seating and bathrooms. read more

Love their food. Mafe to order. Love Reggie rings, the Hungarian soup, desserts. The owner and her sister are super sweet and helpful. Can't wait to try their breakfast read more

I don't care what you're doing or where you are on the island, you come eat here. Cute place, no AC but no matter, this is the spot. Family owned place that has great service and great food. People keep rolling in and great food rolls out. We got the Reggie rings and ahi katsu and they were so delicious. I've never had either of these but they did it so right. Crab, ahi poke, onion rings? Yeah, that's the one. If you don't eat here, you missed out.... read more

Ku’ulei’s Gourmet - Reggie Rings - Soup Near Me - Hanapepe, Hawaii

The Portuguese Bean soup was very tasty and the Reggie roll was yummy as well. The service was friendly and helpful . The atmosphere was a great laid back Hawaiian experience. read more

Food: Very delicious! The Poke tasted so good and the Ahi Katsu is crispy! The Ahi Katsu comes with a small scoop of poke and salad; aside from it's a bit too salty with the sauce, the meal is beyond and above! Service: probably the most welcoming and sweet staff we've met here on the island. Ambiance: very Hawaiian and homey. They only have fans so it's a bit warm indoor, but it's already a lot better than outside. read more

Ku’ulei’s Gourmet - Soup Near Me - Hanapepe, Hawaii

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The service was a bit slow because there was only one server for the entire dining area, but she did her best and seated us and took our orders asap. All the menu items were printed on paper and hung on display boards. We ordered a poke bowl and the fish and chips, both were delicious. The poke bowl came with the wasabi sauce and it really packed a kick. My fish and chips came with Ono and the texture was firm but enjoyable. Next time I'd like to order the Menehube meal as it offered various small items. BTW, their chocolate and macadamia nut cookie was so good! Overall, it's a cute little place with a very friendly server. We enjoyed our meal here and would recommend it. read more

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LoveD the Reggie Rings but each time I get it, it's more salty than the last time. Please work on this. Service and ambiance is great+++++ read more

Food was freshly prepared with a variety of daily specials. Gentle breeze in the dining area. Attentive service. Would highly recommend. read more

Ku’ulei’s Gourmet - Shrimp tacos. - Soup Near Me - Hanapepe, Hawaii

Super good creamy pesto pasta with shrimp. Made it in just before they closed at 3pm. Caesar salad hit the spot. Cool location next to a bunch of shoppes. read more

Ku’ulei’s Gourmet - Soup Near Me - Hanapepe, Hawaii

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Always wonderful, creative and delicious foods made and served with lots of Aloha! I loved the Ahi Katsu and ice cream sandwich! read more

Ku’ulei’s Gourmet - Ahi Katsu - Soup Near Me - Hanapepe, Hawaii

So happy we stumbled upon Ku'ulei's Gourmet when looking for lunch in Hanapepe! We were able to get a seat at the bar area, which was really cool. The two servers were really friendly and attentive to all of the customers. My husband and I shared both the Reggie Rings (after seeing so many positive yelp reviews!) and the Da Tita Roll. The Reggie Rings are so unique and totally live up to the hype! They were soooooo good!! The Da Tita Roll was really good too, but I wasn't a fan of the citrus miso sauce with the fish. My husband LOVED it though! I still enjoyed the pieces that had less of the sauce on them :) The food was all REALLY FRESH and prepared with love. The presentation was on point, even though the food was served in to-go containers. We also got the Calamansi limeade, per recommendation of the server. It was so delicious, we even got one to go when we were done with our lunch. We were in a little before noon on a Friday, and it was a steady flow of customers both dining in and getting to-go orders. Should we find ourselves in Hanapepe again, we wouldn't dare miss this place!! read more

Love the fish and chips! Cute small indoor dining but always take mines to go. Ku'ulei always smiling love her and the staff

An absolute hit, Every. Single. Time. I have literal dreams about Ku'ulei's. You truly can't go wrong with anything on the menu! I love the ahi salad, the tacos & the Reggie rings! My husband is all about the fish & chips with the best fries!! Don't skip on getting desserts! We are not dessert people ever, but always tack on at least one treat here because it is soooo worth it. It gets very busy during peak hours so just show aloha! It's a really cute retro restaurant with limited seating, so we usually get ours to go eat at the beach near by. We stop any time we are on that side of the island & they are open... I physically can't drive by with out my fix. read more

Cajun Seared Ahi was amazing! Service - on point with lots of Aloha! Nice little place in Hanapepe!

Two adults and two kids for a random lunch. Everything was super fresh and delicious!

Food was ono (Delicious)! I had the pastelle plate with the homemade lemonade and cookies to go. Everything was perfect. Service with Aloha cant say enough good things about this place! I will be going back there next time I'm on Kauai. read more

Seafood wrap was very generous with seafood, sushi and limeade also delicious. Confident every thing there is good. Nice staff.

Tucked into an older building, the draw of this Cafe was homemade pastries, but after reading the menu, we chose to have a light bite before dessert. First up, a hearty Portugese bean soup. Soups come in three sizes: cup $5, bowl $10, or quart $20 A variety of salads are also in $6 and $12 sizes. Poke bowl. Dessert - passion fruit cheesecake. Excellent food! Worth the stop! read more

Ku’ulei’s Gourmet - Portugese bean soup - Soup Near Me - Hanapepe, Hawaii

Delicious food! Friendly staff. Had the garlic shrimp, poke bowl, and fish & chips! Food was fresh and so tasty! Finished lunch with an ice cream sandwich which was heaven. read more

True aloha spirit here. My family and I stumbled upon this place after it was recommended by one of the shop owners on the block. The food was incredible, reasonably priced for quality ingredients, and truly the best food on the island! I will be dreaming about the Reggie rings until our next trip back here and will be recommending this spot to all of our family and friends! Mahalo for the hospitality and delicious food! The mother and daughters were so kind and the restaurant itself was so charming ! 10/10, go now! read more

Ku’ulei’s Gourmet - Reggie's rings!! Never had anything like this before! - Soup Near Me - Hanapepe, Hawaii

Incredible food and service!! Came here a year ago from the mainland and got a poke bowl with SO MUCH tuna. This year I got the Reggie roll it was unbelievable the portion was huge! Love this place. read more

Ku’ulei’s Gourmet - Ahi Tuna Melt - Soup Near Me - Hanapepe, Hawaii

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There is a reason they have a 4.8 rating. They have great customer service, good prices, and a nice vibe to the place. Excellent fish and chips and salads. H says the best Eggplant Parmesan he has ever had and he has had a lot. Banana pie was excellent too! read more

We enjoyed Reggie's rings and Hungarian mushroom soup. Reggie's rings are battered onion rings with Ahi poke topping. Serving size was healthy and rings (really 'pucks' of multiple quarter ring pieces) were not over battered. Ahi was proportional and tasty, as were the other poke ingredients. Mushroom soup was tasty, with lots of mushrooms. read more

The food was absolutely amazing. So good that I didn't even think to take a photo to share. We enjoyed the Poke bowl, Pastele plate, and soft shell crab roll. Every bite into each dish would fill your pallet with an explosion of flavors. This is an absolute MUST visit if you're anywhere on the Island. Service matched the food with kindness. read more

Food was so tasty and great. Service was warm and sweet and full of local love. Cute place and love their menu in that you can have a cup of soup, small salad entrees, etc. Their ahi poke bowl was the best we had on the island. Would say this was our hands down best local food experience. Prices are more than reasonable (bonus). read more

The poke bowl was absolutely fabulous! So fresh. The people are so friendly and welcoming. The price is so reasonable. And the cookies are amazing too!! I had an Ono sandwich which was great. I definitely will be back. read more